Boardcon EM3566 Linux SBC is powered by a Rockchip RK3566 System-on-Module

Another day, another platform based on Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 AIoT processor with Boardcon EM3566 SBC powered by a Rockchip RK3566 based System-on-Module (SoM).

The single board computer comes with up to 2 to 8GB  LPDDR4 RAM, 4GB to 32GB eMMC flash, SATA and NVMe SSD support, HDMI, MPI DSI, and eDP display interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet, as well as expansion options through M.2 and mPCIe sockets.

CM3566 RK3566 System-on-Module

Let’s check out CM3566 CPU module which offers the following specifications:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3566 with a quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.8GHz, Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2. OpenCL 2.0. Vulkan 1.1, 0.8 TOPS AI accelerator, 4K H.265/H.265/VP9 video decoder, 1080p100 H.265/H.264 video encoder.
• System Memory – 2GB LPDDR4 (up to 8GB)
• Storage – 4GB eMMC flash (Up to 32GB)
• 186 castellated holes with signals for
  • Storage – 2x SDMMC, SATA
  • Display – LVDS/MIPI DSI, HDMI
  • Camera – MIPI CSI
  • Audio – I2S, SPDIF
  • Networking – GMAC (Gigabit Ethernet) reconfigurable for 2x UART and 2x SPI if Ethernet is not needed
  • USB – 2x USB 2.0 host, 1x USB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0 OTG
  • PCIe multiplexed with SATA
  • Low-speed I/Os – I2C, SPI, 8x UART, PWM, ADC IN
  • Debugging – 1x Debug serial port
• Supply Voltage – 3.3V
• Dimensions – 47 x 40mm (8-layer PCB)
• Weight – 8.6 grams

The company provides support for Linux 4.19.193 with Qt, and buildroot build system for the module. Somehow, Boardcon does not advertise Android support despite listing “TV box” as one of the targets applications along with AI robots, smart POS machines, e-book, face recognition terminals, and digital signage.

AFAICR, Boardcon CM3566 is one of the first Rockchip RK3566 systems-on-module we’ve seen, with the other one being the SOQuartz module compatible with Raspberry Pi CM4.

Boardcon EM3566 SBC

EM3566 single board computer specifications:

• SoM – Boardcon CM3566 as described above with RK3566 SoC, 2GB RAM and 4GB eMMC flash by default
• Storage – MicroSD slot, 1x M.2 NVMe SSD socket, 1x SATA port
• Display
  • HDMI 2.0, 4Kp60
  • 40-pin header for MIPI DSI/LVDS, eDP
• Audio – 3.5mm jack for audio input/output, optical SPDIF
• Camera – 24-pin MIPI CSI FPC connector for up to two cameras
• Connectivity
  • Gigabit Ethernet port (RJ45) via Realtek RTL8211F-CG
  • 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 + Bluetooth 4.0
  • Optional 4G module (with GPS) via mini PCIe socket + Nano SIM card slot
• USB – 1x Micro USB OTG port, 1x USB 3.0 port 2x headers for 4x USB 2.0 host interfaces
• Expansion
  • Headers for RS485, GPIO, 2x UART, ADC, and MEMS module
  • M.2 socket (PCIe) for NVMe SSD
  • mPCIe socket for cellular module
• Misc – Recover button, IR receiver header,  RTC plus battery backup, SATA/USB 3.0 switch
• Power Supply – 12V/3A via power barrel jack
• Dimensions – 135 x 95mm

As a reminder, some of RK3566 high-speed interfaces are multiplexed, and while there are both USB 3.0 and SATA interfaces on the board, only one can be used at a time with selection through a switch.

Boardcon EM3566 joins an ever-expanding list of RK3566 SBCs with Firefly’s ROC-RK3566-PC, Zidoo M6, Geniatech APC820, Quartz64, and others.

Availability and pricing

While the company did not explicitly mention availability, both the module and SBC appear to be available now, as the company is taking orders, but did not release any public pricing. More details can be found on the product pages for the RK3566 system-on-module and the board.

Via LinuxGizmos

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.

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