SparkFun NanoBeacon Board - IN100

Product Overview

The SparkFun IN100 NanoBeacon Board offers a 2.4 GHz wireless low-energy BT beacon breakout with exceptionally low power consumption features and minimal programming required. The board features the IN100 NanoBeacon^™ from InPlay^™, which is compliant with several standard 2.4 GHz protocols and includes several built-in, configurable features that can drastically reduce power consumption, allowing continuous field operation for multiple years even with a connected device. This board is a great option for wireless sensor monitoring, asset tracking, retail beacons, or even making your own beacon tag for real-time location monitoring.

Fast Deployment and Hardware Integration

The IN100 can be powered by a single 3V coin cell battery, so we've added a 12mm coin cell battery holder (CR1225 battery not included) to power the board. The NanoBeacon also offers multiple connection and programming features to make field integration as simple as possible:

• Solderless I²C: A vertical Qwiic connector allows you to quickly add sensors from the entire Qwiic ecosystem.
• Serial Communication: One side breaks out the 3.3V UART interface to directly connect a Serial Basic.
• Custom I/O: The opposite side provides access to four GPIO pins (4-7) and two I/O power switch pins (SW0 and SW1).
• Software-Free Configuration: The InPlay NanoBeacon Config Tool uses a graphical interface to set up advertising, pairing, and data packets without writing code.

This version is designed for applications requiring a rapid implementation with minimal assembly and modification. It includes male headers soldered to the 0.1"-spaced through-hole pins on the board and does not include the power LED or reset button, as expected applications most likely will not need those two components. Users looking to integrate the IN100 Beacon Breakout into a production environment may want to consider getting the SparkFun NanoBeacon Lite Board - IN100.

Important Configuration Warning

When programming the IN100 with the InPlay NanoBeacon Config Tool, the "Burn/Program" option uploads the settings and locks the module. Before selecting this option, make sure everything is set up and working as you intend, as you cannot undo this step, and you may brick your IN100.

The Config Tool offers a testing "Run in RAM" mode for many settings, but I²C is not available in the RAM testing mode. Users connecting I²C devices to the board should ensure their code works before clicking the "Burn/Program" button.