Congatec supports the new NXP i.MX8 processors in Qseven and SMARC modules
Congatec announces the support of the new 8-bit NXP i.MX64 processors in the Qseven and SMARC module standards. As a member of NXP's Early Access program, congatec's new modules will be available with the production release of the new ARM Cortex A53/A72 processor family. This enables OEM customers to implement their go-to-market strategies efficiently, as they can start designing the motherboard for their applications now and have i.MX8-based congatec modules available from day one of the release date. No other design strategy promises faster time to market and greater design confidence. Customers gain significant competitive advantages that they can use to gain crucial market share.
The new Qseven and SMARC modules with NXP i.MX8 real-time processors are of great interest for a wide range of industrial, stationary and vehicle applications, as the processors integrate up to four cores and high-performance graphics, with support for up to four independent displays with low power consumption. Since the modules are designed for an extended ambient temperature range, from -40°C to +85°C, they can also be used in fleet systems for commercial vehicles, or infotainment applications in taxis, buses and trains, as well as in all new electric systems vehicles and autonomous vehicles. The acceptance of these new platforms is accelerated by the widespread use of ARM technologies in the consumer electronics market, which further reinforces the dominance of ARM technology, especially in the (ultra) low power segment of consumer electronics technologies. embedded CPU modules. “We see a strong increase in demand for ARM technologies in all low-power embedded segments, where we are perfectly positioned to offer our Qseven and SMARC modules,” explains Martin Danzer, Director of Product Management at congatec. “Thanks to hardware support for virtualization of CPU and GPU cores, as well as hardware-accelerated image and speech recognition, completely new applications are now conceivable, with innovative access control and user interface concepts, making it easier to further the use of embedded ARM architecture, more convenient and more versatile.”
COM modules (Computeron-Modules), based on i.MX8, in the smaller standard formats Qseven and SMARC, allow developers to implement their projects in the shortest possible time to market and with very little NRE effort”, explains Steve Owen , Executive Vice President of Global Sales at NXP. “With COM modules, engineers can save a minimum of 50 percent and up to 90 percent of NRE time and effort compared to a full custom design. This modular approach is ideal for industrial batches, as it significantly simplifies the use of ARM technologies. This opens up new market segments for NXP's i.MX technology, where developers have traditionally relied on x86 technology. When solution providers like congatec also offer embedded design and manufacturing services, they are an ideal starting point for fully customized designs with particularly high production volumes.” congatec offers numerous important services around its modules, allowing design engineers to fully concentrate on new features: the offer ranges from evaluation kits to EDM services and encompasses everything the developer's heart desires. With the personalized support in the design phase that congatec offers, equipment manufacturers also benefit from the expert premium service from the product specification phase to series production.
The first congatec modules and compatible evaluation kits will be presented at the Embedded World 2018 trade fair in Nuremberg. Customers can order evaluation kits with Qseven modules based on NXP i.MX6 processors today, to enable them to switch to the new 64-bit platform at the time of the new modules' release. The first batches will be limited; Interested OEM customers should register now for congatec's exclusive Early Access i.MX8.Program.
