A brand new single board pc vary gives builders flexibility and the choice of customized {hardware}.

Image: OKdo
RS Group’s single board pc growth and manufacturing unit OKdo is now working with Rockchip vendor Radxa on a spread of SBC programs utilizing Radxa’s ROCK designs. It’s an attention-grabbing partnership, giving Raxda entry to OKdo’s expertise in at-scale manufacturing and to its world assist channels.
The intent of the brand new partnership is to present engineers the instruments they should construct merchandise round Radxa’s designs, whereas nonetheless supporting a maker group and college students on the lookout for a robust, low-cost computing platform. As properly as OKdo’s personal assist companies, ROCK is supported by means of Radxa’s personal on-line group instruments.
SEE: Hardware stock coverage (TechRepublic Premium)
Introducing the ROCK 4 SE
The first board from the brand new partnership, the ROCK 4 SE, is now out there. Based on Radxa’s Rockchip hexacore RK3399-T processor with 4GB of RAM, it gives a contemporary ARM huge.LITTLE pairing of twin Cortex A72 CPUs with a quadcore Cortex A53 and ARM’s Mali GPU. The result’s a extra versatile possibility than the acquainted Raspberry Pi 4, with assist for on-board eMMC storage modules and an m.2 connector for NVMe SSDs.

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More importantly for makers, the board features a real-time clock with battery connector, so it may preserve observe of time even when powered off. Alternatively, there’s the flexibility to save lots of energy by powering down components of the SBC after they’re not in use. You can use any USB-C PD energy provide, so that you’re not restricted to anyone provider and might work with fashionable high-density batteries in addition to mains energy.
A 40 pin GPIO port means it’s suitable with many present off-the-shelf equipment, together with power-over-Ethernet adapters. Other ports embrace a full-size HDMI video connection supporting 4K shows, in addition to two USB 2 and two USB 3 ports (one in all which can be utilized for OTG connection to cell gadgets), and a mixed microphone and headphone socket.
The ROCK 4 SE is OKdo’s spinoff of Radxa’s present household of ROCK 4 SBCs, and is meant to be the primary in a brand new vary of Rockchip-based SBCs and pluggable compute modules. Using the slogan “Your board, your way,” OKdo is offering not solely {hardware}, but in addition focused assist for all customers of its ROCK {hardware}, from particular person makers to massive corporations constructing programs round ROCK-based compute modules.
Coming quickly: The ROCK 4C+
A second board, the ROCK 4C+, is beneath growth and will likely be launched quickly, together with the CM3 compute mannequin and a next-generation SBC. Usefully, the ROCK 4C+ will add a function that’s often lacking from SBCs: a bodily on/off change. It will even embrace a separate header for a cooling fan, so that you received’t have to lose any GPIO pins. An further connector permits you to plug in your personal Wi-Fi antenna, bettering efficiency for gadgets that may be deployed wherever there’s a weak sign.
Why ROCK?
Ongoing provide chain points have been the explanation behind the RS Group firm OKdo lately stepping away from its Raspberry Pi manufacturing license and adopting a wider vary of silicon suppliers, together with ROCK’s father or mother firm Radxa and IoT chipset specialists NXP. ROCK’s silicon comes from fabless vendor Rockchip, which makes use of a number of fabs to cut back provide chain danger, as chips are manufactured the world over. Rockchip may not be as well-known as different IoT processor corporations like Broadcom, however its chips are aggressive and include assist from acquainted Linuxes in addition to Android, providing you with further choices for each software growth and person experiences.
SEE: Inside the Raspberry Pi: The story of the $35 pc that modified the world (cowl story PDF) (TechRepublic)
An benefit that the ROCK platform has over different SBCs is the flexibility to ship boards as customized System-on-Module programs, avoiding part wastage. Once you’ve prototyped {hardware} utilizing gadgets just like the ROCK 4 SE, you may then work with OKdo to design a SOM to your manufacturing {hardware} that solely consists of the options you want, serving to preserve prices to a minimal and lowering your publicity to produce chain danger. The potential to work with each a producer like OKdo and a board designer like Radxa helps optimize board designs and guarantee your undertaking will get the {hardware} it wants, when it wants it.
A customized future for {hardware}
OKdo’s customization service builds on the corporate’s expertise, eradicating parts as wanted and redesigning the SBC board to suit inside {hardware} constraints. This isn’t a service for the house person or the hobbyist maker; it requires a dedication to quantity manufacturing the place OKdo will construct 1000’s of boards or modules. Typical modifications embrace eradicating the ethernet port in favor of wi-fi operation, not solely saving area however price, as a redesigned board received’t want specialised controller chips and any related parts. OKdo can add parts to a board, altering interfaces or including reminiscence.
As OKdo factors out, there are added advantages to a customized resolution. If you’re transport 1000’s of models, even a small discount in measurement and weight can assist with environmental commitments, lowering transport weight or the quantity of packaging wanted. Working with an organization like OKdo on customized {hardware} permits you to make the most of their present testing companies, guaranteeing that modifications don’t put the customized board out of compliance with any relevant laws.
Radxa’s confirmed designs have been widespread in China and the remainder of Asia, so it’s good to see a vendor the dimensions of RS Group making a dedication to bringing the platform to the U.S. and Europe. Supply chain points are nonetheless making it arduous to purchase many SBCs, with massive prospects getting precedence, so having succesful {hardware} in inventory now ought to give builders entry to the gadgets they should develop new IoT {hardware} with out having to attend any longer.
The ROCK 4 SE is already out there in OKdo’s ROCK store, and extra {hardware} ought to arrive quickly.