System-on-Module Built for IoT Applications
What you’ll learn:
- Why design with system-on-modules (SOMs)?
- How plug-compatible SOMs provide deployment alternatives.
System-on-modules (SOMs) reduce carrier board complexity and provide flexibility when it comes to deployment when you have a family like Digi International's ConnectCore. Bob Blumenscheid, Field Engineer, presents an overview of the ConnectCore 93 and ConnectCore 95 modules (Fig. 1). Both use the Digi SMTplus 40- × 45-mm form factor.
Not all of Digi’s modules have artificial-intelligence (AI) support but these two offer it (Fig. 2). The ConnectCore 93/91 integrates NXP’s i.MX 93 or 91, which incorporate an Arm Ethos U65 that delivers 1 TOPS. The ConnectCore 95 is built around NXP’s i.MX 95 with an 8-TOPS NXP eIQ Neutron NPU N3-1024S.
These ConnectCore modules include pre-certified tri-band 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5 wireless connectivity. The systems support Digi TrustFence device security, identity, and privacy via the dedicated Cortex-M33 security core.
The ConnectCore 95 is the latest version with more storage and computational features. It can handle up to 128 GB of eMMC storage as well as 16 GB of LPDDR5 DRAM. In addition to a more powerful NPU, the module adds an 800-MHz Cortex-M7 for real-time applications.
On the connectivity side, it adds a 10-Gb Ethernet port along with the ConnectCore 93/91’s dual gigabit Ethernet ports. All support time-sensitive networking (TSN). There’s also an additional USB 3 port and twice as many 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) ports. Multimedia capabilities are more substantial than the ConnectCore 93/91 family.
On the software side, the modules support Digi Embedded Yocto Linux as well as cloud IoT.
Digi Cloud Connectivity
Digi XBee wireless modules are an alternative or complement to the ConnectCore SOMs (Fig. 3). Like the ConnectCore modules, XBee modules are plug-compatible. This allows a designer to swap in the needed wireless protocol, often with minimal software changes if any. XBee modules can also provide a ConnectCore system with connectivity that they don’t support, such as LoRaWAN or cellular.
Digi’s IoT Application Framework (watch the video below) securely links ConnectCore devices to Digi’s ConnectCore Cloud Services. Users can manage the devices using open APIs and online dashboards. It utilizes a pay-per-use subscription model.
About the Author
William G. Wong
Senior Content Director - Electronic Design and Microwaves & RF
I am Editor of Electronic Design focusing on embedded, software, and systems. As Senior Content Director, I also manage Microwaves & RF and I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, programmers, developers and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.
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I earned a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Masters in Computer Science from Rutgers University. I still do a bit of programming using everything from C and C++ to Rust and Ada/SPARK. I do a bit of PHP programming for Drupal websites. I have posted a few Drupal modules.
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Mark Grierson
Field Applications Engineer, Digi International
Mark Grierson is a Field Applications Engineer at Digi International. He’s responsible for assisting the Sales Team in closing new business opportunities. This position is responsible for working directly with customers in a pre-sales and post-sales role, providing technical guidance and design consulting on the best use of Digi products as it pertains to technical needs.