Nordic Semiconductor nRF5 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Thread

[Krzysztof Loska]

Hi,

I am pleased to announce the first publicly available Software Development Kit (SDK) based on OpenThread stack - nRF5 SDK for Thread. It is intended for Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52840 SoC and nRF52840 Preview Development Kit.

The nRF5 SDK for Thread ver. 0.8.0 includes:

• a pre-built OpenThread stack for the Nordic Semiconductor's nRF52840 SoC with ARM® CryptoCell-310 support,
  
• unique support for DFU-over-Thread (Device Firmware Upgrade),
  
• examples to demonstrate interactions between nodes performing different Thread roles with the use of OpenThread and built-in CoAP protocol,
  
• support for an OpenThread Network Co-Processor (NCP),
  
• Border Router and cloud connectivity example,
  
• Thread native commissioning with NFC example,
  
• range of PC tools including a Thread Topology Monitor,
  
• software modules inherited from the nRF5 SDK e.g. peripheral drivers, NFC libraries etc.

Important notice

Due to legal restrictions, support for hardware-accelerated cryptography utilizing ARM CryptoCell-310 is only available in mbedTLS library (libmbedcrypto.a) provided with the nRF5 SDK for Thread. The library available in OpenThread repository does not support hardware acceleration. You can still use it, but the commissioning procedure takes much more time in such case. For the best performance and user experience, use the library provided with the SDK.

Links:

• nRF5 SDK for Thread (Downloads tab)  
  
• nRF Thread Topology Monitor (Downloads tab) 
  
• nRF5 SDK for Thread Documentation
• nRF52840 SoC Product Page
  
• nRF52840 Preview Development Kit
  
• nRF5 SDK for Thread Press Release
  

If you have a question which is related to Nordic's platform or Nordic's SDK rather than to OpenThread stack itself, go to Nordic Developer Zone questions and answers.

Nordic Developer Zone intends to be a place where all users of Nordic chips and devices can ask any related question, be it about software or hardware. All our application engineers are active in this forum, so you will get the same good answers you're used to in the regular support system. The great difference from the regular system is that everything on the Developer Zone is public, meaning it's available through an open web-search. The aim is for this is therefore to make it easier to find answers to common questions and problems, so that you can get on with your development quicker.

Best regards,

Krzysztof Loska

[mad...@pathpartnertech.com]

Hi Kryzsztof Loska,

                   I purchased 3 Nordic platforms . I read from the documentation like to implement the cloud example we need a Raspberry Pi and NFC reader shield .
Can you please give the information about following quires.

1.Which version of Raspberry pi 3 B is suitable for this cloud example ?

2.NRF reader sheild is used for Thread Native commissioning , and without the shield can't we form a Thread Network (Like, a Thread Network with two cli nodes and NCP node interfaced with Raspberry running wpantund )? . so that i can able to collect the data from cli nodes and send to the cloud through border router.
To be simple, my question is like without NFC shield, is it possible to form a Network and communicate with the cloud.?

Thanks and Regards,
R Madhu.

[Krzysztof Loska]

Hi Madhu,

As stated in the documentation for the Border Router EXPLORE-NFC-WW Raspberry Pi shield is an optional part required only for running the Thread NFC MeshCoP Example and NOT needed to run the cloud example.

1. You need just standard version of Raspberry Pi 3 B.

2. Yes, it is perfectly possible to run a Thread network without NFC shield and communicate with a cloud. The NFC shield is only needed for commissioning procedure. Please refer to an introduction to Thread examples. It states: 

"For your convenience, all Thread examples, except for the Thread NFC MeshCoP Example, have been precommissioned with the following parameters:

Radio Channel: 11

PAN ID: 0xABCD

Network Master Key: 0x00112233445566778899AABBCCDDEEFF

Mesh-Local Prefix: FDDE:AD00:BEEF::/64

In an end product, precommissioning must NOT be used. Use the commissioning procedure to obtain network credentials."

Best regards,

Krzysztof Loska

[Reto Keller]

Dear Mr. Kryzsztof Loska,

I am very excited about this SDK release.

• Does it support MQTT over Thread Network?
  
• If not: is it planned? When?

Thank you very much!

Reto

[Krzysztof Loska]

Hello Reto,

For a discussion about MQTT in our SDK please look here.

Best regards,

Krzysztof

[Krzysztof Loska]

Hi,

I am pleased to announce a next version of Nordic Semiconductor's Software Development Kit (SDK) based on OpenThread stack - nRF5 SDK for Thread ver. 0.9.0.

New features in the nRF5 SDK for Thread ver. 0.9.0:

• Examples demonstrating multiprotocol support and switching between BLE peripheral and Thread FTD and MTD roles.
  
• Thread Border Router has been updated to support Wi-Fi link connectivity.
  
• Support for DNS64 in Thread Border Router.
  
• Support for DNSv6 client for Thread nodes.
  
• Added hardware acceleration for SHA256 and AES-ECB cryptographic procedures using ARM CryptoCell (hardware acceleration for ECC was already introduced in v0.8.0).
  

Best regards,

Krzysztof

[Krzysztof Loska]

Hi,

I am pleased to announce a next version of Nordic Semiconductor's Software Development Kit (SDK) based on OpenThread stack - nRF5 SDK for Thread ver. 0.10.0.

See this blog post to read more about the most important addition which is Thread/Bluetooth Low Energy dynamic multiprotocol solution which allows for concurrent operation of Thread and Bluetooth Low Energy utilizing OpenThread and SoftDevice (Nordic's Bluetooth Low Energy stack).

New features in the nRF5 SDK for Thread ver. 0.10.0:

• Initial release of Thread/Bluetooth Low Energy dynamic multiprotocol solution which allows for concurrent operation of Thread and Bluetooth Low Energy utilizing OpenThread and SoftDevice (Nordic's Bluetooth Low Energy stack).
  
• Examples demonstrating dynamic multiprotocol operation of Thread and Bluetooth Low Energy:
  
• Bluetooth Low Energy NUS (Nordic UART Service) + Thread MTD running CoAP Client
• Bluetooth Low Energy Proximity Profile + Thread FTD running CoAP Server
• Bluetooth Low Energy Eddystone + Thread FTD running CoAP Server 
• Bluetooth Low Energy HRS Profile + Thread FTD running CoAP Server + FreeRTOS
• Bluetooth Low Energy/Thread dynamic multiprotocol template application
• Example demonstrating the use of FreeRTOS with OpenThread.
  
• Support for IAR compiler for OpenThread stack and all example applications.
  

Best regards,

Krzysztof Loska