MCIMX6S6AVM08AC - i.MX6S Solo 800MHz ARM Cortex-A9 MPU | NXP
MPN: MCIMX6S6AVM08AC ✗ End of Life| Qty | Unit Price | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $38.5 | $38.50 |
| 10 | $34.2 | $342.00 |
| 100 | $28.75 | $2,875.00 |
| 500 | $24.1 | $12,050.00 |
| 1,000 | $21.45 | $21,450.00 |
MCIMX6S6AVM08AC Overview
An applications processor (AP) is a system-on-chip (SoC) designed to run a high-level operating system (typically Linux or Android) and execute complex workloads including graphical user interfaces, video decode/encode, and networked connectivity stacks. The i.MX 6 family from NXP Semiconductors is positioned in the broader taxonomy as ARM Cortex-A class MPU -> applications processor -> microprocessor -> integrated circuit. The 'Solo' suffix denotes a single Cortex-A9 core, distinguishing this part from dual-core 'Dual' and quad-core 'Quad' i.MX 6 variants sharing the same software ecosystem.
Key features include 800 MHz Cortex-A9 core, 32-bit instruction set, integrated multimedia accelerators, multilevel memory system supporting DDR3/LPDDR2, and smart speed technology for dynamic voltage and frequency scaling. MAPBGA-624 package (21x21 mm) provides high-density interconnect required for the integrated display, memory, and peripheral interfaces. Per the datasheet extract, target applications cover consumer multimedia products with a focus on power-efficient operation.
From an architectural perspective, the i.MX 6Solo integrates the Cortex-A9 core with NEON SIMD, a hardware multimedia block for video codecs, image processing, and 2D/3D graphics acceleration via separate GPU IP. Power management is achieved through integrated power rails and DVFS, with voltage domains described in the datasheet at 1.8V/2.5V/2.8V/3.15V levels. The MAPBGA package provides a low-profile fine-pitch footprint suited to space-constrained consumer designs.
Typical applications include consumer infotainment, smart home hubs, single-board computing, industrial HMI panels, point-of-sale terminals, and portable medical device controllers. The combination of Cortex-A9 performance and integrated multimedia blocks makes it suitable for systems that require a graphical display plus network connectivity without an external multimedia coprocessor.
When designing with this part, allocate generous PCB area for the MAPBGA escape routing and follow NXP hardware design guides for DDR3 trace length matching, decoupling capacitor placement, and thermal management. The NRND lifecycle status means design teams should evaluate NXP recommended replacement parts or i.MX 6UL/7-series successors before committing new designs to this MPN.
This page synthesizes NXP official product information, distributor pricing, parametric drop-in alternatives, and practical design notes not consolidated in the manufacturer datasheet.
Drop-in alternatives for MCIMX6S6AVM08AC — same package, pin-to-pin compatible. Different-package parts requiring PCB rework are excluded.
Variants in this series
Same-series models that are drop-in compatible with MCIMX6S6AVM08AC (same form factor and footprint) — differing in Number of Cores, Package, RoHS Status, Series.
Quick Comparison Tool — Select alternative parts for side-by-side comparison:
No drop-in alternatives available for this product.
Request AlternativesMCIMX6S6AVM08AC Maximum Ratings & Electrical Characteristics
| Core Architecture | ARM Cortex-A9 |
| Number of Cores | 1 (Single-core / Solo) |
| Data Bus Width | 32-bit |
| Maximum Core Frequency | 800 MHz |
| Series | i.MX 6Solo / 6DualLite |
| Package | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) |
| Mounting Type | Surface Mount |
| Supply Voltage | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V |
| Memory Interface | DDR3 / LPDDR2 (multilevel memory system) |
| Integrated Multimedia | Yes (video, image, 2D/3D GPU) |
| NEON SIMD | Yes |
| DVFS / Smart Speed | Yes |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND (Not Recommended for New Designs) |
| RoHS Status | Compliant (per distributor listing) |
MCIMX6S6AVM08AC 624-mapbga (21x21 mm) Pin Configuration Guide
Pin configuration for MCIMX6S6AVM08AC (624-mapbga (21x21 mm) package). This digital IC includes GPIO, communication interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C), and power pins. Refer to the manufacturer datasheet for alternate pin functions and configuration options. Essential for embedded system design and PCB layout.
No detailed pinout data available for MCIMX6S6AVM08AC.
Refer to the datasheet for full pin configuration.
Typical Applications
MCIMX6S6AVM08AC is suitable for 6 applications: Consumer Infotainment Systems, Smart Home Control Hubs, Industrial Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels, Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminals, Portable Medical Device Controllers, Single-Board Computing Platforms.
Consumer Infotainment Systems
The MCIMX6S6AVM08AC is purpose-built for consumer infotainment head units where its single 800 MHz Cortex-A9 core paired with the integrated GPU and hardware video codecs can drive display, audio routing, and connectivity stacks from a single SoC. The Solo core count matches the workload of single-display consumer products where dual-core performance is not required. Designers place the part on a multi-layer PCB with DDR3 trace-length matching per NXP hardware design guides. The MAPBGA-624 (21x21 mm) footprint integrates cleanly into 4-layer consumer-grade boards, and the 1.8V/2.5V/2.8V/3.15V supply rails simplify PMIC selection for typical infotainment power trees.
Recommended
Smart Home Control Hubs
The MCIMX6S6AVM08AC fits smart home hub designs that run a Linux stack and need to coordinate Zigbee/Z-Wave/Wi-Fi gateways alongside a graphical touch interface. The 800 MHz Cortex-A9 provides sufficient headroom for protocol bridging and UI rendering, while integrated multimedia blocks accelerate any local video preview for security camera feeds. Place the SoC adjacent to the Wi-Fi radio module with isolated ground islands to minimize RF coupling into the DDR3 bus. The NRND status means new smart-home designs should target i.MX 6UL/7-series successors with longer lifecycle.
Recommended
Industrial Human-Machine Interface (HMI) Panels
Industrial HMI panels benefit from the MCIMX6S6AVM08AC's combination of Cortex-A9 compute and integrated display/GPU blocks, enabling responsive touch interfaces with smooth animations at typical 800x480 or 1024x600 resolutions. The single-core 800 MHz capability is more than adequate for SCADA/HMI clients and operator interface rendering, while the MAPBGA-624 package provides robust mechanical connection suitable for industrial vibration profiles. Designers should add a watchdog supervisor such as the MAX6369 to reset the SoC in field-fault scenarios.
Recommended
Point-of-Sale (POS) Terminals
POS terminals leverage the MCIMX6S6AVM08AC for encrypted payment processing, customer-facing displays, and receipt printer control from a single Cortex-A9 SoC. The integrated hardware crypto and NEON SIMD accelerate TLS handshake and card data encryption, while the GPU offloads touchscreen rendering. The MAPBGA-624 footprint with proper thermal copper pours delivers reliable operation in enclosed retail environments. Pair with secure authenticator and hardware security module companions to satisfy PCI-PTS requirements.
Recommended
Portable Medical Device Controllers
Portable medical devices such as patient monitors, infusion pumps, and diagnostic controllers can use the MCIMX6S6AVM08AC to provide a touchscreen interface, secure data logging, and connectivity to hospital networks via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. The Cortex-A9 800 MHz core handles real-time waveform analysis and GUI updates simultaneously, while the hardware multimedia blocks accelerate local display rendering. The 1.8V/2.5V/2.8V/3.15V rails enable low-power sleep states critical for battery-powered operation. Add isolation barriers and medical-grade analog front-ends per IEC 60601.
Recommended
Single-Board Computing Platforms
Hobbyist and commercial single-board computers (SBCs) targeting industrial and embedded Linux developers have widely adopted the i.MX 6Solo line because the MCIMX6S6AVM08AC provides a balanced mix of Cortex-A9 performance, integrated peripherals (USB, Ethernet, display), and software support in mainline Linux kernels. The MAPBGA-624 (21x21 mm) footprint is well-documented in community hardware designs. Board designers should follow NXP's reference design layouts for DDR3 routing and PMIC selection to ensure Linux kernel compatibility.
Recommended
Recommended Products Summary
Engineering reference data for MCIMX6S6AVM08AC — comparison, design guidance, and compliance information.
Selection Guide
Comparison with Alternatives
| Parameter | This Product | MCIMX6S6AVM08AD | MCIMX6S6AVM10AD | MCIMX6S5EYM10AC | MCIMX6D5EYM10AC | MCIMX6L7DVN10AA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors | NXP Semiconductors |
| Package | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) - same | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) - same | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) - same | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) - same | 624-MAPBGA (21x21 mm) - same |
| Core | ARM Cortex-A9 1-core | ARM Cortex-A9 1-core | ARM Cortex-A9 1-core | ARM Cortex-A9 1-core | ARM Cortex-A9 2-core (Dual) | ARM Cortex-A9 Lite variant |
| Maximum Frequency | 800 MHz | 800 MHz | Higher tier (likely 1 GHz) | Higher tier (likely 1 GHz) | Higher tier (likely 1 GHz) | Variable |
| Family | i.MX 6Solo | i.MX 6Solo | i.MX 6Solo | i.MX 6Solo | i.MX 6Dual | i.MX 6Lite |
| Supply Voltage | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V | 1.8V / 2.5V / 2.8V / 3.15V |
| Lifecycle Status | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND | NRND |
| Integrated GPU | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (dual-core capable) | Reduced |
Key Differentiators
- Pin-compatible sibling available (vs MCIMX6S6AVM08AD)
- Balanced single-core versus dual-core scaling (vs MCIMX6D5EYM10AC)
- Mainline Linux kernel support (vs Older i.MX53 family (MCIMX534AVV8C))
Design Notes
The MCIMX6S6AVM08AC MAPBGA-624 (21x21 mm) package requires via-in-pad PCB construction for reliable breakout of the 624 balls. Follow NXP hardware design guide SABC (System Architecture and Board Considerations) for trace width, via size, and stackup. Estimated minimum stackup: 8-layer board with 0.4 mm pitch escape, micro-via fanout, and matched-length DDR3 traces (target within 25 mil tolerance). Add a continuous ground plane on layer 2 and a power plane on layer 3 for clean return paths.
Estimated: at full Cortex-A9 core load at 800 MHz and 1.05V core supply, dissipation lands around 1.5-2.5 W depending on workload. The MAPBGA-624 (21x21 mm) has a typical theta-JA near 15-20 C/W on a 4-layer JEDEC board. Place a continuous copper pad array directly under the package balls (inner and opposite balls to GND) to provide thermal relief; consider a 25x25 mm copper pour on top and bottom layers connected by thermal vias.
Use an NXP-recommended PMIC (e.g., PF0100/PF0200 family) for proper power sequencing of the 1.8V/2.5V/2.8V/3.15V rails. Add bulk decoupling (47uF) at the PMIC output, plus 0.1uF and 10nF X7R ceramics close to each BGA power pin group. Estimated: total decoupling capacitance budget is 100-200uF per major rail to handle transient load steps during GPU and DDR3 burst operations. Avoid sharing decoupling capacitors between unrelated power islands.
Common pitfalls with this part: (1) failing to match DDR3 trace lengths causes intermittent memory corruption - measure and tune per NXP guidelines; (2) omitting boot mode configuration resistors prevents JTAG/SD boot - populate the boot mode pins correctly per the datasheet; (3) ignoring NRND status leads to supply risk - qualify the recommended NXP replacement now; (4) ESD handling on the MAPBGA requires proper moisture sensitivity level (MSL) baking before reflow.
Compliance Information
RoHS and lead-free compliance per distributor listings (DigiKey, Mouser). Consumer product family variant - not AEC-Q100 qualified; the automotive grade is handled by separate i.MX 6Solo Automotive ordering codes.
