Chip vs Chip

nRF5340 vs nRF54L15

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Side-by-side comparison of nRF5340 and nRF54L15 BLE SoCs.

    
    

      
    

  


  
  
  

    
      

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nRF5340

      

      

    
    
      

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nRF54L15

      

      

    
  

  

  
  

  






  
  

    
nRF5340 vs nRF54L15: Nordic's Proven Dual-Core vs Nordic's Next-Gen RISC-V Ultra-Low-Power BLE 5.4 SoC


The nRF5340 and nRF54L15 are both Nordic Semiconductor products in a generational intra-family comparison. The nRF5340 is Nordic's established dual-M33 flagship for complex BLE 5.3 and multi-protocol applications; the nRF54L15 is Nordic's 2024 RISC-V plus M33 hybrid chip targeting ultra-low-power BLE 5.4 designs, built on a 22 nm FD-SOI process that delivers substantially better power efficiency than any previous Nordic SoC.




Overview


nRF5340 — dual-core: 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 (application) + 64 MHz M33 (network). 1 MB application Flash + 256 KB network Flash, 512 KB application RAM + 64 KB network RAM, BLE 5.3 + 802.15.4, USB 2.0. Nordic's premium production platform since 2021, widely deployed in LC3 codec and Auracast." data-category="LE Audio">LE Audio, Thread, smart home gateways, and professional wearables.


nRF54L15 (Nordic Semiconductor, 2024) — hybrid architecture: a RISC-V VPR (low-power peripheral controller) core plus an Arm Cortex-M33 application core, 1.5 MB Flash, 256 KB RAM, BLE 5.4 + 802.15.4. Built on GlobalFoundries 22 nm FD-SOI, it achieves record active BLE power figures: approximately 2.0 mA in BLE RX and approximately 1.6 µA in standby — roughly 40% lower active BLE current than the nRF5340.




Key Differences


    

  • Process node and power efficiency: nRF54L15's 22 nm FD-SOI process provides approximately 40% improvement in active BLE current over nRF5340's 28 nm CMOS — directly translating to longer battery life in coin-cell and energy-harvesting IoT designs.
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  • BLE version: nRF54L15 supports BLE 5.4 including Channel Sounding (formerly HADM — high-accuracy distance measurement with centimeter-level ranging accuracy); nRF5340 supports BLE 5.3 without Channel Sounding.
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  • CPU architecture: nRF5340 uses two M33 cores with TF-M security boundary — a mature, well-understood dual-core isolation model. nRF54L15 uses a RISC-V VPR for low-power peripheral handling plus M33 for application — a newer architecture with evolving SDK maturity.
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  • Flash: nRF54L15 has 1.5 MB vs nRF5340's 1.25 MB combined — slightly more headroom.
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  • RAM: nRF5340 has 576 KB combined vs nRF54L15's 256 KB — nRF5340 has significantly more RAM for complex RTOS-based applications, LE Audio buffers, and multi-protocol stacks.
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  • USB: nRF5340 has USB 2.0 FS; nRF54L15 does not in its initial release.
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  • Ecosystem maturity: nRF5340 has years of production deployment and a broad pre-certified module ecosystem; nRF54L15 is newer (2024) with rapidly maturing SDK and fewer module options.
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  • LE Audio: nRF5340 is Nordic's primary LE Audio platform with mature LC3 codec, BAP, CAP, and MCP stack; nRF54L15 BLE 5.4 LE Audio tooling is maturing but behind nRF5340 at current SDK versions.
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Use Cases


When nRF5340 Excels


    

  • LE Audio earbuds, hearing aids, and broadcast audio where Nordic's mature LC3 codec, BAP, CAP, and MCP profile integration is essential.
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  • Dual-core TF-M isolation — running TF-M on the application M33 while the network M33 handles BLE independently is a production-proven architecture.
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  • USB + BLE peripherals or gateways requiring both wired and wireless simultaneously.
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  • Production designs with established supply chains where nRF5340's ecosystem maturity and module availability reduce risk.
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When nRF54L15 Excels


    

  • Battery-powered sensors and wearables where the 40% active BLE current reduction extends product lifetime on a given battery size or enables a smaller battery.
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  • BLE 5.4 Channel Sounding precise ranging applications — indoor positioning, automotive passive entry, and UWB-alternative designs needing centimeter-level distance measurement.
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  • Energy-harvesting IoT (solar, vibration, RF) where every microamp in the active budget changes system feasibility.
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  • Ultra-miniature designs benefiting from the smaller 22 nm die in space-constrained applications.
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Verdict


Within the Nordic family, the nRF54L15 is the forward-looking choice for power-sensitive BLE 5.4 applications and Channel Sounding ranging, while the nRF5340 remains superior for LE Audio, complex dual-core workloads, large RAM applications, and USB. For new designs starting in 2024–2025, evaluate the nRF54L15 first for coin-cell, energy-harvested, or BLE Channel Sounding nodes. Retain the nRF5340 when LE Audio maturity, USB, or the dual-M33 isolation architecture is a design requirement. Both chips are supported within the same nRF Connect SDK codebase, so migration between them within the Nordic family is more straightforward than switching to a competing vendor's platform — a practical advantage for teams managing multi-generation product lines.

  

  

  
  

  
  

    




  
Frequently Asked Questions


  

    
    

      
      

        
Our comparisons use verified datasheet specifications to create side-by-side tables. Each comparison includes a verdict explaining when to choose each option based on your project requirements.