Nordic Semiconductor's nRF5340 SoC is gaining attention as a key solution for outdoor asset trackers due to its powerful performance and durability that allows it to operate reliably even in extreme conditions.

Advantech, a global leader in IoT intelligent systems and embedded platforms, has launched its outdoor asset tracker, the LEO-L50, featuring the nRF5340 SoC from Nordic Semiconductor.

Advantech's 'LEO-L50' is designed to track large outdoor assets such as containers and vehicles in near real-time.

In particular, it enables location confirmation and status monitoring of assets that were previously untrackable due to lack of power, and can be utilized for AI-based route optimization and journey planning.

What makes the LEO-L50 the best rated outdoor asset tracker is that it features Nordic’s nRF5340 dual-core Bluetooth® 5.4 SoC, which handles the core processing and short-range wireless connectivity.

This SoC is the world's first to feature two Arm® Cortex®-M3It offers powerful performance including 3 processors and supports operating temperatures up to 105°C, ensuring stable operation even in extreme environments.

Additionally, the application processor controls integrated sensors such as temperature sensors and door sensors, and the network processor transmits location and sensor data in real time via Bluetooth LE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

It also supports asset tracking via the cloud by running an onboard cellular chip.

The LEO-L50 is equipped with a lithium-ion rechargeable battery that can operate for up to 7 years and provides solar charging function to enable the use of sustainable, eco-friendly energy.

In particular, Nordic’s nRF5340 SoC’s outstanding low-power characteristics played a key role in achieving this long battery life.

“Long battery life was a top priority in product design,” said Kenny Tsai, product manager at Advantech. “We focused on maintaining low power consumption and stability even under extreme environmental conditions,” he said. “LEO-L50 will support enterprises’ digital transformation and enable carbon emissions monitoring, contributing to achieving sustainability goals and improving operational efficiency.”

The LEO-L50 won the 2025 Taiwan Excellence Award hosted by the Taiwanese government, and was also selected as one of 11,000 entries from 66 countries at the world-renowned iF Design Award 2025, recognizing its innovation and practicality.

Advantech accelerated development by conducting a pre-feasibility study utilizing Nordic’s comprehensive nRF Connect SDK (Software Development Kit) and nRF5340 DK (Development Kit) throughout the development process.

“Nordic’s powerful computing performance, low power consumption, and Zephyr RTOS support gave us great flexibility during the development process,” says Kenny Tsai. “The quick response from Nordic application engineers was also a huge help during the development process.”