Single-Board Computer (SBC)

SB Components has released the LapPi 2.0, a DIY laptop kit that is available to back on Kickstarter. Based on the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, the LapPi 2.0 is also compatible with other single-board computers and starts at £199.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has announced expectations for supply chain improvements throughout 2023. While stock levels are anticipated to remain light in Q1 2023, the Pi Foundation hopes there will be no issues by the end of next year. The return to normality will coincide with price rises for the Pi Zero and Pi Zero W, though.

AAEON has presented a new entry in the UP Xtreme series. Building on the UP Xtreme i11, the UP Xtreme i12 supports Intel Alder Lake-P processors, LPDDR5 RAM and Windows 10 or Ubuntu 22.04. At present, the UP Xtreme i12 comes with a choice of four Intel Alder Lake processors.

The EnkPi is a series of E Ink displays that utilise the Raspberry Pi Pico W. Available in a variety of sizes, the EnkPi starts at US$10 as a Universal ePaper HAT and rises to US$98 for the HAT with a Pico W and a 7.5-inch E Ink display.

The Radxa Taco is a carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, as well as the Compute Module 4 Lite and the Radxa CM3. Measuring 110 x 85 mm across, the Radxa Taco has five SATA connectors, two M.2 slots and a microSD card reader, among other ports.

The Sipeed M1s DOCK is another RISC-V-based single-board computer (SBC) that runs RTOS or Linux-based software. Sipeed sells the M1s DOCK for US$11 or as the M1s module for US$7 without a carrier board.

PINE64 has launched the Ox4, a miniature single-board computer (SBC) that relies on a RISC-V processor. The PINE64 Ox64 is available from US$6 in 16 MB and 128 MB variants, with the latter offering microSD card expansion too.

Cool Pi has introduced the Cool Pi 4 Model B, a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B copycat. Offered up with the same form factor as the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, the Cool Pi 4 Model B utilises the Rockchip RK3588S, with up to 16 GB of LDPDR4 RAM and 128 GB of eMMC flash storage. The Cool Pi 4 Model B has a Micro HDMI 2.1 port too, among other features.

FriendlyELEC has brought another single-board computer (SBC) to market. The NanoPi R5C is available from US$49, for which you receive a 58 x 58 mm SBC powered by the Rockchip RK3568B2 chipset, LPDDR4X RAM and eMMC flash storage, among other features.

Shenzhen Xunlong Software, the company behind Orange Pi, has introduced a desktop OS of the same name. Mistakable for Windows 11, Orange Pi OS can also be customised to resemble macOS but supports Android, Linux and Windows applications. Orange Pi OS is already available to try on the Orange Pi 800, the company’s answer to the Raspberry Pi 400.

Banana Pi has another single-board computer on the boil, with the company having now showcased the BPI-M6. Pricing and availability have not been confirmed yet, but Banana Pi has outlined all key specifications, including that the SBC will be available with four ARM Cortex-A73 CPU cores and 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM.

The Radxa E25 is a mini-PC designed as a headless server or a router. Equipped with up to 8 GB of RAM, the machine comes with a pair of 2.5 Gbit Ethernet connections, supports numerous connectivity options and runs various Linux server images.

Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 flagship processor is projected to be on the market in the form of new smartphones by 2023. However, those who would like it in something more like a reference platform for purely AI applications are in luck. The OEM will also offer the SoC as part of a new Innovators Development Kit to academic and research entities.

Pre-orders have opened for Orange Pi 5, the company's latest single-board computer. Equipped with 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM, the Orange Pi 5 also features the Rockchip RK3588S chipset. At launch, the Orange Pi 5 supports OrangePi OS, Android 12 and Debian 11.

Hardkernel is now offering a new single-board computer (SBC) powered by the Amlogic S922X chipset and up to 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM. Sold as the ODROID-N2L, the SBC is actively cooled, supports eMMC flash storage and has a 40-pin GPIO header, among other features.

The Raspberry Pi 4 and its smaller sister models, which have all been hit particularly hard by the ongoing semiconductor shortage, are expected to become more readily available over the next twelve months. The organization behind the sought-after single-board computer is also working on new products with more computing power and a focus on new use cases such as machine learning.

The EdgeBox RPi 200 is an Industrial Edge Controller available in four configurations. Based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, the EdgeBox RPi 200 has plenty of I/O, several Industrial Protocols and plenty of connectivity options.

FriendlyELEC has introduced the NanoPi R6S, a new single-board computer that it based on the Rockchip RK3588S SoC. Also equipped with three Ethernet ports, the NanoPi R6S is available for US$119 with 8 GB of RAM, eMMC flash storage and multiple USB ports.

The PicoBerry is a new carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4). Measuring in at just 20 x 70 mm, the PicoBerry has a 40-pin GPIO header, a USB Type-C port and configurable LEDs.

LILYGO has introduced the T-RGB ESP32-S3, a single-board computer with a colour touchscreen strapped to the back. Intended to be used for wearable solutions, the T-RGB ESP32-S3 has a Grove I2C connector, among other features.

Hardkernel has announced the ODROID-H3 and ODROID-H3+, a pair of single-board computers powered by 10 nm Intel processors. Available from US$129, the ODROID-H3 series supports PCI3 Gen 3 SSDs and has plenty of I/O, among other features.

Banana Pi has started selling the BPI-PicoW-S3, a development board that follows the form factor of the Raspberry Pi Pico W. Supposedly more powerful than Raspberry Pi's effort, the BPI-PicoW-S3 is orderable now from US$5.50.

NVIDIA has presented the Jetson Orin Nano series, a pair of system-on-modules (SOM) that supposedly deliver up to 80x the performance of the original Jetson Nano. Not only has NVIDIA confirmed the pair's release date, but it has also outlined their pricing.

Khadas has started selling the Edge2, a single-board computer (SBC) that it claims will deliver 'ARM PC' performance levels. Equipped with the Rockchip RK3588S, the Khadas Edge2 is available in four configurations. Prices start from US$199.99, with early bird pricing set to end on October 31.

Khadas has unveiled the Edge2, a single-board computer (SBC) with a sizeable heatsink and an octa-core processor. Supposedly one of the most powerful ARM-based SBCs to date, the Khadas Edge2 relies on the Rockchip RK3588S with a 6 TOPS NPU and up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X RAM. So far, Khadas has announced Edge2 Basic and Edge2 Pro configurations.

Radxa has introduced the ROCK 4 SE, a single-board computer (SBC) that drops the 'Pi' from its model name. Still designed as a Raspberry Pi competitor, the ROCK 4 SE relies on a Rockchip RK3399-T chipset and is orderable for £73.34, including VAT.

RISC-V adoption is about to receive a significant boost from Intel and its partners via the Pathfinder initiative. Hobbyists can download a Starter Edition dev kit for free right now and start developing RISC-V applications for Linux and other operating systems. There is also a Professional Edition kit with support for an entire host of RISC-V-based chips.

LattePanda has finally decided to start selling the LattePanda 3 Delta outside Kickstarter. Introduced in November 2021, the LattePanda 3 Delta relies on an Intel Celeron N5105 chipset, 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. The single-board computer features two M.2 slots too, as well as numerous ports and support for various Linux and Windows distributions.

LilyGO has started offering the TTGO T4, an ESP32-based single-board computer (SBC). Equipped with a colour display on one side, the TTGO T4 also comes with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, plus a microSD card reader and a 20-pin GPIO header, among other features. The LilyGO TTGO T4 starts at US$26.98 with a 2.4-inch display and is orderable now.

Seeed Studio has started offering a new carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4). Transforming the CM4 into a router, the carrier board supports the standard Raspberry Pi HAT interface and provides 40-pin GPIO compatibility, among other features.

FriendlyELEC has introduced the NanoPi R4SE, a variant of the NanoPi R4S with built-in eMMC flash storage. Available with 32 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM, FriendlyELEC intends people to use the NanoPi R4SE as a router, for which it has included two Gigabit Ethernet ports. The NanoPi R4SE retails for US$70 and can be purchased as a bare board or with a CNC metal case.

Boardcon has started offering the Compact3566, a single-board computer (SBC) that could be mistaken for a Raspberry Pi. Measuring 85 x 56 mm, the Compact3566 is compatible with Raspberry Pi 3 Model B accessories thanks to its 40-pin header. The Boardcon Compact3566 features a Rockchip 3566 too, along with up to 8 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 128 GB of eMMC flash storage.

Banana Pi has unveiled the BPI-W3, a single-board computer (SBC) that the company intends people to use as a router. For some reason, the BPI-W3 only features two Gigabit Ethernet ports, plus three HDMI connections. Banana Pi has equipped the BPI-W3 with a Rockchip RK3588 too, and states that there will be support for Android 12, Linux and OpenWrt.

The WeAct RP2040 may resemble the Raspberry Pi Pico, in large part because of its RP2040 microcontroller. However, WeAct has added a USB Type-C port and more QSPI flash, among other changes. The WeAct RP2040 starts at US$3.03 and rises to US$5.62 with 16 MB flash.

AAEON and UP Board have introduced the UP 4000, a single-board computer powered by Intel x86 processors. Starting at US$116.10, the UP 4000 can be pre-ordered for up to US$233.10 with the Pentium N4200, 8 GB of RAM and 64 GB of flash storage.

DIY people are the best of us—they persevere and succeed, regardless of how many profanities it takes to earn their success and how many tiring days or even weeks it takes to build their next wonderfully creative project. As an ode to the DIY folk, let's have a look at some of the best DIY projects that deserve to be on store shelves.

A new entry in the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 series has surfaced online. Known as the Compute Module 3E or the RPI-CM3E-R1, the system-on-module (SoM) features the chipset from the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W and is already shipping in some devices.

Elephant Robotics has launched the MechArm 270-Pi, a robotic arm controlled by a Raspberry Pi 4B chip. The arm has six DOF, a 270 mm (~10.6-in) motion radius and a maximum payload of 250 g (~8.8 oz). You can connect to the gadget via Bluetooth, control it with voice commands and trigger motion via object or facial recognition.

PINE64 now has stock of the Quartz64 Model B, a single-board computer powered by a Rockchip RK3566 chipset. Currently, the Quartz64 Model B only ships with 4 GB of RAM and also lacks built-in storage, although eMMC and microSD card expansion is available.

Orange Pi has presented the Orange Pi 800, its version of the Raspberry Pi 400. The Orange Pi 800 comes with a Rockchip RK3399 SoC, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage and a 6-row keyboard, among other features.

FriendlyELEC has begun offering the NanoPi R5S, its latest single-board computer. Available with and without a case, the NanoPi R5S has a Rockchip RK3568 SoC, 2 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and expandable storage. The NanoPi R5S is orderable globally from FriendlyElec's website.

Banana Pi has unveiled the BPI-CM4, a blatant imitation of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4). Not only does the BPI-CM4 feature the CM4's design, it also shares its connection pins. Banana Pi hopes to offer the BPI-CM4 in 2 GB and 4 GB RAM configurations that will also have 16 GB to 128 GB of eMMC flash storage.

FriendlyELEC has introduced the NanoPi R5S, a single-board computer that it bases on the Rockchip RK3566. The NanoPi R5S also has three Ethernet connections, HDMI 2.0 and space for an NVMe SSD thanks to an M.2 2280 slot.

Radxa has revealed the Rock Pi 4 Model C+, a single-board computer that resembles the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. However, the former comes with a Rockchip RK3399-T SoC and an M.2 2230 connector, among other features. The Rock Pi 4 Model C+ is already orderable with and without an active cooler, starting at US$59.99.

Khadas has started selling the VIM4, which it equips with an Amlogic A311D2 SoC. The Khadas VIM4 will be available from US$199.90 until June 10 and ships with 8 GB of LPDDR4x RAM, among other features.

The Banana Pi BPI-R2 Pro is a relatively large single-board computer (SBC) powered by the Rockchip RK3568. Announced in September, the SBC's pricing has now finally been confirmed, albeit not for its higher memory configuration.

The PiBoy XRS is a gaming handheld that resembles a Game Boy crossed with the colour scheme of a Super NES. Built around the Raspberry Pi 4B, the PiBoy XRS has a 3.5-inch IPS display, USB Type-C charging and a 4,500 mAh battery. The 162 x 93 mm device contains numerous controller buttons too, including two joysticks.

Bigtreetech has revealed the Raspberry Pad 5, a capacitive touch screen display. The gadget supports multi-point touch and has a resolution of 800 x 480 px. Bigtreetech suggests a variety of uses for the device, including a smart speaker, a microcomputer and a 3D printer. The display has multiple interfaces, including an HDMI port that supports 2K resolution.

Firefly has unveiled the ROC-RK3588S-PC, a single-board computer (SBC) that will be available in multiple memory configurations with up to 32 GB of RAM. Currently, the ROC-RK3588S-PC starts at US$219 and is the first SBC that leverages the Rockchip RK3588S, a cheaper alternative to the RK3588.

YouTuber Clemens Elflein has shared an open-source robot lawnmower project, OpenMower. The smart mower can localize and navigate using GPS rather than a perimeter wire. The gadget uses an off-the-shelf robot lawnmower, replacing the electronics with a Raspberry Pi 4, ArduSimple RTK GPS board and a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller.