Turing Pi 2.5 mini-ITX cluster board for system-on-modules launched along with a mini-ITX enclosure

The Turing Pi 2.5 is a mini-ITX motherboard designed for clusters of system-on-modules such as Raspberry Pi CM4, NVIDIA Jetson modules, or the company’s own RK1 SoM powered by a Rockchip RK3588 AI SoC. A mini-ITX case compatible with both the Turing Pi 2 and 2.5 boards is also available.

The Turing Pi 2.5 is an upgrade to the earlier Turing Pi 2 with the main key features, but some updates related to USB, HDMI output, new 8-pin connectors for I2C, audio, and GPIO pins, and BMC upgrades.

While the company has just announced the start of Turing Pi 2.5 and the mini-ITX case pre-order, documentation and photos on the store and documentation website have not been updated. Everything is still about the Turing Pi 2 except for the information in the announcement.

I won’t go through the specs since they are not available for the latest version, but the mini-ITX board still supports up to four system-on-modules, and we do have a list of changes summarized below:

• Mini PCIe USB Interface Access for Nodes 1 & 2 – The RK1 and Nvidia Jetson modules can now utilize the USB interface in the Mini PCIe connector for WiFi cards, cellular modems, or any other mPCIe USB devices. This won’t work for the Raspberry Pi CM4 because it only provides a single USB interface used for a USB-A port.
• A new internal USB Hub enables access to the storage of all modules in MSD (mass storage device) mode at the same time, and will eventually allow for firmware flashing of the modules in parallel.
• New USB-A Port for Node 1 and 4K HDMI output to use Node 1 as a desktop computer
• New 8-pin connectors for I²C, audio, and GPIO pins. Some add-on boards will soon be provided for these connectors
• Proper MAC addresses for all of the boards
• BMC upgrades (based on Allwinner T113-S3)
  • New built-in UART converter with USB-C port for easier debugging
  • BMC onboard storage has doubled and now comes with 256MB.
  • Recover from failed firmware updates easily with the new FEL button.
  • 4-pin PWM case fan header controlled by the BMC
  • Higher accuracy RTC clock with a common CR2032 battery slot
• Improvements
  • The old USB-A OTG port has been replaced with USB-C for flashing the modules and accessing their onboard storage
  • The Nodes stay powered on during BMC restarts
  • Revamped GPIO headers for Node 1: pin 17 outputs 3.3V instead of being connected to the ground
  • Better power delivery efficiency: Reduced heat, lower power consumption, and no more whispering noise from the powered nodes.
  • Replaced mPCIE and M.2 studs for better compatibility with various mPCIe modules and M.2 drives

As I understand it, the rest remains identical to Turing Pi 2 specifications.

The new Turing Pi mini-ITX case measures 240 x 240 x 100 mm and is made of aluminum. It’s designed for the Turing Pi 2 and 2.5 boards, features top and bottom magnetic lids to replace modules and other accessories easily, supports up to three 2.5-inch HDDs, and can be powered by either a Flex ATX PSU or a Pico PSU with an external power brick. You can learn more in a separate announcement for the case itself.

The Turing Pi 2.5 can be pre-ordered for $259 without modules and shipments are expected to start on October 8 as production has already started. I don’t have pricing yet for the mini-ITX case but pre-orders are supposed to start on September 18 (Tomorrow).

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