nRF52840 DK Hardware

v1.0.0
User Guide

4440_050 / 2020-12-03
Contents
Revision history. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iv

Environmental and safety notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

2 Kit content. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

3 Interface MCU. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.1 IF Boot/Reset button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
3.2 Virtual serial port. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.2.1 Dynamic hardware flow control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
3.3 Mass Storage Device. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

4 Hardware description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.1 Hardware drawings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.2 Block diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
4.3 Power supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4.3.1 5 V power sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4.3.2 VDD power sources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
4.3.3 Interface MCU power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.3.4 nRF52840 power source. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.3.5 nRF52840 SoC direct supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
4.4 Modes of operation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.4.1 USB detect. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.4.2 nRF only mode. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.4.3 Signal switches. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
4.5 External memory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
4.6 Connector interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4.6.1 Analog pin map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.7 Buttons and LEDs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
4.8 32.768 kHz crystal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.9 Debug input and trace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.10 Debug output. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
4.10.1 Connectors for programming external boards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.11 NFC antenna interface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.12 Extra op-amp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.13 Solder bridge configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

5 Current measurement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.1 Set up the DK. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
5.2 Measure current profile with an oscilloscope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
5.3 Measure average current with an ampere meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

6 RF measurements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Recommended reading. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

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 Legal notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

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Revision history
Date Description
2020-12-03 Editorial changes
April 2020 Editorial changes
December 2019 Fixed broken links
February 2019 Updated Introduction on page 6: nRF52811 support
September 2018 Updated:
• Nordic tools and downloads
• Start developing
• Set up the DK on page 34

June 2018 Updated Getting started

April 2018 First release

Previous versions
PDF files for relevant previous versions are available here:
• nRF52840 PDK User Guide v1.2
• nRF52840 PDK User Guide v1.0

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Environmental and safety notices
Environmental and safety notices for the DK and power supply requirements.

Note: The nRF52840 DK must be powered by a PS1 class (IEC 62368-1) power supply with
maximum power less than 15 W.

Skilled persons
The nRF52840 DK is intended for use only by skilled persons.
A skilled person is someone with relevant education or experience that enables them to identify potential
hazards and takes appropriate action to reduce the risk of injury to themselves and others.

Electrostatic discharge
The nRF52840 DK is susceptible to Electrostatic Discharge (ESD).
To avoid damage to your device, it should be used in an electrostatic free environment, such as a
laboratory.

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1 Introduction
The nRF52840 DK is a hardware development platform for designing and developing application firmware
on the nRF52840 System on Chip (SoC).

Key features
• nRF52840 flash-based Bluetooth® Low Energy and ANT™/ANT+™ SoC solution
• Support for nRF52840 and nRF52811 SoCs development
• Buttons and LEDs for user interaction
• I/O interface for Arduino form factor plug-in modules
• SEGGER J-Link OB Debugger with debug out functionality
• UART interface through a virtual serial port
• Flash memory
• Drag-and-drop Mass Storage Device (MSD) programming
• Support for NFC-A Listen Mode
• Pins for measuring power consumption
This Development Kit (DK) can be used to develop and test applications for the nRF52840 or nRF52811
SoCs.
For access to firmware source code, hardware schematics, and layout files, see [Link].

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2 Kit content
The nRF52840 DK includes hardware, preprogrammed firmware, documentation, hardware schematics,
and layout files.
The nRF52840 DK (PCA10056) comes with an Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna.

Figure 1: nRF52840 DK (PCA10056) and NFC antenna

Hardware files
The hardware design files for the nRF52840 DK are available on the nRF52840 product page. They include.
• Schematics
• Printed Circuit Board (PCB) layout files
• Bill of materials
• Gerber files

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3 Interface MCU
The interface MCU on the nRF52840 DK runs SEGGER J-Link Onboard (OB) interface firmware. It is used to
program and debug the application firmware of the nRF52840 SoC.

Figure 2: Interface MCU

3.1 IF Boot/Reset button

IF Boot/Reset button (SW5) is connected to the interface MCU on the DK and resets the nRF52840 SoC or
any device connected to the external programming connectors.
The button is has two functions:
• Resetting the nRF52840 SoC
• Entering the bootloader mode of the interface MCU
During normal operation the button functions as a reset button for the nRF52840 SoC. For this to work,
pin reset on P0.18 must be enabled in embedded firmware.
The button is also used to enter the bootloader mode of the interface MCU. To enter the bootloader
mode, keep the reset button pressed while powering up the DK until LED5 starts to blink. You can power
up the DK by disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable or by toggling the power switch (SW8).

Note: Pin reset can be enabled by adding the CONFIG_GPIO_AS_PINRESET variable to the compiler
preprocessor macros. This depends on the Integrated Development Environment (IDE)/toolchain in
use:
• When using SEGGER Embedded Studio, go to Project > Edit Options > Code > Preprocessor >
Preprocessor Definitions and add the CONFIG_GPIO_AS_PINRESET variable.
• When using Keil, go to Project > Options for Target > C/C++ > Preprocessor Symbols > Define
and add the CONFIG_GPIO_AS_PINRESET variable.
If your program does not enable pin reset, this functionality can also be enabled on a previously
programmed device by calling [Link] with argument --pinresetenable. To disable
pin reset again, reprogram with --chiperase.

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 Interface MCU

3.2 Virtual serial port

The interface MCU features a Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) interface through a
virtual serial port. One port is connected to the physical port on the DK, and the other is not usable.
The serial port has the following features:
• Flexible baud rate setting up to 1 Mbps (baud rate 921 600 bps is not supported)
• Dynamic Hardware Flow Control (HWFC)
• Tri-stated UART lines when no terminal is connected
The following table lists the nRF52840 SoC UART GPIO pins and their signals and the interface MCU.

GPIO nRF52840 nRF52840 UART

P0.05 RTS
P0.06 CXD
P0.07 RTS
P0.08 TXD

Table 1: Relationship of UART connections on nRF52840 and interface MCU

The UART signals are routed directly to the interface MCU. The UART pins connected to the interface
MCU are tri-stated when no terminal is connected to the virtual serial port on the computer. The terminal
software must send a Data Terminal Ready (DTR) signal to configure the UART interface MCU pins.
P0.05 (Request to Send (RTS)) and P0.07 (Clear to Send (CTS)) can be used for other purposes when
HWFC is disabled on the SoC.

3.2.1 Dynamic hardware flow control

When the interface MCU receives a DTR signal from a terminal, it performs automatic HWFC detection.

HWFC detection
Automatic HWFC detection is done by driving CTS from the interface MCU and evaluating the state of RTS
when the first data is sent or received. If the state of RTS is high, it is assumed HWFC is not in use. If HWFC
is not detected, pins P0.10/P0.21 P0.07 (CTS) and P0.05 (RTS) are free for the nRF application to
use.
After a power-on reset of the interface MCU, all UART lines are tri-stated when no terminal is connected
to the virtual serial port. If HWFC has been used and detected, P0.07 (CTS) is driven by the interface
MCU until a power-on reset has been performed or until a new DTR signal is received and the detection is
redone.

Note:

Using HWFC pins for other tasks

P0.05 (RTS) and P0.07 (CTS) can be disconnected from the interface MCU by switching SW7 to OFF.
This might be necessary if UART without HWFC is needed while P0.05 (RTS) and P0.07 (CTS) are used
for other purposes. To ensure that the P0.06 (TXD) and P0.08 (RXD) lines are not affected by the
interface MCU, the solder bridges for these signals can be cut and later resoldered if needed.

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 Interface MCU

3.3 Mass Storage Device

The interface MCU features an MSD. This makes the DK appear as an external drive on your computer.
This drive can be used for drag-and-drop programming. However, files cannot be stored on the drive.
When a HEX file is copied to the drive, the interface MCU programs the file to the DK.
The following issues might occur during MSD operation:
• If Windows tries to defragment the MSD, the interface MCU disconnects and becomes unresponsive.
To return to normal operation, power cycle the DK.
• Your antivirus software might try to scan the MSD. Some antivirus programs trigger a false positive
alert in one of the files and quarantine the unit. If this happens, the interface MCU becomes
unresponsive.
• If the computer is set up to boot from USB, it can try to boot from the DK if it is connected. This can
be avoided by unplugging the DK before a computer restart or changing the boot sequence of the
computer.
You can disable the MSD of the DK by using the msddisable command in J-Link Commander. To enable,
use the msdenable command. These commands take effect after a power cycle of the DK and stay this
way until changed again.

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4 Hardware description
The nRF52840 DK (PCA10056) features an onboard programming and debugging solution.
In addition to radio communication, the SoC can communicate with a computer through Universal Serial
Bus (USB) and a virtual serial port provided by the interface MCU.

4.1 Hardware drawings

nRF52840 DK hardware drawings show both sides of the PCA10056.

Figure 3: nRF52840 DK front view

Figure 4: nRF52840 DK back view

4.2 Block diagram

The block diagram illustrates the nRF52840 DK functional architecture.

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 Hardware description

GPIO

IF BOOT/
LEDs
RESET

Debug out Buttons

nRF only External

mode switch memory Antenna

Interface Analog Matching

nRF52840 RF connector
MCU switch network

Analog Current Osc

IF MCU USB
switch measurement 16 MHz

Power supply nRF power Osc

Battery
circuitry source switch 32.768 kHz

External
Power switch Li-ion Debug in
supply

nRF USB

Figure 5: Block diagram

4.3 Power supply

The nRF52840 DK has multiple power options.
The power options are the following:
• USB connector J2 for the interface MCU (5 V)
• USB connector J3 for the nRF52840 SoC (5 V)
• Lithium-polymer (Li-Poly) battery connectors J6 or P27 (2.5 V to 5.0 V)
• VIN 3–5V pin on P20 (3.0 V to 5.0 V)
• External supply on P21 (1.7 V to 3.6 V)
• Coin cell battery

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 Hardware description

Figure 6: Power supply options (front)

Figure 7: Power supply options (back)

4.3.1 5 V power sources

The nRF52840 DK has a 5 V boost regulator.
It gives a stable 5 V output from the following sources:
• USB connector J2 for the interface MCU
• USB connector J3 for the nRF52840 SoC
• Li-Poly battery connectors (J6 or P27)
• VIN 3–5V pin on P20
Each source has a reverse protection diode to prevent current flowing in the wrong direction if multiple
sources are connected at the same time.

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 Hardware description

Figure 8: 5 V regulator and protecting diodes

4.3.2 VDD power sources

The main supply voltage (VDD) is sourced from the 5 V domain, external power supply, and coin cell
battery.
For the 5 V domain, there are two regulators, one fixed 3 V buck regulator and one voltage follower
regulator that follows the VDD_nRF voltage. The coin cell battery and external power supply are not
regulated.
• 5 V domain:
• Fixed 3 V buck regulator
• VDD_nRF voltage follower
• External power supply
• Coin cell battery
For more information about power sources, see nRF52840 power source on page 17.
The power sources are routed through a set of load switches, which are controlled by logic to prioritize the
power sources in the correct manner.
If the high voltage regulator of the nRF52840 is used, the DK is supplied from the VDD_nRF voltage
follower regardless of the state of the other power sources.

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 Hardware description

Figure 9: Power supply circuitry

The internal transistor body diode powers the VSUPPLY net, which is used to supply the gates that control
the enable signal for the power switches. If 5 V is present, the switches for external supply and battery are
disabled. If external supply is present, the switch for the battery is disabled.
The power switches can be bypassed by shorting one or more solder bridges.

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 Hardware description

Power source Power switch bypass Voltage level

Regulator SB34 3.0 V
Coin cell battery SB35 Battery
External supply SB36 1.7 V to 3.6 V

Table 2: Power switch bypass solder bridges

Figure 10: Power switch bypass solder bridges

Note: Connect only one power source at a time. Shorting the solder bridges removes the reverse
voltage protection.

4.3.3 Interface MCU power

The power for the interface MCU is routed through two load switches, one for the VDD supply and one for
the USB supply. This makes it possible to disconnect the interface MCU from the power domain when not
in use.

Figure 11: Interface MCU power switch

These switches are controlled by the presence of a USB connected to the interface MCU USB connector
(J2), and the state of the nRF only switch (SW6). See Modes of operation on page 18 for more
information.

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 Hardware description

4.3.4 nRF52840 power source

The nRF52840 DK has a power source switch (SW9) for selecting between VDD (default), Li-Po, and USB
power supplies for the nRF52840 SoC.

Figure 12: nRF52840 DK power source switch

The nRF52840 SoC has a high voltage buck regulator that can support up to 5 V input. In the VDD position,
the SoC is powered from the onboard buck regulator, coin cell battery, or external supply (P21). In
the Li-Po position, the high voltage regulator of the SoC is supplied directly from the Li-Poly battery
connectors (J6 or P27). In the USB position, the USB high voltage regulator is powered by thenRF52840
USB connector (J3).
When the high voltage regulator is used, the VDD_nRF voltage can be set by SoC firmware. To make sure
the rest of the DK has the same voltage level, the VDD of the DK is sourced by a regulator following the
VDD_nRF voltage when the high voltage regulator is used.

Figure 13: VDD_nRF voltage follower and switch

To make sure that the nRF52840 SoC is not powered when the nRF power switch (SW8) is OFF, two load
switches are used, one for the high voltage regulator (U23) and one for the USB supply (U22). These
switches are controlled by VDD.

4.3.5 nRF52840 SoC direct supply

It is possible to power the application SoC directly from a source without powering the rest of the DK from
that source.

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 Hardware description

This is done by connecting the external source to the external supply connector (P21) and sliding the
VEXT->nRF switch (SW10) to the ON position. The nRF power source switch (SW9) must be in the VDD
position. The allowed voltage range is from 1.7 V to 3.6 V.

Figure 14: VEXT->nRF switch (SW10)

Since only the nRF52840 SoC is supplied from this source, it is recommended that the VDD domain is
supplied from a different source to ensure the pins of the SoC are not connected to unpowered devices.
To avoid voltage differences on the DK, the external supply is also connected to the input of the voltage
follower when the VEXT->nRF switch (SW10) is in the ON position. The voltage follower circuit requires 5 V
supplied to the DK, see 5 V power sources on page 13.
The voltage follower can be disconnected from the External supply by cutting SB58. To prevent leakage
due to voltage differences, the DK should be set in the nRF only mode, see nRF only mode on page 19.

Note: To reduce trace length and parasitic components, the external memory is connected to the
SoC directly instead of using analog switches. It is recommended to cut solder bridges to avoid
leakage, see External memory on page 21.

4.4 Modes of operation

The following sections describe signal switches and the various modes of operation of the nRF52840 DK.

4.4.1 USB detect

To detect when USB for the interface MCU is connected, there is a circuit sensing the VBUS of USB
connector J2.
When the USB cable is connected, the VDD is propagated to the USB_DETECT signal.

Figure 15: USB detect

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 Hardware description

4.4.2 nRF only mode

The nRF only mode disconnects the power supply, external memory, and LEDs of the interface MCU. It also
disconnects the signal lines between the nRF52840 SoC and the interface MCU using analog switches.
This is done to isolate the chip on the DK as much as possible and can be of use when measuring currents
on low-power applications.
The power supply of the external memory can be changed to maintain operation in the nRF only mode.
See External memory on page 21.

Figure 16: nRF ONLY switch (SW6)

4.4.3 Signal switches

On the nRF52840 DK, there are multiple analog switches that are used to connect and disconnect signals
based on different scenarios.

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 Hardware description

Figure 17: Signal switches

The USB and SW6 control the signal switches by using USB_DETECT as an input to SW6. The interface MCU
can be disconnected either by unplugging the USB cable from J2 or by toggling the nRF ONLY switch SW6.
The signal controls a set of switches (U5, U6, U7) that break the connection between the nRF52840 SoC
and the interface MCU, and control the power for the interface MCU. For more information, see Interface
MCU power on page 16.
Switches U5 and U6 break the connection of the UART lines and SWD/RESET lines. Depending on user
preference, the signal controls the routing of the RESET signal when the interface MCU is connected/
disconnected, as follows:
• When the interface MCU is disconnected, cutting SB42 disconnects the IF BOOT/RESET button (SW5)
from the reset pin (P0.18) of nRF52840.
• When the interface MCU is disconnected, shorting SB45 connects the RESET pin in the Arduino
interface to the reset pin (P0.18) of nRF52840.

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 Hardware description

• When the interface MCU is connected, shorting SB46 connects the RESET pin in the Arduino interface
to the BOOT input of the interface MCU.
• Shorting SB43 connects the RESET pin in the Arduino interface to the IF Boot/Reset button.
• Shorting SB44 connects the RESET pin in the Arduino interface to the reset pin (P0.18) of nRF52840.
When a shield is connected, two analog switches connect the pull-up resistors to the I2C bus lines (SDA
and SCL). This function uses one ground pin on the Arduino shield to control the switch. This feature can
be disabled by cutting SB33. To permanently enable pull-up resistors, short SB32.

Figure 18: Solder bridges: Shield detect and reset behavior

The last switch (U8) controls which GPIOs certain signals are routed to. This is due to some features using
the same GPIOs as the Trace output by default. These analog switches are controlled by SW7. See Debug
input and trace on page 26 for more information.

4.5 External memory

The nRF52840 DK has a 64 megabit external flash memory. The memory is a multi-I/O memory supporting
both Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) and Quad Serial Peripheral Interface (QSPI).
The memory is connected to the chip using the following General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)s:

GPIO Flash memory pin Solder bridge for Solder bridge for GPIO
memory use (default: use (default: open)
shorted)
0.17 CS SB13 SB23
0.19 SCLK SB11 SB21
0.20 SIO_0/SI SB12 SB22
0.21 SIO_1/SO SB14 SB24
0.22 SIO_2/WP SB15 SB25
0.23 SIO_3/HOLD SB10 SB20

Table 3: Flash memory GPIO usage and connecting solder bridges

To use the GPIOs for a purpose other than the onboard external memory and have them available on the
P24 connector, six solder bridges (SB10–SB15) must be cut and six solder bridges (SB20–SB25) must be
shorted. See the following figure for details.

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 Hardware description

Note: If debugging the QSPI communication is needed, the SB20–SB25 can be shorted without
cutting SB10–SB15, but the pins should not be driven externally.

Figure 19: Configuring GPIOs for external memory

By default, the power supply of the external memory is from the VDD domain and it is controlled by
the nRF only switch (SW6). In the nRF only mode, there are two optional power sources for keeping the
external memory powered, VDD and VDD_nRF. If VDD_nRF is selected, the power consumption of the
external memory is added to the nRF52840 current measured on P22 or P23. See the following table for
configuration.

Power source Solder bridge Default state

VDD_PER SB16 Shorted
VDD SB17 Open
VDD_nRF SB18 Open

Table 4: Flash memory power source configuration

4.6 Connector interface

Access to the nRF52840 GPIOs is available from connectors P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, and P24.
The P1 connector provides access to ground and power on the nRF52840 DK.

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 Hardware description

Figure 20: nRF52840 DK connectors

Some of the signals are also available on connectors P7, P8, P9, P10, P11, and P12, located on the back
side of the DK. By mounting pin lists on the connector footprints, the nRF52840 DK can be used as a shield
for 3.3 V Arduino motherboards or other boards that follow the Arduino standard.
For easy access to GPIO, power, and ground, the signals can also be found on the through-hole connectors
P13–P17.
The following are default pin settings:
• P0.00 and P0.01 are used for the 32.768 kHz crystal and are not available on the connectors. See
32.768 kHz crystal on page 26 for more information.
• P0.05, P0.06, P0.07, and P0.08 are used by the UART connected to the interface MCU. See
Virtual serial port on page 9 for more information.
• P0.09 and P0.10 are by default used by signals NFC1 and NFC2. See NFC antenna interface on page
29 for more information.
• P0.11–P0.16 and P0.24–P0.25 are by default connected to the buttons and LEDs. See Buttons
and LEDs on page 24 for more information.
• 0.17 and 0.19–0.23 are by default connected to the external memory. For more information, see
External memory on page 21.
When the nRF52840 DK is used as a shield together with an Arduino standard motherboard, the Arduino
signals are routed as shown in the following figure.

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 Hardware description

Figure 21: Arduino signals routing on the nRF52840 DK

4.6.1 Analog pin map

The following table shows the mapping between GPIO pins, analog inputs, and the corresponding Arduino
analog input naming.

GPIO Analog input Arduino naming

P0.03 AIN1 A0
P0.04 AIN2 A1
P0.28 AIN4 A2
P0.29 AIN5 A3
P0.30 AIN6 A4
P0.31 AIN7 A5

Table 5: Mapping of analog pins

4.7 Buttons and LEDs

The four buttons and four LEDs on the nRF52840 DK are connected to dedicated GPIOs on the nRF52840
SoC.

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 Hardware description

Part GPIO GPIO alternative Solder bridge

Button 1 P0.11 P1.07 -
Button 2 P0.12 P1.08 -
Button 3 P0.24 -
Button 4 P0.25 -
LED 1 P0.13 SB5
LED 2 P0.14 SB6
LED 3 P0.15 SB7
LED 4 P0.16 SB8

Table 6: Button and LED connections

If P0.13–P0.16 are needed elsewhere, the LEDs can be disconnected by cutting the short on SB5–SB8.
See the following figure for more information.
Since P0.11 and P0.12 are used as part of the Trace functionality, BUTTON 1 and BUTTON 2 can be
moved to alternative GPIOs. See Debug input and trace on page 26 for more information.

Figure 22: Disconnecting the LEDs

The buttons are active low, which means that input is connected to ground when the button is activated.
The buttons do not have an external pull-up resistor, so the P0.11, P0.12, P0.24, and P0.25 pins
must be configured as input with an internal pull-up resistor to use the buttons.
The LEDs are active low, meaning that writing a logical zero (0) to the output pin turns on the LED.

Figure 23: Button and LED configuration

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 Hardware description

4.8 32.768 kHz crystal

The nRF52840 SoC can use an optional 32.768 kHz crystal (X2) for higher accuracy and lower average
power consumption.
On the nRF52840 DK, P0.00 and P0.01 are used for the 32.768 kHz crystal by default and are not
available as GPIO on the connectors.

Note: When using ANT/ANT+, the 32.768 kHz crystal (X2) is required for correct operation.

If P0.00 and P0.01 are needed as normal I/Os, then the 32.768 kHz crystal can be disconnected and the
GPIO routed to the connectors. Cut the solder bridges on SB1 and SB2, and solder SB3 and SB4. See the
following figure for reference.

Figure 24: Configuring P0.00 and P0.01

Figure 25: 32.768 kHz crystal and SB1–SB4

4.9 Debug input and trace

The Debug in connector (P18) makes it possible to connect external debuggers when the interface MCU
USB cable is not connected, or the DK is in nRF only mode.

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 Hardware description

Figure 26: Debug input and trace connectors

For trace, a footprint for a 20-pin connector is available (P25). If trace functionality is required, it is
possible to mount a 2x10 pin 1.27 mm pitch surface-mount pin header. To use trace, you must disable flow
control on UART_0, by switching Flow Control (SW7) for serial port 0 to off.
Some of the trace pins are by default used for other functionality on the DK. By sliding the TRACE switch
(SW7) from Def. to Alt., the functionality is moved to other GPIOs. See the following table for more
information.

GPIO Trace Default use Optional GPIO

P0.07 TRACECLK UART CTS P0.04
P1.00 TRACEDATA[0]
P0.11 TRACEDATA[1] Button 1 P1.07
P0.12 TRACEDATA[2] Button 2 P1.08
P1.09 TRACEDATA[3]

Table 7: Default and Trace GPIOs

By default, the reference voltage for the debug input and trace is connected to VDD_nRF'. This can be
connected to the VDD by cutting SB60 and soldering SB59.

4.10 Debug output

The nRF52840 DK supports programming and debugging external boards with nRF51 Series or nRF52
Series SoCs. To debug an external board with SEGGER J-Link OB IF, connect to the Debug out connector
(P19) using a 10-pin cable.

4440_050 27
 Hardware description

Figure 27: Debug output connector

When the external board is powered, the interface MCU detects the supply voltage of the board and
programs/debugs the target chip on the external board instead of the onboard nRF52840 SoC.

Note: The voltage supported by external debugging/programming is VDD voltage. Normally, this
is 3 V when running from USB. But if the onboard nRF52840 SoC is supplied from either USB or
lithium-ion (Li-ion) and the nRF power source switch (SW9) is in either Li-Po or USB position, then
the VDD can be set by the nRF52840 firmware. Make sure the voltage level of the external board
matches the VDD of the nRF52840 DK.

You can also use P20 as a Debug out connection to program shield-mounted targets. For both P19 and
P20, the interface MCU detects the supply voltage on the mounted shield and programs or debugs the
target.
If the interface MCU detects target power on P19 and P20, it programs or debugs the target connected to
P19 by default.
If it is inconvenient to have a separate power supply on the external board, the nRF52840 DK can supply
power through the Debug out connector (P19). To enable this, short solder bridge SB47. While SB47 is
shorted, it is not possible to program the onboard nRF52840 SoC even if the external board is unplugged.

4.10.1 Connectors for programming external boards

The tables describe pinouts of connectors P19 and P20. The voltage on the external board must match
that of the DK.

4440_050 28
 Hardware description

Pin number Signal Description

1 EXT_VTG Voltage supply from the external target,
used as a select pin for the interface MCU to
enable this port
2 EXT_SWDIO Serial Wire Debug (SWD) data line
3 GND Ground
4 EXT_SWDCLK SWD clock line
5 GND Ground
6 EXT_SWO The Serial Wire Output (SWO) line is not
needed for programming and debugging
over SWD
7 N.C. Not used
8 N.C. Not used
9 EXT_GND_DETECT Ground detect
10 EXT_RESET Reset line

Table 8: Pinout of connector P19 for programming external targets

Pin number Signal Description

1 VDD_nRF nRF52840 SoC power domain
2 VDD_nRF’ Main nRF52840 DK power domain
3 SH_VTG Voltage supply from the external target,
used as a select pin for the interface MCU to
enable this port
4 SH_SWDIO SWD data line
5 SH_SWDCLK SWD clock line
6 SH_SWO The SWO line is not needed for programming
and debugging over SWD
7 SH_RESET Reset line
8 SH_GND_DETECT Ground detect

Table 9: Pinout of connector P20 for programming external targets

4.11 NFC antenna interface

The nRF52840 DK supports an NFC tag.
NFC-A Listen Mode operation is supported on the nRF52840 SoC. The NFC antenna input is available on
connector J5 on the nRF52840 DK.

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 Hardware description

Figure 28: NFC antenna connector

NFC uses two pins, NFC1 and NFC2, to connect the antenna. These pins are shared with GPIOs (P0.09
and P0.10). The PROTECT field of the NFCPINS register in User Information Configuration Registers (UICR)
defines the usage of these pins and their protection level against abnormal voltages. The content of the
NFCPINS register is reloaded at every reset.

Configuring NFC pins as GPIOs

The NFC pins are enabled by default. NFC can be disabled and GPIOs enabled by defining the
CONFIG_NFCT_PINS_AS_GPIOS variable in the project settings. This is configured based on the IDE or
toolchain in use:
• SEGGER Embedded Studio – Select Project > Edit Options > Code > Preprocessor > Preprocessor
Definitions and add the CONFIG_NFCT_PINS_AS_GPIOS variable.
• nRF Connect SDK – Set CONFIG_NFCT_PINS_AS_GPIOS to y. See Configuring your application for
instructions.
Pins L24 and J24 are by default configured to use the NFC antenna. To use these pins as GPIO, R44 and
R46 must be not connected (NC) and R43 and R45 must be shorted with an OR resistor.

Figure 29: NFC input

4.12 Extra op-amp

The voltage follower for the power supply uses a dual package Operational Amplifier (op-amp).
The extra op-amp is routed out to a connector (P28, not mounted) so that it is accessible for the user.
For more information on the power supply, see Power supply on page 12.

4440_050 30
 Hardware description

Figure 30: Extra op-amp

4.13 Solder bridge configuration

The nRF52840 DK has a range of solder bridges for enabling or disabling functionality on the DK. Changes
to these are not needed for normal use of the DK.
The following table is an overview of the solder bridges on the nRF52840 DK.

Solderbridge Default Function

SB1 Closed Cut to disconnect the 32.768 kHz on P0.01
SB2 Closed Cut to disconnect the 32.768 kHz on P0.00
SB3 Open Short to enable P0.01 as normal GPIO
SB4 Open Short to enable P0.00 as normal GPIO
SB5 Closed Cut to disconnect LED1
SB6 Closed Cut to disconnect LED2
SB7 Closed Cut to disconnect LED3
SB8 Closed Cut to disconnect LED4
SB9 Open Short to bypass peripheral power switch
SB10 Closed Cut to disconnect the QSPI memory from P0.23
SB11 Closed Cut to disconnect the QSPI memory from P0.19
SB12 Closed Cut to disconnect the QSPI memory from P0.20
SB13 Closed Cut to disconnect the QSPI memory from P0.17
SB14 Closed Cut to disconnect the QSPI memory from P0.21
SB15 Closed Cut to disconnect the QSPI memory from P0.22
SB16 Closed Cut to disconnect QSPI memory power supply from VDD_PER
SB17 Open Short to connect QSPI memory power supply to VDD
SB18 Open Short to connect QSPI memory power supply to VDD_nRF
SB20 Open Short to enable P0.23 as a normal GPIO
SB21 Open Short to enable P0.19 as a normal GPIO
SB22 Open Short to enable P0.20 as a normal GPIO
SB23 Open Short to enable P0.17 as a normal GPIO
SB24 Open Short to enable P0.21 as a normal GPIO
SB25 Open Short to enable P0.22 as a normal GPIO

4440_050 31
 Hardware description

Solderbridge Default Function

SB30 Open Short to reset the interface MCU
SB31 Open Short to bypass the USB detect switch
SB32 Open Short to permanently enable the I2C pull-up resistors
SB33 Closed Cut to permanently disable the I2C pull-up resistors
SB34 Open Short to bypass the power switch on the USB power
SB35 Open Short to bypass the power switch on the coin cell battery power
SB36 Open Short to bypass the power switch on the external supply power
SB37 Open Short to bypass the interface MCU power switch
SB38 Closed Cut to disable VDD power to the Arduino interface
SB39 Open Short to bypass the power switch for regulator, coin cell, or external
supply
SB40 Closed Cut for current measurements of the VDD_nRF
SB41 Closed Cut for current measurements of the VDD_nRF_HV
SB42 Closed Cut to disconnect IF Boot/Reset button from nRF52840 reset pin
when the interface MCU is disconnected
SB43 Open Short to connect IF Boot/Reset button to RESET pin on the Arduino
interface
SB44 Open Short to connect the RESET pin on the Arduino interface to the
nRF52840 reset pin
SB45 Open Short to connect the RESET pin on the Arduino interface to
the interface nRF52840 reset pin when the interface MCU is
disconnected
SB46 Open Short to connect the RESET pin on the Arduino interface to the
interface MCU Boot when the interface MCU is disconnected
SB47 Open Short to enable power supply of the external device when using the
debug out connector
SB48 Open Short to bypass the interface MCU USB power switch
SB49 Open Short to connect VDD_UTMI to VDD_SAM
SB50 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 CTS line from the signal switch and
interface MCU
SB51 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 RTS line from the signal switch and
interface MCU
SB52 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 RxD line from the signal switch and
the interface MCU
SB53 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 TxD line from the signal switch and
interface MCU
SB54 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 SWDIO line from the signal switch
and interface MCU

4440_050 32
 Hardware description

Solderbridge Default Function

SB55 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 SWDCLK line from the signal switch
and interface MCU
SB56 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 RESET line from the signal switch
and interface MCU
SB57 Closed Cut to disconnect the nRF52840 SWO line from the signal switch and
the interface MCU
SB58 Closed Cut to disconnect voltage follower from external supply when SW10
is in ON position
SB59 Open Solder to connect debug in and trace reference voltage to VDD
SB60 Closed Cut to disconnect debug in and trace reference voltage from
VDD_nRF'
SB65 Closed Cut to disable the pull-up resistor of the IMCU_BOOT line
SB80 Open Short to bypass the power switch for the VBUS of nRF52840
SB81 Open Short to bypass the power switch for VDD_HV of nRF52840

Table 10: Solder bridge configuration

The following table is a complete overview of the test points on the nRF52840 DK.

4440_050 33
5 Current measurement
The current drawn by the nRF52840 SoC can be monitored on the nRF52840 DK.
Current can be measured using any of the following test instruments:
• Oscilloscope
• Ampere meter
• Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2)
• Power analyzer
See the following chapter for important information on the DK measurement setup. If the PPK2 will be
used for measuring current, see the Power Profiler Kit II User Guide for additional instructions. Power
analyzer measurements are not described in this document.
The application nRF52840 SoC has two possible power supplies: VDD (1.7 V to 3.6 V) and VDDH (2.5
V to 5.5 V). The nRF52840 DK can measure current on both domains. Only the VDD domain current
measurement is described here, but the approach is the same with the VDDH supply. See the following
table for the corresponding components.

Component VDD VDDH

Measurement connector P22 P23
Solder bridge SB40 SB41
Series resistor R90 R91

Table 11: Components for current measurement on VDD and VDDH

It is not recommended to use a USB connector to power the DK during current measurements due to
potential noise from the USB power supply. However, when measuring current on an application using the
USB interface of the nRF52840 SoC, USB must be connected. It is recommended to power the DK from a
coin cell battery, external power supply on connector P21 (1.7 V to 3.6 V) or through the Li-Poly connector
J6 or P27 (2.5 V to 5.0 V).

Note: The current measurements are unreliable if a serial terminal is connected to the virtual serial
port.

After programming the nRF52840 SoC, disconnect the USB for the interface MCU.
For more information on current measurement, see the tutorial Current measurement guide:
Introduction.

5.1 Set up the DK

To measure current, you must first prepare the DK.
The suggested configurations split the power domains for the application nRF52840 SoC and the rest of
the DK.
• To put P22 in series with the load, cut the PCB track shorting solder bridge SB40.
• To restore normal kit function after measurement, solder SB40 or apply a jumper on P22.

4440_050 34
 Current measurement

• To reprogram the nRF52840 SoC while the DK is prepared for current measurements, remove
measurement devices from P22, and then connect the USB cable.

Figure 31: Preparing the DK for current measurements

5.2 Measure current profile with an oscilloscope

An oscilloscope can be used to measure the average current over a given time interval and capture the
current profile.
Make sure you have prepared the DK as described in Set up the DK on page 34.
1. Mount a 10 Ω resistor on the footprint for R90.
2. Set the oscilloscope to differential mode or a mode that is similar.
3. Connect the oscilloscope using two probes on the pins of the P22 connector, as shown in the following
figure.
4. Calculate or plot the instantaneous current from the voltage drop across the 10 Ω resistor by taking
the difference of the voltages measured on the two probes. The voltage drop is proportional to the
current. The 10 Ω resistor causes a 10 mV drop for each 1 mA drawn by the circuit being measured.
The plotted voltage drop can be used to calculate the current at a given point in time. The current can
then be averaged or integrated to analyze current and energy consumption over a period.

Figure 32: Current measurement with an oscilloscope

To reduce noise, do the following:

4440_050 35
 Current measurement

• Use probes with 1x attenuation.

• Enable averaging mode to reduce random noise.
• Enable high-resolution function if available.
Use a minimum of 200 kSa/s (one sample every 5 µs) to get the correct average current measurement.

5.3 Measure average current with an ampere meter

The average current drawn by the nRF52840 SoC can be measured using an ampere meter. This method
monitors the current in series with the nRF device. A true ampere meter is recommended.
Make sure you have prepared the DK as described in Set up the DK on page 34.
Connect an ampere meter between the pins of connector P22 as shown in the following figure.
To measure the average current drawn by the nRF52840 SoC, perform the following steps.:
• Set the average timing of the ampere meter to a long interval, such as 1 s or longer.
• Set the dynamic range of the ampere meter between 1 uA and 15 mA, so that it is wide enough to
provide accurate measurements.

Figure 33: Current measurement with an ampere meter

4440_050 36
6 RF measurements
The nRF52840 DK is equipped with a small coaxial connector (J1) for conducting measurements of the RF
signal with a spectrum analyzer.
The connector is of Microwave coaxial connector with switch (SWF) type (Murata part no. MM8130-2600)
with an internal switch. By default, when no cable is attached, the RF signal is routed to the onboard trace
antenna.
In this example, a test probe (Murata part no. MXHS83QE3000) is used with a standard SubMiniature
Version A (SMA) connection on the other end for connecting instruments (the test probe is not included
with the kit). When connecting the test probe, the internal switch in the SWF connector disconnects the
onboard antenna and connects the RF signal from the nRF52840 SoC to the test probe.

Figure 34: Connecting a spectrum analyzer

The connector and test probe add loss to the RF signal. See the following table for more information or
consult the test probe user guide if you are using another model.

Frequency (MHz) Loss (dB)

2440 1.0
4880 1.7
7320 2.6

Table 12: Typical loss in connector and test probe, using Murata part no. MXHS83QE3000

4440_050 37
Glossary
Clear to Send (CTS)
In flow control, the receiving end is ready and telling the far end to start sending.

Data Terminal Ready (DTR)

A control signal in RS-232 serial communications transmitted from data terminal equipment, such as
a computer, to data communications equipment.

Development Kit (DK)

A hardware development platform used for application development.

Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)

A sudden discharge of electric current between two electrically charged objects.

General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO)

A digital signal pin that can be used as input, output, or both. It is uncommitted and can be
controlled by the user at runtime.

Hardware Flow Control (HWFC)

A handshaking mechanism used to prevent an overflow of bytes in modems. It uses two dedicated
pins on the RS-232 connector, Request to Send and Clear to Send.

Integrated Circuit (IC)

A semiconductor chip consisting of fabricated transistors, resistors, and capacitors.

Integrated Development Environment (IDE)

A software application that provides facilities for software development.

Lithium-polymer (Li-Poly)
A rechargeable battery of lithium-ion technology using a polymer electrolyte instead of a liquid
electrolyte.

Mass Storage Device (MSD)

Any storage device that makes it possible to store and port large amounts of data in a permanent
and machine-readable fashion.

Near Field Communication (NFC)

A standards-based short-range wireless connectivity technology that enables two electronic devices
to establish communication by bringing them close to each other.

NFC-A Listen Mode

Initial mode of an NFC Forum Device when it does not generate a carrier. The device listens for the
remote field of another device. See Near Field Communication (NFC) on page 38.

Onboard (OB)
A function that is delivered on the chip microcontroller.

4440_050 38
Operational Amplifier (op-amp)
A high-gain voltage amplifier that has a differential input and, usually, a single output.

Printed Circuit Board (PCB)

A board that connects electronic components.

Quad Serial Peripheral Interface (QSPI)

A Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) controller that allows the use of multiple data lines.

Receive Data (RXD)

A signal line in a serial interface that receives data from another device.

Request to Send (RTS)

In flow control, the transmitting end is ready and requesting the far end for a permission to transfer
data.

Root Mean Square (RMS)

An RMS meter calculates the equivalent Direct Current (DC) value of an Alternating Current (AC)
waveform. A true RMS meter can accurately measure both pure waves and the more complex
nonsinusoidal waves.

System in Package (SiP)

Several integrated circuits, often from different technologies, enclosed in a single module that
performs as a system or subsystem.

Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

Synchronous serial communication interface specification used for short-distance communication.

SubMiniature Version A (SMA)

A semi-precision coaxial RF connector for coaxial cables with a screw-type coupling mechanism.

System on Chip (SoC)

A microchip that integrates all the necessary electronic circuits and components of a computer or
other electronic systems on a single integrated circuit.

Serial Wire Debug (SWD)

A standard two-wire interface for programming and debugging Arm® CPUs.

Microwave coaxial connector with switch (SWF)

A small, RF surface-mount switch connector series for wireless applications.

Serial Wire Output (SWO)

A data line for tracing and logging.

Transmit Data (TXD)

A signal line in a serial interface that transmits data to another device.

Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART)

A hardware device for asynchronous serial communication between devices.

4440_050 39
User Information Configuration Registers (UICR)
Non-volatile memory registers used to configure user-specific settings.

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

An industry standard that establishes specifications for cables and connectors and protocols for
connection, communication, and power supply between computers, peripheral devices, and other
computers.

4440_050 40
Recommended reading
In addition to the information in this document, you may need to consult other documents.

Nordic documentation
• nRF52840 Product Specification
• nRF52840 Compatibility Matrix
• nRF5 SDK v17.1.0
• nRF52840 Errata

4440_050 41
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4440_050 42