"Developers of highly integrated IIoT, industrial and embedded vision applications can reach the next technology level very quickly and easily with the new NXP i.MX8 based SMARC 2.0 modules, because they can immediately integrate a credit card sized off-the-shelf module into their applications with minimum space requirements. The starter kit is a key complement to our comprehensive i.MX 8 ecosystem of products and services. It enables the rapid evaluation of this brand-new processor architecture, which will open up many new application fields for us in the real-time industrial area as well as in vision-based AI sectors," explains Martin Danzer, Director Product Management at congatec. "Thanks to the comprehensive design-in services of our Technical Solution Center that come with the starter kit, it really couldn ‘t be any easier to start developing SMARC 2.0 based i.MX8 applications."

Services offered by the Technical Solution Center for the new SMARC 2.0 and Qseven modules with NXP i.MX 8X processors range from High Assurance Booting (HAB) implementation, bootloader and OS image authentication through private and public key cryptography and customer-specific BSP adaptation to long-term software maintenance for Linux and Android. The offering further includes selection of suitable carrier board components and design reviews as well as high-speed signal compliance tests, thermal simulations, MTBF calculations, and debugging services for customer-specific solutions. The goal is to always provide customers with the most accessible and efficient technical support from requirement engineering to mass production.

Quick Starter Kit features in detail
The new congatec SMARC 2.0 Quick Starter Kit integrates conga-SMX8 computer modules with either the low-power NXP i.MX 8X or the high-end NXP i.MX8 (QuadMax) series, as well as a conga-SEVAL evaluation carrier board, which offers access to all interfaces and functions for SMARC 2.0 based NXP i.MX 8 designs. The evaluation carrier supports a comprehensive set of interfaces including 4x PCIe x1, 1x mini PCIe, 2x USB 3.0, and 4x USB 2.0 for generic extensions. Next to 2x RJ45 for Gigabit Ethernet, 4x COM, 1x CAN bus and 12 GPIOs are also available. Displays can be connected via dual channel LVDS, eDP, DP and 2x MIPI-DSI, and additional storage media via an SD/MMC socket and 1x SATA 6G. Digital and analog audio I/Os for I2S and HDA complete the interface offer.

The Quick Starter Kit also includes an ATX power supply, the conga-ACA2 MIPI CSI-2 dual camera module, WLAN antenna, LVDS adapter, SATA, USB cable and a cooling solution for the module. On software side, a qualified bootloader package and board support packages for Linux, Yocto and Android are available through the congatec Git server.

Further information on the congatec SMARC 2.0 Quick Starter Kit for i.MX8 can be found at:
https://www.congatec.com/en/products/accessories/conga-skitarm-imx8.html