Variscite Releases Headless Version of Its Linux-friendly DART-6UL CoM

Variscite is releasing another pin-compatible version of their 50 x 25mm DART-6UL computer-on-module. This time it will be loaded with NXP’s headless new i.MX6 ULZ variant of the single Cortex-A7 core i.MX6 UL. This yet unnamed module lacks display or LAN support. It is described as “a native solution for headless Linux-based embedded products such as IoT devices and smart home sensors requiring low power, low size, and rich connectivity options.”

The lack of display and LAN features mimic the limitations of the cost-effective Linux processor i.MX6 ULZ by NXP. The headless, up to 900MHz Cortex-A7 ULZ SoC offers most of the I/O of the of the i.MX6 UL/ULL, including ESAI, S/PDIF, and 3x I2S audio interfaces, but features such as the 2D Pixel acceleration engine and Ethernet controllers are missing.

We’ve seen last year, Variscite upgraded the Linux-ready DART-6UL into a faster, 696MHz v1.2, which added the option of NXP’s power-efficient i.MX6 ULL SoC in addition to the i.MX6 UL. It was followed up with a DART-6UL-5G model that houses an onboard, certified WiFi/Bluetooth module with dual-band, 2.4GHz/5GHz 802.11ac/a/b/g/n.

The upcoming i.MX6 ULZ based version has the same WiFi-ac module with Bluetooth 4.2 BLE. Like the latest versions of the other DART-6UL modules, the module can be clocked to 900MHz. The “cost effective” ULZ version only lacks the touch-enabled, 24-bit parallel RGB interface and dual 10/100 Ethernet controllers. Other deducted features compared to earlier models include dual CAN, parallel camera, and “extra security features.”

The new module is also limited to a temperature range of 0 to 85°C instead of being available in 0 to 70°C or -40 to 85°C versions. The i.MX6 ULZ SoC itself has a slightly wider range of 0 to 95°C. The pin-compatible DART-6UL with iMX6 ULZ will offer the i.MX6 ULZ SoC with optional security features. It will include TRNG, AES crypto engine, and secure boot. This 50 x 25mm module will ship with 512MB DDR3L. The storage range is similar, with a 512MB NAND and up to 64GB eMMC.

The DART-6UL with i.MX6 ULZ will support 2x USB 2.0 OTG host/device ports, audio in and out, and UART, I2C, SPI, PWM, and ADC interfaces. OS support is revealed as Linux Yocto, Linux Debian, and Boot2QT.

The DART-6UL with iMX6 ULZ will be available in the fourth quarter this year. The DART-6UL/ULL/ULZ product page mentions that the lowest, volume-discounted price is $24. More information may be found in Variscite’s announcement.

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