nRF52840 Bluetooth version support with NCS 1.8.0 and with newer NCS releases — what Bluetooth Core Spec can we claim?

[Haris Iqbal]

Hi,

I’m using an nRF52840 SoC and currently developing with NCS 1.8.0. I need clarification on the Bluetooth Core Specification version support:

1. What Bluetooth version (5.x) features does the hardware actually support?

   • Specifically, can the nRF52840 support features beyond Bluetooth 5.0, such as 5.2 / 5.3 (e.g., Isochronous Channels, LE Power Control, etc.)?

2. Based on the current NCS 1.8.0 release, which Bluetooth versions and features are enabled by the stack?

   • What is the highest official Bluetooth version claimable when building with NCS 1.8.0?

3. If I upgrade NCS (e.g., to NCS ~v2.x / later releases), what is the maximum Bluetooth Core Specification version I can leverage on the same chip?

   • Are there any notable feature gaps between hardware support and SDK/stack support?

4. Are there any limitations in the current Zephyr / controller stack that prevent using full 5.3 / 5.4 features on nRF52840?

Thanks!

[Vidar Berg]

Hi,

You can see from the listings here which version of the core spec. the host/controller has been qualified for: https://docs.nordicsemi.com/bundle/comp_matrix_nrf52840/page/COMP/nrf52840/nrf52840_ble_qdid_qual_matrix.html. For SDK v1.8 it is Bluetooth 5.3. But because bluetooth includes many optional features, the version number alone does not tell you much about which features are actually supported. Isochronous Channels, LE Power Control, coded PHY, and similar features are optional and do not have to be supported in order to claim, for example, Bluetooth 6 support.

Best regards,

Vidar