Built upon NXP’s decades of microcontroller expertise, the MCX MCU portfolio offers developers a wide range of MCUs, supported by the MCUXpresso suite of software and tools. MCX W brings wireless to the MCX portfolio with a series of Arm® Cortex®-M33 powered multiprotocol MCUs.
MCX W adds to the portfolio by enabling wireless connectivity for multiple standards such as Matter, Thread, Zigbee and
Bluetooth LE. MCX W is the go-to for wireless applications in the MCX portfolio.
Target applications can include:
- Industrial IoT edge sensors and controllers
- Commercial building infrastructure products including access control, distributed lighting and window coverings
- Smart home devices such as locks, lighting controls, smart plugs, window coverings and sensors
- Personal health and fitness products
- E-bikes
- General 2.4GHz wireless/handheld devices
The MCX W series begins with the W71 family. The W71 combines a Cortex-M33 Core CPU platform with an Arm Cortex M3-based radio subsystem.
MCXW71 Block Diagram
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block diagram.
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MCX W MCUs for your next generation of intelligent edge devices.
A dedicated MCU core for the radio subsystem allows the real-time, low-level radio functions to be isolated from the application
code. It can also translate to simplified firmware updates to the radio subsystem to support future wireless standards. The MCX
W71 is well suited for wireless edge devices, both as a standalone MCU or as a wireless co-processor to a host MCU or MPU.
The MCX W72 includes extended Flash, RAM, GPIO and additional radio features.
MCXW72 Block Diagram
For a better experience, download the
block diagram.
The Flash and RAM are effectively doubled in the main CPU of the MCX W72, as well as in the radio subsystem. The additional memory
enables large, feature-rich applications while having ample space to implement robust over-the-air (OTA) firmware updates in a
single standalone implementation for the application and wireless functions. Increased code storage can make a significant
difference when developing with a full feature protocol such as Matter.
Next Generation Proximity Measurement with Bluetooth Channel Sounding
The MCX W72 will feature a significant capability upgrade with support for
Bluetooth Channel Sounding.
Bluetooth Channel Sounding is a new standard that enables distance/proximity measurement between two devices.
The radio signal time of flight is measured between two devices by analyzing time stamped packets and tonal phase differences
across many channels using a sophisticated coordination algorithm. Channel Sounding manages indoor multipath effects and
measurement inference ambiguities through coordination between the end devices and the use of up to 72 radio channels.
Boy using app on smartphone to unlock house door
The MCX W72 is the first wireless MCU to support Bluetooth Channel Sounding. It includes NXP’s localization compute engine
(LCE), a dedicated co-processor to reduce latency. In addition, the MCX W72’s radio subsystem runs the entire Bluetooth stack, offloading the main application core.
Speaking to the scalability of the MCX W, the MCX72 will be pin-to-pin compatible with the MCX W71 in the 7mm x 7mm QFN48 package.
Industrial IoT Edge Enablement
The MCX W72 extends into the industrial IoT space with the inclusion of two CAN-FD interfaces. Many industrial and commercial
applications make use of the ubiquitous CAN data bus. Even though CAN began in the automotive sector, it has become pervasive in
applications requirement fault tolerant communication. Such applications include HVAC systems, e-bikes, commercial vehicle
tracking and programmable logic controllers.
MCX W MCUs enable industrial IoT applications, such as smart lighting, blinds and climate control in an office.
Edgelock® Security Subsystem
An important capability in the MCX W series is the EdgeLock Secure Enclave core profile. Security features have been engineered
into the MCX W from the beginning to address the growing needs for protection against cybersecurity attacks.
Diagram for EdgeLock Secure Enclave, Core Profile
This includes secure boot flows built into ROM, cryptographic accelerators, encryption and signature checking, a true random
generator, device lifecycle management with one time programmable (OTP) fuses, built-in security key management and hardware
root of trust.
An important benefit of the EdgeLock Secure Enclave is that customers can take advantage of NXP’s EdgeLock 2GO service platform
for provisioning and managing IoT devices. The Matter wireless IoT protocol is built on a strong, proven security framework.
Before a device can be onboarded to a Matter network, it must validate its identify and prove that it has passed Matter
certification through an embedded Device Attestation Certificate (DAC).
As a Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA)-approved product attestation authority (PAA), NXP provides product manufacturers with
a one-stop-shop for Matter certification and security certificates, accelerating Matter product development and deployment.
MCUXpresso Development Experience
At the heart of the MCX W experience is the MCUXpresso suite of software and tools. The MCUXpresso suite offers core software
development kits (SDKs) and Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) and configuration tooling.
The SDK is flexible and can be used with a range of IDEs include:
-
MCUXpresso for Visual Studio Code (VS Code): VS Code with extension from NXP to enable fast, flexible
development
- MCUXpresso IDE: Customized, Eclipse-based, IDE for NXP MCUs, optimized for ease-of-use
-
IAR Embedded Workbench: Safety certified, highly optimizing compiler and development environment for C/C++
Hardware Development with FRDM Boards
As part of the MCUXpresso Developer Experience, NXP offers low-cost FRDM boards for the MCX W series starting with the FRDM-MCXW71. These boards include an on-board programmer/debugger and offer rapid prototyping through the Arduino® and mikroBUS headers, with add-on boards available through the Expansion Board Hub.
MCX W FRDM boards offer easy development and rapid prototyping 
