SMARC Modules With NXP i.MX 8M Plus Processor (Sponsored)

congatec smarc NXP i.MX8M Plus

Low-power flagship for artificial intelligence – congatec is expanding its SMARC platform with a new module with an NXP i.MX 8M Plus processor especially for embedded AI applications. Thanks to the extensive ecosystem with an application-ready 3.5-inch carrier board, Basler cameras, and AI software stack, fast proof of concept is possible. That hasn’t always been so easy. Previously, it was usually much more difficult to use the latest processor technology from the Arm environment as a finished system than to implement the x86 environment. This is because, as a result of the historically large range of individually tailored custom designs used in large quantities, the ecosystem of system platforms is not that extensive. However, with the modular approach based on the SMARC computer-on-modules specification, it is now also possible to obtain standard form factors from the x86 box PC range with ARM processors. For example, the embedded computing specialist congatec […]

NXP i.MX RT500 Cortex-M33 Crossover MCU integrates DSP, 2D GPU for wearables and IoT devices

MIMXRT595-EVK

NXP i.MX RT500 is the second Cortex-M33 Crossover MCU following the NXP i.MX RT600 Series announced in 2018, and optimized for low-power HMI applications such as wearables and Smart Home & IoT devices. NXP Crossover MCUs are typically clocked at 600 MHz or more, but NXP i.MX RT500 Cortex-M33 is limited to 200 MHz, and combined with 200 MHz Tensilica Fusion F1 DSP as well as a 2D GPU, and power optimizations that enable long battery life of up to 40 days on a charge for wearables like smartwatches. NXP i.MX RT500 key features and specifications: MCU Core – Cortex-M33 @ up to 200 MHz with Arm TrustZone, M33 built-in Memory Protection Unit (MPU), PowerQuad hardware accelerator for DSP functions, CASPER crypto coprocessor for asymmetric cryptographic algorithms DSP Core – Cadence Tensilica Fusion F1 DSP @ up to 200 MHz On-Chip Memory Up to 5 MB of system SRAM accessible […]

Geniatech XPI-iMX8MM SBC offers NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor in Raspberry Pi form factor

Raspberry Pi i.MX 8M Mini SBC

Geniatech XPI-iMX8MM is a new member of the company’s XPI SBC family following Raspberry Pi 3 form factor and equipped with the 14nm NXP i.MX 8M Mini quad-core Cortex-A53 processor. The new board follows XPI-S905X (Amlogic S905X), XPI-3128 (Rockchip RK3128), and XPI-3288 (Rockchip RK3288) single board computer introduced over the last three years with many of the same features including HDMI output, four USB ports, Ethernet, and so on. Geniatech XPI-IMX8MM specifications: SoC –NXP i.MX 8M Mini quad-core Arm Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.8 GHz with Cortex-M4 real-time core,  2D and 3D Vivante GPUs, 1080p60 H.265/H.264 video decoder, 1080p60 H.264 video encoder System Memory – 1GB (default) to 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 8GB (default) to 128GB eMMC 5.x flash, MicroSD card slot Video & Audio Output HDMI 1.4 up to 4Kp30 3.5mm AV jack with composite video and stereo audio 2-lane MIPI DSI connector Camera – 2-lane MIPI […]

Linux 5.14 Release – Main changes, Arm, MIPS, and RISC-V architectures

Linux 5.14 release

Linus Torvalds has just announced Linux 5.14 release which happens to almost coincide with the anniversary of the initial announcement of the “small” project on August 25, 1991, about 30 years ago. Here’s Linux 5.14’s announcement: So I realize you must all still be busy with all the galas and fancy balls and all the other 30th anniversary events, but at some point you must be getting tired of the constant glitz, the fireworks, and the champagne. That ball gown or tailcoat isn’t the most comfortable thing, either. The celebrations will go on for a few more weeks yet, but you all may just need a breather from them. And when that happens, I have just the thing for you – a new kernel release to test and enjoy. Because 5.14 is out there, just waiting for you to kick the tires and remind yourself what all the festivities are […]

Feature-packed i.MX 8M Plus SBC offers dual GbE, PCIe, RS485, CAN Bus, 4G & 5G modems, and more

OKMX8MP-C i.MX 8M Plus SBC

We’ve already covered plenty of NXP i.MX 8M Plus systems-on-module and carrier boards, but here’s another solution with Forlinx OKMX8MP-C SBC single board computer based on FETMX8MP-C SoM with 4GB LPDDR4 and 16GB eMMC flash. The feature-packed board also offers dual Gigabit Ethernet, 4G and 5G cellular connectivity support via mPCIe and M.2 sockets, multiple display and camera interfaces, RS485 and CAN Bus connector, USB interfaces, various expansion headers, and more… Forlinx OKMX8MP-C specifications: Forlinx FETMX8MP-C System-on-Module SoC – NXP i.MX8M Plus with quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.6 GHz, Arm Cortex-M7 real-time core, Vivante 2D/3D GPUs, 1080p60 video decoder/encoder, 2.3 TOPS AI accelerator System Memory –  2GB, 4GB (default), 6GB, or 8GB LPDDR4 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash Ultra-thin board-to-board connector (4x 80-pin connector with 0.5mm pitch) Supply Voltage – 5V Temperature Range – -40°C to +85°C Dimensions – 62 x 36 mm (8-layer ENIG PCB) Storage – […]

5G compatible Arm Pico-ITX SBC is expandable through multi-function I/O board

IBASE IBR215 SBC plus IO expansion board

IBASE IBR215 is a 2.5-inch Pico-ITX SBC powered by NXP i.MX 8M Plus quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 AI processor that supports 5G cellular connectivity via an M.2 3052 socket, and can be extended with an I/O expansion board with support for WiFi/BT, 4G/LTE, LCD, camera, NFC & QR-code functions. Equipped with up to 4GB RAM and 128GB flash storage, the single board computer has a ruggedized and fanless design that makes it suitable for industrial automation, smart home and buildings, smart cities and factories, retail environment, machine learning, and other industrial IoT applications. IBASE IBR215 specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 8M Plus quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 2.0 GHz with 512KB ECC cache, Arm Cortex-M7 @ up to 800 MHz, Vivante GC7000UL 3D GPU, Vivante GC520L 2D GPU, HiFi 4 DSP, 2.3 TOPS Neural Processing Unit (NPU) System Memory – 3GB DDR4 (optional 1/2/4GB) Storage 16GB eMMC flash (optional […]

The first Arm SystemReady IR certified platforms – NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK & Compulab IOT-GATE-IMX8 gateway

NXP EVK Arm SystemReady IR

A few months ago, we noted SolidRun HoneyComb LX2K became a certified Arm SystemReady ES platform. SystemReady is a certification program by Arm that ensures systems just work with generic operating systems like in the x86 world. When we looked at the details of the program in the article, we noted there were different categories including SystemReady ES for embedded servers and SystemReady IR for IoT Edge applications. The first SystemReady IR platform – NXP i.MX 8 Mini evaluation kit Arm has just announced the first SystemReady IR platform had just been certified. That device is the NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK, and that means that anyone that uses the i.MX 8M family of devices with the associated Board Support Package (BSP) can build platforms that will pass the same certification process and boot compliant Linux distributions with minimal integration effort. We can see more details about the certifications on Arm developer’s website. NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK achieved certification with NXP 2021 Q2 pre-release firmware, version LF […]

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 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 iWave Systems iW-RainboW-G27M was introduced as […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC