A single-board wireless development kit created by Nordic Semiconductor, NRF52840-DK is ideal for Bluetooth mesh, Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth Low Energy, ANT, 802.15.4, Thread, and 2.4GHz proprietary protocols. It is USB-powered and compatible to multiple sources with a supply range of 1.7V to 5.0V. 

The NRF52840-DK software development kit is hardware-compatible with the standards of Arduino Uno Revision 3 (a microcontroller board). As such, the SDK is also open to third-party shields. It enables the nRFS2840 system-on-chip as the kit’s external memory. 
 

NRF52840-DK Applications and Features

Nordic Semiconductor’s NRF52840-DK can be used for several applications:

  1. For the Internet of Things (IoT), the NRF52840-DK is good for controllers and sensors – both for industrial and residential use (smart homes). It is also utilized for several entertainment products, such as gaming controllers and technologically advanced remote controls.
  2. Wearables also depend on NRF52840-DK. Some examples are connected health and watches, fitness devices (the more advanced ones), apps used in augmented and virtual reality, and wireless payment-enabled wearables. 

The NRF52840-DK is ideal for creating complex applications. There are several online instructions and tutorials available for first-time users. If you want a detailed description, you read its product brief here and documentation here. The user guide is here.

The NRF52840-DK is considered as one of the best and advanced in the NRF52 series.

Some of NRF52840-DK’s top features include the following:

  • NRFS2811, NRF52840 SDKs or single-board development kits
  • System-on-Chip combines multiple proprietary protocol radio (Bluetooth 5)
  • Radio support (Zigbee and Thread): IEEE 802.15.4
  • flash memory
  • RAM of 256KB
  • RF measurements connector
  • Power consumption measurements pins
  • Cryptographic accelerator (CryptoCell-310) – ARM TrustZone
  • Ultra-low power operation processor – ARM Cortex-M4F
  • a virtual COM port used for the UART interface
  • convenient MSD or mass storage device programming through drag-and-drop functionality
  • User interaction LEDs and buttons
  • a SEGGER J-Link debugger for debugging and programming external targets and SoC
  • Power: USB, single coin cell battery (2032), and 1.8V to 3.6V external power source
  • Li-Po battery connector for use in testing
  • CR2032 battery holder
  • Compatible with the Arduino Uno Revision 3
  • NFC antenna to enable tag function (pluggable)
  • Connectors for all interfaces and I/O
  • Accessorized with a Preview DK board

What is a Software Development Kit?

An SDK or Software Development Kit, like the NRFS2849-DK, is what you need to put together a software application. The kit contains every essential item one needs to assemble an app – documentation, tools, guides, processes, and code samples. An SDK usually caters to a specified combination of an operating system and hardware platform.

There are software development kits that are intended for particular platforms, such as iOS for iOS apps and Java for Android apps. For wireless and Bluetooth products, the Nordic SDK is the ideal choice. 

A good software development kit carries several characteristics:

  • Multiple functionalities
  • Easy and convenient for developers
  • Detailed code documentation
  • Works with other software development kits
  • Safe for mobile device’s battery and CPU
  • Does not affect data consumption