NXP Semiconductors has announced new smart microcontroller units that have been designed to simplify the development of IoT and industrial IoT solutions. Adding to NXP’s expanding portfolio of end-to-end Matter solutions, the RW612 and the K32W148 devices combine advanced edge processing capabilities with integrated security to streamline development, simplify designs and reduce costs for Matter-enabled smart home devices.
The recently launched Matter standard, developed within the Connectivity Standards Alliance by a consortium of industry leaders, including NXP, to ease device interoperability in the smart home. Matter aims to enable devices from different brands and ecosystems to seamlessly, reliably and securely communicate and thereby free consumers from ecosystem restraints. This innovative approach allows consumers to select devices based on desired features rather than complex or confusing connectivity requirements. With native support for Matter, the multi-protocol enablement provided by the NXP K32W148 and the tri-radio capabilities of the RW612 make it easier for developers to integrate Matter functionality into smart home devices.
The RW612 is the industry’s first tri-radio wireless MCU with concurrent, multi-protocol support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3 and 802.15.4, capable of supporting Thread or Zigbee. It is targeted for smart home devices such as thermostats, garage door openers, door locks, IP cameras, robotic vacuums, as well as smart appliances.
This device leverages integrated tri-radio and advanced edge processing capabilities from the EdgeVerse i.MX RT crossover MCU family. It features an ARM Cortex-M33 MCU subsystem with TrustZone-M and fully integrated Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE 5.3 and 802.15.4, capable of supporting Thread or Zigbee. Offering a high degree of integration to reduce design complexity, BOM costs and solution size, it includes on-chip SRAM and high performance configurable peripherals, including Ethernet, LCD controller and five FlexComm modules to support a variety of serial protocols. The RW612 is supported by the unified MCUXpresso development environment to reduce time to market.
The K32W148 wireless MCU offers multi-protocol enablement across Thread, Bluetooth Low Energy 5.3, and Zigbee for devices such as smart plugs, smart lighting, and low-power smart devices and sensors. It also easily adds Thread and Zigbee support to home routers, hubs and bridges. The multi-protocol enablement reduces costs and simplifies antenna design with a single antenna. The multi-protocol K32W148 wireless MCU is designed with separated radio and security execution environments to free the main ARM Cortex-M33 core and memory for the customer’s application. It also includes dual-PAN capability to simplify the co-existence of multiple IEEE 802.15.4 networks, such as Thread and Zigbee. The K32W148 is also supported by the unified MCUXpresso development environment to reduce time to market.
“The next generation of consumer and industrial devices needs the right combination of an advanced MCU and secure connectivity across the most important protocols, including Thread, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Matter. Combining NXP’s advanced edge processing capabilities with our industry-leading tri-radio portfolio and advanced security simplifies designs and reduces the complexity of supporting Matter and enables smart device manufacturers to bring innovative, next-generation products to market faster.”, said Larry Olivas, Vice President and General Manager for Wireless Connectivity Solutions, NXP Semiconductors.
Click here to learn more about NXP's RW612 microcontroller unit.
Click here to learn more about K32W148 Three-Core Wireless MCU from NXP.
