Side-by-side comparison of Nordic Semiconductor NRF52840-QIAA-R in aQFN package and NRF52840-CKAA-R in WLCSP package, highlighting size and package type differences for wireless IoT design.
When designing compact and efficient wireless products, selecting the right System-on-Chip (SoC) is crucial. Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 is a popular choice for its multi-protocol capabilities. However, engineers often encounter different part numbers for the same core chip. This leads to questions like NRF52840-QIAA-R vs NRF52840-CKAA-R. Understanding the distinction between these two variants, which primarily lies in their packaging, helps in making an informed decision for your specific application needs.
Nordic nRF52840: A Versatile Wireless SoC
Both the NRF52840-QIAA-R and the NRF52840-CKAA-R are built upon the same robust nRF52840 SoC from Nordic Semiconductor. This powerful chip features a 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 CPU with a floating-point unit. It boasts 1MB of Flash memory and 256KB of RAM. This provides ample resources for complex applications.
Key shared capabilities of the nRF52840 SoC include:
- Multi-Protocol Support: It supports Bluetooth 5.2 (Bluetooth Low Energy), Bluetooth Mesh, Thread (802.15.4), Zigbee, ANT/ANT+, and proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols. This versatility makes it ideal for diverse IoT applications.
- Integrated USB 2.0: This feature allows for direct USB connectivity, simplifying development and enabling new application possibilities.
- NFC-A Tag: An integrated NFC-A tag streamlines pairing processes. It also supports payment solutions.
- Extensive Peripherals: It offers a rich set of interfaces. These include SPI, I2C, UART, QSPI, PWM, PDM, I2S, and an ADC.
- Advanced Security: Features an Arm CryptoCell 310 cryptographic accelerator. This provides robust security for applications.
- Wide Voltage Range: It operates from 1.7V to 5.5V. This flexibility allows direct supply from batteries or USB.
These shared features underscore the nRF52840’s status as a high-performance, ultra-low-power solution for short-range wireless communication.
NRF52840-QIAA-R vs NRF52840-CKAA-R: The Packaging Difference
The primary distinction between the NRF52840-QIAA-R and NRF52840-CKAA-R lies in their physical packaging, which directly impacts board space and thermal characteristics:
- NRF52840-QIAA-R (73-pin aQFN):
- Package Type: This variant uses a 73-pin advanced Quad Flat No-leads (aQFN) package. It measures 7×7 mm.
- Advantages: It offers good thermal dissipation properties due to its larger exposed pad. It’s often easier for standard PCB assembly processes. This makes it a popular choice for general-purpose IoT devices, smart home products, and industrial sensors where a slightly larger footprint is acceptable.
- GPIOs: Provides 48 GPIOs.
- NRF52840-CKAA-R (94-pin WLCSP):
- Package Type: This variant utilizes a 94-pin Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP). Its dimensions are significantly smaller, typically around 3.5×3.6 mm. It’s also much thinner.
- Advantages: Its ultra-compact size is ideal for highly space-constrained designs. Think wearables, compact medical devices, smart tags, or small consumer electronics. Its wafer-level packaging means the package is essentially the die itself with ball grid array connections.
- GPIOs: Also provides 48 GPIOs, despite its smaller physical footprint.
Choosing Between These NRF52840 Variants
The choice between NRF52840-QIAA-R vs NRF52840-CKAA-R depends on your project’s specific needs. If board space is highly constrained, and a thinner profile is critical, the WLCSP (CKAA-R) is the clear winner. However, if thermal management is a primary concern, or if you prefer a more traditional and potentially easier-to-handle package during manufacturing, the aQFN (QIAA-R) might be more suitable. Both offer the same powerful nRF52840 core functionality, allowing designers to select the form factor that best fits their product’s physical and thermal requirements.
Those channels can obtain: