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Nordic Semiconductor Unveils Cutting-Edge nRF71 Series

Nordic Semiconductor, a global leader in low-power wireless solutions, has announced the launch of its latest innovation, the nRF71 series of System on Chips (SoCs). This groundbreaking series incorporates a mix of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, Thread technology, and integrated artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities into a single chip. Designed with energy efficiency in mind, the nRF71 series achieves a standby power consumption that is up to twenty times lower compared to its predecessor, the nRF70 series. This significant advancement opens new opportunities for developers, particularly in applications involving battery-operated devices such as smart home gadgets, wearable technology, and industrial IoT.

Executive Vice President for Wi-Fi and Power Management at Nordic, Kjetil Holstad, expressed his excitement about the new series: “AI at the edge will eventually be present in every connected device, but until now, Wi-Fi devices operating on battery power required energy consumption that was not feasible. With the nRF71 series, Nordic finally overcomes that obstacle.” The integration of Wi-Fi and AI on the same low-power platform offers developers tools they are already familiar with from Bluetooth Low Energy, setting the stage for the next generation of intelligent products. These products are expected to connect seamlessly to any network, make on-device decisions, and operate for years on a single battery charge.

Simplicity and Efficiency Combined

One of the most remarkable features of the nRF71 series is its ability to perform edge AI inference directly on a single chip without the need for an external AI processor. This capability enhances device responsiveness, reduces energy consumption, and simplifies hardware requirements. With the inclusion of the integrated Axon Neural Processing Unit (NPU), AI tasks such as keyword detection, anomaly detection, and image classification become accessible for battery-operated devices. The Axon NPU executes machine learning models 10 to 17 times faster than the standalone Arm Cortex-M33 processor running at 256 MHz.

Moreover, developers can create ultra-lightweight AI models tailored to their own data using Nordic’s Neuton software. These models are optimized for on-chip execution of edge AI applications without relying solely on the NPU.

Transforming Smart Living

The nRF71 series brings significant benefits for smart home technology, security solutions, and industrial IoT. Battery-powered smart hubs, Matter gateways, and Thread-compliant routers can now seamlessly integrate Wi-Fi, Thread, and Bluetooth Low Energy functionalities onto a single chip. This applies to connected locks, alarm systems, wearable devices, and industrial sensors as well. The series features two independent radios, one for Wi-Fi and another for Nordic’s latest generation 2.4 GHz multiprotocol SoCs from the nRF54 series. Both radios can simultaneously receive data, allowing devices to maintain their Wi-Fi connection to the cloud while remaining attentive to Bluetooth LE or Thread communications.

The series launches with the nRF7120 and nRF7120E chips. The nRF7120 offers dual-band Wi-Fi 6, while the nRF7120E enhances this with tri-band Wi-Fi 6E capabilities alongside the hardware-accelerated NPU for edge AI applications. Both chips are equipped with 4 MB of integrated non-volatile memory and 1 MB of user-accessible RAM.

Availability and Future Prospects

Nordic plans to showcase the nRF71 series, including a branded module, at this year’s Electronica trade show, located in Hall C6, Booth 159. While samples of the nRF71 series are already available to a select group of customers, developers wishing to learn more can reach out to their local Nordic sales representatives for availability details.

About Nordic Semiconductor

Nordic Semiconductor is a leading provider of low-power wireless technology dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT). They offer connectivity platforms and technologies essential for connecting IoT devices across consumer, healthcare, and industrial sectors. By combining reference hardware components, embedded software, development tools, and cloud services throughout the product lifecycle, Nordic simplifies the design and maintenance of reliable, secure, and scalable connected solutions. To learn more, visit www.nordicsemi.com.