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nRF54L Series now widely available for development

Petter Myhre
nRF54L Series now widely available for development

Since the announcement of the nRF54L15 SoC, we have been working hard to get the quality up to our standard, while adding support in our software and tools to improve the developer experience and ease of use. We have continuously received valuable feedback from the 300+ customers who have participated in our sampling program so far. Many of these customers are ready to bring their IoT products to market when the nRF54L Series enters full-volume production later this year.

And now, the nRF54L Series is ready for you. But there’s more: we’ve added two new options—the nRF54L10 and nRF54L05. This trio covers a wide range of requirements and provides flexibility during development if memory requirements change unexpectedly. Now, anyone can develop IoT products based on the nRF54L Series:

The nRF54L Series—comprising the nRF54L15, nRF54L10, and nRF54L05—is the successor to the popular nRF52 Series, designed for the next-generation IoT products. Here are a few highlights:

  • Next-level wireless SoCs
  • New ultra-low-power 2.4 GHz radio
  • Integrated multi-purpose MCU
  • 2x processing power and 3x processing efficiency compared to the nRF52840 SoC

The nRF54L Series has generated a lot of interest—and questions. Below, I’ll answer the ones we get most often to help you get an overview.

Where can I find more details about the nRF54L Series?

Does the nRF54L Series support Bluetooth Channel Sounding?

Yes and no. We are committed to supporting all mandatory and optional Bluetooth LE features, including Bluetooth Channel Sounding. The new 2.4 GHz radio in the nRF54L Series supports Channel Sounding, and we have added experimental support in nRF Connect SDK v2.8.0. See the LE Channel Sounding section for more information and how to get started.

If you are unfamiliar with Channel Sounding, it is a key feature of the Bluetooth 6.0 specification. It enables accurate and secure distance measuring with built-in security features and interoperability.

What are the security improvements?

With more IoT security regulations on the horizon, there’s increasing recognition of the importance and value of security. Security was prioritized while designing the nRF54L Series, with features such as secure boot, secure firmware update, secure storage, a trusted execution environment enabled by TrustZone, a cryptographic engine with side-channel leakage protection, and tamper detectors. Together, these features fulfill a range of security needs, from essential to advanced.

What is the purpose of the RISC-V coprocessor?

The integrated RISC-V coprocessor solves challenges related to time-critical tasks being handled concurrently with the stack on the main processor. In some cases, an external MCU is needed to solve these challenges. The support in nRF Connect SDK v2.8.0 is experimental. Improved developer experience and support will be available in future nRF Connect SDK releases.

What is available for the nRF54L Series in the nRF Connect SDK?

nRF Connect SDK v2.8.0 offers comprehensive support for the nRF54L15 DK and nRF54L15 SoC, while support for the nRF54L10 and nRF54L05 SoCs is currently experimental. It provides all fundamental components, including the Zephyr RTOS, drivers, libraries (including DFU), bootloader, wireless protocol stacks, and samples needed for evaluation and development. Check out the nRF Connect SDK v2.8.0 release notes for more details.

What are the advantages of the nRF Connect SDK?

The nRF Connect SDK provides comprehensive out-of-the-box functionality with the Zephyr RTOS, drivers, middleware, libraries, samples, and wireless protocol stacks with proven interoperability, all ready for you to reuse and leverage. This enables you to focus on developing valuable features that make your IoT product stand out.

nRF Connect SDK integrates the Zephyr Real-Time Operating System, a popular RTOS ecosystem designed from the ground up for low-power and resource-constrained wireless devices. With a community of over 2000 contributors, we are proud to be an early adopter and one of its biggest contributors.

To get a better understanding of what is available in the nRF Connect SDK and how fast you can develop an application, I recommend watching our new hands-on video series. It demonstrates how to reuse and leverage the out-of-the-box functionality in the SDK to quickly develop a Bluetooth LE application. While focused on Bluetooth LE and the nRF52840 SoC, most concepts also apply to our other wireless technologies and wireless SoCs, including the nRF54L Series SoCs. The video series demonstrates how to add simulated and real sensors and retrieve their data through Bluetooth LE. Then, how to store data permanently on non-volatile memory, optimize power consumption using PPK2, and finally, add FOTA (DFU).

Hundreds of nRF Connect SDK-based products have already been brought to market, and we receive positive feedback from developers who have adopted the SDK. We prioritize developer experience and ease of use and are continuously improving to make development easier, faster, and more intuitive.

What is the best way to get started with the nRF Connect SDK?

To ease onboarding, our Nordic Developer Academy includes two free hands-on online courses supporting the nRF54L15 DK and nRF54L15 SoC: nRF Connect SDK Fundamentals and Bluetooth Low Energy Fundamentals. These courses have enrolled more than 15,000 developers, have received an average rating of 9.1/10, and provide more than 20 hours of in-depth training.

As with any SDK, there is a learning curve, but the advantages of the nRF Connect SDK—and mastering Zephyr with its growing ecosystem—make it worth the effort. The skills you gain can also be applied to other devices supported by Zephyr.

Where can I buy the nRF54L15 DK?

On the nRF54L15 DK product page, under “Where to buy”, you can see which of our distributors that have stock of the nRF54L15 DK. You can also see a full list here.


How do I evaluate the power consumption of the nRF54L Series?

When evaluating power consumption, the datasheet is a good place to start (see nRF54L Series highlights below), but the numbers don’t show the complete picture. We recommend using our Online Power Profiler tool to estimate the power consumption of the SoC running a Bluetooth LE application. This tool provides estimates very close to real-world measurements; in fact, the estimated average current is typically within 5% of the actual value you would measure on your desk. The tool also enables you to compare with the nRF52 and nRF53 Series SoCs easily.

The next step is to get your hands on an nRF54L15 DK and do your measurements using a tool like Power Profiler Kit II, an affordable kit for measuring power consumption. You should be able to achieve measurements close to the estimated results, if not, I recommend contacting technical support on DevZone.

Can the nRF54L Series be used with the nRF70 Series Wi-Fi 6 companion ICs?

Yes. The nRF54L15 SoC has sufficient memory and is a suitable host for the nRF70 Series. Together, they can be used to develop low-power Wi-Fi 6 products. For evaluation and development, the nRF54L15 DK can be combined with the nRF7002 EB, and three Wi-Fi samples are supported in nRF Connect SDK v2.8.0.

Which nPM Family PMICs are compatible with the nRF54L Series?

The nPM1100 and nPM1300 PMICs can provide efficient power regulation for the nRF54L Series SoCs. The nPM1100 is the industry’s smallest PMIC (2x2 mm) with battery charging, while the nPM1300 integrates advanced system management features, such as battery fuel gauging. The unique battery fuel gauging capability provides accurate state-of-charge estimations using ultra-low power. Even if hardware design isn’t your responsibility, sharing these PMICs could definitely earn you some points with the hardware team.

Are there modules available for the nRF54L Series?

Yes. Many of our module partners already offer modules based on the nRF54L15 SoC. These modules enable you to leverage our complete wireless solutions — from wireless protocol stacks and SDKs to development tools and technical support — while reducing development time and costs.

When will the nRF54H20 SoC be launched?

Since announcing the nRF54H20 SoC, we’ve been focused on getting it up to our quality standards and improving software, tools, and documentation. We’ve worked closely with customers in our sampling program, gathering feedback and making improvements. The launch is getting closer, and soon, it will be widely available for evaluation and development. We are still sampling nRF54H20 to selected customers. Please reach out to your Nordic sales representative if you’d like more information, or subscribe to nRF54H20 news to stay updated on progress and news.

Next steps and availability

I hope these answers were helpful and provided a solid overview. With the nRF54L15 DK in hand, you have what you need to start building your next-gen IoT product. We can’t wait to see what you create!

nRF54L15 is sampling to selected customers now. nRF54L15, nRF54L10, and nRF54L05 will all enter full-volume production towards the end of this year. Please contact your Nordic sales representative for more information, or subscribe to nRF54L Series news to stay updated.