n-Fuse ZBC-M2-1630 - An affordable Zigbee, Thread, and Bluetooth M.2 1630 module

n-Fuse ZBC-M2-1630 is an M.2 1630 module based on Silicon Labs’ MGM260P module with an EFR32MG26 Bluetooth, Thread, and Zigbee multi-protocol Cortex-M33 SoC.

While adding Zigbee, Thread, and/or Bluetooth through a USB dongle is common, it’s harder to find M.2 or mPCIe cards. Mixtile used to sell a 2-in-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module based on Silicon Labs MG23 and MG24 chips, but as noted in our Mixtile Edge 2 kit review, it’s now sold to businesses in 50 or 100-piece bundles, or integrated into the company’s gateway. The ZBC-M2-1630 (aka ZBC26-M2-1630) Key A/E M.2 module offers an alternative available to both individuals and companies.

n-Fuse ZBC-M2-1630 specifications:

Wireless Module – Silicon Labs MGM260P
- SoC – EFR32MG26 SoC
  - MCU core – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 78 MHz with DSP instructions and floating-point unit
  - AI/ML accelerator – Matrix Vector Processor that is 8x faster and 6x lower power than Cortex-M33 processing, and supports an MVP Math Library for non-ML workloads
  - Memory – 256 KB SRAM
  - Storage – 1536 KB flash
  - Wireless
    - Bluetooth 5.3 (1M/2M/LR) and Bluetooth Mesh
    - 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee, Thread, Matter over Thread
    - 2.4 GHz proprietary
    - Radio
      - Up to +20 dBm TX
      - -98.5 dBm RX @ BLE 1 Mbps
      - -106.0 dBm RX @ 802.15.4
  - Security
    - Secure Boot with Root of Trust and Secure Loader (RTSL)
    - Hardware Cryptographic Acceleration with DPA countermeasures for AES128/256, SHA-1, SHA-2 (up to 256-bit), ECC (up to 256-bit), ECDSA, and ECDH
    - True Random Number Generator (TRNG) compliant with NIST SP800-90 and AIS-31
    - Arm TrustZone
    - Secure Debug Interface lock/unlock
Host Interface – M.2 1630 A-E-Key edge connector with USB virtual COM port up to 460800 baud rate via CP2102 USB-to-UART chip
Antenna – U.fl connector with 50 Ω impedance (less fragile than IPEX4 connector)
Debugging – SWD solder pads
Power
- Input Voltage – 1.71 to 3.8 V
- Consumption
  - 5.2 mA RX current @ 250 kbps O-QPSK DSSS
  - 4.5 mA RX current @ 1 Mbps GFSK
  - 4.8 mA TX current @ 0 dBm (MGM260Px22)
  - 18.8 mA TX current @ 10 dBm (MGM260Px22)
  - 158 mA TX current @ 20 dBm (MGM260Px32)
  - 33.4 μA/MHz in Active Mode (EM0) @ 39.0 MHz
  - 1.3 μA EM2 DeepSleep current (16 kB RAM retention and RTC running from LFRCO)
Dimensions – 30 x 16.5 x 3.2mm (M.2 1630 module)
Temperature Range – -20 to +55°C
Humidity- 10% ~ 90% RH Non-condensing
Dimensions WxHxD30 x 16.5 x 3.2 mm
Weight – 4 grams
Certifications – CE, RoHS, REACH
Warranty – 12 months for B2B customers; 24 months for B2C customers

Silicon Labs MGM260P M2 Zigbee Thread BLE module block diagram — Block Diagram

The card is compliant with the M.2 1630 A-E-Key specification and can be used with any compatible host exposing USB through the M.2 connector. The company provides two firmware files for the module, each flashable through the Gecko Bootloader (XMODEM):

Multi-protocol OpenThread+Zigbee RCP design
Thread version 1.4 OpenThread border router RCP design

The ZBC-M2-1630 Zigbee, Thread, and Bluetooth M.2 1630 module can be purchased on n-Fuse for 22.50 Euros excluding VAT and shipping. This price does not include an SMA to U.FL Pigtail and a 3 dBi rubber antenna, offered as options for 6.60 Euros. You’ll find the purchase link, datasheet, firmware files, and EU declaration of conformity on the product page.

Thanks to Iko for the tip.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.