The NXP i.MX6ULL is a low-power ARM Cortex-A7 processor designed for industrial control and IoT edge computing. With its strong balance of cost-effectiveness and a wide range of peripheral interfaces, it holds a significant position in the embedded systems market.
Built on a 40nm process, the i.MX6ULL is a single-core processor with a maximum frequency of 900MHz. It supports low-power operation modes (as low as 150mW), making it suitable for cost-sensitive applications that also demand long-term stability.
The ARMxy BL310 embedded gateway from BLIIoT is built on the i.MX6ULL processor, offering optional ROM and I/O modules, and is widely deployed in industrial IoT and industrial automation control systems.
| Parameter | Specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CPU Architecture | ARM Cortex-A7 Single-core @ 900MHz | Supports Thumb-2 instruction set |
| Process Node | 40nm | Balances power and performance |
| Computing Power | 1.57 DMIPS/MHz (~1413 DMIPS total) | Suitable for lightweight tasks |
| Memory Support | 256MB–512MB DDR3/LPDDR2 (16-bit bus) | Compact memory footprint |
| Graphics | No GPU, 2D acceleration (PXP) | Max resolution 800×480 |
| Typical Power | 150mW (idle) / 500mW (full load) | Ideal for battery-powered devices |
Communication Interfaces:
2 × 10/100M Ethernet (with IEEE 1588 PTP support)
2 × CAN 2.0B (industrial bus protocol)
8 × UART (for multi-serial applications)
Storage Expansion:
Supports eMMC 4.5 / SD 3.0 / NAND Flash
8KB EEPROM interface
Industrial Control:
16-bit parallel camera interface (CSI)
8 × PWM (motor and backlight control)
(1) Industrial Control
PLC/HMI: Multi-serial communication + CAN bus control
Smart meters: Low-power operation + local display
Motor drives: Precise PWM control
(2) IoT Edge Devices
Protocol gateways: Modbus RTU ↔ MQTT conversion
Data acquisition terminals: Sensor aggregation via SPI/I2C
(3) Consumer Embedded Devices
Portable medical devices: Battery-powered with basic UI
Smart home controllers: Ethernet or Wi-Fi networking
| Feature | i.MX6ULL | RT1050 |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Cortex-A7 @ 900MHz | Cortex-M7 @ 600MHz |
| OS Support | Linux (Yocto/Debian) | FreeRTOS / bare-metal |
| Real-time | Moderate (μs response) | Strong (ns response) |
| Peripheral | Rich I/O (8× UART + 2× CAN) | High-performance I/O (USB HS, GbE) |
| Typical Cost | $0.70–$1.10 per unit | $0.85–$1.40 per unit |
Selection Guidelines:
Choose i.MX6ULL for Linux ecosystem and multitasking.
Choose RT1050 for strict real-time control.
Official SDK: NXP provides Linux 4.1.15 BSP support
Evaluation Boards:
NXP EVK evaluation kit
Third-party boards (e.g., Wildfire, Atomic)
Operating Systems:
Linux (mainline kernel supported)
FreeRTOS (requires customized peripheral drivers)
Advantages:
✓ Industrial-grade reliability (-40℃ ~ 105℃ wide temperature)
✓ Ultra-low-power design (ideal for battery-powered use)
✓ Rich peripheral interfaces (UART/CAN as industrial standard)
Limitations:
✗ Single-core performance is limited (not suited for complex algorithms)
✗ No hardware floating-point unit (FPU emulated in software)
Best Fit Applications:
Industrial HMI, smart meters, and serial device servers
Mid-to-low complexity control systems
A solid upgrade path from legacy ARM9/ARM11 platforms
