There are several ways to design a system-on-module to carrier board interface, and the most common solutions are edge connectors (e.g. SO-DIMM), board-to-board connectors (placed under the module), and castellated holes where the board is soldered directly to the baseboard.
Another less common method is to design an LGA (Land Grid Array) module, which also have to be soldered straight unto the carrier board, but enables much more compact system-on-modules, and that’s exacty what TechNexion has done with their XORE family of LGA system-on-module currently powered by the 14-nm NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor.
XORE-IMX8M-Mini Module
- SoC (one of the other)
- NXP i.MX8M Mini Solo single Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.8 GHz + M4 processor, Vivante GC7000Lite 3D GPU
- NXP i.MX8M Mini Dual 2x Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.8 GHz + M4 processor, Vivante GC7000Lite 3D GPU
- NXP i.MX8M Mini Quad 4x Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.8 GHz + M4 processor, Vivante GC7000Lite 3D GPU
- System Memory + storage – Up to 4GB LPDDR4 and 16 GB eMMC flash (default) in single package (MCP)
- Video – Decode: 1080p60 H.264; encode: 1080p120 H.264
- LGA package
- 4-lane MIPI CSI
- MIPI DSI
- RGMII (Gigabit Ethernet)
- PCIe
- USB, USB OTG
- I²S
- SDIO
- UART, SPI, I²C, PWM, GPIO
- Power Supply – 5V DC; ROHM BD71847 PMIC
- Dimensions – 30 x 30 mm
- Weight – 5 grams
- Temperature Range – Commercial: 0° to +60° C; extended: -20° to +70° C; industrial: -40° to +85° C
- Relative Humidity – 10 to 90 %
- MTBF – >100 000 Hours
- Shock – 15G half-sine 11 ms duration
- Vibration – 1 Grms random 5-500Hz hr/axis
- Certifications – CE / FCC / RoHS / REACH
The company provides support for Linux, Yocto, Ubuntu and Android for the module.
XCORE-WIZARD-IMX8M-Mini Development Board
There’s also a development board based on the XORE-IMX8M Mini LGA SoM, but at the time of writing there’s no product page, and instead, we can learn more about it in the video embedded further below.
Key features:
- SoM – XORE-IMX8M Mini Module soldered on board
- Display – MIPI DSI connector with optional adapters
- Camera – MIPI CSI connector for optional 5MP autofocus module
- Audio – 3.5mm audio jack
- Connectivity
- Pre-certified 802.11ac WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 5 module
- 2x SIM card slots
- USB – 1x micro USB, 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB type-C port
- Expansion
- Raspberry Pi expansion header for HAT add-on boards
- 2x Click slots
- mPCIe slot
- M.2 slot
- Debugging – Serial to USB cable
- Misc – Reset button
- Power Supply – Power barrel jack
Price and Availability
You may find more details on the product page, and price starts at $75 per unit for a quad-core module with 2GB RAM and 16GB eMMC flash. While the modules are listed in the company’s online shop, the video above says the module is still under development, and the shop mentions a 16-week lead time if there is no stock. No availability nor price information have been made public for the development kit.
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.
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
I’m still surprised there’s a market were these things sell for $75 and sell enough of them to actually turn a profit.
500 units cost 63 USD on their homepage. I guess larger volumes will show even lower pricing.
It’s actually quite expensive compared to an AMLogic 905W (which has all the headers installed, like HDMI, Ethernet, USB, etc…., As well as a remote control, power supply, heat sink and housing), going for half the price of this.