| Added Bluetooth 5.1 direction finding feature
| Includes a wide range of analog and digital I/F
| Suitable for Bluetooth beacon applications

Nordic Semiconductor today announced the nRF52811 System-on-Chip (SoC), a connectivity solution that supports Bluetooth 5.1 direction finding and a variety of popular low-power wireless protocols for applications such as smart home gateways and industrial products.
The nRF52811 SoC is a new member of Nordic's nRF52 Series platform, combining the low cost of the base nRF52810 SoC with the multiprotocol support of the mid-range nRF52832 and advanced nRF52840 SoCs.

The nRF52811 is the first of Nordic's low-power wireless products to support Bluetooth 5.1, adding direction finding functionality to Bluetooth 5's faster transmission speeds, longer range, and improved coexistence performance.

Nordic's nRF52811 SoC features a multiprotocol 2.4GHz radio (4dBm output power at -97dBm sensitivity - 1Mbps in Bluetooth 5 mode), a 64MHz, 32-bit Arm Cortex M4 processor, and 192kB flash and 24kB RAM memory. Additionally, the nRF52811 SoC includes a wide range of analog and digital interfaces.

The nRF52811 SoC is an ideal connectivity chip for applications featuring a companion microprocessor. Examples include home and industrial gateways that require low-power wireless support for Bluetooth 5, Thread, and Zigbee smart applications used in smart lighting networks, HVAC, and security systems.

This SoC is also well suited for cost-constrained Bluetooth beacon applications that require the extended range of Bluetooth 5 technology or are used as part of a direction-finding system.

The nRF52811 SoC ships with an updated version (v15.3.0) of Nordic's nRF5 SDK. This SDK includes Nordic's S112 SoftDevice (a Bluetooth 5-certified RF software protocol "stack") and a variety of examples, libraries, and drivers, enabling developers to quickly begin product development.

Thread connectivity solutions will be available through the upcoming nRF5 SDK v2.1 for Thread and Zigbee.

The nRF52811 SoC's Bluetooth 5.1 direction finding feature enables positioning solutions that reference not only the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) but also the actual signal direction. This significantly improves accuracy and enables new applications.

There are two types of methods for determining direction in this function: Angle of Arrival (AoA), which calculates the direction of the received signal, and Angle of Departure (AoD), which calculates the direction of the transmitted signal. Direction finding can operate in two or three dimensions depending on the complexity of the chosen design and the antenna array.

The nRF52811 SoC is ideally suited as a transceiver for AoA or AoD scenarios. Bluetooth 5.1 hardware features are also implemented in the nRF52811 SoC.

The nRF52811 SoC will be produced in a 6x6mm QFN48 package with 32 GPIOs, a 5x5mm QFN32 with 17 GPIOs, and a 2.5x2.5mm wafer-level CSP32 with 15 GPIOs. All packages are compatible with the nRF52810 SoC, allowing the same PCB layout to be used.

All versions of the nRF52811 SoC are currently available. Fully featured, including Bluetooth 5's long range, Bluetooth 5.1's direction finding, and Zigbee 3.0, the nRF52811 SoC will be available through software releases in 2019.

“The nRF52811 SoC joins Nordic’s comprehensive multiprotocol family addressing a broad range of modern applications,” says John Leonard, senior product marketing manager at Nordic Semiconductor. “Each member is backed by Nordic’s proven development tools and technical support.”