Forlinx FET3506J-S low power system-on-module features Rockchip RK3506J industrial-grade tri-core Cortex-A7 SoC

Forlinx FET3506J-S system-on-module (SoM) is based on a Rockchip RK3506J SoC, the industrial version of the RK3506 tri-core Cortex-A7 SoC, designed for smart industrial applications, and operating at a low power consumption of about 0.7 Watts.

The Rockchip RK3506 SoC was first unveiled in 2023 through a product roadmap. However, we only spotted it in a product at the very end of 2024 with the Luckfox Lyra and Luckfox Lyra Plus featuring a MIPI CSI display connector and optional Ethernet. The Forlinkx FET3506J-S CPU module is the first platform with the industrial version (RK3506J), and the company also provides the OK3506 carrier board/development board for evaluation.

Forlinx FET3506J-S system-on-module

Specifications:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3506J
  • CPU
    • 3x Arm Cortex-A7 core up to 1.5 GHz or 1.6 GHz (depending on where one looks in the documentation)
    • Arm Cortex-M0 real-time core
  • GPU – 2D GPU only
  • No VPU, no NPU
• System Memory – 256MB, 512MB, or 1GB DDR3
• Storage
  • 256MB NAND Flash or
  • 8GB eMMC flash
• I/Os via 146 castellated holes with 1mm pitch
  • Storage
    • 4-bit SDIO (only available if eMMC flash is not soldered)
    • FSPI (only available in NAND flash is not soldered)
  • Display
    • Optional 2-lane MIPI DSI
    • Optional 24-bit RGB LCD interface with resolution up to 1280×1280 @ 60Hz; note multiplexed with FLEXBUS and DSMC interfaces
  • FLEXBUS parallel interface for high-speed I/Os
  • DSMC data bus for PSRAM and FPGA communication. (8-bit/16-bit master mode, 8-bit slave mode)
  • Audio
    • 4x SAI (2x 1-lane Tx/1-lane Rx, 1x 4-lane TX/1-lane Tx, 1x 1-Lane Tx/4-lane Rx)
    • 4ch PDM
    • SPDIF TX/RX
    • Audio ADC
    • 2x Audio DSM
  • Networking – 2x 10/100Mbps Ethernet (RMII)
  • USB – 2x USB 2.0 including one supporting OTG
  • Other I/Os
    • 2x CAN 2.0 / CAN-FD interfaces
    • 3x SPI, up to 6x UART (UART0 serves as debug port), 3x I2C up to 1 MbpsFSPI
    • Up to 11x PWM
    • Analog – 10-bit SARADC up to 1MS/s; input voltage range: 0 to 1.8V
    • Up to 8x touch key interfaces
    • Up to 76x GPIOs (70x GPI, 76x GPO)
  • Debugging –  JTAG
• Supply Voltage – 5V DC
• Dimensions – 44 x 35mm
• Temperature Range – -40°C to +85°C

Forlinx Embedded provides a Linux 6.1 BSP with support for LVGL 9.2, AMP architecture, and Linux RT, as well as the OK3506J-S carrier board which we will describe below.

OK3506J-S carrier board

Specifications:

• SoM – Forlinx FET3506J-S as described above
• Storage – MicroSD card slot (only working with the NAND flash version of the module)
• Display Interface
  • 2-lane MIPI DSI connector
  • 24-bit RGB LCD connector supporting up to 1280×1280 @ 60Hz.
  • Only one display supported
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack with stereo audio and microphone
  • Onboard microphone
• Networking
  • 2x 10/100Mbps Fast Ethernet RJ45 ports
  • Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 4.0 module via Realtek RTL8723DU (USB 2.0) module and SMA antenna connector
  • Optional 4G LTE module via mini PCIe (USB 2.0) socket, Nano SIM card socket, and SMA antenna connector
• USB
  • USB Type-C port
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
• Serial via terminal block
  • 2x CAN Bus and CAN-FD with isolation and protection.
  • RS485 with isolation and protection
• Expansion – DSMC header
• Debugging
  • USB to serial converter via USB Type-C port
  • JTAG via header
• Misc
  • Power on/off switch
  • 6x buttons for Reset , Maskrom, VOL+, VOL-, MENU, and ESC
  • Onboard RTC chip and coin-cell battery holder.
• Power Supply – 12V DC jack
• Dimensions – TBD

Forlinx will not usually provide price information for their CPU modules and development boards, and the FET3506J-S CPU module and OK3506J-S carrier board are no different. A few more details may be found on the product page and the press release.

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