FriendlyELEC’s New NAS Kit Features RK3588 SoC with Quad M.2 Key M Slots

FriendlyELEC has just launched a NAS kit built around a System-on-Module based on the high-performance Rockchip RK3588 SoC. Some key features of this device include its 2.5GbE port, dual HDMI ports, dual MIPI DSI ports and four M.2 Key M slots

FriendlyELEC a well-known manufacturer of SBCs and peripheral devices, has recently unveiled CM3588 NAS Kit a new Rockchip RK3588 board with quard M.2 Key-M sockets. The M.2 can provide a PCIe Gen 3 x1 interface which can take in 2280 NVMe SSDs or other M.2 PCIe modules. The board is also equipped with a 2.5GbE port, dual HDMI ports, dual MIPI DSI ports, and other peripherals.

Previously we have covered many SBCs designed by FriendlyELEC some of those include, NanoPi R5S, NanoPi Neo3, NanoPi R2S, SOM-RK3399, and many other boards. we have also seen many other development boards like the Banana Pi BPI-M7, Indiedroid Nova, the Radxa ROCK Pi 4 SE, and many other SBCs powered by the RK3588 processor.

The NAS kit is designed with a dual-board architecture, consisting of the CPU Board and the Carrier Board, each serving specific functions within the system.

The CPU board consists of the main RK3588 SOC, RAM, RTC, some LED indicators, a PMIC, Audio Codec, and the connectors to connect the CPU board to the carrier board.

The carrier board holds all the key interfaces such as multiple USB ports, including USB 3.0 Type-A and USB-C, 2.5GbE RJ45 networking port, HDMI and MIPI connectors for video output, and a comprehensive GPIO header for various expansion capabilities.

When it comes to software support FriendlyELEC mentions that this device has support for various operating systems including Android, Ubuntu, Debian, Buildroot,  OpenMediaVault, and OpenWrt. They are all built on the very recent Linux 6.1 LTS kernel. You’ll find all those software and instructions on the company’s wiki page. There’s also a separate wiki page for the CM3588 NAS SDK that only provides schematics, PCB layout, and mechanical files.

FriendlyELEC’s RK3588 NAS Kit specifications:

  • Core Board (CM3588)
    • SoC: Rockchip RK3588
    • CPU: Quad-core Cortex-A76 (up to 2.4 GHz), Quad-core Cortex-A55 (up to 1.8 GHz)
    • GPU: Arm Mali-G610 MP4
    • Video Decoding: Supports 8Kp60 H.265, VP9, AVS2; 8Kp30 H.264 AVC/MVC; 4Kp60 AV1; 1080p60 MPEG-2/-1, VC-1, VP8
    • Video Encoding: 8Kp30 H.265/H.264
    • AI Acceleration: 6 TOPS NPU
    • Memory: Options of 4GB, 8GB, 16GB LPDDR4x @ 2133 MHz
    • Storage: Optional 64GB eMMC
    • Audio Codec: Realtek ALC5616
    • Networking: Realtek RTL8125BG 2.5GbE controller
    • Connectors: 4x 100-pin for USB 3.0/2.0, PCIe Gen 3 x4, 2.5GbE, HDMI, GPIOs
    • PMIC: Rockchip RK806-1
    • Size: 65 x 55 mm, 8-layer PCB
    • Weight: Approx. 21 grams
  • Carrier Board (CM3588 NAS SDK)
    • Storage:
      • 4x M.2 2280 NVMe SSD slots
      • MicroSD card slot
      • SPI flash footprint
    • Video Output:
      • 2x HDMI 2.1 ports (one up to 8Kp60, other up to 4Kp60)
      • 1x DisplayPort via USB-C (up to 4Kp60)
      • 4-lane MIPI DSI connector
    • Video Input:
      • 1x HDMI 2.0 port (up to 4Kp60)
      • 4-lane MIPI CSI connector
    • Audio:
      • 3.5mm jack, 2-pin mic connector, PWM buzzer
      • Networking: 2.5GbE RJ45 port
    • USB Ports:
      • 2x USB 3.0 Type-A
      • 1x USB 3.0 Type-C DRP with DisplayPort support
      • 1x USB 2.0 host port
    • Expansion:
      • 4x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x1 sockets
      • 40-pin GPIO header (SPI, UART, I2C, PWM, I2S, GPIO)
    • Misc:
      • RTC battery connector, IR receiver, fan connector
      • Buttons for eMMC flash update, reset, power, recovery mode, user
      • 4x SSD LEDs, 3-pin debug UART header
    • Power Supply:
      • 12V DC (barrel jack or 2-pole terminal block)
    • Size: 160 x 116 mm, 4-layer PCB
    • Operating Temperature: 0 to 70°C

The CM3588 Core module starts at $95, and the full NAS Kit will cost you $130. other options include an 8GB+64GB Kit and power supply for $154.89, plus shipping. The 16GB RAM variant costs an additional $15.

Anritsu, in Collaboration with Sony Semiconductor Israel, Validates the Industry’s First Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) NB-IoT test case in CAG76

Anritsu Corporation is pleased to announce that the first NTN NB-IoT Protocol Conformance Tests have been validated on the 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR powered by the Sony Semiconductor Israel (Sony)’s Altair device

NTN NB-IoT is a key IoT feature that is useful in cases where the devices need to be deployed in remote regions without terrestrial cell network coverage. This is especially useful for asset tracking in maritime, logistics, mining, automotive, and other areas.

“3GPP Release 17, which is described as the next stage for 5G and LTE, NTN enables new use cases and monetization opportunities for vertical industry segments,” said Kameda Keiji, General Manager of Mobile Solutions Division at Anritsu Corporation, “We are proud that our collaboration with Sony enables us to help the industry validate the new features quickly to market and enable certifications in GCF/PTCRB to bring certified devices to enable new applications”.

The conformance tests are defined by 3GPP in TS 36.523-1 corresponding to core requirements in TS 36.331 and have been submitted to 3GPP Radio Access Network Working Group 5 (RAN WG5) by Anritsu.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with Anritsu,” said Christophe Flechelle, GM France & System Engineering Director at Sony Semiconductor Israel. “By establishing a certification program for NTN, we’re paving the way for faster integration of crucial satellite technologies into tracking devices and wearables. This collaboration marks a significant step towards technological advancement and widespread adoption in the industry.”

The 5G NR Mobile Device Test Platform ME7834NR is registered with both the GCF and PTCRB as Test Platform 251.

The ME7834NR is a test platform for 3GPP-based Protocol Conformance Test (PCT) and Carrier Acceptance Testing (CAT) of mobile devices incorporating Multiple Radio Access Technologies. It supports 5G NR in both Standalone and Non-Standalone in addition to LTE, LTE-Advanced, LTE-A Pro, W-CDMA, and now NTN. When combined with Anritsu’s OTA RF chamber MA8171A and RF converters, the ME7834NR covers the sub-6 GHz and millimeter wave (mmWave) 5G NR frequency bands.

cover photo: www.depositphotos.com

AAEON Launch the GENE-EHL7, an Efficient 3.5” SBC for Smart City, Industrial Automation etc

Combining efficient processing with a full-function I/O, the GENE-EHL7 offers efficiency in operation as well as cost.

AAEON, an industry-leading provider of embedded solutions, has announced the latest addition to its 3.5” SubCompact Board product line, the GENE-EHL7. Available in models featuring Intel Atom® x6000E series, Pentium®, and Celeron® N and J series Processors, the GENE-EHL7 is designed to offer a power-efficient platform with which to bring smart retail, smart city, industrial automation solutions to market in a compact, easily deployed board.

Offering a low-cost lifecycle via its efficient processor selection, the board is available with Intel Atom® x6413E, Intel® Celeron® Processor J6412, or Intel® Celeron® Processor N6210 embedded CPUs, which grant users low-cost, yet highly efficient processing suitable to a variety of vertical market deployments.

Providing three configurable simultaneous displays via HDMI, DP, LDVS, and eDP, AAEON has placed emphasis on the board’s potential for deployment in point-of-sale (POS) and kiosk equipment, where its compact form factor and flexible display interfaces can be used to develop applications that are friendly to end-users. Adding further value to the board’s use for such purposes is its optional TPM 2.0, which enhances security, critical for protecting data while in transit.

Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports join two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports for peripheral device installation, making the GENE-EHL7 ideal for networking and data collection tasks in a smart city infrastructure. Moreover, the board can take advantage of Wi-Fi module expansion via its M.2 E-Key. According to AAEON, the board’s flexible storage capacity is a crucial feature contributing to its use for edge computing. With SATA, a full-size mPCIe slot, and an M.2 M-Key for either PCIe or SATA, the GENE-EHL7 contains a plethora of expandable storage options to give greater flexibility to users.

Concerning its potential Industry 4.0 uses, the GENE-EHL7 is equipped with two COM connectors, one supporting RS-232/422/485 and one supporting RS-232 only, an 8-bit GPIO, and SMBus. These features are provided to facilitate industrial communication protocols and make the board well-suited to programmable logic controller (PLC) use.

The GENE-EHL7 is now in mass production and available for order on the eShop. For more information, please visit its product page.

ASRock Industrial Presents the NUC Ultra 100 BOX/ NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series

Unveiling the breakthrough release, ASRock Industrial launches the NUC Ultra 100 BOX/ NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series powered by the highly anticipated Intel® Core™ Ultra processors (Meteor Lake-H). Featuring 3D performance hybrid architecture supporting up to 14 cores and 20 threads along with new integrated Intel® ARC Graphics and the first dedicated NPU AI engine. The NUC Ultra 100 BOX Series leverage two DDR5-5600 MHz memory up to 96GB while bringing impressive features, including triple storages, 4K quad displays, 2.5G dual LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and five USB ports (one USB4/Thunderbolt™ 4). Meanwhile, the new slim-type NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series feature 4K quad displays, one USB4/Thunderbolt™ 4, five USB 3.2 Gen2, DDR5 memory up to 96GB, one 2.5G LAN and WiFi 6E through WiFi module. With AI acceleration built into every Intel® Core™ Ultra processor, the Series transform into AI PCs, unlocking infinite possibilities. This breakthrough extends to elevated creativity, productivity, collaboration, and gaming experiences through AI-enablement across diverse applications in entertainment, office tasks, business operations, smart retail, city environments, and beyond.

Go AI PC, Go Infinite with Intel® Core™ Ultra Processors

The NUC Ultra 100 BOX/ NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series harness the power of the Intel® Core™ Ultra processors (Meteor Lake-H), featuring the first 3D performance hybrid architecture supporting up to 14 cores and 20 threads (6P+8E+2LPE), with integration of CPU, GPU, and NPU, to unleash infinite AI computability. With the newest Intel® Core™ Ultra processors, the Series provide unprecedented AI PC experiences with the cutting-edge Intel® ARC Graphics up to 8 Xe-cores 128 EUs, offering up to twice the AI performance over the previous gen CPU. The Series also employ built-in NPU to accelerate AI with up to 20x performance per watt enhancement. With NUC Ultra 100 BOX/ NUCS Ultra 100 BOX as the groundbreaking AI PCs, users can enjoy supreme AI capabilities that bring about enhanced collaboration, productivity, and creativity in diverse use cases such as real-time AI content creation, AI image & video, automated AI inferencing, and heightened gaming environments.

NUC Ultra 100 BOX Series – the AI PC for Any Occasion

The NUC Ultra 100 BOX Series include NUC BOX-155H and NUC BOX-125H models, incorporating transformative features from Intel® Core™ Ultra 7/5 processors 155H/125H (Meteor Lake-H). Housed in a compact fanned barebone measuring 117.5 x 110.0 x 49 mm (L x W x H), packing a powerful AI engine with significantly amplified graphics within a small form factor. The Series feature the upgraded dual-channel SO-DIMM DDR5 5600MHz up to 96GB memory, plus support for up to 4K quad displays with one DP 2.1 (from USB4), one DP 1.4a (from Type-C), and two HDMI 2.0 with Intel® ARC Graphics, providing unparalleled visual experience. Moreover, rich I/O connectivity includes one USB4/Thunderbolt™ 4, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C/Type-A), along with 2.5G dual LAN, Wi-Fi 6E module, and BT 5.3. Notable upgrades extend to the triple storages of one M.2 Key M (2242/2280), one M.2 Key M (2242) with PCIe Gen4x4, and one SATA3. The Series also provide 12-24V DC-in jack with 19V power adapter for flexible power input, VESA mounting for space-saving installation, plus TPM support with Intel® Platform Trust Technology (PTT) for enhanced security. The NUC Ultra 100 BOX Series introduce solutions that aims to go infinite, seamlessly integrating pioneering AI PC capabilities into entertainment, office, business scenarios, and smart retail with unparalleled AI performance.

Slim Type NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series

The NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series, comprising the NUCS BOX-155H and NUCS BOX-125H, are powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra 7/5 processors 155H/125H (Meteor Lake-H). Particularly designed as the slim type system, the Series present boundless capabilities with an even more compact size of 117.5 x 110.0 x 38 mm (L x W x H) fanned barebone. Corresponding to NUC Ultra 100 BOX, the NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series also feature two up to 96GB SO-DIMM DDR5 5600MHz RAM, supporting up to 4K quad displays through two HDMI 2.1, one DP 2.1 (from USB4), and one DP 1.4a (from Type-C) for vivid visual displays. It ensures reliable connections with one 2.5G LAN, WiFi 6E Module and BT 5.3. The Series’ versatile I/O and expansions include one USB4/Thunderbolt™ 4, five USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-C/Type-A), and dual storage of one M.2 Key M (2280) with PCIe Gen4x4, one M.2 Key M (2242) with PCIe Gen4x1. Additionally, it also features a 12-24V DC-in jack, 19V power adapter, VESA mount support, and firmware TPM with Intel® Platform Trust Technology (PTT) are equipped as well. Despite its slim appearance, the NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series can enable infinite AI potentials in solutions across various industries.

“ASRock Industrial advances its vision to co-create an intelligent world with the launch of the pioneering AI PCs powered by Intel® Core™ Ultra processors (Meteor Lake-H). By leveraging the 3D performance hybrid architecture with the integration of CPU, GPU, and NPU into the customer’s very own PC, we aim to jointly fulfill AI-generated benefits,” said Handsome Tzeng, President of ASRock Industrial. “ASRock Industrial’s NUC Ultra 100 BOX/ NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series excel in fulfilling AI capabilities, striving to go infinite with creative AI solutions for everyone to enjoy.”

To learn more about ASRock Industrial’s NUC Ultra 100 BOX/ NUCS Ultra 100 BOX Series, feel free to visit our Website Product Page or contact us via Product Inquiry.

Mixtile Cluster Box can Hold up to four RK3588 SBCs connected Via PCIe

Mixtile Cluster Box is a four-slot chase that can hold up to four Mixtile Blade 3 boards. Released last year, this board is powered by the Rockchip RK3588 SoC. What makes this board different from others is the U.2 Interface which provides a fast, reliable, and scalable storage solution which is a key component in demanding computational projects.

The highlighting feature of this Mixtile Cluster Box is its ability to hold four Mixtile Blade 3 devices this enhances the computational performance of the device also being neat. This will be very useful for those who are working on demanding projects.

Mixtile recently launched the Cluster Box, a compact steel case with cooling fans that connects and holds up to four Mixtile Blade 3 boards. These boards were released last year and they are powered by the Rockchip RK3588 SoC and can be linked through PCIe interfaces in the Cluster Box, enabling multi-node computation.

The Mixtile Cluster Box is powered by the ASM2824 PCIe Packet Switch chip that can handle data-intensive applications very easily. This switch provides flexible upstream PCIe interface choices, including 1, 2, 4, or 8 lanes, and it can automatically detect lane configurations at start-up. In downstream mode, it can handle a 16-lane PCIe 3.1 interface with support for up to 12 PCIe ports.

The switch also includes power-saving modes (L0 to L3), deep sleep modes, wake-up functions, port disabling, latency reporting, error handling, and I/O virtualization for both upstream and downstream ports.

As for storage options, you can add up to four NVMe M.2 SSDs with PCIe 3.0 x2 compatibility, allowing expanded storage capacity.

Mixtile Cluster Box also features a cutting-edge backplate, a control board, and a customized small chassis with fans inside. Blade 3 SBCs can be connected to the product chassis through the U.2 interface. The device also has an ASM2824 PCIe Switch chip, with 4 downstream ports configured as PCIe 3.0 ×4 and connected to the U.2 interface.

In terms of software, the Mixtile Cluster Box utilizes Open-WRT which is open source and can be used by everybody. Mixtile said they will also provide a software package that enables the PCIe interface to function as a virtual network interface so that you will be able to connect external GbE ethernet to your Mixtile Cluster Box.

A unique feature of the Mixtile Cluster Box is its use of Captive Screws. This design means you can put it together or take it apart by hand, without needing any special tools. This makes it user-friendly, especially for those who might not have technical experience with such equipment.

The Mixtile Cluster Box increases storage space for your projects. It connects to Mixtile Blade 3 boards using a U.2 interface. The Box has four NVMe M.2 M-Key slots, which are compatible with fast NVMe SSDs and support the PCIe 3.0 ×2 standard. This setup allows for more and faster storage, useful for large projects or important data.

The Mixtile Cluster Box has a small case with two 60mm Fans inside. These fans keep the system cool, preventing it from getting too hot and ensuring it works well, especially when used for a long time or heavy tasks. This helps the Box perform at its best without overheating.

This compact yet powerful product can be used for high-performance computing, data analysis, AI and machine learning, container orchestration with Kubernetes and Docker, on-premises deployment, and parallel programming. It effectively handles complex tasks and large data sets, making it suitable for advanced technical applications.

Mixtile offers the Cluster Box for $339.00, which can be bought directly from their official website. This deal comes with the Mixtile Cluster Box itself, a power adapter (19 V/4.74 A), and several additional accessories.

ADLINK releases Intel Core Ultra-powered COM Express Module with integrated CPU+GPU+NPU providing up to 50% in power saving

ADLINK Technology Inc., a global leader in edge computing, announces the launch of its cExpress-MTL, a Compact size COM Express Type 6 module powered by the latest Intel Core Ultra processor. Featuring Intel modular architecture that integrates CPU, GPU, and NPU all-in-one for optimized performance and efficiency, the module provides up to 8 GPU Xe-cores (128 EUs), an NPU (11pTOPS/8.2eTOPS), and 14 CPU cores at 28W TDP.

“As demands for varying workloads continue to grow in battery-powered edge applications, which cannot solely rely on the CPU alone, we are excited to showcase our Intel Core Ultra-powered COM Express, “ said Dylan Cheng, Senior Product Manager at ADLINK COM. “By integrating a GPU with 1.9x higher performance than prior generation and an NPU for dedicated AI acceleration on top of its powerful CPU, the featured processor in our cExpress-MTL offers proficient graphics and AI capabilities without needing to connect to additional processing units. This substantially simplifies your solution designs, translating to accelerated time-to-market and lower total cost of ownership.”

Centered on using the Lower Power E core to handle light workloads, the Intel Core Ultra processor can be 30-50% more power efficient than 13th Gen Intel Core, thus able to provide superior performance even in a compact, battery-powered design.

Equipped with hardware-accelerated AV1 encoding and decoding functionality, the ADLINK cExpress-MTL module can also realize instantaneous media streaming with minimal latency. Along with all PCIe interface upgraded to Gen4 for enhanced data transmission and USB4 support for increased flexibility, the ADLINK cExpress-MTL module empowers developers to achieve various graphics- and AI-requiring, battery-powered applications, such as portable medical ultrasound, industrial automation, autonomous driving, AI robots, and more.

cExpress-MTL

COM Express Compact size Type 6 Module with Intel® Core™ Ultra processors

  • New integrated NPU for dedicated AI acceleration
  • All PCIe signal upgraded to Gen4
  • 2.5GbE Ethernet, with optional TSN
  • SoC power reduction
  • 2x USB4 support (option)

ADLINK is also working to provide I-Pi development kits based on the cExpress-MTL module for out-of-the-box-ready prototyping and referencing.

For more information about the ADLINK cExpress-MTL module, please follow the following link here at adlinktech.com: cExpress-MTL (COM-Express Compact size Type 6 module)

Orbbec releases Persee N1 camera-computer kit for 3D vision enthusiasts, powered by the NVIDIA Jetson platform

Orbbec’s feature-rich RGB-D camera-computer is a ready-to-use out-of-the box solution for 3D vision application developers and experimenters

Orbbec, an industry leader dedicated to 3D vision systems, has developed the Persee N1, an all-in-one combination of a popular stereo-vision 3D camera and a purpose-built computer based on the NVIDIA Jetson platform, and equipped with industry-standard interfaces for the most useful accessories and data connections. Developers using the newly launched camera-computer will also enjoy the benefits of the Ubuntu OS and OpenCV libraries. Orbbec recently became an NVIDIA Partner Network (NPN) Preferred Partner.

Persee N1 delivers highly accurate and reliable data for in-door/semi-outdoor operation, ideally suited for healthtech, dimensioning, interactive gaming, retail and robotics applications, and features:

  • An easy setup process using the Orbbec SDK and Ubuntu-based software environment.
  • Industry-proven Gemini 2 camera, based on active stereo IR technology, which includes Orbbec’s custom ASIC for high-quality, in-camera depth processing.
  • The powerful NVIDIA Jetsonplatform for edge AI and robotics.
  • HDMI and USB ports for easy connections to a monitor and keyboard.
  • Multiple USB ports for data and a POE (Power over Ethernet) port for combined data and power connections.
  • Expandable storage with MicroSD and M.2 slots.

“The self-contained Persee N1 camera-computer makes it easy for computer vision developers to experiment with 3D vision,” said Amit Banerjee, Head of Platform and Partnerships at Orbbec. “This combination of our Gemini 2 RGB-D camera and the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI and robotics allows AI development while at the same time enabling large-scale cloud-based commercial deployments.”

The new camera module also features official support for the widely used Open Computer Vision (OpenCV) library. OpenCV is used in an estimated 89% of all embedded vision projects according to industry reports. This integration marks the beginning of a deeper collaboration between Orbbec and OpenCV, which is operated by the non-profit Open Source Vision Foundation.

“The Persee N1 features robust support for the industry-standard computer vision and AI toolset from OpenCV,” said Dr. Satya Mullick, CEO of OpenCV. “OpenCV and Orbbec have entered a partnership to ensure OpenCV compatibility with Orbbec’s powerful new devices and are jointly developing new capabilities for the 3D vision community.”

Pricing of the product: The Persee N1 is attractively priced at $499, with discounts available for high-volume purchases

Datasheet: ORBBEC_Datasheet_Persee-N1.pdf

more information: https://www.orbbec.com/products/camera-computer/persee-N1/

Redefining Radio Telescope Digital Backend Receivers with RFSoC Technology

There is a new era of multi-frequency astronomy, in which equipment for observing different types of radio waves is used together to reveal more than they could do individually. In much the same way that you tune the radio to a particular station, radio astronomers can tune their telescopes to pick up radio waves millions of light years from Earth. Using sophisticated computer programming, they can unravel signals to study the birth and death of stars, the formation of galaxies, and the various kinds of matter in the Universe.

A radio telescope is a specialized astronomical instrument designed to detect and study radio-frequency radiation between wavelengths of about 10 meters (30 megahertz [MHz]) and 1 mm (300 gigahertz [GHz]) emitted by extraterrestrial sources, such as pulsars, stars, galaxies, and quasars.  Detecting faint radio emissions relies on the antenna’s size and efficiency, along with the receiver’s sensitivity for signal amplification and detection. A digital backend receiver is a vital component in a radio telescope system, responsible for digitization, signal processing, and high-speed data transmission.

Radio telescopes typically have three basic components,

  1. One or more antennas pointed to the sky to collect the radio waves
  2. A receiver and an amplifier to boost the very weak radio signal to a measurable level
  3. A recorder to keep a record of the signal

RFSoC: A Building Block for Radio Telescopes

The RFSoC unifies RF data converters, programmable logic, and microcontrollers, providing essential functions for radio astronomy backends like real-time signal processing, digitization, high-speed interfacing, and software control. This highly integrated and power-efficient RFSoC streamlines astronomical backend system design, simplifying the architecture and reducing hardware development costs.

The Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC offers high-performance analog-to-digital conversion, real-time signal processing capabilities, and extensive bandwidth coverage, making it an ideal solution for designing radio telescope backend receivers.

  1. High-Speed Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC)
    The RFSoC integrates high-speed ADCs capable of digitizing radio signals with high precision and speed. Pulsar signals are often faint and require sensitive receivers with fast sampling rates.
  2. Real-Time Signal Processing
    The integration of FPGA and ARM processors within the RFSoC enables real-time processing of radio signals. This feature is invaluable in radio astronomy, allowing for the rapid analysis of celestial data and the detection of transient events, such as fast radio bursts and pulsar emissions.
  3. Versatility and Adaptability
    FPGAs are known for their reconfigurability. Radio astronomy often involves implementing various algorithms to detect weak signals, perform pulsar searching, and conduct interference mitigation.
  4. Energy Efficiency
    Radio telescopes are often located in remote or off-grid areas to minimize interference from human-generated radio signals. The energy-efficient design of the RFSoC is crucial for maintaining these observatories and ensuring their uninterrupted operation.
  5. High-Speed Data Transfer
    The inclusion of high-speed serial transceivers facilitates the efficient transfer of large datasets from radio telescopes to data processing facilities. This is essential for interferometry applications and the creation of high-resolution images using data from multiple telescopes.

RFSoC-based Backend Design

To ensure high-fidelity observational data and meet diverse scientific objectives, a multi-function digital backend can be designed with cutting-edge technologies like ZU49DR Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC development boards. This advanced system directly samples RF signals at the receiver’s front end and offers flexible processing modes. This approach effectively mitigates signal gain and phase fluctuations caused by environmental factors during transmission.

The figure below provides an overview of the radio telescope backend system, which is built on a heterogeneous architecture incorporating RFSoC, CPU, and GPU components. It includes a Signal acquisition and pre-processing block, a multi-function post-processing block, and a recorder/storage.

Block Diagram of a Digital Backend Receiver

The signal acquisition and preprocessing unit utilize high-performance, low-power RFSoC technology with integrated high-speed 2.5 GSPS ADCs at 12-bit precision. RF multiplexers switch signals from various receivers, covering the entire passband with a maximum simultaneous bandwidth of 14 GHz. It also possesses local storage capabilities for retaining received signals, which can be transmitted to a post-processing unit when necessary for further processing.

The multifunctional post-processing unit accepts high-speed digital signals via a 100 GbE data exchange network. It enables the selection and loading of signal processing modes, including pulsar, spectral line, continuum, and baseband modes. The system offers Radio Frequency interference (RFI) mitigation options tailored to the observed electromagnetic environment. This unit comprises multiple high-performance computer (HPC) nodes that dynamically adjust CPU and GPU computing cores to match signal processing bandwidth and complexity, ensuring flexibility and scalability. Processed high-speed data is buffered into the storage, capable of handling data at a maximum rate of 4 GB/s.

The RF data converters are laid out in tiles, each containing up to four RF-DACs or RF-ADCs. There are multiple tiles available in RFSoC, such that each tile also includes a block, clock handling logic, and distribution routing. This hierarchy of tiles and blocks simplifies the data converter design and implementation.

Designing Radio Telescope Digital Backends using iW-RainboW-G42M System on Module: Powered by AMD Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC

iWave has designed a powerful System on Module, powered by the ZU49DR RFSoC, that can speed up the design of radio telescopes and utilize the feature-rich RFSoC. The RFSoC SoM features the industry’s highest RF channel count with 16 Channel RF-DACs @ 10GSPS and 16 Channel RF-ADCs @ 2.5GSPS.

iW-RainboW-G42M System on Module features the ZU49DR and is compatible with the ZU39 and ZU29. The SoM offers a multi-element processing system, including an FPGA, Arm Cortex-A53 processor, and a real-time dual-core Arm Cortex-R5, and high-speed ADC & DAC channels, which makes it able to acquire, process, and act on RF signals. The RFSoC SoM offers onboard 8GB 64bit DDR4 RAM with an error correction code for the processing system and 8GB 64bit DDR4 RAM for programmable logic.

The integrated ultra-low noise programmable RF PLL simplifies the utilization of the SoM in the end product, eliminating concerns about complex clocking architecture. This integration also empowers the system with the highest signal processing bandwidth throughout the comprehensive RF signal chain. Furthermore, it boasts support for SyncE and PTP network synchronization, ensuring a high degree of synchronization.

The module leverages the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC Gen3 device, making it ideal to be deployed into RF systems that demand small footprint, low power, and real-time processing. Furthermore, the SoM brings in a drop-in solution for customers who want to simplify the design architecture, expedite the implementation process of astronomical digital backends for radio telescopes, and reduce device power consumption and hardware development costs.

iWave has also engineered an innovative RFSoC PCIe ADC DAC data acquisition card, driven by the G42M Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC SoM. The 3/4 Length PCIe Gen3 x8 Host Interface on the board connects the RFSoC PCIe Card to the computer/server.

This card incorporates state-of-the-art RF and signal integrity design techniques to ensure high-speed connectivity. Its adaptability enables users to seamlessly integrate this technology into their specific applications, offering a versatile solution for field deployment.

Complementing the RFSoC’s on-chip resources, the iWave RFSoC ADC DAC PCIe Card adds,

  • 16 ADC Channels
    • 4 x Right Angle SMA connectors on the Front Panel with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
    • 4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
    • 4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-700MHz-1.6GHz)
    • 4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-10MHz-3GHz)
  • 16 DAC Channels
    • 4 x Right Angle SMA connectors on the Front Panel with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
    • 4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
    • 4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-700MHz-1.6GHz)
    • 4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-10MHz-3GHz)
  • NVMe PCIe Gen2 x2/x4 M.2 Connector
  • FMC+ HSPC Connector

The System on Module and the PCIe Card are go-to-market and production-ready complete with documentation, software drivers, and a board support package. iWave maintains a product longevity program that ensures that modules are available for long periods of time (10+ years).

For more information, please contact mktg@iwavesystems.com

ASRock Industrial’s 4X4 BOX 8040 Series Mini PC with AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series Processors Brings AI PC into Your Life

ASRock Industrial releases state-of-the-art 4X4 BOX 8040 Series Mini PCs and 4X4 8040 Motherboard Series, powered by AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series APUs, crafted to elevate trusted performance and AI PC capabilities. Featuring up to 8 “Zen 4” cores/ 16 threads and AMD Radeon™ 700M graphics, the Series integrates AMD Ryzen™ AI with 16 NPU TOPS, delivering up to 1.6x surge in AI processing performance over its predecessor. With support of dual-channel DDR5 5600MHz memory up to 96GB, the 4X4 BOX 8040 Series comes with enriched I/O connectivity in a compact fanned box. It enables 4K quad-display outputs, five USB ports, including two USB4, accommodates dual storages, and offers dual LAN up to 2.5G, along with Wi-Fi 6E support. The new Series, marked by a significant speed boost with lower power consumption, paves the way for accelerated generative AI workloads, tailoring heightened experience in content creation, gaming, entertainment, office productivity, commerce, and many other AIoT applications through the quintessential AI PC for you.

The 4X4 BOX 8040 Series Brings Upgrades with AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series APUs

ASRock Industrial’s 4X4 BOX 8040 Series offers versatile selections: 4X4 BOX-8840U, 4X4 BOX-8640U, powered by AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series (Ryzen™ 7 8840U/ Ryzen™ 5 8640U). With integration of CPU, GPU, and NPU, the AMD Ryzen™ AI upgrades to 16 NPU TOPS and 39 total TOPS (NPU+CPU+GPU), reaching up to 1.6x surge in AI processing performance and a notable 40% speed increase in running AI LLM models than prior gen AMD APUs. Featuring 4nm “Zen 4” architecture with up to 8 cores/ 16 threads, along with AMD Radeon 700M RDNA™ 3 graphics, and dual-channel DDR5 5600MHz SO-DIMM memory up to 96GB. The 4X4 BOX 8040 Series marks a leap forward in AI processing, allowing users to reimagine dynamic applications on their AI PC, such as enhancing productivity, delivering AI-inspired visuals/content, running AI models right on PCs for various AIoT use cases.

The 4X4 BOX 8040 Series Features Excellence

The 4X4 BOX 8040 Series’ enriched I/O connectivity in a compact size of 117.5 x 110 x 49 mm fanned barebone. With integrated AMD Radeon™ 700M Graphics, the Series supports 4K quad-display outputs through two HDMI 1.4b and two DisplayPort 1.4a (with two from Type-C), delivering marvelous visual experience. For dual-storage capabilities, the Series includes one M.2 (Key M, 2242/2280) and one M.2 (Key M, 2242) with PCIe Gen 4×4 for SSD ensuring maximum scalability. In addition, the 4X4 BOX 8040 Series is equipped with dual LAN ports- one 2.5G and one 1G port along with Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support to deliver high-speed communication. It also features two USB4, one USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A), and two USB 2.0 ports, accompanied by AMD firmware TPM for trusted security. With the 4X4 BOX 8040 Series, you can now seamlessly integrate limitless AI applications into your AI PC.

What’s more: 4X4 8040 Motherboard Series

ASRock Industrial also introduces 4X4 8040 Motherboard Series powered by AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series APUs (Ryzen™ 7 8840U/ Ryzen™ 5 8640U) in a compact 4X4 form factor. Key features comprise support for two SO-DIMM DDR5 5600 MHz up to 96GB memory. The Series is equipped with one 2.5G LAN and one 1G LAN for reliable communication, plus one M.2 Key E (2230) with PCIe Gen4x1 for wireless. For stunning visuals, the Series supports 4K quad-display through two HDMI 1.4b and two DP 1.4a (with two from Type-C) with AMD Radeon™ 700M Graphics. Dual storage options are supported with one M.2 Key M (2242/2280) and one M.2 Key M (2242) with PCIe Gen4x4 for SSD. Optimized for overall capacity, the motherboard series excels in I/O connectivity and expansions with two USB4, one USB 3.2 Gen2, two USB 2.0 ports, and one COM (TTL-3V) connector. Moreover, a 12~24V DC-in design with flexible power input, 0~70°C wide range operating temperature, with the AMD firmware TPM for software-based security. The 4X4 8040 Motherboard Series introduces speed and capability enhancements for home, business, and embedded use cases.

Bring AI PC into your life with the arrival of the 4X4 BOX 8040 Series and 4X4 8040 Motherboard Series, powered by AMD Ryzen™ 8040 Series APUs. The new Series unlocks new upgrades in computing speed, graphics performance, and AI processing power, providing an ideal platform for generative AI applications and workloads. With integrated enhancements, the 4X4 BOX 8040 Series and 4X4 8040 Motherboard Series stand as the optimal partner to bring AI applications to life.

For more detailed information, please visit our Website, or contact us at Product Inquiry.

Huge Savings on InfiRay Xinfrared Thermal Cameras!

InfiRay Xinfrared P2 Pro and T2S Plus Thermal Cameras

As every engineer understands, executing a task effectively depends on having the right tool at the right time. But quality tools and equipment can be costly, which is why this Black Friday presents an exceptional opportunity for substantial savings on two of the most innovative camera accessories in the market: the InfiRay Xinfrared P2 Pro and T2S Plus Thermal Cameras. The current offer is as follows:

  • Original Price: $339 for the T2s Plus, $299 for the P2pro.
  • Black Friday Price: Just $271 for the T2s Plus, and $208 for the P2pro.
  • Your Savings: An impressive $68 on the T2s Plus, and a whopping $91 on the P2pro!

This Black Friday, InfiRay is offering a substantial 30% off on the P2Pro Cameras, and a similar fantastic deal is now available for the InfiRay Xinfrared T2S+ Cameras. Known for their compact size and high functionality, the T2S+ and P2Pro are invaluable tools for a wide range of inspection tasks.

While reviewing the InfiRay Xinfrared T2S+ and InfiRay Xinfrared P2 Pro Thermal Cameras we found their capabilities up to the mark. The camera’s ability to measure temperature and its night vision capabilities make it a versatile tool.

This camera has a tiny footprint, and it measures (26 x 26 x 24.2mm). It comes in two different variants, compatible with both Android (USB-C) and iOS (Lightning port) devices.

With a 25Hz refresh rate, the T2S+ offers smooth and clear images and videos. The “picture in picture” mode, combines regular and thermal imagery. It also features multiple palette options, including an X-ray-like view, which are features that will come in handy in low light conditions.

This Black Friday, don’t miss the chance to add the InfiRay Xinfrared T2S+ Thermal Camera to your toolkit at an unbeatable price. Whether you are a professional or a DIY enthusiast, or someone who appreciates the practical applications of thermal imaging, the T2S+ is an excellent investment, now more affordable than ever.

Grab this deal while it lasts: Available on both the Shopify and Amazon stores of InfiRay with Promo Code: electronics5

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