The module also offers impressive display capabilities, including Full HD 3D graphics, despite its low thermal and system costs. The new SMARC 2.0 platform is ideal for established markets such as industrial and healthcare HMIs, kiosks, retail and infotainment systems, as well as emerging markets including situational awareness, machine learning, and voice control devices, and video-enabled residential gateway devices. For mobile and transportation applications, the new SMARC modules offer extended temperature support from -40°C to 85°C and an extended lifespan of up to 15 years. Intelligent vision-based applications benefit from the hardware-accelerated MIPI CSI-2 camera interface.
“In addition to classic industrial controls and HMI systems that benefit from the higher performance, lower TDP, and reduced costs of the 2 GHz frequency compared to the 1.5 GHz NXP i.MX 8M variants, the new module is also ideal for our SMARC MIPI CSI-2 starter kits. Based on these kits, we can offer suitable vision camera logic in cooperation with Basler. This enables highly integrated embedded vision platforms from a single source, supporting the development of cost-effective vision devices for dispersed modeling-based AI in the medical and industrial technology sectors, retail payment systems, or access control systems for smart homes or facilities,” explains Martin Danzer, Director of Product Management at congatec.
The new SMARC modules with the NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor are application-ready subsystems that come with a complete ecosystem, including a ready-to-use bootloader implementation, prequalified Linux, Yocto, and Android BSPs, and fully featured evaluation boards. Congatec's personalized integration support and a wide range of individually selectable technical services significantly simplify the integration of this new NXP processor for customers.
Engineers have the opportunity to test the new SMARC module based on the NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor on evaluation support boards at one of the upcoming NXP Technology Days events. Offering hands-on workshops and technical lectures for multiple markets, these one-day events allow attendees to customize a schedule that is most relevant to their training needs. To register for one of the events taking place in Barcelona, Bilbao, Madrid, Milan, Paris, and Boston, please visit the NXP Technology Days website.
The SMARC 2.0 Modules feature set:
The new SMARC modules, designed for cost-sensitive and ultra-low-power applications, feature three processors: quad-core ARM Cortex-A53, dual-core, and single-core NXP i-MX 8M Mini, all based on Cortex-M4. Each is available for an extended temperature range (0°C to +60°C) and an industrial temperature range (-40°C to +85°C). The integrated GC NanoUltra 3D GPU delivers comprehensive 1080p video decoding (H.265, H.264, VP8/9) and encoding capabilities (H.264, VP8) for an embedded display that can be connected via dual-channel LVDS, eDP, or MIPI-DSI. Up to 4 GB of low-power LPDDR4 memory and up to 128 GB of eMMC 5.1 non-volatile memory provide ample storage capacity within the module. Embedded cameras connect via the MIPI-CSI-2 interface, while five USB 2.0 ports and three UART ports offer the latest in industrial applications. For inter-system connectivity, the module provides one Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as an optional M2 WiFi/Bluetooth expansion module.
