Some ConnectCore platforms share the same form factor and pad mapping for most interfaces, allowing you to design common hardware compatible with different ConnectCore SOMs. Although the SOMs are not 100% drop-in compatible, a lot of primary functionality is pin-to-pin compatible between platforms. This is called a compatible pinout in the Digi Smart IOmux application.

A compatible pinout is a set of definitions containing the pad mapping and MUX interface configuration for compatible ConnectCore platforms. Currently, there are two groups of ConnectCore platforms with compatible pinouts. These groups are:

  1. ConnectCore 9 and ConnectCore 8 series:

    1. ConnectCore 91

    2. ConnectCore 93

    3. ConnectCore 8M Mini

    4. ConnectCore 8M Nano

    5. ConnectCore 8X

  2. ConnectCore MP1x series and ConnectCore 6UL:

    1. ConnectCore MP133

    2. ConnectCore MP157

    3. ConnectCore 6UL

The Smart IOmux designs that are compatible with multiple ConnectCore platforms are called cross-platform designs. The application enables you to create cross-platform designs without worrying about the MUX configuration that should be assigned to each pad to keep that compatibility. Choose the interfaces you want in your design, and Digi Smart IOmux automatically chooses the corresponding MUX to keep compatibility.

Each design has a base platform for which you can configure all its interfaces and settings. With cross-platform designs, the Digi Smart IOmux tool limits the number of configurable interfaces and settings to make sure compatibility is retained between the platforms you chose when creating the design.

You can add/remove compatible platforms to/from your design at any time. The number of configurable interfaces and settings in the design will change to match only those that are fully compatible with the chosen platforms.

To create a cross-platform design in Smart IOmux:

  1. Click the New icon from the main toolbar. The Create a new design wizard appears. (You can also go to File > New design or use the shortcut Ctrl+N.)

  2. Fill in the name and location page fields:

    1. Design name: The name of your design.

    2. Design location: The destination file to save your design.

  3. Click Next. The Select the platform page appears.

  4. Select your base platform.

    Although you are creating a cross-platform design, you need to base the design on one platform as the MUX configuration of the components change between platforms. You can change the base platform of a cross-platform design at any time once the design is created.

  5. Select the platform variant of the design and click Next. The Configure the design page appears.

  6. Choose the platform layout you want to use for your design:

    • LGA pads layout: Use the pads that populate the back of the module.

    • Castellated pads layout: Use the pads along the sides of the module.

    • Ring pads layout: Use the pads located in the outer rings of the module.

      The number and functionality of castellated and ring pins are limited. If you select any of these layouts, some components will not be available in your design.

  7. If the base platform belongs to a group of platforms with a compatible pinout, the Enable design compatibility list will be populated with those compatible platforms.

    Check the boxes of the available ConnectCore platforms you want your design to be compatible with.

    This feature is useful when you don’t want to limit your design to just one platform.

    You can create a design that is compatible with the platforms of your choice using their common functionality.

    You can also disable the compatibility to unlock all the platform-specific functionality.

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  8. Select the initial design setup:

    • Create an empty design to start from scratch.

    • Start from an existing template to use one of the templates provided by Digi.

  9. If you choose to start from an existing template, select one from the list to begin a design based on that template.

  10. Click Finish. The wizard dialog closes and your design opens in the application.