NXP Semiconductors i.MX 8M nano applications processor

Featuring up to 4 x Arm® Cortex®-A53 cores and 1 x Arm® Cortex®-M7, built-in high-performance and power-efficient 14FinFET technology, the i.MX 8M Nano applications processor provides a new pin-compatible, scalable offering to the popular i.MX 8M family of application processors.

The i.MX 8M Nano applications processor provides cost-effective integration and affordable performance for smart, connected, power-efficient devices requiring graphics, vision, voice control, intelligent sensing, and general-purpose processing to edge IoT devices.

Key features

• Power-efficient, Scalable and Cost-optimized System Design
• Industrial Reliability and Commitment to Long-term Supply
• Industry-leading Ecosystem
• Versatile, optimized system design

Additional features

Power efficient, scalable and cost-optimized system design

• 1x, 2x or 4x Arm® Cortex®-A53 cores operating up to 1.5 GHz for scalable processing in a pin-compatible package with the same hardware design as the i.MX 8M Mini
• Pin-compatible with the i.MX 8M Mini, providing a choice of up to 16 different devices in a single hardware design
• FinFET technology improves immunity to alpha particles, reducing memory bit-flips for higher reliability in harsh environments
• Cortex®-M7 core up to 750 MHz for power optimizations and general task offload
• LPDDR4 for optimized performance and power, or DDR3L/DDR4 for optimized system cost
• Size- and cost-optimized 14 x 14 mm package that can be routed in 6 layers with high-speed DDR

Industrial Reliability and Commitment to Long-term Supply

• Qualified for industrial operation with a minimum of 10-years of continuous operation
• Fanless thermal design for cost-effective system solutions in high-temperature environments
• -40 to 105 °C junction temperature and qualification for industrial operation
• Minimum 10-year supply longevity on commercial and industrial devices

Industry-leading Ecosystem

• NXP Linux®, Android®, and FreeRTOS® BSPs to get a fast start. Releases follow i.MX single release strategy, maintaining a consistent look-and-feel for easy adoption and migration between i.MX processors
• Over a dozen Embedded Board partners who have proven designs based on i.MX 8M Mini/Nano applications processors
• Global software partners for voice, user interface design, artificial intelligence, and machine learning
• Hardware design guides, board reference schematics, and full documentation set available and easy to access on NXP.com

Applications

• ​Embedded Industrial IoT:
• Industrial printer
• Ruggedized HMI
• Machine visual inspection
• Factory automation
• Test and measurement equipment
• Mobility and logistics
• Image or barcode scanners
• Healthcare:
• Mobile patient care, e.g. infusion pump, respirator
• Blood pressure monitor
• Activity/wellness monitor
• Fitness equipment
• Smart Building:
• Smart appliances
• Smart light control
• HVAC climate control
• Service robots (vacuum cleaner etc.)
• Video doorbell
• IoT gateway
• Elevator control panels
• ML (e.g., face/voice recognition, anomaly detection)
• Consumer Appliances:
• Portable audio devices
• Soundbars
• Wireless/networked speakers
• Audio/video receiver
• Public address systems

Available tools

i.MX 8M Nano | Development Tools and Ecosystem

i.MX 8M Nano EVK (Compute Module plus Base Board) with MIPI-DSI to HDMI Adapter Card 

• Part Number: 8MNANOD4-EVK

Overview

The i.MX 8M Nano evaluation kit is a feature-rich and excellent starting point for customers to create their own system design based on the i.MX 8M Nano applications processor.

The i.MX 8M Nano evaluation kit is a two-board solution that consists of a compact compute module and a larger baseboard that brings out the broad connectivity that is needed for product evaluation. The compute module uses fast, power-efficient 2 GB of DDR4 memory alongside the i.MX 8M Nano, PMIC, eMMC, and soldered-down Wi-Fi/BT module for connectivity out-of-the-box.

The EVK enables HDMI via a MIPI-DSI to HDMI accessory card, for simple out-of-the-box, bring up. Below is a photograph of the compute module plus baseboard (delivered pre-assembled out-of-the-box) as well as the MIPI-DSI to HDMI accessory card (included in the box). Note that the compute module is not sold separately.

Key Features of the i.MX 8M Nano EVK

• The compute module is a compact 2" x 2" design in 6 layers and consists of the key system components – SoC, PMIC, Memory, Flash and Wi-Fi/BT for connectivity. The compute module uses 2GB DDR4.
• The baseboard brings out all of the key interfaces – USB, MIPI-DSI, MIPI-CSI, microSD, Ethernet, along with expansion headers such as M.2, audio, and general-purpose (UART, I2S).
• The baseboard and compute module use the same design as the i.MX 8M Mini EVK, thus supporting the pin-compatible design that a customer can achieve.

Accessory Boards:

• MX8-DSI-OLED1: OLED display for touchscreen support.
• MINISASTOCSI: Camera module for machine vision and video recording.
• Accessory boards are available for purchase.