nRF Connect SDK
also: NCS · Nordic SDK
Nordic Semiconductor's SDK for its Bluetooth LE, Thread, Matter, Wi-Fi, and cellular IoT chips, built on the Zephyr RTOS.
The nRF Connect SDK combines the open-source Zephyr RTOS with Nordic's protocol stacks and libraries for the nRF52, nRF53, nRF54, nRF70, and nRF91 series, covering Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth Mesh, Thread, Zigbee, Matter, Wi-Fi, and cellular IoT, plus networking and security libraries. It succeeds the older nRF5 SDK for new designs.
Where it bites: the Zephyr learning curve, a substantial rewrite when migrating from the nRF5 SDK, Bluetooth qualification tied to stack versions, and power tuning for battery products.
Outside help is worth it for nRF5 SDK migrations, low-power optimization, MCUboot-based firmware updates, and preparing for Bluetooth qualification.
Common requests
- Migrating from the nRF5 SDK
- BLE, Thread, and Matter firmware
- Low-power optimization
- DFU/OTA with MCUboot
- Bluetooth qualification preparation
Founder takeaway
If your product still runs on the nRF5 SDK, plan the move to the nRF Connect SDK before you need a new feature or fix.
official site: nordicsemi.com/Products/Development-software/nRF-Connect-SDK · Nordic Semiconductor
engineer review pending