Nordic Semiconductor Expands nRF54L Series With High-Memory SoC

Nordic Semiconductor has released the nRF54LM20A, a new addition to its nRF54L series of wireless SoCs. The nRF54LM20A is positioned as a high-memory option within the series, designed to support more complex and demanding applications in the IoT space. The chip combines a powerful multicore architecture with a large on-chip memory footprint and an updated wireless radio to address the growing needs of advanced wireless products.

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LM20A ultra-low power wireless SoC features the largest memory of the nRF54L series. Video used courtesy of Nordic Semiconductor

The nRF54LM20A Ultra-Low-Power Wireless SoC

The new nRF54LM20A SoC integrates a 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 processor alongside a 128 MHz RISC-V coprocessor, a dual-core architecture that allows for the efficient distribution of tasks. This configuration is intended to handle both application processing and radio protocol stacks concurrently, optimizing performance and power consumption.

According to Nordic Semiconductor, the nRF54LM20A’s processing capabilities are substantially improved over the previous-generation nRF52 series, offering twice the processing power and three times the processing efficiency.

High-Memory and Multiprotocol Radio

One of the most notable features of the nRF54LM20A is its expanded memory. The chip is equipped with 2 MB of non-volatile memory (NVM) and 512 KB of RAM. This significant memory size allows developers to implement complex applications, such as Matter-based smart home ecosystems, without the need for external memory components, which can reduce board space and system complexity. 

The nRF54LM20A features a multicore architecture (Arm Cortex-M33 and RISC-V), 2MB NVM, and a 2.4 GHz radio, designed for advanced IoT applications. Image used courtesy of Nordic Semiconductor

The SoC’s fourth-generation ultra-low-power 2.4 GHz radio supports a wide range of wireless protocols, including Bluetooth LE, Thread, Matter, Zigbee, and proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols. It also includes support for new Bluetooth 6.0 features like Bluetooth channel sounding.

Enhanced Connectivity, Security, and Peripherals

In terms of connectivity and peripherals, the nRF54LM20A is equipped with high-speed USB, which is beneficial for applications requiring high-throughput data transfer or fast firmware updates. It offers up to 66 GPIOs, providing flexibility for a wide array of sensor and peripheral connections. 

Additional integrated features include a 14-bit ADC, a Global real-time clock that can operate in low-power modes, and advanced security features, such as TrustZone isolation and cryptographic accelerators, to meet modern security standards. 

The SoC is fabricated on a 22 nm process node, which contributes to its performance and energy efficiency.

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LM20A is available in a CSP package (left) and QFN package (right). Images used courtesy of Nordic Semiconductor

Next-Generation IoT Devices

The nRF54LM20A is designed as a solution for applications that demand high performance, ample memory, and low-power consumption in a single chip. Its integration of multiple processor cores, a broad range of supported protocols, and a comprehensive set of peripherals is meant to streamline the design process.

The new chip is suited for applications such as high-performance human interface devices like gaming peripherals, smart home devices, and industrial automation and medical wearables, where reliability, low latency, and energy efficiency are critical design factors.