Based on Raspberry Pi
Kunbus launches 4th Revolution Pi generation
With the »RevPi Connect 4«, Kunbus launches the now fourth generation of its well-known Revolution Pi. It is the first to be based on the Compute Module 4 (CM4). Like its predecessors, the RevPi Connect 4 is modular and designed for the industry.
Due to its open source concept and the many integrated interfaces, the »RevPi Connect 4« from Kunbus is suitable for many applications, whether as a pure industrial PC, industrial controller, edge device or IIoT gateway. Depending on the application scenario, developers can choose between several product variants with different equipment features.
The device uses Broadcom's »BCM2711« processor, a 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex A72 core with up to 8 GB RAM. This increases the RAM compared to the predecessor – which has a positive effect especially for container or motion applications. An eMMC memory with up to 32 GB is available as a storage medium. Additionally, there is the option of WLAN and Bluetooth connectivity either via the internal antenna or for better signal via an external antenna that is connected to the newly available SMA socket.
Furthermore, it is now possible to connect ten I/O expansion modules to the base module via plug-and-play, instead of the previous five. They are configured intuitively via a graphical user interface. In addition, the device, which is housed in a DIN rail enclosure, offers two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces that enable higher data transfer speeds and reduced latency times. The two USB 3.2 Gen1 interfaces support transfer speeds of up to 5 Gbit/s and thus allow, among other things, camera applications with motion detection.
Moreover, there is an RS485 interface, a micro-HDMI and a micro-USB socket as before. The real-time clock (RTC) is no longer buffered by a capacitor like in the predecessor models, but is now temporarily stored by an integrated battery. In addition, the front of the device has six RGB LEDs, five of which can be individually programmed and controlled. The LEDs can be used, for example, to display the device status or to signal certain states. An adapted 64-bit Raspberry Pi OS is again preinstalled as the operating system, which includes a real-time patch and a process image, among other things.
The RevPi Connect 4 has client and server capabilities for the common Modbus RTU and TCP protocols as standard. With optionally available control and HMI software, the device can be expanded into a small industrial controller. In addition, the RevPi Connect 4 supports well-known protocols such as MQTT and OPC UA and enables the development of individual applications with various programming languages such as Node-RED, Python or directly in C.
