Phytec has announced an embedded processor module aimed at simplifying the development of devices based on Freescale's highly-integrated i.MX31 SoC (system-on-chip). The PhyCore-i.MX31 comes with a Linux BSP, and is optionally available with a carrier board and touchscreen LCD.

The Freescale i.MX31 SoC, which forms the core of Phytec's 3.3 x 2.3-inch processor module, integrates an ARM1136 processor core along with a Java accelerator, a vector floating point math coprocessor, a video processing engine that supports full-motion (30 frames/sec) VGA video, and numerous other functions and interfaces (see block diagram).

The PhyCore-i.MX31 (left) fits onto the carrier board provided with the companion development kit (right)
On the PhyCore-i.MX31 module, the processor is clocked at a core frequency of 532 MHz. Offered memory configurations include 128 MB or 512 MB of RAM, 512 KB or 2 MB of SRAM, 32 MB or 64 MB of NOR flash, and 64 MB or 1 GB of NAND flash.

Features and specifications listed by Phytec for the PhyCore-i.MX31 processor module include:

• Processor — Freescale i.MX31 clocked at 532 MHz

• Memory:
  • 128 MB or 512 MB of RAM
    
  • 512 KB or 2 MB of SRAM
    
  • 32 MB or 64 MB of NOR flash
    
  • 64 MB or 1 GB of NAND flash

• Display — accelerated LCD controller
  
• Networking — 10/100 Ethernet
  
• Other I/O:
  • ATA interface
    
  • 3 x USB 2.0
    
  • CAN SJA1000 field bus interface (on carrier board)
    
  • 3 x SPI
    
  • 2 x SSI (I²S)
    
  • 3 x I²C
    
  • 1-wire interface to fast IrDA
    
  • 5 x serial ports
• Expansion:
  • 2 x MMC/SD (1 card slot)
    
  • PCMCIA/CompactFlash interface

• Dimensions — 3.3 x 2.3 inches (84 x 58 mm)

• Temperature range — 0 to 70 deg. C (-40 to +85 deg. C, “optional”)

Development kit

Phytec says the PhyCore-i.MX31 is available as part of a “Rapid Development Kit” that includes a carrier board, a 3.5-inch QVGA LCD (Sharp LQ035Q7DH06) with integrated touch and LED backlighting, an AC power adapter for the required 5 VDC input, and a Phytec tools CD.

According to Phytec, signals pass from the PhyCore-i.MX31 to its companion carrier board via two high density, 200-pin connectors. The carrier board is said to include I/O connectors plus some interface circuitry not present on the module itself. Once programmed, the module can be removed from the carrier board and inserted like a “big chip” in a target hardware application.

Key features and specifications listed by Phytec for the carrier board include:

• Networking — RJ-45 10/100 Ethernet connector
  
• Audio — AC97 audio/touch controller (Wolfson WM9713L) (microphone, speaker, line in, line out)
  
• Other I/O:
  • GPIO expansion board connector (provides all signals from module to user port)
    
  • USB host standard-A socket
    
  • USB OTG connector

  • 2 x DB-9 sockets for RS-232 interfaces
    
  • DB-9 socket for CAN (CAN controller NXP SJA1000T)
    
  • camera ZIF connector and pin header
    
  • ZigBee connector
    
  • Interface for matrix keyboard
    
  • Lithium cell connector
    
  • JTAG interface

• Expansion:
  • CompactFlash card slot
    
  • SD/MMC card slot

The carrier board also includes power on-off buttons, power LEDs, and a system reset button.

On the software side, the Linux BSP supplied by Phytec is currently available, although many features are not yet complete. The list below shows asterisks (*) for BSP features yet to be completed:

• i.MX31
• DDRAM – detection of memory size*
• NOR Flash – CFI, boot device MTD drive
• NAND Flash – boot device*, MTD device*
• Ethernet 10/100MBit
• Serial COM interfaces – UART3, UART2, UART1
• USB Host – keyboard, mouse, memory devices
• USB OTG HS -USB Ethernet gadget, file storing gadget
• LCD display – 320 x 240, backlight control
• LCD display touch – tslib*, X11*
• SD/SDIO
• One wire interface*
• Audio – Line out, Line In, Mixer, MIC-IN
• Compact Flash
• SPI*
• I2C
• RTC*
• EEPROM*
• Camera interface*
• CAN
• SRAM battery buffered*
• Power Management*

Availability

According to Phytec, the PhyCore-i.MX31 module is available now for approximately $260. The Rapid Development Kit, including the module, LCD, and carrier board, costs approximately $849. The Linux BSP is available pre-installed on the board, or separately by emailing the company. Alternatively, the product is offered with support for Windows CE 6.0.

---

 
This article was originally published on LinuxDevices.com and has been donated to the open source community by QuinStreet Inc. Please visit LinuxToday.com for up-to-date news and articles about Linux and open source.