NXP EdgeVerse Techcast

How DigiKey & NXP FRDM Boards Accelerate Embedded Prototyping (with Matt Mielke)
Co-hosts Kyle Dando and Bridgette Stone welcome Matt Mielke, an Applications Engineer at DigiKey Electronics, to discuss how DigiKey supports embedded developers using NXP's FRDM evaluation board ecosystem from initial MCU evaluation through working prototypes. Matt explains DigiKey's role beyond distribution, including technical support escalation, published project content, and the DigiKey Tech Forum as a key resource for getting questions answered. He highlights why engineers choose DigiKey—large in-stock selection, fast shipping, and a website with detailed part resources—and describes common FRDM use cases across industries, with strong student adoption. The episode covers popular expansion options (Arduino, Click, Pmod), example demos using FRDM boards, typical firmware help requests, and new enablement topics like wireless sensing/localization, BLE channel sounding, UWB, and moving development to VS Code with Zephyr tools.
Episode Resources:
forum.digikey.com
NXP.com/FRDM
FRDM Training Hub
00:00 Welcome and Episode Focus
01:20 Meet DigiKey's Matt Mielke
02:15 Inside DigiKey and Apps Engineering
04:55 Why Engineers Choose DigiKey
06:04 Tech Forum Support Resource
07:47 Who Uses FRDM Boards
09:57 Expanding with Shields and Clicks
13:06 Common Firmware Help Requests
14:22 New Tech and VS Code Shift
15:56 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Reliable Drone Communications: Beyond Wi‑Fi with NXP's LA9310 Software-Defined Modem | EdgeVerse Techcast
EdgeVerse Techcast hosts Bridgette Stone and Kyle Dando discuss why professional drones need more reliable communication than typical Wi‑Fi or Bluetooth can provide, especially for fast-moving, long-range, interference-prone, and beyond-visual-line-of-sight operation. Wireless expert Wim Rouwet (NXP) explains how drone links differ between control and video, how use cases drive requirements, and why options range from Wi‑Fi for ground tasks to sub‑GHz control, UWB for precision landing, private 5G, and mesh networking for swarms. He covers safety considerations like FCC rules, fail-safes such as GPS "return to home," and gradual degradation of video quality. The episode highlights NXP's LA9310 software-defined modem, its DSP-based flexibility for custom waveforms and bands, available tools and open-source enablement, and how similar challenges extend to robotics.
Episode Resources:
LA9310 Programmable Baseband Processor | NXP Semiconductors
Drone Block Diagram (Interactive) 
Lime Microsystems | Home
 
00:00 Welcome and Topic Tease
01:53 Meet Wireless Expert Wim
03:31 Why Drone Links Are Hard
07:16 Hobby vs Pro Drone Needs
08:51 Safety and Fail Safe Design
11:37 Why Not Just Wi Fi
13:32 LA9310 Software Defined Modem
15:44 Ecosystem Partners and Open Source
17:04 Flexibility Bands and Swarms
18:34 Communication Stack PHY to MAC
21:57 Tools Enablement and AI Help
24:38 Beyond Drones Robotics Too
26:42 Key Takeaways and Wrap Up

EV Charging Goes Beyond Power: Plug-and-Charge, V2G, Security & NXP EasyEVSE Platforms | EdgeVerse Techcast
In this EdgeVerse Techcast episode, host Kyle Dando and co-host Bridgette Stone welcome Susanne "Susie" Zach, NXP's EV charging segment lead, to discuss how EV charging stations are becoming more intelligent, connected, and integrated with the energy ecosystem. Susie highlights key market trends including Plug-and-Charge authentication and growing interest in bi-directional charging and vehicle-to-grid capabilities, alongside rising requirements for cybersecurity, remote management, and interoperability. The conversation covers customer design challenges such as integrating power electronics, communications, cloud connectivity, metrology, compliance, and security while accelerating time to market. Susie explains NXP's system-level portfolio and EdgeLock security approach, and walks through three EasyEVSE development platforms—entry-level MCU, advanced MCU, and i.MX 93 Linux-based—plus where developers can get started.
Episode Resources:
www.nxp.com/evse
Deep Dive Video on EasyEVSE Development Platforms
App Code Hub: EVSE Example Projects
00:00 Welcome to EdgeVerse
00:31 EV Charging Curiosity
01:40 Market Trends Today
03:29 Design Challenges Ahead
05:15 NXP System Approach
07:06 EasyEVSE Platforms
09:56 Choosing the Right Fit
10:44 How to Get Started
12:21 Wrap Up and Links

Piggy Bank vs. Fort Knox: Scalable Embedded Security with NXP's Wendy Warne 
In this EdgeVerse Techcast episode, the hosts explore why security is now foundational to connected edge devices and product life cycles, and how developers should right-size protection instead of defaulting to the most advanced architecture. NXP Field Application Engineer Wendy Warne explains how customer conversations start by identifying where requirements come from, what the system is, what must be protected, and what the impact of compromise would be—illustrated with a child's piggy bank versus Fort Knox. She outlines NXP's scalable security tiers (Basic, Essential, Advanced, High), clarifies hardware root of trust using immutable boot ROM verification, and describes the EdgeLock Secure Enclave as an isolated security system managing functions like secure boot, lifecycle, debug control, keys, and crypto. Wendy also highlights onboarding resources including MCUXpresso SEC Tool and example code for features like secure firmware update, tamper detection, and debug authentication.
Episode Resources:
http://www.nxp.com/security
http://www.nxp.com/cra
http://www.nxp.com/edgelock
00:00 Security Is Foundational
01:38 Meet Wendy Warne NXP FAE
02:32 Defining Real Requirements
03:56 Piggy Bank vs Fort Knox
07:05 Scalable Security Tiers
10:21 Hardware Root of Trust
13:00 EdgeLock Secure Enclave
14:32 Tools and Onboarding
16:25 Examples and Resources
17:34 Key Takeaways and Wrap

AI Acceleration Week Finale: Gateworks + NXP Bring 40 TOPS Edge AI to Mission-Critical Systems (Featuring "Ari")
In the 3rd and final episode of AI Acceleration Week on the EdgeVerse Techcast, co-hosts Kyle Dando and Bridgette Stone are joined by Hailey Terrones from Gateworks to discuss how industrial AI is moving beyond cloud demos into real-world, mission-critical edge systems. They explain the Gateworks–NXP partnership and how Gateworks turns NXP silicon like the i.MX 95 (with EdgeLock security) into deployment-ready, USA-made industrial SBCs that speed time to market and support long lifecycles and customization. The episode highlights AI acceleration at the edge using the NXP Ara240 discrete NPU (40 TOPS) as an M.2 module to offload inference, improve latency, power efficiency, privacy, and future-proof upgrades for robotics, automation, drones, smart energy, and critical infrastructure. A humorous segment features "Ari," an AI agent, answering audience-style questions in real time. 
Episode Resources:
GW16168 USA-Made M.2 AI Accelerator | NXP Ara240 DNPU
GW11062-1 NXP Ara240 DNPU + i.MX95 SBC Development Kit (Includes GW16168, iMX95 Catalina SBC, JTAG Programmer, power supply and accessory cables)
Gateworks Ara240 DNPU AI Accelerator Software Wiki
00:00 Welcome to EdgeVerse 
01:18 Meet GateWorks
02:00 Introducing Ari Agent
02:29 GateWorks NXP Partnership
03:48 Edge AI With Ara240
04:36 Q&A Game Setup
05:36 Why Choose i.MX 95 SBC
08:22 Why Add Ara240 DNPU
12:30 Real World Use Cases
13:29 How to Get Started
14:11 Wrap Up and Subscribe