NXP's new generation of secure and energy efficient i.MX 91 series extends Linux capabilities for a wide range of edge applications

     NXP Semiconductors officially announces the i.MX 91 family of application processors. Building on NXP's more than two decades of leadership in developing multi-market application processors, the i.MX 91 series provides a secure, versatile, and energy-efficient portfolio optimized to meet the needs of next-generation Linux-based iot and industrial applications.

     The newly released protocols change the direction of new product categories for the iot and industrial markets, such as Matter, the interoperable secure connectivity standard for the smart home of the future, or ISO 15118-20 for electric vehicle chargers. These new products are often based on Linux because Linux provides developers with the scalability and programming convenience they need to grow applications and extend product life. NXP's i.MX 91 family enables developers to quickly create new Linux-based edge devices such as home controllers, connected appliances, home entertainment, industrial scanning and printing, building controls, electric vehicle chargers, and medical platforms.

     Jim McGregor, principal analyst at TIRIAS Research, said: "The I.M.X 91 series solidifies NXP's leadership position in the intelligent controller space. The next generation of Linux devices based on the i.MX 91 application processor will be a high-performance, cost-effective security solution that enables faster, more timely, and easier deployment of new protocols or standards. It provides an important platform for engineers to add intelligent capabilities to traditional embedded and iot systems, while providing scalability through the broader i.MX 9 family."

     As the entry level product of the i.MX 9 series, the i.MX 91 series has the scalability and programming convenience required by developers to continuously update applications in the future. The i.MX 91 series can share hardware and software with the NXP i.MX 93 series, providing additional platform options for expanding the product line, maximizing the reuse of development investment and reducing time to market.

     Charles Dachs, Senior Vice President and general Manager of Industry and iot Edge at NXP, said: "NXP's next-generation i.MX 91 family will lay the foundation for thousands of new device categories, setting new standards for the Linux platform in iot and industrial applications with outstanding performance, connectivity and EdgeLock security locking areas." The i.MX 91 series facilitates rapid platform development, easier transition to new markets and applications, leverage existing investments, and simplify product line updates."

     The i.MX 91 application processor uses Arm® Cortex®-A55 and operates at up to 1.4GHz. Support for new LPDDR4 memory to ensure platform life and reliability; Support dual gigabit Ethernet gateway or multi-network segment; Provide dual USB interface; Provides basic I/O for products in smart factories, smart homes, smart offices, medical devices, metrology and cost-effective modular system platforms.

     The integrated EdgeLock Secure lock area provides advanced security features such as lifecycle management, tamper detection, secure startup, and authentication path simplification. Developers can easily access these important security features with security software support from NXP. The combination of security and ease of management helps to increase the credibility and service life of the platform design, ensuring that the platform design is stable in the market for a long time.

     The i.MX 91 series can be used with a cost-effective power management solution co-developed by NXP, which is also part of the i.MX 93 Series ecosystem. The EVK and software packages of the i.MX 91 series integrate NXP's broad portfolio of scalable wireless solutions. These include the IW612, the first single-chip tri-band radio family to support Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth ® 5.2, and 802.15.4. With its focus on the Matter protocol, IW612 allows consumers to free themselves from the constraints of a single protocol ecosystem and enjoy seamless interoperability between different ecosystems and wireless network technologies.