Combine and leverage
The benefits of wireless connectivity with multiprotocol are many and varied: It delivers a better user experience, different protocols offer complementary strengths when used together and developers can design once and use in multiple regions, and field upgrades can be supported.
All Nordic software and hardware supports multiple wireless connectivity protocols to allow for the ultimate flexibility in your design. Create one device that can connect to multiple protocols, or a device that can be configured to different protocols.
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.
Thread and Bluetooth LE
nRF5 SDK for Thread: Thread/Bluetooth Low Energy multiprotocol demo
Compatability table
While Nordic SoCs support multiprotocol, there are limitations of the individual
technologies. Take a look at the table below to check your compatibility options.
Bluetooth Low Energy | ZigBee | Thread | 802.15.4 | Proprietary | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bluetooth Low Energy | YES * | YES | YES | YES | YES |
ZigBee | YES | N/A | YES | YES | YES |
Thread | YES | YES | N/A | YES | YES |
802.15.4 | YES | YES | YES | N/A | YES |
Proprietary | YES | YES | YES | YES | YES |
* Multirole, 20 concurrent roles / connections (19 links and a scanner or broadcaster).
Fast switching radio and complementary software
Nordic provides the complete multiprotocol solution. The nRF52 Series and nRF53 Series are all-flash based SoCs with extensive processing power and a fast switching radio that are capable of running multiple protocols effortlessly. The SoCs are complemented by a broad suite of software that supports a wide selection of protocols.
Our solution enables you to run Bluetooth Low Energy concurrently with 2.4 GHz proprietary, ANT, Bluetooth mesh, Thread or Zigbee.
Examples to get you going can be found in the respective SDKs.
Dual-core Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, NFC, Thread and Zigbee
128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 CPU with
1 MB Flash + 512 KB RAM
64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 CPU with
256 KB Flash + 64 KB RAM
Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth Direction Finding
Bluetooth mesh
Thread, Zigbee
NFC
Advanced security
USB, QSPI, HS-SPI
105 °C extended operating temperature
1.7-5.5 V supply voltage range
nRF52 Series
Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, NFC, Thread and Zigbee
64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU
1 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM
2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, Long Range
Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth mesh
Thread, Zigbee
+8 dBm TX Power
128-bit AES CCM, Arm CryptoCell-310
UART, SPI, TWI, PDM, I2S, QSPI, PWM
12-bit ADC
NFC
USB 2.0
Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, Bluetooth Direction Finding, NFC, Thread and Zigbee
64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU
512 KB Flash, 128 KB RAM
2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, Long Range
Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth Direction Finding
Bluetooth mesh
Thread, Zigbee
+8 dBm TX Power
128-bit AES CCM
UART, SPI, TWI, PDM
HS-SPI, I2S, PWM
12-bit ADC
NFC
USB 2.0
Versatile Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh and NFC
Bluetooth 5.2 SoC with built-in USB and Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth mesh, Thread and Zigbee support
64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4
256 KB Flash, 32 KB RAM
2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, Long Range
Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth Direction Finding
Bluetooth mesh
Thread, Zigbee
+8 dBm TX power
128-bit AES
UART, SPI, TWI, QDEC
Full Speed USB 2.0
-40 to 105 °C extended temperature range
1.7 to 5.5 V supply voltage
Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth Direction Finding and Thread
64 MHz Cortex-M4
192 KB Flash, 24 KB RAM
2.4 GHz transceiver
2 Mbps, 1 Mbps, Long Range
Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth Direction Finding
Thread
+4 dBm TX power
128-bit AES
UART, SPI, TWI, PDM
PWM
12-bit ADC
Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy
Bluetooth 5.2 SoC supporting Bluetooth Low Energy