Inforce has launched a $220 “Inforce 6560” Pico-ITX SBC that runs Android 8 and Ubuntu on an octa-core Snapdragon 660 and supports stereoscopic depth sensing with the help of dual MIPI-CSI interfaces.

Inforce Computing’s Pico-ITX form-factor (100 x 72mm) Inforce 6560 SBC taps Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 660 SoC for applications including stereoscopic depth sensing and deep learning. The only other Snapdragon 660 based SBC we’ve seen is Intrinsyc’s Mini-ITX form factor Open-Q 660 HDK, which was announced in Oct. 2017 and is focused more on mobile device development.

Inforce 6560
(click images to enlarge)

The $220 Inforce 6560, which follows other Inforce Pico-ITX offerings such as its Snapdragon 820-based Inforce 6640 , ships with an Android 8x board support package and will soon offer an Ubuntu BSP. The Android BSP is pre-loaded with Hexagon/SNPE/OpenCV SDKs.

The SBC taps the Snapdragon 660’s dual Spectra 160 ISPs and Hexagon 680 DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtensions (HVX) for devices that require simultaneous dual streaming capabilities with depth perception and vision processing. Applications include proximity detection, semantic segmentation, autonomous driving, and facial recognition. Specific target devices included IoT edge devices in healthcare and telepresence, smart city applications including digital signage, and connected cameras such as 360/VR, sports, bodycam, and IP security cameras.

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 660 is claimed to offer up to 20 percent higher CPU performance and 30 percent higher graphics performance compared to the prior generation. According to a 2017 AndroidCentral report, the comparison refers to the similarly octa-core Snapdragon 653, which has 4x Cortex-A72 and 4x Cortex-A53 cores. The Snapdragon 660 SoC is also faster than the octa-core Snapdragon 625 and almost identical Snapdragon 626 thanks to its use of Cortex-A73-like “Kryo” cores, which are found on the higher end Snapdragon 820 and Snapdragon 835.

The 14nm fabricated Snapdragon 660 has 4x Kryo cores clocked to 2.2GHz and 4x clocked to 1.84GHz. There’s also a 650MHz Adreno 512 GPU along with the Spectra and Hexagon co-processors.

The Inforce 6560 offers 3GB LPDDR4, 32GB eMMC, and a microSD slot. I/O includes dual USB 2.0 ports and a USB 3.1 Type-C port with 4K DisplayPort/USB support. The port supports a Gigabit Ethernet module with support for up to 2x ports. A separate PoE header supports an optional ACC-1S70 add-on card with a Power-over-Ethernet enabled GbE, as well as a RS-485 transceiver port.

The SBC provides an HD-ready HDMI port and MIPI-DSI interface. You also get dual MIPI-CSI connections with an option for a third. The CSI connections provide options for an HDMI input module and a 21-megapixel ACC-1H70 camera module.

Optional PoE/RS485 ACC-1S70 module (left) and optional 21-megapixel ACC-1H70 module
(click images to enlarge)

The board is further equipped with WiFi-ac/BT and optional GNSS, each with its own UFL antenna. There’s also audio I/O, 40-pin GPIO, and other headers. The SBC offers an RTC, a 12V input with optional battery header, and a 0 to 70⁰ range. An IMU is optional.


Inforce 6560 block diagram
(click image to enlarge)

The Inforce 6560 is not an open-spec board, but Inforce offers a portal with extensive documentation, forums, limited free tech support, and customization services. Inforce plans to upgrade the BSPs to newer Android releases and upstream Linux kernels.

Specifications for the Inforce 6560 include:

• Processor — Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 (4x Kryo cores @ 2.2GHz, 4x Kryo cores @ 1.8GHz); Adreno 512 GPU; 2x Spectra 160 ISPs; Hexagon DSP; support for OpenGL 3.0/3.2, Vulkan, DX12 FL 12, OpenCL 2.0 full profile; 4K30 HEVC/H.264/VP8/MPEG4 encode, 4K30 8-bit: H.264/VP8/VP9, 4K30 10-bit: HEVC; concurrent 1080p60 decode + 1080p30 encode
• Memory/storage:
  • 3GB LPDDR4 RAM
  • 32GB eMMC
  • MicroSD 3.0 slot
• Wireless/networking:
  • 802.11ac 2.4/5Ghz 1×1 with MU-MIMO (Qualcomm WCN3990)
  • Bluetooth 5.0 with BLE (Qualcomm WCN3990)
  • 3x UFL antenna connectors
  • Optional GNSS (GPS/GLONASS/COMPASS/GALILEO) via Qualcomm SDR660G
  • Optional 1x or 2x GbE ports (via USB 3.1 Type-C)
  • PoE header with optional PoE add-on (ACC-1S70) with GbE and RS-485 transceiver ports
• Multimedia I/O:
  • HDMI 1.3a port for up to HD @ 60fps
  • DisplayPort via USB 3.1 Type-C for up to 4K
  • MIPI-DSI (4-lane) for up to HD+
  • 2x MIPI-CSI (4-lane) with 16MP and stereoscopic support
  • Optional additional 1x 4-lane MIPI-CSI
  • Optional Sony IMX230 based MIPI-CSI ACC-1H70camera module
  • Optional MIPI-CSI HDMI input module
  • Audio in and out headers
• Other I/O:
  • 2x USB 2.0 host ports
  • USB 3.1 Type-C port with USB/DP support
  • I2C, SPI, UART headers
  • 40-pin GPIO
• Other features — RTC; optional 3D accelerometer with gyro (STMicro LSM6DS3)
• Power — 12V input; PMIC; battery header; 6W to 17W typ. consumption
• Operating temperature — 0 to 70⁰
• Dimensions — 100 x 72mm (Pico-ITX)
• Operating system — Android 8.x BSP with Ubuntu/Debian BSP coming soon

 
Further information

The Inforce 6560 is available for $220 or $228 with power adapter, acrylics, and USB-C conversion cable. More information may be found at Inforce Computing’s
Inforce 6560 product page.