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Arduino MKR WiFi 1010

Category: Arduino
Manufacturer: Arduino
SKU: ABX00023
Status: Active
Release Year: 2018
Form Factor: Arduino MKR
Read Time: ~7 min read

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Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 top view
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 bottom view
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 pinout
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 top view
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 bottom view
Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 pinout

Overview

The Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 (SKU: ABX00023) is the flagship board of the MKR family for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth IoT applications. Released in 2018, it succeeds the MKR 1000 WiFi by replacing the u-blox WINC1500 module with the more capable u-blox NINA-W102 (ESP32-based), which adds Bluetooth 4.2 Low Energy alongside 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi.

The board pairs the Atmel SAMD21G18A ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller with the NINA-W102 wireless module and an ECC508A CryptoAuthentication chip for hardware-level security. It is the most actively maintained board in the MKR family and the primary recommended option for Arduino IoT Cloud projects.

The MKR WiFi 1010 uses the WiFiNINA library for Wi-Fi operations and the ArduinoBLE library for Bluetooth Low Energy. Both libraries are well-maintained and receive regular updates.

Key Features

  • ARM Cortex-M0+ MCU (SAMD21G18A) at 48 MHz
  • U-blox NINA-W102 (ESP32-based): Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.2 LE
  • Hardware security via Microchip ECC508A
  • Li-Po battery connector with on-board USB charger
  • Compact MKR form factor (25 × 67.6 mm)
  • Full Arduino IoT Cloud support (current recommended MKR board)
  • Compatible with WiFiNINA and ArduinoBLE libraries
  • 3.3V logic — not 5V tolerant on I/O pins
  • Dual wireless: simultaneous Wi-Fi + BLE operation possible

Technical Specifications

Parameter Value
MCU Atmel SAMD21G18A (ARM Cortex-M0+)
Clock Speed 48 MHz
Flash Memory 256 KB
SRAM 32 KB
Operating Voltage 3.3V
Input Voltage (USB) 5V via Micro-USB
Input Voltage (Li-Po) 3.7V (1-cell Li-Po)
Digital I/O Pins 8
PWM Pins 12 (max)
Analog Input Pins 7 (12-bit ADC)
Analog Output Pins 1 (DAC, 10-bit)
UART 1
SPI 1
I2C 1
Wi-Fi Module u-blox NINA-W102 (ESP32-based)
Wi-Fi Standards 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth BLE 4.2 via NINA-W102
Security Chip Microchip ECC508A
Board Dimensions 25 × 67.6 mm
Weight ~32 g

Pinout

Pin Label Function
D0 Digital I/O / RX (UART)
D1 Digital I/O / TX (UART)
D2 Digital I/O / PWM
D3 Digital I/O / PWM
D4 Digital I/O / PWM
D5 Digital I/O / PWM
D6 Digital I/O / PWM
D7 Digital I/O / PWM
A0 Analog In (12-bit) / DAC Out
A1 Analog In (12-bit)
A2 Analog In (12-bit)
A3 Analog In (12-bit)
A4 Analog In (12-bit) / SDA
A5 Analog In (12-bit) / SCL
A6 Analog In (12-bit)
SPI MOSI SPI Data Out
SPI MISO SPI Data In
SPI SCK SPI Clock
SPI CS SPI Chip Select

Power

The MKR WiFi 1010 operates at 3.3V logic and supports two power inputs:

  • USB (Micro-USB): 5V input, regulated on-board to 3.3V. Simultaneously charges a connected Li-Po battery via the on-board charger.
  • Li-Po Battery: 1-cell 3.7V lithium polymer battery via the JST PH 2-pin connector. The battery charger IC manages charge cycles when USB is also connected.

During active Wi-Fi transmission, peak current draw from the NINA-W102 module can reach 250 mA or more. Ensure the power source (USB or battery) can supply sufficient current for reliable operation.

The 3.3V pin can supply limited current to external peripherals. Avoid drawing more than ~100 mA total from the 3.3V rail for external use.

Wireless Connectivity

Wi-Fi (WiFiNINA)

The u-blox NINA-W102 provides 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi on the 2.4 GHz band. The WiFiNINA library is the standard interface:

#include <WiFiNINA.h> const char* ssid = "YourNetworkSSID"; const char* password = "YourPassword"; void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); while (!Serial); Serial.print("Connecting to Wi-Fi"); while (WiFi.begin(ssid, password) != WL_CONNECTED) { Serial.print("."); delay(1000); } Serial.println(); Serial.print("Connected! IP: "); Serial.println(WiFi.localIP()); Serial.print("Signal strength (RSSI): "); Serial.print(WiFi.RSSI()); Serial.println(" dBm"); } void loop() { // Your IoT logic here }

Bluetooth Low Energy (ArduinoBLE)

The same NINA-W102 module provides BLE 4.2. The ArduinoBLE library exposes a straightforward API for creating BLE peripherals and centrals:

#include <ArduinoBLE.h> BLEService ledService("19B10000-E8F2-537E-4F6C-D104768A1214"); BLEByteCharacteristic switchCharacteristic( "19B10001-E8F2-537E-4F6C-D104768A1214", BLERead | BLEWrite ); void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); if (!BLE.begin()) { Serial.println("BLE init failed!"); while (1); } BLE.setLocalName("MKR-LED"); BLE.setAdvertisedService(ledService); ledService.addCharacteristic(switchCharacteristic); BLE.addService(ledService); BLE.advertise(); Serial.println("BLE advertising..."); } void loop() { BLEDevice central = BLE.central(); if (central) { while (central.connected()) { if (switchCharacteristic.written()) { digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, switchCharacteristic.value() ? HIGH : LOW); } } } }

Getting Started

Requirements

  • Arduino IDE 1.8.x or Arduino IDE 2.x
  • Board package: "Arduino SAMD Boards (32-bits ARM Cortex-M0+)" — install via Board Manager
  • Libraries: WiFiNINA, ArduinoBLE — install via Library Manager

Steps

  1. Open Arduino IDE and go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager.
  2. Search for "Arduino SAMD Boards" and install the package.
  3. Select "Arduino MKR WiFi 1010" from the board list.
  4. Install WiFiNINA and ArduinoBLE from the Library Manager.
  5. Connect via Micro-USB and select the correct COM port.
  6. Try File > Examples > WiFiNINA > ConnectWithWPA as a starting point.

Programming

The MKR WiFi 1010 is programmed via the Arduino IDE using the standard SAMD upload process over USB. The board appears as a USB serial device (CDC).

The NINA-W102 module firmware can be updated separately using the "Firmware Updater" tool bundled with the WiFiNINA library. Keeping NINA firmware up to date ensures security patches and protocol improvements.

The ECC508A chip integrates with the ArduinoECCX08 library to provision TLS certificates for secure cloud connections without exposing private keys in software.

Applications

  • Arduino IoT Cloud dashboards and automation
  • Wi-Fi connected environmental monitors
  • BLE beacons and proximity sensors
  • BLE-controlled actuators (via smartphone app)
  • MQTT clients for home automation (Node-RED, Home Assistant)
  • Dual-mode Wi-Fi + BLE data bridge
  • Secure HTTPS REST API clients
  • Remote sensor nodes with battery backup

Where to Buy

Retailer Link
Arduino Store (Official) https//store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-mkr-wifi-1010
Amazon https//www.amazon.com/s?k=Arduino+MKR+WiFi+1010
Arduino Docs https//docs.arduino.cc/hardware/mkr-wifi-1010

Equivalent Boards

Board Wireless Key Difference
Arduino MKR 1000 WiFi Wi-Fi only Predecessor; no BLE, older WINC1500 module
Arduino Nano 33 IoT Wi-Fi + BLE 4.2 Nano form factor; same NINA-W102 module
Arduino Nano 33 BLE BLE 5.0 only No Wi-Fi; nRF52840 MCU; more GPIO
Arduino MKR GSM 1400 GSM/3G Cellular; no Wi-Fi
Arduino MKR WAN 1310 LoRaWAN Long-range LPWAN; no Wi-Fi
ESP32 DevKit Wi-Fi + BLE Third-party; more GPIO, faster MCU

Documentation

Resource URL
Official Product Page https//store.arduino.cc/products/arduino-mkr-wifi-1010
Arduino Docs https//docs.arduino.cc/hardware/mkr-wifi-1010
WiFiNINA Library https//www.arduino.cc/reference/en/libraries/wifinina/
ArduinoBLE Library https//www.arduino.cc/reference/en/libraries/arduinoble/
Schematic (PDF) https//docs.arduino.cc/resources/schematics/MKR-WIFI-1010-schematic.pdf
Pinout Diagram https//docs.arduino.cc/static/637fd4af3cb7b6f6ecadcba3bc15efb2/ABX00023-full-pinout.pdf

Notes

  • 3.3V Logic: All I/O pins operate at 3.3V. Do NOT connect 5V signals directly — use a level shifter for 5V peripherals.
  • WiFiNINA vs WiFi101: This board requires the WiFiNINA library. The older WiFi101 library (for MKR 1000 WiFi) is NOT compatible.
  • NINA Firmware Updates: Update the NINA-W102 firmware periodically for security fixes. Use the Firmware Updater sketch in the WiFiNINA library examples.
  • MKR Shields: All MKR-format shields (MKR ENV Shield, MKR IoT Carrier, MKR Relay Proto Shield, etc.) are physically and electrically compatible.
  • Simultaneous Wi-Fi + BLE: The NINA-W102 can run both Wi-Fi and BLE simultaneously, though this increases power consumption.
  • IoT Cloud: This is the primary recommended MKR board for Arduino IoT Cloud. The cloud agent handles secure provisioning via the ECC508A.

Community

Revision History

Version Date Notes
v1.0 2026-06 Initial entry