Allo is a company based in Bangalore, India, specializing in VoIP hardware solutions, but they’ve recently developed a single board computer powered by Actions Semi S500 quad core processor that supports various Raspberry Pi HATs and can be used for multimedia, IoT, and telecom applications such as Asterix or Freeswitch PBX.
Allo SPARKY board specifications:
- SoC – Actions Semi S500 quad core Cortex A9r4 processor with PowerVR SGX544 GPU @ 500 MHz
- Memory – 1 or 2GB RAM
- Storage – Socket for 8, 16, 32, or 64GB pluggable eMMC modules, micro SD slot up to 32GB, optional NAND flash
- Video Output – HDMI, 34-pin LCD connector
- Audio – HDMI, Headphone jack, built-in microphone
- Video Codec – H.265 (HEVC) and Ultra HD (4K*2K) video playback. Encoding up to 1080p@60fps.
- Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet
- USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x USB 3.0 (OTG) port
- Camera – 24-pin camera interface (Up to 5MP)
- Expansion Header
- 40-pin Raspberry PI compatible header
- 50-pin Telecom connector
- UEXT connector for Olimex modules. (But I can’t find it in the pictures…)
- Misc – IR receiver, 5 buttons: power, reset, vol +/-, and home.
- Power Supply – 5V/1.5A via micro USB port
- Dimensions – 95x58x16mm
- Weight – 49 grams
The board is said to support 5 operating systems, namely Ubuntu 14, Arch Linux ARM, OpenELEC, Fedora, and Android, and various applications have been ported to the board, including Rune Audio, Kodi, Squeezebox, openCV, node.js, and more.
The company has also developed several HAT-compliant add-on boards for the board that can also be used on the latest Raspberry Pi models:
- TI DAC – Audio board with PCM5122 DAC, TPA3116D2 amplifier, stereo RCA connectors, and a 3.5mm stereo jack
- Amplifier board – Features hardware to connect left and right speakers, and signals to control volume. 24V DC input
- PMU DAC & SPDIF connector – Optical S/PDIF, coaxial S/PDIF, TPA6133A2 stereo headphone amplifier that outputs to RCA, 3.5mm jack, or 2x50W speakers (hardware options)
- Analog Board (Pictures above) – With four RJ11 ports configurable as FXO or FXS
- Session Border Controller – Transparent Firewall with SIP Deep Packet Engine supporting up to 50 simultaneous calls. Based on a MIPS processor coupled with 64MB RAM and 16MB flash.
- WiFi+Bluetooth+Zigbee – Based on F23BUUM13-W2 module (RTL8723BU) for Wifi and BT, and TI CC2530F256 for Zigbee with three external antennas.
- USB to Ethernet – USB 3.0 to dual Gigabit Ethernet ports (RJ45) using Ax88179 controller.
- I/O board – I2C I/O expander (18GPIOs), 40-pin ZIF socket, prototyping area, etc.
There are also some other add-on boards that are not HAT compatible, such as the eMMC module,s which are similar to what ODROID boards are using, a 5MP camera module with autofocus, and a 7″ LCD display (1024×600) with a touchpad.
Allo SPARKY single board computer will become available for less than $40 in two to three months, but I could already find it on a website (in German) for 47.60 Euros including VAT. Eventually, more information about SPARK and add-on boards should be found on the Allo products page, but in the meantime, you can check out the Allo SPARKY brochure for an overview of the board and HAT-compatible shields.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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