nRF24L01+ PCB Design Guide: Footprint, Pinout, and Alternatives
2.4 GHz transceiver IC with Enhanced ShockBurst packet engine; 0 dBm TX, up to 2 Mbps, 6-pipe MultiCeiver.
The nRF24L01+ is Nordic Semiconductor's best-known 2.4 GHz ISM-band transceiver: a QFN20 bare IC that speaks 4-wire SPI on the host side and GFSK on the air side, with an on-chip packet engine called Enhanced ShockBurst that handles auto-ACK, auto-retransmit, and up to six simultaneous receive pipes. It draws 11.3 mA transmitting at 0 dBm and can drop to 900 nA in power-down, which is why it still shows up in battery-powered sensor nodes and low-cost wireless peripherals nearly two decades after its 2008 release.
Know before you start: Nordic now marks the entire nRF24 Series as Not Recommended for new designs. The part is not EOL — it remains in production under Nordic's long-term availability commitment, and major distributors carry stock — but new designs should evaluate the nRF52 Series (nRF52810, nRF52832) which can run the ESB protocol for on-air compatibility with existing nRF24L01+ deployments. If you are maintaining a legacy nRF24 design, the nRF24L01+ is still the reference part; just make the lifecycle decision deliberately.
The classic mistakes are all antenna-shaped and module-shaped: confusing the bare Nordic IC with the flood of third-party modules on AliExpress, botching the differential antenna matching network, and assuming the nRF24L01+ is the same thing as the original nRF24L01 or the even older nRF2401. Each is covered below.
What breaks boards
NRND does not mean discontinued — but don't start new designs here
Nordic's product page marks the entire nRF24 Series 'Not recommended for new designs.' This is a manufacturer advisory, not an EOL notice. The nRF24L01+ remains in production under Nordic's long-term availability commitment (GAN00111), and no PCN announcing discontinuation has been issued as of July 2026. Stock is available at Mouser, DigiKey, and LCSC. For a new design, Nordic recommends migrating to nRF52 Series SoCs (nRF52810/832/840) running the ESB protocol for on-air compatibility. Use the nRF24L01+ only if backward compatibility with an existing nRF24 deployment is required.
One datasheet, one revision, no errata — that's all there is
The nRF24L01+ Product Specification v1.0 (September 2008, 78 pages) was never revised. There is no errata document, no v1.1, no v2.0. Every register map detail in online tutorials, Arduino libraries, and community code ultimately traces back to this single PDF. The spec is still actively hosted on Nordic's docs.nordicsemi.com and remains the authoritative reference. If you find a tutorial claiming a register bit that is not in this document, the tutorial is wrong.
This is a bare QFN20 IC — not the module you see on AliExpress
The nRF24L01+ is a 4×4 mm QFN20 transceiver IC. The flood of nRF24L01+ modules on AliExpress, Amazon, and eBay — typically a small PCB with an 8-pin header, PCB trace antenna, and discrete matching components — are third-party assemblies built around the Nordic IC. Module quality, antenna tuning, and regulatory compliance vary wildly between manufacturers. Do not treat those modules as the Nordic product; verify what silicon is actually on the board and whether the module carries any intentional radiator certifications.
Drop-in compatible with nRF24L01 — but not with nRF2401
The nRF24L01+ is drop-in compatible with the original nRF24L01 (non-plus) and adds improved intermodulation, wideband blocking, internal filtering margins, and a 250 kbps data rate that the original lacked. However, the nRF24L01+ removed the DuoCeiver feature (simultaneous dual-channel receive) that was present on the even older nRF2401. If your design depends on DuoCeiver — receiving on two channels at once — the nRF24L01+ is not compatible.
The differential antenna match is everything — get it wrong, get nothing
The differential antenna output (ANT1/ANT2) requires a matching network and balun for single-ended antennas. Nordic's application circuit (Figure 32 in the PS) shows the required LC network plus a 22 kΩ IREF resistor and decoupling capacitors on VDD, VDD_PA, and DVDD. The VDD_PA pin outputs 1.8 V and must connect to ANT1/ANT2 through inductors for PA biasing. Getting the antenna match wrong — which is common on low-cost modules — destroys range and can push harmonics above regulatory limits. Always budget for a proper 50 Ω microstrip and certified antenna.
Key specifications
| Parameter | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Supply voltage | 1.9 V min / 3.0 V typ / 3.6 V max; if input signals >3.6 V, VDD must be 2.7–3.3 V (3.0 V ±10%) | PS v1.0 Table 3 Operating conditions, VDD rows |
| Operating temperature | -40 to +85 °C | PS v1.0 Table 3 Operating conditions, TEMP row |
| TX current at 0 dBm | 11.3 mA typ | PS v1.0 Table 4 Power consumption, IVDD_TX0 |
| RX current | 13.5 mA at 2 Mbps; 13.1 mA at 1 Mbps; 12.6 mA at 250 kbps | PS v1.0 Table 4, IVDD_2M/IVDD_1M/IVDD_250 |
| Power-down current | 900 nA typ | PS v1.0 Table 4, IVDD_PD |
| Standby-I current | 26 µA typ (12 pF crystal) | PS v1.0 Table 4, IVDD_ST1 + note a |
| Air data rates | 250 kbps, 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps; GFSK modulation | PS v1.0 Sections 1.1 and Table 5 |
| RX sensitivity (0.1% BER) | -94 dBm at 250 kbps; -85 dBm at 1 Mbps; -82 dBm at 2 Mbps | PS v1.0 Table 7 RX Sensitivity |
| TX output power | 0 dBm max (+4 dBm max per spec); programmable in 4 steps: 0, -6, -12, -18 dBm | PS v1.0 Table 6 Transmitter operation; Section 1.1 Features |
| Frequency range | 2.400–2.525 GHz ISM band; 126 channels at 1 MHz spacing (250k/1M modes) or 2 MHz spacing (2 M mode) | PS v1.0 Table 5 General RF conditions, fOP and FCHANNEL1M/FCHANNEL2M |
| SPI speed | Max 10 Mbps, 4-wire (SCK, MOSI, MISO, CSN); 5 V tolerant inputs when VDD ≥ 2.7 V | PS v1.0 Section 1.1 Features, Table 12/13 DC characteristics |
| Packet engine | Enhanced ShockBurst: 1–32 byte dynamic payload, auto-ACK, auto-retransmit, 6-pipe MultiCeiver (1:6 star), 3×32-byte TX/RX FIFOs | PS v1.0 Section 7 Enhanced ShockBurst, Section 1.1 Features |
Verified against the manufacturer datasheet on 2026-07-10. Confirm the current revision before production use.
Alternatives
- nRF52810: Nordic's recommended migration path. Bluetooth 5.4 SoC with Cortex-M4, 192 KB Flash, 24 KB RAM, +4 dBm TX. Can run ESB protocol for on-air compatibility with nRF24L01+. Lower power, smaller package, and more capable. Slightly higher cost but eliminates external MCU in many designs.
- nRF52832: Nordic's versatile Bluetooth SoC with up to 512 KB Flash and 64 KB RAM. ESB-capable for nRF24L01+ compatibility, plus BLE, NFC, and larger memory budget. Overkill if you only need a 2.4 GHz transceiver.
- CC2500: TI's 2.4 GHz transceiver with similar specs; older part like nRF24L01+ but still active. Different register map and protocol — not drop-in compatible. Slightly wider supply range (1.8–3.6 V) and better receiver selectivity for co-located designs.
- SI4463: Silicon Labs' sub-GHz/2.4 GHz transceiver: much better receiver performance (-126 dBm at 500 bps), wider frequency coverage (119–1050 MHz), but more complex register map and higher cost. A downgrade if you only need 2.4 GHz at ≤2 Mbps.
Common questions
- Is the nRF24L01+ discontinued?
- No. The nRF24 Series is marked 'Not recommended for new designs' on Nordic's product page, but the nRF24L01+ remains in production under Nordic's long-term availability commitment (GAN00111). Stock is available at major distributors as of July 2026. No PCN announcing discontinuation has been issued. For new designs, Nordic recommends migrating to nRF52 Series SoCs running the ESB protocol.
- What's the difference between nRF24L01 and nRF24L01+?
- The nRF24L01+ is drop-in compatible with the original nRF24L01 but adds improved intermodulation, wideband blocking, internal filtering margins, and a 250 kbps data rate mode. The original nRF24L01 was limited to 1 Mbps and 2 Mbps. The 'plus' version also removed DuoCeiver (simultaneous dual-channel receive) that existed on the even older nRF2401 — if your design needs DuoCeiver, the nRF24L01+ won't work.
- Can I use the nRF24L01+ at 5 V?
- The nRF24L01+ supply voltage is 1.9–3.6 V — you cannot power it directly from 5 V. However, the SPI input pins (SCK, MOSI, CSN) are 5 V tolerant when VDD ≥ 2.7 V, so you can connect a 5 V MCU's SPI bus directly without level shifters. The VDD supply must still be within the 1.9–3.6 V range.
- Are those cheap nRF24L01+ modules from AliExpress the real Nordic chip?
- They are third-party assemblies built around the Nordic QFN20 IC — the module PCB, antenna, and matching components are not made by Nordic. Module quality varies wildly: some use genuine Nordic silicon, others use clones or remarked parts. Antenna tuning and regulatory compliance are entirely the module manufacturer's responsibility. Always verify the silicon markings and check whether the module carries any intentional radiator certifications before using it in a product.
- What crystal does the nRF24L01+ need?
- A 16 MHz crystal between XC1 and XC2 with load capacitors per the crystal manufacturer's specification. The crystal's load capacitance, ESR, and drive level must match the oscillator requirements in the nRF24L01+ PS. Nordic's reference circuit shows a typical 16 MHz crystal with 12 pF load capacitors, but the exact values depend on your crystal's datasheet and PCB parasitic capacitance.