Single-board computers are by design small, simple, and affordable so that manufacturers or individual developers can put them to a variety of computing uses. But in the age of AI and 5G smartphones, even these devices are evolving greater capabilities.
Case in point is the new Tachyon single-board computer from Particle, a San Francisco company primarily known for IoT edge-to-cloud computing infrastructure, including sensors and other devices. Tachyon leverages Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, AI acceleration, 5G and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and a Linux-powered Ubuntu operating system. According to Particle founder and CEO Zach Supalla, these components essentially put the key elements of cutting-edge smartphones into an accessible (credit card-sized form factor with USB ports), relatively inexpensive (available for pre-order on Kickstarter starting at $149) package.
Supalla told Fierce Electronics via email, “We look at 5G connectivity and AI accelerators as the ‘peace dividends’ of the smartphone wars (to quote one of our investors, Avidan Ross from Root Ventures). This tech is being built to power smartphones but the result is affordable tech that we can use for other purposes, which is the whole history of IoT — repurposing PC/smartphone tech for other applications in order to make machines and physical infrastructure more intelligent.”
Particle’s Tachyon arrives as AI smartphones and AI PCs already are having a market impact, raising the bar on what these devices are capable of, and pushing AI further into the realm of edge computing, all of which is generating demand for more highly-evolved devices and applications.
Supalla said Particle is well-positioned to make a difference in this environment, even as more companies are creating single-board computers and quickly upgrading their capabilities (Sector pioneer Raspberry Pi, for example, recently worked with Hailo Technologies on a Raspberry Pi AI Kit.)
The Particle chief claimed to FE, “In addition to having more powerful processing than every Raspberry Pi alternative on the market and an AI accelerator (excepting options that cost $500+ like the Nvidia Jetson Orion Nano), Tachyon’s most unique capability is its 5G connection (there are no other 5G-connected single-board computers on the market), combined with our unique software platform (Particle is the only SBC provider with connectivity and cloud services to manage devices, connectivity, edge software, and data automation).”
He further elaborated in a separate statement from Particle: "Any engineer or technically minded person should have access to the building blocks of a modern smartphone, but that's not the case right now. 5G connectivity and AI accelerators are limited today because they’re not democratized; only a few large players have access to the bleeding-edge technology that will power the next wave of connected devices. Exploration is the beginning of the innovation cycle, and we want Tachyon to enable that spark of imagination to take root."
There should be more to come in this vein from Particle, which said Tachyon is the first in a new line of IoT modules.
More specifics from Tachyon’s product data sheet:
- Snapdragon chipset. Octa-core Qualcomm Kryo CPU (1x 2.7GHz, 3x 2.4GHz, 4x 1.9GHz).
- 5G cellular connectivity and Wi-Fi 6E with on-device antennas.
- AI and graphics accelerators. 12 TOPS NPU and Adreno 643 GPU.
- Ample storage with fast performance. 4GB RAM and 64GB built-in (UFS) flash storage.
- Computer vision ready. 2 x CSI 4-lane with ISP, supporting 20+ different camera sensors (e.g. IMX519, OV13850) up to 25MP
- Broad peripheral compatibility. USB-C 3.1 PD with DisplayPort, 1 x 2-lane PCIe Gen 3 (NVMe compatible), and DSI 4-lane up to 1200x2520 resolution
- External power and built-in battery support. Powered by USB-C, DC input or lithium-ion battery with a built-in battery charger.
Particle is not just leveraging Qualcomm’s well-known SoC. It also is benefitting from the mobile technology giant’s deep pockets and knowledge base. Supalla explained, “Qualcomm Ventures is one of Particle’s investors, and through that relationship we have gotten to know the Qualcomm IoT team. We believe Qualcomm makes world-class silicon and our relationship with them allows us to develop great software around that silicon to help enable other customers and markets to gain access to that technology.”