F1 Starter Kit

Introduction

The F1 Starter Kit is the evaluation board for the F1 Smart Module.

With Wi-Fi, BLE, LTE, and LoRa in one Arduino-compatible package, this development platform enables rapid prototyping and deployment of IoT applications requiring connectivity flexibility.

F1 Starter Kit

F1 Starter Kit

Varieties

Based on the cellular technologies and region, there are 4 varieties of F1 Starter Kit:

  • F1 Starter Kit NA, CAT-M1 (SGW3501-EVK-NA-CATM1-8130D)

  • F1 Starter Kit EU, CAT-M1 (SGW3501-EVK-NA-CATM1-8130D)

  • F1 Starter Kit Global, CAT-M1 (SGW3501-EVK-NA-CATM1-8130D)

  • F1 Starter Kit Global, NB-IoT (SGW3501-EVK-NA-CATM1-8130D)

Each Starter Kit comes with the following:

  • F1 EVK

  • CAP/T sensor

  • 1-hour consultation

What Makes the F1 Starter Kit Unique

The F1 Starter Kit has four wireless protocols on a single board:

  • Wi-Fi for high-bandwidth local connectivity

  • BLE for low-power device interactions

  • LTE for reliable cellular communication

  • LoRa for long-range, low-power wide-area networking

Many connectivity decisions get made too early in development, locking you into assumptions without real-world data to back them up.

The multi-protocol approach with the F1 Starter Kit gives you the flexibility to choose the optimal connectivity solution for each specific use case, and test different protocols as your projects evolve. Need Wi-Fi for configuration but cellular for deployment? Both are right here. Want to add LoRa for remote sensors later? Already built in.

What to Expect in Development

Built with developer productivity in mind, look out for:

  • Arduino compatibility means your existing shields work without modifications. Same form factor, same pinout, same ecosystem you already know.

  • MicroPython support lets you prototype quickly without diving into Embedded C. Write readable code, iterate fast, and optimize later.

  • SG Ctrl Cloud Platform integration handles the device management, over-the-air updates, and data collection — everything to propel your prototype to production.

Features

Connectivity

  • LTE Cat-M1/NB

  • LoRa(WAN)

  • Wi-Fi 4 802.11 b/g/n standard at 2.4 GHz

  • Bluetooth LE

Microprocessor

  • Xtensa® Dual-core 32-bit LX7 Microprocessor

  • Up to 240 MHz

  • 384 kB ROM

  • 512 kB SRAM

  • 16 kB RTC SRAM

Memory

  • Additional 8 MB PSRAM

  • Additional 16 MB NOR Flash

Peripherals

  • UART ×2 (one is used as USB-UART debug on Starter Kit)

  • SPI ×2

  • I2C ×2

On-board Peripherals

  • USB-C Device connector

  • USB-C OTG connector

  • Nano-SIM holder

  • Micro-SD card holder

  • RGB LED

Arduino UNO Shield Compatible Expansion

  • Up to 6 Analog Input

  • Up to 14 Digital IO (all configurable to PWM)

  • Qwiic connector

Power

  • Power by USB-C at 5 V

  • Power by VIN at 5 V

  • Power by Li-Ion / Li-Polymer battery at 3.7 V to 4.2 V (battery not included)

  • Li-Polymer Battery Connector

  • Battery charging and fuel gauge for accurate battery capacity measurement

Starter Kit Overview

Block Diagram

F1 Starter Kit Block Diagram

F1 Starter Kit Block Diagram

Starter Kit Topology — Top View

F1 Starter Kit Top View

F1 Starter Kit — Top View

Major Component List (Top)

Ref.

Description

Ref.

Description

M101

SG F1 Smart Module

D200

Power LED

J201

16P USB-C Connector

D305

Battery Charging LED

SW200

Main Power Switch

D304

VDD ON LED

ANT100

LTE Multilayer PCB Antenna

D201

3.3V ON LED

ANT101

2.4 GHz Ceramic Chip Antenna

J303

3.3V Current Measurement Jumper

JT103

IPEX Connector (LoRa Antenna)

J300

VDD Current Measurement Jumper

SW201

Secure Boot Button / Multi-Function Button

U202

RGB LED

SW202

Boot Button

SW203

Reset Button

SW204

Digital IO 12 Switch

Starter Kit Topology — Bottom View

F1 Starter Kit Bottom View

F1 Starter Kit — Bottom View

Major Component List (Bottom)

Ref.

Description

J202

16-P Host USB-C Connector

BT300

1 mm Pitch Battery Connector

J500

Nano SIM Card Slot

J501

Micro-SD Card Slot

SB300

VDD Shorted Jumper

SB303

3.3V Shorted Jumper

SB304

Battery Temperature Sense Shorted Jumper

J600

Qwiic Connector

Pinout & Pin Definitions

All IO pins on the F1 Starter Kit can be MUXed to any digital function, while P19 and P20 are connected to the I2C lane of the on-board fuel gauge.

Analog and touch inputs should only be used on analog pins.

The mechanical arrangement of the pinout is compatible with standard Arduino UNO shields.

Starter Kit Pinout Diagram PDF

F1 Starter Kit Pinout Diagram

Figure 1: F1 Starter Kit Pinout Diagram

F1 Starter Kit Pin-out — Top View

Figure 2: Top View of F1 Starter Kit

F1 Starter Kit Pin-out — Bottom View

Figure 3: Bottom View of F1 Starter Kit

Pin Definitions

Table 1: Analog / Power Pin Table

Pin

Function

Type

Description

F1 Pin

1

NC

NC

Not Connected

/

2

IOREF

IOREF

Reference for digital logic — connected to 3.3 V

/

3

Reset

Reset

Reset

RESET

4

3V3

Power

3.3 V Power Rail

/

5

5V

Power

5 V Output Power Rail

/

6

GND

Power

Ground

/

7

GND

Power

Ground

/

8

VIN

Power

5 V Voltage Input

/

9

A0

Analog

Analog input 0

PEXT1

10

A1

Analog

Analog input 1

P17

11

A2

Analog

Analog input 2

P3

12

A3

Analog

Analog input 3

P5

13

A4

Analog

Analog input 4

P7

14

A5

Analog

Analog input 5

P18

Table 2: Digital Pin Table

Pin

Function

Type

Description

F1 Pin

1

SCL

Digital

I2C Serial Clock (SCL)

P20

2

SDA

Digital

I2C Serial Data (SDA)

P19

3

NC

NC

Not Connected

/

4

GND

Power

Ground

/

5

D13

Digital

Digital IO 13

PEXT3

6

D12

Digital

Digital IO 12*

P8

7

D11

Digital

Digital IO 11

P9

8

D10

Digital

Digital IO 10

P23

9

D9

Digital

Digital IO 9

P16

10

D8

Digital

Digital IO 8

P4

11

D7

Digital

Digital IO 7

P10

12

D6

Digital

Digital IO 6

P15

13

D5

Digital

Digital IO 5

P12

14

D4

Digital

Digital IO 4

PEXT4

15

D3

Digital

Digital IO 3

PEXT2

16

D2

Digital

Digital IO 2

P11

17

D1 / TX

Digital

Digital IO 1 / UART TX

P21

18

D0 / RX

Digital

Digital IO 0 / UART RX

P22

* You may need to switch OFF SW204 when using Digital IO 12.

Board Operation

See Getting Started for setup instructions.