Variscite's New SMARC SoMs Confront IoT's Twin Crises: Security and Supply Chain

TEL AVIV, Israel – February 26, 2026 – As the embedded computing industry grapples with tightening cybersecurity regulations and a volatile semiconductor market, Variscite is preparing to launch a new family of System on Modules (SoMs) that directly addresses both challenges. The Israeli manufacturer will debut its new SMARC-compliant modules, including the AI-capable VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS, at the Embedded World 2026 exhibition in Nuremberg, Germany, this March.

The announcement signals a strategic move to provide developers with a robust solution for size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) constrained applications, while alleviating two of the biggest pain points in modern hardware development: regulatory compliance and component availability.

Navigating a New Era of Mandated Cybersecurity

The most significant feature of Variscite’s new SMARC family is its proactive approach to security. Each module integrates a dedicated on-module Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security chip, a hardware component designed to provide a root of trust. This is not merely a value-add; it is a direct response to a new, non-negotiable regulatory landscape.

With the European Union's Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) now in force and set to become fully applicable by late 2027, manufacturers of any product with digital elements sold in the EU face stringent new rules. The CRA mandates a “secure by design” approach, requiring comprehensive risk assessments, vulnerability management throughout a product's lifecycle, and swift reporting of exploited vulnerabilities. Non-compliance carries severe penalties, including fines up to €15 million or 2.5% of global turnover and the potential for product recalls.

Variscite's integration of a TPM is engineered to help its customers meet these demands. The chip facilitates critical security functions like secure boot, which prevents unauthorized software from running, and the hardware-based protection of cryptographic keys. This provides a solid foundation for building systems compliant not only with the CRA but also with North America's FIPS 140-3 standard, which governs cryptographic modules handling sensitive data.

For developers in sectors like industrial IoT, medical devices, and point-of-sale systems, this built-in compliance can drastically reduce development time, risk, and the significant costs associated with achieving certification independently.

Taming the Volatile Semiconductor Market

While security presents a regulatory hurdle, the supply chain remains a persistent operational nightmare for many hardware companies. The global semiconductor market continues to be defined by unpredictability, with surging AI-driven demand for some components causing shortages elsewhere, and geopolitical tensions fragmenting supply lines. In this environment, long and unreliable lead times have become the norm.

Variscite is positioning its supply chain management as a core competitive advantage. The company emphasizes its control over the entire production process, a capability rooted in its in-house manufacturing facilities which are certified to ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and the medical-grade ISO 13485 standards. By managing its own production lines, Variscite claims it can maintain a constant 45-50% capacity reserve to absorb demand spikes and ensure delivery timelines.

This vertical integration allows the company to make bold commitments regarding short lead times and long-term product longevity—a crucial factor for industrial and medical applications where product lifecycles can span over a decade. By increasing component stock levels and certifying alternative sources for critical parts, Variscite aims to offer its customers a shield against the market volatility that can derail production schedules and inflate costs.

AI and Performance for the Compact Edge

Beyond security and logistics, the new modules are designed for high-performance edge computing. The flagship VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS is built around NXP's i.MX 8M Plus processor, a system-on-chip widely regarded for its powerful and efficient combination of processing capabilities.

The processor features a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU for general-purpose tasks, but its standout feature is an integrated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) capable of delivering 2.3 Tera Operations Per Second (TOPS). This dedicated AI accelerator enables complex machine learning models to run directly on the device, powering applications like multi-object detection, human pose analysis, and natural language processing without relying on the cloud.

This edge AI capability is complemented by dual Image Signal Processors (ISPs) supporting high-resolution cameras and advanced connectivity options, including dual Gigabit Ethernet ports—one with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) for deterministic industrial control—and two CAN FD interfaces. A separate Cortex-M7 real-time core allows the chip to handle time-critical control tasks, potentially eliminating the need for an external microcontroller in complex designs.

"VAR-SMARC-MX8M-PLUS brings Variscite's proven supply reliability and industry-leading support to its SMARC customers on a platform that delivers integrated AI processing capabilities, advanced connectivity, and built-in security compliance," said Ofer Austerlitz, VP of Business Development and Sales at Variscite. "We look forward to showing it at Embedded World."

Variscite will be demonstrating the new SMARC family at Embedded World 2026, held from March 10-12 in Nuremberg, Germany, at booth 4A-342 in the Exhibition Centre.