Radxa has released the ROCK 3B, a “PI-CO ITX” single-board computer (SBC) that combines the benefits of Pico-ITX and Raspberry Pi form factors. The board, measuring 100x72mm, features all main ports on the rear side and supports expansion through a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header and several M.2 sockets for storage and wireless modules. The ROCK 3B is the larger brother of the ROCK 3A, a business card-sized SBC introduced in 2021. Both boards are powered by the Rockchip RK3568 SoC and support up to 8GB LPDDR4. The ROCK 3B features two gigabit Ethernet ports, an M.2 B Key socket for 4G LTE/5G cellular modules, an M.2 PCIe 3.0 x1 socket for an M.2 2280 SSD, and an M.2 Key-E socket for WiFi 6.

The specifications of the ROCK 3B include:

• SoC: Rockchip RK3568 (J)
  • CPU: Quad-core Cortex A55 processor at up to 2.0 GHz
  • GPU: Mali G52 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1
  • VPU: 4Kp60 H.264/H.265/VP9 video decoder, 1080p60 H.264/H.265 video encoder
  • AI accelerator: 1 TOPS NPU; INT8/INT16/FP16/BFP16 MAC hybrid operation; support for TensorFlow, TF-lite, Pytorch, Caffe, ONNX, MXNet, Keras, Darknet
• System Memory: 2GB, 4GB, 8GB LPDDR4
• Storage: Pluggable eMMC module, MicroSD card slot, M.2 M key socket for NVMe with PCIe 3.0 x2
• Video Output: HDMI 2.0 port up to 4Kp60, 2x MIPI DSI connectors (4-lane and 2-lane), eDP connector, Touch Panel connector
• Camera: 1x MIPI CSI connector
• Audio: 3.5mm audio jack, digital audio via HDMI
• Connectivity: 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports, WiFi 6 via M.2 E key socket with PCIe 2.0 x1/SDIO/UART, 4G LTE/5G cellular via M.2 B key 3042 socket with PCIe, SATA, USB interfaces, and a SIM card socket
• USB: 2x USB 2.0 ports, 2x USB 3.0 ports (1x OTG+1x HOST)
• Expansion: Color-coded 40-pin GPIO header mostly compatible with ROCK Pi 4 and Raspberry Pi 3/4, exposing 5x UART, 1x SPI, 2x I2C, 1x PCM/I2S, 1x CAN bus, 6x PWM, 1x ADC, 6x GPIO, 1x USB 2.0, and 5V, 3.3V, and GND power signals
• Misc: RTC with connector for backup battery, IR receiver, RGB LED, Fan header, Power and recovery buttons
• Power Supply: 6V to 20V DC via USB-C port with USB PD 2.0, QC 3.0, or fixed voltage support, 5V via GPIO pin 2 or 4
• Dimensions: 100 x 75 mm (Pico-ITX and PI-CO ITX form factors)
• Certifications: CE/FCC

The Rock 3B was first unveiled in 2021 with a slightly different design, which was modified based on user feedback. The board is now available for purchase, with prices starting at $45 for the 2GB RAM version, $55 for the 4GB RAM version, and $75 for the 8GB RAM version on Arace Tech. However, it may be challenging to find compatible accessories as the website’s accessories section is not clear, and some accessories are missing.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

Olimex has recently released the STMP157-BASE-SOM-EXT system-on-module (SoM) powered by an STMicro STM32MP157 dual-core Cortex-A7 microprocessor. The SoM is accompanied by the STMP157-BASE-SOM-EVB evaluation board, which is open-source hardware designed in KiCAD. The CPU module features 1GB RAM, an EEPROM for configuration, and power management circuitry. The carrier board provides various interfaces and features including HDMI video output, LCD display interfaces, a 2MP camera, gigabit Ethernet, USB ports, CAN bus terminal block, audio jacks, and several GPIO headers.

The specifications of the STMP157-BASE-SOM-EXT System-on-Module are as follows:

• Microprocessor: STMicro STM32MP157DAA1 dual-core Cortex-A7 processor @ 800 MHz with Arm Cortex-M4 real-time core @ 209 MHz, and Vivante 3D GPU with OpenGL ES 2.0 support
• System Memory: 1GB DDR3
• Storage: Linux configuration EEPROM
• Host interface: 6x 40-pin board-to-board connectors with 1.27mm pitch for I/Os
• Misc: User LED, 24 MHz oscillator
• Power Management: AXP209 PMIC, LDO, DCDC power management
• Dimensions: 72 x 48 mm

The STMP157-BASE-SOM-EVB carrier board is compatible with the STMP157-BASE-SOM-EXT CPU module and offers the following specifications:

• Storage: MicroSD card slot
• Video Output: HDMI output, MIPI LCD connector, RGB LCD connector compatible with LCD-OLinuXino-5CTS, LCD-OLinuXino-7.0CTS, LCD-OLinuXino-10CTS
• Camera: 2MP MIPI CSI camera (OV2640-120 sensor)
• Audio: 3.5mm headphones jack, 3.5mm microphone jack
• Networking: Gigabit Ethernet port
• USB: 2x USB 2.0 Type-A host ports, 1x USB OTG port
• Serial: 2x CAN Bus terminal blocks
• Expansion: UEXT connector, EXT1 and EXT2 GPIO connectors
• Debugging: 3-pin UART connector, optional JTAG connector (not populated)
• Misc: Reset button, Power LED, flash module connector, boot configuration slide switch
• Power Supply: 5V/2A via power barrel jack, 2-pin connector for LiPo battery with built-in charging circuit
• Dimensions: 122 x 106 mm

Olimex provides a minimal Debian 11 image with Linux 6.x for both the module and EVB. User manuals, PDF schematics, and a Linux user guide can be found on the product page for the SoM, while the KiCAD hardware design files, PDF schematics, and user manual for the EVB can be found on GitHub. Pre-orders for the STM32MP157 SoM and EVB are now available for 30 Euros each, with shipping scheduled to begin on November 30. More documentation and the option to purchase can be found on the respective product pages.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

SiFive has addressed compatibility issues between AMD’s Linux graphics drivers and newer GPUs on RISC-V architecture. The problem, linked to AMDGPU’s “DC” display code, was resolved by introducing kernel-mode FPU support for RISC-V. SiFive’s patches, currently under review, are expected to be part of the Linux 6.8 kernel. Once implemented, this update will allow the latest AMD GPUs to seamlessly operate on RISC-V using open-source drivers.

Source: Phoronix.

Banana Pi has released a new WiFi 7 router board called the BPI-R4. This router board is powered by the MediaTek MT7988A (Filogic 880) quad-core Arm Corex-A73 processor. It features 4GB DDR4 RAM, 8GB eMMC flash, and 128MB SPI-NAND flash.

The BPI-R4 also includes two 10GbE SFP cages, four Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports, a USB 3.2 port, an M.2 socket for a 4G/5G modem or an NVMe SSD, and two mini PCIe slots with PCIe 3.0 to support WiFi 7.

The specifications of the Banana Pi BPI-R4 are as follows:

• SoC: MediaTek MT7988A (Filogic 880) quad-core Arm Corex-A73 processor @ 1.8GHz with AI-powered packet accelerator
• System Memory: 4GB DDR4
• Storage: 8GB eMMC flash, 128MB SPI NAND Flash, microSD card slot, M.2 Key M for NVMe SSD
• Networking: 2x 10GbE SFP cages, 4x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports
• USB: USB 3.2 port
• Expansion: M.2 Key-B slot with USB 3.2 interface for 5G or 4G LTE connectivity, M.2 Key-M slot with 1-lane PCIe 3.0 for NVMe SSD, 2x mini PCIe slots with 2-lane PCIe 3.0 for Wi-Fi 7 NIC, 26-pin GPIO header for expansion
• Debugging: 3-pin header for 3.3V serial console
• Misc: Reset button, WPS button, bootstrap switch, RTC battery connector
• Power Supply: 12V/5.2A or 19V/3.2A via DC jack, 20V DC input via header, optional PoE module (RT5400), 5V/12V output header
• Dimensions: 148 x 100.5 mm
• Weight: 250 grams

The Banana Pi BPI-R4 currently has three OpenWrt images available for eMMC, NAND flash, or microSD card boot. A Debian image is also in development. The board does not come with a WiFi 7 module by default but can support it through the two mini PCIe sockets.

The WiFi 7 iPA NIC Module, which can be added to the BPI-R4, is based on a four-chip design with MediaTek MT7996 (WiFi 7 tri-band BE19000 SoC), MT7995N (2.4 GHz WiFi), MT7977AN (6 GHz), and MT7977B (6 GHz).

The Banana Pi BPI-R4 is available for purchase on Aliexpress for $103.15, but the WiFi 7 card must be purchased separately. Coupon codes are available for discounts during the Black Friday promotion.

Overall, the Banana Pi BPI-R4 is a powerful WiFi 7 router board with a range of features and expandability options.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

ZFS on Linux (OpenZFS), the open-source implementation of the ZFS file system and volume manager, has released an important update, version 2.2.1. Users are recommended to update to this release, especially if they are currently running 2.2.0, to avoid the block cloning bug. Users running older versions of ZFS are unaffected by this issue.

Changes in version 2.2.1 include:

• Disabling block cloning by default to fix a block cloning bug that could result in data corruption
• Adding a tunable to disable BRT support
• Auto-generating changelog during configure for packaging
• Compatibility updates for Linux 6.6
• Various bug fixes and optimizations

Supported Platforms:

• Linux: compatible with 3.10 - 6.6 kernels
• FreeBSD: compatible with releases starting from 12.2-RELEASE

For more information and to download the latest release, visit the OpenZFS GitHub page.

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.