i.MX 93W fuses Edge compute and secure wireless connectivity

NXP Semiconductors has announced the i.MX 93W applications processor, expanding NXP’s i.MX 93 family. Purpose-built to accelerate physical AI deployment, the i.MX 93W SoC is the first applications processor to combine a dedicated AI neural processing unit (NPU) with secure tri-radio wireless connectivity.

This high degree of integration allows customers to replace up to 60 discrete components with a single package. Pre-certified reference designs eliminate many common integration challenges, reducing the complexity, cost and risk traditionally associated with RF design. Supported by NXP’s software and industry-leading eIQ AI enablement solutions, the i.MX 93W also supports smaller form factors and is designed to accelerate time-to-market for physical AI applications.

Physical AI requires coordinated AI agents to collaborate locally, taking real-time action with low latency and high reliability. For example, AI agents might coordinate across a smart building’s lighting, HVAC, access control, occupancy and smart energy systems to autonomously optimise comfort, energy efficiency, and operational responsiveness securely in real time.

NXP’s new i.MX 93W addresses this need by integrating scalable edge compute, AI acceleration, and secure wireless connectivity in a single package, supported by NXP’s software, eIQ AI enablement and pre-certified reference designs. This allows coordinated AI agents to locally manage physical environments, such as a group of healthcare agents working together to coordinate wearables, smart diagnostics, sensors and health gateways that deliver real-time healthcare insights and actions. The highly integrated i.MX 93W SoC also allows customers to rapidly scale physical AI across healthcare devices, smart building controllers, industrial gateways, energy infrastructure monitors and smart home hubs.

“With the i.MX 93W, we’re extending the i.MX 9 family to help customers scale physical AI faster,” said Charles Dachs, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Secure Connected Edge at NXP Semiconductors. “This new platform simplifies integration of AI and secure wireless connectivity, reducing design complexity and allowing customers to more quickly deploy AI agents at the edge.”

Robust ecosystem speeds development

“The new i.MX 93W SoC is an exciting addition to the i.MX portfolio, combining powerful application processing, integrated AI acceleration and secure wireless connectivity in a highly compact SiP architecture,” said Andreas Kopietz Dipl.-Ing., Sales Manager, F&S Elektronik Systeme. “For embedded developers, the combination of the i.MX 93 applications processor with integrated Wi-Fi6, Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Zigbee significantly simplifies system design and certification. This allows our customers to reduce development effort, lower certification costs, and accelerate time-to-market for connected HMI, industrial and IoT devices.”

“As smart IoT gateways and edge-connected devices continue to scale, developers need production-ready platforms with strong wireless performance, security, and power efficiency,” said Ahmed Shameem, Associate Director of System on Modules at iWave. “By offering the i.MX 93W as a fully integrated System on Module with built-in Wi-Fi 6 tri-radio connectivity, we are helping to simplify design, reduce development risk and accelerate time-to-market for next-generation industrial and smart IoT products and applications.”

“Vantron is proud to collaborate closely with NXP to bring advanced embedded intelligence to industrial automation,” said Bo Wei, CEO at Vantron Technology.

“As a highly integrated SiP platform combining application processing and Wi-Fi connectivity, i.MX 93W simplifies system design and reduces development and certification efforts. This integration enables our customers to accelerate time-to-market, optimise overall system cost, and deploy robust, secure solutions for the demanding environments of machinery manufacturing, while ensuring long-term operational reliability.”

Integrated scalable compute and secure connectivity deliver physical AI

The i.MX 93W applications processor combines a dedicated AI NPU with secure tri-radio wireless connectivity in a single package. This eliminates the need for up to 60 discrete components, significantly reducing board area, design and supply chain complexity and system-level costs. The i.MX 93W features a dual-core Arm CortexA55 applications processor with a dedicated Arm Ethos NPU capable of up to 1.8 eTOPs. The integrated IW610 tri-radio combines Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Energy, and 802.15.4 connectivity supporting Matter and Thread deployments. This eliminates complex RF tuning steps and coexistence challenges that traditionally slow development and certification, speeding time-to-market.

Security by design with EdgeLock Secure Enclave

The i.MX 93W SoC integrates an EdgeLock Secure Enclave (Advanced Profile), addressing regulatory requirements, including European Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). The embedded EdgeLock Secure Enclave is a hardware root of trust simplifying implementation of security-critical functions like secure boot, secure update, device attestation and secure device access. Combined with NXP’s EdgeLock 2GO key management services, OEMs can securely provision i.MX 93W SoC-based products at device manufacturing or in the field.

Pre-certified reference designs speed time-to-market

NXP’s pre-certified i.MX 93W SoC-based single and dual-antenna reference designs minimise RF tuning effort and eliminating many common integration challenges. Certified across multiple countries and regions, these reference designs reduce the complexity, cost and risk traditionally associated with RF design and wireless certification. By leveraging validated antenna options and pre-approved designs, customers can shorten regulatory approval timelines, reduce development cost, and bring products to market faster.