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
Since the Notecarrier XS v1.1 is designed to be used with Starnote for satellite connectivity, the Notecarrier XS v1.1 is only compatible with the following Notecards:
When using a green Notecard Cellular (Legacy) device with Notecarrier XS, the
shield over the modem can touch the VGPS_OUT
pad, initiating a short. This may
cause the Notecard VMODEM
regulator to heat up and not generate enough voltage
to enable the modem.
This issue has been mitigated with conformal coating or Kapton tape. We recommend not removing the Kapton tape if using Notecarrier XS with a green Notecard Cellular (Legacy).
Package Configuration
Notecarrier XS (Satellite) v1.1
Notecarrier XS (CARR-XS) is the companion Notecarrier for Starnote and Notecard, providing a platform for prototyping with Satellite failover.
Front | Back |
---|---|
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Notecard and Starnote edge connector sockets and mounting screw receptacles.
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USB-C port to power Notecarrier and provide a USB Serial command interface to Notecard.
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Requires separate user-provided U.FL cellular/Wi-Fi antennas for Notecard and Starnote.
-
Requires a separate user-provided U.FL passive GPS antenna for Starnote and an optional U.FL passive GPS antenna for Notecard. See this note about using an active GPS antenna with Notecarrier XS.
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JST PH connector for a LiPo battery.
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Qwiic connector for connecting I2C peripherals.
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ESLOV connector for connecting I2C peripherals. ESLOV exposes an additional GPIO pin which is connected to the Notecard's ATTN pin.
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LiPo charging circuit.
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External Nano-SIM slot for use of an optional secondary SIM.
-
PCB Dimensions: 78mm x 66mm
-
Center of Mounting Holes: 73.5mm x 62mm (corners) and 43mm x 62mm (middle) (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:
-
attaching a LiPo battery.
The LiPo battery must be a single-cell 3.7V battery with a 2-pin JST PH connector.
-
applying 2.5-5.5VDC to the
VBAT
orVMAIN
pins.Commonly provided via DC power supply or non-rechargeable battery.
Typical USB ports may only be capable of supplying 500 mA of current, which might not be enough to power Notecard during a cellular connection to a GSM network (which can spike to 2A). In this situation, you're advised to supplement power to your Notecarrier with an external source (e.g. a LiPo 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 XS v1.1 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 XS v1.1 Dual 16-pin Headers
Pin Name | Direction | Usage | Usage | Direction | Pin Name | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GND | IN | Ground | Direct connect to the + pin of the battery connector | IN/OUT | VBAT | |
AUX_TX | OUT | High-speed diagnostic interface | Direct connect to VUSB pin of the USB connector | IN/OUT | VUSB | |
AUX_RX | IN | High-speed diagnostic interface | Digital I/O voltage source with 100mA available | OUT | VIO | |
AUX_EN | IN | Enable diagnostics | Diode union of VUSB and VBAT sources | OUT | VMAIN | |
AUX4 | IN/OUT | API-selectable modes of operation | Access to Notecard boot pin | IN | BOOT | |
AUX3 | IN/OUT | API-selectable modes of operation | For development use only: MUST normally be NC or High Impedance and must never be pulled to GND. A VIO-level pulse of >250ms will reset the Notecard | IN | NRST | |
AUX2 | IN/OUT | API-selectable modes of operation | Active LOW when charging attached LiPo | OUT | NCHG | |
AUX1 | IN/OUT | API-selectable modes of operation | For On/Off switching of customer product. Leave NC or connect to a physical switch or Open Drain output. Notecard will be OFF if pulled to GND. Never apply positive voltage to this pin. | IN | EN | |
ATTN | OUT | Configurable interrupt signal | Active antenna GPS 3.8V from Notecard | OUT | VGPS_OUT | |
CTX | OUT | Clear to transmit | Active antenna GPS bias voltage | IN | VGPS_IN | |
RTX | OUT | Request to transmit | Active LOW when ALTDFU is active | OUT | IDLE | |
TX | OUT | UART serial transmit request interface | Allows Notecard to toggle host active LOW reset pin ALTDFU | IN | NRST | |
RX | IN | UART serial receive request interface (Notecard has onboard 10K pull-up resistors) | Allows Notecard to toggle host BOOT pin ALTDFU | IN | BOOT | |
SCL | IN/OUT | I2C clock request interface (Notecard has onboard 10K pull-up resistors) | UART serial transmit request interface, specifically used to program the host MCU. ALTDFU | OUT | TX | |
SDA | IN/OUT | I2C data request interface (Notecard has onboard 10K pull-up resistors) | UART serial transmit request interface, specifically used to program the host MCU. ALTDFU | IN | RX | |
GND | IN | Ground | Ground | IN | GND |
Specifications
Electrical Characteristics
DC Characteristics
Description | Minimum | Maximum | Unit |
---|---|---|---|
Supply Voltage | 2.5 | 5.5 | V |
Supply Current | 500 | 2000 | mA |
Absolute Maximum Ratings
Description | Minimum | Maximum | Unit |
---|---|---|---|
Storage temperature | -35 | 70 | °C |
Actual values may vary based on local conditions such as atmospheric conditions and distance to the cell tower.
Ordering Information
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
Author | Date | Summary |
---|---|---|
Ray Ozzie | 2019-2020 | Document drafted |
John Wiedey | 2020 | Various improvements |
Sean Taylor | 2020 | Various improvements |
Zachary J. Fields | 01 OCT 2020 | Updated information and translated to markdown |
Brandon Satrom | 04 JAN 2021 | Added link to design resources |
Greg Wolff | 13 JAN 2021 | Added BAT pin information to Notecarrier AF datasheet |
Brandon Satrom | 07 APR 2022 | Added Notecarrier A information |
Zachary J. Fields | 20 JUL 2022 | Added Notecarrier F information |
Zachary J. Fields | 24 OCT 2022 | Added Notecarrier B v2 information |
Rob Lauer | 28 OCT 2022 | Added versioning for Notecarrier B v1/v2 |
TJ VanToll | 05 JAN 2023 | Added Notecard Outboard Firmware Update information |
Rob Lauer | 28 FEB 2023 | Re-labeling Notecarrier B as "Basic" |
Rob Lauer | 01 MAR 2023 | Added PCB/Mounting Hole Dimensions |
Rob Lauer | 07 SEP 2023 | Added Notecarrier F v1.3 information |
Rob Lauer | 16 NOV 2023 | Added Notecarrier Pi v2.0 information |
Rob Lauer | 14 MAR 2024 | Added Notecarrier B v3.1 and Notecarrier R v1.0 information |
Rob Lauer | 05 JUN 2024 | Added Notecarrier XS v1.1 information |
Rob Lauer | 10 JUN 2024 | Added Kicad schematics to A, B, F, and Pi Notecarriers |
Rob Lauer | 18 JUL 2024 | Added Notecarrier XS v1.2 information |
Rob Lauer | 22 JUL 2024 | Updated Notecarrier pin descriptions |
TJ VanToll | 19 AUG 2024 | Added Notecarrier X v1.2, XM 1.2, and XP 3.1 information |
Contact Information
Blues Inc.
https://blues.com
50 Dunham Ridge Suite 1650
Beverly, MA 01915
support@blues.com