Enabling OTA software updates in Variscite's family of i.MX 8M based SoM development platforms

We are excited to enhance our collaboration with Variscite, a System on Module global market leader, to further accelerate the adoption of over-the-air (OTA) software updates in the connected embedded devices market. Variscite provides a powerful range of System on Modules (SoM) focusing on NXP’s i.MX application processors, consistently setting market benchmarks in terms of speed, value for money and innovation. Integrating Mender will enable Variscite’s customers access to a best-in-class robust and secure OTA software update solution, ‘out of the box’.

Mender is used by many Variscite families of i.MX6 and i.MX8 based System-on-Modules. Due to the increasing demand for a secure and robust OTA updates solution, Mender and Variscite have further collaborated on a device integration for VAR-SOM-MX8M-MINI and the VAR-SOM-MX8M-NANO development kits which is compatible with the Yocto Project. The SoMs offer an ideal platform for cost-sensitive designs that require power-efficiency and high-performance graphics as well as for general-purpose applications.

To get started from scratch, instructions are provided on Mender Hub for VAR-SOM-MX8M-MINI and the VAR-SOM-MX8M-NANO for building an image that can run on the respective boards which will have Mender integrated to perform OTA software updates. The integration creates Yocto Project images, including a disk image that can be flashed to the device storage during initial provisioning and an artifact containing filesystem image file that Mender can deploy over-the-air.

Mender supports both application and system updates with advanced features to enable software updates at large scale worldwide with risk management and automated deployment capabilities, which means it provides a one-stop solution for all updating needs.