Beacon EmbeddedWorks has announced a compact (38x28mm) System-on-Module (SoM) based on the recently introduced low-power Texas Instruments Sitara AM62L dual-core Cortex-A53 SoC designed for IoT, HMI, and general-purpose applications requiring a display.
The AML62L SoM features LPDDR4 or DDR4 memory, an 8-bit eMMC flash, and an optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE module. All I/Os are exposed through two board-to-board connectors, including RGB LCD or MIPI DSI display interface, two gigabit Ethernet interfaces with TSN support, USB 2.0, CAN FD, analog inputs, and more.
Beacon AM62L specifications:
- SoC – Texas Instruments AM62L dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.25GHz; 5600 DMIPS
- System Memory – LPDDR4, DDR4
- Storage – 8-bit eMMC flash
- Wireless – 802.11ax WiFi 6 1×1 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE; cnxsoft: 802.11ax is WiFi 6, but the company only mentions support for WiFi 5 in other parts of the description.
- 2x board-to-board connector
- Storage – 2x 4-bit SD/SDIO
- Display – Up to 4-lane MIPI DSI or 24-bit RGB DPI up to 1080p60
- Audio
- 3x multichannel audio serial ports
- Support I2S and SPDIF
- Networking – 2x Gigabit Ethernet with TSN support
- USB – 2x USB 2.0
- Serial I/O
- Up to 8x UART interfaces
- Up to 5x I2C interfaces
- Up to 4x SPI interfaces
- 3x CAN with optional CAN-FD
- Analog
- 12-bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
- 10 bits of effective resolution up to 2MSPS
- 4x analog inputs (tie-multiplexed)
- Debug – JTAG & ETM support
- Dimensions – 38 x 28mm
- Weight – 7 grams
- Compliance – RoHS, Reach
Beacon mentions BSPs for Linux, Android, and RTOS environments, and highlights low-power consumption through advanced sleep and standby modes to extend battery life in portable or continuously operating devices. The system-on-module is also compatible with the company’s proprietary Wattson Power Management plug-and-play solution for real-time power monitoring and optimization.
We had covered Texas Instruments AM62x (AM623/AM625) and AM62A processors in previous years, but TI seems to have discreetly unveiled the low-cost, low-power AM62L earlier this year, and most of the documentation, such as the datasheet and technical reference manual, was only made available in the last few months/weeks. The new AM62L3 SoC can be tested with the $189 TMDS62LEVM evaluation module (EVM) using Linux, Linux RT, and FreeRTOS SDKs.
I mentioned development tools from TI because Beacon has yet to provide detailed documentation about the module and information about a devkit for their AM62L SoC. Target applications include industrial control panels, portable medical diagnostics, and mission-critical defense systems.
I could not find any pricing or availability information, but I would assume mass production has not started yet based on the details available at this time. Beacon EmbeddedWorks manufactures and supports the AM62L entirely in the US. A few more details may be found on the product page.
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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