AAEON PICO-ARU4 "Arrow Lake" Pico-ITX SBC is powered by up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 255U processor

AAEON PICO-ARU4 might be the world’s first Pico-ITX SBC powered by Intel Core Ultra 5/7 “Arrow Lake” (Series 2) processor family. More specifically, it’s available with the Core Ultra 5 225U or Core Ultra 7 255U, both with a 15W TDP.

It ships with up to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM, offers 2.5GbE and GbE networking, HDMI and eDP interfaces for up to two independent displays, two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB 2.0 headers, two M.2 sockets for storage (NVMe SSD) and wireless expansion, two RS-232/422/485 headers, a 4-bit GPIO header, SMBus/I2C, and more.

AAEON PICO-ARU4 specifications:

Arrow Lake SoC (one of the other)
- Intel Core Ultra 5 225U 12-core (2P+8E+2LPE) processor @ up to 4.8 GHz turbo frequency, 12MB cache, 4x Xe-core Intel Graphics (8 TOPS), and Intel AI Boost (12 TOPS); PBP: TDP 15W
- Intel Core Ultra 7 255U 12-core (2P+8E+2LPE) processor @ up to 5.2 GHz, 12MB cache, 4x Xe-core Intel Graphics (8 TOPS), and Intel AI Boost (12 TOPS); PBP: 15W
System Memory – 16GB or 32GB LPDDR5-6400 memory
Storage
- M.2 2280 M-Key socket for NVMe SSD
- SATA III 6.0 Gb/s port and + 5V SATA power connector
Video Output
- HDMI 1.4 up to 3840 x 2160 @30Hz
- eDP 1.4 connector
- Up to 2x simultaneous displays
Networking
- 2.5GbE RJ45 port via Intel I226 controller
- Optional WiFi and Bluetooth via M.2 E-Key socket
USB
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
- 2x USB 2.0 (internal header)
Serial – 2x RS-232/422/485 (COM1 and COM2), supports 5V/12V/RI)
Expansion
- M.2 2230 E-Key socket (PCIe 4.0 x1 + USB 2.0)
- M.2 2280 M-Key socket (PCIe Gen 4 [x4] / SATA); default: PCIe [x4], select by BOM
- 4-bit DIO
- SMBus/I2C (Default: SMBus)
Security – TPM 2.0
Misc
- 4-wire smart fan connector
- Front Panel connector with HDD LED, PWR LED, Power Button, Buzzer, Reset
- 3V/240mAh RTC Lithium battery
- UEFI BIOS with watchdog timer (255 levels), Wake-on-LAN (WoL) support
Power Supply
- 12V via 2-pin Phoenix connector or optional lockable DC jack; AT/ATX support;
- 9V to 36V via optional DC-to-DC converter
Power Consumption – Intel Core Ultra 7 Processor 255U, 32GB LPDDR5
- 2.85A @ +12V (Typical)
- 6.96A @ +12V (Max)
Dimensions – 100 x 72mm (Pico-ITX form factor)
Weight – 80 grams
Temperature Range – Operating – 0°C ~ 60°C, Storage – -40°C ~ 85°C
Humidity – 0% ~ 90% relative humidity, non-condensing
MTBF – 1,063,716 hours (About 121 years)
Certifications – CE/FCC Class A

The company provides support for Windows 10/11 64-bit and Ubuntu 22.04.2 with Linux 5.19 (TBC). The board is basically an update of the Meteor Lake-powered PICO-MTU4 SBC, or a smaller version of the AAEON GENE-ARH6 3.5-inch subcompact industrial SBC with Intel Core Ultra 200H/U Arrow Lake SoC, although only the 15W SKUs are supported, as cooling would be an issue for the 28W parts using the smaller 100x72mm Pico-ITX form factor.

AAEON says the PICO-ARU4 targets AI platforms in handheld or mobile solutions, such as portable diagnostic imaging and outdoor roadside units. The PICO-ARU4 is now in mass production, and samples are available for order on the AAEON eshop with the following options

Core Ultra 5 Processor 225U, 16GB – $887.00
Core Ultra 5 Processor 225U, 32GB – $988.00
Core Ultra 7 Processor 255U, 32GB – $1,155.00

Additional information, including a datasheet, a user manual, the BIOS, and Windows & Linux drivers, may be found on the product page.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

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.