All preparation to getting started with Thingy 91

[TamPham]

Hi, I'm going to order a Thingy 91 DK.

So I have some question to getting started with this module and prepare BOM for hardware.
1. In my region - VietNam, LTE-M was supported by MNO Viettel. So can I use eSim of MNO for this module. ? 
     1.1 According to my research, only boards using eSim which registered by iBasis network can connect with nRF connect cloud. Please confirm for me this information.If it's right, because my region is not supported by iBasic so is there any way to connect with nRF connect cloud ?
     1.2 Beside nRF cloud, can my custom board connect to my own server ? please give me some thread about this topic to connect to another server, cloud
2. There are 2 MCUs (nRF9160 and nRF52840) on this DK.
     2.1 So can I develop on 2 MCUs ? 
     2.2 I used to develop some application used custom board with MCU is nRF52833 before. I used J-Link to upload firmware. So is it smilar with Thingy 91 DK ?
     2.3 I found that nRF9160 include 2 parts (application MCU and LTE modem). So I can develope on application MCU part? And communicate with LTE modem via AT command. ? Can I use application MCU part interact with LTE modem part ? I mean if I get GPS or data from server how can I handle them ?

Thank you

[Øyvind]

Hello, 

1. In my region - VietNam, LTE-M was supported by MNO Viettel. So can I use eSim of MNO for this module.

Yes, if this SIM support LTE-M.

1.1 According to my research, only boards using eSim which registered by iBasis network can connect with nRF connect cloud. Please confirm

No, this is not correct. We deliver iBasis SIM cards with our nRF9160DK and Thingy:91, and nRF Cloud allows customers to activate and add more data to SIM. When registering an LTE device in nRF Cloud, the Activate iBasis SIM can be skipped. 

1.2 Beside nRF cloud, can my custom board connect to my own server ? please give me some thread about this topic to connect to another server, cloud

Yes, you can connect other servers with MQTT, LwM2M, CoAP, HTTP. Have a look at our nRF Connect SDK samples for nRF9160, please note that not all samples support the Thingy:91

2.1 So can I develop on 2 MCUs ? 

The nRF52840 on the Thingy:91 acts as the USB communication to your computer i.e. programming over USB. This is running the Connectivity Bridge. Have a look at the Getting started with Thingy:91. If you do not intend to use the USB connectivity, then you can program the nRF52840 as you see fit.

2.2 I used to develop some application used custom board with MCU is nRF52833 before. I used J-Link to upload firmware. So is it smilar with Thingy 91 DK ?

If you have an external debug probe that supports Arm Cortex-M33 i.e. JLink you can program the Thingy:91 by connecting the debug in port with a 10-pin 2x5 socket-socket 1.27 mm IDC (Serial Wire Debug (SWD)) JTAG cable to connect to the external debug probe

2.3 I found that nRF9160 include 2 parts (application MCU and LTE modem). So I can develope on application MCU part? And communicate with LTE modem via AT command. ?

Yes, you can develop an application that communicates with the modem using AT commands or the LTE Link Controller. See Features of nRF91 for more information.

Hopes this answers your questions. 

Kind regards,
Øyvind

[TamPham]

In my region - Vietnam, it doesn't have regulatory certification for nRF9160. So in my country can I use this DK ?

[Øyvind]

Yes, the Thingy:91 is designed to work in all countries given that LTE-M and NB-IoT is enabled and the SIM is supports these.