Which nRF MCU is recommended for new end sensor design ?

[0xGael]

Hello,

We are designing a new Zigbee/Thread end-device sensor and I'm wondering what is the recommended part for it.

I have a demo running with nRF5340 (because the platform was available when we started the demo). I previously runned a 1st version of the demo on nRF52840.

From the website, I understand the nRF52 chips aren't recommended for new designs and the Zboss stack will not be maintained in the future on these MCU

I understood the nRF5340 was more recommended for controller nodes on zigbee network but it's too marked as not recommended for new zigbee design ?

I see that nRF54L chips are now the reference for Zigbee and Thread but they seems still in an "early production" state (and software support seems not yet stable).

So my question is which MCU should I use between the nRF5340 and the nRF54L15 (or another variant if reducing RAM and Flash needs) for a future Zigbee/Thread sensor ?

Best regards,

Gaël

[Maria Gilje]

Hi Gaël, 

I can provide you with some information, but please contact your Regional Sales Manager before you make a decision on which SoC you go for for your design. You can contact your RSM through email if you know who your RSM is, or through the form found here. 

From the website, I understand the nRF52 chips aren't recommended for new designs and the Zboss stack will not be maintained in the future on these MCU

I understood the nRF5340 was more recommended for controller nodes on zigbee network but it's too marked as not recommended for new zigbee design ?

The Zigbee R22 add-on -- which supports nRF52840, nRF52833, nRF5340 and nRF21540 -- is in maintenance mode, and not recommended when starting new designs. 

The Zigbee R23 add-on -- which supports the nRF52840 and the nRF54L series -- will include new features and is recommended when starting new designs. 

I see that nRF54L chips are now the reference for Zigbee and Thread but they seems still in an "early production" state (and software support seems not yet stable).

We have production ready support for the nRF54L series in the 1.0.0 release of the Zigbee R23 add-on. 

So my question is which MCU should I use between the nRF5340 and the nRF54L15 (or another variant if reducing RAM and Flash needs) for a future Zigbee/Thread sensor ?

I'll let your RSM answer this question, they are much better suited to help you choose the correct SoC. 

Best regards,

Maria