Hardware description
This page describes the hardware specifications and functionality of the expansion ports and how to use them.
Performance specification
CPU
NXP Layerscape LS1046A 4 cores 1.6 GHz
RAM
8 GB 2100 MT/s ECC support
Networking
2x SFP+ 10 Gb 3x RJ-45 1 Gb
Wifi
1x M.2 Key-E port for Wifi 6.0 2x2 MU-MIMO 1x M.2 Key-E port for tri-radio (Wifi 5.0, Bluetooth, Thread)
Storage
32 GB eMMC for Operating System 64 MB NOR flash for Bootloader
Debugging
JTAG connector 100+ test points throughout the PCB UART USB-C port Status RGB LED
Required Power supply
USB-C PD 3.0 15V 3A (45W) or 20V 2A (40W)
Connectivity
1x USB-C 3.1 port 5Gbps data speed 5V 3A output power
Active cooling support
Yes 2x 4-pin PWM 5V fan headers
Port description
USB PD Type-C (Power)
Use the included 65W GaN power supply. Alternatively, any USB PD 3.0 compliant PSU rated for 15V 3A (45W) or 20V 2A (40W) or more will work. If the board doesn't power up with a third-party adapter, it likely failed to negotiate sufficient power - this is indicated by the Power Fail LED diode.
Power Fail LED
Turned ON: Insufficient external USB power supply Turned OFF: External power supply meets the required power needs. It is normal for the Power Fail LED to momentarily turn ON during the power up process.
USB 3.1 Type-C (Data)
A standard USB 3.1 host port. Use it to connect a thumb drive for backups, transfer files to/from the device, or attach external storage. Data speed 5Gbps. This port is designed to power an external device with 5V, up to 3A (15W).
UART/Console Type-C (Serial)
Your primary interface for communicating with the device, especially during initial setup. Connect this to your computer's USB 2.0 port and use a serial terminal at 115200 baud. We recommend tio on macOS/Linux or PuTTY on Windows.
Reset Button
Resets the device by pulling the reset pin to ground on most chips. Note that this performs a reset, not a full power cycle. There are two reset buttons on the PCB, one located near the USB and network ports and the second one is located on the bottom side of the board near the RTC coin backup battery.
1 Gb RJ-45
Standard gigabit Ethernet ports, compatible with typical home networking equipment.
10 Gb SFP+
High-speed 10 gigabit ports for fiber or DAC connections. These should be compatible with a wide array of modules. If a particular module doesn't work, it's usually not a hardware limitation—the retimer chip is fully configurable via I2C, and our kernel configuration is open source.
Status LED
An onboard RGBW LED located on the top side of the board is directly controlled by the main processor. It is intended for system status indication and user defined signaling. More information about its behavior and control is provided in Getting started
Cooling Fan ports [F_1] & [F_2]
The cooling fan driver provides two fully independent channels designed to support 4-wire, 5 V cooling fans. These channels are labeled [F_1] and [F_2]. Channel 1 (CH1) has two physical connectors, one on the top side and one on the bottom side of the PCB, both labeled [F_1].
WARNING Only one cooling fan may be connected to CH1 at a time. Connecting more than one fan to this channel may result in malfunction or permanent damage to the cooling fan driver.
Connector type
Pinout
From the Gateway port's perspective
1
GND
Power ground
2
+5V VCC
Power output, 5V, 250mA max per port.
3
TACH
RPM feedback input Sometimes marked as "FG"
4
PWM
PWM output signal
GPIO Expansion port [GPIO_1]
The GPIO header can be found on the top side of the board and has 1.27mm pin pitch.
Connector type
Pinout
A GPIO pin configured as an output pin can be set to high (1.8V) or low (0V). A GPIO pin configured as an input pin can be read as high (1.8V) or low (0V). This is made easier with the use of internal pull-up or pull-down resistors. This can be configured in software.
WARNING GPIO data pins are not protected. Do not overstress them. Doing so will damage the CPU.
From the Gateway port's perspective
1
PWR OUT 1.8V
Power output, 1.8V, 100mA max. Resettable fuse.
2
PWR OUT 3.3V
Power output, 3.3V, 100mA max. Resettable fuse.
3
I2C SDA
I2C BUS DATA. 1.8V logic level.
5
I2C SCL
I2C BUS CLOCK. 1.8V logic level.
4
GPIO_D1
GPIO pin #1
6
GPIO_D2
GPIO pin #2
9
GPIO_D3
GPIO pin #3
10
GPIO_D4
GPIO pin #4
11
GPIO_D5
GPIO pin #5
12
GPIO_D6
GPIO pin #6
7-8, 13-14
GND
Ground
Voltage specifications
Absolute maximum rating
1.98 V
Input high voltage
>1.26 V
Input low voltage
<0.36 V
Input current
+-50 uA
Output high voltage
1.35 V @ -0.5 mA
Output low voltage
0.4 V @ 0.5 mA
Maximum current
+-0.5 mA
M2 wireless card ports [M2_1] & [M2_2]
The Gateway includes two M.2 Key-E expansion ports that support two different categories of wireless cards:
WARNING The wireless expansion cards are partially tested and have not yet completed full validation. While core functionality has been verified, the design is still experimental.
Tri-radio
Wireless Bluetooth Threads IEEE 802.15.4
Key-E
Home automation & smarthome
[M2_1]
Dual-radio
Wireless Bluetooth
Key-E
Main radio card for wireless
[M2_2]
Supported cards
WARNING Use of these cards is at your own risk. Performance, reliability, and long-term stability are not guaranteed, and changes may be made in future revisions.
WARNING It is strictly important to follow the M.2 pinout listed below when selecting and installing wireless cards. Not all M.2 Key-E cards are compatible with the Gateway, and using an unsupported card or incorrect pinout may result in malfunction or hardware damage.
Tri-radio
[M2_1]
Basic HW & Firmware tests done. Performance validation not yet performed.
YES
Dual-radio
[M2_2]
Basic HW & Firmware tests done. Performance validation not yet performed.
YES
Pinout Tri-radio card [M2_1]
From the Gateway port's perspective
1, 7, 33, 39, 45, 51, 57, 63, 69, 75
GND
Ground
2, 4, 72, 74
+3V3 VCC
Power output, 3.3V
18
VIO_CFG
Pulled to ground via 0R resistor
9
SDIO_CLK O (1V8L)
SDIO bus used for Wifi. Wifi card CLK input signal
11
SDIO_CMD I/O (1V8L)
SDIO bus used for Wifi. Wifi card CMD input/output signal
13
SDIO_D0 I/O (1V8L)
SDIO bus used for Wifi. Wifi card D0 input/output signal
15
SDIO_D1 I/O (1V8L)
SDIO bus used for Wifi. Wifi card D1 input/output signal
17
SDIO_D2 I/O (1V8L)
SDIO bus used for Wifi. Wifi card D2 input/output signal
19
SDIO_D3 I/O (1V8L)
SDIO bus used for Wifi. Wifi card D3 input/output signal
22
UART_RXD I (1V8L)
UART bus used for BT. Wifi card TXD output signal
32
UART_TXD O (1V8L)
UART bus used for BT. Wifi card RXD output signal
38
SPI MOSI O (1V8L)
SPI bus used for 802.15.4. Wifi card MOSI input signal
40
SPI MISO I (1V8L)
SPI bus used for 802.15.4. Wifi card MISO output signal
42
SPI CLK O (1V8L)
SPI bus used for 802.15.4. Wifi card CLK input signal
62
SPI_INT I (1V8L)
SPI bus used for 802.15.4. Wifi card INT output signal
64
SPI_FRM O (1V8L)
SPI bus used for 802.15.4. Wifi card FMR input signal
58
I2C_DATA I/O (1V8L)
I2C bus. Wifi card DATA input/output signal
60
I2C_CLK O (1V8L)
I2C bus. Wifi card CLK input signal
23
M2_3R_RESET O (1V8L)
Wifi card reset signal
54
M2_3R_RESET O (Open Drain)
Wifi card reset signal
56
M2_3R_nENABLE O (3V3L)
Wifi card power-down signal
24-31
M.2 Key E connector notch
Mechanical cutout in the M.2 card
Other pins
N.C.
Not connected
Pinout Dual-radio card [M2_2]
From the Gateway port's perspective
1, 7, 33, 39, 45, 51, 57, 63, 69, 75
GND
Ground
2, 4, 72, 74
+3V3 VCC
Power output, 3.3V
18
VIO_CFG
Pulled to ground via 0R resistor
22
UART_RXD I (1V8L)
UART bus used for BT. Wifi card TXD output signal
32
UART_TXD O (1V8L)
UART bus used for BT. Wifi card RXD input signal
34
UART_CTS I (1V8L)
UART bus used for BT. Wifi card RTS output signal
36
UART_RTS O (1V8L)
UART bus used for BT. Wifi card CTS input signal
35
PCIe TX0+ O (1V8L)
PCIe bus usef for Wifi. Wifi card RX0+ input signal
37
PCIe TX0- O (1V8L)
PCIe bus usef for Wifi. Wifi card RX0- input signal
41
PCIe RX0+ I (1V8L)
PCIe bus usef for Wifi. Wifi card TX0+ output signal
43
PCIe RX0- I (1V8L)
PCIe bus usef for Wifi. Wifi card TX0- output signal
47
PCIe REFCLK+ O (1V8L)
PCIe bus usef for Wifi. Wifi card REFCLK+ input signal
49
PCIe REFCLK- O (1V8L)
PCIe bus usef for Wifi. Wifi card REFCLK- input signal
52
M2_2R_RESET O (3V3L)
Wifi card reset signal
54
M2_2R_RESET O (3V3L)
Wifi card reset signal
56
M2_2R_ENABLE O (3V3L)
Wifi card power-down signal
24-31
M.2 Key E connector notch
Mechanical cutout in the M.2 card
Other pins
N.C.
Not connected
Wireless card installation
TBD
RTC backup battery
The Real-Time Clock (RTC) circuit uses a coin cell battery to maintain time and date information when the device is powered off or disconnected from the main power source.
If the battery is removed or fully discharged, the RTC will lose its stored time and date, and the clock will need to be reset after the next power-up.
Model
CR2032
Size
20mm diameter 3.2mm thickness
Nominal voltage / capacity
3V / >150mAh
Rechargable
No
Replacing the battery
WARNING Do not use force to remove the battery from its holder.
To replace the battery, the PCB must first be removed from the enclosure. Follow the disassembly instructions provided below.
Once the PCB is accessible, use a flathead screwdriver to carefully lever the battery out of the holder, as shown in the image.
Disassembly instructions
Since the expansion features are not accessible with the enclosure installed, it is mandatory to remove the printed circuit board (PCB) from the enclosure.
Before disassembling the device, ensure that proper ESD safety precautions are followed to prevent damage to the electronics.
PCB removal guide
Required tools
Torx T10 screwdriver
Steps
Power off the device and disconnect all cables.
Place the device on a clean, flat, and ESD-safe surface.
Using a Torx T10 screwdriver, remove the four screws securing the top cover of the enclosure.
Carefully lift and remove the top cover.
Using the same Torx T10 screwdriver, remove the five screws that secure the PCB to the enclosure.
Gently lift the PCB out of the enclosure, holding it by the edges only.
ESD safety notes
Work on an ESD-safe surface whenever possible.
Wear a grounded ESD wrist strap, or regularly touch a grounded metal object to discharge static electricity.
Avoid touching components, connectors, or exposed contacts on the PCB.
Store the PCB in an ESD-safe bag when it is not installed in the enclosure.
PCB mechanical properties
PCB thickness is 1.6mm [63 mil]
Development Kit enclosure
Here you can download the 3D step models of the Development Kit enclosure (top and bottom part).
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