Waveshare Electronics recently featured a computer module that combines versatile features with a compact form factor. The Core3566 integrates a Rockchip RK3566 processor running at 1.8GHz and a 0.8 Neural Processing Unit.

This Waveshare computer module features the same Rockchip processor and provides similar features as the Radxa ROCK3 Model C SBC covered earlier this year.

• RK3566 — Quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 (up to 1.8GHz); 0.8 TOPS@INT8 NPU; Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU; OpenGL ES3.2/2.0/1.1, Vulkan1.1 support

block diagram (left) and Core3566 peripherals (right)RK3566
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Connectivity options on Core3566 are extensive. It supports optional dual-band (2.4GHz/5.0GHz) IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 with BLE support. The device also includes IEEE 802.3 Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, PCIe Gen 2 and an SD card interface.

 
Core3566 modules available (left) and compatible baseboards (right)
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For video output, the Core3566 is equipped with an HDMI interface that supports 4Kp60 resolution. It also features a 2-lane MIPI DSI display interface, enabling the connection of two displays simultaneously. Furthermore, the 2-lane MIPI CSI camera interface provides flexibility for integrating two cameras.

In terms of multimedia capabilities, the Core3566 supports 4Kp60 decoding of popular video codecs such as H.264, H.265, and VP9. It also offers 1080p60 encoding for efficient video compression.

   
Core3566-Kit-A
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The company is also selling multiple compatible baseboard kits that provide access to various peripherals. For example, the baseboard above includes 1x RJ45 port, 1x HDMI port, 2x camera interfaces, a 40-pin expansion header, etc. For additional technical documentation, refer to the Core3566 Wiki pages found here. 

Specifications listed for the Core3566 Module include:

• Display:
  • 2x 2-lane MIPI DSI
  • 1x HDMI interface (4Kp60 supported)
• Camera:
  • 2x 2-lane MIPI CSI
• Connectivity:
  • Dual-band 2.4GHz/5.0GHz IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi (optional)
  • Bluetooth 5.0, BLE (optional)
  • IEEE 802.3 Gigabit Ethernet
• Expansion:
  • 1x PCIe Gen 2
• I/O Interface:
  • Up to 28x GPIOs
  • SD card interface
• USB:
  • 1x USB 2.0
• Power:
  •  5V DC
• Operating Temperature:
  • -10°C to 80°C
• Mechanical: 
  •  55 × 40 × 4.7mm

Further information

The least expensive Core3566 Module starts at $23.99 which includes 2GB RAM, but it doesn’t include eMMC storage or Wi-Fi capabilities. The cheapest module kit is called the Core3566-Kit-A which includes the compatible baseboard and the Core3566102032 model with 2GB RAM, 32GB eMMC Flash, and Wi-Fi support.