Thread software

Our software offering for Thread development is the nRF5 SDK for Thread and Zigbee, which is a common software development kit (SDK) for Thread and Zigbee. The SDK has full support for nRF52833 and nRF52840 SoCs, while the nRF52811 SoC has limited support. The nRF52840 SoC is a Thread certified component, meaning that end-products integrating it can easily pass the Thread product certification.

nRF5 SDK for Thread and Zigbee contains everything needed to get started and complete your Thread product development, including a broad selection of application examples, drivers, libraries and protocol stacks. The nRF52833 and nRF52840 SoCs are fully supported by OpenThread, and the SDK includes a pre-built OpenThread stack that is Thread 1.1 certified.

Highlighted Thread-only examples:

• Secure OTA example - Showcases how to configure and carry out a secure over-the-air (OTA) device firmware update (DFU)
• CLI example - Demonstrates interaction with a Thread application through a command line interface (CLI)
• CoAP examples - A group of examples that demonstrate CoAP interactions between nodes in different roles
• thethings.iO cloud CoAP client example - Demonstrates interaction between a Thread node and the thethings.iO cloud
• Google Cloud Platform CoAP example - Demonstrates interaction between a Thread node and the Google cloud

Our solution offers the option to run multiple protocols on one SoC, either one at the time (switched multiprotocol) or concurrently (dynamic multiprotocol).

Switched multiprotocol is useful in for example smart home applications where the mesh protocol is unknown, it could be Bluetooth mesh, Thread or Zigbee. With switched multiprotocol you can develop a generic application and then adapt to the mesh protocol where the device is used. Another possibility is to leverage Bluetooth Low Energy interoperability and ubiquity. The device is configured and commissioned with Bluetooth LE, with for example a smartphone, and then switches to the appropriate mesh protocol, it being Bluetooth mesh, Thread or Zigbee. Device firmware updates (DFU) can be carried out over Bluetooth LE, while the device typically operates with another protocol.

With dynamic protocol multiple protocols are active at the same time. The radio time is time sliced and shared between the protocols. The scheduling is autonomous and connections are maintained. Leverage Bluetooth LE interoperabilty and ubiquity and bridge into a Bluetooth mesh, Thread or Zigbee mesh with a Bluetooth LE device, such as a smartphone. Use it for commissioning or to simply interact with the mesh network.