SolidRun’s new CuBox-M is a tiny computer stuffed into a cube-shaped box that measures 2″ x 2″ x 2″.
The little is powered by either a dual-core or quad-core NXP i.MX8M ARM Cortex-A53 processor, features support for AI, machine learning, and natural language processing, and support for Android or Linux.
The CuBox-M has a starting price of $99.
SolidRun says the system can run Android 10 (an Android 11 port is in the works) and/or GNU/Linux distributions with Linux kernel 4.9 including Debian and Yocto Project builds.
Natural language processing comes courtesy of a Cadence Tensilica HiFi 4 DSP, and with HDMI, USB, and Ethernet jacks as well as support for WiFi and Bluetooth, the CuBox-M is a versatile little device that could be used for digital signage, video playback, or edge-based AI tasks such as image recognition when connected to a camera.
While this isn’t the first tiny cube-shaped PC from SolidRun, the new model is an upgrade in a few key areas. Among other things, the move to i.MX8M chips brings support for USB 3.0, HDMI 2.0, and H.264 and H.265 encoding and decoding.
There’s also optional support for Power over Ethernet, with prices starting at $120 for odels with PoE support.
| CUBOX-M | |
|---|---|
| Price | From $99 |
| I/Os | 2 x USB 3.0 1 x HDMI 2.0 (1080p @ 60 Hz) 1 x Gigabit Ethernet 1 x micro USB |
| Networking | 1 x Ethernet RJ45 10/100/1000 1 x 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi and Bluetooth (2.4/5 GHz) |
| Processor | NXP i.MX 8M Plus Dual / Quad core Arm Cortex A53 up to 1.8GHz (with Arm M7 GPP) |
| Memory & Storage | Up to 4GB LPDDR4 (configurable up to 8GB) 8GB eMMC MicroSD |
| Display | HDMI |
| Misc | GPIO button Indication LEDs RTC IR receiver |
| Development and Debug interfaces | Micro USB |
| Power | 12V Optional PoE |
| Expansion card I/Os | None |
| Temperature | Commercial: 0°C to 40°C |
| Dimensions | 50 x 50 x 50mm |
| Enclosure | ABS Plastic |
I like that the iMX8M Plus (which is a 14nm SoC) is apparently becoming more and more available. This is SoC has been rumored to be included in the “Fir” batch of the Librem 5, and given my experience with “Evergreen” battery life, I hope that Purism manage to switch over to this newer chip ASAP, even if it has a slightly worse GPU.
+1 for Ethernet RJ45 10/100/1000 but CPU is weak 🙁 we need newer cpu
I think that is an interesting little computer with a small price tag.
Hi
What is a Arm M7 GPP ?
Thank you