Israeli system on module (SoM) maker Variscite presented a working demonstration of its Var-SoM-MX91 at last week’s Computex show in Taipei as NXP announced the i.MX 91 SoC.

The module is cost-optimised for embedded designs in various applications such as IoT, smart home, connected sensors, industrial controllers and metering. It is based on the NXP i.MX 91, which features an Arm Cortex-A55 running at 1.4GHz, 2Gbyte LPDDR4 memory, dual Gigabit Ethernet, dual USB, dual Can-FD, audio in and out, ADC, certified single or dual-band wifi, Bluetooth and Bluetooth LE, and display output along with integrated EdgeLock secure enclave and industrial temperature grade.

This is the latest entry into the firm’s Var-SoM Pin2Pin family, which enables compatibility with a wide range of SoMs based on different processors and performances, starting from i.MX6UL and i.MX 6ULL modules, through iMX6, i.MX 8M Mini, Nano and Plus, i.MX93 and AM625x, up to the high-performance i.MX 8X and i.MX 8QuadMax.

This product family allows Variscite’s customers to scale at any point of the product lifecycle while using the same carrier board for all platforms. The Pin2Pin family provides an extended lifespan, reduced development time, costs and risks as well as scalability options from entry-level to high-performance modules.

The Var-SoM-MX91 shares similarity with the recently released Var-SoM-MX93 based on the i.MX93 processor. Both SoMs share industrial features such as the Can, GbE and industrial temperature rating, while the MX91 has leaner specifications to optimise cost.

“Variscite is pleased to leverage its early access to NXP’s application processors by launching a SoM simultaneously with NXP’s release of the i.MX 91 processor,” said Ofer Austerlitz, vice president at Variscite. “We continue to set market benchmarks in terms of reliability, scalability and price. With the Var-SoM-MX91, we are able to deliver for cost-sensitive designs with rich connectivity and scalability under our Pin2Pin family.”

Currently in pre-release, evaluation platforms of the Var-SoM-MX91 are expected in the second half of 2023. It has an expected longevity of 15 years.

Variscite has been a SoM designer and manufacturer since 2003. The company provides Arm-based SoMs with configuration options that cover an entire embedded product and application range, from entry level to high performance. Its in-house production complies with the medical ISO13485 and ISO9001 standards.