NXP Debuts Versatile Wireless Microcontroller Range at Embedded World Exhibition
At Embedded World 2024, NXP unveiled a fresh lineup of wireless MCUs designed to address the complex challenges of IoT and industrial applications. As wireless connectivity becomes increasingly prevalent, these new NXP MCUs offer designers a wider range of options to enhance the wireless capabilities of their devices.
The MCX W series offers designers a scalable solution to entering the wireless world.
The latest MCUs enhance NXP's existing MCX microcontroller collection with additional functionalities and peripherals. We discussed the distinct characteristics of the new MCX W series with Sujata Neidig, NXP's Marketing Director for Wireless Connectivity, and Charlie Ice, Product Marketing Manager for Connectivity, to gain deeper insights into what sets this series apart.
At Embedded World 2024, Charlie Ice of NXP Semiconductor described the latest advancements from NXP, including the MCX W series.
Enhanced Wireless MCU Range for Diverse Design Requirements
NXP's MCX W series encompasses two distinct families to cater to a broader spectrum of design requirements. The W71x family is optimized for simple, power-efficient applications, while the W72x family is equipped with expanded memory and superior wireless capabilities.
Sujata Neidig highlighted three principal attributes that differentiate the MCX W series. Initially, it offers secure support for an array of wireless protocols such as Wi-Fi, Thread, Matter, Zigbee, and BLE. Secondly, the W72x family introduces the novel Bluetooth Channel Sounding feature, enabling precise measurement of the distance between Bluetooth-enabled devices. Lastly, the series boasts scalability and compatibility, aligning seamlessly with NXP's broader MCX product range.
The MCX W72x family block diagram highlights the features added to the MCU family, including a dedicated processor for some subsystems.
Optimized MCU Options for Streamlined Design
NXP's MCX W series offers two families, the W71x and W72x, each with distinct performance levels but designed with similar features to minimize redevelopment efforts. Available in a 48-pin QFN package, both families facilitate hardware design portability, while sharing an Arm Cortex-M33 processor clocked at 96 MHz to significantly reduce redevelopment duration for varying computing needs.
The W71x is also provided in a 40-pin QFN option, and the W72x comes in a 112-pin BGA package, catering to applications demanding additional GPIOs.
Specialized Wireless Functionality
A salient aspect of the MCX W series is its dedicated radio subsystem, which offloads wireless computation tasks from the main processor, using a dedicated Arm processor for radio management. This design ethos ensures that the application processor’s resources are not diverted to communication tasks.
Sujata Neidig emphasized the significance of this subsystem design, stating:
"The core architecture separates the primary processor, which handles the application code and memory, from the radio, which has its own dedicated core and memory. This separation guarantees a robust wireless performance, as it allocates low-level wireless functions to the radio subsystem, thereby reducing interference and liberating the main core for application processing. The radio also possesses its Flash for certain wireless tasks, facilitating convenient software updates for new Bluetooth versions or security enhancements, providing our clients with the latest features."
Equipped with a broad array of peripherals suitable for industrial and IoT uses, the MCX W series also emphasizes security via NXP's EdgeLock Secure Enclave. Furthermore, beyond supporting quintessential IoT protocols like Wi-Fi, Thread, Matter, Zigbee, and BLE, the W72x family introduces Bluetooth Channel Sounding for precise device localization, setting the stage for innovative applications without additional strain on the processor.
In addition to communication, designers can accomplish sensing using Bluetooth Channel Sounding.
Neidig emphasized the incorporation of a specialized localization computation engine within the hardware of the MCX W series. "Consider it an onboard hardware accelerator designed to conduct computations swiftly, further diminishing response times."
Broadening Horizons with Wireless Capabilities
NXP is gearing up to release samples of the MCX W series microcontrollers in the second half of 2024. Alongside these MCUs, NXP will provide evaluation modules enabling designers to personally gauge performance. The company also anticipates ongoing enhancement of its offerings, with updates accessible via the MCUXpresso SDK.
Addressing the urgent need for energy efficiency in the building automation sector, Neidig commented, "With buildings squandering 30% of energy, there's a heightened focus on diminishing the global carbon footprint. What's the solution? We believe that embracing interoperable wireless technologies for automated control stands as a critical strategy to catalyze this shift towards greater efficiency."
All images used courtesy of NXP.
