i.MX 8M Mini Applications Processor
Instruction Manual
i.MX 8M Mini Applications Processor
Preview of i.MX 8M Mini Applications Processor Reference Manual
Get the entire Reference Manual (5319 pages, PDF)
Document Number: IMX8MMRM
Rev. 3, 11/2020
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 Product Overview
This chapter introduces the architecture of the i.MX 8M Mini Applications Processor. The i.MX 8M Mini is a family of products focused on delivering an excellent video and audio experience, combining media-specific features with high-performance processing optimized for low power consumption.
1.2 Target Applications
The i.MX 8M Mini Media Applications Processor is built to achieve both high performance and low power consumption and relies on a powerful fully coherent core complex based on a quad Cortex-A53 cluster with video and graphics accelerators. The i.MX 8M Family provides additional computing resources and peripherals:
- Advanced security modules for secure boot, cipher acceleration, and DRM support
- General purpose Cortex-M4 processor for low power processing
- A wide range of audio interfaces including I2S, AC97, TDM, and S/PDIF
- A large set of peripherals that are commonly used in consumer/industrial markets including USB 2.0, PCIe, and Ethernet
1.3 Acronyms and Abbreviations
The table below contains acronyms and abbreviations used in this document.
Acronyms and Abbreviated Terms
Acronyms and Abbreviations
| Term | Meaning |
| ADC | Analog-to-Digital Converter |
| AHB | Advanced High-performance Bus |
| AIPS | Arm IP Bus |
| ALU | Arithmetic Logic Unit |
| AMBA | Advanced Microcontroller Bus Architecture |
| APB | Advanced Peripheral Bus |
| ASRC | Asynchronous Sample Rate Converter |
| AXI | Advanced eXtensible Interface |
| BIST | Built-In Self Test |
| CA/CM | Arm Cortex-A/Cortex-M |
| CAAM | Cryptographic Acceleration and Assurance Module |
| CA53 | ARM Cortex A53 Core |
| CAN | Controller Area Network |
| CPU | Central Processing Unit |
| CSI | CMOS Sensor Interface |
| CSU | Central Security Unit |
| CTI | Cross Trigger Interface |
| D-cache | Data cache |
| DAP | Debug Access Port |
| DDR | Double data rate |
| DMA | Direct memory access |
| DPLL | Digital phase-locked loop |
| DRAM | Dynamic random access memory |
| ECC | Error correcting codes |
| CSPI | Enhanced Configurable SPI |
| LIPPI | Low-power SPI |
| EDMA | Enhanced Direct Memory Access |
| AIM | External Interface Module |
| ENET | Ethernet |
| EDIT | Enhanced Periodic Interrupt Timer |
| EPROM | Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory |
| ETF | Embedded Trace FIFO |
| ITEM | Embedded Trace Macrocell |
| FIFO | First-In-First-Out |
| GO | General Interrupt Controller |
| GPC | General Power Controller |
| GPIO | General-Purpose I/O |
| GPU | General-Purpose Register |
| GPS | Global Positioning System |
| GPT | General-Purpose Timer |
| GPU | Graphics Processing Unit |
Chapter 1 Introduction
| Term | Meaning |
| GPV | Global Programmers View |
| HAB | High-Assurance Boot |
| I-cache | Instruction cache |
| I2C or I2 C | Inter-Integrated Circuit |
| IC | Integrated Circuit |
| IEEE | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| COMIX | Input-Output Multiplexer |
| IP | Intellectual Property |
| IrDA | Infrared Data Association |
| JTAG | Joint Test Action Group (a serial bus protocol usually used for test purposes) |
| ELCDIF | Liquid Crystal Display Interface |
| LDO | Low-Dropout |
| LIFO | Last-In-First-Out |
| LRU | Least-Recently Used |
| LSB | Least-Significant Byte |
| LUT | Look-Up Table |
| LVDS | Low Voltage Differential Signaling |
| MAC | Medium Access Control |
| MCM | Miscellaneous Control Module |
| MMC | Multimedia Card |
| MSB | Most-Significant Byte |
| MT/s | Mega Transfers per second |
| OCRAM | On-Chip Random-Access Memory |
| OCTOPUS | On-Chip One-Time Programmable Controller |
| PCI | Peripheral Component Interconnect |
| PCIe | PCI Express |
| PCMCIA | Personal Computer Memory Card International Association |
| PGC | Power Gating Controller |
| PIC | Programmable Interrupt Controller |
| PMU | Power Management Unit |
| POR | Power-On Reset |
| PSRAM | Pseudo-Static Random Access Memory |
| PWM | Pulse Width Modulation |
| PXP | Pixel Pipeline |
| QoS | Quality of Service |
| R2D | Radians to Degrees |
| RISC | Reduced Instruction Set Computing |
| ROM | Read-Only Memory |
| ROMCP | ROM Controller with Patch |
| RTOS | Real-Time Operating System |
| Rx | Receive |
Features
| Term | Meaning |
| SAI | Synchronous Audio Interface |
| SKU | Snoop Control Unit |
| SD | Secure Digital |
| STUDIO | Secure Digital Input/Output |
| SDLC | Synchronous Data Link Control |
| CDMA | Smart DMA |
| SIM | Subscriber Identification Module |
| SNVS | Secure Non-Volatile Storage |
| SoC | System-on-Chip |
| SPBA | Shared Peripheral Bus Arbiter |
| SPDIF | Sony Phillips Digital Interface |
| SPI | Serial Peripheral Interface |
| SRAM | Static Random-Access Memory |
| SRC | System Reset Controller |
| TFT | Thin-Film Transistor |
| TOPIC | Trace Port Interface Unit |
| TIGER | Time Stamp Generator |
| Tx | Transmit |
| TASK | TrustZone Address Space Controller |
| CART | Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter |
| USB | Universal Serial Bus |
| USDHC | Ultra Secure Digital Host Controller |
| WDOG | Watchdog |
| WLAN | Wireless Local Area Network |
| WXGA | Wide Extended Graphics Array |
1.4 Features
1.4.1 Arm Cortex-A53 MPCoreTM Platform
The i.MX 8M Family Applications Processors are based on the Arm Cortex-A53 MPCoreTM Platform, which has the following features:
- Quad symmetric Cortex-A53 processors, including
- 32 KB L1 Instruction Cache
- 32 KB L1 Data Cache
Continue Reading This Reference Manual
Get entire reference manual (5319 pages, PDF)
Stay informed when design resources related to this product are updated.
Go to i.MX 8M Mini
i.MX 8M Plus Applications Processor Reference Manual, Rev. 1, 06/2021
NXP Semiconductors
Documents / Resources
 | NXP i.MX 8M Mini Applications Processor [pdf] Instruction Manual i.MX 8M Mini Applications Processor, Mini Applications Processor, Applications Processor, Processor |
