On July 16, Germany’s Congardt, a leading provider of embedded and edge computing technologies, introduced a High Performance Computing module (COM) powered by NXP’s i.MX 95 processor, expanding its portfolio of modules based on low-power NXP i.MX Arm processors. As a result, Congatet has strengthened its close partnership with NXP. Customers will benefit from the scalability of standard modules and a reliable upgrade path to meet the high security requirements of existing and new energy efficient edge AI applications.

GFD563A101 In these applications, the new module delivers up to three times better floating-point computing (GFLOPS) performance compared to the previous generation i.MX8 M Plus processor. NXP’s new neural processing unit, eIQ Neutron, doubles the performance of AI-accelerated machine vision reasoning. In addition, the hardware-integrated EdgeLock® Security zone simplifies the implementation of internal network security.

The new conga-SMX95 SMARC modules support industrial temperature ranges from -40°C to +85°C, are mechanically reliable, and are optimized for cost and energy efficiency. The integrated high-performance eIQ Neutron NPU enables AI-accelerated workload execution closer to the on-premises device level. Typical applications of the new SMARC modules for low-power AI acceleration include industrial production, machine vision and vision inspection, rugged human-machine interfaces, 3D printers, AMR and AGV robotic controllers, and medical imaging and patient monitoring systems. Other targeted applications include passenger-back entertainment systems for buses and airplanes, transportation fleet management, and construction and agricultural applications.

GFD563A101

Detailed function introduction

GFD563A101 The new conga-SMX95 SMARC 2.1 module is based on the next-generation NXP i.MX 95 application processor and features 4-6 Arm Cortex-A55 cores. For the first time, NXP has used the new Arm Mali 3D graphics unit, which offers up to three times better GPU performance compared to its predecessor based on the i.MX8 M Plus. Another new feature is the Image Signal Processor (ISP) for hardware-accelerated image processing. In particular, NXP eIQ Neutron NPU implements hardware-accelerated AI inference and edge machine learning (ML) in the new SMARC module. NXP’s corresponding eIQ® software development environment provides Oems with a high-performance development environment that simplifies the implementation of in-house ML applications.

In addition, the new SMARC module integrates the real time domain for the real-time controller. The conga-SMX95 SMARC module provides two TSN-enabled Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for synchronous and deterministic network data transfer, as well as LPDDR5 (in-band ECC) for data security. In terms of display connectivity, the new module provides DisplayPort as a standard interface with the still widely used LVDS as a display interface. In order to connect the camera directly, the module is equipped with 2 MIPI-CSI interfaces.

Congatet also offers an extensive hardware and software ecosystem and comprehensive design services to simplify and accelerate application development. These services include evaluation and production ready application carrier boards and customized cooling solutions. On the service side, Congatet provides comprehensive documentation, training and signal integrity measurement to support application development.