Companion development boards for easy prototyping and deployment.

Notecarriers are available in several form-factors to facilitate rapid prototyping. Depending upon the variant, a Notecarrier may be designed with direct host integration, size optimization, integrated cellular/Wi-Fi and GNSS antennas, or even to be soldered directly into a solution for low-volume production.

Functional Description

Notecarriers are designed to bridge the gap between prototype and production for the Notecard. The Notecard is designed to be socketed directly onto the circuit board using an edge connector socket, along with a customer's MCU, sensors, and controls. While such a model provides a highly modular configuration for the final product, it can make prototyping unnecessarily difficult.

Notecarriers offer breakout connections for the Notecard, as well as circuitry to provide power management, protection and signal amplification.

Features

• Simple. Provides breadboard compatible pins or solderable mask for direct connections.
• Compatible. Level shifters ensure compatibility with 3.3V or 5V equipment.
• Convenient. Powered by a USB connector (requires 2A supply).
• GPS Ready. Models are either active GPS compatible, or feature a built-in antenna to enable GNSS connectivity.

Compatible Notecards

Due to differences in the physical size of Notecards, certain Notecarriers are only compatible with certain Notecards. However, the Notecarrier XM v1.2 is compatible with all available Notecards:

• Notecard Cell+WiFi
• Notecard Cellular
• Notecard Cellular (Legacy)
• Notecard WiFi
• Notecard LoRa

Package Configuration

Notecarrier XM v1.2

Notecarrier XM is a small form-factor Notecarrier, only slightly larger than the Notecard itself. The Notecarrier XM is our most minimal Notecard, containing essential circuitry for the Notecard and a USB port for USB Serial access to the Notecard. The Notecarrier XM was designed as a low-cost companion to the Notecard LoRa and Notecard WiFi, though it can be used with any Notecard. Unlike other Notecarriers, the Notecarrier XM does not include an external SIM slot.

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• Notecard edge connector socket and mounting screw receptacle.

• USB-C port to power Notecarrier and provide a USB Serial command interface to Notecard.

• Requires user provided U.FL cellular/Wi-Fi antenna and optional U.FL active GPS antenna.

• PCB Dimensions: 57mm x 38mm

• Center of Mounting Holes: 53mm x 34mm (measured from the edge of the PCB to the center of the furthest mounting hole)

Power Information

All Notecarriers can be powered by connecting directly to the USB port. However, most installations will not have USB power available, so several alternate power options are provided by the various Notecarrier models:

• applying 2.5-5.5VDC to the VBAT or VMAIN pins.

  Commonly provided via DC power supply or non-rechargeable battery.

GPS (GNSS) Antenna Requirements

All Notecarrier models are designed to support active GPS, and several Notecarrier models provide built-in antennas ready to be connected to a Cellular Notecard using the included U.FL cables.

Enabling Active GPS

If using Notecarrier XM v1.2 with an active GPS antenna, add a 0-Ohm 0603 jumper to the unpopulated spot between VGPS_OUT and VGPS_IN. This will power an active GPS LNA with a 3.8VDC bias voltage on the center conductor of its GPS U.FL connector.

Header Descriptions

Notecarrier XM v1.2 Dual 16-pin Headers

Specifications

Electrical Characteristics

DC Characteristics

Absolute Maximum Ratings

Ordering Information

• Notecarriers
• Development Kits

Design Files

Open source hardware designs for all Notecarriers are maintained in the note-hardware GitHub repository.

Terms and Conditions

Visit Blues Hardware Terms & Conditions.

Revision History

Contact Information

Blues Inc.
https://blues.com
50 Dunham Ridge Suite 1650
Beverly, MA 01915
support@blues.com