[Updated: July 31] — Aaeon announced a slightly scaled down “UP Xtreme Lite” variant of its 8th Gen U-series based UP Xtreme SBC that provides up to 16GB DDR4, 2x GbE, 4x USB 3.2 Gen2, and 3x M.2 plus SATA, HDMI, DP, and 40-pin GPIO.

Aaeon announced a Linux-ready UP Xtreme Lite version of its Kickstarter-backed UP Xtreme SBC, which has also been featured as the mainboard for Aaeon’s UPX Edge embedded system. Aaeon claims the UP Xtreme Lite will be more affordable than the original $299 and up Xtreme. Although this is the first UP board announced without individual pricing, Aaeon has informed us that single-unit pricing will come soon, and the board will receive community support from its UP project.

UP Xtreme Lite, front and back
(click images to enlarge)

The UP Xtreme Lite is only a slight downgrade from the original. It supports the same Intel 8th Gen Whiskey Lake CPUs as the UP Xtreme except that it uses the standard U-series rather than the embedded, long lifecycle UE series.

The three listed SKUs are the quad-core, dual-threaded Core i7-8565U (1.7GHz/4.4GHz) and Core i5-8265U (1.6GHz/3.9GHz), as well as the dual-core, dual-threaded Core i3-8145U (2.2GHz/3.9GHz), all with 15W TDPs. The CPUs are accompanied with Intel Gen9 graphics and support Ubuntu, Yocto, and Win 10.

UP Xtreme Lite front and back detail views
(click images to enlarge)

Aaeon has removed the STM32 MCU, Intel Altera MAX 5 FPGA, and 100-pin expansion connector of the original. (You can ignore 100-pin caption in the detail view above.) The Lite moves to single socket RAM, and it is no longer soldered, but you can still load up to 16GB DDR4. The eMMC socket has been removed.

Both GbE ports are Intel i211 whereas to the original Xtreme has a 1219LM controller for one of the ports. There is no longer mention of PXE, WoL, or Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) support. In addition, the power input range has narrowed to 12-24V from the original 12-60V.

The HDMI port has been downgraded to 1.4, but Aaeon informs us that both the HDMI and DisplayPort 1.2 support up to 4K resolution. There is also an eDP interface.

UP Xtreme Lite side detail view and block diagram
(click images to enlarge)

Otherwise, the Lite appears to be much the same, with an identical 122 x 120mm footprint and similar layout. There are even some improvements: The operating range has widened slightly to 0 to 60°C and the 4x USB 3.0 ports have been swapped out for 4x up to 10Gbps USB 3.2 Gen2 ports.

The UP Xtreme Lite supplies an M.2 B-key instead of the earlier mini-PCIe slot. However, mini-PCIe with mSATA is optional. As before, the SBC supplies an M.2 B+M-key with SATA support and an M.2 E-key for wireless.

A SIM card slot is onboard, and the Lite is said to support both 4G and 5G modules. Several Aaeon M.2 cards with AI-enabled Intel Myriad X VPUs are optional.

Specifications listed for the UP Xtreme Lite include:

• Processor — Intel 8th Gen “Whiskey Lake” U-series — 2x or 4x Whiskey Lake @ 1.8GHz (up to 3.9GHz or 4.6GHz Turbo) with Intel Gen9 UHD Graphics
• Memory — Up to 16GB of DDR4-2400 via a single socket
• Storage:
  • SATA III with SATA power
  • SATA available via M.2 Key B/M 2242/2280 or optional mini-PCIe/mSATA (see expansion)
• Networking — 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports (Intel i211); wireless available via M.2
• Media I/O:
  • DisplayPort 1.2 up to 4K
  • HDMI 1.4 port up to 4K
  • eDP with backlight header
  • Audio out/mic jack from ALC892 codec
• Other I/O:
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen2 host ports
  • USB 2.0 header
  • 2x RS232/422/485 connectors
  • UART and fan headers
• Expansion:
  • 40-pin “HAT” header
  • M.2 B/M-key (2280) with 2x PCIe/2x SATA; optional AI Core XM 2280 with 2x Myriad X, heatsink, fan
  • M.2 E-key (2230) with PCIe/USB 2.0; optional 802.11ac/BT 4.2 kit with 2x cables and ant.
  • M.2 B-key (3042/3052) with PCIe
  • Optional mini-PCIe with mSATA or optional 802.11n/BT 4.0 kit with cable and ant.
  • SIM card slot
• Other features — RTC with battery; heatsink/cooler; optional Vision Plus X with 3x Myriad X
• Power — Lockable 12-24V DC input; power button; power and reset headers; optional 65W adapter
• Operating temperatures — 0 to 60°C; 0-90% non-condensing relative humidity resistance
• Dimensions — 122 x 120mm
• Operating system — Ubuntu 18.04 with Linux 5.0; Yocto 2.7 with Linux 4.19; Windows 10

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the UP Xtreme Lite. More information may be found in Aaeon’s announcement and product page.