Kontron’s Linux-ready “pITX-APL V2.0” Pico-ITX SBC is built around an Apollo Lake SoC with 16GB soldered LPDDR4, 2x GbE, 2x USB 3.0, triple displays, M.2 expansion, and -25 to 75°C support.

We’ve covered well over a dozen 100 x 72mm Pico-ITX SBCs with Intel Apollo Lake processors over the years, including Logic Supply’s EPM16x family, but we missed Kontron’s pITX-APL entry last year. Now the company has returned with a V2.0 update. Kontron also recently announced a 3.5-inch 3.5″-SBC-VR1000 with an AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000 or R1000 SoC, but it only supports Windows.

pITX-APL V2.0
(click image to enlarge)

The pITX-APL V2.0 follows Kontron’s 2.5-inch, Intel Bay Trail based pITX-E3, as well as its 3.5-inch, Apollo Lake powered 3.5″-SBC-APL. The SBC offers BSPs for a Yocto-based Linux stack, as well as VxWorks and multiple Windows flavors. All the Apollo Lake models are available.

Whereas the original, and apparently still available, pITX-APL offers up to 8GB of socketed DDR3L, the pITX-APL V2.0 gives you up to 16GB of “hard-soldered” DDR4. It also adds a second GbE port and an HDMI port, upgrades the dual USB ports to 3.0, and adds an M.2 B-key slot.

As noted by CNXSoft, which picked up the news from EENews Embedded, there’s some confusion regarding whether the preexisting mini-PCIe slot is still available or if it has been replaced by the M.2. The announcement suggests they are both available while the combined pITX-APL V1.0 and 2.0 product page and block diagram suggest there is only a single expansion slot. In either case, both the M.2 and possible mini-PCIe slots are said to support SSDs and wireless. A micro-SIM slot is said to be built into the microSD slot, and there’s also said to be a micro-SIM with the M.2.

Kontron has also left us guessing on the operating range. The product page says there’s a -25 to 75°C extended range, but there’s also a mention of an optional -40 to 85°C on the Atom-branded Apollo Lake models.

Specifications listed for the pITX-APL V2.0 include:

• Processor — Intel Apollo Lake with Intel HD Graphics 500 (all Atom, Celeron, and Pentium models, dual- and quad-core)
• Memory/storage:
  • Up to 16GB soldered, 4x-channel LPDDR4 RAM
  • MicroSD slot (combo slot with micro-SIM)
  • SATA 3.0 with locking latch
  • Optional SSD on M.2 B-key and possible mini-PCIe (see below)
• Networking — 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports with WoL
• Media I/O:
  • Mini-DisplayPort
  • HDMI port
  • 18/24-bit, dual-channel LVDS with 5V backlight support
  • Triple display support
  • HD Audio I/O headers (mic, line-in, line-out) plus SPDIF
• Other I/O:
  • 2 USB 3.0 ports
  • 2x USB 2.0 headers
  • RS-232, SPI, and front-panel headers
• Expansion:
  • M.2 B-key (PCIe 2.0) slot with SSD support and micro-SIM
  • Possible half-size mini-PCIe slot with storage and wireless support
  • Micro-SIM combo slot with microSD
• Other features — TPM 2.0; optional Kontron Approtect with Wibu secure element; system monitoring; RTC with Pigtail BR2032 battery; optional passive and active cooling
• Operating temperature — -25 to 75°C (possible -40 to 85°C Atom variants)
• Power — 12V DC locking jack; power header; CMOS clear/autostart header; power button and LED; ACPI 5.0 PMIC; optional 15W 5V/3A external power supply
• Dimensions — 100 x 72 x 41mm
• Operating system – BSPs for Yocto Linux, Win 10 IoT Enterprise and Core, WES7, Win 7, VxWorks

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the pITX-APL V2.0. More information may be found in Kontron’s pITX-APL V2.0 announcement and its joint product page for the pITX-APL V1.0 and V2.0.