Connecting an nPM1304EK to a nRF7002DK

[Scigrapher]

What is the correct way to connect an nPM1304EK (or other nPM product) to an nRF7002DK?  Is it possible to do this and power the nRF7002DK via the PMIC but have the USB connected to access the logging?  I'm trying to evaluate an nRF setup with Wifi and PMIC.

Per Power sources, I've tried running power from Buck1 to the Li-Poly connector or the VIN 3–5V pin on P20, but neither seemed to power the board up.  The nRF1300EK was set to 3.3v on Buck1.  

If I connect the nPM1304EK's VDDIO to the nRF7002DK's VDD (I'm going to connect them via TWI), it seems to work, but this doesn't seem like the right way to do it, particularly because this will power it with the power switch turned off.

[mathiaso]

Hi, Patrick.

Current peaks during Wi-Fi TX on the nRF7002 can reach ~260 mA, while the nPM130X buck regulators are rated at ~200 mA, and hence, can't reliably supply worst-case Wi-Fi peaks.

Additionally, it isn't recommended to power the Wi-Fi chip from VSYS, as VSYS can rise to voltages close to VBUS (~5 V) when USB is present, which exceeds the nRF7002 VBAT maximum.

Thus, the nPM130X PMIC may not be a good fit for powering the nRF7002 DK through VDDIO.

Best regards,
Mathias

[Scigrapher]

Do any of the Nordic PMICs support the nRF7002?  If I want to support wifi with a Nordic SoC and a LiPo battery, do I need to use a third party power management system?

[mathiaso]

Yes, your alternative would then be to use the nPM6001 to supply the nRF7002, and also include the nPM1300 if you want to have battery charging and fuel gauging functionality.

The nPM6001's VIN input should then be connected to the nPM1300's VSYS output. Then, the nPM6001's BUCK3 output can be used to power the nRF7002, while the nPM1300 can be used to charge the LiPo battery and provide fuel gauging.