Calixto Systems has recently introduced the SL1680 OPTIMA, an industrial SoM built around the Synaptics SL1680 quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 SoC with a 7.9+ TOPS secure NPU for Edge AI and advanced multimedia applications. They also announced an evaluation kit (EVK) for rapid product development.
The SoM offers up to 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, up to 16GB eMMC flash, an onboard Gigabit Ethernet PHY, and a wide range of interfaces through compact Hirose connectors, including dual MIPI CSI camera inputs, MIPI DSI, HDMI 2.1 Tx/Rx, PCIe 2.0, USB 3.0/2.0, SDIO, RS485, CAN-FD, and various GPIOs. The EVK further expands connectivity with MikroBUS, display and camera interfaces, and industrial I/O, making the platform suitable for AI-enabled vision systems, smart HMIs, automation equipment, and other edge computing applications.
SL1680 OPTIMA SoM specifications
- SoC – Synaptics SL1680 (Astra Series)
- CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 processor @ 2.1 GHz
- GPU – Imagination PowerVR Series9XE GE9920 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 1.2
- NPU – 7.9+ TOPS secure NPU (Edge AI Engine) with support for multiple DNN frameworks
- VPU
- Decode – 4K (2160p60) AV1, H.265/HEVC, H.264, VP9/8, MPEG2
- Encode – 1080p60 H.264, VP8
- Memory – 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB LPDDR4 (Micron D9ZGC)
- Storage – 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB eMMC flash (Axeme eMMC)
- Networking – Gigabit Ethernet PHY (Microchip 9131RNX)
- PMIC – NXP PF8100 / PF81xx (87OY1B)
- Board-to-board mezzanine connector (most probably a 0.4 mm, 80 or 100 pins, Hirose DF40 Series connector)
- Storage – 1x SDIO 3.0
- Display I/F
- HDMI 2.1 Tx
- MIPI DSI interface
- Video Input and Camera I/F
- MIPI CSI-2 (Dual Sensor support) with integrated ISP
- HDMI 2.1 Rx
- Audio – I2S, TDM, PDM, S/PDIF
- USB
- 1x USB 3.0 Host
- 1x USB 2.0 OTG
- Expansion
- PCIe – 2.0 Dual-Lane
- Low-speed I/Os – 4x UART, 2x SPI, 4x I2C, PWM
- Security
- Secure CPU
- Secure Boot with RSA
- Memory scrambling
- Integrity checking
- True random number generator (TRNG)
- Power Supply – TBD (Via carrier board)
- Dimensions – TBD
- Temperature Range – Industrial grade (likely -40°C to 85°C), not confirmed by the company
While checking the software support, the SL1680 OPTIMA SOM lists support for Yocto Project Kirkstone, Linux kernel 5.15, and optional Android, whereas the SL1680 OPTIMA SOM Evaluation Kit lists Yocto Project Scarthgap, Linux kernel 6.6.y, and Debian Bookworm. This difference is likely because the evaluation kit uses a newer software stack, so developers can test and evaluate the latest features early. The SoM itself lists an older, more stable software stack that is better suited for production use. In short, the EVK shows what is latest, while the SOM shows what is stable and ready for production. Some more information could be found on the company’s GitHub account.
The SL1680 OPTIMA SoM Evaluation Kit features Gigabit Ethernet, USB host, OTG, PCIe, RS485, CAN-FD, SD card, and various GPIO expansion, along with multimedia support for MIPI CSI for camera, MIPI DSI, LVDS, and HDMI TX/RX for display. Debug and development features include JTAG, multiple debug UARTs, RTC with backup, and an expansion connector exposing common serial and display interfaces. Third-party hardware based on the Synaptics SL1680 remains rare; until now, the only other hardware we have seen using this processor is the official Synaptics Astra platform.
At the time of writing, I couldn’t find any pricing information about the product, and you have to send an inquiry directly to them for any questions or pricing-related information. More information is available on their product page. The company mentions that they have a Wiki, but that just redirects you to the company’s GitHub account.
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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