SOM204 is SODIMM form factor System-On-Module we are working for a while (actually from so long time ago that SOM204-EVB platform is made in Eagle which we dropped to use officially from quite some time ago).
The SODIMM connector has these signals:
Power supply: +5V, GND, LiPobattery, RTC_backup, Stepup-Output, Stepup-enable, USB+5V
You can see complete SOM204 platform signals here.
The idea behind SOM204 is to make Universal interchangeable SOM with different performance and resources.
Our first SOM204 module is with A20 processor, it’s now in production and will be available for purchase next week.
The second SOM204 module is with A64, the third is with RK3328 which we expect to be ready for production around June. Next to follow is AM335X which will be ready by end of the year together with RK3399. The goal is to have 5 different modules by the end of the year.
A20-SOM204 comes with 1GB RAM, optional SPI Flash or eMMC Flash up to 64GB, two native Ethernets (this is the only A20 board with dual native Ethernets) Gigabit and Megabit, SATA and so on. The USB3.0 interface and PICe interfaces are not wired. On top on SOM204 platform LCD and additional GPIOs are exposed on FPC connectors:
What you see above is our first prototype of A20-SOM-NANO with only 30×15 mm this is the smallest A20 System On Module running Linux, Windows, Android and DR-DOS 3.3!
It’s based on the newly released A20M processor which is dual architecture and can run with ARM and x86 instruction set. This makes possible to use all existing software which runs on ARM and x86 platforms, even the old DOS programs can run on Linux and Window bash command prompt without any modification.
The best of all is that A20M is pin to pin compatible with A20 but with balls on 0.4 mm step and dimensions only 7×7 mm.
Allwinner specially designed this processor for our new module so you will not be able to buy it through their distribution channels.
These modules are assembling now and will be in stock next week!
About year ago we posted on this blog about our work on A31 SOM module, a lot of time passed away so we would like to make clear statement about it’s status.
A31 SOM hardware was complete long time ago, but we found lot of bugs in A31 during the software development. Lot of things do not work as expected and the chip have overall poor performance. The video is with PowerVR which means there will be no Linux acceleration forever. All you will got running on it with hardware acceleration is Kernel 3.4 with Android. Memory do not work reliable above 200Mhz clock which is terrible performance. While we have hesitated if we have to put more effort on this chip we got notice from Allwinner that they discontinue A31 and A31s production which ended our hesitation.
A31 has very short life, Tom Cubie shared on IRC before while that Allwinner internally hate this chip with all it’s bugs too 🙂 so I guess Allwinner also got relieve to get rid of it.
RK3188-SOM and RK3188-SOM-4GB system on modules are now in stock, these modules have same size as A20-SOM 81.28 x 55.88 mm and use same 0.05″ connectors, well they are not exchangeable though.
RK3188 is quad core, Cortex-A9 running at 1.6GHz. What does this means? Comparing to A20 you can expect everything to run about 10 times faster.
As power requirements, it takes more power than A20 obviously you pay for the performance and the higher clock rates.
For these who want to make their own board we made RK3188-SOM-EVB template with:
HDMI
100Mb Ethernet
x4 USB hosts
USB-OTG
RTC clock and backup battery
+6-16VDC power supply
LCD connector where you can connect LCD-OLinuXino-XX LCDs
2x 40 pin 0.1″ step GPIO connectors
RK3188-SOM starts from EUR 35 for 1000 pcs and it’s probably least expensive quad core Cortex-A9 1.6Ghz module on the market, the RK3188-SOM-4GB starts from EUR 40 / 1000 pcs.
The development of this board was epic, mostly because of the messed up Linux SDK for Sitara and the absence of any real help neither from TI neither from Beagle Bone community, which do not care for anything but BB 🙂 Also the comprehensive and confusing TI documentation.
Finally we have got working clean Linux with cut off vendor locked crap (we don’t say this is done perfectly, probably there are people who can do this better and faster than us), but we wanted to do it the hard way and to learn something meanwhile.
What we have on AM3352-SOM-EVB is:
AM3352 Sitara running on 1Ghz
512MB of DDR3 RAM
power management without using expensive TI PMU parts
VGA output
Dual Ethernet 100Mbit
4 USB hosts with power management
USB OTG
CAN with driver
LCD connector where you can connect our LCD-OLinuXino with 4.3″ 7″ and 10″, 15.6″ LCD will not work as it require LVDS which Sitara do not have
UART console
JTAG
2x UEXT connectors with SPI, I2C and UARTs
GPIO connector with Analog Inputs, PWMs, GPIOs etc.
all this for EUR 60
For these who want to build their own Sitara boards the AM3352-SOM modules start from EUR 25.90 for 1000 pcs and cost only EUR 27.75 for 100 pcs.
Industrial version of AM3352-SOM can be build on request, it will cost EUR 5.00 more and the minimum order is 100 pcs.
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