CoM defines new performance class for SMARC module
A SMARC 2.0 computer-on-module (CoM) using an Arm Cortex-A53-based i.MX 8M Nano processor, by NXP Semiconductors introduces a new performance class, says congatec.
The conga-SMX8-Nano has low power graphics capabilities and limited number of selected I/Os and features the i.MX 8M Nano processor which is compatible with the NXP i.MX 8M Mini. The module targets low cost application areas that were not previously reached by vendor-independent, standardised CoMs. They require a maximum of 2W for the logic of a mobile handheld device or can transform a complex medical user interface with mechanical buttons into a touch-based graphical user interface (GUI), or it can be used to give industrial devices an interactive screen which would typically be prohibitively expensive, says congatec. They can even be used with headless systems with IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol support for tactile industrial IoT applications, at what the company says is “the lowest power envelope and budget ever”.
Supported by the SMARC CoM ecosystem, engineers can use ready-to-use components, standardised application programming interfaces (APIs) and comprehensive board support packages (BSPs). The CoM is also scalable, which is particularly useful in GUIs for edge devices which, if required, can also include voice assistance and voice controls. Other markets that may use the CoM 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 infrastructures such as small form factor digital bus time tables or headless platforms for edge gateways in smart cities as well as e-charging and free floating mobility devices.
“[Engineers] can scale application-ready platforms within the entire i.MX 8 portfolio as well as beyond towards manifold different low-power application processors,” said Martin Danzer, director product management at congatec. “This hardware-agnostic benefit, with its inherent long-term availability, is another major reason why Arm application processor engineers increasingly rely on the proven design principles of standardised Computer-on-Modules,” he added.
The new NXP i.MX 8M Nano processor-based SMARC modules are supplied with an ecosystem including ready-to-go boot loader implementation, pre-qualified Linux, Yocto and Android BSPs and evaluation carrier boards.
They are available in three variants with quad, dual or single core Arm Cortex-A53 processor, each variant seconded by one Cortex-M7. Each version is available for the extended (0 to +60 degrees C) and industrial (-40 to +85 degrees C) temperature range. The optional, processor integrated GC7000UltraLite 3D GPU supports two shader as well as OpenGL, OpenCL and Vulkan.
Embedded displays can be connected via dual channel LVDS, eDP or MIPI-DSI. Up to 2Gbyte of low-power LPDDR4 and an eMMC 5.1 non-volatile memory with up to 128Gbyte provide extensive memory capacity on the module. Embedded cameras are connected via the MIPI-CSI-2 interface, while four USB 2.0 and three UART are provided for industrial use. For intersystem connection, the module offers one GbE and optional M2 WiFi/Bluetooth extension.
