element14 has announced the addition of NXP® Semiconductors’ all-purpose MCX-series of industrial and IoT microcontrollers to its portfolio, as well as new FRDM development boards in a platform that frees limitations to a design engineers’ imaginations. The MCX A series consists of the MCX A13x, MCX A14x, and MCX A15x.
These are mainstream, user-friendly MCUs with an innovative power architecture and software compatibility required for embedded applications such as industrial sensors, motor controls, battery or handheld power system controllers, IoT devices, and others.
The MCX A series, powered by the Arm® Cortex®-M33, are general-purpose MCUs designed to address a wide range of applications with scalable device options, low power consumption, and intelligent peripherals. The unique power architecture is intended to support high I/O utilization and power efficiency using a simple supply circuit in a small footprint.
The MCX C series MCUs are powered by Arm Cortex-M0+ at up to 48 MHz and are designed to be energy efficient and cost effective, making them suitable for a wide range of applications. These MCUs, which include USB and segment LCD choices, meet a wide range of requirements by providing flexible and scalable memory and packaging.
The MCX N series of highly integrated Arm Cortex-M33 microcontrollers is engineered for both great performance and low power consumption. MCX N contains intelligent peripherals and on-chip accelerators that enable multitasking and improve performance efficiency. NXP’s eIQ® Neutron neural processing unit (NPU) for machine learning applications is available in select MCX N families.
Finally, the MCX W series are safe, wireless MCUs that enable more compact, scalable, and inventive designs for the next generation of smart and secure linked products. The MCX W series, based on the Arm Cortex-M33, provides a unified range of pin-compatible multiprotocol wireless MCUs supporting Matter™, Thread®, Bluetooth® Low Energy and Zigbee®. MCX W provides interoperable and innovative smart home devices, building automation sensors and controls, and smart energy solutions.
The MCX series is supplemented by NXP’s newly upgraded FRDM development boards, a low-cost, scalable hardware platform that is powered by the MCUXpresso Developer Experience tool set.
These tiny boards, designed to allow creative flexibility, facilitate flexible and rapid prototyping, and have industry-standard headers for simple access to the MCU’s I/Os. Engineers may easily build, program, and debug using the bundled on-board MCU-Link debug probe and USB-C connector.
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Comprehensive Software Enablement
The FRDM boards and MCX portfolio are supported by the widely adopted MCUXpresso ecosystem of software and tools to provide an optimal developer experience. Developers can work with either MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code, the Eclipse-based MCUXpresso IDE from NXP, or with IDEs from IAR and Keil that also offer safety certification.
NXP provides drivers and middleware with examples ready to work out of the box for any of these IDE choices, along with additional tools for device configuration, security and specialist applications.
Leadership Comments
Jose Lok, Global Product Category Director, Passives and Semiconductors at element14, said: “We are thrilled to announce the addition of the NXP MCX microcontrollers to our offerings. The microcontrollers have been designed to cater to a broad range of edge applications and will become a popular choice among design engineers due to its focus on scalability. These additions reflect our commitment to empowering our customers and partners to succeed in the ever-evolving technological landscape.”
Justin Mortimer, NXP MCU Global Product Marketing Manager said: “The NXP MCX portfolio is foundational for the future of power-efficient edge devices across industrial and IoT markets. The new MCX MCUs use the improved MCX + FRDM platform to integrate essential features that give engineers the freedom to design without limitation.”
The MCX Series and Enhanced FRDM Boards Can Be Ordered Online From Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.
