Seco unveiled a highly customizable, Linux-friendly “SBC-C61” with a quad -A53, up to 1.8GHz i.MX8M Mini, up to 4GB LPDDR4 and 64GB eMMC, and optional LAN, WiFi/BT, cellular, serial, and CAN interfaces.

Italy-based Seco calls its SBC-C61 single board computer the “jewel in the crown” of its multi-board Embedded World product launch. Considering that its 2019 lineup includes the world’s first i.MX8 QuadMax SBC — the SBC-C43 — the company must highly prize the i.MX8M Mini, which is NXP’s newest i.MX8 family SoC, not counting the upcoming i.MX8M Nano. Seco praises the quad -A53 Mini for its Heterogeneous Multi-core Processing Architecture.

Then again, maybe Seco values the SBC-C61’s extensive customization flexibility. There are so many options, including the ability to choose VPU-less “Lite” versions of the Solo, Dual, and Quad i.MX8M Mini, that it’s hard to pin down what it is exactly.

SBC-C61, front and back
(click images to enlarge)

Options include a choice of one or two USB 2.0 ports, or perhaps none at all. A Fast Ethernet port is optional, as is WiFi/Bluetooth, and up to 4G LTE cellular with SIM slot. Other options include eMMC, SPI flash, a multi-sensor array, and -40 to 85°C support.

There’s also a rather confusing set of serial interface options, as seen in the spec table below. We’re not sure we’ve reported this correctly, but most likely Seco will work with volume customers on just about any configuration.

The 134 x 88.5mm SBC-C61 offers some standard features, as well. These include up to 4GB of soldered LPDDR4, a microSD slot, and touchscreen-ready MIPI-DSI and CSI. You also get I2S audio, a watchdog, and a few other internal interfaces.

SBC-C61 block diagram
(click image to enlarge)

Seco runs Yocto, Wind River Linux, or Android on the i.MX8M Mini, which has appeared on several announced compute modules, as well as the newly available, $135 Nitrogen8M_Mini SBC from Boundary Devices. That open-spec SBC also offers more than the usual number of options, but it’s not quite as flexible as the SBC-C61.

The i.MX8M Mini uses a more advanced 14LPC FinFET process than the earlier, more widely deployed i.MX8M, resulting in lower power consumption and higher clock rate for both the 1.8GHz Cortex-A53 and 400MHz Cortex-M4 parts. There’s also a GCNanoUltra GPU for 3D graphics and GC320 for 2D. The optional VPU, however, tops out at HD resolution instead of 4K on the i.MX8M.

Specifications listed for the SBC-C61 include:

• Processor — NXP i.MX8M Mini Solo, Dual, Quad (1x, 2x, or 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.8GHz) in standard or Lite (no VPU) models; GCNanoUltra for 3D, GC320 for 2D GPUs; Cortex-M4F @ 400MHz
• Memory/storage:
  • Up to 4GB LPDDR4-3000 RAM soldered
  • Optional up to 64GB eMMC 5.1
  • MicroSD slot
  • QSPI flash; optional SPI flash
• Networking/wireless:
  • Optional 10/100 Ethernet port
  • Optional 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2 with ceramic int. antenna
  • Optional GSM/GPRS, LTE-FDD/ HSPA+/EDGE/GPRS, or LTE-TDD/ LTE-FDD/EDGE/GPRS modems with SIM or eSIM slot
• Media I/O:
  • MIPI-DSI for up to 1920x1080p60, 24bpp
  • MIPI-CSI
  • I2C touchscreen controller interface
  • I2S audio codec with beamforming
• Other I/O:
  • 1x or 2x USB 2.0 host ports
  • 2x GPIOs @3.3V
  • RS-232 or RS-485 or 4x GPIOs plus CAN with SPI or UART (factory options)
  • RS-232 or RS-485 or 4x GPIOs plus CAN with RTC or UART (factory options)
  • I2C @3.3V
  • 2x PWM @3.3V
  • Open Drain output (max 12V)
  • 2x debug UARTs
• Other features — Watchdog; buzzer; optional accelerometer + magnetometer, gyroscope, and luminance sensors
• Power — 12V/24V DC input
• Operating temperature — 0 to 60°C; optional -40 to 85°C
• Dimensions — 134 x 88.5mm
• Operating system — Yocto based Linux; Wind River Linux; Android

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the SBC-C61. More information may be found on Seco’s SBC-C61 product page.