NXP i.MX 6 Series EOL: What Industrial and Embedded Designs Need to Know

The i.MX 6 Family: What Is in It

The i.MX 6 is not a single device. It is a family of application processors sharing the same core architecture (ARM Cortex-A9, 32-bit ARMv7) but varying in core count, memory interface, and feature set. Understanding which specific variant your design uses matters because lifecycle status varies across the family.

i.MX 6SoloLite: Single Cortex-A9 core, lower memory bandwidth. One of the earliest i.MX 6 variants to enter NRND status. If your design uses the i.MX 6SoloLite, it is in the most urgent position within the family.

i.MX 6Solo and i.MX 6DualLite: Single-core and dual-core variants respectively, sharing the i.MX 6 Series peripheral set. Both are mature and have been in NRND status with various distributors for several years. New-design interest has largely moved to the i.MX 6ULL or i.MX 8 family depending on performance requirements.

i.MX 6Dual and i.MX 6Quad: The performance variants of the family, with dual and quad Cortex-A9 cores, full DDR3/LPDDR2 memory interface, and the highest peripheral count. These were the most widely designed-in variants for HMI and multimedia industrial applications. They have been in NRND for mainstream commercial grade parts, with industrial temperature variants typically having longer committed availability.

i.MX 6QuadPlus: A higher-performance extension of the Quad, with additional GPU capability and higher memory bandwidth. Positioned primarily for automotive infotainment; availability has been managed accordingly.

i.MX 6SoloX: A heterogeneous variant combining a Cortex-A9 (applications core) with a Cortex-M4 (real-time core). This combination made it attractive for industrial designs requiring deterministic real-time control alongside a Linux application environment. Its lifecycle has been separate from the symmetric multi-core variants.

i.MX 6UltraLite (6UL) and i.MX 6ULL / 6ULZ: Single Cortex-A7-based variants in a smaller package, positioned for cost- and power-sensitive applications including IoT gateways and smart energy devices. These are the youngest products in the i.MX 6 family and have been positioned by NXP for the longest continuing availability. The i.MX 6ULL in particular has been widely recommended for new designs in NXP's industrial catalogues, although even here it is worth checking current longevity commitments against your programme timeline.

The correct procedure for any specific part is to check NXP's product page directly: lifecycle status, last recommended order date, and any active Product Change Notices (PCNs) are published there. NXP's longevity programme commitments, where they apply, are typically documented in the product's ordering information or in NXP's Product Longevity documentation.

Why Industrial Designs Are Especially Exposed

Consumer electronics designed around the i.MX 6 have largely already been redesigned. A smart TV or tablet built in 2014 was replaced in the market by 2018. The designs that are still running on i.MX 6 in 2026 are almost exclusively industrial, medical, or infrastructure products with long service lives and high redesign costs.

This creates a specific risk profile. A medical device carrying regulatory approval (FDA 510(k), CE marking under MDR) faces substantial re-approval cost and timeline if the hardware changes in a way that affects device functionality. An industrial controller installed in a production line may require customer acceptance testing before a hardware revision can be deployed. A building management system with a 15-year design life that was certified in 2016 was not designed to be redesigned in 2026.

For these programmes, the relevant planning horizon is not the date NXP stops selling the i.MX 6. It is the date at which supply becomes unreliable enough to risk production interruptions, or the date at which the gap between required production volume and available supply forces a sourcing crisis. By the time an official PDN arrives, the comfortable window for an orderly migration has often already passed.

The other factor specific to industrial designs is Linux BSP longevity. The i.MX 6 has been supported in mainline Linux and in NXP's own BSP for many years, but kernel versions and Yocto layers for i.MX 6 will eventually lose active maintenance. Security patches will stop appearing. Designs that have security requirements (network-connected industrial devices, medical devices, critical infrastructure) need to account for software end-of-life as well as hardware end-of-life. These timelines do not always align.

The Migration Challenge: Not a Simple Swap

The i.MX 6 to i.MX 8 migration is one of the more demanding processor transitions an embedded team can face. It is not a drop-in replacement.

Architecture change. The i.MX 6 is ARMv7, 32-bit. The i.MX 8 series (i.MX 8M Mini, i.MX 8M Nano, i.MX 8M Plus) is ARMv8, 64-bit. Toolchain, compiler flags, and in some cases application code must be updated. Any application using 32-bit assumptions or proprietary binaries distributed only in 32-bit form will require supplier engagement.

Memory interface change. The i.MX 6 supports DDR3 and LPDDR2. The i.MX 8M Mini and i.MX 8M Plus use LPDDR4 and LPDDR4X. This affects PCB layout (different signal routing requirements, stricter impedance control), memory device selection, and memory training at boot. The external memory is effectively a redesign sub-task on its own.

Package and pinout change. The i.MX 6 and i.MX 8 are different BGA packages. They are not pin-compatible in any configuration. A direct chip-level migration always requires a board redesign.

BSP and driver migration. The i.MX 8 BSP is a different codebase from the i.MX 6 BSP, even within NXP's own Yocto layers. Drivers for custom peripherals and display interfaces may require porting work. Device tree files will need to be rewritten for the new SoC's peripheral register map.

Peripherals and feature set differences. The i.MX 6Quad's parallel camera interface (CSI) and parallel display interface are used widely in industrial HMI designs. The i.MX 8M Mini does not support a parallel display interface natively; MIPI-DSI or HDMI is the path forward, which may require a display module change in addition to the SoC change.

Taken together, a migration from i.MX 6 to i.MX 8 at the bare silicon level is typically a 9 to 18 month project depending on design complexity, BSP maturity, and whether display or camera subsystems need to change. For teams with certification obligations, add the recertification timeline on top.

NXP Successor Options

NXP offers a clear successor path for i.MX 6, though the right choice depends on the specific variant being replaced.

i.MX 8M Mini (MIMX8MM series): The most direct successor for i.MX 6Dual and i.MX 6Quad designs. Quad Cortex-A53 cores, one Cortex-M4 real-time core, LPDDR4, and a GPU. Suitable for industrial HMI, edge computing, and multimedia applications. Available in industrial temperature grade (-40°C to +85°C). Active product with mainstream availability.

i.MX 8M Nano: A lower-power, lower-cost i.MX 8M variant with quad or dual Cortex-A53 cores and no GPU. Suitable for non-display industrial applications transitioning from i.MX 6Solo or i.MX 6DualLite.

i.MX 8M Plus: Targets the i.MX 6Quad and i.MX 6QuadPlus segment with additional ML inferencing capability (Neural Processing Unit), improved media processing, and industrial ethernet support. Appropriate for higher-performance industrial applications.

i.MX 93: NXP's recommended migration target for i.MX 6UL and i.MX 6ULL designs. Dual Cortex-A55 cores, a Cortex-M33 real-time core, and an NPU for edge AI. The i.MX 93 targets the same cost-sensitive, power-sensitive embedded market as the i.MX 6ULL but on a modern process node with current software support. Available in industrial temperature grade.

i.MX 6SoloX to i.MX 93 or i.MX 8M Mini: The heterogeneous A9+M4 combination of the SoloX has no exact equivalent in the i.MX 8M Mini (which has an A53+M4 combination) and the i.MX 93 (which has A55+M33). Both are viable migration targets depending on whether the real-time core's capabilities or the application core's performance is the primary requirement.

All NXP successor part numbers and availability should be confirmed directly with NXP or an authorised distributor. The i.MX 8M and i.MX 93 families are themselves active products with their own roadmaps; verify industrial temperature grade availability for your specific package at the time of design-in.

System-on-Module Migration Paths

For teams who need to migrate from i.MX 6 but want to minimise the board redesign scope, System-on-Module (SoM) vendors offer migration paths that can significantly reduce the project. Several major SoM manufacturers supported the i.MX 6 with popular modules and have developed successor modules on i.MX 8 or i.MX 93 with compatible carrier board footprints.

Toradex produces the Colibri and Apalis form factor modules. Colibri iMX6 modules are succeeded by Colibri iMX8X and Colibri iMX8 Mini, both pin-compatible with the Colibri carrier board standard within the same form factor family. For designs using the Apalis iMX6, the Apalis iMX8 and Apalis iMX8 Plus provide a migration path within the Apalis form factor. Toradex maintains its own Torizon OS BSP across these platforms, which reduces the software porting burden for designs that adopted Torizon on i.MX 6.

Variscite produces the DART and SOM-MX series. The DART-MX6 is succeeded by DART-MX8M-MINI and DART-MX8M-PLUS with the same DART carrier board footprint. The VAR-SOM-MX6 is succeeded by VAR-SOM-MX8M-NANO and VAR-SOM-MX93. Variscite provides migration guides and BSP support across these transitions.

PHYTEC supports the phyCORE-i.MX 6 form factor and has successor modules in the phyCORE-i.MX 8M Mini and phyCORE-i.MX 93 product lines. PHYTEC's phyBOARD carrier boards are designed with forward compatibility in mind within a module generation, reducing hardware redesign when migrating within the phyCORE ecosystem.

Boundary Devices (now part of Plyform Embedded) produces the Nitrogen series based on i.MX 6, with Nitrogen8M and Nitrogen8M Mini as successors sharing compatible carrier board designs where possible.

Compulab produces the CM-FX6 module with the CM-iMX8M-Mini as the successor, compatible with the same SB-FX6 carrier board through an adapter.

The SoM migration approach has a clear trade-off: it simplifies the hardware transition but adds module cost and may limit certain peripheral configurations compared to a bare silicon design. For low-to-medium volume programmes where engineering resource is the constraint, it is often the right choice. For high-volume designs where per-unit cost is the primary driver, a direct silicon migration with a full board redesign typically has better long-term economics.

Last-Time Buy and Secondary Market Considerations

For programmes that cannot migrate within the available window (because of certification constraints, service life commitments, or resource limitations), the alternatives are a last-time buy of i.MX 6 stock and secondary market sourcing.

Last-time buy. When NXP issues a PDN for a specific i.MX 6 variant, it will define a last recommended order date and a final shipment date. These windows are typically six to twelve months from the PDN date. The decision of how much stock to purchase requires estimating total remaining programme volume plus a safety margin, accounting for storage conditions (i.MX 6 BGA packages in moisture-sensitive level packaging require controlled storage), and confirming that the date codes of the LTB stock will remain within the storage life window for the period they will be held.

LTB purchases of complex BGA processors carry more storage risk than discrete components. Temperature and humidity cycling during long-term storage can affect BGA solder joint integrity, and moisture ingress into MSD packaging requires baking before reflow. Any LTB quantity intended to cover more than two to three years of production should have a defined storage protocol and a plan for incoming inspection before use.

Secondary market. Secondary market stock of i.MX 6 variants exists through independent distributors. Given that the i.MX 6 family has been in production since 2011, secondary market stock may carry a wide range of date codes, from relatively recent production to very early lots. Older date codes are not automatically a problem for a correctly stored BGA processor, but they require confirmation of storage history and condition.

Counterfeit risk for i.MX 6 parts is real: the processor family is widely deployed, commands a significant price on the secondary market when supply tightens, and is complex enough that electrical testing alone may not catch all forms of fraud. Visual inspection against manufacturer markings, X-ray inspection for BGA ball integrity, and functional testing including Linux boot and peripheral verification are the appropriate tests for secondary market i.MX 6 lots going into production.

The i.MX 6 family earned its widespread adoption, and NXP's longevity commitments mean it is not disappearing immediately. But the engineering decisions made now will determine whether a programme transitions smoothly or faces a sourcing crisis under time pressure. Migration planning takes 12 to 18 months at minimum; last-time buy decisions require stock volume calculations and storage planning; and secondary market sourcing for older stock requires verification steps that take time to execute properly. The teams that act on NRND status rather than waiting for a PDN are the ones with options.

Carrying i.MX 6 on your BOM and want to understand secondary market availability for your specific variant? Talk to the Maketronics team and we will tell you what stock exists and what verification is appropriate for your application.