Variscite Expands SoM Portfolio with SMARC-Based i.MX 8M Plus Module for Secure Edge AI
February 02, 2026
News
Variscite introduced a series of System on Modules (SoMs)/Computer on Modules (CoMs) that is compliant with the Smart Mobility Architecture (SMARC) interface standard. The initial series begins with the NXP i.MX 8M Plus processor-powered VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS delivering NXP’s 1.8GHz Quad Cortex-A53 with 800MHz Cortex-M7 real-time co-processor that combines AI/ML abilities and an advanced Image Signal Processor (ISP) vision system.
Similar to Variscite’s DART-MX8M-PLUS, the VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS offers enhanced performance in an energy-efficient architecture. The VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS includes extended connectivity with additional USB connectors, two Ethernet controllers with IEEE1588 support, additional standard I/O, Secure Real Time Clock (SRTC), and more.
Security features include Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 security via a devoted hardware chip that implements cryptographic operations and protects sensitive data like encryption keys and passwords. The SoM complies with the European Union’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and conforms to North America’s FIPS 140-3 security standard for sensitive data and tamper-resistance.
According to the press release, a rare trait of the VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS is that designers can fully customize their SoM configuration in orders as small as 20 units with Variscite being the only vendor to offer BSPs (Board Support Packages) and direct support for all operating systems such as Yocto, Debian, Android, FreeRTOS, and Zephyr, at no additional charge.
"The VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS is an ideal choice for low power, low cost, yet high performance devices,” said Ofer Austerlitz, VP of Business Development and Sales at Variscite. "Expanding Variscite’s portfolio into standards-based SoMs with the SMARC SoM series is another example of the way Variscite supports and collaborates with its customers and continues to enable new generations of secure devices."
The solution is ideal for IoT/industrial IoT, point of sale, medical, and other low-power mobile devices. Variscite will offer samples and evaluation kits of the VAR-SMARC SoM series in Q1 2026.
For more information, visit variscite.com/system-on-module-som/i-mx-8/i-mx-8m-plus/var-smarc-mx8m-plus.
Chad Cox. Production Editor, Embedded Computing Design, has responsibilities that include handling the news cycle, newsletters, social media, and advertising. Chad graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in Cultural and Analytical Literature.
