Android was designed originally for use in consumer electronics especially tablets and phones. Due to its wide proliferation, now there are many needs for developing platforms based on Android OS that finds applications in industrial HMI, Auto infotainment, etc. Simplicity, portability, low cost and rich GUI are some of the advantages of using Android in such applications.

Freescale iMx6 based SECOSBC-A62

On the hardware front, there are a lot of low cost development boards like Raspberry Pi/Raspberry Pi+, TI’s Beagleboard/Beagebone, Freescale’s SABRE platforms, UDOO board, Allwinner based Cubie platforms, Rockchip platforms, Intel boards etc. While these platforms are ideal for many applications, using them for a qualified industrial application is not possible as they are not industrial grade systems. Of a few options available, the latest offering from SECO the A62 SBC is an ideal choice. Available in multiple variants, features of the SECOSBC-A62 board include

• Processor – Freescale i.MX6 Series – i.MX6S/i.MX6DL/i.MX6Q
• Memory – 1GB DDR3L, 64-bit interface
• Graphics – Integrated Graphics, with up to 3 separated HW accelerators for
• 2D, OpenGL® ES2.0 3D,
• Video Interfaces – 1 x Dual Channel or 2 x Single Channel 18/24 bit LVDS interface HDMI connector
• Mass Storage – 4GB eMMC disc soldered onboard, microSD Card slot
• Networking – Gigabit Ethernet connector, Internal USB connector for Wi-Fi Module
• USB – 2 x USB 2.0 Type-A ports and 1 x USB 2.0 internal connector, USB micro-B Client port
• Audio – AC’97 Audio Codec Realtek ALC655 with Mic-In, Line-Out audio Jacks
• Serial Ports – 1 x Serial (TTL level), 2 x Serial (RS-232), 1 x CAN (TTL level)
• Other Interfaces – Dedicated connector (I2C, GPIO signals) for external Touch Screen controller, MIPI-CSI Camera connector.
• Configurable expansion connector with:
  • Up to 28 GPIO
  • SPI interface
  • SPDIF Audio interface
  • CAN interface (TTL level)
  • SDIO interface
  • PWM
  • I2C
  • UARTs

Android Lollipop on iMX6 based SECOSBC-A62

Embien has ported Android Lollipop on iMX6 based industrial grade SECOSBC-A62 platform. Below video demonstrates the same.

About Embien: A leading technology service provider in Embedded domain, Embien offers highly specialized services for Android including BSP porting, HAL developments, Customization, Optimization etc. Our other service offering include embedded software services, hardware design services, Industrial protocol development, technical consultancy etc. We also offer corporate training on Android, Multimedia, GStreamer and other technologies. Kindly contact us for your embedded/Android development and/or training requirements.