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| Movidius AI Acceleration Technology Comes
to a Mini-PCIe Card As promised by Intel when it announced an Intel AI: In Production program for its USB stick form factor Movidius Neural Compute Stick, AAEON has launched a mini-PCIe version of the device called the UP AI Core. It similarly integrates Intel's AI-infused Myriad 2 Vision Processing Unit (VPU). The Mini-PCIe connection should provide faster response times for neural networking and machine vision compared to connecting to a cloud-based service. The module, which is available for pre-order at $69 for delivery in April, is designed to "enhance industrial IoT edge devices with hardware accelerated deep learning and enhanced machine vision functionality," says AAEON. It can also enable "object recognition in products such as drones, high-end virtual reality headsets, robotics, smart home devices, smart cameras and video surveillance solutions." The UP AI Core is optimized for AAEON's Ubuntu-supported UP Squared hacker board, which runs on Intel's Apollo Lake SoCs. However, it should work with any 64-bit x86 computer or SBC equipped with a Mini-PCIe slot that runs Ubuntu 16.04. Host systems also require 1 GB RAM and 4 GB free storage. That presents plenty of options for PCs and embedded computers, although the UP Squared is currently the only x86-based community backed SBC equipped with a Mini-PCIe slot. CONTINUE READING
Rugged COM Express Module Sports AMD V1000 MEN Micro has announced the CB71C, a rugged COM Express module for rail, public transportation and industry applications like data acquisition, infotainment, transcoding and live 3D. It is 100% compatible with COM Express Type 6 pin-out and conforms to the VITA 59 standard, which specifies robust mechanics to ensure reliable operation even under the harshest environmental conditions.
The CB71C is based on AMD's V1000 APU family. It is equipped with a Radeon Vega next-generation 3D graphics engine with up to 11 compute units, and supports up to 4 displays with a resolution of up to 4k without the need for additional graphics hardware. With up to four high-performance processor cores, the CB71C is also suitable for virtualization. Based on the Rugged COM Express standard, the CB71C is embedded in a closed aluminum frame, which ensures optimum EMC protection and efficient conduction cooling supporting a temperature range of -40°C to +85°C. To withstand serious shock and vibration, only soldered components are used.
The CB71C can be equipped with a wide range of long-term available processors with scalable performance, all supporting ECC. Passive cooling is possible with low-power versions. The CB71C can also be equipped with up to 32 GB of directly soldered DDR4 main memory and a 16 GB eMMC. Available high-speed interfaces include PCI Express 3.0 links, DDI (DP, eDP, HDMI), SATA 3.0, Gbit Ethernet and USB 3.0.
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SMARC Module Features Hexa-Core i.MX8 QuadMax iWave has unveiled a rugged, wireless enabled SMARC module with 4 GB LPDDR4 and dual GbE controllers that runs Linux or Android on NXP's i.MX8 QuadMax SoC with 2x Cortex-A72, 4x -A53, 2x -M4F and 2x GPU cores. iWave has posted specs for an 82 mm x 50 mm, industrial temperature "iW-RainboW-G27M" SMARC 2.0 module that builds on NXP's i.MX8 QuadMax system-on-chip. The i.MX8 QuadMax was announced in Oct. 2016 as the higher end model of an automotive focused i.MX8 Quad family.
Although the lower-end, quad-core, Cortex-A53 i.MX8M SoC was not fully announced until after the hexa-core Quad, we've seen far more embedded boards based on the i.MX8M, including a recent Seco SM-C12 SMARC module. The only other i.MX8 Quad based product we've seen is Toradex's QuadMax driven Apalis iMX8 module. The Apalis iMX8 was announced a year ago, but is still listed as "coming soon." CONTINUE READING
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Commell Launches its First ARM-Based Pico-ITX
Commell has announced the LP-150, a Rockchip RK3128 based Pico-ITX SBC that appears to be its first ARM-based embedded board of any kind. The 100 mm x 72 mm LP-150 is the only ARM-based SBC out of the many dozens of mostly Intel-based boards listed on Commell's SBC page. Shipping with Android 4.4.4, but also supporting Linux, the LP-150 is intended primarily for imaging, machine vision and digital signage applications. Other Commell Pico-ITX SBCs include its Intel Braswell based LP-176.
Rockchip's quad-core, Cortex-A7 RK3128 hasn't seen as much uptake in the embedded world as the quad -A17 RK3288, which is found on hacker boards such as the Firefly-RK3288 Reload or the high-end, hexa-core RK3399, which has appeared on numerous recent products such as OpenEmbed's em3399 module or AAEON's RICO-3399 PICO-ITX SBC. The only RK3128-based SBC we can recall is the open spec Firefly-FirePrime S.
The LP-150 SBC has a fairly modest feature set, with only 512 MB DDR3. Yet, it offers a few features you don't typically find on x86 Pico-ITX SBCs like eMMC storage (8GB) and built-in Wi-Fi. Media features include an HDMI 1.4 port limited to HD resolution and an LVDS interface with capacitive touchscreen support. You also get CVBS inputs and outputs and audio I/O headers.
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Tiny i.MX8M Module Focuses on Streaming Media
Innocomm has announced a 50 mm x 50 mm "WB10" module with an NXP i.MX8M Quad SoC, 8 GB eMMC, Wi-Fi-ac, BT 4.2, GbE, HDMI 2.0 with 4K HDR and audio I/O including SAI, SPDIF and DSD512. Among the many embedded products announced in recent weeks that run NXP's 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53-based i.MX8M SoC, Innocomm's 50 mm x 500 mm WB10 is one of the smallest. The top prize goes to Variscite's SODIMM-style, 55 mm x 30 mm DART-MX8M. Like Emcraft's 80 mm x 60 mm i.MX 8M SOM, the home entertainment focused WB10 supports only the quad-core i.MX8M instead of the dual-core model. Other i.MX8M modules include Compulab's 68 mm x 42mm CL-SOM-iMX8. No OS support was listed, but all the other i.MX8M products we've seen have either run Linux or Linux and Android. The i.MX8M SoC incorporates a Vivante GC7000Lite GPU and VPU, enabling 4K HEVC/H265, H264, and VP9 video decoding with HDR. It also provides a 266 MHz Cortex-M4 core for real-time tasks, as well as a security subsystem. The WB10 module offers only 2 GB LPDDR4 instead of 4 GB for the other i.MX8M modules, and is also limited to 8 GB eMMC. You do, however, get a GbE controller and onboard 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac with MIMO 2Ã2 and Bluetooth 4.2.
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