SparkFun NanoBeacon Board - IN100 Hookup Guide
El Duderino 
Hardware Overview
Let's take a closer look at the IN100 and other hardware on these NanoBeacon boards.
IN100 NanoBeacon
The NanoBeacon IN100 SoC from InPlay is an ultra low power BT beacon module compatible with common 2.4 GHz protocols.
The IN100 boasts impressive features to reduce power consumption of the module to well below a microamp allowing it to be left in the field sending data packets for multiple years on a single coin cell battery. The IN100 accepts a supply voltage from 1.1-3.6V so it can be reliably powered by a 3V CR1225 and has three power modes: Sleep, Active and Shut Down. The 2.4 GHz radio has programmable TX output power up to +5 dBm.
The module can also be configured to act as a Google™ Eddystone™ and Apple® iBeacon® compliant device. For a complete overview of the IN100, refer to the module's datasheet.
The IN100 includes the following peripheral options:
- One UART,
- Eight GPIO pins (four with multiple function options including I2C and ADC)
- 11-bit ADC for measuring chip temperature and Vcc voltage with four channels available on GPIOs
- Two load switches for controlling power to peripheral devices
- Pulse count interface compatible with one-wire sensors.
These options let users connect a wide assortment of peripheral devices to the NanoBeacon and then broadcast the data wirelessly to other devices.
Through Hole Headers
The breakouts route most of the IN100's pins to a pair of 0.1"-spaced plated through hole (PTH) headers. The standard version comes with two male headers soldered to these pins.
One side has a UART interface to mate with a 3.3V Serial Basic (or similar UART to Serial converter) for USB communication and configuring the IN100 through the Config Tool.
The other side breaks out four of the IN100's GPIO pins (pins 4-7) as well as the two I/O power switches (SW0 and SW1).
Qwiic Connector
The Qwiic connector on the board uses I/O pins 2 and 3 for SCL and SDA, respectively. Using this connector requires enabling I2C on the IN100 in the Config Tool.
The board design allows for the IN100 to control both communication and power to a connected Qwiic device so you can configure the IN100 to toggle power a device on for a quick measurement and back off to conserve power. By default, power to the Qwiic connector is controlled by the Switch 0 (SW0) pin allowing users to toggle power on and off to a connected Qwiic device. Users who prefer to have a Qwiic device continuously powered from Vcc can adjust the BUS jumper. Read on to the Solder Jumpers section for more information.
Power Options
The NanoBeacon Boards have two power options: coin cell battery or Vcc on the UART header.
Battery Holder
The breakout includes a 12mm coin cell battery holder to power the board. Use only 3V CR1225 batteries in this holder. The IN100 supply voltage range goes all the way down to 1.1V so, with the right settings, the board can run off a coin cell battery until it is essentially completely drained.
UART Header
The IN100 can also be powered directly through the VCC pin from a dedicated power supply or over USB when connected to a USB to Serial converter like the Serial Basic. Make sure the voltage here falls into the IN100's supply voltage range (1.1-3.6V).
Reset Button
The Lite version includes a Reset button for quickly resetting the board during prototyping.
LED
The sole LED on this board is the Power LED indicating power to the board. The Production version of this breakout does not include this LED to help conserve power and reduce customization time.
Solder Jumpers
The Beacon Breakout includes three solder jumpers labeled: PWR, I2C, and BUS. The table below outlines their labels, default state, function and any notes on their use.
| Label | Default State | Function | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PWR | CLOSED | Completes Power LED circuit | Open to disable the Power LED |
| I2C | CLOSED | Three-way jumper that pulls IO3 and IO4 (SDA/SCL) to Vcc | Open completely to disable the pull up resistors on these lines |
| BUS | SEE NOTE | Three-way jumper controlling IO power source | By default, this nets Qwiic Vcc to SW0 to toggle power to the connector. Sever the trace connecting the center and "SW" pad and solder the center and "VCC" pad together to switch to Qwiic power supply to Vcc (always on). |
Notes Pad
Last but not least, the NanoBeacon boards include a "Notes" pad for users to write on. This lets you quickly differentiate between NanoBeacon boards to help keep track of them without needing to plug them into your computer.
Board Dimensions
We designed the NanoBeacon boards to match our 1"x1"(25.4mm x 25.4mm) Qwiic standard and has two mounting holes that fit a 4-40 screw.
