The MCX A Series is about to get a major upgrade. NXP is excited to announce the launch of six new MCX A families, a move that will double the size of the MCX A portfolio and set a new standard for scalable, intelligent and power-efficient microcontrollers. This expansion is more than just a numbers game; it’s about unlocking new application spaces, accelerating innovation and giving developers the flexibility and performance they need to thrive in today’s competitive markets.
The MCX A Series has always been the foundation of the MCX portfolio, delivering a unique balance of low-power, high-performance and intelligent peripherals. With this launch, we’re not just adding more part numbers—we’re introducing new architectures, richer analog integration, advanced security and a broader range of package and memory options. This means more choices, more scalability and more ways to solve your toughest design challenges.
That expanded capability comes at a time when security expectations for embedded products are rising fast. As global cybersecurity regulations tighten—most notably the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) taking effect in 2027—the MCX A Series expansion arrives at the perfect moment. Because digital components such as MCUs are considered “products with digital elements” under the CRA, developers increasingly need secure‑by‑design hardware foundations. The new MCX A families introduce advanced security features, lifecycle management support, and documentation paths that help OEMs accelerate their CRA readiness while continuing to innovate at the edge.
Now meet the new families and see how each one strengthens the MCX A Series as well as the broader MCX portfolio:
The MCX A17 family is engineered to deliver high-performance at an accessible price point, making it well suited for applications that demand advanced capability while maintaining tight cost targets. With a 180MHz Arm® Cortex®-M33 core, MCX A17 is designed to deliver robust performance for industrial automation, smart building systems and connected sensor hubs. These markets are rapidly evolving and demanding more intelligence at the edge. By offering advanced motor control, scalable memory and low-power consumption in a cost-effective package, MCX A17 enables engineers and product teams to modernize legacy systems and expand into new applications without compromise. Its presence in the portfolio ensures that NXP can serve both high-volume, cost-sensitive projects in addition to those requiring a step up in capability.
What truly sets MCX A17 apart is its ability to bridge the gap between affordability and advanced functionality. Engineers can leverage its rich analog features and real-time control for next-generation programmable logic controllers (PLCs), HVAC controllers and distributed edge nodes, all while maintaining a small footprint and efficient power profile. The FRDM-MCXA174 development board accelerates evaluation and prototyping, making it easier for teams to innovate and bring new industrial solutions to market faster. With MCX A17, developers gain a reliable, scalable foundation for the smart infrastructure of tomorrow.
The MCX A18 family is engineered for applications that demand exceptional speed, responsiveness and integration at the edge of industrial and automation systems. With a 240MHz Cortex-M33 core, expanded memory and advanced analog features, MCX A18 enables real-time analytics, high-speed motor control and rapid data acquisition in robotics, smart energy and factory automation. Its introduction marks a significant leap for the MCX portfolio, empowering developers to deploy smarter, faster and more autonomous systems that can adapt to changing conditions and deliver actionable insights directly at the edge.
MCX A18’s technical strengths include its high-frequency core, robust analog integration and a comprehensive suite of connectivity options, making it ideal for robotics, collaborative robots, high-speed industrial drives and predictive maintenance. Enhanced security features ensure that sensitive data and operations remain protected, even in distributed or remote environments. The FRDM-MCXA266 board provides a rapid path from concept to deployment, allowing developers to quickly prototype and validate high-performance industrial designs. MCX A18 is the answer for producers seeking to future-proof their investments as industrial intelligence accelerates.
The MCX A25 family serves as the backbone for connected industry, combining essential MCU performance with advanced connectivity and analog integration to support modern factories, smart buildings and automotive networks. With high-performance processing, dual controller area network with flexible data rate (CAN FD), USB and robust analog capabilities, MCX A25 enables seamless integration of legacy and next-generation protocols, ensuring reliable communication and real-time control in distributed systems.
MCX A25 extends essential MCU designs with integrated security features, serving as the lowest-tier secure option in the MCX A Series. This makes it well suited for cost-sensitive applications that still require trusted communication, system integrity and long-term scalability. Its real-time performance and flexible connectivity allow it to function as the central nervous system for industrial networking gateways, smart building controllers and distributed control systems. The FRDM-MCXA266 board supports rapid prototyping for complex, networked applications, helping engineers accelerate development cycles and reduce time to market. With MCX A25, the MCX portfolio is fully equipped to power the most demanding distributed and networked systems.
The MCX A26 family stands at the intersection of security and performance, with a 240MHz Cortex-M33, EdgeLock® security and comprehensive analog/motor control. Its arrival is a game-changer for critical infrastructure, where safety, data integrity and compliance are non-negotiable. MCX A26’s advanced security features and real-time capabilities position the MCX portfolio as a trusted choice for regulated industries—such as energy, transportation and industrial automation—where resilience and reliability are essential.
MCX A26 is designed for secure industrial automation, transportation and energy infrastructure, supporting applications that require both high-speed processing and robust protection against cyber threats. Dual CAN FD and advanced cryptography make MCX A26 ideal for safety-critical and connected systems, while its analog and motor control suite enable precise, efficient operation in demanding environments. The FRDM-MCXA266 board enables fast development of secure, high-reliability solutions, empowering developers to meet tomorrow’s standards, today.
The MCX A35 family takes mixed-signal capability to the next level, boosting the core to 240MHz and expanding memory and analog resources. It’s built for multi-axis robotics, high-speed data acquisition and advanced motor control with sensorless algorithms—applications where both computational power and analog precision are critical. MCX A35’s arrival extends the MCX A Series’ reach into high-end automation, robotics and scientific instrumentation, ensuring the portfolio remains the platform of choice for advanced industrial innovation.
MCX A35 enables smarter, faster and more adaptive automation systems, supporting complex control loops, high-resolution data capture and real-time analytics. Its enhanced analog and digital integration allow for the consolidation of multiple functions onto a single MCU, reducing system complexity and cost. The FRDM-MCXA366 board accelerates development for demanding industrial and scientific projects, providing a robust platform for prototyping and validation. With MCX A35, engineers can confidently tackle the most challenging automation and measurement tasks.
The MCX A36 family stands at the top of the new MCX A Series launches, offering the highest level of integration, performance and analog capability in the portfolio. With a 240MHz Cortex-M33 core, up to 4x high-speed 16-bit analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), 4x operational amplifiers (OpAmps), large memory options and advanced connectivity, MCX A36 is purpose-built for demanding mixed-signal and motor control applications. Its feature set enables precise real-time control, high-resolution data acquisition and complex signal processing—making it ideal for industrial drives, multi-axis robotics, power conversion and high-end instrumentation.
MCX A36’s comprehensive analog and digital resources allow engineers to consolidate multiple functions onto a single MCU, reducing system complexity and cost while boosting reliability and performance. Its robust architecture supports advanced motor control algorithms, sensor fusion and high-speed feedback loops, all within harsh industrial environments. The FRDM-MCXA366 development board provides a powerful platform for rapid prototyping and evaluation, helping teams accelerate the development of next-generation automation, energy and measurement solutions. MCX A36 is the go-to choice for developers seeking maximum integration and performance in their most ambitious industrial designs.
Every MCX A Series device is backed by the robust MCUXpresso Developer Experience, designed to streamline development and reduce time to market.
MCUXpresso provides a comprehensive suite of free tools—including an intuitive integrated development environment (IDE), advanced configuration utilities and powerful debug and analysis features. With seamless support for popular real-time operating system (RTOS) options like Zephyr and FreeRTOS, as well as a rich software development kit (SDK) with hundreds of application examples, MCUXpresso empowers engineers to prototype, develop and deploy with confidence.
The MCUXpresso ecosystem also includes easy access to board schematics, open-source drivers and middleware, plus rapid prototyping on FRDM development boards. Whether you’re migrating from legacy platforms or building something entirely new, MCUXpresso ensures a smooth path from concept to production—helping you unlock the full potential of the MCX A series.
With the launch of six new MCX A families, NXP is doubling the size and capability of the MCX A series, delivering unprecedented scalability, integration and performance for industrial, energy and smart connected systems. Whether you’re designing for precision control, advanced connectivity or high-performance automation, there’s an MCX A device and a world-class developer experience ready to help you succeed.
Start developing with the new MCX A families today and unlock the next generation of industrial and IoT innovation.
Daniel Hou is a technical marketer on the Industrial Edge Processing Mass Market Team at NXP Semiconductors where he supports emerging microcontroller and microprocessor use cases for the industrial market segment. He has held previous roles in applications engineering and marketing in the semiconductor industry and has a Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.