Tier 2
Nordic nRF52840 DK
Zephyr needs a west workspace; browser flashing needs J-Link drivers.
What it can sense
| Signal | Support | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | Supported | Module |
| Sound | Limited | Module |
| Sensor values | Supported |
Before you choose it: setup on your computer
Needs one-time admin setup on Linux (a udev rule for the onboard J-Link); see details for other systems.
- Linux: install SEGGER's udev rule once with sudo. Without it flashing fails with 'No J-Link device found' because an ordinary user cannot open the J-Link.
- If your kit shows a JLINK drive, copying a .hex file onto it flashes the board with no admin step. The unit tested here had that drive disabled, and re-enabling it needs the same J-Link access.
- The chip's debug lock comes back after every power cycle, so flashing always starts with a mass erase.
- Windows needs SEGGER's driver (admin) and macOS needs none, per SEGGER's documentation; only Linux was tested on this bench.
Checked on the real part
On 1 October 2026 we generated a reference model for this board and ran it on the board itself. It gave the same answer as our server on 32 of 32 test windows.
Specifications
- Processor
- Cortex-M4F @64 MHz
- Memory
- 256 KB
- Flash
- 1 MB
- Sensors onboard
- None onboard (Arduino headers)
- Usual toolchain
- nRF Connect SDK (Zephyr, west)
- Kernels
- CMSIS-NN
These are the manufacturer's datasheet figures, not yet measured on our bench.
Build a model for the Nordic nRF52840 DK
Collect and train for free, then download the code for this board.