ASUS has expanded its single-board computer (SBC) lineup with the introduction of the Tinker Board 3N, now available in three variants. The Tinker Board 3N series, powered by the Rockchip RK3568, offers options for various applications ranging from commercial to industrial uses. The base model, Tinker Board 3N, is designed for commercial temperature ranges, while the Tinker Board 3N Plus is suited for industrial temperature ranges (-40°C to 85°C). The Tinker Board 3N Lite offers a more budget-friendly option with reduced features.

Key specifications for the three variants include:

• SoC: Rockchip RK3568 quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor @ 2.0 GHz, Arm Mali-G52 GPU, 0.8 TOPS NPU
• System Memory: Options of 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4/LPDDR4X
• Storage: Options include 32GB/64GB eMMC flash and MicroSD card slot, with additional NVMe SSD support via M.2 B-Key socket and 16MB SPI flash for the non-Lite versions
• Display and Audio: HDMI with CEC, LVDS, eDP, 3.5mm headphone jack, stereo speaker header, and HDMI audio
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, with varying support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 4G/5G connectivity depending on the model
• USB: Multiple USB 3.2 Gen1 and USB 2.0 ports
• Expansion and Miscellaneous Features: GPIO headers, serial interfaces, IR receiver, power-on & reset headers, among others

Pricing for the models starts at $169 for the Lite variant and goes up to $249 for the Plus version.

ASUS supports these boards with Debian 11 and Android 12 operating systems, offering resources like user manuals, schematics, and a qualified vendors list on the Tinker board website. Additionally, instructions for building the Linux image are available on GitHub.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

EmbedFire LubanCat 4 card computer, also known as LubanCat 4, is a feature-packed Rockchip RK3588S Single Board Computer (SBC) launched by Yehuo Electronic. This compact board measuring 85x56mm offers a wide range of functionalities, including Ethernet, USB, mini PCIe, HDMI 2.1, SIM card slot, microSD card holder, and more.

EmbedFire LubanCat 4 Specifications:

• SoC: Rockchip RK3588S
  • CPU: Octa-core processor with 4x Cortex-A76 cores up to 2.2-2.4 GHz and 4x Cortex-A55 cores up to 1.8 GHz
  • GPU: Arm Mali-G610 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.2, and Vulkan 1.2
  • VPU: 8Kp60 video decoder and 8Kp30 video encoder
  • AI Accelerator: 6 TOPS NPU
• System Memory: 4/8/16GB LPDDR4X
• Storage: Options include no eMMC/32/64/128GB, microSD card socket
• Video Output: Mini HDMI 2.1, 2x MIPI DSI connectors, USB Type-C interface supporting DP protocol
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, optional WiFi or cellular mini PCIe module
• USB Ports: 3x USB 2.0 Type-A interfaces, 1x USB 3.0 Type-A interface, 1x USB 3.0 Type-C interface
• Expansion: Mini PCIe interface, 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header
• Misc: RTC battery connection socket, 5V fan header for cooling
• Power Supply: 5V/4A DC input via USB Type-C
• Dimensions: 85 x 56 mm

The board supports various operating systems including Android 13, Debian, Ubuntu, and ROS, all available on their GitHub repository. However, there is limited documentation available for the board at the moment.

The EmbedFire LubanCat 4 SBC is available for purchase on AliExpress with prices starting at around $110 for the 4GB RAM version without eMMC. This board offers a Raspberry Pi-sized solution powered by the robust Rockchip RK3588S SoC, making it a compelling choice for developers and enthusiasts looking to explore various projects in the server, Linux, DevOps, and home lab environments.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

Firefly has launched the EXT-2.5GE-RK3588-RT, a 2.5GbE Ethernet Expansion Board for the ROC-RK3588-RT Rockchip RK3588 SBC. The ROC-RK3588-RT SBC already features three Ethernet ports, making it ideal for routers and firewalls. The EXT-2.5GE-RK3588-RT adds four more 2.5GbE ports to the SBC, bringing the total number of Ethernet ports to seven with five 2.5GbE and two GbE RJ45 jacks. The board uses the RTL8125BG IC for Ethernet control and the PI6C557-05 IC as a spectrum clock generator.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

Hardkernel has released the ODROID-M1S, a smaller and more cost-effective single-board computer (SBC) compared to the previously launched ODROID-M1. Designed to commemorate Hardkernel’s 15th anniversary, the ODROID-M1S is priced at $49 and up and features the Rockchip RK3566 system-on-a-chip (SoC).

The ODROID-M1S SBC comes with the Rockchip RK3566 SoC, which is similar to the RK3568 but with fewer peripheral interfaces. The board offers 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4 memory, a 64GB eMMC flash soldered onto the board, HDMI 2.0 and MIPI DSI video interfaces, gigabit Ethernet, a few USB ports, and two GPIO headers. However, compared to the ODROID-M1, the ODROID-M1S does have some feature losses, such as a lower-speed memory, PCIe 2.1 support, the removal of the SPI flash and SATA port, and the MIPI CSI camera connector. The power supply has also been changed from a 12V DC jack to a 5V USB-C port.

Here are the specifications of the ODROID-M1S with the differences from the ODROID-M1 highlighted:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.8 GHz with Arm Mali-G52 MP2 GPU @ 800 MHz and 0.8 TOPS AI accelerator
• System Memory – 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4 RAM at 2112 MT/s or up to 1,055 MHz
• Storage
  • 64GB eMMC flash (soldered on PCB) benchmarked at up to 180MB/s with fio
  • MicroSD card slot (UHS-I SDR104, boot priority higher than eMMC flash)
  • M.2 NVMe M-Key 2280 socket (2-lane PCIe 2.1) benchmarked at up to 400MB/s with fio
• Video Output
  • 1x HDMI 2.0 port up to 4Kp60 with HDR and EDID
  • 4-lane MIPI DSI connector (30-pin, while ODROID M1 has a 31-pin connector)
• Audio – 3.5mm headphone jack, mono speaker output (1.3W at 8Ω load)
• Networking – Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port via Realtek RTL8211F Ethernet transceiver
• USB
  • 1x USB 3.0 port
  • 1x USB 2.0 port
  • 1x Micro USB 2.0 OTG port
• Expansion – 40-pin GPIO header + 14-pin GPIO header (both headers optional)

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.