ASUS Tinker Edge/T/R To Challenge the Raspberry Pi 4

ASUS Tinker Edge/T/R To Challenge the Raspberry Pi

ASUS and Google partnered on a mini PC project. The two companies are collaborating on Tinker Board single-board computers (SBCs), with hardware-based on the Rockchip similar to the Raspberry Pi, but with few improved features with the focus on edge AI computing capabilities.

That said, the “Tinker Edge” will be available in two models—Tinker Edge T and Tinker Edge R. The Tinker Edge T pairs an NXP i.MX8M ARM processor with an Edge TPU to accelerate local inference workloads using TensorFlow Lite. It also features a USB Type-C port, a pair of USB 3.0 ports, a GbE LAN port, and an HDMI port.

Because Rockchip Chip CPUs tend to heat much starting at a temperature of 50C, both Tinker Board models are expected you have an active cooling solution composed of a Heatsink and a fan. After the first launch, both boards will offer official support for Debian and Android OS and most likely after getting more popularity will support other Linux distributions and operating systems, such as Windows 10 IoT Core or FreeRTOS.

The Tinker Edge R is powered with the Rockchip RK3399 Pro system on chip (SoC) and combines the dual-core Cortex-A72, which runs a clock speed of up to 1.8 GHz and quad-core Cortex-A53 up to 1.4 GHz with a quad-core Mali-T860 GPU that can operate at max frequency up to 800 MHz. The chip cooperates also with a neural processing unit (NPU) capable of delivering up to 3 TOPS of performance.

ASUS is expected to demonstrate its Tinker Edge T and Tinker Edge R SBCs at the IoT Technology 2019 conference in Japan, which kicks off on November 20. Pricing of the devices remains to be seen, but it will depend on volumes and other factors.

Tinker Edge T

Features:

ML capability with Google Edge TPU
2x MIPI-CSI / MIPI-DSI /HDMI
40-pin GPIO for multiple purposes
12V~19V DC-in offers stable power delivery
Software: Mendel
Estimated Price: $168

Specifications

Model: TINKER EDGE T
Soc: NXP i.Mx 8M
NN Processor: Google Edge TPUML accelerator coprocessor
CPU: Quad-core Arm® Cortex®-A53 1.5 GHz, Coretex-M4
Memory: Dual-CH LPDDR4 1GB
Supported Software: Mendel
GPU: GC7000 Lite
Storage: 1x 8GB eMMC, 1x Micro SD(TF) Card slot (pull &push)
Form Factor: 3.37″ x 2.125″.
Operating Temperature: 0 – 50C
Power: 12V~19V DC-input
Camera Interfaces: 1 x 24-pin MIPI CSI-2

USB:

2 x USB3.2 Gen1 Type-A ports.
1 x USB3.2 Gen1 Type-C OTG port.

Display:

1 x HDMI with CEC hardware ready.
1 x 22-pin MIPI DSI.

Connectivity:

1x RTL8211F-CG GbE LAN
1x 802.11 b/g/n/ac & Bluetooth 5.0.
1x mPCIe slot for 4G/LTE

Other Interfaces:

1x 40-pin GPIOs & mPCIe for multiple expansions
1 x 2-pin Reset header 1 x 2-pin DC Fan.

Internal I/O:

1×40-pin headers include:

up to 28 x GPIO pins
up to 1 x SPI bus
up to 2 x I2C bus
up to 2 x UART
up to 3 x PWM
up to 1 x PCM/I2S
up to 1 xS/PDIFTX
2 x 5V power pins
2 x 3.3V power pins
8 x ground pins
1 x Boot mode switch
1 x 2-pin RTC Battery header
1 x 2-pin Recovery header
1 x 2-pin Power-on header

Tinker Edge R

Features

Arm big.LITTLE A72+A53 Hexa-core SoC
Ml capability with Rockchip NPU
Multiple MIPI-CSI &DSI
40-pin GPIO & mPCIe for multiple expansion
12V~19V DC-in offers stable power delivery
Linux & Android support