ZBOSS library certification
Zigbee ZBOSS R23 libraries in the Zigbee R23 add-on for the nRF Connect SDK are always tested in-house by Nordic Semiconductor to conform to Zigbee Pro R23 test specification. However, these libraries are only periodically verified by external test service provider and granted Zigbee Compliant Platform certification by Connectivity Standards Alliance.
Zigbee certification levels
Certification levels
The certification is based on CSA’s Zigbee certification policy, which distinguishes the following levels of certification:
Compliant Platform
Certified Product
The certification guarantees that a platform or product will work and will interoperate with other compliant platforms or certified products, respectively.
Nordic Semiconductor provides the Zigbee Compliant Platform. You can use this platform as the building block for your Zigbee Certified Product, which is conformant with the ZCL and BDB standard.
R22 behavior mode for Zigbee 3.0 product certification
This page explains why Zigbee 3.0 products built on the Zigbee PRO R23 and R23.2 platforms must run the core stack in R22 behavior mode during certification, and how the Zigbee R23 add-on applies this mode by default.
Note
Zigbee 3.0 product certification requires R22 mode on R23 platforms.
The Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) requires that Zigbee 3.0 devices built on Zigbee PRO R23 or R23.2 platforms run the core stack in R22 behavior mode during product certification. In this mode, the stack disables R23-specific features (such as TLV-based ZDO, Network Commissioning, and Dynamic Link Key negotiation) and reports revision R22 in the Node descriptor.
The Zigbee R23 add-on enables R22 mode by default.
The OSIF layer calls zboss_use_r22_behavior() from zigbee_enable() before the ZBOSS thread starts.
To use native R23 behavior instead, select R23 mode (CONFIG_ZIGBEE_PRO_CORE_BEHAVIOR_R23) in Kconfig.
See Zigbee PRO core runtime behavior (R22 or R23 mode) and R22 behavior mode for Zigbee 3.0 product certification for details.
CSA certification policy for Zigbee 3.0 products on R23 platforms
The Zigbee PRO R23 and R23.2 platform in the Zigbee R23 add-on is certified in native R23 mode. MAC-layer certification does not depend on the R22 or R23 runtime mode.
For Zigbee 3.0 product certification, CSA requires the R23 core to run in R22 behavior mode. As of late 2025, the PRO Core TSG determined that Zigbee 3.0 devices based on the R23 stack must operate the core in R22 mode (originally defined for Test Harness use in the R23 Platform Test Specification). The same requirement applies to both R23 and R23.2 specification versions.
R22 behavior mode is therefore the default in the Zigbee R23 add-on.
The add-on applies it automatically through the Zigbee PRO core runtime behavior Kconfig choice (CONFIG_ZIGBEE_PRO_CORE_BEHAVIOR_R22).
See Zigbee PRO core runtime behavior (R22 or R23 mode) for configuration details.
When certifying a Zigbee 3.0 product, declare R23.2 as the core version. The certification procedure and test set are unchanged. Only the application must run in R22 mode.
R22 mode and full Zigbee PRO R22 conformance
On ZBOSS 4.x and 5.x, R22 behavior mode satisfies CSA requirements for Zigbee 3.0 device certification, but does not provide full conformance to the Zigbee PRO Core R22 specification.
R22 behavior mode has the following known deviations from the Zigbee PRO Core R22 specification:
The APS fragmentation window is always set to 1, while R22 allows larger values.
Automatic PAN ID conflict resolution is not performed. The application is notified when a conflict is detected (R22 requires automatic resolution).
After enabling R22 mode, it is recommended to run your product application through ZUTH certification tests before submitting for product certification.
Certification IDs
Check the compatibility matrices for your device to find the latest certification ID entries (CIDs) for each supported combination of the Zigbee R23 add-on version and Nordic Semiconductor SoCs: