Khadas Edge will come in 3 models, Edge, Edge-V & Edge-1S. Edge focuses on expansion and rich I/O, Edge-V is built for compactness, and Edge-1S is built from the ground up for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Edge

Edge is the flagship single board computer of this Indiegogo campaign. It's designed to be a credit-card-sized, high performance, next generation RK3399 SBC, that has 314-pin gold fingers "on it's edge" to allow it to dock with carrier boards and other accessories.

In addition, the Edge SBC can be powered directly via the gold fingers, eliminating the need for an additional USB-C power delivery cable; this makes it perfect for applications such as clustering, that need hot-swappable computing elements.

Edge may be expanded via it's gold fingers, or alternatively if you like to maintain it's small size, you can also connect expansion boards via the FPC-A or B connectors on the bottom.

Oh, and did we mention, that it's ultra-thin too (5.7mm)?

Edge-V

Most single board computers (SBCs) currently on the market, are either very small with few IO-interfaces, or have many IO interfaces but are large in size. For some time now, makers have wanted a credit-card-sized SBC, that still incorporates all the Rockchip RK3399 SoC IO-interfaces that they’ve grown to love.

This is the main reason behind the development of Edge-V. It is still the same size as the Edge, yet it incorporates a balanced set of I/O interfaces and features. It also mimics the form-factor of our popular VIM2 and VIM1 single board computers, yet incorporates the more powerful Rockchip RK3399 SoC.

There are x2 USB-C ports on the Edge-V, as opposed to just x1 on the VIM2.

Edge-1S

Edge-1S is still under heavy development, and we've yet to reveal it's design schematics. Nevertheless, we've designed Edge-1S specifically for Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

It is still the *same* size as the Edge SBC, yet it incorporates the *larger* RK3399Pro SoC, which has a 3.0 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU) for AI applications! Back our campaign to learn about the radical space-saving design of the Edge-1S!

Neural network computing is about to get a whole lot smaller!

Edge SBC is designed to dock with the Captain Carrier Board via a 314-pin MXM3 connector, to allow the board to expand I/O when necessary. In addition, you may design your own 3rd-party carrier boards, to take the Edge even further.

Edge will automatically detect the carrier board that it is docked with, allowing the Edge Firmware to automatically adjust the software for a different carrier board.

The Captain brings a variety of additional capabilities to the Edge, for example, gesture detection via the APDS-9960 sensor, dual gamepads for indie-gaming, ability to connect with touchscreens via MIPI-DSI & TP, dual cameras via MIPI-CSI, a Gigabit Ethernet Port, an M.2 slot for an 2280 NVMe SSD and even a Li-Po battery charging circuit.

Combine accessories and components to build your dream machine. For example, you can add an 2280 NVMe SSD, a Lithium Polymer Battery Pack, and a 5 Inch Touchscreen to the Captain Carrier Board and Edge to create an Indiegaming Console, or a Mini Tablet Computer!

In the video above, you'll see the Edge + Captain running Ubuntu (LXDE) at 4K resolution on an LG monitor, with some YouTube videos, and a short demo of how the Lithium Polymer battery cell works.

In addition to the Captain Carrier Board, Edge, Edge-V & Edge-1S will be compatible with a variety of accessories to make possible all types of open source projects and development that you could dream of. Accessories included in this Indiegogo campaign for the Edge will be:

1. Edge Heatsink
2. 3705 Cooling Fan
3. Edge IO
4. 13 MegaPixel IMX214 Camera
5. Li-Po Battery
6. 5-inch LCD Touchscreen
7. Khadas 24W USB-C Power Adapter
8. USB-C to USB-C Cable

In addition, the Edge-V will have 2 more accessories, made only for it:

1. New VIM Heatsink (modified for the 3705 Cooling Fan)
2. New DIY Case (modified for Edge-V, backwards compatible with VIM2 and VIM1)

Edge-1S is ideally suited for artificial intelligence applications.

1. Onboard 3.0 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU), 800Mhz frequency.
2. 2GB LPDDR3 NPU-RAM for computing a large collection of ML models.
3. Interface with up to 2 external cameras via MIPI-CSI.
4. Ability to compute structured light or time-of-flight camera applications.
5. Supports Tensorflow, Caffe, MLlib and more deep learning models for face recognition, object detection & tracking, etc.

Edge is ideally suited for augmented reality applications.

1. High performance Rockchip RK3399 SoC.
2. Very compact and thin, 82 x 57.5 x 5.7 mm, as small as your credit-card.
3. Supports USB-C display port, power delivery, and USB 3.0.
4. Built-in lithium polymer battery header, for mobile usage.

Edge-V is ideally suited for digital signage applications.

1. Connect with 3 independent display panels, via HDMI, MIPI-DSI, USB-C, and e-DP.
2. Onboard Gigabit RJ-45 Ethernet Port, that has Wake-On-LAN functionality. 
3. Gyroscopic sensor for detecting signage-panel orientation.
4. RTC and STM8S (power management) for timed power-on and power-off.
5. Khadas Bootloader Instructions (KBI) allow you to configure hardware settings on boot.
6. Android P operating system.

Captain Carrier Board is ideally suited for gaming console applications.

1. Supports multi-touch LCD displays, via MIPI-DSI or eDP connectors.
2. Dual Gamepads and Left-Right Function Buttons.
3. Gesture Control Sensor (APDS-9960), for hands-free control (e.g. power on / off).
4. Accelerometer and Gyroscopic Sensors.
5. Lithium Polymer Battery high-efficiency charging-IC.

Edge / Edge-V is ideally suited for DIY drone applications.

1. Supports dual external cameras via MIPI-CSI.
2. Onboard STM8S programmable MCU suitable for many applications.
3. Up to 128GB of onboard eMMC storage for high resolution photography.
4. Connect directly to a drone's motor-control or camera PCB via 314 gold fingers.
5. RSDB WiFi for dual band transmission and reception of video and signals.

Edge-V is ideally suited for home theatre (HTPC) applications.

1. 4K VP9 and 4K 10bits H265/H264 video decoders, up to 60fps.
2. HDMI CEC allows your TV remote to control your Edge-V, one remote for 2 devices.
3. DIY Case protects your Edge-V, and makes it feel at home in your living room.
4. Full 4-lane PCI-E M.2 socket, supports NVMe SSDs, store all your favourite content.
5. Compatible with Khadas Toneboard for high-end audio output.
6. LibreELEC operating system (supported by 3rd party developers).

Edge SBCs are Maker-Friendly.

1. Terry's Smart Tweezers (TST) allow you to enter upgrade-mode anytime without tweezers, even when the boot loader is damaged.
2. Multi-OS, Mainline Linux, Android, LibreELEC.
3. Source code is freely available via github.
4. 16MB SPI-Flash allows you to boot into operating systems installed on external media.
5. Professional documentation via Khadas Docs.
6. Professional technical support via our global community of developers in Khadas Forums.

Due to the higher performance of the Rockchip RK3399 and RK3399Pro chipset, we decided to choose a new fan with a higher CFM up to 1.5, yet continue to maintain quietness during operation (for HTPC applications especially), as well as keep a slim profile for the NextC case.

We eventually settled on a Japanese design, which was both quiet and extremely slim. The heatsink has also been upgraded with taller fins for better heat dissipation. It has a noise profile between 3K to 10K, you can listen to it above.

A new cooling fan and heatsink necessitated the design of a new SBC case, which we've named the NextC Case. The NextC stands for "Next Generation Computer Case". It's designed to accommodate the new cooling solution, whilst keeping to the Khadas brand-image of a "fun-looking case"!

NextC is designed to be as slim as possible; it's half as thin as our original DIY case. It is also compatible with the 3705 Cooling Fan and Edge Heatsink above, so there's no compromise on thermal performance, despite the slim profile.

Edge v10 was our first prototype, after manufacturing, we discovered that the buttons (red box) were uncomfortable to press. This lead to v11, that had newer, softer buttons that would go easy on the hands of developers. 

Edge v12 had a major upgrade to it's power supply management system (green box). We added 4 PMOS logic chips, this allowed v12 to have bi-directional power input and output. It could power the Captain Carrier Board via USB-C PD, or the Captain could power the Edge via the 12v barrel jack and battery module.

Edge v13 had the fan header (blue box) upgraded to accomodate the cooler and quieter 3705 cooling fan. If you observe carefully, the new header on v13 is larger (4 pins) than the header on v12 (2 pins). PWM is used to control the speed of the new 3705 cooling fan.

Although we could have released Edge earlier, all modifications were done to improve the experience of the people who will eventually purchase it. Khadas aims to tirelessly understand our users and improve our single board computers!

Edge and Edge-V SBCs are already production-ready and prepared to roll. Our main aim with this Indiegogo funding effort is for the Edge-1S, which will feature the RK3399Pro SoC for neural network and machine learning applications (artificial intelligence), up to 3.0 TOPS, 800Mhz NPU (Neural Processing Unit).

With the Edge and Edge-V, we are laying the ground work for the Rockchip architecture, and thus going from Edge to Edge-1S with the upgraded RK3399Pro SBC, won’t be such a stretch.

Edge-1S:

Our main aim is to attain at least 200,000 USD in funding, and most of the profit from the sale of Edge and Edge-V will go towards development of the Edge-1S, that will also be compatible with the Khadas Captain.

If we don’t reach our stretch goal of 200,000 USD, we will still aim to deliver Edge-1S, but perhaps at a later time frame. In the meantime, most of the funds will go to building and supporting our community for Edge and Edge-V.

NextC Case:

NextC is a next generation case for the Edge and Edge-1S. If we attain 350,000 USD in funding, we will begin tooling for the injection moulds, and ordering of components. If we hit 500,000 USD in funding, all backers will get a free NextC case with every Edge and Edge-1S, and free DIY Case for the Edge-V!

Summary:

200,000 USD ---> Edge-1S (Pro Only)
350,000 USD ---> NextC Casing (for Edge/Edge-1S)
500,000 USD ---> Free NextC Case + Free DIY Case for all Indiegogo Backers
...and more...?

The meaning of Khadas. A khata is a traditional ceremonial scarf in Tibetan Buddhism. The khata symbolizes purity and compassion and are worn or presented with incense at many ceremonial occasions and the arrival or departure of guests. It is usually made of silk.

Khadas aims for our high quality, and well-designed single board computers to benefit makers all over the world. We only select for the highest quality components and manufacturing processes, ensuring reliability and function as intended.

We create OEM and ODM solutions specific to the needs of each customer. Our products aim to fit the customer's needs and expectations closely. We are happy and always ready to help.

Please help back us on Indiegogo to realise the dream of the Edge-1S for makers, or at the very least, do tell your friends about our project!