Development software for Zigbee

Why Nordic?

For your Zigbee product

Nordic Semiconductor has low-power wireless in its DNA. With decades of experience in ultra-low-power wireless and a position as the Bluetooth LE market leader, we have applied that expertise to multiprotocol technologies like Zigbee.

Our nRF54L Series SoCs are the recommended platform for new Zigbee designs. They can run Bluetooth LE and Zigbee concurrently using dynamic multiprotocol, with radio time autonomously time-sliced between protocols. Across the nRF54L Series, a consistent hardware and software architecture means excellent code portability and strong software reusability, which can reduce your time to market.

All nRF54L Series SoCs support over-the-air device firmware upgrades (OTA DFU), enabling product updates and feature additions in the field.

Our software platform for Zigbee development is the nRF Connect SDK, supporting our nRF52, nRF53, nRF54L, nRF70, and nRF91 Series devices. It integrates the Zephyr RTOS together with a wide range of samples, protocol stacks, libraries, and hardware drivers. Zigbee R23 support, based on DSR's ZBOSS stack, is available as an nRF Connect SDK Add-on.

Overview

Our software platform for Zigbee development is the nRF Connect SDK. It integrates the Zephyr RTOS together with a wide range of samples, protocol stacks, libraries, and hardware drivers.

Zigbee R23 support, based on DSR's ZBOSS stack, is available as an nRF Connect SDK Add-on. The add-on includes samples covering coordinator, router, and end device roles, OTA DFU, and multiprotocol operation with Bluetooth LE. See the Zigbee R23 add-on documentation for the full list of samples and getting started guides.

For existing R22-based designs, a Zigbee R22 add-on is also available in maintenance mode.

Multiprotocol

Zigbee and Bluetooth LE

Our solution offers the option to run multiple protocols on one SoC, either one at a time (switched multiprotocol) or concurrently (dynamic multiprotocol).

Switched multiprotocol is useful in smart home applications where the mesh protocol is unknown — it could be Bluetooth mesh, Thread, or Zigbee. With switched multiprotocol you can develop a generic application and then adapt to the mesh protocol where the device is used. Another possibility is to leverage Bluetooth LE interoperability and ubiquity. The device is configured and commissioned with Bluetooth LE, with for example a smartphone, and then switches to the appropriate mesh protocol. Device firmware updates (DFU) can be carried out over Bluetooth LE while the device typically operates with another protocol.

With dynamic multiprotocol, multiple protocols are active at the same time. The radio time is time-sliced and shared between the protocols. The scheduling is autonomous and connections are maintained. Leverage Bluetooth LE interoperability and ubiquity and bridge into a Bluetooth mesh, Thread, or Zigbee mesh with a Bluetooth LE device, such as a smartphone. Use it for commissioning or to simply interact with the mesh network.

Dynamic multiprotocol Bluetooth mesh Thread Zigbee

Software development kit

for Zigbee

nRF Connect SDK

nRF Connect SDK is a common software development kit for Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, cellular IoT, Bluetooth mesh, Thread, Zigbee and Matter. It supports all our nRF52, nRF53, nRF54L, nRF70 and nRF91 Series wireless devices.