nRF Util replaces several legacy Nordic Semiconductor tools. If you are migrating from these older tools, the following information explains the transition path.
-
nRF Command Line Tools - nRF Command Line Tools was a suite of command line tools for Nordic devices that included nrfjprog, nrfjprog DLL, and mergehex. While still available for download, nRF Util is now the recommended tool for new projects.
-
nrfjprog - A command line tool for programming Nordic devices using J-Link debuggers. The
nrfutil devicecommand provides equivalent functionality with additional features. For detailed usage, see the device command documentation. -
pynrfjprog - A Python wrapper around the nrfjprog DLL, enabling scripting and automation of programming operations in Python. For Python-based automation, you can use nRF Util's JSON output mode with Python's subprocess module.
-
nRF Util v6.x.x - nRF Util versions before 7.0.0 were distributed as a Python package through pip. Starting with version 7.0.0, nRF Util was completely rearchitected as a modular command line tool. The legacy functionality is preserved in the
nrf5sdk-toolscommand. See the nrf5sdk-tools documentation for more information, including how to obtain archived bundles of nRF Util v6.x.x.
Command mapping to predecessor tools
The following table shows how legacy tool commands and features map to their nRF Util equivalents:
| Tool | Original command or feature | nRF Util command |
|---|---|---|
| nRF Command Line Tools | nrfjprog | nrfutil device |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --program <hex_file> |
nrfutil device program --firmware <hex_file> |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --eraseall |
nrfutil device erase |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --reset |
nrfutil device reset |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --memrd <address> |
nrfutil device read |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --memwr <address> |
nrfutil device write |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --recover |
nrfutil device recover |
| nrfjprog | nrfjprog --ids |
nrfutil device list |
| pynrfjprog | Python scripting | nRF Util JSON output with subprocess |
| nRF Util v6.x.x | DFU package generation | nrfutil nrf5sdk-tools pkg generate |
| nRF Util v6.x.x | DFU over serial/BLE | nrfutil nrf5sdk-tools dfu |
| nRF Util v6.x.x | Key generation | nrfutil nrf5sdk-tools keys |