Nordic Semiconductor has announced nRF Connect Bare Metal, designed to provide a migration path away from the company’s nRF5 software development kit (SDK) and nRF52-series wireless systems-on-chips (SoCs) to the latest nRF54L series parts — and, as the name implies, it doesn’t require a real-time operating system (RTOS), though provides an upgrade path to Zephyr RTOS.
“With the Bare Metal option, we are lowering the entry barrier for developing simple Bluetooth applications, while also offering a clear upgrade path to Zephyr RTOS and the full capabilities of the nRF Connect SDK for new and existing customers,” claims Nordic Semi’s Oyvind Strom of the company’s launch today. “This software option is a meaningful addition that reflects our goal to support a broad range of developers and applications. Nordic’s commitment to the world-class nRF Connect SDK and the Zephyr community remains strong, and this strategy continues to shape our long-term direction.”
The nRF Connect SDK Bare Metal option is built around Nordic Semi’s SoftDevice architecture, and is designed to mimic the company’s legacy nRF5 SDK — making it easier to migrate from older nRF52-series parts to the new nRF54L family of wireless chips. Designed for “simple” Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) applications, it initially supports peripheral-only applications with the promise of central- and multi-role capabilities to launch later this year.
The Bare Metal option is designed to coexist alongside the existing Zephyr RTOS option, both within the nRF Connect SDK and the nRF Connect extension to Microsoft’s VS Code. Those who find their projects outgrowing the capabilities of the Bare Metal option can, the company has confirmed, easily migrate projects to the full Zephyr RTOS option — or, if they choose, integrate their Bare Metal applications with third-party real-time operating systems.
The bare metal option is the first to receive single-bank DFU support, which will reach the Zephyr RTOS option in a future SDK release. (📷: Nordic Semiconductor)
There’s a new feature to be found within Bare Metal, too, currently missing from the Zephyr RTOS variant: support for a single-bank device firmware update (DFU) mechanism, designed to minimize non-volatile memory usage and leave more space free for program code. This, Nordic Semi promises, will be added to the Zephyr RTOS option in a future release of the nRF Connect SDK.
More information on the nRF Connect SDK Bare Metal option is available on the Nordic Semi website; a technical introduction is available on the company’s developer zone blog.
