NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM User manual

MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023 User manual
Document information
Information Content
Keywords MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM, MCIMX8ULP-EVK, i.MX 8ULP, MCIMX8ULP-BB, MCIMX8ULP-SOM,
base board, SOM board
Abstract MCIMX8ULP-EVK is a design and evaluation platform based on NXP i.MX 8ULP application
processor (15 mm x 15 mm package).

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
1 Overview
MCIMX8ULP-EVK is a design and evaluation platform based on NXP i.MX 8ULP application processor (15 mm
x 15 mm package).
MCIMX8ULP-EVK is designed as a system-on-module (SOM) board (MCIMX8ULP-SOM) that connects to an
associated base board (MCIMX8ULP-BB).
The SOM board provides 2 GB LPDDR4 memory, 32 MB octal SPI NOR flash memory and 8 MB octal SPI
pSRAM on real-time processor domain (RTD), 64 MB octal SPI NOR flash memory on application processor
domain (APD), 32 GB eMMC memory, and an NXP PCA9460A power management IC (PMIC).
The base board provides other capabilities, including an M.2 Key-E slot for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth based on NXP
IW416, an audio codec, multiple sensors, a 10/100 Mbit/s Ethernet RJ45 connector, a mini-SAS connector
for camera, an EPDC connector, two USB 2.0 OTG with Type-C connectors, an HDMI connector, and an
alternative MIPI display connector.
In addition, MCIMX8ULP-EVK facilitates software development with the ultimate goal of faster time to market,
by supporting operating systems, including Linux, Android, and FreeRTOS.
For information on how to set up and boot MCIMX8ULP-EVK, see i.MX 8ULP Evaluation Kit Quick Start Guide
provided in the MCIMX8ULP-EVK hardware kit.
This document provides details about MCIMX8ULP-EVK interfaces, power supplies, clocks, connectors,
jumpers, push buttons, DIP switch, and LEDs.
1.1 Acronyms
Table 1 lists the acronyms used in this document.
Acronym Description
ADC Analog-to-Digital Converter
APD Application processor domain
BCU Board Control Utilities
CC Configuration channel
CSI-2 Camera serial interface - 2
DAC Digital-to-Analog Converter
DFP Downstream-Facing Port
DIP Dual inline package
DNP Do not populate
dps Degrees per second
DRP Dual-Role Power
DSI Display serial interface
EEPROM Electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
EPD Electrophoretic display
EPDC Electrophoretic Display Controller
FD Flexible data-rate
FlexCAN Flexible Controller Area Network
Table 1. Acronyms
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
2 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Acronym Description
HS High-speed
I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit
I2S Inter-IC Sound
IoT Internet of Things
LDO Low-dropout regulator
LED Light-emitting diode
LPDDR4 Low-Power Double Data Rate Controller
LPI2C Low-Power Inter-Integrated Circuit
LPUART Low-Power Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
MAC Medium access control
MIPI Mobile Industry Processor Interface
MPSSE Multiprotocol synchronous serial engine
NTC Negative temperature coefficient
OTG On-The-Go
PMIC Power management integrated circuit
PMT Power Measurement Tool
pSRAM Pseudo static random-access memory
RTC Real-time clock
RTD Real-time processor domain
RTOS Real-time operating system
SAI Synchronous Audio Interface
SAS Serial attached SCSI
SCSI Small Computer System Interface
SDRAM Synchronous dynamic random-access memory
SOM System-on-module
SPDIF Sony/Philips Digital Interface
SPI Serial Peripheral Interface
TFT Thin film transistor
UART Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter
UFP Upstream-Facing Port
USB Universal Serial Bus
uSDHC Ultra Secured Digital Host Controller
WLAN Wireless local area network
Table 1. Acronyms...continued
1.2 Related documentation
Table 2 lists and explains the additional documents and resources that you can refer to for more information
on the board. Some of the documents listed below may be available only under a non-disclosure agreement
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
3 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
(NDA). To request access to these documents, contact your local field applications engineer (FAE) or sales
representative.
Document Description Link / how to obtain
i.MX 8ULP Evaluation Kit Quick Start
Guide
Provides information on how to set up and
boot MCIMX8ULP-EVK.
Available in the MCIMX8ULP-EVK
hardware kit
IMXEBOOKDC5 Board User Manual Provides details of the IMXEBOOKDC5
board, which has an e-paper display.
i.MX 8ULP Processor Reference
Manual
Provides a detailed description about the
i.MX 8ULP processor and its features,
including memory maps, power supplies, and
clocks.
i.MX 8ULP Applications Processor—
Consumer Products Data Sheet
i.MX 8ULP Applications Processor—
Industrial Products Data Sheet
Provides information about electrical
characteristics, hardware design
considerations, and ordering information.
i.MX 8ULP Hardware Developer’s
Guide
Provides information about board layout
recommendations and design checklists to
ensure first-pass success and to avoid board
bring-up problems. It is intended to help
hardware engineers design and test their
i.MX 8ULP processor-based designs.
i.MX 8ULP Errata Lists the details of all known silicon errata for
i.MX 8ULP.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK design files Board schematics, assembly layout
Contact NXP FAE / sales
representative
Board Control Utilities Release Notes Provides release information about BCU
software.
GitHub
i.MX Power Measurement Tool
Application Note (AN13119)
Describes i.MX Power Measurement Tool
(PMT).
AN13119.pdf
PTN5150A Product Data Sheet Provides information about electrical
characteristics, hardware design
considerations, and ordering information.
PTN5150A.pdf
TJA1057 Data Sheet Provides information about electrical
characteristics, hardware design
considerations, and ordering information.
TJA1057.pdf
i.MX Linux User's Guide Describes how to build and install the i.MX
Linux board support package (BSP) on the
i.MX platform. It also covers special i.MX
features and how to use them.
IMX_LINUX_USERS_GUIDE.pdf
Table 2. Related documentation
1.3 Kit contents
Table 3 lists the items included in the MCIMX8ULP-EVK hardware kit.
Item Quantity
MCIMX8ULP-EVK hardware assembled with two separate boards,
MCIMX8ULP-SOM and MCIMX8ULP-BB
1
Table 3. Kit contents
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
4 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Item Quantity
5 V DC, 5 A power adapter with 2.1 mm x 5.5 mm plug 1
USB Type-A to USB micro-B cable 1
USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable 1
Quick Start Guide 1
Table 3. Kit contents...continued
1.4 Block diagram
Figure 1 shows the MCIMX8ULP-EVK block diagram.
Audio
WM8960
Arduino
interface
ResetTamper
detect switc
h
x2 button
ADC+DAC
connector
Power
monitor
i.MX 8ULP
DAC
CAN
connector
CAN0
JTAG
connector
RJ45
JTAG
RMII
I2C
connector
I2C7
Mini-SAS
connector
MIPII2C1
MIPI panel
connector
MIPII2C1
DSI to HDMI
IT6161
HDMI
connector
MIPI LCD
panel OV5640
MIPI SPDIF
Battery
charger
Battery
connector
I2C1
5 V
DC jack
M.2
connector
M.2 Key-E Wi-Fi / Bluetooth module
IW416
SDHC2,
UART6, I2S6
USB
Type-C x2
USB 2.0
RGB LED
PWM
I2C
Remote debug USB connector (FT4232)
with power monitor
UART1/UART5ADC
Hirose connectors
Hirose connectors
eMMC
32 GB
SDHC0
DDR
LPAV domain
A35 domain
M33 domain
A35/M33
domain
Power
Daughter
card
SOM board
Base board
Daughter card
Base board
Audio jack
ON/OFF I2S0 I2C0
Sensors (accelerometer,
gyroscope, pressure sensor)
Power
I2C0
I3C2
Power
FLEXSPI0
FLEXSPI1
FLEXSPI2
Debug
UART
Debug
related
LPDDR4(x)
16 Gbit
Parallel EPDC
connector
EPDCI2C1
Parallel
eBook panel
PMIC
PCA9460A
SPI NOR
32 MB
SPI pSRAM
8 MB SPI NOR/NAND
64 MB
Figure 1. MCIMX8ULP-EVK block diagram
1.5 Board pictures
Figure 2 shows the top view of MCIMX8ULP-EVK.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
5 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
PMIC
LPDDR4
Octal SPI
pSRAM
(in RTD)
eMMC
i.MX 8ULP
Octal SPI
NOR flash
(in RTD)
Octal SPI
NOR flash
(in APD)
Figure 2. MCIMX8ULP-EVK top view
Figure 3 and Figure 4 show the connectors on the MCIMX8ULP-EVK top and bottom views.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
6 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
HDMI connector
Li-ion battery socket
Mini-SAS camera connector Ethernet connector
I2C connector
JTAG connector
USB debug connector
Audio jack
USB0 Type-C connector
USB1 Type-C connector
DC power jack
EPDC connector
External codec connector
ADC/DAC connector
CAN connector (DNP)
HiFi4 UART debug connector (DNP)
Figure 3. MCIMX8ULP-EVK connectors (board top view)
Note: In Figure 3, board-to-board connectors between base board and SOM board are hidden.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
7 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
MIPI-DSI + touch connector
M.2 connector for Wi-Fi / Bluetooth module
Arduino
connectors
(DNP) BT1
Figure 4. MCIMX8ULP-EVK connectors (board bottom view)
Figure 5 shows the jumpers on MCIMX8ULP-EVK.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
8 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Coin cell battery
jumper
LPUART1/LPUART7
jumpers
Figure 5. MCIMX8ULP-EVK jumpers
Figure 6 shows the push buttons, DIP switch, and LEDs.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
9 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Reset button
Processor ON/OFF button
APD user button 1
APD user button 2
Tamper detect button
RTD user button 1
RTD user button 2
Input power ON/OFF button
Boot
configuration
switch SW5
RGB LED
Li-ion battery
charger LEDs
System power /
over-voltage LED
M.2 Bluetooth LED
M.2 WLAN LED
CPU
power LEDs
A35 UART LEDs
M33/A35 UART LEDs
PER_3V3 LED
Figure 6. MCIMX8ULP-EVK push buttons, DIP switch, and LEDs
1.6 Board features
Table 4 lists the features of MCIMX8ULP-EVK.
Board feature Target processor feature
used
Description
Processor NXP i.MX 8ULP processor (part number: PIMX8UD7DVP10SA,
package size: 15 mm x 15 mm) based on up to two Arm Cortex-A35
cores, each running at 800 MHz frequency, and one Arm Cortex-M33F
core running at 216 MHz nominal (RUN) frequency.
Note: For details on the i.MX 8ULP processor, see i.MX 8ULP
Processor Reference Manual.
LPDDR4/
LPDDR4x
memory
LPDDR4 controller 2 GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
eMMC memory uSDHC0 controller 32 GB eMMC NAND flash memory
FlexSPI0 controller 32 MB octal SPI NOR flash memory
FlexSPI1 controller 8 MB octal SPI pSRAM memory
FlexSPI interface
FlexSPI2 controller 64 MB octal SPI NOR flash memory
Table 4. MCIMX8ULP-EVK features
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
10 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Board feature Target processor feature
used
Description
Ethernet interface ENET controller 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX RMII Ethernet PHY accessible through an
RJ45 jack
USB0 controller (USB OTG) USB 3.1 Type-C connectorUSB interface
USB1 controller (USB OTG) USB 3.1 Type-C connector
CAN interface FlexCAN controller HS CAN transceiver with option to connect (populate) a 3-pin CAN
header
Display interface MIPI-DSI host controller One of the following two options can be used:
•MIPI-to-HDMI transmitter with an HDMI Type-A connector
•MIPI-DSI + touch connector
EPDC interface EPDC, LPSPI0, and LPI2C1
controllers
120-pin EPDC connector for connecting an e-paper display
Camera interface MIPI-CSI-2 host controller Mini-SAS camera connector
I2C interface LPI2C0, LPI2C1, LPI2C7, and
PMIC0 controllers
•LPI2C0, LPI2C1, LPI2C7, and PMIC0 buses from the i.MX 8ULP
processor
•FTB bus from USB debug host (via USB-to-UART/MPSSE bridge)
•2x4-position I2C connector for remote I2C access
Audio codec SAI0 controller One of the following two options can be used:
•Audio codec with an audio stereo headphone jack
•External codec connector
Sensors LPI2C0 controller •3-axis digital accelerometer / magnetometer (not populated by
default)
•3-axis digital accelerometer (G-sensor) / gyroscope
•I2C precision pressure sensor
ADC/DAC ADC1 and DAC0 controllers 10-pin ADC/DAC header
M.2 connector SAI5, uSDHC2, LPUART6,
LPI2C7, and USB1 controllers
75-pin, M.2 Key-E mini card connector having EAR00385 Wi-Fi +
Bluetooth card plugged in
Arduino
connectors
Arduino socket with four connectors (not populated by default)
I/O expanders Four I/O expanders to provide remote I/O expansion via the I2C bus
interface
Debug interface USB-to-UART/MPSSE bridge (with a USB debug connector) or a JTAG
header for debugging the i.MX 8ULP processor
Boot
configuration
8-pin DIP switch for controlling boot configuration
Power The following power supply options are available:
•DC power jack for connecting 5 V external power
•Lithium-ion battery socket and battery charger
•USB micro-B connector
•Coin cell battery option (primary/secondary)
Power monitoring Five quad-channel power monitors for power and energy monitoring
Clocks Six crystals/oscillators
Orderable part
number
MCIMX8ULP-EVK
Table 4. MCIMX8ULP-EVK features...continued
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
11 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
1.7 Connectors
Table 5 describes the connectors available on the MCIMX8ULP-BB board. These connectors are shown in
Figure 3 and Figure 4.
Part identifier PCB label Connector type Description Reference section
BT1 – Coin cell battery holder Holder for ML414 size coin cell
battery. By default, no coin cell
battery is present in BT1. With
coin cell battery, BT1 can be used
to produce LICELL_3V0 supply.
Note: As an alternative, a lithium
coin cell battery BAT1 can be
populated to produce LICELL_3V0
supply.
P1 DC5V DC power jack 5 V power supply connector
Section 2.2
J2 ETHERNET RJ45 jack Ethernet connector Section 2.7
J15 USB0 USB0 Type-C connector
J16 USB1
USB 3.1 Type-C
connector USB1 Type-C connector
Section 2.8
J8 (DNP) CAN 1x3-pin header CAN connector Section 2.9
J1 HDMI 1x19-pin connector HDMI Type-A connector
J18 MIPI-DSI 1x40-pin connector MIPI-DSI + touch connector
Section 2.10
J7 EPDC 2x60-pin connector EPDC board-to-board connector
for connecting the MCIMX8ULP-
EVK board to the IMXEBOOKDC5
board
Section 2.11
J4 MIPI-CSI 2x18-pin connector Mini-SAS camera connector Section 2.12
J6 I2C 2x4-position receptacle I2C connector Section 2.13
J12 I2S 2x5-pin header External codec connector
J14 HEADPHONE 3.5 mm audio jack Audio headphone connector
Section 2.14
J11 ADC/DAC 2x5-pin header 12-bit ADC/DAC connector Section 2.16
J19 M.2 75-pin connector M.2 Key-E mini card connector
J3 (DNP) – 1x5-pin header HiFi4 UART debug connector
Section 2.17
J20 (DNP) 1x10-pin header Arduino connector (A35 domain)
J21 (DNP) 1x8-pin header Arduino connector (M33 domain)
J22 (DNP) 1x8-pin header Arduino connector (power and
reset)
J23 (DNP)
Arduino
Interface
1x6-pin header Arduino connector (M33 domain)
Section 2.18
J17 DEBUG USB 2.0 micro-B
connector
USB debug connector Section 2.21.3
J13 JTAG 2x5-pin header JTAG connector Section 2.21.4
J5 –
J9 –
2x40-position receptacle Board-to-board connectors
for base board – SOM board
interconnection
For more information
on these connectors,
Table 5. Base board connectors
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
12 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Part identifier PCB label Connector type Description Reference section
J10 –
CON1 BATTERY Wire-to-board connector Connector for external battery
see MCIMX8ULP-BB
board schematics
Table 5. Base board connectors...continued
Table 6 describes the connectors available on the MCIMX8ULP-SOM board.
Part identifier Connector type Description Reference section
J1
J2
J3
2x40-pin header Board-to-board connectors for base
board – SOM board interconnection
For more information on
these connectors, see
MCIMX8ULP-SOM board
schematics
Table 6. SOM board connectors
1.8 Jumpers
Table 7 describes the MCIMX8ULP-EVK jumpers. The jumpers are shown in Figure 5. All the jumpers are
placed on the MCIMX8ULP-BB board.
Part identifier PCB label Jumper type Description Reference
section
J24 – 1x2-pin header Coin cell battery supply jumper:
•Open (default setting): Coin cell battery supply
LICELL_3V0 is unavailable.
•Shorted: Coin cell battery supply LICELL_3V0 is
available.
Section 2.2
J25 1x3-pin header
J26
LPUART1/
LPUART7 1x3-pin header
FT4232H channel D connection jumpers:
•Pins 1-2 shorted (default setting): FT4232H
channel D is connected to LPUART1 (UART for
Arm Cortex-M33F core, UARTM).
•Pins 2-3 shorted: FT4232H channel D is
connected to LPUART7 (UART for Arm Cortex-
A35 core, UARTA).
Section 2.21
Table 7. MCIMX8ULP-EVK jumpers
1.9 Push and slide buttons
Table 8 describes the MCIMX8ULP-EVK push and slide buttons. The push and slide buttons are shown in
Figure 6. All these buttons are placed on the MCIMX8ULP-BB board.
Part identifier PCB label Button type Name/function Description
SW1 RESET Push button Reset button Press and hold SW1 for more than 8 seconds to
assert reset to PMIC power outputs except LDO_
SNVS (PMIC PCA9460A is present on the SOM
board).
SW1 is directly connected to the PMIC. The i.MX
8ULP processor gets turned off immediately and
reinitiates a boot cycle from the OFF state.
Table 8. MCIMX8ULP-EVK push and slide buttons
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
13 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Part identifier PCB label Button type Name/function Description
SW6 ON/OFF Processor ON/OFF
button
When pressed, SW6 generates input signal to
change power state of the i.MX 8ULP processor
(that is, ON or OFF) from the PMIC.
SW6 is connected to the ONOFF pin of the i.MX
8ULP processor. It changes the power state of
the processor as follows:
•In the ON state, if SW6 is held longer than the
debounce time, then the power-off interrupt is
generated. If it is held longer than the defined
max timeout, then the state changes from ON
to OFF, and the PMIC_ON_REQ signal is sent to
turn off the power outputs of the PMIC.
•In the OFF state, if SW6 is held longer than the
OFF-to-ON time, then the state changes from
OFF to ON, and the PMIC_ON_REQ signal is
sent to turn on the power outputs of the PMIC.
SW2 APD
BUTTON1
SW3 APD
BUTTON2
Software-defined, connected to application
processor domain (APD). SW2 and SW3 are
connected to the processor pins PTF7 and
PTF30, respectively.
SW7 RTD
BUTTON1
SW8 RTD
BUTTON2
User buttons
Software-defined, connected to real-time
processor domain (RTD). SW7 and SW8 are
connected to the processor pins PTB13 and
PTB12, respectively.
SW9 TAMPER Tamper detect button SW9 is connected to the TAMPER0 pin of the i.MX
8ULP processor. A tamper is detected when a
change happens in the voltage level of this pin.
When SW9 is pressed (the voltage level of the
TAMPER0 pin changes from 1 to 0) or released
(the voltage level of the pin changes from 0 to 1),
a tamper signal is sent to the processor.
SW10 ON/OFF
SWITCH
Slide button Input power ON/OFF
button
Button for controlling 5 V DC input supply
Table 8. MCIMX8ULP-EVK push and slide buttons...continued
1.10 DIP switch
MCIMX8ULP-EVK has an 8-pin dual inline package (DIP) switch (SW5) for controlling the i.MX 8ULP boot
mode. SW5 is placed on the MCIMX8ULP-BB board.
Each pin of the DIP switch has two positions:
•OFF position (pin has value 0)
•ON position (pin has value 1)
A DIP switch pin can be moved manually from OFF position to ON position and vice versa.
Figure 7 shows the MCIMX8ULP-EVK DIP switch.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
14 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Figure 7. DIP switch
Table 9 describes the MCIMX8ULP-EVK DIP switch settings.
SW5[8]
(MSB)
SW5[7] SW5[6] SW5[5] SW5[4] SW5[3] SW5[2] SW5[1]
(LSB)
BOOT_
MODE1
BOOT_
MODE0
BT1_
CFG14
BT1_
CFG13
BT0_CFG4 BT0_CFG3 BT0_CFG1 BT0_CFG0
Boot mode
0 0 x x x x x x Boot from
Fuses
0 1 x x x x x x[1] Serial
Download
1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 A35 - eMMC /
M33 - SPI NOR
1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 A35 - SPI
NOR / M33 -
SPI NOR
1 0 0 0 x x 0 0 Single Boot -
eMMC (default
setting)
1 0 1 0 x x 0 0 Single Boot -
SPI NOR
1 0 0 0 0 0 x 1 A35 - eMMC /
M33 - SPI NOR
(Low Power)
1 0 1 0 0 0 x 1 A35 - SPI
NOR / M33 -
SPI NOR (Low
Power)
Table 9. Boot configuration settings
[1] Set to OFF when the fuse (BT_FUSE_SEL) is not blown.
The default setting for SW5[1:8] is 00000001. With this setting, both A35 and M33 cores boot from eMMC.
Note: For more details on the i.MX 8ULP boot modes and boot mode configurations, see the "System Boot
Flow" chapter in i.MX 8ULP Processor Reference Manual.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
15 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
1.11 LEDs
MCIMX8ULP-EVK provides numerous light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for monitoring system status. The
information collected from the LEDs can be used for debugging purposes.
Table 10 describes the MCIMX8ULP-EVK LEDs. The LEDs are shown in Figure 6. All these LEDs are placed on
the MCIMX8ULP-BB board.
Part identifier LED color Name/function Description (when LED is ON)
D9 Green M.2 card WLAN
status
M.2 card wireless LAN is operating correctly.
D10 Orange M.2 card Bluetooth
status
M.2 card Bluetooth is operating correctly.
D22 Orange CPU power mode 0
D21 Orange CPU power mode 1
D20 Orange
CPU power status
CPU power mode 2
D29 Orange Arm Cortex-A35 core receives UART data from the host
computer.
D28 Green
A35 UART
Arm Cortex-A35 core sends UART data to the host
computer.
D27 Orange Arm Cortex-M33F / Arm Cortex-A35 core receives UART
data from the host computer.
D34 Green
M33/A35 UART
Arm Cortex-M33F / Arm Cortex-A35 core sends UART
data to the host computer.
Green System power status System power supply is available.D33
Red Over-voltage status Over-voltage condition is detected.
D35 Green Battery charger is charging the lithium-ion battery.
Note: A blinking LED indicates bad lithium-ion battery.
The OFF status indicates that either the battery is fully
charged or the charger is not running.
D36 Orange
Lithium-ion battery
charger status
Battery charger is getting valid AC input supply.
D37 Orange PER_3V3 supply
status
PER_3V3 supply is available.
Blue Connected to the processor pin PTE6
Red Connected to the processor pin PTF29
U15
Green
RGB
Connected to the processor pin PTF20
Table 10. MCIMX8ULP-EVK LEDs
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
16 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
2 Functional description
This section contains the following subsections:
•Processor
•Board power supply
•Clocks
•LPDDR4/LPDDR4x memory
•eMMC memory
•FlexSPI interface
•Ethernet interface
•USB interface
•CAN interface
•Display interface
•EPDC interface
•Camera interface
•I2C interface
•Audio codec
•Sensors
•ADC/DAC
•M.2 connector and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module
•Arduino connectors
•I/O multiplexers
•I/O expanders
•Board control and debug interface
•PCB information
•Board errata
2.1 Processor
The NXP i.MX 8ULP family of processors features advanced implementation of the dual Arm Cortex-A35 cores,
in addition to an Arm Cortex-M33F core. This combined architecture enables the device to run a rich operating
system (such as Linux) on the Cortex-A35 core and an RTOS (such as FreeRTOS) on the Cortex-M33F core.
It also includes a Fusion DSP for low-power audio and a HiFi4 DSP for advanced audio and machine learning
applications.
The i.MX 8ULP processor provides a 32-bit LPDDR3/LPDDR4/LPDDR4X memory interface and several
other interfaces for connecting peripherals, such as WLAN, Bluetooth, GPS, and displays. Also, these two
coprocessors are connected to the Cortex-M33F core: PowerQuad and Casper.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK includes an i.MX 8ULP processor (PIMX8UD7DVP10SA) with this package information: 485
BGA, 15 mm x 15 mm, 0.5 mm pitch.
For more information about the processor, see the following documents:
•i.MX 8ULP Applications Processor—Consumer Products Data Sheet or i.MX 8ULP Applications Processor—
Industrial Products Data Sheet
•i.MX 8ULP Processor Reference Manual
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
17 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
2.2 Board power supply
MCIMX8ULP-EVK is powered up with an external 5 V DC power supply, through DC power jack P1 available on
the base board. The 5 V power supply to the board can be turned on/off using a slide button SW10 connected
to a P-channel MOSFET Q21.
The power supply devices on the board use the 5 V power to generate required power supplies for PMIC,
board-to-board connectors, CAN transceiver, MIPI-to-HDMI transmitter, HDMI connector, USB connectors, pull-
up resistors for power monitors, and other peripheral devices.
MCIMX8ULP-EVK also gets external power when it is connected to the host computer through the base board
USB micro-B connector. This power is used for powering the FT4232H USB-to-UART/MPSSE bridge.
Figure 8 shows the MCIMX8ULP-EVK power supply diagram.
5 V DC jack
P-MOS
PSU_5V0
DC_5V0
Charger
PSU_5V0_4V2
P-MOS
Switch VDD_PTB + 10 ms
MP2162
VDD_PTB + ~3 ms
PER_3V3
SYS_5V0_4V2
VDD_PTB + ~3 ms
MP2162
PER_1V8
MP3414
SRC_5V0
RT9078
ITE_1V2
VDD_PTB + 3 ms
To PMIC
To CAN, HDMI, and USB
USB micro-B debug connector
ON_3V3
RT9193
To pull-up resistors
for power monitors
RT9193
VCC_FT_3V3
To connectors on base board
To IT6161
To peripheral devices
To peripheral devices
To FT4232
2 A
1.8 A
2 A
0.3 A
0.3 A
0.3 A
Enable
Enable
Enable
Enable
Enable
Bypass
Bypass
Figure 8. Power supply diagram
Table 11 describes the MCIMX8ULP-EVK power supplies.
Note: Unless specified explicitly, the part identifiers mentioned in Table 11 correspond to the MCIMX8ULP-BB
board.
Power source Manufacturer and part
number
Power
supply
Description
External 5 V supply
through DC power
jack P1
– DC_5V0 (5 V) Supplies power to:
•P-channel MOSFET Q21
•Red (over-voltage) LED of red-green (D33) LED
P-channel MOSFET
Q21
Alpha & Omega
Semiconductor
AON3419
PSU_5V0 (5
V)
•Supplies power to:
–Green (system power status) LED of red-green (D33)
LED
–Lithium-ion battery charger U38 if the R272 resistor is
populated (not populated by default)
•One of the two power source options (default option) for
producing the PSU_5V0_4V2 supply
Lithium-ion battery
charger U38
Monolithic Power
Systems MP2617B
PSU_5V0_
4V2 (5 V
Supplies power to:
Table 11. MCIMX8ULP-EVK power supplies
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
18 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Power source Manufacturer and part
number
Power
supply
Description
(default
value) / 4.2 V)
Note: PSU_
5V0_4V2 is
5 V when
produced from
PSU_5V0
and it is
4.2 V when
produced from
U38.
•PMIC PCA9460A on the SOM board (through board-to-
board connectors)
•P-channel MOSFET Q14
•Voltage regulators U6, U22, U23, and U25
BAT_4V2 (4.2
V)
Supplies power to lithium-ion battery socket
Note: PSU_5V0_4
V2 can be produced
from either the
PSU_5V0 supply or
lithium-ion battery
charger U38. By
default, PSU_5V0
produces PSU_5
V0_4V2 and U38 is
bypassed.
CHG_VCC Supplies power to D35 and D36 LEDs
P-channel MOSFET
Q14
Alpha & Omega
Semiconductor
AON3419
SYS_5V0_4
V2 (5 V / 4.2
V)
•Supplies power to voltage regulator U20
•One of the two power supplies for Arduino header J22
(not populated)
•One of the three power supplies for:
–MIPI-DSI + touch connector J18
–Mini-SAS camera connector J4
•One of the four power supplies for EPDC board-to-
board connector J7
Voltage regulator
U20
Monolithic Power
Systems MP3414AGJ-Z
SRC_5V0 (5
V)
•Produces the HDMI_5V0 supply for powering HDMI
connector J1
•Supplies power to USB host power control switches
U39 and U43
•One of the two power supplies for CAN transceiver U24
•Second power supply for EPDC board-to-board
connector J7
USB host power
control switch U39
NXP NX5P3090UK USB0_VBUS Supplies power to:
•USB0 Type-C connector J15
•Pull-up resistor on VBUS detection input signal to USB0
CC logic chip U41
USB host power
control switch U43
NXP NX5P3090UK USB1_VBUS Supplies power to:
•USB1 Type-C connector J16
•Pull-up resistor on VBUS detection input signal to USB1
CC logic chip U40
Voltage regulator U6 Richtek Technology
RT9078-12GJ5_5P
ITE_1V2 (1.2
V at 0.3 A)
One of the three power supplies for MIPI-to-HDMI
transmitter U10
Voltage regulator
U22
Monolithic Power
Systems MP2162
AGQHT-Z
PER_3V3 (3.3
V at 2 A)
•One of the two power source options for producing the
ADC_VDD supply
•Supplies power to:
–DIP switch SW5
–CPU power status LEDs D20, D21, and D22
–RGB LED U15 and PER_3V3 supply status LED D37
–Audio codec U48
–Audio jack J14
–Accelerometer + magnetometer U29 (not populated)
Table 11. MCIMX8ULP-EVK power supplies...continued
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
19 / 52

NXP Semiconductors MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM
MCIMX8ULP-EVK Board User Manual
Power source Manufacturer and part
number
Power
supply
Description
–Pressure sensor U34
–USB0 CC logic chip U41 and USB1 CC logic chip
U40
–I2C connector J6
–Arduino connector J20 (not populated)
–MIPI-DSI I/O multiplexers U55, U56, and U57
–EPDC I/O multiplexers U16, U18, U19, U21, and U26
–JTAG remote control multiplexer U42
–I/O expander U27
–Boot mode remote control buffer/driver U30
–I/O isolation buffer U35
–Load switch U58
•Supplies VCCB power to voltage translators U12, U33,
U52, U53, and U54
•Another power supply for:
–CAN transceiver U24
–Arduino connector J22 (not populated)
•Second power supply for:
–MIPI-to-HDMI transmitter U10
–MIPI-DSI + touch connector J18
–Mini-SAS camera connector J4
•Third power supply for EPDC board-to-board connector
J7
•One of the two power supplies for:
–RMII Ethernet PHY U50
–RJ45 Ethernet connector J2
–External codec connector J12
Load switch U58 Diodes Incorporated
AP22814AW5
M2_3V3 (3.3
V)
•Supplies power to:
–Crystal oscillator Y1
–M.2 card LEDs D9 and D10
•Supplies VCCA power to voltage translator U7
•One of the two power supplies for M.2 connector J19
Voltage regulator
U23
Monolithic Power
Systems MP2162
AGQHT-Z
PER_1V8 (1.8
V at 2 A)
•Another power source option (disabled by default) for
producing the ADC_VDD supply
•Supplies power to:
–Crystal oscillator Y2
–G-sensor + gyroscope sensor U11
–Boot mode remote control buffer/driver U17
–I/O expander U8
–Push buttons SW2, SW3, SW6, SW7, and SW8
•Supplies VCCA power to voltage translators U12, U52,
U53, and U54
•Supplies VCCB power to voltage translators U7, U31,
and U32
•Another power supply for:
–RMII Ethernet PHY U50
–RJ45 Ethernet connector J2
–External codec connector J12
Table 11. MCIMX8ULP-EVK power supplies...continued
MCIMX8ULP-EVK-UM All information provided in this document is subject to legal disclaimers. © 2023 NXP B.V. All rights reserved.
User manual Rev. 1 — 14 August 2023
20 / 52