Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This video highlights the Olimex iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND and iMX8MP-SOM-EVB-IND, two versatile open-source hardware platforms designed with KiCad, a free and open-source electronic design automation suite. The schematics, PCB layouts, and full design files for both boards are available on GitHub, ensuring transparency and customization for developers. The iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND is a compact System-on-Module (SoM) powered by the NXP i.MX8M Plus processor, featuring a Quad-Core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, a Cortex-M7 core at 800MHz for real-time tasks, and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Its robust feature set includes support for HDMI, dual MIPI-CSI cameras, LVDS, and an integrated NPU capable of 2.3 TOPS, making it ideal for AI, multimedia, and industrial applications. It also offers extensive connectivity via 220-pin connectors, including support for USB 3.0, CAN FD, PCIe 3.0, and Gigabit Ethernet, all within an industrial-grade temperature range of -20°C to +85°C.
Complementing the SoM is the iMX8MP-SOM-EVB-IND, a development board that extends functionality with dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual CAN transceivers, USB 3.0 hosts, audio interfaces, GPIOs, debug UARTs for both the Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M7 cores, and more. It also includes a power jack, boot configuration switches, and an industrial temperature range from -45°C to +85°C, offering developers a comprehensive platform for prototyping and deployment.
The software demonstration in this video features core-image-weston, a custom embedded Linux distribution built using the Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded. The Yocto Project is a powerful framework for creating custom Linux-based operating systems tailored to specific hardware. It offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing developers to build lightweight, efficient systems optimized for their applications. The featured core-image-weston includes the Wayland display server protocol, the Weston compositor, and the systemd system manager, showcasing modern graphical and system management capabilities. This demonstration underscores the potential of combining the Yocto Project with open-source hardware like the Olimex iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND and EVB to create scalable, reliable, and open embedded solutions.
📚 Useful Links
===
olimex.com/Products/SOM/NXP-iMX8/iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND/open-source-hardware
olimex.com/Products/SOM/NXP-iMX8/iMX8MP-SOM-EVB-IND/open-source-hardware
github.com/Freescale/meta-freescale-3rdparty/blob/scarthgap/conf/machine/olimex-imx8mp-evb.conf
hub.mender.io/t/olimex-i-mx8mp-imx8mp-som-4gb-ind-and-imx8mp-som-evb-ind/7066
github.com/rauc/meta-rauc-community/pull/110
anavi.org/article/286
🔖 Chapters
===
0:00 Intro
0:21 Unboxing
0:46 SoM
2:04 EVK
3:23 Assembly
5:11 Open Source Hardware
6:38 The Yocto Project
7:36 Wayland & Weston
9:51 Conclusions
This video highlights the Olimex iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND and iMX8MP-SOM-EVB-IND, two versatile open-source hardware platforms designed with KiCad, a free and open-source electronic design automation suite. The schematics, PCB layouts, and full design files for both boards are available on GitHub, ensuring transparency and customization for developers. The iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND is a compact System-on-Module (SoM) powered by the NXP i.MX8M Plus processor, featuring a Quad-Core Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.6GHz, a Cortex-M7 core at 800MHz for real-time tasks, and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Its robust feature set includes support for HDMI, dual MIPI-CSI cameras, LVDS, and an integrated NPU capable of 2.3 TOPS, making it ideal for AI, multimedia, and industrial applications. It also offers extensive connectivity via 220-pin connectors, including support for USB 3.0, CAN FD, PCIe 3.0, and Gigabit Ethernet, all within an industrial-grade temperature range of -20°C to +85°C.
Complementing the SoM is the iMX8MP-SOM-EVB-IND, a development board that extends functionality with dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual CAN transceivers, USB 3.0 hosts, audio interfaces, GPIOs, debug UARTs for both the Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M7 cores, and more. It also includes a power jack, boot configuration switches, and an industrial temperature range from -45°C to +85°C, offering developers a comprehensive platform for prototyping and deployment.
The software demonstration in this video features core-image-weston, a custom embedded Linux distribution built using the Yocto Project and OpenEmbedded. The Yocto Project is a powerful framework for creating custom Linux-based operating systems tailored to specific hardware. It offers unparalleled flexibility, allowing developers to build lightweight, efficient systems optimized for their applications. The featured core-image-weston includes the Wayland display server protocol, the Weston compositor, and the systemd system manager, showcasing modern graphical and system management capabilities. This demonstration underscores the potential of combining the Yocto Project with open-source hardware like the Olimex iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND and EVB to create scalable, reliable, and open embedded solutions.
📚 Useful Links
===
olimex.com/Products/SOM/NXP-iMX8/iMX8MP-SOM-4GB-IND/open-source-hardware
olimex.com/Products/SOM/NXP-iMX8/iMX8MP-SOM-EVB-IND/open-source-hardware
github.com/Freescale/meta-freescale-3rdparty/blob/scarthgap/conf/machine/olimex-imx8mp-evb.conf
hub.mender.io/t/olimex-i-mx8mp-imx8mp-som-4gb-ind-and-imx8mp-som-evb-ind/7066
github.com/rauc/meta-rauc-community/pull/110
anavi.org/article/286
🔖 Chapters
===
0:00 Intro
0:21 Unboxing
0:46 SoM
2:04 EVK
3:23 Assembly
5:11 Open Source Hardware
6:38 The Yocto Project
7:36 Wayland & Weston
9:51 Conclusions
