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Solarcast Communications Module

Safecast·Solarcast·communications-module/kicad/communications-module.kicad_pcb

Solarcast Communications Module layout, top view — open source Nordic nRF board by Safecast

About the Solarcast Communications Module

Solarcast Communications Module is an open source Nordic nRF PCB design by Safecast, published on GitHub under the Custom license license. It is a 2-layer board measuring 125.8 × 128.6 mm, with 58 components from 24 distinct parts.

Its main chip is the nRF52832, from the Nordic nRF family. Other key parts include the CMSIS_DAP_Programmer, TPS2066, I2C_connector, BME280 and LIS3DH_breakout. By type, the board carries 19 ICs, 16 jumpers, 9 resistors, 5 connectors, 5 capacitors and 3 diodes.

It belongs with the power & battery, sensors and rf & radio designs in this gallery.

From the project

Safecast Solarcast sensor device

Power flow: Solar cell-> Power module (built-in regulators) -> Comms module -> Power switch and fan out to: Switch high-side 5V - USB0 for Air module - ENABLE-AIR - 250mA peak - TPS2034D regulated from battery pack Switch high-side 5V - USB1 for Geiger module - ENABLE-GEIG - 50mA peak - TPS2034D regulated from battery pack Switch high-side 5V - USB2 -reserve- 1A peak TPS2034D Switch high-side 5V - backup - 1A peak TPS2034D

Solarcast Communications Module, from the project README
From the project README

Main components on the Solarcast Communications Module

nRF52832CMSIS_DAP_ProgrammerTPS2066I2C_connectorBME280LIS3DH_breakoutFONA_3GRockBLOCKSN74LV4052AFGPMMOPA6HuFL_connGateway Module LORA

Solarcast Communications Module bill of materials (BOM)

58 components, 24 distinct parts.

QtyPartRefs
1
nRF52832
U1
1
CMSIS_DAP_Programmer
U2
6
TPS2066
U3, U5, U6, U12, U15, U20
2
I2C_connector
U7, U9
1
BME280
U8
1
LIS3DH_breakout
U10
1
FONA_3G
U11
1
RockBLOCK
U13
2
SN74LV4052A
U14, U18
1
FGPMMOPA6H
U16
1
uFL_conn
U17
1
Gateway Module LORA
U19
1
DEBUG UART
P1
3
USB_A
P2, P3, P4
1
BACKUP
P5
6
JUMPER3
JP1, JP2, JP5, JP6, JP7, JP8
10
Jumper_NC_Small
JP3, JP4, JP11, JP12, JP17, JP18, JP19, JP20 +2
3
LED
D1, D2, D3
1
FERRITE
L1
4
100nF
C1, C2, C3, C5
Show 4 more
QtyPartRefs
1
1uF
C4
3
1K
R1, R2, R8
4
10K
R3, R4, R5, R9
2
0R
R6, R7

Solarcast Communications Module design files

The KiCad project lives in the Safecast/Solarcast repository on GitHub; these links point at the commit this page was built from.

Solarcast Communications Module: common questions

What microcontroller does the Solarcast Communications Module use?

The Solarcast Communications Module is built around the nRF52832, from the Nordic nRF family.

How big is the Solarcast Communications Module?

The Solarcast Communications Module measures 125.8 × 128.6 mm, has 2 copper layers and is 1.6 mm thick.

How many components are on the Solarcast Communications Module?

58 components, from 24 distinct parts. The full bill of materials is listed on this page.

Where can I download the Solarcast Communications Module design files?

From the Safecast/Solarcast repository on GitHub, which has the KiCad layout; the links under Design files point to each one.

Can I use the Solarcast Communications Module design in my own project?

It is published under Custom license, which limits how it may be reused; read the license before building on it.

Can I test firmware for the Solarcast Communications Module without the hardware?

Yes. HardLabs builds a simulation of the board from its netlist and BOM, so you can run and debug Nordic nRF firmware against it before you order a PCB.

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