Israeli system-on-module (SoM) maker Variscite has announced a unit that conform to the Smarc interface standard for IoT, point of sale, medical and other low-power mobile device applications.

This is the firm’s first SoM that is compatible with the Smarc smart mobility architecture and is powered by the NXP i.MX 8M Plus processor.

The Var-Smarc-MX8M-Plus includes NXP’s 1.8GHz Quad Cortex-A53 with 800MHz Cortex-M7 real-time co-processor that combines AI and ML capabilities and an image signal processor vision system.

As with Variscite’s Dart-MX8M-Plus, the Smarc module offers high performance in an energy-efficient architecture, but adds extended connectivity with additional USB connectors, two Ethernet controllers with IEEE1588 support, additional general-purpose IO and secure real-time clock.

Smarc compatibility is often desirable in devices optimised for size, weight, power and cost for applications such as IoT, industrial IoT, point of sale, medical and other low-power mobile devices.

For security, it provides multiple features, both on-SoM and integral to the processor, including TPM 2.0 security via a dedicated hardware chip that performs cryptographic operations and protects sensitive data such as encryption keys and passwords. The module meets requirements for devices that must comply with the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and is compliant with North America’s FIPS 140-3 security standard for sensitive data and tamper-resistance.

Also unique to Variscite, and rare in Smarc-compatible SoMs, users can customise their SoM configuration in orders as small as 20 units. Variscite also offers board support packages and direct support for operating systems Yocto, Debian, Android, FreeRtos and Zephyr at no added charge.

“The Var-Smarc-MX8M-Plus is an ideal choice for low power, low cost, yet high performance devices,” said Ofer Austerlitz, vice president at Variscite. “Expanding Variscite’s portfolio into standards-based SoMs with the Smarc SoM series is another example of the way Variscite supports and collaborates with its customers and continues to enable new generations of secure devices.”

The module also launches a Variscite pin-to-pin family of SoMs that share the same pinout architecture. These allow users to upgrade their products while using the same carrier board design: simply swap the SoM based on updated processing, performance and feature requirements. Such SoMs reduce development time, costs and risks, as well as increase scalability options from entry level to high performance, and come with extended longevity guarantees.

The family will expand later this year with the Var-Smarc-MX95. Based on NXP’s i.MX 95 processor, this module will introduce an independent safety island architecture and six-core processing.

Variscite will begin offering samples and evaluation kits of the Smarc SoM series this quarter.

For more details on this product, go to variscite.com/system-on-module-som/i-mx-8/i-mx-8m-plus/var-smarc-mx8m-plus.

Variscite (www.variscite.com) has specialised in SoM design and manufacturing since 2003. The company claims to offer the most extensive Arm-based SoM portfolio in the embedded market. Its in-house production complies with ISO 13485 and 9001 medical and industrial standards.