Freescale expands connectivity, ‘smart touch’ and security options for industrial and automotive designs

New i.MX25 applications processor family integrates extensive selection of on-chip peripherals to help reduce development costs

i.MX25 applications processor based on the the ARM9(tm) core

AUSTIN, Texas .– The latest family of i.MX applications processors from Freescale Semiconductor is bringing a new level of connectivity, touch control, security and cost-saving integration to a wide range of industrial and automotive infotainment applications.

The i.MX25 family, based on the ARM9TM core, is Freescale’s first line of applications processors that integrates liquid crystal display (LCD) and touchscreen controllers, DDR2 memory support, and controller area network (CAN), Ethernet and USB connectivity. This high level of on-chip integration minimizes the need for additional discrete components, reduces board space and ultimately helps save development and product cost.

The low-power i.MX25 portfolio includes five products (three optimized for industrial and general embedded designs and two for automotive applications).

* The i.MX253 and i.MX257 applications processors provide flexible connectivity options for a wide range of industrial designs that often require LCD and touchscreen support. These applications include residential smart meters, graphical keypads and security panels, human machine interface (HMI) designs, barcode scanners, factory automation and robotics, and printers.
* A third industrial device, the i.MX258, is designed for the industrial security market. Featuring an on-chip security engine, the processor is ideal for developing exceptionally secure products for which it is critical that software code intended for the device will run only on that device. Highly specific tamper detection circuitry is engineered to quickly erase confidential information if a device threat is detected. The i.MX258 processor’s security and connectivity capabilities provide a robust and cost-effective solution for point-of-sale (POS) systems.
* The i.MX251 and i.MX255 applications processors are tailored for in-vehicle infotainment systems requiring many features of a high-end infotainment system but without the associated cost. The devices have achieved full AECQ-100 automotive qualification.



“Freescale designed the i.MX25 family to help embedded designers reduce the cost of adding connectivity, touchscreen, DDR2 memory and security features to their applications,” said Paul Marino, general manager of Freescale’s Multimedia Applications Division. “We are providing a superior level of on-chip integration and software development support to help our industrial and automotive customers create cost-competitive products and get them to market quickly.”

About the i.MX25 applications processor family
The i.MX25 applications processors provide a versatile range of connectivity and feature-set options for developers of industrial and automotive applications. The on-chip integration helps reduce system complexity and cost, enabling developers to create lower-tier products for cost-sensitive markets based on higher-end platforms, or to update an existing entry-level solution by adding more features.

The i.MX25 devices feature integrated 10/100 Ethernet, CAN, LCD and touchscreen controllers, USB 2.0 with PHY, enhanced security, A/D converters, memory interface controller including support for DDR2, CMOS sensor interface, and standard UART, I2C and SPI ports. Based on a 400MHz ARM9 core, the i.MX25 processors offer high performance within a low-power envelope, an ideal combination for battery-backed applications. For plugged in “always on” devices, the processors’ low-power consumption can improve energy efficiency.

Development tools and software
To help developers accelerate time to market, Freescale offers robust development tools and software support for the i.MX25 family of applications processors. The i.MX25 product development kit (PDK) is an integrated hardware and software solution that simplifies product development so developers can focus on the critical differentiation needed for market success. The i.MX25 PDK offers comprehensive board support for the Linux® and Windows® Embedded® CE operating systems.

Availability and pricing
The i.MX25 applications processors are now in production. Suggested resale pricing in 10,000-unit quantities ranges from $6.96- $9.73 (USD), depending on the device. The Product Development Kit based on the i.MX25 processor, for both the Linux and the Windows Embedded CE operating systems, is offered at $995 (USD).

To learn more about the i.MX25 applications processors, visit www.freescale.com/imx25 .