Introducing The Nitrogen8M - The First Commercial i.MX 8M SBC

Published on March 13, 2018

Boundary Devices is pleased to announce that the Nitrogen8M SBC is available for pre-order now. While we may not be the first to announce an i.MX 8M based solution, we are the first to announce a fully designed and tested i.MX 8M based Single Board Computer (SBC) suitable for rugged, commercial use.

Nitrogen8M SBC        Nitrogen8M Bottom View

We will offer three options for our customers to pre-order, all of which will ship in the Spring. Our Nitrogen8M selections at launch include:

The Nitrogen8M features NXP’s new i.MX 8M Quad processor to support today’s data hungry applications that require high-performance, low-power processors. The board also features a robust set of features that will allow for rapid evaluation and development for a variety of embedded and IoT applications.

As the company who brought you the globally adopted SABRE Lite i.MX 6 development board (now BD-SL-i.MX6), we have leveraged our long history of NXP partnership and i.MX processor experience to design the next-generation, go-to evaluation platform for engineers looking to get started with the i.MX 8M application processor.

Processors, Memory and Storage

The Nitrogen8M is launching with the i.MX 8M Quad processor, with i.MX 8M Dual and QuadLite versions available on request. The i.MX 8MQ features 4 Cortex-A53 (1.5GHz) and 1 Cortex-M4F (266MHz) cores.

It comes standard with 2Gb of LPDDR4 of RAM, and can be expanded to 4GB. The launch version also features 8GB eMMC that can expanded up to 128GB. 

Networking Specifications

Nitrogen8M includes the latest in network connectivity options to serve IoT applications that employ edge, cloud, and/or fog computing.

The SBC comes with a Gigabit Ethernet port as well as the BD-SDMAC, a pre-certified WiFi 802.11ac + Bluetooth 4.1 module based on the QCA9377. All this allows engineers flexibility when determining how their end products stay connected.

Audio and Video Specifications

Nitrogen8M was designed to take full advantage of the i.MX 8M’s industry-leading audio, voice and video processing, leveraging the GC7000Lite’s 2D/3D/VG graphics processing.

The board includes a HDMI (4K@60fps) and 4-lane MIPI-DSI (1080p) display connections; two, 4-lane MIPI-CSI; and headphone, microphone and amplifier interfaces.

 Operating System Support

As with all of Boundary Devices’ SBCs and SOMs, the Nitrogen8M will come with an extensive set of operating system options.

The board supports Yocto, Ubuntu/Debian, Buildroot, FreeRTOS (M4 Core), and Android OS images. All of these OS options will include our best-in-class support via our Wiki, Blog, and Support page.

Full Specifications for the Nitrogen8M

The Nitrogen8M comes pre-populated with the most robust set of connectivity options available to allow for rapid development and validation of your next project. The boards are also be built with Boundary Device’s industry-leading, production-ready standards and include options such as industrial temp and conformal coating.

All this allows the Nitrogen8M to be used as an evaluation platform or production-ready solution. Review the full list of the specifications below. More information including pricing and availability can be found on the Nitrogen8M product page:

  • CPU — i.MX 8M Quad Core (x4 Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz; Cortex-M4 @ 266MHz)
  • RAM — 2GB LPDDR4 (4GB Optional)
  • Storage — 8GB eMMC (upgradeable to 128GB)
  • GPU — Vivante GC7000Lite
  • Camera — x2 4-lane MIPI-CSI
  • Display — x1 HDMI (w/CEC) and x1 MIPI DSI
  • Wireless —802.11 ac and Bluetooth 4.1 BD-SDMAC Module (QCA9377)
  • Networking — Gigabit Ethernet port
  • Other I/O:
    • x3 USB 3.0 Host ports
    • x1 USB 3.0 OTG port
    • x3 I2C
    • x1 SPI
    • x3 RS-232
    • x1 SD/MMC
    • x1 RTC + battery
    • x2 PCIe (1 Mini-PCIE connector, 1 on expansion connector)
    • x1 JTAG
  • Power — 5V DC input
  • Operating Temperature — 0 to 70°C (Industrial Optional)
  • Operating System — Yocto, Ubuntu/Debian, Buildroot, FreeRTOS (M4 Core), Android