Atmark Techno has developed the "Armadillo-940," a compact embedded CPU board equipped with NXP Semiconductors' SoC "i.MX 8ULP," and plans to launch it in January 2027. The planned price for development kits starts from ¥38,500. Prior to its release, a working model will be exhibited at the company's booth during "Japan IT Week Autumn," held at Makuhari Messe from October 21 to October 23, 2026.
A major feature of the Armadillo-940 is its adoption of a low-cost 512MB SPI NAND flash memory and its standard inclusion of "ABOS Compact Profile," which optimizes storage space. While maintaining features equivalent to the conventional Armadillo Base OS, multifaceted security, and the strengths of container operation, it is designed to operate easily even with small-capacity storage. This makes it easier to suppress cost increases in product development that is susceptible to rising memory prices.
The SoC is the i.MX 8ULP, manufactured using a 28nm FD-SOI process, and it adopts a heterogeneous multi-core configuration of two Arm Cortex-A35 cores and one Cortex-M33 core. It can handle Linux application processing and real-time control with FreeRTOS on a single processor, supporting battery-powered devices and applications requiring intermittent operation. In addition to interfaces like Ethernet, serial communication such as RS-485, and USB 2.0, it comes standard with MIPI-CSI and MIPI-DSI, and two types are available: a LAN model and a WLAN model.
With dimensions of approximately 66.3mm (W) x 83.6mm (D), it is suitable for integration into space-constrained devices. A dedicated case compatible with DIN rail mounting is also available as an option, simplifying installation into control panels and distribution boards. Furthermore, it supports the device operation management cloud service "Armadillo Twin," enabling comprehensive functions from OTA updates and operational monitoring to log collection and remote control. It also features capabilities to comply with the security standard "JC-STAR★1," making it a product that supports the secure long-term operation of industrial equipment.
