Meet Seeed Studio XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense), The Ultra-Low-Power Platform with Multi-Protocol Connectivity
We’re excited to introduce the newest member of the XIAO nRF family — XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense), powered by Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54L15 SoC. With a 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core,1.5 MB NVM, ultra-low-power performance, and multi-protocol connectivity (including BLE 6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Amazon Sidewalk), this compact board brings next-level performance to your embedded and IoT applications.
After we lauched the Seeed Studio XIAO nRF52840 in 2021, it is widely popular due to its low power consumption, rich onboard components, and powerful wireless capabilities. To better suit the diverse development needs, we have also released variants of Pre-Soldered, 3Pcs Pack and Plus (with more IOs for advance board to board soldering). Now, we’re excited to introduce the newest member of the XIAO nRF family — XIAO nRF54L15 and XIAO nRF54L15 Sense, powered by Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54L15 SoC！
Seeed Studio XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) is a groundbreaking addition to our Seeed Studio XIAO lineup. XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) is a powerful yet compact development board built around Nordic’s nRF54L15 SoC, featuring a 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with 1.5 MB NVM. This thumb-sized board excels in modern IoT applications with comprehensive wireless connectivity including BLE 6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Amazon Sidewalk protocols. With ultra-low power consumption, it’s ideal for battery-powered IoT devices. The tiny board offers 14 GPIOs, USB Type-C interface, and onboard battery charging capabilities. The Sense version integrates an onboard digital microphone and a 6-axis IMU for audio and motion sensing. With built-in support for TrustZone, Secure Boot, and secure storage, the XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) is well-suited for demanding scenarios such as medical, payment, and industrial applications.
Some highlighted features:
🌟 Powerful SoC: Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54L15 – 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with 1.5 MB NVM
🌟 Multiple Connectivity: BLE6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Amazon Sidewalk, Apple Find My, Google Find My Device
🌟 Ultra-Low Power Consumption: as low as 600 nA in System-OFF mode
🌟 Thumb Size with Rich Peripherals – 16 GPIOs, USB Type-C, onboard battery charging, Reset & User buttons
🌟 Extra Sensors on the Sense version – Built-in digital mic and 6-axis IMU
🌟 Advanced security – Secure boot, secure firmware update, secure storage
🌟 Nordic Connect SDK and PlatformIO (Zephyr) Ready – Seamless support for embedded development workflows
Apart from these highlight features, here are three groundbreaking items that I’d love to bring to your radar.
01 The Most Power Efficient XIAO, Ever
Nordic Semiconductor recently released a detailed power consumption comparison between their nRF54L15 and nRF52840 SoCs, revealing a significant improvement in power efficiency with the nRF54L15 (Test results as below). Tests show the nRF54L15 consuming just 3.0 µA in System On mode with 256 KB RAM retention – a remarkable achievement in power efficiency.
While our engineering team is finalizing the official power consumption measurements for the upcoming XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense), early indicators suggest exceptional power efficiency. Let’s stay tuned for the full test results.
| Scenario | nRF54L15 | nRF52840 | Delta |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPU CoreMark active current | 2.6 mA | 3.3 mA | –21% |
| Efficiency (µA/MHz @ CoreMark) | 20 µA/MHz | 52 µA/MHz | –62% |
| System ON, 256 KB RAM retention | 3.0 µA | 2.35 µA | +28% |
| System ON, no RAM retention | 0.7 µA | 0.97 µA | –28% |
| System OFF with Global RTC wake‑up | 0.8 µA | N/A | N/A |
| System OFF (deepest sleep) | 0.6 µA | 0.4 µA | +50% |
| BLE TX 1 Mbps @ 8 dBm | 9.8 mA | 16.4 mA | –40% |
| BLE TX 1 Mbps @ 0 dBm | 4.8 mA | 6.4 mA | –25% |
| BLE RX 1 Mbps | 3.4 mA | 6.4 mA | –47% |
| BLE Advertising (default) | 45 µA | 94 µA | –52% |
| Advertising @ 8 dBm | 63 µA | 129 µA | –51% |
| Advertising @ 8 dBm & 20‑byte payload | 109 µA | 204 µA | –47% |
| BLE Connection (Peripheral default) | 26 µA | 48 µA | –46% |
| Connection @ 8 dBm TX | 30 µA | 55 µA | –46% |
| Connection @ 8 dBm & 20‑byte payload | 46 µA | 81 µA | –43% |
02 Thumb-Size with 2 Upgraded Bigger Buttons
The XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) also introduces a refreshed design featuring a smaller signature XIAO sticker – a thoughtful change that makes room for significantly larger buttons and enhances user experience.
This design evolution stems directly from our community’s feedback. Users of previous XIAO models – including the nRF52840 (Sense), SAMD21, ESP32-S3 (Sense), ESP32-C6, and RP2350 – consistently requested larger, more accessible User and Reset buttons. While our commitment to the tiny thumb-sized design initially limited our options, the nRF54L15 (Sense) marks a turning point. We’ve prioritized usability while maintaining XIAO’s classic 21×17.8mm dimensions by reducing the chip shielding cover size. This optimization created space for buttons four times larger than those on the XIAO nRF52840, making them significantly easier to press.
Button on XIAO nRF52840 (Sense)
Button on XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense)
03 The First XIAO Runs Nordic nRF SDK and Zephyr Natively
Moreover, the XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) marks a significant milestone as our first XIAO board natively running Nordic nRF Connect SDK and Zephyr RTOS. While Arduino IDE support isn’t available currently, we’ve created comprehensive step-by-step wiki documentation to help you begin development with Nordic nRF Connect SDK.
Built on the Linux Foundation’s open-source Zephyr RTOS, the board has achieved another milestone: our team successfully merged a pull request for XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) into the official Zephyr Project repository. With the upcoming Zephyr release, both boards will receive official support, streamlining the development process even further.
Whether you’re new to Nordic’s ecosystem or an experienced developer, these XIAO boards offer an ideal platform for exploring wireless innovations with confidence.
XIAO nRF54L15 (Sense) VS XIAO nRF52840 (Sense)
Even though we‘ve covered the power consumption difference between XIAO nRF54L15 and XIAO nRF52840, some of you might still be unsure which board to go for your first nRF–based project. To make the selection easier, here is a detailed comparision table for you to choose the one that best suits your project.
| Product Name | XIAO nRF54L15 | XIAO nRF52840 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Arm® Cortex®-M33, 128 MHz RISC-V,128 MHz （Coprocessor） | ARM®Cortex®-M4 32-bit processor with FPU, 64 MHz |
| Software Compatibility | Nordic nRF Connect SDK，PlatformIO (Zephyr) | Arduino IDE, PlatformIO, MicroPython, CircuitPython, Zephyr |
| Wireless Connecticity | Bluetooth LE 6.0, Bluetooth Mesh, Zigbee, Thread, Matter, Amazon Sidewalk, and proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols. | Bluetooth LE 5.4, NFC, Zigbee, proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols |
| Interface | GPIO（PWM）Pin x16（Sense version is14） Digital Pin x16 Analog Pin x6 I2C x2 UART x1 SPI x2 | GPIO（PWM）Pin x11 Digital Pin x11 Analog Pin x6 I2C x1 UART x1 SPI x1 |
| Onboard | User LED x1 Charge LED x1 Reset Button x1 User Button x1 Onboard Ceramic Antenna x1 U.FL Connector (for external antenna) x1 | User LED x1 Charge LED x1 Reset Button x1 BlueTooth Antenna x1 |
| Price | $9.9 | $9.9 |
Join Our Seeed Studio XIAO Early Adopter Program
The XIAO nRF54L15 and XIAO nRF54L15 Sense are now live with both the standard varients and pre-soldered variants, which are all available for order at $9.9 and $15.99 respectively via our official Webstore Bazaar and AliExpress Store, with instant shipping.
To assist developers in adapting their projects to the XIAO nRF54L15 quickly, we’re launching an early adopter program. If you’re an author or maintainer of a popular open-source Nordic nRF SDK or Zephyr–based project on GitHub, or an influencer on platforms like YouTube or Tiktok or Instagram, make sure your users can run your code on the XIAO nRF54L15. Join to receive 2 free boards and technical support to make your code compatible with this exciting new board.
About Author
