ODYSSEY-X86J4105800 SBC Combines Intel Gemini Lake SoC and Arduino Compatible MCU

Would it be good to have an all-in-one Windows platform used to both develop Arduino code and run that code to control I/O of your project? Or alternatively, have a single board computer capable of video processing and real-time I/Os? That platform already exists. UDOO X86 II SBC features an Intel Braswell processor combined with an Arduino Leonardo compatible Microchip ATmega32U4 MCU.

But there’s now another, more powerful option courtesy of Seeed Studio with the oddly named ODYSSEY-X86J4105800 SBC equipped with an Intel Celeron J4105 quad-core Gemini Lake processor to run Windows 10 or Linux distributions, and a Microchip SAMD21 ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller compatible with Arduino Zero.

ODYSSEY-X86J4105800 SBC specifications:

• SoC – Intel Celeron J4105 quad-core processor @ 1.5/2.5 GHz (Turbo) with 12EU Intel UHD Graphics 600 @ 250-750 MHz; 10W TDP
• System Memory – 8GB LPDDR4 RAM
• Storage
  • Optional 64GB eMMC flash (fitted to ODYSSEY-X86J4105864 model),
  • 1x SATA III data connector & 3x SATA power headers
  • mSATA socket
  • Micro SD card socket
• Coprocessor – Microchip ATSAMD21G18 32-bit Arm Cortex M0+ MCU
• Video Output
  • HDMI 2.0a up to 4K (4096×2160) @ 60 Hz
  • DisplayPort 1.2 up to 4K (4096×2160) @ 60 Hz
• Audio – HDMI; microphone + headphone combo connector; front panel audio connector
• Connectivity
  • Dual Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) via Intel I211AT PCIe Gigabit controller; Wake-on-LAN and PXE support
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi 5 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac GHz HT160 & Bluetooth 5.0
  • Optional 3G/4G cellular connectivity via M.2 card and on-board SIM card socket
• USB – 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports, 1x USB 3.1 Type-A port, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C port
• Expansion
  • 40-Pin header compatible with Raspberry Pi
  • 28-pin header connected to SAMD21G18
  • M.2 Key B 2242/2280 socket with SATA III, USB2.0, UIM
  • M.2 Key M, 2242/2280 socket with PCIe 2.0 ×4;
• Security – Built-in TPM 2.0 chip
• Debugging – 4-pin UART header for SAMD21G18
• Misc – 4-pin header for PWM fan,4-pin header for power and switch, JST header for RTC battery
• Power Supply
  • 12-19V via DC Jack 5.5/2.1mm
  • 5-12V via USB-C port (USB PD support)
• Dimensions – 110×110 mm
• Weight – TBD
• Certifications – FCC, CE

The board has a nice little set of features with plenty of ports and extension capabilities as well as real-time I/O control. It clearly offers better specifications and features compared to UDOO x86 II Ultra / Advanced Plus board with a small downside being the lack of direct support for Arduino shields since there’s no compatible header. Raspberry Pi HATs are however supported with the board also providing compatible mounting holes.

Some of the applications listed for the board include mini PC, NAS (Network-Attached Storage), edge computing, router, robotics, industrial applications, media center, education, thin client, server cluster, and IoT gateway. Many of those do not require the Arduino microcontroller, and in this case, the board competes directly against Hardkernel ODROID-H2 with the exact same processor and board dimensions. The latter does provide some more flexibility with two SO-DIMM slots instead of soldered RAM, and runs fanless with a large heatsink, while ODYSSEY-X86J4105800 ships with a large heatsink under the board with a cooling fan (fitted to 864 version only? TBC).

If you’ll like a case with your SBC, Seeed Studio provides the $14.95 re_computer case to house your board. Since we are dealing with an Intel platform here, there’s no specific software support, and the board works with Windows 10, Linux distributions such as Ubuntu or Debian, and other compatible OSes. The Arduino MCU should just show as a USB connected Arduino Zero board in the Arduino IDE.

Pricing is also important before a purchase decision, but the comparison is not straightforward due to the different built-in options across Seeed Studio, Hardkernel, and UDOO boards.

There are three variants for ODYSSEY-X86J4105800 SBC:

• ODYSSEY-X86J4105800 without flash – $188 + shipping
• ODYSSEY-X86J4105864 with 64GB eMMC flash – $218 + shipping
• ODYSSEY-X86J4105864 (Win10 Enterprise Activated) with 64eMMC flash and Windows pre-installed – $258 + shipping

You’ll find those on Seeed Studio store, and the boards ship with a power adapter, a SATA cable, two antennas, and RTC battery, heatsink and colling fan (assembled) and a user manual

UDOO X86 II Ultra (8GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, Celeron N3710) and UDOO X86 II Advanced Plus (4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC, Celeron N3160) SBC’s go respectively $174 and $267 excluding shipping and taxes. ODROID-H2 is the best value on paper with prices starting at $111 or even $108.95 with coupon CNXSFWSUPPORTER6, but in practice, remember you need to provide your own RAM, storage and power supply.

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