NXP has launched a product designed to simplify the development of cost-effective edge devices that require security, performance, and Linux support on a stable, scalable platform.

NXP Semiconductors today announced the i.MX 91 applications processor family.

The i.MX 91 family builds on NXP’s 20-plus years of leadership in developing multi-market application processors to optimize the security, functionality, and energy-efficient performance required for next-generation Linux®-based IoT and industrial applications.

New protocols are emerging, such as Matter, a secure connectivity standard for interoperable future smart homes, and the ISO 15118-20 standard for electric vehicle (EV) chargers.

They create an inflection point for new product categories across IoT and industrial markets. These new products often rely on Linux, which provides the scalability and programming ease needed for application development, thereby extending the product life cycle.

NXP’s i.MX 91 family enables rapid development of new Linux-based edge devices such as home controllers, connected appliances, home entertainment, industrial scanning and printing, building control, EV chargers, and medical platforms.

“The i.MX 91 family extends NXP’s leadership in smart controllers,” said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at TIRIAS Research. “The next generation of Linux devices based on the i.MX 91 applications processor will be a high-performance, cost-effective and secure solution that will enable faster and easier adoption as update protocols and new standards become available. It provides an essential platform for adding intelligence to existing embedded and IoT systems, while also providing scalability across the larger i.MX 9 series.”

The i.MX 91 family, the starting point of the i.MX 9 series, provides ease of programming and scalability to enable gradual application evolution. Hardware and software compatibility with the NXP i.MX 93 family provides additional platform options for product line expansion, maximizing reuse of development investments and accelerating time to market.

“The new i.MX 91 family will provide the foundation for thousands of new device types with its high performance, connectivity and EdgeLock secure enclaves, setting a new standard for Linux platforms across IoT industrial applications,” said Charles Dachs, senior vice president and general manager of NXP’s IoT Edge industrial business unit. “The i.MX 91 family enables rapid development of platforms that leverage existing infrastructure, simplify product line updates, and easily transition to new markets and applications,” he said.

The i.MX 91 applications processor features Arm® Cortex®-A55 running at up to 1.4GHz and the latest LPDDR4 memory for platform longevity and stability. It also includes dual Gigabit Ethernet and dual USB ports for gateway or multi-network applications. It also has essential I/Os for smart factory, smart home, smart office, medical devices, measurement, and cost-optimized system-on-module (SoM) platforms.

The integrated EdgeLock secure enclave provides advanced security features such as lifecycle management, tamper detection, secure boot, and simplified authentication paths. Developers can easily access critical security features through secure software activation provided by NXP. This combination of security and manageability increases confidence and sustainability in platform designs that will be in the market for years.

The i.MX 91 family is available with a cost-optimized power management solution co-developed with NXP and can be used as part of the i.MX 93 family ecosystem. The evaluation kit and software package for the i.MX 91 family integrates with NXP’s broad and scalable portfolio of wireless solutions, including the IW612 family, the industry’s first monolithic tri-radio family supporting Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth® 5.2 and 802.15.4. With its focus on matter, the IW612 enables consumers to break free from the constraints of a single protocol ecosystem and enjoy seamless interoperability across diverse ecosystems and wireless network technologies.