Crossover applications processors feature enhanced security

Expanding its EdgeVerse portfolio of crossover applications processors for industrial and IoT edge applications,  NXP Semiconductors N.V. has added the ultra-low-power i.MX 8ULP and i.MX 8ULP-CS (cloud secured) Microsoft Azure Sphere-certified families, as well as next-generation i.MX 9 series of high performance intelligent applications processors. The expansion also includes the introduction of the EdgeLock secure enclave for enhanced security and Energy Flex architecture for optimized efficiency in edge devices.

These applications processors are designed for ultra-low-power processing and trusted cloud-to-edge security to meet the processing, energy efficiency, and security required for new edge devices. The secure enclave will be a standard integrated feature across the i.MX 8ULP, i.MX 8ULP-CS with Azure Sphere, and i.MX 9 applications processors. They also will incorporate the Energy Flex architecture, enabling developers to tailor application-specific power performance.

The i.MX 8ULP family features up to two Arm Cortex-A35 running at 1 GHz, an Arm Cortex-M33 core, 3D/2D graphics processing units (GPUs) and a Cadence Tensilica Hifi 4 DSP and Fusion DSP for low-power audio/voice and edge AI/ML processing. The i.MX 8ULP-CS is the cloud-secured version that offers Azure Sphere-certification. It incorporates Microsoft Pluton enabled on the EdgeLock secure enclave as the secured root of trust built into the silicon.

Click for larger image. (Image: NXP)

Incorporating EdgeLock and the Energy Flex architecture, the scalable i.MX 9 series applications processors offer higher performance applications cores, an independent MCU-like real-time domain, dedicated multi-sensory data processing engines (graphics, image, display, audio and voice) as well as integrates hardware neural processing units across the series for acceleration of machine learning (ML) applications at the edge.

NXP said the i.MX 9 marks the first implementation of the Arm Ethos U-65 microNPU, which enables low cost, energy-efficient edge ML. The first families in the i.MX 9 series will be built in 16/12-nm FinFET class of process technology with specific low power optimization.

Self-managed, autonomous on-die security subsystem

The EdgeLock secure enclave is a pre-configured security subsystem that simplifies implementation of complex security technologies. It enhances protection to the edge device by providing autonomous management of critical security functions, such as root of trust, run-time attestation, trust provisioning, secure boot, key management, and cryptographic services, while simplifying the path to industry-standard security certifications, said NXP. It also intelligently tracks power transitions when end-user applications are running to help prevent new attack surfaces from emerging.

Tailoring application-specific power performance

Energy optimization at the chip level is becoming increasingly important for designing energy-efficient edge systems, said NXP. The Energy Flex architecture is designed to extend battery life and optimize energy efficiency in portable or plugged-in devices.

In the i.MX 8ULP and i.MX 8ULP-CS families, the Energy Flex architecture delivers as much as 75% improved energy efficiency than its predecessor by combining heterogeneous domain processing, design techniques, and 28-nm FD-SOI process technology, said NXP. These processors feature a programmable power management subsystem that can manage more than 20 different power mode configurations to deliver energy efficiency from full power to as low as 30 microwatts, according to the company.

Azure Sphere

Click for larger image. (Image: NXP)

NXP partnered with Microsoft to bring trusted management services to its customers with Azure Sphere chip-to-cloud security in the i.MX 8ULP-CS (cloud secured) applications processor family. The i.MX 8ULP-CS with Azure Sphere incorporates Microsoft Pluton enabled on EdgeLock secure enclave as the secured root of trust built into the silicon itself. Azure Sphere also includes the secured Azure Sphere OS, the cloud-based Azure Sphere Security Service, and ongoing OS updates and security improvements for over ten years.

Azure Sphere chip-to-cloud security will be enabled on specific i.MX 9 series products. This will give developers a broader set of processor options to implement managed device security across more of their products, said NXP.