German open {hardware} specialist OV Tech is making ready to launch a drop-in alternative for these constructing across the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) system-on-module: the Pi.MX8, powered by the NXP i.MX 8M Plus system-on-chip and its built-in accelerator for on-device machine studying and synthetic intelligence (ML and AI.)
“Pi.MX8 is an open supply compute module based mostly on the favored, reliable i.MX 8M Plus SoC collection from NXP,” OV Tech’s Lukas Henkel explains. “The board is suitable with the favored Raspberry Pi CM4 module customary each in kind issue and electrical specs. NXP’s assured long-term processor assist of 15 years mixed with the experience of a big buyer and consumer base for the i.MX8 SoC offers you the safety it is advisable construct your system on.”
OV Tech is seeking to provide an open-hardware various to the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, with on-board NPU. (📷: OV Tech)
Designed to fit into any service board designed for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, the Pi.MX8 options 4 64-bit Arm Cortex-A53 cores working at as much as 1.8GHz and a Cortex-M7 real-time core working at as much as 700MHz, a Vivante GC700UL graphics processor, a neural community coprocessor with a claimed 2.3 tera-operations per second (TOPS) compute efficiency, a alternative of 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and a alternative of eMMC storage as much as 32GB or a microSD card — each of which can be utilized concurrently, if desired.
Different options of the design consists of gigabit Ethernet with IEEE 1588v2 and SyncE assist, Raspberry Pi-compatible general-purpose enter/output (GPIO) capabilities, and a PCI Categorical Gen. 3 interface. Non-compulsory upgrades embody a Murata LBEE5PK2BC-based Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.2 module and a Google Coral Edge TPU machine-learning accelerator — which, if put in, connects over the PCIe lane. The module additionally consists of Digicam Serial Interface (CSI) connectivity for imaging modules, USB connectivity, and HDMI for video and audio output.
The non-compulsory service board features a compact case with customizable and 3D-printable lid. (📷: OV Tech)
For these not already within the Compute Module 4 ecosystem, OV Tech can also be providing “a whole i.MX8 system” which pairs the Pi.MX8 module with a service board breaking out Ethernet, two USB, and HDMI ports plus the microSD slot, with “one of many smallest enclosures out there” for the shape issue. “Contained in the enclosure, an FPC [Flexible Printed Circuit] connector and FPC cable can be found to route PCIe, 5V, and three.3V energy in addition to CSI interfaces to your customized {hardware},” Henkel provides.
The Pi.MX8 and its service bundle are on account of start a crowdfunding marketing campaign on Crowd Provide within the close to future, at an as-yet unannounced value level; OV Tech has confirmed that the module’s design recordsdata shall be revealed to GitHub below an unspecified open supply license when the funding marketing campaign concludes.