Boosting Production Line Efficiency with FlashRunner HS: NXP i.MX 8M Mini/Nano Support

SMH Technologies has expanded its portfolio again, adding support for eMMC programming through the USB interface of the i.MX 8M Mini and Nano microprocessors.

NXP’s i.MX 8M Mini/Nano family of applications processors provides cost-effective integration and affordable performance for smart, connected, power-efficient devices that need graphics, vision, voice control, intelligent sensing and general-purpose processing. With up to four Arm^® Cortex^®-A53 cores and one Cortex^®-M4 core, the i.MX 8M Mini family can be used in general-purpose industrial and IoT applications. The i.MX 8M Nano family is pin- and application-compatible with its predecessor; the difference is that the Cortex^®-M4 core has been replaced by a Cortex^®-M7.

How the programming flow works

FlashRunner HS ISP technology, together with the new USB active module (AM), supports the i.MX 8M Mini/Nano family in programming large memories connected to the processor’s USB interface. The approach mirrors the one used by the silicon vendor itself:

• Download an embedded application called u-boot into the i.MX 8M Mini/Nano RAM through the Serial Download Protocol (SDP) over USB.
• Let it execute in order to switch to a more straightforward USB protocol, FastBoot.
• Communicate with it to flash the target large memory — eMMC, QSPI memory and so on.

The first step uses SDP in its various forms (SDPS, SDPV, SDPU) to download embedded applications over USB. Because this is a USB HID protocol, it allows access to USB devices without OS-specific drivers.

As a first step into USB flashing, the algorithm provides the means to erase, program and verify the content of the large memory that FlashRunner HS is interacting with through the i.MX 8M Mini/Nano microprocessor. For eMMCs, it can deal with the hardware and software partitions a customer may create inside the device. Additional commands are also provided to gather information about IVT file structures, partition sizes and similar details.

Why it matters on the line

This programming flow ensures fast, stable, low-cycle-time flashing, which is crucial in high-volume production environments. FlashRunner HS ISP compatibility with the i.MX 8M Mini/Nano enhances production line performance, reducing operational costs and time to market for new products.

Looking ahead, this programming flow appears likely to spread widely in the market, both for its performance and for the range of applications it can be applied to.