With its ultra-low-power graphics capabilities and limited number of I/O points, the new NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor, compatible with the NXP i.MX 8M Nano, targets previously untapped low-cost application areas well-suited for standardized, vendor-independent COM modules. Only up to 2 watts are needed for the logic of a handheld device. Engineers can also transform a complex medical user interface with multiple mechanical buttons into an intuitive, user-friendly graphical interface, or provide industrial devices with an interactive display that was previously simply too expensive. All of this, and even headless systems with IEEE 1588 precision timing protocol support for touch IIoT, is now possible with the lowest power envelope and lowest budget ever.
With the extensive ecosystem of COM SMARC modules, engineers benefit from far more advanced, out-of-the-box components, standardized APIs, and comprehensive BSPs. Another key advantage is the tremendous scalability, which extends far beyond the pin-compatible NXP i.MX 8M Nano and Mini variants. Typical application areas include GUIs for edge devices, which can also incorporate voice assistance and voice controls if required. Vertical markets include wireless and networked medical and industrial equipment, as well as home appliances and electronics, digital signage systems, and mobile or outdoor devices, including smart city infrastructure such as small-format digital bus timetables or headless platforms for edge gateways in smart cities, as well as e-charging devices and free-floating mobility.
“Application readiness and scalability are two key factors driving engineers to migrate to an Arm-based COM module. They want to get to market quickly, save on NRE costs, and optimally balance price and performance for their high-volume, low-cost product families. With SMARC, we offer them all these benefits out of the box. They can scale application-ready platforms across the entire i.MX 8 portfolio and beyond to multiple low-power application processors. This hardware-agnostic benefit, with its inherent long-term availability, is another important reason why Arm application processor engineers are increasingly relying on the proven design principles of standardized COM modules,” explains Martin Danzer, Director of Product Management at congatec.
The new SMARC modules based on the NXP i.MX 8M Nano 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 personal integration support and wide range of individually selectable technical services greatly simplify the integration of this new Arm-based NXP processor for customers.
The SMARC 2.0 Modules feature set:
The new conga-SMX8-Nano SMARC COM modules with the NXP i-MX 8M Nano processor address ultra-fast, cost-effective graphical user interfaces and headless industrial controls, including IEEE 1588 precision time protocol support for touch IIoT. They are available in three variants with quad, dual, or single-core Arm Cortex-A53 processors, each variant supported by one Cortex-M7. Each version is available for extended (0°C to +60°C) and industrial (-40°C to +85°C) temperature ranges. The optional GC7000UltraLite 3D GPU integrated into the processor supports two shaders, as well as OpenGL, OpenCL, and Vulkan. Embedded displays can be connected via dual-channel LVDS, eDP, or MIPI-DSI. Up to 2 GB of low-power LPDDR4 memory and up to 128 GB of non-volatile eMMC 5.1 memory provide ample storage capacity in the module. Integrated cameras connect via the MIPI-CSI-2 interface, while four 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.
