New version of the »Pi-Tron« available

Kontron expands its product portfolio with a new version of the "Pi-Tron". The industrial computer is based on the Compute Module of the Raspberry Pi Foundation. With the Compute Module 4, a new CPU with higher performance operates inside.

With the »Pi-Tron CM4«, Kontron is launching a new single-board computer based on the Raspberry Pi. It is equipped with a Broadcom BCM2711 CPU with 4x Arm Cortex-A72 at 1.5 GHz, an M.2 slot and many other interfaces. For universal use, the Automation Line »AL Pi-Tron CM4« is available in a housing and is especially predestined for industrial applications.

The Pi-Tron CM4 is based on the new fourth generation compute module of the Raspberry Pi Foundation and offers with the new Broadcom SoC a significantly faster processor than the previous generation. Depending on the variant, it has 1/2/4 or 8 GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM. Besides the SD card variant, an eMMC memory with 8, 16 or 32 GB is available. Additionally, the board offers the option of a pre-certified WLAN/Bluetooth connection. An M.2 B-Key slot with PCIe connection allows using modules with a corresponding interface that are available on the market. Thus, individual AI applications for machine vision or deep learning can be realized with the Google Coral AI Edge TPU or the Hailo-8 modules. For the integration of the Pi-Tron in IoT applications, the use of LTE modules including SIM cards and external antenna connection is prepared.

Furthermore, the range of interface functions has been significantly expanded compared to the predecessor model. Data exchange with other system components is guaranteed via the Modbus-capable RS485 interface. The CAN bus interface is now FD (Flexible Data Rate)-capable, offering more efficiency and a higher data transfer rate. In addition, the Raspberry Pi 40-PIN GPIO header enables flexible extensions for industrial interfaces. Also, the Pi-Tron CM4 has an HDMI slot for using standard display devices as well as an LVDS display connector via adapter board.

A big advantage of the Raspberry Pi single board computer is the large community. In addition to many software examples, it provides a large pool of ready-translated program packages for easy installation. The Pi-Tron CM4 only uses components that the community software supports. Another part of the Raspberry Pi ecosystem are the many GPIO header based expansion modules.