The Quectel QSM560DR is a Qualcomm QCM6490/QCS6490-based industrial Edge AI SBC with an octa-core processor, a 12 TOPS NPU, up to 8GB LPDDR4X RAM, and UFS storage. It offers 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and GNSS, plus dual Gigabit Ethernet, four USB 3.0 ports, and HDMI and eDP display outputs.
The board also includes three MIPI CSI camera connectors, a microSD card slot, GPIOs, RS232/RS485, CAN bus, audio output, and an M.2 connector for expansion. These features make it suitable for robotics, smart retail systems, industrial control panels, and other high-performance edge AI systems.
Quectel QSM560DR specifications:
- SoC – Qualcomm QCS6490(WF variant) / QCM6490 (CN variant)
- CPU – Octa-core Kryo 670 with 1x Gold Plus core (Cortex-A78) @ 2.7 GHz, 3x Gold cores (Cortex-A78) @ 2.4 GHz, 4x Silver cores (Cortex-A55) @ up to 1.9 GHz
- GPU – Adreno 643L GPU @ 812 MHz with support for Open GL ES 3.2, Open CL 2.0, Vulkan 1.x, DX FL 12
- DSP – Hexagon DSP with dual HVX and 4K HMX
- VPU – Adreno 633 VPU up to 4K60 decode for H.264/H.265/VP9, Up to 4K30 encode for H.264/H.265; Support for HDR10 and HDR10+ playback
- Spectra ISP – 64 MP / 36 + 22 MP / 3×22 MP at 30fps ZSL; 192 MP non-ZSL
- AI – 6th gen Qualcomm AI Engine that combines Compute Hexagon DSP with dual Hexagon Vector, eXtensions (HVX), Hexagon Co-processor (Hexagon CP) 2.0, and Hexagon Tensor accelerator for up to 12 TOPS of AI performance
- System Memory – 4GB (default) or 8GB LPDDR4X
- Storage
- 64GB (default), 128GB, or 256GB (WF variant only) UFS storage
- MicroSD Card slot (SD 3.0)
- Display Interfaces
- HDMI up to 1080p60
- eDP 1.4 up to 4Kp30
- Camera Interfaces – 3x MIPI CSI camera interfaces
- Audio
- 3.5mm headphone jack
- HDMI audio out
- Connectivity
- Wired – 2x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports
- Wireless
- 5G Sub-6 GHz (SA/NSA) (QSM560DR-CN only)
- DL — up to 2.5 Gbps, UL up to 900 Mbps
- For the Chinese and Indian markets
- Wi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz), 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, DBS, 2×2 MU-MIMO
- Bluetooth 5.2
- GNSS – GPS, GLONASS, NavIC, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS, and SBAS (Built-in high-sensitivity multi-constellation receiver)
- Antennas – 4x cellular (CN only), 1x Wi-Fi/BT, 1x Wi-Fi MIMO, 1x GNSS
- 5G Sub-6 GHz (SA/NSA) (QSM560DR-CN only)
- USB
- 4x USB 3.0 Type-A ports
- 1x USB 2.0 Type-C port for debug/upgrade
- Type-A & Type-C ports cannot be used at the same time, due to hardware limitations
- Expansion
- 7x GPIOs, 1x RS-232, 1x RS-485 interface, 1x CAN bus, 2x DMIC
- M.2 slot for an external 4G LTE module with an onboard SIM slot
- Misc – Support for Auto-power-on, Wake-on-LAN, and Watchdog
- Power Supply – 7–12V DC input (typical 12V @ 3A)
- Dimensions – 120.5 x 106 x 22.5 mm
- Operating temp – −35°C to +75°C
- Weight – ~120 grams
- Certifications (TBD)
- CE, FCC, IC, UKCA, RCM, CCC
- RoHS, REACH
It’s clear that the QSM560DR-CN includes a full 5G/LTE/WCDMA modem, with 4×4 MIMO and SIM support, whereas the QSM560DR-WF is a Wi-Fi/Bluetooth-only model without cellular connectivity, except when adding an M.2 module. The WF variant also adds an optional 8GB + 256GB memory configuration not available on the CN unit, making it slightly more flexible for global deployments that don’t require mobile networks.
In terms of software support, both variants ship with Ubuntu 20.04 as the primary stable OS, whereas Android 13 and Windows are marked under development. Other functions like firmware upgrades, debugging over USB, and general BSP support are consistent across both models, but cellular-specific software (modem features, MIMO tuning, and connectivity APIs) applies only to the CN version.
Previously, we reviewed the QCM6490‑based Particle Tachyon board, where we also observed that Ubuntu 20.04 currently provides the most reliable experience. Ubuntu 24.04 images are improving, but some features, especially 5G modem support and GPU acceleration, may still be incomplete on certain boards. This is likely why many vendors continue to ship 20.04 as the default OS.
Besides the Tachyon and Quectel SBC, we covered several other Qualcomm QCM/QCS6490-powered Edge AI SBCs, including the Radxa Dragon Q6A with LPDDR5, multiple CSI connectors, and optional SSD storage, Thundercomm’s Rubik Pi 3 Pico-ITX SBC with Raspberry Pi HAT compatibility, and Avnet’s Vision AI Dev Kit featuring a Smart Mobility ARChitecture (SMARC) system-on-module.
In a recent announcement, Quectel not only introduced the QSM560DR industrial Edge AI SBC but also unveiled the QSM668SR and QSM368ZP-WF, two compact ARM-based SBCs targeting lighter edge-AI and multimedia applications. The QSM368ZP-WF is built around the Rockchip RK3568 with a 1 TOPS NPU, triple-display output, and built-in Wi-Fi 5 for cost-efficient industrial or signage-type workloads. The QSM668SR, powered by Qualcomm’s QCM6125 platform, offers an octa-core Kryo 260 CPU, 1.1 TOPS NPU, LTE Cat 4 connectivity, and broad peripheral options, making it a flexible choice for mobile terminals, gateways, and low-power edge devices.
As usual, I tried to find purchasing links for the boards. The QSM560DR is already available on 4GLTEMALL at $549 and Alibaba for $310–380, while the QSM368ZP-WF and QSM668SR are still in the “just released” phase – not yet stocked at DigiKey or Mouser. Typical Quectel rollout: one model hits the market quickly, the others follow in the coming weeks through their official partners. More information can be found on the product page.
Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
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