Nordic Semiconductor Unveils nRF71 Series Integrating Wi-Fi and Edge AI
Nordic Semiconductor has launched the nRF71 SoC series, designed to lower power consumption for battery-operated devices by integrating Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and edge AI.
Nordic Semiconductor has announced its nRF71 series, a system-on-chip (SoC) platform that combines Wi-Fi 6/6E, Bluetooth Low Energy, Thread, and edge artificial intelligence in a single package. The product is aimed at battery-powered Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as smart home sensors and wearable technology.
The series is engineered to reduce standby power consumption by up to 20 times compared to the company’s previous-generation nRF70 products. By integrating an 'Axon' neural processing unit, the chip enables local machine learning tasks—such as image classification and anomaly detection—without requiring an external AI processor.
Kjetil Holstad, Executive Vice President of Wi-Fi and Power Management at Nordic Semiconductor, stated that the integration removes the energy barriers previously associated with battery-powered Wi-Fi devices. The dual-radio architecture allows the chip to maintain Wi-Fi cloud connectivity while simultaneously monitoring Bluetooth LE or Thread traffic.
The nRF7120 and nRF7120E models are currently available for evaluation by selected customers. The company plans to showcase the new hardware at the Electronica trade fair.