Choosing the Right i.MX Processor for a Small Edge AI Prototype

Alicecarry — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 07:02:47 GMT

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a compact edge device and need help selecting the right i.MX processor for basic on-device AI tasks. The goal is to run small inference models (sensor-based classification, simple vision, etc.) without high power consumption.

Right now, I’m comparing the i.MX 8M Mini, i.MX RT series, and the i.MX 8M Plus. In the mid of the project planning, someone suggested testing a best ai pc setup first, but I prefer staying fully embedded unless there’s a strong reason not to.

My main questions:

Is the NPU on the 8M Plus noticeably better for small TFLite/ONNX models?
How is the power draw when running inference continuously?
Any recommended dev kits or sample projects to speed up the testing phase?

Looking for guidance from anyone who has built similar lightweight edge AI systems using NXP hardware. Thanks!

Re: Choosing the Right i.MX Processor for a Small Edge AI Prototype

danielchen — Fri, 21 Nov 2025 05:52:59 GMT

HI @Alicecarry

Is the NPU on the 8M Plus noticeably better for small TFLite/ONNX models?

Yes, but how much depends on your model size and complexity.

i.MX 8M Plus: It integrates an NPU (2.3 TOPS) optimized for common vision and classification tasks. It accelerates quantized models (INT8) via NXP's eIQ toolkit. For small models like sensor classification, simple CNNs, the NPU can give 10x-20x speedup vs CPU. Typical active power for inference on NPU is ~1–1.5 W (whole SoC), depending on DDR and peripherals. Idle can drop below 0.5 W

i.MX 8M Mini: No NPU, so inference runs on Cortex-A53 or GPU (OpenCL). Power is similar or slightly lower than 8M Plus, but performance is much slower.

i.MX RT series: Ultra-low power (hundreds of mW), but no Linux and no NPU. Great for tiny ML models (TensorFlow Lite Micro) on bare metal or FreeRTOS.

I.MX Machine Learning User's Guide

https://www.nxp.com/docs/en/user-guide/UG10166.pdf

i.MX 8MP EVK board.

https://www.nxp.com/design/design-center/development-boards-and-designs/8MPLUSLPD4-PEVK

I.MX 8MP Frdm board

https://www.nxp.com/design/design-center/development-boards-and-designs/FRDM-IMX8MPLUS

More detailed information, please refer to the product page.

https://www.nxp.com/products/i.MX8MPLUShttps://www.nxp.com/products/i.MX8M

You can find sample demos in the I.MX 8MP BSP

Regards

Daniel

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Choosing the Right i.MX Processor for a Small Edge AI Prototype

Re: Choosing the Right i.MX Processor for a Small Edge AI Prototype