Kestrel KSTR-IMX93 SBC Combines NXP i.MX 93 SoC with Nordic nRF5340, nRF9151, and nRF7002 for AI and Wireless IoT Applications

Conclusive Engineering has announced its upcoming Linux-capable Single Board Computer (SBC) named the Kestrel KSTR-IMX93. Powered by an NXP i.MX 93 Cortex-A55/M33 AI SoC and equipped with three Nordic Semiconductor wireless solutions, namely nRF5340 dual-core SoC, nRF9151 SiP, and nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 cum BLE coprocessor, the KSTR-IMX93 SBC is a cutting-edge solution designed for the demands of modern embedded applications delivering unparalleled connectivity, robust processing power, and enhanced security features.

With support for a wide range of wired connectivity options and wireless protocols, Kestrel KSTR-IMX93 SBC features Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 BLE, LTE Cat-M1/NB-IoT, Thread, Zigbee, and GNSS.

Kestrel KSTR-IMX93 SBC specifications:

• SoC: NXP i.MX 93
  • Up to dual-core Arm Cortex-A55 @ 1.7GHz
  • Arm Cortex-M33 core @ 250MHz for real-time tasks
  • Arm Ethos-U65 NPU @ 1GHz delivering up to 0.5 TOPS
  • PXP 2D GPU for image composition and processing
  • 640KB on-chip OCRAM with ECC support
• Memory and Storage:
  • 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB LPDDR4/LPDDR4x RAM
  • Up to 128GB eMMC flash
  • MicroSD card slot
• Display and Camera:
  • MIPI DSI display interface
  • MIPI CSI camera interface
• Networking and Wireless:
  • Gigabit Ethernet port via Realtek RTL8211FS (RGMII)
  • Nordic nRF5340 SoC with dual Cortex-M33 cores supporting: Bluetooth 5.4 BLE, Mesh, NFC, Thread, Zigbee, 802.15.4, ANT, 2.4GHz proprietary
  • Nordic nRF9151 SiP:
    • GPS/GNSS
    • LTE Cat-M1, NB-IoT, and DECT NR+ connectivity
  • Nordic nRF7002 companion IC with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and BLE
  • Built-in eSIM/Soft SIM support
• USB: USB 2.0 OTG via Type-C port
• Security:
  • NXP EdgeLock Secure Enclave
  • Arm TrustZone technology
• Expansion:
  • 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header (i.MX93 only)
  • 44-pin GPIO header shared between i.MX93 and nRF SoCs
• Misc:
  • 1x Gigabit Ethernet with TSN and CAN-FD transceiver
  • 4x UART, 3x I2C, 1x SPI
  • 4x ADC channels
  • Up to 37 GPIOs for i.MX93
  • Up to 15 GPIOs for nRF SoCs
  • JTAG debug connector
• Power:
  • 5V input via USB Type-C
  • External Li-Ion battery support with charging, level, and temp monitoring
  • PoE support via IEEE 802.3af on RJ45
• Dimensions: 110 x 55mm

The Kestrel KSTR-IMX93 SBC supports Linux 6.1 and 6.5-based distributions, including Canonical’s Ubuntu, as well as custom Yocto and Buildroot builds. It also supports FreeBSD (available on request) and Zephyr RTOS on the Cortex-M33 core of the NXP i.MX 93 SoC, as well as on the nRF5340 SoC and nRF9151 SiP.

Thanks to its versatile connectivity and processing capabilities, the KSTR-IMX93 SBC is well-suited for a wide range of applications, including industrial automation, smart home systems, healthcare devices, and automotive solutions.

Conclusive Engineering had not disclosed the pricing information on their product page at the time of writing this article, but the KSRT-IMX93 single board computer should become available or go up for sale by the end of June 2025.

Please follow and like us: