AAEON’s 3.5-inch form-factor GENE-SKU6 SBC taps Intel’s 6th Gen SkyLake-U SoCs, and offers Intel HD Graphics, dual GbE ports, and dual mini-PCIe sockets.
AAEON has added a SkyLake-powered board to its growing line of 3.5-inch style single board computers: the GENE-SKU6, built around the 6th Gen Intel Core i7/i5/i3 SkyLake-U processors, clocked at up to 2.4GHz (3.0GHz Turbo) and featuring 15W TDPs.
AAEON’s 3.5-inch SBC family now spans more than a dozen boards, ranging from the GENE-5315 based on the AMD Geode LX, to models based on multiple generations of Intel processors ranging from Cedarview-based GENE-CV05 to the Braswell-based GENE-BSW5 released in mid-2015.
Although the GENE-SKU6’s datasheet shows just one board version — equipped with an Intel Core i5-6300U as its processor — the product page and block diagram both indicate that the full range of 6th Gen Intel Core i7/i5/i3 SkyLake-U processors can be supported. The SBC can accommodate up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM in its single SODIMM slot.
Interfaces available on the board’s coastline include a pair of Gigabit Ethernet ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and a DVI port. Other I/O available on internal connectors includes a SATA 3.0 storage interface, an 18/24-bit dual-channel LVDS interface, a resistive touch interface, and four serial ports.
The GENE-SKU6 offers three expansion options. A full-sized mini-PCIe socket implements both PCIe and USB signals for use with a wide range of mini-PCIe cards, and a half-sized socket with PCIe, USB, and SATA signals supports either mini-PCIe or mSATA plug-in cards. Additionally, the board has a header for AAEON’s unique BIO I/O expansion boards on top of the SBC.
To aid in heat dissipation, AAEON has positioned the GENE-SKU6’s Intel processor on the solder side of the SBC, and offers a large heat-spreader for thermally transferring heat to the system enclosure or other heat-dissipation components. The board runs from a wide, 9 to 36-Volts DC input power source.
Specifications:
* Processor — Intel Core i7/i5/i3 “SkyLake-U” SoCs (15W TDP); dual-core, quad-thread Core i5-6300U (2.4GHz/3.0GHz turbo) is the default configuration
* Memory — 1x SODIMM socket, for up to 16GB DDR4 1866/2133
Storage:
* 1x SATA 3.0 interface
* 1x mSATA (via half-size mini-PCIe socket)
* Networking — 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports with EtherCAT and PoE support
Display:
* DVI-I
* 18/24-bit dual-channel LVDS
* DP or VGA (default is DP)
* Audio I/O — Intel HD Audio
Other I/O:
* USB — 4x USB 3.0; 2x USB 2.0
* Serial — 1x RS-232; 3x RS-232/422/485
* 8x digital I/O
* Resistive touchscreen controller
* 2x mini-PCIe sockets:
* 1x full-size (PCIe/USB)
* 1x half-size (PCIe/USB/SATA); supports mSATA
* Aaeon BIO add-on module interface — 2x PCIe, 1x USB 3.0, SMbus, LPC, audio line out
* Other features — watchdog; SIM support; TPM (optional); LCD backlight supply
* Power — 9 to 36V DC input; supports AT/ATX supplies
* Dimensions — 146 x 102mm (3.5-inch form factor)
* Operating temperature — 0 to 60°C.