SoftDevice Controller

The SoftDevice Controller is an RTOS-agnostic library built for the Nordic Semiconductor devices that support Bluetooth. The library utilizes services provided by the Multiprotocol Service Layer.

The SoftDevice Controller is distributed in different variants containing different features. The libraries are available as soft-float, softfp-float, and hard-float builds for the nRF52, nRF54H and nRF54L Series, and as a soft-float build for the nRF53 Series.

Bluetooth LE feature support:

Peripheral-only

Central-only

Multirole

2 Mbps PHY

X

X

X

Advertiser

X

X

Peripheral

X

X

Scanner

X

X

Central

X

X

Data Length Extensions

X

X

X

Advertising Extensions

X

Periodic Advertising

X

Connectionless CTE Advertising

X

Connection CTE Response

X

Coded PHY (Long Range)

X

LE Power Control Request

X

X

X

LE Path Loss Monitoring

X

X

X

Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer - Sender

X

Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer - Receiver

X

Sleep Clock Accuracy Updates

X

Periodic Advertising with Responses - Advertiser

X

Periodic Advertising with Responses - Scanner

X

Connected Isochronous Stream - Central

X

Connected Isochronous Stream - Peripheral

X

Isochronous Broadcaster

X

Synchronized Receiver

X

Connection Subrating

X

Channel Sounding

X

LL Extended Feature Set

X

Frame Space Update

X

Shorter Connection Intervals

X

LE Flushable ACL Data

X

Note

The following limitations apply to the listed features:

  • For Connectionless CTE Advertising, angle of arrival (AoA) is supported, but angle of departure (AoD) is not.

  • For Connection CTE Response, angle of arrival (AoA) is supported, but angle of departure (AoD) is not.

  • For Periodic Advertising Sync Transfer - Receiver, only one sync transfer reception may be in progress at any one time per link.

  • For the LE Flushable ACL Data feature, the support is experimental.

  • For the Isochronous Channels features, nRF52820 and nRF52833 are the nRF52 Series devices that support encrypting and decrypting the Isochronous Channels packets.

  • For the nRF54L Series devices, the SoftDevice Controller in non-secure mode is experimental.

  • Channel Sounding is not supported on the nRF52 and nRF53 Series devices.

  • For the Shorter Connection Intervals feature, the minimum connection interval can be achieved using the lowest supported ACL frame space, 2 Mbps PHY, and 27-byte data length.

    The minimum supported connection intervals for each device family are as follows:

    • nRF52 Series: 750 μs

    • nRF53 Series: 875 μs

    • nRF54L Series: 750 μs

    • nRF54H Series: 750 μs

Proprietary feature support:

Peripheral-only

Central-only

Multirole

Description

Low Latency Packet mode

X

Enables using connection intervals below 7.5 ms

QoS Conn Event Reports

X

X

X

Reports QoS for every connection event. The application can then set an adapted channel map to avoid busy channels.

QoS Channel Survey

X

X

Provides measurements of the energy levels on the Bluetooth LE channels. The application can then set an adapted channel map to avoid busy channels.

Note

Low Latency Packet mode is not supported on the nRF53 Series.

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