The Arduino Nicla Sense ME is an ultra-compact sensor fusion board measuring just 22.86 × 22.86 mm. It integrates a comprehensive suite of Bosch Sensortec environmental and motion sensors onto a single tiny PCB, paired with the Bosch BHI260AP AI sensor hub coprocessor that handles sensor fusion, gesture recognition, and activity detection at extremely low power.
The host microcontroller is a Nordic nRF52832 (ARM Cortex-M4 at 64 MHz) which manages communication, BLE connectivity, and application logic. However, the BHI260AP runs most of the sensor processing independently, allowing the nRF52832 to sleep while the BHI260AP continuously monitors motion, orientation, and environmental data.
This combination makes the Nicla Sense ME ideal for wearables, IoT sensor nodes, health monitoring devices, predictive maintenance, and any application requiring rich environmental awareness at low power over BLE.
| Property | Value |
|---|
| MCU | Nordic nRF52832 (Cortex-M4 @ 64 MHz) |
| AI Sensor Hub | Bosch BHI260AP (AI coprocessor, sensor fusion) |
| IMU | Bosch BMI270 (6-axis accelerometer + gyroscope) |
| Magnetometer | Bosch BMM150 (3-axis) |
| Pressure/Temp | Bosch BMP390 |
| Environmental | Bosch BME688 (temperature, humidity, pressure, gas/VOC) |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 5.0 LE (BLE only — no Wi-Fi) |
| Flash | 512 KB (nRF52832) + 2 MB (external SPI) |
| Power | LiPo battery connector (JST 1.25 mm 2-pin) |
| USB | USB-C |
| Dimensions | 22.86 × 22.86 mm |
| SKU | ABX00050 |
Bosch BHI260AP AI sensor hub coprocessor — runs sensor fusion and activity detection algorithms with sub-mW power consumption
Bosch BMI270 6-axis IMU (accelerometer + gyroscope) with built-in machine learning core for gesture recognition
Bosch BMM150 3-axis magnetometer for compass and heading applications
Bosch BMP390 barometric pressure and temperature sensor for altitude and weather monitoring
Bosch BME688 4-in-1 environmental sensor: temperature, humidity, pressure, and gas/VOC sensing with AI air quality detection
Nordic nRF52832 ARM Cortex-M4 at 64 MHz as the host microcontroller
Bluetooth 5.0 LE for wireless data streaming and remote access
512 KB Flash on nRF52832 plus 2 MB external SPI Flash for data and firmware
LiPo battery connector (JST 1.25 mm) enabling standalone battery-powered operation
USB-C for programming and charging (with compatible carrier)
Designed for wearables, smart devices, and edge AI sensor applications
Extremely compact 22.86 × 22.86 mm square form factor
| Parameter | Value |
|---|
| Host MCU | Nordic nRF52832 |
| MCU Architecture | ARM Cortex-M4 |
| MCU Clock Speed | 64 MHz |
| MCU Flash | 512 KB |
| External SPI Flash | 2 MB |
| MCU SRAM | 64 KB |
| AI Sensor Hub | Bosch BHI260AP |
| IMU | Bosch BMI270 (accelerometer + gyroscope, 6-axis) |
| Magnetometer | Bosch BMM150 (3-axis) |
| Barometric Pressure | Bosch BMP390 (pressure + temperature) |
| Environmental Sensor | Bosch BME688 (temperature + humidity + pressure + gas/VOC) |
| Wireless | Bluetooth 5.0 LE |
| Wi-Fi | None |
| USB | USB-C |
| Battery Connector | JST 1.25 mm 2-pin (LiPo) |
| Operating Voltage | 3.3V |
| Dimensions | 22.86 × 22.86 mm |
The Nicla Sense ME exposes a limited set of I/O pins via castellated edge pads, making it suitable for soldering directly onto a carrier PCB or connecting via a breakout adapter.
| Pin Group | Description |
|---|
| I2C | I2C interface (for external peripherals) |
| SPI | SPI bus |
| UART | Serial interface |
| GPIO | General purpose I/O (3.3V) |
| ADC | Analog input pin(s) |
| Power | 3.3V, GND, VUSB, battery pins |
| Antenna | BLE antenna (on-board PCB antenna) |
The BHI260AP, BMI270, BMM150, BMP390, and BME688 all communicate internally via I2C/SPI on the board. External I/O is available on the edge pads for additional custom peripherals.
| Power Parameter | Value |
|---|
| Operating Voltage | 3.3V |
| Input (USB-C) | 5V via USB-C |
| Battery | LiPo via JST 1.25 mm 2-pin connector |
| BHI260AP Idle Power | Sub-mW (sensor hub can run while MCU sleeps) |
| BLE Transmission Power | Typical BLE 5.0 power budget (< 15 mA peak) |
The BHI260AP AI sensor hub is designed to run continuously at very low power, allowing the nRF52832 to remain in deep sleep and only wake when the BHI260AP detects a specific event (motion threshold, gesture, step count threshold, etc.). This architecture enables days to weeks of battery life depending on the application and BLE duty cycle.
| Component | Part | Function |
|---|
| Host MCU | Nordic nRF52832 | Cortex-M4 application processor + BLE radio |
| AI Sensor Hub | Bosch BHI260AP | Low-power sensor fusion and AI coprocessor |
| IMU | Bosch BMI270 | 6-axis accelerometer and gyroscope |
| Magnetometer | Bosch BMM150 | 3-axis compass |
| Pressure Sensor | Bosch BMP390 | Barometric pressure and temperature |
| Environmental Sensor | Bosch BME688 | Temperature, humidity, pressure, and VOC gas |
| External Flash | 2 MB SPI Flash | Extended storage for data logging and firmware |
| Battery Connector | JST 1.25 mm 2-pin | LiPo battery connection |
| USB-C | On-board | Programming and power |
| Status LED | RGB LED | Programmable indicator |
The Nordic nRF52832 is the host MCU on the Nicla Sense ME, responsible for application logic, BLE communication, and interfacing with the BHI260AP sensor hub.
| Feature | Value |
|---|
| Core | ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU |
| Clock Speed | 64 MHz |
| Flash | 512 KB |
| SRAM | 64 KB |
| BLE | Integrated Bluetooth 5.0 LE radio |
| Interfaces | I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO, ADC |
The BHI260AP handles all the heavy lifting of sensor fusion and AI inference, leaving the nRF52832 free for application logic and BLE communication. The BHI260AP can be loaded with custom firmware, including Bosch's BSX Sensor Fusion Software, for orientation, heading, and activity recognition algorithms.
| Wireless Feature | Value |
|---|
| Technology | Bluetooth 5.0 LE (BLE) |
| Wi-Fi | None |
| Range | Typical BLE indoor range (10–30 m, environment-dependent) |
| Arduino Library | Arduino_BHY2 (for BHI260AP data over BLE), ArduinoBLE |
| Use Cases | Sensor data streaming, wearable connectivity, remote monitoring |
The Nicla Sense ME transmits sensor data wirelessly via BLE to a central device such as a smartphone, tablet, or gateway. There is no Wi-Fi radio on this board.
Arduino IDE 2.x (recommended)
Install the Arduino Mbed OS Nicla Boards package via Boards Manager
USB-C cable (data-capable)
Arduino_BHY2 library (install via Library Manager)
Open Arduino IDE
Go to Tools > Board > Boards Manager
Search for "Arduino Mbed OS Nicla Boards" and install
Select Tools > Board > Arduino Nicla Sense ME
Connect the board via USB-C
Select the correct port
#include "Arduino_BHY2.h"
SensorXYZ accel(SENSOR_ID_ACC);
SensorXYZ gyro(SENSOR_ID_GYRO);
Sensor temp(SENSOR_ID_TEMP);
Sensor gas(SENSOR_ID_GAS);
void setup() {
Serial.begin(115200);
while (!Serial);
BHY2.begin();
accel.begin();
gyro.begin();
temp.begin();
gas.begin();
Serial.println("Nicla Sense ME ready");
}
void loop() {
BHY2.update();
Serial.print("Accel X: "); Serial.print(accel.x());
Serial.print(" Y: "); Serial.print(accel.y());
Serial.print(" Z: "); Serial.println(accel.z());
Serial.print("Temperature: ");
Serial.print(temp.value());
Serial.println(" C");
Serial.print("Gas resistance: ");
Serial.print(gas.value());
Serial.println(" Ohm");
delay(1000);
}
| Environment | Details |
|---|
| Arduino IDE | Full support via Arduino Mbed OS Nicla Boards package |
| Arduino_BHY2 Library | Provides access to all BHI260AP virtual sensors |
| ArduinoBLE Library | Enables BLE communication for data streaming |
| Edge Impulse | Supported for custom gesture and activity recognition model deployment |
| Item | Quantity |
|---|
| Arduino Nicla Sense ME board | 1 |
A USB-C cable and LiPo battery are sold separately.
Wearable health and fitness monitors (step counting, activity recognition)
Always-on gesture and motion detection
Air quality and environmental monitoring (BME688 gas and VOC sensing)
Indoor navigation and heading (BMM150 compass)
Altitude logging (BMP390 barometric pressure)
Predictive maintenance via vibration sensing
Smart home environmental sensors transmitting over BLE
Edge AI sensor nodes for industrial IoT
Drone and UAV orientation sensing
Amazon — search for Arduino Nicla Sense ME
| Board | Key Difference |
|---|
| Arduino Nicla Vision | Camera + STM32H747 M7 for vision/ML, no full Bosch environmental sensor suite |
| Arduino Nicla Voice | NDP120 DSP for audio/voice, BLE, no IMU or environmental sensors |
| Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense | Larger Nano form factor, LSM9DS1 IMU, without Bosch AI sensor hub |
All I/O on the Nicla Sense ME operates at 3.3V logic. Do not connect 5V peripherals directly to I/O pins.
The board has no Wi-Fi radio. Wireless communication is BLE 5.0 only. For Wi-Fi, pair with a gateway device.
The BHI260AP sensor hub can be updated with custom firmware using Bosch's tools, enabling custom sensor fusion algorithms.
The BME688 gas sensor requires a burn-in period of 48 hours of operation before readings stabilize. Initial VOC readings may not be accurate.
The JST 1.25 mm battery connector is a smaller format than the 2.0 mm JST-PH common on other Arduino boards. Use the correct connector size.
| Version | Date | Notes |
|---|
| v1.0 | 2026-06 | Initial entry |
