Variscite now supports a new, highly demanded feature: Boot SPL and U-Boot from USB, using the imx_usb_loader utility.
Introduction
This open-source utility software by Boundary Devices allows to download and execute code on NXP i.MX5/i.MX6/i.MX7 and Vybrid SoCs through the Serial Download Protocol (SDP).
Most commonly it is used as a replacement for NXP’s MFGTOOL to load U-Boot via the USB OTG port.
Recently, a new feature has been added to imx_loader and to U-Boot – they now support consecutive loading of SPL and U-Boot via the USB OTG port.
This new feature allows Variscite customers to enjoy the benefits of booting from USB, without missing out on the hardware modularity made possible by using SPL.
Who can benefit from this feature?
It’s worth noting that all Variscite SOMs are shipped with SPL and U-Boot pre-programmed on the SOM’s internal storage. In addition, all Variscite carrier boards have an SD card slot and allow the SOMs to be booted from an SD card (like Variscite’s recovery SD card).
Although this utility isn’t required by the majority of the Variscite customers, it provides a further method to boot Variscite’s SOMs.
A popular example of using this utility is when the customer’s board design doesn’t include an SD card slot:
- Recovering from a ‘brick’ state (when SPL/U-Boot are accidentally removed from the SOM’s internal storage) on an end product.
- When a customer wants to use a customized U-Boot of his own for his production process, instead of the default Variscite pre-programmed U-Boot or a customized U-Boot pre-programmed by Variscite.
This update applies to the following SOMs:
Follow Variscite step by step guide on dev.variscite.com
For the guide “Booting from USB using the imx_usb_loader utility” visit the imx_loader.
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As AI-driven demand accelerated through 2025, memory chip shortages developed as semiconductor manufacturers shifted capacity to large-volume buyers, leaving many sectors, including medical, industrial, edge/IoT, and robotics poorly served. Climbing prices and lengthening lead times, exacerbated by knock-on effects across other SoM components, have created two clear pressure points. SoM vendors relying on outsourced manufacturing have limited flexibility when availability drops, leaving customers facing the same delays. Separately, product developers who chose chip-down architectures over SoM-based designs must procure components on their own. Those buying in smaller quantities are routinely pushed down supplier priority lists, and in many cases cannot get supply at all.
