BIVROST Lite5 mini-STX motherboard takes up to 96GB RAM for machine vision applications

BIVROST, a manufacturer of solutions in the field of image analysis and live video streaming, has just introduced the Lite5 mini-STX motherboard powered by an Intel Core Coffee Lake processor, and targeting machine vision, digital signage, security, video streaming, and other edge computing applications.

The board is fitted with Advantech SOM-5899 COM Express Basic Type 6 module that supports up to 96GB DDR4 ECC memory, while the carrier board offers two Gigabit Ethernet ports, twelve USB interfaces, dual HDMI 2.0 video output, plus five M.2 expansion sockets.

BIVROST Lite5 specifications:

• SoC
  • Intel i7-8850H 6-core/12-thread processor @ up to 2.6 GHz / 4.3 GHz (Turbo) with 9MB cache, 24 EU Intel UHD 630 graphics; 45W TDP
  • Intel i5-8400H 4-core/8-thread processor @ 2.5 GHz / 4.2 GHz (Turbo) with 8MB cache, 24 EU Intel UHD 630 graphics; 45W TDP
  • Some Xeon processors are also available upon request
• System Memory – Up to 96GB DDR4 (16GB by default) DDR4-2666 in dual channel mode, with ECC support
• Storage
  • 2x SATA 3.0 interfaces
  • SATA SSD via M.2 socket
  • Up to 3x NVMe SSD M.2 M-key sockets
• Video Output
  • 2x HDMI 2.0 ports up to 4Kp60 resolution
  • 1x 24-bit dual-channel LVDS interface up to 1920×1200 @ 60Hz with backlight (power, control)
• Audio
  • 3.5mm headphone jack, 3.5mm microphone jack
  • 1x optical audio out (S/PDIF)
  • 1x 5.1 HD audio header
• Networking
  • 2x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports
  • Optional WiFi/Bluetooth via M.2 socket
• USB
  • 2x USB 3 (5Gbps) front ports
  • 4x “USB 3.2 Gen2” (8 Gbps) rear connectors (8 Gbps shared bandwidth, red color)
  • 4x “USB 3.2 Gen2” (10 Gbps) rear connectors (32 Gbps dedicated bandwidth, blue color)
  • 2x USB 2.0 interfaces via 9-pin header
• Expansion
  • 3x M.2 2280/2260 M key slots  (4x PCIe 3.0 lanes per slot)
  • 1x M.2 2242/2260 B key slot for SATA SSD system drive
  • 1x M.2 2230/2232 E key slot for WiFi card
  • 8x GPIO with PWM support
  • 2x UART, 1x I2C
  • 4x programmable 4-pin PWM fan headers
• Power Supply
  • 19V via DC jack (5.5/2.5 mm)
  • 12V via 4-pin ATX connector
  • 2x AUX power 5V/12V (up to 1A load)
  • Up to 180W power supply
• Dimensions – 147 x 140 x 50 mm (Mini-STX form factor)
• Temperature Range – Operating: 0 to +40°C; storage: -20 to +60°C
• Humidity – 10% to 85% @ 40°C

The Warsaw-based company says the board support Windows 10, Windows 11, and Ubuntu Linux 18.04 or newer.  To get a better understanding of the board capabilities, three use cases are detailed in the product datasheets:

• Video processing unit capable of real-time operation and streaming on wired and wireless networks and equipped with two dual-channel M.2 M-key 4K capture cards, an NVMe SSD, and using the dual Gigabit Ethernet for redundant operation, or local studio network separation. One practical example is the LiveStreamMachine unit shown below that is supposed to operate quietly, but obviously, it’s not fanless and cooled with a 120mm PMW fan instead.
• Data / Media server fitted with NVMe SSDs for caching, high-capacity SATA drives for data/media storage, and leveraging the hardware video decoding capability of the processor, and the Gigabit Ethernet ports plus the CPU’s AES support for fast access to server data
• Machine vision node to supervise production lines or security (surveillance) applications. The system can be fitted with up to 3x M.2 M-key AI/ML accelerators, uses GPIO/UART/I2C for integration with the existing infrastructure/equipment, and the Gigabit Ethernet ports for networking

8th and 9th generation Coffee Lake processors may not be the most efficient, and recently we covered systems designed for computer vision based on 11th Generation Intel Tiger Lake UP3 processors, including UP Xtreme i11 and Lanner IOT-I530, so it should come as no surprise that BIVROST intends to offer Tiger Lake and Alder Lake options in the near future, according to a report on Linux Gizmos, where we also learn BIVFROST also provides Pixelink PL-D755CU-BL industrial USB 3.0 camera which could be a good fit to the mini-STX board since there are so many USB ports.

The BIVROST Lite5 mini-STX platform (samples from the engineering batch) is available now starting at 2,200 Euros in the Core-i5, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD configuration on the product page, where you’ll also find a product brochure and the full specifications.