If you want to develop on a Cortex A15 processor, but Arndale development board is a bit expensive for you, don’t despair as ARMBRIX development board featuring Samsung Exynos 5 Dual processor is currently being developed and should be available in Q1 2013 for $135.
The preliminary specifications include:
- SoC – Samsung Exynos 5 Dual Cortex A15 CPU + Mali T604 GPU
- System Memory – 2 GB DDR3 @ 800 MHz
- Storage – microSD slot
- Video Output – HDMI
- Audio In/Out – HDMI, SPDIF, Line In/Out.
- USB – 2x USB 2.0 Host, 1x USB 3.0 host and 1x USB 2.0 device
- Ethernet – Via USB to Ethernet hub.
- SATA – The connector is on the left of the micro SD slot.
- Expansions – 3 headers.
- Dimensions – 85 x 95 mm
This board is based on Arndale design, and will be software compatible. Currently, Arndale officially support Android only, but some instructions to setup the board as with Ubuntu server and boot from the network are available on Linaro website. Ubuntu can run on Google ARM Chromebook, which is based on Exynso 5 Dual, so there should be no problem running it on this board, although I’m not sure about GPU support.
That’s all the details I have for now. I would have wished they added a SATA connector, since Exynos 5 Dual processor embeds a SATA 3.0 controller, and it might not have added much to the cost. There is already a SATA connector.
ARMBRIX website will officially be launched end of December, beginning of January, and you’ll be able to pre-order the board for $135. The website is still under construction, but you may already notice some links to InSignal, the company behind Origen and Arndale boards. It appears they did not designed the ARMBRIX board, but were contracted for software development and support. I’ll most probably review the board once it becomes available.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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how does this compare do you think performance wise to the Odroid U ?
That connector just behind the MicroSD slot look awfully close to an SATA vertical connector… Maybe the picture you have is an rough preview, and the dev(s) simply forgot to highlight it?
@mac me
I think you also sent me a tweet, so I’ll reply to both here.
I don’t have any worries about this project, as although it’s not directly done by Insignal, the director of ARMBRIX is also VP at Insignal.
Exynos 5 Dual SoC should have much better performance than the quad core Exynos 4412 prime used in ODROID-U(2), except for tasks that can take advantage of 4 cores. You can check phoronix benchmark for the Chromebook and ODROID-X board under Linux:
* http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=samsung_exynos5_dual&num=1
* http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=samsung_odroidx&num=1
E.g. LAME MP3 Encoding. Chromebook (52.30s), ODROID-X (89.78s).
Multithreaded CRAY, Chromebook (447.39 s), ODROID-X (442.17 s).
ODROID-U2 will be a little faster than ODROID-X thanks to the higher clock speed, maybe 10 to 15% faster.
@anon
That would be great. I’ve already told them SATA would really be a good feature, and also mentioned the lack of serial connector for debugging.
@mac me
I forgot to say the GPU should be much faster (Mali-T604 vs Mali-400), and Exynos 5 supports OpenCL.
@anon
I’ve got confirmation this is a SATA connector.
The board will be called “Armbrix Zero”, as there will be other versions later on.
So we’re still talking 10/100 Fast Ethernet – no Gig?
@Inge
Most likely yes, as Arndale has 10/100 Mb Ethernet.
@Inge
Obviously the “USB2Ethernet Hub” is very similar to the ArndaleBoard’s ASIX AX88772 (as I don’t believe it could be AX88172A) as the used package PCB footprint looks a lot like the size of an LQFP64, not LQFP128 that would enable Gigabit Ethernet with AX88178… and as it definitely is not an QFN68, that pretty much seals the deal to be USB 2.0 to 100Mbit Ethernet.
Q1 2012? or 2013
@ultimateohm
Thanks. I can’t write a post without mistakes…
how can i buy this board???
can i got??
@phil
No – http://www.cnx-software.com/2013/03/18/armbrix-zero-openbrix-zero-board-cancelled/
Unless you can buy in quantities maybe…