Ohio-based Laird Connectivity has introduced what it says is its most versatile, feature-rich and secure system-on-module (SoM) to date.

The Summit SoM 8M Plus integrates hardware and software, combining NXP multi-core applications processing with dual-band 2×2 Wifi 5 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. It can serve as the core platform for wireless IoT applications.

Powered by the NXP i.MX 8M Plus applications processor and the 88W8997 wireless SoC, the SoM is suitable for heterogenous multiprocessing, delivering a power-efficient quad Arm Cortex-A53 MPU and Cortex-M7.

Users can leverage hardware acceleration for machine learning with an integrated 2.3Tops neural processing unit, multimedia (graphics, video, vision and audio) with a DSP core and GPU, connectivity, and security.

The module’s array of interfaces includes support for up to three displays and several options for video out, camera, audio and IO. The onboard Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M7 cores allow simultaneous Linux and RTOS execution on dedicated, firewalled subsystems, and the quad-core i.MX 8M Plus SoC is powerful enough to run multiple instances of Linux for purposes such as user interface and connectivity.

“The i.MX 8M Plus applications processor is well-suited for industrial-grade connected systems,” said Justin Mortimer, global marketing manager at NXP Semiconductors. “Customers leveraging the Summit SoM 8M Plus will be able to target a variety of applications that range from industrial HMI, machine vision, service robot and drone control, fleet analytics, building management systems, gateways, and audio voice systems.”

Security and longevity are core pillars of the module. It is designed from the ground up with Summit Suite security architecture. The Summit Suite chain of trust secure enclave and secure boot, powered by the i.MX 8M Plus, enables root of trust hardware-based software validation and a flexible secure storage system for passwords, certificates and data storage, with an upcoming Summit Suite FIPS Cryptographic module (FIPS 140-3 Level One) validation.

With pin-compatible connectivity, refreshed modules will be available in the future as NXP updates its 2×2 wifi plus Bluetooth combo silicon to the latest standards. Additionally, the i.MX 8M Plus processor is backed by NXP’s product longevity programme, which ensures availability of 15-plus years.

The SoM is suitable for applications such as harsh, industrial IoT rugged handheld devices, industrial IoT gateways, IoT vision and healthcare devices. It supports the WPA3-Personal, WPA3-Enterprise and WPA3-Enterprise CNSA/SuiteB 192bit security standards and has an upcoming FIPS 140-3 certification.

It is globally certified to reduce barrier to entry. Regulatory certifications will include FCC, IC, CE, RCM, MIC and Bluetooth SIG approvals.