Dirk Broer
12-09-2015, 11:19 PM
DBC? -I can hear you thinking- wasn't it SBC, single-board-computer?
Yes, most ARM development boards are SBCs, but in the Cortex-A9 landscape we've seen some interesting things.
The same Cortex-A9 of which I've written "Compared to their first ARMv7-A SOC, the ARM Cortex-A8, the Cortex-A9 offered an overall performance enhancement of well above 50%. Unfortunately some licencees saw that as an argument to sell their Cortex-A9 products at a much higher price too..."
We already had the CuBox and the Hummingboard. Pro's for the HummingBoard and CuBox, both made by SolidRun, are the versailabilty of the design with four -some argue even six- cariers boards and five different SOMs (i1, i2, i2eX, i4Pro, i4x4) to combine them with. As con I've named the price, and that still stands.
Now there's a competitor in Cortex-A9 land, offering a combination of baseboard and SOM at a very competing price, the LeMaker Guitar (http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/06/25/lemaker-guitar-is-a-25-single-board-computer-powered-by-actions-semi-s500-processor/).http://wiki.lemaker.org/images/thumb/3/35/IMG_5276.jpg/400px-IMG_5276.jpg
We already know Lemaker of one of the producers of the original Banana Pi and as makers of the Banana Pro. The Guitar is no slouch (http://www.mikronauts.com/lemaker/lemaker-guitar-review/9/) either. Our Belgium, Dutch and German members can buy one at Conrad.be (http://www.conrad.be/ce/nl/product/1404545/Raspberry-Pi-B-uitbreidingsprintplaat-LeMaker_Guitar-001-RevB_Bun-Raspberry-Pi?ref=searchDetail), Conrad.nl (https://www.conrad.nl/nl/raspberry-pi-b-uitbreidingsprintplaat-lemaker-guitar-001-revb-bun-raspberry-pi-1404545.html) or Conrad.de (https://www.conrad.de/de/raspberry-pi-b-erweiterungs-platine-lemaker-guitar-001-revb-bun-raspberry-pi-1404545.html), for just under 56 Euro's.
Let's compare SolidRun's offerings against the quad-core Guitar:
SOM Features
LeMaker Guitar
SOC
Actions Semiconductor Torch S500
Speed
1300 MHz
Video
PowerVR SGX544
RAM
1 or 2 GB
eMMC
8 GB (standard), 4 to 32 GB (optional)
Picture
http://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PDT/BIG/492/B0562223492.jpg
Base board Features
LeMaker Guitar
WiFi
Wi-Fi AP6181 802.11 b/g/n
IR
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes, 4.0
USB
micro USB 3.0 host/device port, 2x USB 2.0 host ports
LAN
10/100
Picture
http://www.cnx-software.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LeMaker_Guitar.jpg
Price
$45
What does SolidRun offer, and what prices do they ask for it?
SOM Features
Som i1 Lite
Som i1
Som i2
Som i2ex
Som i4Pro
Som i4x4
SOC
Freescale iMX.6 Lite
Freescale iMX.6 Solo
Freescale iMX.6 Dual Lite
Freescale iMX.6 Dual
Freescale iMX.6 Quad
Freescale iMX.6 Quad
Cores
1
1
2
2
4
4
Speed
1000 MHz
1000 MHz
1000 MHz
1200 MHz
1200 MHz
1200 MHz
GPU
Vivante GC320 + GC355
Vivante GC880 + GC320
Vivante GC880 + GC320
Vivante GC2000 + GC320 + GC355
Vivante GC2000 + GC320 + GC355
Vivante GC2000 + GC320 + GC355
RAM
512 MB, 32 bit, 800 MT/s
1 GB, 32 bit, 800 MT/s
1 GB, 64 bit, 800 MT/s
2 GB, 64 bit, 1066 MT/s
2 GB, 64 bit, 1066 MT/s
4 GB, 64 bit, 1066 MT/s
WiFi
No
Optional
Optional
802.1 b/g/n (BCM4330)
802.1 b/g/n (BCM4330)
802.1 b/g/n (BCM4330)
Bluetooth
No
Optional
Optional
Yes, 4.0
Yes, 4.0
Yes, 4.0
LAN
10/100
10/100
10/100
10/100/1000*
10/100/1000*
10/100/1000*
IR
Receive only
Receive only
Receive only
Receive and transmit
Receive and transmit
Receive and transmit
Price
$?
$50
$67
$81
$120
$130
Carrier board Features
CuBox Carrier Base
CuBox Carrier Pro
Hummingboard Gate
Hummingboard Edge
Hummingboard Base
Hummingboard Pro
USB
2x USB 2.0
2x USB 2.0
4x USB 2.0
4x USB 2.0
2x Host USB 2.0
2x Host USB2.0, 2x Header USB 2.0
Price
$70
$80
$70
$102
$70
$85
*= Note that due to internal i.MX6 buses the 1000Mbps interface speed is limited to 470Mbps.
The only thing where the SolidRun offerings seem to have things going for them is the amount of RAM per core and the speed of the LAN connector in their Quads and deluxe dual models.
Yes, most ARM development boards are SBCs, but in the Cortex-A9 landscape we've seen some interesting things.
The same Cortex-A9 of which I've written "Compared to their first ARMv7-A SOC, the ARM Cortex-A8, the Cortex-A9 offered an overall performance enhancement of well above 50%. Unfortunately some licencees saw that as an argument to sell their Cortex-A9 products at a much higher price too..."
We already had the CuBox and the Hummingboard. Pro's for the HummingBoard and CuBox, both made by SolidRun, are the versailabilty of the design with four -some argue even six- cariers boards and five different SOMs (i1, i2, i2eX, i4Pro, i4x4) to combine them with. As con I've named the price, and that still stands.
Now there's a competitor in Cortex-A9 land, offering a combination of baseboard and SOM at a very competing price, the LeMaker Guitar (http://www.cnx-software.com/2015/06/25/lemaker-guitar-is-a-25-single-board-computer-powered-by-actions-semi-s500-processor/).http://wiki.lemaker.org/images/thumb/3/35/IMG_5276.jpg/400px-IMG_5276.jpg
We already know Lemaker of one of the producers of the original Banana Pi and as makers of the Banana Pro. The Guitar is no slouch (http://www.mikronauts.com/lemaker/lemaker-guitar-review/9/) either. Our Belgium, Dutch and German members can buy one at Conrad.be (http://www.conrad.be/ce/nl/product/1404545/Raspberry-Pi-B-uitbreidingsprintplaat-LeMaker_Guitar-001-RevB_Bun-Raspberry-Pi?ref=searchDetail), Conrad.nl (https://www.conrad.nl/nl/raspberry-pi-b-uitbreidingsprintplaat-lemaker-guitar-001-revb-bun-raspberry-pi-1404545.html) or Conrad.de (https://www.conrad.de/de/raspberry-pi-b-erweiterungs-platine-lemaker-guitar-001-revb-bun-raspberry-pi-1404545.html), for just under 56 Euro's.
Let's compare SolidRun's offerings against the quad-core Guitar:
SOM Features
LeMaker Guitar
SOC
Actions Semiconductor Torch S500
Speed
1300 MHz
Video
PowerVR SGX544
RAM
1 or 2 GB
eMMC
8 GB (standard), 4 to 32 GB (optional)
Picture
http://p.globalsources.com/IMAGES/PDT/BIG/492/B0562223492.jpg
Base board Features
LeMaker Guitar
WiFi
Wi-Fi AP6181 802.11 b/g/n
IR
Yes
Bluetooth
Yes, 4.0
USB
micro USB 3.0 host/device port, 2x USB 2.0 host ports
LAN
10/100
Picture
http://www.cnx-software.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/LeMaker_Guitar.jpg
Price
$45
What does SolidRun offer, and what prices do they ask for it?
SOM Features
Som i1 Lite
Som i1
Som i2
Som i2ex
Som i4Pro
Som i4x4
SOC
Freescale iMX.6 Lite
Freescale iMX.6 Solo
Freescale iMX.6 Dual Lite
Freescale iMX.6 Dual
Freescale iMX.6 Quad
Freescale iMX.6 Quad
Cores
1
1
2
2
4
4
Speed
1000 MHz
1000 MHz
1000 MHz
1200 MHz
1200 MHz
1200 MHz
GPU
Vivante GC320 + GC355
Vivante GC880 + GC320
Vivante GC880 + GC320
Vivante GC2000 + GC320 + GC355
Vivante GC2000 + GC320 + GC355
Vivante GC2000 + GC320 + GC355
RAM
512 MB, 32 bit, 800 MT/s
1 GB, 32 bit, 800 MT/s
1 GB, 64 bit, 800 MT/s
2 GB, 64 bit, 1066 MT/s
2 GB, 64 bit, 1066 MT/s
4 GB, 64 bit, 1066 MT/s
WiFi
No
Optional
Optional
802.1 b/g/n (BCM4330)
802.1 b/g/n (BCM4330)
802.1 b/g/n (BCM4330)
Bluetooth
No
Optional
Optional
Yes, 4.0
Yes, 4.0
Yes, 4.0
LAN
10/100
10/100
10/100
10/100/1000*
10/100/1000*
10/100/1000*
IR
Receive only
Receive only
Receive only
Receive and transmit
Receive and transmit
Receive and transmit
Price
$?
$50
$67
$81
$120
$130
Carrier board Features
CuBox Carrier Base
CuBox Carrier Pro
Hummingboard Gate
Hummingboard Edge
Hummingboard Base
Hummingboard Pro
USB
2x USB 2.0
2x USB 2.0
4x USB 2.0
4x USB 2.0
2x Host USB 2.0
2x Host USB2.0, 2x Header USB 2.0
Price
$70
$80
$70
$102
$70
$85
*= Note that due to internal i.MX6 buses the 1000Mbps interface speed is limited to 470Mbps.
The only thing where the SolidRun offerings seem to have things going for them is the amount of RAM per core and the speed of the LAN connector in their Quads and deluxe dual models.