AAEON Leverages NXP i.MX 8M Plus Platform for New PICO-ITX and Mini PC Solutions with NPU

[AleksandarK]

Industry leader AAEON has expanded its RISC computing product portfolio with the release of the SRG-IMX8PL and PICO-IMX8PL, a Mini PC and 2.5" PICO-ITX board, respectively. Both products are powered by the NXP i.MX 8M Plus platform, featuring a quad-core Arm Cortex -A53 processor with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) operating at up to 2.3 TOPS.

Built to provide cost-efficient IoT Gateway solutions in rugged environments, the SRG-IMX8PL and PICO-IMX8PL both offer wide temperature ranges of -40°C to 80°C with the use of a fanless heatsink, a 9 V to 36 V power input range. The SRG-IMX8PL Mini PC also features enhanced shock, drop, and vibration resistance. Dual LAN ports with IEEE 1588 and TSN capabilities, alongside Wi-Fi and 4G module support via M.2 2230 E-Key and full-size mini card, provide each device with broad connectivity options for industrial IoT use. Additionally, both the PICO-IMX8PL and SRG-IMX8PL support a wide range of operating systems, including Debian 11, Android 13, Windows 10 IoT, and Yocto, as well as data communication protocols such as Modbus, MQTT, and OPC Unified Architecture (OPC UA).




Other key interfaces that make the two products well-suited for low-power, efficient IoT applications are the variety of industrial communication protocols they offer. Both platforms provide dual CAN-FD, dual COM for RS-232/422/485, and a range of other options such as GPIO, SPI, I2C, and UART. These interfaces offer scalability, long-distance communication, and wide compatibility for legacy systems.

It should also be noted that the SRG-IMX8PL is available with both wall-mount and DIN rail mounting options, making the compact system suitable for a variety of settings.

Pricing and ordering information are now available via AAEON's online contact form, with the products also available via the AAEON eShop.

For detailed specifications, please visit the IoT Gateway & Protocol Expansion section of the AAEON website.

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[Minus Infinity]

They really think 2.3TOPS is worth advertising!

 

[dragontamer5788]

i.MX 8 processors from NXP have a very strong reputation for low-power and capabilities in the embedded world.

SRG-IMX8PL

ARM NXP i.MX8M Plus Quad-Core, Cortex-A53 1.6GHz LPDDR4, up to 4 GB, eMMC 5.1 x 1 HDMI 2.0 x 1, GbE x 2, USB 3.0 Gen 1 x 2 M.2 2230 E Key x 1, Full-sized minicard x 1 COM x 2, CAN x 2, TPM 2.0 (Optional) Datasheet Manual

eshop.aaeon.com

At $300, its a bit pricy given that I know that i.MX also has a reputation for having easier-to-design motherboards. But you know what? Its still relatively cheap for an embedded device / SBC in the great scheme of things. You're paying for the "rugged" feature here, which is overkill for most people. But if you need a computer in a hot garage without AC full of dust, these sorts of "rugged" designs can be useful.

This probably would be the ideal computer to run shop equipment: 3d Printers, CNC Mills and the like. Rasp. Pi isn't quite "rugged" enough and i.MX 8 probably uses quite a bit less power.