November 13, 2025
We are pleased to announce an update to our Emcraft Embedded Linux distribution for the NXP i.MX RT1170 microcontroller.
The new BSP is now based on Linux kernel v. 6.12.20, aligning with the same kernel version used by NXP for their MMU-full SoCs (i.MX 8M*, i.MX 9*, etc.). This brings improved compatibility, long-term maintainability, and access to the latest upstream features and fixes.
Key Capabilities:
- Boot from QSPI Flash with UBI partitioning and UBIFS file system (with wear-leveling)
- CAN device driver and CANsocket API (ideal for automotive, industrial, and robotics applications)
- ADC device driver for integration with analog sensors
- MIPI-DSI display support with LVGL GUI framework
- Debugging of user-space applications from Eclipse IDE or command-line GDB
- Improved real-time response with HZ_1000 kernel Systick
If you have the NXP i.MX RT1170 EVK, you can download and try our pre-built Linux demo right away: Run Linux on i.MX RT1170 in 5 Minutes
We also provide extensive documentation — over 35 application notes — covering topics such as:
- Enabling password-protected login
- Accessing I2C devices from Linux on i.MX RT1170
- Building C++ applications for i.MX RT1170
- Running MicroPython on i.MX RT1170
Documentation and downloads are available here:
Emcraft i.MX RT1170 Linux BSP Page
If you’re developing a custom i.MX RT1170 design or need help adapting the BSP to your hardware, our engineering team is available to assist. Send us an email to start the conversation.
