Onion announced two surface-mount spin-offs of the WiFi-enabled Omega2 module, which runs Linux on a MediaTek MT7688 SoC, and unveiled a new dev board.

A year after launching its second-gen Omega2 computer-on-module, which advanced from a 400MHz Atheros AR9331 to a similarly MIPS-driven 580MHz MediaTek MT7688, Onion Corp. has revised the Omega2 with two surface mount packaged versions with the same 802.11n-equipped MT7688 SoC. The Omega2S and Omega2S+ are designed for “high volume commercial and industrial OEMs,” says Onion.

Two views of the Omega2S
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The Omega2S offers 64MB DDR2 RAM and 16MB flash while the Omega2S+ is equipped with 128MB RAM and 32MB flash. These are the same memory allotments used by the $5 Omega2 and $9 Omega2 Plus, respectively. Their size shrinks to 34 x 20 x 2.8mm from the earlier through-hole boards’ 42.9 x 26.4 x 9.9mm dimensions, and their surface mount packaging supports “pick-and-place friendly” manufacturing techniques.

Omega2

The new models “expose many more I/O pins and hardware interfaces,” than the Omega2 modules, says Onion. The Omega2S models offer “up to 30x GPIOs” plus 4x PWMs along with one each of I2C, I2S, and SPI lines. Other interfaces include 3x UARTs, 1x USB 2.0 Host, and 1x 10/100 Ethernet.

The built-in 802.11b/g/n radio is fully FCC and CE certified, and ships with a u.FL antenna connector. It also supports SMT antennas. Gone is the microSD slot that adorned the Omega2 Plus, and there’s no mention of the previously optional Bluetooth radio. The 34 x 20 x 2.8mm module requires input power of 3.3V @ 800mA (160-240mA when idle), and it supports -10 to 55°C operation.

As in the case of the earlier Omega2 modules, Onion supports the 2S/2S+ models with LEDE, the forked version of OpenWrt Linux. In May, there was news that the two projects were attempting to negotiate a reconciliation.

Omega2S pinout and block diagram
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The Omega2S and Omega2S+ do not appear to support the many hacker-friendly expansion docks and add-ons available with the through-hole versions. Instead, there’s a new Omega2S Development Kit with an “easy-insertion, non-permanent socket” for the Omega2S module, says Onion.


Omega2S Development Kit
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The Omega2S Development Kit is equipped with an Ethernet port, a USB host port, a micro-USB port, and an SD slot. You get connector pins for all the module’s interfaces, as well as dual reset functions. One version includes an 8GB SD card while the other instead provides 8GB eMMC.

 
Further information

Onion has yet to provide single-unit pricing for the Omega2S and Omega2S+. On Aug. 1, you will be able to pre-order the Omega2S Development Kit for $249 in a package that includes two Omega2S modules, two Omega2S+ modules, a u.FL Antenna, and cables. No ship date was listed. More information may be found at Onion Corp’s Omega2S and Omega2S+ product page.