NXP Semiconductors has expanded its EdgeVerse portfolio with its crossover applications processors including i.MX 8ULP and i.MX 8ULP-CS (cloud secured) Microsoft Azure Sphere-certified families, as well as next-generation i.MX 9 series of high-performance intelligent applications processors. This expansion includes innovations with EdgeLock secure enclave to enhance edge security and Energy Flex architecture thereby maximizing energy efficiency.
The EdgeLock secure enclave enhances protection to the edge device by autonomous management of critical security functions, such as the root of trust, run-time attestation, trust provisioning, secure boot, key management, and cryptographic services, while also simplifying the path to industry-standard security certifications.
For maintaining edge device security after initial deployment the i.MX 8ULP-CS together with Azure Sphere chip-to-cloud security incorporates Microsoft Pluton providing a secured root of trust built into the silicon itself. Apart from this Azure Sphere also includes the secured Azure Sphere OS, the cloud-based Azure Sphere Security Service. Azure Sphere chip-to-cloud security will be enabled on specific products within the i.MX 9 series for allowing the developers to choose among a broader set of processor options.
By combining heterogeneous domain processing, design techniques, and 28nm FD-SOI process technology, the Energy Flex architecture the i.MX 8ULP and i.MX 8ULP-CS families deliver a 75% improved energy efficiency than their predecessor. The programmable power management subsystem of the processors can govern more than 20 different power mode configurations to deliver exceptional energy efficiency, from full power to as low as 30 microwatts.
Scalable i.MX 9 families bring together higher performance applications cores, an independent MCU-like real-time domain, Energy Flex architecture, state-of-the-art security with EdgeLock secure enclave, and dedicated multi-sensory data processing engines (graphics, image, display, audio, and voice). By integrating hardware neural processing units across the entire series for the acceleration of machine learning applications, the i.MX 9 series implements the Arm Ethos U-65 microNPU for building low-cost, energy-efficient edge machine learning (ML).
Features of i.MX 8ULP Family
- Up to two Arm Cortex-A35 @ 1.0 GHz
- Arm Cortex-M33 @ 216 MHz
- Cadence Tensillica Hifi 4 DSP @600 MHz for advanced audio, voice, and ML processing and Fusion DSP @200 MHz for low-power voice and sensor hub processing
- EdgeLockTM secure enclave
- RISC-V powered Power Management Subsystem (µpower)
Features of i.MX 8ULP-CS Family
- Arm Cortex-A35 @ 1.0 GHz
- Arm Cortex-M33 @ 216 Mhz
- Cadence Tensillica Fusion DSP @200 MHz for low-power voice and sensor hub processing
- Pluton enabled secure enclave
- RISC-V powered Power Management Subsystem (µpower)
