The nRF9161 System-in-Package (SiP) is a low-power IoT (Internet of Things) solution integrating an Arm® Cortex®-M33 processor with advanced security features, a range of peripherals and a Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) network processor. The LPWA network processor can operate as a 5G DECT NR+ (NR+) device, independent of cellular network provider or as an LTE modem compliant with 3GPP LTE release 14 Cat-M1 and Cat-NB1/NB2 standards.
The LPWA network processor integrates a flexible transceiver with frequency range 700 MHz to 2200 MHz, through a single 50 Ω antenna pin and a baseband processor. NR+ or LTE operation is supported depending on which network protocol firmware the customer installs on the LPWA network processor of the nRF9161. Nordic Semiconductor provides firmware to support NR+ or LTE, layers L1-L3 and upper IP layers, providing a secure socket API to the application.
The nRF9161 LPWA network processor also integrate a GPS receiver, enabling local positioning support when supported by the installed firmware.
The Arm Cortex-M33 processor is exclusively for the user application, with 1 MB of flash and 256 kB of RAM dedicated for this. The M33 application processor shares the power, clock, and peripheral architecture with Nordic Semiconductor nRF5 Series of PAN/LAN SoCs, ensuring minimal porting efforts.
The peripheral set offers a variety of analog and digital functionality enabling single-chip implementation of a wide range of IoT applications. Arm TrustZone® technology, CryptoCell™ 310 and supporting blocks for system protection and key management, are embedded to enable advanced security needed for IoT applications.