Boardcon Compact3588S SBC - A Raspberry Pi 5 alternative based on Rockchip RK3588S AI SoC with M.2 socket for SSD or 4G LTE module

Boardcon Compact3588S SBC is another Raspberry Pi 5 alternative powered by a Rockchip RK3588S octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 SoC with a 6 TOP NPU for AI acceleration, up to 16GB RAM, up to 256GB eMMC flash, and all the features found in the Raspberry Pi 4, plus an M.2 socket supporting either an NVMe SSD or a 4G LTE module in conjunction with a Nano SIM card slot.

It more closely follows the Raspberry Pi 4 form factor, but Rockchip RK3588S’ performance and capabilities make it a direct Raspberry Pi 5 competitor. Contrary to most credit card-sized single board computers, it follows a carrier board + soldered-on system-on-module design, rather than a single PCB.

Boardcon Compact3588S specifications:

SoC – Rockchip RK3588S
- CPU – Octa-core processor with 4x Cortex-A76 cores @ up to 2.4 GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 cores @ up to 1.8 GHz
- GPU – Arm Mali-G610 GPU with OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.2, and Vulkan 1.2 support
- VPU – 8Kp60 video decoder for H.265/AVS2/VP9/H.264/AV1 codecs, 8Kp30 H.265/H.264 video encoder
- AI accelerator – 6 TOPS NPU
System Memory – 8GB LPDDR4x (up to 16GB)
Storage
- 32GB eMMC 5.1 flash (option up to 256GB)
- MicroSD card socket
- M.2 socket for SSD multiplexed with 4G LTE module
Video Output
- 1x micro HDMI 2.1 port up to 8Kp60
- 1x micro HDMI 2.0 port up to 4Kp60 (implemented through DP1.4 to HDMI 2.0 bridge)
- 4-lane MIPI DSI via 30-pin FPC connector up to 4Kp60
- 3x independent displays supported in up to 8K+4K+2K configuration
Camera I/F
- 4-lane MIPI CSI via 30-pin FPC connector
- 2-lane MIPI CSI via 24-pin FPC connector
Audio – 3.5mm earphone jack
Networking
- Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 via RealTek RTL8211F-GC controller with optional PoE support
- Dual-band WiFi 6 2T2R up to 1201Mbps and Bluetooth 5.2 via Ampak 6275P module
- Optional 4G LTE module (Quectel EM05) via M.2 socket and nano SIM card slot
USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type-A host/device port, 3x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
Debugging – Serial console via USB-C port
Expansion
- 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header with up to 12x GPIO, 2x I2C, 1x SPI, 2x UART, 1x PWM
- M.2 socket for SSD or 4G LTE
Misc
- Recovery button
- 2-pin RTC battery connector
Power Supply
- 5V DC via USB type-C connector
- 5V DC via GPIO header
- Power over Ethernet (PoE) enabled with PoE HAT
Dimensions – 85 x 56mm (Raspberry Pi 4 Model B form factor)
Weight – 58 grams

Supported operating systems include Android 14 and Debian 12 and Buildroot can be used to create custom images. All images rely on Linux 6.1.75 and U-boot 2017.09, Boardcon can also provide a 4G LTE module, 13MP and 8.46MP cameras, an extra WiFi module (not sure why?), and 10.1-inch LCD (1280 x 800) making the board suitable for IoT devices, industrial monitoring equipment, smart home devices, smart cameras, service robots, and other Edge AI applications.

Component and SoM datasheets and basic tools (SecureCRT and CH9102X serial driver) are available for download, but not the Android, Debian, and Buildroot SDKs which are only provided to customers and not shared publicly likely because Boardcon mostly targets the B2B market.

Boardcon Compact3588S block diagram — Block diagram

The main advantages of this alternative compared to the Raspberry Pi 5 are the inclusion of an eMMC flash, support for up to 16GB RAM (although that may change soon for the Pi 5 considering the Raspberry Pi CM5 already supports 16GB RAM), support for more hardware video decoder/encoders, and the M.2 socket and AI accelerator are built-in so you don’t need to purchase additional accessories increasing the price and height of the solution. Software support will not quite be at the same level, but as long as low-level drivers are taken care of, most companies will be fine with it.

The company does not provide pricing information for the Compact3588S SBC and asks customers to request a quotation. Alternatives with a Raspberry Pi 4/5 form factor and Rockchip RK3588S processor include the Radxa ROCK 5C, Radxa ROCK 5A, Cool Pi 4 Model B, and the 9Tripod Pico Pi V2.0 SBC with pricing starting at around $60 for the ROCK 5C with 4GB RAM. But the Boardcon single board computer packs a few more features than other solutions in that specific form factor. Additional information may be found on the product page.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

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.