BIVROST unveiled a Linux-ready “Lite5” Mini-STX board based on Advantech’s 9th Gen Coffee Lake powered “SOM-5899” Basic Type 6 module and offering up to 96GB DDR4, 2x GbE, 2x HDMI, 8x USB 3.1 Gen2, and 5x M.2 slots.

Poland-based BIVROST, which also offers a Pixelink PL-D755CU-BL industrial USB 3.0 camera, has launched a Mini-STX board for machine vision, signage, security, and other edge computing applications. The BIVROST Lite5 was manufactured by Advantech based on a BIVROST design and features Advantech’s “new” SOM-5899 COM Express Basic Type 6 module, equipped with 8th or 9th Gen Coffee Lake-H processors. Intel also assisted with the product, which starts at $2,618 with 16GB RAM, a 256GB SSD, and WiFi/BT.

BIVROST Lite5
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Later this year, BIVROST plans to offer the board with Intel 11th (Tiger lake) and 12th (Alder Lake) generation Type 6 modules, presumably based on Advantech’s Tiger Lake-H based SOM-5883 Basic Type 6 module and an upcoming Advantech module with Alder Lake. Advantech currently has a preliminary product page for a SOM-C350 COM-HPC Client Size module equipped with the high-end Alder Lake-S variant.

The BIVROST Lite5 was developed to fulfill a BIVROST customer’s need to simultaneously connect multiple Pixelink cameras with 8Gbps transfer rate for an image analysis project in an automated production line. For security purposes, the system needed to be free of cloud connections and capable of running a neural network model on a dedicated accelerator while simultaneous recording data output.

BIVROST Lite5 rear view and block diagram
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The BIVROST Lite5 features 5x M.2 slots, 3x of which are M-key 2280 slots with 32Gbps transfer rates and PCIe Gen3 x4. The slots are designed to hold NVME SSDs, video capture cards, and AI/NPU modules such as Intel Movidius Myriad X, Google Coral, and Hailo-8, says BIVROST. “The independent speed of the slots allows the use of video capture cards or individual specialized FPGAs embedded on the M.2 interface,” adds the company.

The Lite5 adopts the 5-inch by 5-inch (5×5) Mini-ITX form factor, which first appeared on an 6th Gen Skylake ASRock H110M-STX board back in 2016. Other Coffee Lake-based Mini-ITX boards include Fujitsu’s D3654-B, which is also sold by Kontron as the Kontron D3654-B.

Advantech SOM-5899 and block diagram
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Advantech’s SOM-5899 Basic Type 6 module sells for $856 to $1,187. The module offers up to 96GB DDR4, triple DDI display support, and PCIe x16 and 8x PCIe x1, among other features.


BIVROST Lite5 detail views
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The BIVROST Lite5 offers a choice of four 8th Gen and 9th Gen Coffee Lake hexa-core and quad-core Core and Xeon models, although other 8th and 9th Gen Core and Xeon parts are supported. OS support includes Ubuntu Linux 18.04 or newer and Windows 10 and 11.

You can load up to 96GB DDR4 and store data on dual SATA interfaces. Other options include the 3x M.2 M-key (NVMe) or M.2 B-key (SATA) slots. A 256GB SSD is standard, but it’s unclear what technology or interface it uses. There is also an M.2 E-key slot for WiFi.

Other features include 2x GbE, 2x HDMI 2.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 (USB 3.0), and a whopping 8x USB 3.1 Gen2 ports. Four of the ports offer dedicated 8Gbps support for each port while the other port has 10Gbps support as well as shared bandwidth options up to 32Gbps, as shown in the detail view above.

BIVROST Lite5 internal I/O detail view (left) and LiveStreamMachine system based on the SBC
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The BIVROST Lite5 is further equipped with LVDS, analog and optical audio, and a variety of internal I/Os. The manual shows an image of a LiveStreamMachine embedded PC with an additional bottom unit that appears to offer additional HDMI ports for PCIe based video capture cards. This appears to be the previously mentioned customer design, and it is unclear if it is publicly available.

Specifications listed for the BIVROST Lite5 include:

• Processor — Intel 8th or 9th Gen “Coffee Lake-H” Xeon and Core processors
• Memory – 16GB to 96GB DDR4-2666 via 3x sockets
• Storage:
  • 2x SATA III interfaces
  • SATA available on M.2 B-key and NVMe on 3x M.2 M-key (see expansion below)
• Networking:
  • 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • WiFi/BT available from M.2 B- and E-key (see expansion)
• Display/media:
  • 2x HDMI 2.0 ports for up to 4K
  • Dual-channel, 24-bit LVDS up to 1920 x 1200 with backlight power/control
  • 2x audio jacks
  • HD audio header; TOSLINK optical audio out
• Other I/O:
  • 8x USB 3.1 Gen2 ports (4x shared, 4x dedicated bandwidth)
  • 2x USB 3.1 ports
  • 2x USB 2.0 headers
  • 8x GPIO with PWM support
  • 2x UART
  • I2C; 4x PWM fan headers
• Expansion:
  • M.2 E-Key 2230/2232 slot for WiFi/BT
  • M.2 B-Key 2242/22650 slot for SATA
  • 3x M.2 M-key 2280/2260 slots (PCIe Gen3 x4) for NVMe, NPU modules, etc.
• Other features — Cooling system; optional chassis; possible optional LiveStreamMachine embedded PC version with video capture ports
• Power — 19VDC jack; 12V ATX connector; 2x aux power 5V/12V (up to 1A); supports 180W supply
• Operating temperature — 0 to 40°C with 10-85% @ 40°C non-condensing RH tolerance
• Dimensions — 147 x 140 x 50mm (Mini-STX)
• Operating system — Ubuntu Linux 18.04 or newer and Windows 10 and 11

 
Further information

The BIVROST Lite5 is available starting at €2.400 ($2,618) for a system with a Core i7-8850H with 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, and a WiFi/BT module. More information may be found on BIVROST’s Lite5 shopping and product page.