NXP i.MX 8 SoMs and SBC get WiFi 6 upgrade via u-Blox JODY-W3 module

We’ve just written about a WiFi 6 M.2 card based on JODY-W3 module that works with NXP i.MX 8 evaluation and development kit. But the u-Blox module appears to be the solution of choice for other NXP i.MX 8 platforms, as well as iWave Systems upgraded their existing systems-on-module and one single board computer with JODY-W3 adding WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Bluetooth 5.1.

iW-Rainbow-G27S SBC with WiFi 6

WiFI 6 SBC NXP i.MX 8

We first covered iW-Rainbow-G27S single board computer in January 2020. The board comes with NXP i.MX 8QuadMax hexa-core Cortex-A72/A53 processor, up to 8GB RAM, quad display support via HDMI, eDP & MIPI DSI, dual Gigabit Ethernet, and more.  At the time, the board was offered with optional 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 + Bluetooth 5.0, but now adds 802.11ax WiFi 6 connectivity for higher bandwidth applications.

iW-RainboW-G27M SMARC and QSeven modules get 802.11ax & Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity

u-blox WiFI on NXP iMX8 SMARC module
SMARC 2.0 module

iWave Systems iW-RainboW-G27M was introduced as a SMARC 2.0 module in 2018, but is now also offered as a QSeven variant. The system-on-module also features NXP i.MX8 QuadMax SoC with 4GB RAM by default, 16GB eMMC flash an optional MicroSD card socket,  two GbE transceivers, and optional WiFi & Bluetooth connectivity. The main difference now is the option for a more recent JODY-W3 module with WiFI 6, WPA3 security, and Bluetooth 5.1 LE.

Qseven WiFi 6 Arm SoM
Qseven module

WiFi 6 industrial & automotive use cases

The company says the improved speed (up to 4 times) and efficiency (e..g TWT) of WiFi 6 over WiFi 5 will make the SBC and modules suitable for a wider range of industrial, automotive, and Smart Home applications. Notably, iWave Systems mentions the need for wireless 4K Video streaming and audio processing at the edge in Industry 4.0 solutions, and WiFi 6 can also help with more efficient OTA firmware upgrades in automotive applications while a vehicle is parked.

Android, Linux, Ubuntu, and QNX operating systems are all supported o nNXP i.MX 8 platform. It’s very likely other i.MX 8/8M/8X platforms will also support WiFI 6 through u-Blox modules since those are the ones used on NXP devkits. More details specific to iWave NXP i.MX 8 WiFI 6 hardware can be found on the company’s website.

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