Nordic nRF51¶

platform = nordicnrf51

The Nordic nRF51 Series is a family of highly flexible, multi-protocol, system-on-chip (SoC) devices for ultra-low power wireless applications. nRF51 Series devices support a range of protocol stacks including Bluetooth Smart (previously called Bluetooth low energy), ANT and proprietary 2.4GHz protocols such as Gazell.

For more detailed information please visit vendor site.

Examples ¶

Examples are listed from Nordic nRF51 development platform repository:

Debugging ¶

PIO Unified Debugger - “1-click” solution for debugging with a zero configuration.

Debug Tools ¶

Supported debugging tools are listed in “Debug” column. For more detailed information, please scroll table by horizontal. You can switch between debugging Tools & Debug Probes using debug_tool options.

Warning

You will need to install debug tool drivers depending on your system. Please click on compatible debug tool below for the further instructions.

On-Board Debug Tools ¶

Boards listed below have on-board debug tool and ARE READY for debugging! You do not need to use/buy external debug tool.

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`bbcmicrobit`	BBC micro:bit	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`bbcmicrobit_b`	BBC micro:bit B(S130)	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`delta_dfcm_nnn50`	Delta DFCM-NNN50	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	16KB
`dfcm_nnn40`	Delta DFCM-NNN40	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`hrm1017`	Switch Science mbed HRM1017	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`nrf51822_y5_mbug`	y5 nRF51822 mbug	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`nrf51_dk`	Nordic nRF51-DK	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), J-LINK (on-board), Black Magic Probe, ST-LINK	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`nrf51_dongle`	Nordic nRF51-Dongle	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), J-LINK (on-board)	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`nrf51_mkit`	Nordic nRF51822-mKIT	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	16KB
`redBearLab`	RedBearLab nRF51822	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`redBearLabBLENano`	RedBearLab BLE Nano 1.5	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	32KB
`seeedArchBLE`	Seeed Arch BLE	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	16KB
`seeedArchLink`	Seeed Arch Link	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`seeedTinyBLE`	Seeed Tiny BLE	CMSIS-DAP (on-board), Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`ty51822r3`	Switch Science mbed TY51822r3	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`vbluno51`	VNG VBLUNO51	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	32KB
`wallbot_ble`	JKSoft Wallbot BLE	CMSIS-DAP (on-board)	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	16KB

External Debug Tools ¶

Boards listed below are compatible with PIO Unified Debugger but DEPEND ON external debug tool. See “Debug” column for compatible debug tools.

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`bluz_dk`	BluzDK	Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`ng_beacon`	ng-beacon	Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`oshchip`	OSHChip	Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`rfduino`	RFduino	Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	8KB
`waveshare_ble400`	Waveshare BLE400	Black Magic Probe, J-LINK, ST-LINK	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

Stable and upstream versions ¶

You can switch between stable releases of Nordic nRF51 development platform and the latest upstream version using platform option in Project Configuration File platformio.ini as described below.

Stable¶

; Latest stable version
[env:latest_stable]
platform = nordicnrf51
board = ...

; Custom stable version
[env:custom_stable]
platform = nordicnrf51@x.y.z
board = ...

Upstream¶

[env:upstream_develop]
platform = https://github.com/platformio/platform-nordicnrf51.git
board = ...

Packages ¶

Name	Description
framework-arduinonordicnrf5	Arduino Wiring-based Framework (Nordic NRF5 Core)
framework-mbed	mbed Framework
tool-jlink	SEGGER J-Link Software and Documentation Pack
tool-nrfjprog	nRF5x command line tool
tool-openocd	OpenOCD
tool-sreccat	Merging tool
toolchain-gccarmnoneeabi	gcc-arm-embedded

Warning

Linux Users:

Install “udev” rules 99-platformio-udev.rules

Raspberry Pi users, please read this article Enable serial port on Raspberry Pi.

Windows Users:

Please check that you have a correctly installed USB driver from board manufacturer

Frameworks ¶

Name	Description
Arduino	Arduino Wiring-based Framework allows writing cross-platform software to control devices attached to a wide range of Arduino boards to create all kinds of creative coding, interactive objects, spaces or physical experiences.
mbed	The mbed framework The mbed SDK has been designed to provide enough hardware abstraction to be intuitive and concise, yet powerful enough to build complex projects. It is built on the low-level ARM CMSIS APIs, allowing you to code down to the metal if needed. In addition to RTOS, USB and Networking libraries, a cookbook of hundreds of reusable peripheral and module libraries have been built on top of the SDK by the mbed Developer Community.

Name

Description

Arduino

Arduino Wiring-based Framework allows writing cross-platform software to control devices attached to a wide range of Arduino boards to create all kinds of creative coding, interactive objects, spaces or physical experiences.

mbed

The mbed framework The mbed SDK has been designed to provide enough hardware abstraction to be intuitive and concise, yet powerful enough to build complex projects. It is built on the low-level ARM CMSIS APIs, allowing you to code down to the metal if needed. In addition to RTOS, USB and Networking libraries, a cookbook of hundreds of reusable peripheral and module libraries have been built on top of the SDK by the mbed Developer Community.

Boards ¶

Note

You can list pre-configured boards by platformio boards command or PlatformIO Boards Explorer
For more detailed board information please scroll tables below by horizontal.

BBC¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`bbcmicrobit`	BBC micro:bit	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`bbcmicrobit_b`	BBC micro:bit B(S130)	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB

BluzDK¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`bluz_dk`	BluzDK	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

Delta¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`delta_dfcm_nnn50`	Delta DFCM-NNN50	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	16KB
`dfcm_nnn40`	Delta DFCM-NNN40	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

JKSoft¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`wallbot_ble`	JKSoft Wallbot BLE	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	16KB

Nordic¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`nrf51_dk`	Nordic nRF51-DK	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`nrf51_dongle`	Nordic nRF51-Dongle	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB
`nrf51_mkit`	Nordic nRF51822-mKIT	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	16KB

OSHChip¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`oshchip`	OSHChip	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

RFduino¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`rfduino`	RFduino	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	8KB

RedBearLab¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`redBearLab`	RedBearLab nRF51822	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`redBearLabBLENano`	RedBearLab BLE Nano 1.5	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	32KB

SeeedStudio¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`seeedArchBLE`	Seeed Arch BLE	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	16KB
`seeedArchLink`	Seeed Arch Link	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`seeedTinyBLE`	Seeed Tiny BLE	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB

Switch Science¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`hrm1017`	Switch Science mbed HRM1017	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB
`ty51822r3`	Switch Science mbed TY51822r3	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

VNG¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`vbluno51`	VNG VBLUNO51	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	128KB	32KB

Waveshare¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`waveshare_ble400`	Waveshare BLE400	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

ng-beacon¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`ng_beacon`	ng-beacon	Yes	NRF51822	32MHz	256KB	32KB

y5 design¶

ID	Name	Debug	MCU	Frequency	Flash	RAM
`nrf51822_y5_mbug`	y5 nRF51822 mbug	Yes	NRF51822	16MHz	256KB	16KB