Variscite unveiled a 43 x 23mm “DART-SD410” COM that runs Linux or Android on a 64-bit Snapdragon 410 with 2GB RAM, 16GB eMMC, and -25 to 85°C support.

Like Qualcomm’s earlier Snapdragon 600, the quad-core 1.2GHz Cortex-A53 Snapdragon 410 has drawn considerable interest from embedded board vendors. Now Variscite has come along with a bite-size Snapdragon 410-based DART-SD410 computer-on-module that doubles the RAM and flash allotments of its competitors while offering a wider temperature range.

DART-SD410 front (left), and rear view showing board-to-board connectors
(click images to enlarge)

Like other Variscite DART modules, including the i.MX6 UltraLite based DART-6UL, the DART-SD410 is tiny, measuring in at just 43 x 23mm, or 989 square millimeters. Combined with “optimized power consumption,” the wee dimensions are “ideal for portable and battery operated applications,” says Variscite.

While it beats Intrinsyc’s 44 x 26.5mm (1166 sq. mm) Open-Q 410, it can’t quite out-shrink the eInfochips Eragon 410, which measures 35 x 26mm, for 910 sq. mm. Yet, the DART-SD410 has other attributes to crow about. It offers twice the memory support of the Intrinsyc and eInfochips COMs, with up to 2GB LP-DDR3 and 16GB eMMC, and it provides the widest temperature range at -25 to 85°C. The module is also touted for its 10 year longevity support.

DART-SD410 block diagram
(click image to enlarge)

Otherwise, the feature set is quite similar, as specs often are with COMs using the same system-on-chip. A full array of wireless features is available, including WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1/BLE, and GPS, as well as MIPI-CSI interfaces for 13- and 8-megapixel cameras.

Specifications listed for the DART-SD410 include:

• Processor — Snapdragon 410 (APQ8016) SoC:
  • CPU — 4x 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cores @ 1.2GHz
  • GPU — Adreno 306 @ 400MHz
  • Hexagon v5 DSP
• Memory — up to 2GB LPDDR3 RAM @ 533MHz
• Storage — up to 16GB eMMC 4.5 flash
• Wireless:
  • 802.11b/g/n
  • Bluetooth 4.1 EDR + BLE
  • FM
  • Qualcomm IZat Gen 8C GNSS receiver with GPS, GLONASS/Galileo, Compass
• Display interface — 4-lane MIPI-DSI (up to 1080p @ 30fps) with H.264 encode/decode; HDMI and LVDS interfaces are available via CustomBoard carrier
• Camera interface — 2x MIPI-CSI (13- and 8-megapixel dual camera inputs)
• Other I/O:
  • USB 2.0 OTG
  • Audio in/out
  • Up to 6x SPI
  • Up to 6x I2C
  • 2x UART
  • 4x GPIO
  • 2x I2S
  • SD/MMC, JTAG, backlight PWM
  • 2x 90-pin expansion connectors carrier board interface
• Other features — PMIC; optional carrier boards
• Power — 3.7 to 4.5V DC
• Operating temperature — -25 to 85°C
• Dimensions — 43 x 25mm
• Operating system — Android; Linux; Windows 10 IoT

 
VAR-SD410CustomBoard and VAR-STK-SD410 evaluation kit

The DART-SD410 is available with the VAR-SD410CustomBoard carrier board, as well as a more extensive VAR-STK-SD410 evaluation kit. The latter adds a 7-inch, WVGA capacitive touchscreen, a 5V power supply, and an Ethernet cable.

VAR-STK-SD410 evaluation kit
(click image to enlarge)

Features common to both kits include a DART-SD410 module connected via the dual 90-pin board-to-board connectors, as well as a microSD slot. The carriers are equipped with a 24-bit LVDS interface, an HDMI port, and 4- and 2-lane MIPI-CSI serial camera interfaces via PCB edge connectors.


VAR-SD410CustomBoard carrier board and its block diagram
(click images to enlarge)

Other features include a USB 2.0-derived Gigabit Ethernet port, dual USB 2.0 host ports, a micro-USB 2.0 device port, a micro-USB debug port, and a JTAG header. A microphone and audio I/O are also provided along with an RTC with battery backup, LEDs, and a variety of serial and GPIO headers.

 
Further information

The DART-SD410 module and VAR-SD410CustomBoard and VAR-STK-SD410 development kits are available now. Pricing for the COM starts at $57 in OEM volumes of 1000+. More information may be found on Variscite’s DART-SD410 COM and DART-SD410 Kits product pages.