Arm-based SBC is robust and expandable for the IIoT
ASUS IoT has based the Tinker Board 3N single board computer (SBC) on the 64-bit, quad core Arm Rockchip RK3568 processor. The company said it is robust and ready for the industrial IoT (IIoT).
Built on the Arm v8 architecture, the Rockchip RK3568 is claimed to generate a GPU performance capable of seamless graphics processing with low power consumption. In-house test results shows that Tinker Board 3N delivers up to 17 per cent higher GPU performance and up to 31 per cent increased UX scores, encompassing data security, processing capabilities and image and video processing. According to ASUS IoT, the Tinker Board 3N is suitable for applications such as an IoT gateway, human machine interfacing (HMI) and factory automation.
The SBC also incorporates several mechanical design enhancements to facilitate embedded application use. For example, it features a low profile push pin heatsink and SoC placement on the back of the board. This adds strength and eases installation, said ASUS IoT with its diminutive NUC-scale dimensions allowing for use in SWaP-constrained deployments. The Tinker Board 3N is also engineered to operate smoothly in harsh industrial environments over a wide temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees C to fulfill industrial automation needs.
Tinker Board 3N-series devices are equipped with PoE, LVDS, COM and CAN bus interfaces, and M.2 E and M.2 B slots to accommodate WiFi 5/6 and 4G/5G expansion modules for cloud computing. The onboard LVDS supports FHD output via dual channels, making it suitable for multiple display solutions. Embedded COM headers and CAN bus can be utilised in controllers and robotic arms, for example.
The SBC also supports a variety of operating systems, catering to different development environment needs. Users can choose from Linux Debian, Yocto, and Android OS. The latest ASUS IoT SBC supports firmware over the air (FOTA) for both Android and Linux, ensuring regular software updates and system maintenance for efficient and optimal performance.
There are three Tinker Board 3N SBCs, the Tinker Board 3N PLUS, Tinker Board 3N and Tinker Board 3N LITE.
