3.5-inch i.MX8M SBC provides optional serial expansion cards

3.5-inch i.MX8M SBC provides optional serial expansion cards

Nov 1, 2021 — by Eric Brown

64 views

Avalue’s 3.5-inch “RSC-IMX8M” SBC runs Linux or Android on an i.MX8M with up to 2GB DDR4, 8GB eMMC, 2x GbE, 2x USB 3.0, HDMI, MIPI-DSI/CSI, 2x M.2, and optional serial expansion.

Avalue has launched its first product based on NXP’s i.MX8 family of system-on-chips with a 3.5-inch board that offers an up to quad-core i.MX8M. Previous 3.5-inch SBCs from Avalue include the Intel Elkhart Lake powered ECM-EHL, among others. Other 3.5-inch boards based on the i.MX8M include Seco’s SBC-C20, and i.MX8M SBCs using other form factors include Boundary Devices’ Nitrogen8M, Arrow’s 96Boards CE Extended Thor96, SolidRun’s HummingBoard Pulse, and the armStone MX8M from F&S.

RSC-IMX8M (left) and with serial port extend board
(click images to enlarge)

The RSC-IMX8M defaults to the quad-core, Cortex-A53 i.MX8M Quad, which includes a Cortex-M4F core and a 4K-ready Vivante GC7000Lite/GC7000VLX GPU. You can also choose Dual or VPU-deprived QuadLite models, which are similarly clocked at up to 1.5GHz, and which make the Cortex-M4 optional. A BSP is available with Yocto Linux v2.5 or v3.0, per conflicting citations, followed later by an Android 10 BSP.

Two SKUs are available: a Consumer model with 1GB LPDDR4, a single GbE port, and 0 to 85°C support, and an Industry model with 2GB, 2x GbE, and a -40 to 85°C range. RAM can be extended to 4GB, presumably under special order, and storage features include 8GB eMMC and a microSD slot.

Media I/O includes HDMI, LVDS, MIPI-DSI, 2x MIPI-CSI, an audio jack and I/O headers. There are USB 3.0 host and OTG Type-C ports plus 40-pin GPIO and a choice of two serial “extend” daughter cards: 4x RS232/485 or 2x RS232/485 with CANBus and GPIO.

The RSC-IMX8M is equipped with an M.2 E-key slot for WiFi/BT and an M.2 B-key for 3G or 4G. The SBC has a 12-24VDC input and 15-year availability.

Specifications listed for the RSC-IMX8M include:

• Processor — NXP i.MX8M Dual, QuadLite, or Quad (default) with 2x or 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5GHz); Vivante GC7000Lite GPU; VPU on all but QuadLite; Cortex-M4F @ 266MHz
• Memory/storage:
  • 1GB (Consumer) or 2GB (Industry) LPDDR4 RAM; expandable to 4GB
  • 8GB eMMC
  • MicroSD slot
• Networking/wireless:
  • 1x (Consumer) or 2x (Industry) 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports (Intel I210 and AR8033)
  • WiFi/BT available via M.2 E-key
  • 3G/4G available via M.2 B-key
• Media I/O:
  • HDMI port
  • MIPI-DSI
  • Backlight connector
  • 2x MIPI-CSI
  • Hand Phone jack
  • Line-out, mic-in, speaker L/R headers
• Other I/O:
  • USB 3.0 host port
  • USB 3.0 OTG Type-C port (data only)
  • USB 3.0
  • 40-pin GPIO
  • I2C, front-panel, JTAG
  • Optional serial extend boards: 4x RS232/485 or 2x RS232/485, CANBus, GPIO
• Expansion:
  • M.2 E-key 2230 slot for WiFi/BT
  • M.2 B-key 3042 slot (USB only) for 3G or 4G
• Other features — 15-year availability
• Power — 12-24VDC terminal block input; reset and power LED
• Operating temperature — 0 to 85°C (Consumer) or -40 to 85°C (Industry) with 0-90% non-condensing relative humidity tolerance
• Dimensions — 146.05 x 101.6mm (3.5-inch)
• Weight — 0.16 kg
• Operating system – Yocto v2.5/v3.0 BSP; Android 10 BSP “coming soon”

Further information

The RSC-IMX8M is available now at an undisclosed price. More information may be found in Avalue’s announcement and product page.