Gateworks Newport SBCs Powered by Cavium Octeon TX 64-bit ARM SoC are Designed for Networking Applications

Gateworks is a US based company that provides embedded hardware solutions to mobile and wireless communications markets such as their NXP i.MX6 powered  Ventana single board computers, including Ventana GW5530 SBC with compact form factor making it suitable for robotics projects and drones.

The company has now launched a new family of single board computers with Newport boards based on Cavium Octeon TX dual and quad core processors, and targeting high performance network applications with up to 5 GbE copper Ethernet ports, 2 SFP ports for fiber.

Eight boards from 4 board designs using the dual or quad core version of the processors will be launched in sequence until Q2 2018, but let’s first have a closer look at Newport GW6300/GW6304 boards’ specifications since they are available now:

• SoC
  • GW6300 – Cavium Octeon TX CN8020 dual core custom ARMv8.1 SoC @ 800 MHz
  • GW6304 – Cavium Octeon TX CN8030 quad core custom ARMv8.1 SoC @ 1.5GHz
• System Memory
  • GW6300 – 1GB DDR4 (default); optional up to 4GB
  • GW6304 – 2GB DDR4 (default); optional up to 4GB
• Storage – 8GB eMMC flash (4 to 64GB option), micro SD socket, 1x mSATA 3.0 (See expansion)
• Networking – 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports (RJ45)
• GNSS – Ublox ZOE-MQ8 GNSS GPS Receiver with PPS (optional on GW6300, standard on GW6304)
• USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports up to 5 Gbps
• Expansion
  • mPCIe socket 1 – PCIe or GW1608x expansion, USB 2.0
  • mPCIe socket 2 – PCIe or mSATA, USB 2.0
  • mPCIe socket 3 – PCIe or USB 3.0, USB 2.0, SIM

    

  • Connector for 2x RS232 or 1x RS232/422/485 serial port
  • Digital I/O, I2C, and SPI headers
  • CAN 2.0B bus header via Microchip MCP25625  (optional on GW6300, standard on GW6304)
• Security – Tamper switch support, optional Maxim DS28C22 Secure Authentication and Encryption
• Misc – Real Time Clock with battery backup, voltage and temperature monitor, serial configuration EEPROM, programmable watchdog timer, programmable fan speed controller, programmable shut-down and wake-up,
• Power Supply
  • 8 to 60V DC via barrel jack
  • Ethernet Jack Passive PoE with Input Voltage Range: 10 to 60V
  • Ethernet Jack 802.3at PoE with Input Voltage Range: 37 to 57V
  • Input Voltage Reverse and Transient Protection
• Power Consumption
  • GW6300 – 6W @ 25°C typ.
  • GW6304 – 8W @ 25°C typ.
• Dimensions – 105 x 100 x 21 mm (Compatible with Ventana GW5300 SBC)
• Temperature Range – -40°C to +85°C
• Weight – 96 grams

The company provides OpenWrt and Ubuntu board support packages (BSP) for the boards. The company sells the board standalone, but also as a development kit (GW11042) with U-Boot bootloader, OpenWrt Linux BSP, Ethernet/ Serial/USB cables, passive PoE power injector and power supply, and a JTAG programmer. More technical details about software and hardware can be found in the Wiki.

Octeon TX processors are specifically designed for networking applications, include networking acceleration engines & hardware virtualization, and can deliver IPSec performance of 8Gbps with only 2 cores.

If Newport GW6300/GW6304 SBCs do not match your requirements, Gateworks have 6 more SBCs planned with different form factors and various combinations of Ethernet ports.

As you can see from the table above, some boards are available now, with a rollout of other versions planned until Q2 2018. Price for GW6300/GW6304 boards is not publicly available, but you can request a quote, inquire for customization options, and find more details 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.

Support CNX Software! Donate via cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or purchase goods on Amazon or Aliexpress