Nordic Semiconductor recently announced the availability of its nRF9161 system-in-package (SiP) and pre-qualified development kit designed to power both cellular IoT and non-cellular 5G technologies. This new device can connect to LTE-M, NB-IoT, and DECT NR+ networks while maintaining long battery life, better location tracking, and strong connectivity. Additionally, Nordic provides support through the nRF Connect SDK and Nordic Developer Academy.
The nRF9161 SiP is an improved version of the nRF9160 SiP and is the basis for various projects such as Actinius Icarus SoM DK, Conexio Stratus, nRF9160 Feather LTE IoT and GPS board, Ruuvi node, and many other projects. Please check it out if you are interested.
The press release states that the new chip is an update to the nRF9160 and includes features such as an Arm Cortex-M33 processor, 1 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM, SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, and 12-bit ADC. I am. Other features. It also includes a GNSS receiver, LTE modem, RF front end, and power management system.
Looking at the update, this new module adds B65 (2100 MHz) and B85 (700 MHz) LTE bands for wider global coverage and operates at 1.9 GHz and 1.9 GHz for long-range, low-power applications. supports DECT NR+ mesh networks. Supports up to 1 million nodes. The updated firmware also improves power efficiency and provides power save and sleep mode functionality for networks that do not support Power Save Mode (PSM).
Key features of Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9161 SiP:
- System in Package (SiP) – Fully integrated for Cellular IoT and DECT NR+.
- Processor and Memory – 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33, 1 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM.
- Modem – Multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT with DECT NR+ support and GNSS.
- Frequency support – 700-2200 MHz LTE band and 1.9 GHz NR+ band.
- Connectivity – Supports global LTE bands without regional restrictions.
- Security features – Arm TrustZone and Arm CryptoCell for added security.
- Power Efficiency – Advanced power saving features such as eDRX, PSM, and AS-RAI.
- Firmware updates: Secure firmware over the air (FOTA) updates.
- Location Tracking: Built-in GNSS receiver and support for mobile phone-based location functionality.
- Interfaces and peripherals: Includes ADC, RTC, SPI, I²C, I²S, UARTE, PDM, PWM.
- LTE bands: Covers a wide range of LTE bands for global connectivity.
- DECT NR+ Stack: Enable reliable, scalable, large-scale mesh applications.
- Development tools: nRF Connect SDK and nRF Connect for Desktop for a variety of development needs.
The nRF9161 Development Kit (DK) extends the capabilities of the nRF9161 SiP with additional features to ease development. This development kit is pre-certified, meaning it has full access to GPIOs and interfaces. The board also comes with an Arduino Uno-style pin header that can be used to enable WI-Fi 6 functionality with Nordic’s nRF7002EK evaluation kit. Additionally, it features user-programmable LEDs and buttons for interactive applications.
The kit supports both plug-in SIM and solder-in (e)SIM with nano/4FF SIM slot and MFF2 SIM footprint, and comes with a preloaded SIM card. A key feature is the onboard SEGGER J-Link debugger to simplify programming and debugging of both SiP and external targets.
In terms of support, nRF Connect SDK for VS Code provides developers with critical tools directly in the IDE, and nRF Connect for Desktop provides IoT tools to assess, monitor, and debug network connectivity. Additionally, the Nordic Developer Academy has online courses focused on quickly teaching cellular IoT using the nRF9161 DK.
Both the nRF9161 SiP and nRF9161 development kit are currently available for purchase from major resellers including Mouser, Digi-Key, and Avnet. The SiP is priced at $26.73 per unit (at Mouser) and the development kit is $128.77 (at Avnet).
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over 5 years of experience in the industry. He brings expertise in embedded C, PCB design, and SEO optimization, effectively blending difficult technical topics with clear communication.
