Bluetooth 5.1 SoC enables precise direction information and distance measurement

The Nordic Semiconductor nRF52811 is a multiprotocol SoC and one of the first devices supporting the new Bluetooth Core Specification 5.1. As well as Bluetooth Direction Finding and Bluetooth Long Range the SoC supports 802.15.4, that can be employed for Thread and Zigbee. It allows applications for direction information and distance measurement with centimetre precision.

The new device is part of the nRF52 Series, providing a platform where migration between devices is simple. It is the ideal choice for simple applications and beacons, real-time location systems, proximity solutions, asset tracking and smart home solutions. Joined with a companion MCU, the SoC supports advanced applications providing a wide selection of connectivity standards.

The device is built around a 64MHz Arm Cortex-M4TM processor with 192KB Flash and 24KB RAM. Apart from regular interfaces like SPI, UART, TWI, PDM, PWM and QDEC, it gives comparators and a 12-bit 200ksps ADC. Operating supply voltage is 1.7-3.6V. The SoC appears in three different package options, all compatible with the respective nRF52810 SoC.

The nRF5 SDK v.15.3.0 supplies everything required to begin with Bluetooth development, while Thread and Zigbee connectivity are offered in the nRF5 SDK for Thread and Zigbee.