AAEON's UP Squared 7100 Delivers Intel Processor N97, N100 Power Now — and Amston Lake to Come
Launch models based on the Intel Processor N97 and N100 will be followed by more powerful Atom x7000RE versions next year, AAEON says.
Embedded computing specialist AAEON has launched a new Intel-powered single-board computer, the UP Squared 7100 — offering a planned choice of Intel Alder Lake-N chips, up to 16GB of LPDDR5 memory, and a 40-pin general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header.
"The UP Squared 7100 is powered by Intel Processor N-series CPUs (formerly Alder Lake-N), enhancing the compact UP Squared range, measuring in at just 85.6×90mm [around 3.37×3.54"]," AAEON says of its latest design, which it says "breathes new life" into its development board family. "This release brings significant enhancements in processing performance, speed, and efficiency while retaining the wide industrial utility of its Intel Atom-based predecessors."
The UP Squared 7100 launches with a choice of Intel Processor N97 or N100, giving it either four cores with a maximum turbo frequency of 3.6GHz in a 12W power envelope or four cores with a 3.4GHz turbo frequency in a 6W power envelope. The more power-hungry N97 includes integrated Intel UHD with 24 execution units running at up to 1.2GHz, while the N100 clocks its own 24 execution units at a more sedate 750MHz. AAEON has indicated additional Alder Lane-N parts, including the Core i3 N-series, may be added "based on customer requirements" — and that more powerful next-generation Intel Atom x7000RE Amston Lake chips may be offered in the first quarter of 2025.
Elsewhere on the board is up to 16GB of LPDDR5 and up to 128GB of eMMC storage, three USB 3.2 Gen. 2 Type-A ports plus two USB 2.0 ports on a wafer connector, HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.2, and Embedded Display Port (eDP) 1.3, an "audio wafer" with analog audio in and out, a "serial wafer" with two RS232/422/485 ports, and two gigabit Ethernet ports. The system also includes a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-style GPIO header, while M.2 E-key and M-key slots support 2230- and 2280-footprint add-on boards respectively for expansion.
On the software front, AAEON is promising Microsoft Windows 10/11 compatibility, including the required on-board Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) chip for the latter, along with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS and Linux distributions built on Yocto 5.1 — though, given it's based on a mainstream Intel chip, almost any x86-compatible operating system should run too. There's a 12V power input, and a claimed "typical" power consumption of 15-37W depending on system load and processor chosen.
AAEON has confirmed five models at launch: two based on the Intel Processor N100 and featuring 4GB RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage in the first instance and 8GB of RAM and 64GB eMMC storage in the second; the remaining three are based on the Intel Processor N97 and come with 4GB/32GB, 8GB/64GB, and 16GB/128GB respectively. More information is available on the company's product page.