Press release · Stockholm · 20 March 2026
Six-core Cortex-A55 SoM with 2 TOPS Neutron NPU and dual Gigabit Ethernet targets industrial vision, edge AI and embedded HMI applications.
Strategic Embedded has announced the QS95-9610 System-on-Module, a new NXP i.MX 95 processor-based QS module. Designed and manufactured by Ka-Ro Electronics in Germany, the QS95-9610 is positioned as the upgrade path to the QSXP-ML81 (NXP i.MX 8M Plus) for customers building edge AI, machine vision and embedded HMI applications. Engineering samples will be available in Q3 2026.
Why the QS95 matters
- Drop-in upgrade path for designs already using QSXP-ML81 — keep your carrier board, step up to i.MX 95 performance.
- 2 TOPS on-device AI inference with NXP's eIQ Neutron NPU — no external accelerator, no PCIe attach, no extra BoM.
- Same QS Family Concept — one carrier-board platform scales from cost-optimised QSMP through to the QS95.
- 10+ year long-term availability, ISO 9001 manufacturing in Aachen, Germany, in-house Linux mainline BSP.
Engineering specifications
The QS95-9610 is built around NXP's i.MX 95 applications processor, with six ARM Cortex-A55 cores running at up to 1.8 GHz, a Cortex-M7 real-time core at 800 MHz, and a Cortex-M33 co-processor for security and isolation tasks. AI inference is accelerated by NXP's eIQ Neutron NPU delivering up to 2 TOPS, with an Arm Mali-G310 3D GPU (OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.2, OpenCL 3.0) and a separate enhanced 2D GPU. The integrated NXP ISP handles RGB-IR sensors at up to 500 megapixels per second, and a 4Kp60 video subsystem performs H.264 and H.265 encode and decode.
| Module | QS95-9610 |
| Form factor | 29 × 29 × 4 mm QFN, 108 pads, 1 mm pitch, solder-down |
| Processor | NXP i.MX 95 |
| CPU | 6× ARM Cortex-A55 @ 1.8 GHz |
| Real-time / security | Cortex-M7 @ 800 MHz + Cortex-M33 co-processor |
| AI / NPU | 2 TOPS NXP eIQ Neutron NPU |
| 3D GPU | Arm Mali-G310 (OpenGL ES 3.2 / Vulkan 1.2 / OpenCL 3.0) |
| 2D GPU | Enhanced separate 2D GPU |
| Video | 4Kp60 H.264 / H.265 encode + decode |
| ISP | NXP ISP, RGB-IR support, 500 Mpx/s |
| RAM | 2 GB LPDDR |
| Flash | 4 GB eMMC |
| Display | 4-lane MIPI-DSI |
| Camera | 2× 4-lane MIPI-CSI |
| Networking | 2× Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe Gen 3, 2× USB 2.0, 2× CAN-FD |
| Serial | 3× UART, 3× I²C, 2× SPI, PWM, SAI, up to 60 GPIO |
| Power | 5 V single supply, 3.3 V I/O |
| Temperature | −25 °C to +85 °C industrial |
| OS | Linux (mainline BSP by Ka-Ro) |
| Evaluation kit | QS95-SV01 with QSBASE95 baseboard |
Form factor and integration
The QS95-9610 measures only 29 × 29 × 4 mm and uses a 108-pad QFN package with 1 mm pitch for direct solder-down integration on standard PCBs. The solder-down approach has no underside components and no connectors — providing superior electrical and thermal performance from the ground/thermal pads, low-profile integration, and improved EMI behaviour relative to connector-based COMs. The module ships on tape for pick-and-place lines and is reflow-compatible alongside other SMD components.
To enable rapid evaluation, the QS95-SV01 Evaluation Kit with the new QSBASE95 baseboard is available alongside the module. Linux mainline BSP development is performed in-house by Ka-Ro engineers, providing customers with current-kernel support and direct access to the design team. Manufacturing takes place in Ka-Ro's ISO 9001-certified production centre in Aachen, Germany. As with all Ka-Ro modules, the QS95-9610 carries the company's standard long-term availability commitment of at least 10 years — in practice often 15 years or more.
Availability and pricing
The QS95-9610 module and QS95-SV01 Evaluation Kit can be ordered now via Strategic Embedded's webshop, with engineering samples shipping from Q3 2026. The QS95-9610 list price is €174 for Qty 1, with volume tiers down to €143 at 1,000 units. The QS95-SV01 Evaluation Kit is priced at €279.
Ready to design with the QS95?
View the full product page for datasheet, evaluation kit, pinout and pricing.
View QS95 product page →Downloads
About Strategic Embedded
Strategic Embedded is a division of Strategic Test AB, a specialist embedded electronics and test and measurement distributor with offices in Stockholm and Aachen Germany. Strategic Test has been an international distributor for KaRo Electronics GmbH since 2003 and exports to clients in the USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Australia.
About Ka-Ro Electronics GmbH
With a core design team that was one of the pioneers of Transputer-based RISC processor parallel computing, Ka-Ro has grown from being a pioneer to a global leader in the ARM-based System on Modules market, with over 1 Million TX series of SoM installed. Ka-Ro's ARM-based SOMs are used worldwide in demanding industrial and transportation applications and medical devices. Based on NXP® and Qualcomm® processors, development kits include custom and continuing support for Embedded Linux and Microsoft® Windows Embedded BSPs. Customers can depend on Ka-Ro for the proven quality, expert support and guaranteed long-term availability they need to succeed.
Press contact
Robert Giblett · rg@strategic-test.com