Kontron board for developing AIoT applications
- November 3, 2021
- Steve Rogerson
German firm Kontron has launched an 8.9cm single board computer to help developers build a low-latency, graphics-demanding and AI-enabled embedded system for smart retail, industrial automation, smart city, healthcare, or similar IoT and AIoT applications.
Called 3.5in-SBC-TGL, it is powered by 11th generation Intel Core U-Series processors, also known as Tiger Lake UP3.
Besides the computing and graphics performance driven by the processor and its integrated Iris Xe Graphics processing unit, the board brings native AI capabilities to developers looking to add vision-based intelligence to their systems.
The integrated GPU can handle up to 96 execution units to programme highly parallel workloads and the built-in Intel Deep Learning Boost can help accelerate AI workloads. That is, it can provide sufficient AI inference performance without an additional dedicated graphics card. That can reduce integration costs, power consumption, thermal output and space requirements.
Furthermore, the board has two DisplayPort connectors on the IO panel and supports up to two 8K video output channels at 60frame/s with virtually no lag, dropped frames or stuttering. Alternatively, it can output four parallel DisplayPort signals, via two additional DisplayPort connectors routed from the board-to-board connector, to playback 4K video at 60frame/s.
In addition to a GbE LAN port, there is another 2.5GbE LAN port to satisfy growing broadband networking needs. Partial variants support Intel time coordinated computing and time-sensitive networking to enable low-latency networking within a system and between systems.
Besides a board-to-board connector for additional IO or function expansion, it supports configurable TDP from 12 to 28W. The flexibility allows a system to be designed according to the cooling techniques used and the applications targeted. The board supports commercial-grade and industrial-grade operating temperatures and can be integrated into applications ranging from domestic to commercial and harsh industrial environments.
Kontron has a combined portfolio of secure a hardware, middleware and services based on embedded technologies for IoT and Industry4.0.