ROHM's ultra-low IQ PMIC to power NXP iMX8M Nano processor

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ROHM Semiconductor announced that Embedded Artists — the producer of embedded SoMs and boards for use in industrial systems and as development platforms — is using a highly integrated PMIC from ROHM, together with NXP’s i.MX 8M Nano processor, on its iMX8M Nano uCOM board to deliver a robust and cost-effective solution for industrial applications.

ROHM’s BD71847AMWV is a system PMIC for i.MX 8M Nano, as well as 8M Mini.

Developed in collaboration between Embedded Artists, NXP, and ROHM, the uCOM board measures just 45mm x 42mm, and features the i.MX 8M Nano processor with Quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M7 running at up to 1.5GHz/750MHz. Its low-power consumption suits it to long duty cycle, battery-powered remote applications.

The 13,800 DMIPS high-performance board also includes:

1 GByte DDR4 2400 MT/s
16-bit databus
8 GByte eMMC onboard Flash
MIPI-DSI graphical output and MIPI-CSI camera input
USB2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, and other interfaces
An optional Murata 1MW Wi-Fi/BT module that supports 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and BT/BLE 5.0.

“Our PMIC was designed to support NXP’s i.MX 8M Mini and Nano across their intended applications, in a broad range of consumer and industrial products,” said David Doan, senior product manager at ROHM. “While flexibility – software programmability and OTP “configurability” – is a key feature, it is first and foremost a low-cost, all-in-one power solution for the SoC, memories, and common system peripherals.”

In addition to power rails, DVFS support, and programmable sequencer, BD71847AMWV integrates a programmable power button, 32 kHz crystal driver, and buffered output clock, extensive fault detection, and protection circuitry. These features and factors help reduce development time, decrease risk, and simplify application design.

“The hysteretic synchronous topology provides good transient response and efficiency, even with a light load,” added Doan. “The PMIC’s pinout is tailored to that of the SoC to ease PCB layout; remote sensing is not needed. I hope it is reassuring for customers to know that this PMIC has been validated by NXP, is on its EVKs, and is fully supported in i.MX 8M Mini and Nano BSPs.”

Customers can use BD71847AMWV in i.MX 8M Mini and Nano designs using the same PCB. For customers who wish to optimize their PCB for i.MX Nano designs, ROHM also offers a pin-compatible BD71850MWV solution.

“The robust design of the BD71847AMWV is a perfect fit for the demanding designs of the industrial market. The high efficiency translates into lower operating temperature and improved reliability,” said Anders Rosvall, technical director at Embedded Artists. “We saved a considerable amount of engineering time by choosing this well-designed and well-documented PMIC.”