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Particle Board Pinout Reference

Find Particle development board pinouts instantly with this free Particle Board Pinout Reference. View GPIO layouts, power pins, communication interfaces, PWM, ADC pins, and connector configurations.

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nRF52840 Cellular SoM
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Input Parameters Specification

M.2 Edge Termination Tracker SoM units are terminated over 95 gold edge fingers designed for high-vibration M.2 board carriage connections.
SIM Controller Handshaking SMT cellular modules route core SIM_VCC, RST, CLK, and DATA lines directly to allow easy integration of external eSIM/nano-SIM slots.
Active LNA Power Feeds On-board LNA power outputs provide clean current to external active GNSS antennas directly through RF coaxial pads.
Pin Multiplexing Registers The nRF52840 SoC features a flexible pin routing multiplexer, allowing software to reconfigure digital pins to support SPI, UART, I2C, or standard GPIO tasks dynamically.

Practical Operational Examples

Configuring Debug Console

Connect serial debugging lines to the standard TX and RX pins using a 3.3V USB-to-UART converter.

Integrating LiPo Battery Inputs

Connect a 3.7V single-cell LiPo battery to the LI+ and GND pins, allowing on-board PMIC circuits to manage USB charging.

Using Hardware PWM Drivers

Drive standard servo motors by mapping control lines to hardware-backed PWM0-PWM3 channels on the board.

Configuring Wake Buttons

Connect active-low tactile switches to the MODE or RTC_BTN pins to allow system wake interrupts from deep sleep.

Logic and Power Rail Theory

The Particle Tracker, Boron, and B-Series modules utilize Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 ARM Cortex-M4 architectures combined with cellular coprocessors. Operating at a 3.3V CMOS logic rail, these platforms can be damaged if exposed to 5V inputs. Always use active logic-level converters when interfacing with high-voltage sensors.

Tip: Use a shared common ground (GND) across all boards in your system to prevent ground loops and serial data corruption.

Formulas & Hardware Calculations

Series Current Limiting: R_series = (3.3V - V_led) / I_target (Keep under 4-8mA per pin)
I2C Pull-Up Range: R_min = (3.3V - V_low) / I_sink, preventing overcurrent drain on open-drain pins.
RF Transmission Match: Coaxial PCB traces must maintain a characteristic impedance of exactly 50 Ohms to minimize signal reflection.

Step-by-Step Selection Walkthrough

Choose the target Particle IoT board using the select menu at the top of the page.
Review the updated standard card showing the board's class and primary SoC chipset.
Study the customized 2D vector layout showing board structure and pin headers.
Consult the exhaustive connection tables below the diagram to locate specific peripheral pin assignments.

About This Reference Guide

Your direct lookup path for Particle development boards and interfaces.

This reference index consolidates pin configurations, expansion header maps, and line assignments for the Particle IoT family.

Finding accurate pinout layouts is crucial for embedded designers, system architects, IoT engineers, and DIY hobbyists. This directory documents active signal paths to help prevent wiring errors, serial protocol failures, and board damage.

Always verify pinout configurations with a digital multimeter before powering up custom circuits or shield adapters.

Supported BoardsTracker SoM, Tracker Evaluation Board, B402, and B523 cellular platforms.
Hardware SafeguardsClear warnings regarding 3.3V logic thresholds and RF antenna line parameters.
Protocol MapsDirect pin definitions for SPI, UART, I2C, CAN, SWD, and active PMIC lines.
SIM IntegrationDocuments cellular SIM handshaking lines for custom eSIM configurations.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Particle GPIO pins 5V tolerant?

No, the logic pins operate strictly at a 3.3V threshold. Exposing any GPIO, SPI, or UART pins to a 5V logic source without a level shifter can cause immediate hardware failure.

2. What is the maximum safe input voltage for the VIN pin?

The on-board power management ICs (PMIC) on the Tracker SoM and Evaluation boards can accept external power inputs ranging from 3.88V to 12.0V DC safely.

3. How do I configure the on-board cellular GPS antenna?

Ensure your coaxial RF trace connects directly to the GNSS_RF (Pin 94) or CELL_GPS_RF (Pin 87) pads with a characteristic impedance of 50 Ohms for optimal signal reception.

4. Why do the SPI and I2C lines share pins with GPIOs?

The nRF52840 chip features a flexible pin routing multiplexer, allowing software to reconfigure digital pins to support SPI, UART, I2C, or standard GPIO tasks dynamically.

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