AAEON AQ7-ADN – A Qseven 2.1 system-on-module with Intel Alder Lake-N CPU, four PCIe Gen 3 x1 interfaces

AAEON AQ7-ADN is a Qseven 2.1-compliant system-on-module based on Atom Processors x7425E, Intel Processor N, or Intel Core i3-N305 Alder Lake-N processor equipped with up to 8GB LPDDR5x and 64GB of eMMC flash storage.

AAEON has already introduced Alder Lake-N COM Express and SMARC modules with the COM-ADNC6 and uCOM-ADN respectively, and the AQ7-ADN adds another system-on-module standard to its list of Alder Lake N-Series modules with a Qseven 2.1 SoM that offers four PCIe Gen x1 interfaces and a SATA storage interface.

AAEON AQ7-ADN specifications:

• Alder Lake N-series SoC (one or the other)
  • Intel Atom x7425E quad-core processor up to 3.4 GHz with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics @ 1.00 GHz; TDP: 12W
  • Intel Processor N50 dual-core processor up to 3.4 GHz with 6MB cache, 16EU Intel UHD Graphics @ 750 MHz; TDP: 6W
  • Intel Processor N97 quad-core processor up to 3.6 GHz with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics @ 1.20 GHz; TDP: 12W
  • Intel Processor N200 quad-core processor up to 3.7 GHz with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel HD graphics @ 750 MHz; TDP: 6W
  • Intel Core i3-N305 octa-core processor up to 3.8 GHz with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD Graphics @ 1.25 GHz; TDP: 15W
• System Memory – Up to 8GB LPDDR5x 4800MHz
• Storage – Up to 64GB eMMC flash
• Networking – Realtek RTL8111H-CG gigabit Ethernet controller
• Camera I/F – 4-lane MIPI CSI FPC connector
• 230-pin MXM 2.0 edge connector
  • Storage – SATA 3.0 interface
  • Video Output
    • 1x DisplayPort up to 3840 x 2160
    • 1x eDP up to 3840 x 2160 or LVDS (BoM change)
  • Audio – High-Definition Audio Interface
  • Networking – Gigabit Ethernet
  • USB Port – 6x USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.2
  • Serial Port – 1x 4-Wire UART (Tx/Rx/CTS/RTS)
  • Expansion
    • 4x PCIe Gen 3 x1
    • GPIO – 8-bit (BoM option)
    • SMBus/I2C
• Security – Optional TPM 2.0
• Misc – AMI UEFI BIOS with Wake-on-LAN, watchdog timer
• Power Supply
  • Supply Voltage – +5V
  • Power Type – AT (default) or ATX, switch by BIOS
  • Power Consumption (Typical) – Intel Core i3-N305, 8GB LPDDR5x up to 4.5A @ +5V
• Dimensions – 70 x 70mm (Qseven 2.1 module)
• Weight – 120 grams
• Temperature Range
  • Operating – 0°C to 60°C
  • Storage – -40°C to 85°C
• Humidity – 0% ~ 90% relative humidity, non-condensing
• EMC – CE/FCC Class A

AAEON currently provides support for Windows 10 64-bit and Ubuntu 22.04 with Linux kernel 5.19.0 for the board. While the Qseven module loses 2.5GbE networking found in both SMARC and COM Express modules from the company, it does offer four PCIe Gen 3 x1 interfaces. It will be better suited for cost-sensitive and space-constrained applications due to its lower price and smaller size.

The AAEON AQ7-ADN system-on-module can be purchased via the company’s eShop for the following prices:

• N50 SKU with 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash – $208
• N97 SKU with 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash – $239
• Atom x7425E SKU with 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash – $270
• Core i3-N305 SKU with 8GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash – $375 (out of stock)

The company also offers a cooler (AQ7-ADN-FAN01), but I can’t find it for sale… The SoM is compatible with the ECB-970G Qseven Carrier Board exposing two USB 3.0 ports, 2x SATA connectors, GbE, PCIe, and AT/ATX power input. It’s not for sale online either and the product page shows it as phased out for almost four years, but the module might work with other Qseven carrier boards…

Besides being able to purchase samples online, AAEON says the AQ7-ADN is in mass production so volume orders are also possible. Additional details may be found on the product page.

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