NXP Semiconductors has announced the addition of rich connectivity to MCX portfolio with the newest devices in MCX W series, enabling innovative edge devices with secure multiprotocol wireless multipoint control units (MCUs) for Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Bluetooth Low Energy. The MCX W series builds on portfolio wide FRDM development platform, as well as MCX portfolio device architecture, core, peripherals, and MCUXpresso developer experience to enable a scalable MCU platform that makes it easier to quickly create new products or target new use cases across the industrial and internet of things (IoT) markets.
The first two families in the MCX W series, the MCX W71x and W72x, are designed to help maximise flexibility over time for smart connected devices with a software-upgradeable independent radio subsystem. This subsystem enables multitasking by offloading the main core, freeing it to run the primary application. Supported by scalable memory sizes for the application and connectivity stacks, as well as over- the-air (OTA) updates, the MCX W series allows secure connected edge devices to be upgraded over time as consumer needs change and connectivity protocols like Matter continue to evolve.
The MCX W series includes industry’s first wireless MCU to support new bluetooth channel sounding standard, which improves accuracy and security of distance measurement compared to traditional bluetooth technology for a wide range of applications, such as secure access, asset tracking and indoor wayfinding. Along with NXP’s Trimension portfolio of ultra-wideband (UWB) secure radar and fine ranging products, the MCX W will further evolve ambient computing into a broad range of market segments and applications.
Connectivity standards will continue to evolve over time, delivering new capabilities and features with future versions. This makes upgradeability essential to keep devices in the field longer, reduce redesigns and deliver differentiated features. The MCX W series allows developers to enhance their products over time, delivering performance and memory needed to address future changes to standards and shifting user needs via OTA firmware updates. Developers benefit from a scalable and secure MCU platform that supports multiple connectivity standards, while scalability across the full MCX portfolio makes it easier to develop a variety of end devices based on a common platform, reducing development costs and complexity, and speeding time to market.
Commenting on the announcement, Charles Dachs, senior vice president and general manager, industrial and IoT, NXP Semiconductors, said, “The future of smart connected devices is evolving faster than ever before, with new features and capabilities introduced regularly. The MCX W series enriches the overall MCX portfolio, making it easier for developers to bring advanced connectivity to their designs and enabling new innovations to be deployed to the next generation of IoT and industrial devices.”
MCX W series support both standalone or hosted architectures and are pin- and software-compatible, allowing developers to easily migrate to the part that best fits their use case. The MCX W71x and W72x families feature a 96 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core. Both families leverage an independent radio subsystem, with a dedicated core that offloads the main central processing unit (CPU), preserving it for the primary application, and additional memory to support software updates. They also offer advanced security with an integrated edgeLock secure enclave core profile.
Building on NXP’s strong history of providing industrial edge solutions, the MCX W series offers a wide operating temperature range from -40°C to 125°C and peripherals for industrial applications, including a campus area network (CAN) interface and are part of NXP’s 15-year Product Longevity Program to support long-term industrial use.
The MCX W71x family supports simpler IoT devices with a single chip solution or acting as a co-processor in a hosted architecture. NXP delivers a complete software solution to allow the MCX W71x to operate seamlessly as a network or radio co-processor with NXP’s broad portfolio of MCX MCUs, i.MX real-time (RT) crossover MCUs, and i.MX applications processors.
The MCX W72x family adds bluetooth channel sounding capabilities, with a dedicated on-chip localisation compute engine accelerator to reduce ranging latency. It incorporates additional memory to support application-specific code, connectivity stacks, and over-the-air firmware updates. In addition, the radio subsystem can run the full Thread or Zigbee stack alongside the Bluetooth Low Energy stack. This delivers reliable wireless performance, as the real-time activities of radio run on a separate core from the application.
Security for smart connected devices across IoT and industrial ecosystem is more important than ever. The MCX W series helps accelerate compliance with upcoming cyber security regulations such as the United States (US) Cyber Trust Mark and European Cyber Resilience Act and other security standards, such as IEC 62443, leveraging an integrated EdgeLock Secure Enclave (core profile) that protects sensitive security functions and natively supports EdgeLock 2GO services. It also includes device authentication, secure boot, and secure firmware install and update. It accelerates connectivity standards’ cryptography with secure key install and management in untrusted manufacturing sites.
Combined with NXP’s status as the only silicon vendor approved by customer service assurance (CSA) to issue Matter security certificates as a product attestation authority to other companies, the MCX W simplifies and accelerates Matter end device productisation and manufacturing with a complete end-to-end solution for securely provisioning IoT devices.
The MCX W series accelerates development with NXP’s FRDM boards, a low-cost, scalable hardware development platform supported by the MCUXpresso developer experience across the full MCX portfolio. MCX FRDM boards include industry-standard headers, easy access to the MCU’s inputs/outputs , and an on-board MCU-link debug probe. The MCX W FRDM boards include full wireless certification, providing developers with a strong starting point for their own designs.
Common with the broader MCX portfolio, the MCX W series is supported by the widely adopted MCUXpresso ecosystem, including the MCUXpresso SDK, which provides production-grade software, drivers, and middleware all in one central location. NXP provides validated and certified stacks for a wide range of IoT connectivity standards, such as Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Bluetooth Low Energy and more, to streamline the development and deployment of IoT devices.
The MCX W series will begin sampling in the second half (H2) of 2024.
