Thundercomm has officially launched the Rubik Pi 3 SBC built around the Qualcomm QCS6490 SoC with a 12.5 TOPS AI accelerator. The SBC comes in a “PI-CO ITX” form factor that combines the Pico-ITX standard and the 40-pin GPIO header found on Raspberry Pi SBCs.
The SBC comes with a standard set of interfaces, including USB, HDMI out, MIPI-CSI camera support, Ethernet, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, and much more. Additionally, the SBC features a 40-pin header for GPIO, UART for debugging, audio output, and RTC battery support. The company mentions that it is the first Pi-based system using Qualcomm’s AI platforms, hence it supports Raspberry Pi HAT/HAT+ expansion boards, making it suitable for various AI, IoT, and edge computing projects.
Rubik Pi 3 SBC specifications:
- SoC – Qualcomm QCS6490
- CPU – Octa-core Kryo 670 with 1x Gold Plus core (Cortex-A78) @ 2.7 GHz, 3x Gold cores (Cortex-A78) @ 2.4 GHz, 4x Silver cores (Cortex-A55) @ up to 1.9 GHz
- GPU – Adreno 643L GPU @ 812 MHz with support for Open GL ES 3.2, Open CL 2.0, Vulkan 1.x, DX FL 12
- DSP – Hexagon DSP with dual HVX and 4K HMX
- VPU – Adreno 633 VPU up to 4K60 decode for H.264/H.265/VP9, Up to 4K30 encode for H.264/H.265; Support for HDR10 and HDR10+ playback
- Spectra ISP – 64 MP / 36 + 22 MP / 3×22 MP at 30fps ZSL; 192 MP non-ZSL
- AI – 6th gen Qualcomm AI Engine that combines Compute Hexagon DSP with dual Hexagon Vector, eXtensions (HVX), Hexagon Co-processor (Hexagon CP) 2.0 and Hexagon Tensor accelerator for up to 12 TOPS of AI performance
- System Memory – 8GB LPDDR5
- Storage
- 128GB UFS flash (µMCP: i.e. the RAM and UFS are in the same chip)
- M.2 M-Key socket for SSD
- Video Output
- HDMI 1.4 (4K @ 30FPS)
- DisplayPort over USB Type-C (4K @ 60FPS)
- Camera Inputs – 2 x MIPI-CSI D-PHY (4-lane)
- Audio
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- HDMI audio out
- Connectivity
- Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
- Wi-Fi 5 supports 802.11 ac/a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 5.2
- USB
- 1 x USB Type-C port (USB 3.1 Gen 1)
- 2 x USB Type-A ports (USB 3.0)
- 1 x USB Type-A port (USB 2.0 Host/Device)
- Expansion
- M.2 M Key Connector for SSD
- 40-pin Raspberry Pi compatible header with 28x GPIO, 1x I2S, 1x PWM, 2x I2C, 3x I2C or SPI or UART
- Misc
- Power on button
- RGB LED
- RTC battery connector
- PWM fan connector
- Power supply – 12V/3A input over USB Type-C PD
- Dimensions – 100mm x 75mm (~Pico-ITX and PI-CO ITX form factors)
This device supports Qualcomm Linux, Android, and LU (Canonical Ubuntu for Qualcomm Platforms to be released in early 2025) operating systems that provide developers flexibility across various development platforms. The company mentions that the SBC is scalable and compatible with Thundercomm’s C8550 and C5430P SoM modules. The Qualcomm AI Hub helps developers use pre-optimized AI models or fine-tune custom ones for better performance on the SoC. You’ll find instructions to get started with the “Linux image”, Qt5 and LVGL development, and other resources on the documentation website.
Previously, we have written about Radxa ROCK 3B, which combines Pico-ITX and Raspberry Pi form factors and has some similar features. But it’s powered by a Rockchip RK3568 SoC. We have also covered various SoM and SBCs built around QCS6490 SoC, including Avnet AI Vision Development Kit, Tachyon credit card-sized SBC, SagireEdge AI 600, and more. Feel free to check those out if you are interested in the topic.
The Rubik Pi 3 was first unveiled in October, followed by a Beta launch in November, but Hackster.io notes that the company has officially launched the board at CES 2025, and it can be purchased on the company’s website for $179 with shipping scheduled for March 2025. A few samples of the “RUBIK Pi 3 Beta Version” are still available for $159, but Thuindercomm warns that “the hardware and software of the beta version may have stability issues”.
Thanks to TLS for the tip.
Update: The article was initially published on October 10, 2024, and updated following the launch at CES 2025
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress
