Nuvoton MA35H0 is a cost-optimized dual Cortex-A35 MPU for industrial HMI applications

Nuvoton MA35H0 is a 650 MHz dual-core Cortex-A35 MPU designed for industrial HMI applications with up to 1280×800 resolution that offers a cost-down alternative to the 800 MHz Nuvoton MA35D1 microprocessor handling up to 1920×1080 resolutions.

The MA35H0 integrates 128MB DDR memory, supports 2D graphics acceleration, JPEG and H.264 video decoding up to 1280×800 at 60 FPS, and is equipped with a range of interfaces such as Fast Ethernet, CAN FD, UART, and up to 154 GPIOs. It is designed to operate in an extended temperature range between -40 and 125°C.

Nuvoton NuMicro MA35H0 specifications:

CPU sub-system – 2x Cortex-A35 cores running at up to 650 MHz
Memory sub-system
- On-chip 384 KB SRAM
- 128MB Multi-Chip Package (MCP) DDR
Storage
- Quad SPI
- NAND flash controller
- Secure Digital Host Controller (SDHC)
Display and Video Sub-system
- 18-bit 24-bit RGB TFT-LCD display interface up to 1280×800 @ 60 Hz
- 2D Graphic Engine (GFX)
- H.264 video decoder up to 1280×800 @ 60 FPS
- JPEG image decoder
Networking – 10/100M Ethernet MAC
USB – USB 2.0 high-speed host and device
Other peripherals
- 154x GPIO pins
- Serial – CAN FD, Low-power UART
- I2C
- Audio – I2S
- Peripheral DMA (PDMA)
- Enhanced PWM (EPWM), 32-bit Timer PWM
- Quadrature Encoder Interface (QEI)
- HMI – KeyPad Interface (KPI), 4/5-Wire Touch
- Analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
Security
- Arm TrustZone
- Secure Boot
- Cryptographic – AES, SHA, ECC, RSA, SM 2/3/4 TRNG
- One-Time-Program (OTP) Memory – Key store
Misc – Real-Time Clock (RTC)
Package – LQFP216 (24 x 24 x 1.4 mm, pitch 0.4 mm) for MA35H04F764C
Temperature range – -40 ~ 125°C

The table above shows some of the differences between the MA35H0 and MA35D1 microprocessors with the former doing away with Gigabit Ethernet, and offering a lower number of CAN FD and UART interfaces. Security features are also more limited with Arm TrustZone and Secure Boot, but for instance, temper pins are gone. The MA35H0 does not have any camera interfaces, only supports 720p displays and H.264 decoding, and the Cortex-M4 real-time core found in MA35D1 is also gone. Its operating temperature range is however slightly wider than the MA35D1 MPU.

The company also offers the NuMaker-MA35H0-A1 evaluation kit comprised of the NuMaker-HMI-MA35H04F70 board and NuMaker TFT-LCD7 daughter board with a 7-inch LCD.

NuMaker-MA35H0-A1 specifications:

MPU – Nuvoton MA35H04F764C (LQFP216) MCP package with 128 MB DDR SDRAM as described above
Storage
- 512MB QSPI NAND flash
- 1GB NAND flash
- MicroSD card slot
- SD card slot
Display connector – LCM connector for 7-inch 1024×600 LCD NuMaker TFT-LCD7 daughter board and 4-pin resistive touchscreen connector
Audio – Audio codec with microphone input and speaker output
Networking – 10/100Mbps Ethernet port
USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports (1x Host/Device; 1x Host)
Serial
- 2x RS232/RS485 transceivers and DB9/header connectors
- 1x CAN FD transceiver and header connector
Expansion – 3-channel ADC header connector
Debugging
- UART0 debug port – USB Virtual COM (VCOM) port
- Debug port – SWJ (JTAG + SWD) connector
Misc
- 3x user buttons
- 3x user LEDs
- DIP-Switch for booting source selection
Power Supply
- 5V via USB Type-C port
- Battery header for RTC power
Dimensions – TBD

Nuvoton provides support for Linux, RTOS, and bare metal software development, and provides HMI application demos including an EV charging station, industrial control, coffee machine, and vehicular speed and data display.

I can not find pricing information for the MPU itself, the NuMaker-HMI-MA35H0-A1 evaluation kit can be purchased for $189 with all accessories. More details about the Nuvoton MA35H0 MPU, including datasheets, user manuals, and application notes, can be found on the product page.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.