Nordic Semiconductor, a global leader in low-power wireless connectivity technology, has lowered the barrier to entry for development with a new software option that delivers powerful functionality without an RTOS.

Nordic has officially announced on the 29th a new software option, 'nRF Connect SDK Bare Metal', for its next-generation wireless SoC, the nRF54L series.

This option runs independently without an RTOS and is considered an optimized solution for developing simple Bluetooth LE applications.

The bare metal option can be run without using the Zephyr RTOS, simplifying migration from the existing nRF5 SDK and nRF52 Series to the nRF54L Series.

In particular, it is implemented based on Nordic's SoftDevice architecture and is designed to provide a structure similar to existing APIs, allowing developers to easily transition.

Nordic has demonstrated scalability, with bare metal options to support simple peripheral-centric applications all the way up to central and multi-role capabilities in the future.

Related features are expected to be added within the year, which will serve as a foundation for encompassing various Bluetooth LE applications.

With nRF Connect SDK Both bare metal and Zephyr RTOS-based development are possible within the nRF Connect environment for VS Code, allowing developers to choose the optimal approach for their project requirements without changing tools.

Additionally, a single-bank DFU (Device Firmware Update) mechanism was introduced to optimize non-volatile memory (NVM) usage and secure code space.

Because of its RTOS-independent architecture, bare metal components can also be integrated with RTOS solutions outside the SDK.

This provides embedded developers with a wider range of choices and allows them to flexibly respond to diverse system requirements.

“The bare metal option lowers the barrier to entry for simple application development, while providing a clear path to expand to advanced features powered by the Zephyr RTOS,” says Øivind Strom, Senior Vice President at Nordic Semiconductor. “This is an important milestone in strengthening our developer-centric strategy and delivering on our long-term vision.”