SparkFun Thing Plus - nRF9160

The SparkFun nRF9160 Thing Plus features the Nordic nRF9160 SiP (System-in-Package) with ARM Cortex-M33 in a Feather-compatible form factor. It supports CAT-M1 LTE and NB-IoT cellular communication along with GPS, making it a comprehensive platform for cellular IoT applications.

With standby current as low as 2µA, a 3.3V buck-boost regulator, LiPo battery charging, and 4MB external flash for offline data storage, the board is optimised for battery-powered deployments. It runs Zephyr RTOS and includes a Qwiic I2C connector for solderless sensor integration. A Hologram SIM card is included to get you connected quickly.

Key Features

• nRF9160 SiP – ARM Cortex-M33 with TrustZone and CryptoCell 310
• Cellular Connectivity – CAT-M1 LTE and NB-IoT with global band support
• GPS Receiver – GPS L1 C/A (active antenna required)
• Ultra-Low Power – ~2µA standby current
• 4MB External Flash – Winbond NOR flash for offline data storage
• LiPo Charging – JST connector with 300mA charge rate and LED indicator
• Qwiic I2C Connector – Solderless sensor integration
• USB-C – Serial communication and DFU programming
• Feather Form Factor – Compatible with Feather accessories and wings

Specifications

• Processor – ARM Cortex-M33, 1MB flash, 256KB RAM
• Interfaces – Up to 4× SPI, I2C, UART; I2S; 4× PWM; 12-bit ADC (all with EasyDMA)
• Power Supply – 3.3V buck-boost, 2.8–5.5V operating range, up to 0.9A
• Antenna – 2× U.FL connectors (LTE + GPS)
• SIM – 4FF Nano SIM slot
• Buttons – Reset + general purpose
• LED – 1× blue (D7)
• Bootloader – Pre-programmed MCUBoot
• Dimensions – 58.42 × 22.86mm (2.3" × 0.9")

LTE Band Support

• Cat-M1 – B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B14, B17, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, B66
• Cat-NB1/NB2 – B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B17, B18, B20, B25, B26, B28, B66

Package Contents

• 1× SparkFun Thing Plus - nRF9160
• 1× Hologram SIM card

Resources

• Hookup Guide
• Schematic (PDF)
• nRF9160 Datasheet (PDF)
• GitHub Hardware Repo
• Eagle Design Files