LuckFox Core3566 – A Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 alternative that sells for $24 and up

We’ve already seen Rockchip RK3566 system-on-modules that follow the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 with the likes of Pine64 SOQuartz and Radxa CM3. But there’s at least one more Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 alternative based on the RK3566 SoC with the LuckFox Core3566 going for as little as $23.99.

I found out about the new module after checking out the upcoming Orange Pi Compute Module 4 (another CM4 alternative based on RK3566), and the LuckFox Core3566 is offered with 2GB or 4GB RAM, an optional 32GB eMMC flash, and an optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 module.

LuckFox Core3566 specifications:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor up to 1.8 GHz with a 32-bit RISC-V MCU, an Arm Mali-G52 GPU supporting OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1, a 0.8 TOPS NPU for AI acceleration
• System Memory – 2GB to 4GB LPDDR4
• Storage – Optional 32GB eMMC module
• Wireless module – Ampak AP6256 WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 module
• 2x 100-pin high-density board-to-board connectors with:
  • Storage – SD card interface
  • Video Output
    • 1x HDMI 2.0 interface up to 4Kp60 (Note: Raspberry Pi CM4 has two HDMI interfaces)
    • 2x 2-lane MIPI DSI display interfaces
  • Camera I/F – 2x 2-lane MIPI CSI camera interfaces
  • Ethernet – Gigabit Ethernet
  • USB – 1x USB 2.0 host
  • PCIe – PCIe Gen 2 x1
  • 28x user GPIO (3.3v or 1.8v) also configurable as 6x UART, 6x I2C, 5x SPI, SDIO, 1x DPI (Parallel RGB Display), 1x PCM, 2x PWM, 3x GPCLK outputs
• Supply Voltage – 5V DC; Rockchip RK809-5 PMIC
• Dimensions – 55 x 40 x 4.7mm with 4x M2.5 mounting holes
• Temperature Range – -10°C to +80°C

Some of the interfaces in the Core3566 specifications differ from the ones in the Raxda CM3, notably MIPI CSI and DSI interfaces, so there may be some small mistakes in the specifications. As with all other RK3566 “Compute Module 4” compatible modules, the Core3566 only offers one HDMI interface, so if you have a baseboard with two, only one can work. USB 2.0 and MIPI CSI interfaces are not compatible either according to the company.

LuckFox provides Debian images for the module for HDMI and MIPI DSI with the latest images built on June 26, 2023. You’ll find those, further technical details, and the documentation to get started in the Wiki. I’ve linked to the English version, but more details are provided in the Chinese version at the time of writing. The company has tested the Core3566 with a range of CM4-compatible baseboards including the official Compute Module 4 IO board and some Waveshare carrier boards.

Eight different Core3566 modules are available depending on the RAM configuration (2GB vs 4GB), storage (0 or 32GB eMMC flash), and the presence of the Ampak wireless module. Pricing starts at $23.90 for the model with 2GB RAM, and no built-in storage and wireless module, and goes up to $59.99 with 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash, and the WiFi & Bluetooth modules. They are all available on the company’s own online store, but they also seem to have a partnership with Waveshare.

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