The Arduino Nano XL Link combines an Arm Cortex-M33 at 120 MHz microcontroller with CAN FD, RS-485, and Ethernet integrated into a Nano-format board. Arduino unveiled it on November 10 at electronica 2026 in Munich, alongside a base for industrial mounting: the Nano XL Link Connector Carrier.
The move expands the Nano family’s customary uses into industrial, home, and building automation. The board retains the familiar pinout but adds a second row of connectors and more input and output lines. The carrier adds screw terminals for CAN FD and RS-485, as well as an RJ45 port for Ethernet.
Arduino has not announced the price or when the two products will be available. For now, electronica attendees can see them in action at the Qualcomm booth, Hall C5, stand 439.
A Nano with more physical connectivity
The centerpiece of the Nano XL Link is the Microchip PIC32CK2051SG01144, a 32-bit processor with an Arm Cortex-M33 core. Arduino specifies a frequency of up to 120 MHz, 2 MB of flash memory, and 512 kB of RAM. The board documentation adds that the microcontroller includes a hardware security module (HSM), intended for secure boot and key storage.
The board retains the digital, analog, and power pinout of the traditional Nano, but extends its connections with two rows of 2×15 headers. The additional row provides 12 digital pins and lines for a second SPI bus, I²C, a second UART, I²S, and fieldbus interfaces. This expansion increases connection options, although it comes with a practical trade-off: installing both rows makes the board incompatible with breadboards.
Field connectivity is available on the board itself, without the need to add external interface hardware. Arduino lists CAN FD, RS-485, and 10/100 Ethernet. The documentation specifies the components that implement these connections: a TCAN3414 transceiver for CAN, a THVD2410 half-duplex transceiver for RS-485, and a KSZ8081RNAIA PHY for Ethernet.
The TCAN3414 exposes the CANH and CANL lines on the headers. It supports classic CAN and CAN FD, with payloads of up to 64 bytes and data rates of up to 8 Mbps. The RS-485 transceiver exposes the A and B lines and is compatible with the ArduinoRS485 library and Modbus RTU applications. For Ethernet, the PHY provides a 10/100 Mbps interface; network access is managed through the Zephyr stack, with IPv4, TCP, UDP, DHCP, and DNS.
The RJ45 connector is not on the Nano XL Link itself: it is provided by the Connector Carrier. The main board exposes the Ethernet interface, while the carrier includes the connector and the necessary magnetics. The same separation applies to some of the physical integration: the Nano provides the signals, and the Carrier routes them to connections designed for installation wiring.
From the development bench to the cabinet
The Nano XL Link Connector Carrier turns the assembly into a platform that can be mounted on a DIN rail and is compatible with standard 4U industrial enclosures, according to Arduino. Its screw terminals allow CAN FD and RS-485 connections; the RJ45 port is for Ethernet. The company presents the carrier as a way to move a prototype into a control cabinet without necessarily replacing the board used during development.
The Carrier documentation details other features. It has a screw-terminal power input that accepts 7 to 24 V and includes reverse-polarity protection and TVS diodes. It also includes a Qwiic I²C connector and 2×20 expansion headers that expose the host board’s standard and extended signals. For low-level programming and debugging, it includes a 1.27 mm 2×5 SWD connector.
There is also a 2×4 female header intended for an ESP8266 ESP-01 Wi-Fi module. The Carrier can therefore be expanded with wireless connectivity using that module, although Arduino presents CAN FD, RS-485, and Ethernet as the interfaces integrated into the Nano XL Link. The documentation also describes the RJ45 port as a way to connect to local SCADA systems or cloud analytics services.
The base is more than a mounting support. Arduino presents it as a reference design for teams that want to create their own Carrier, tailored to a specific application. Its layout and interfaces provide a foundation that can be modified instead of designing everything from scratch. The company presents the pair as a platform that could reduce hardware redesigns or platform changes between the prototype phase and deployment.
The Nano XL Link also has an onboard Qwiic connector, with a 3.3 V I²C bus and pull-up resistors. Arduino says it can be used with Qwiic, STEMMA QT, and Modulino devices without soldering. The board can be powered via USB-C, with 7 to 24 V DC on the VIN pin through an integrated buck converter, or with a regulated 3.3 V supply connected to the 3V3 pin.
Arduino specifies an operating range of -20 °C to +85 °C. Termination resistors for CAN and RS-485 can be selected using solder jumpers on the board. These details round out the hardware description beyond the main interfaces and define how the board can be powered and configured.
Arduino targets automation and control
In its announcement, Arduino positions the Nano XL Link for applications such as real-time machine controllers, fieldbus gateways, smart lighting, HVAC zone management, and automated energy management nodes. It also mentions direct connections to industrial networks, motor drives, building automation buses, smart sensors, and touch panels.
The company describes the XL family as an effort to bring the Arduino development experience to sectors that typically rely on proprietary, specialized hardware. Its stated aim is to retain the accessibility and ecosystem of the Nano family while adding connectivity for industrial installations and deployments. The announcement did not detail future products, beyond presenting these two boards as the first step in a new ecosystem.
The software also has a specific component: the documentation says the Nano XL Link is programmed with the Arduino Zephyr core, which runs Arduino sketches on the Zephyr real-time operating system. This combination links compatibility with the familiar sketch format to the software platform Arduino specifies for this board.
In the announcement, the Arduino team summed up the change as follows: “Compact, accessible, and endlessly versatile, it has powered millions of projects across a variety of domains.” The company added that the new generation aims to bring what the Nano does well to new areas, particularly industrial, home, and building automation.
The Nano XL family is designed to grow, bringing the openness, accessibility, and developer experience of the Arduino platform to domains that have traditionally required expensive, proprietary hardware and specialized expertise.
— Arduino
Unveiled at electronica; details still pending
The unveiling took place at electronica 2026, held in Munich from November 10 to 13. Arduino announced that it would showcase the Nano XL Link and its Carrier at the Qualcomm booth, Hall C5, stand 439. The announcement gives no price or release date for either board; the company asks people to follow its updates on availability.
According to the published information, Arduino’s connection with Qualcomm is limited to the location of the demonstration. The processor Arduino identifies for the Nano XL Link is from Microchip: the PIC32CK2051SG01144. No other Qualcomm chip has been announced for these boards.
The available documentation does provide details on many of the specifications: memory, interfaces, connectors, power, and temperature range. The commercial unknowns remain when the boards will be available for purchase and how much they will cost. Until Arduino publishes those details, the Nano XL Link is being presented at electronica as an announced board, not a product that is already available.
Sources: Hackster.io, Arduino Blog, Arduino Documentation, Arduino Documentation, PlanetArduino, Dev48, Artoo Maker Lab
