Radxa CM3S: Single-board computer with numerous IO options can be easily integrated

CM3S: New Compute Module from RadxaRadxa is offering a new single-board computer, the CM3S. It is compact and can thus be integrated into compact projects and is available in different variants.

Silvio Werner (translated by Jacob Fisher), Published 01/01/2024 🇩🇪

Radxa is offering a new single-board computer, the CM3S, which is a Compute Module, i.e. a single-board computer in the form of a flat circuit board and not in the classic form. Such a board can be integrated particularly well into compact projects, but the connections are not available in their usual form. A carrier board is therefore a necessary addition: prefabricated carrier boards are available for this purpose, which should allow creators to create their own customized circuit board.

The Radxa CM3S is based on the Rockchip RK3566, which has four Cortex A55 computing cores with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz. An ARM Mali G32-2EE GPU is also on board, as is an NPU with an INT8 performance of 1 TOPs, which can be used to accelerate TensorFlow, for example.

The board comes in various RAM configurations, such as LPDDR4 RAM of 1, 2, 4 or 8 GB. Depending on the model selected, the eMMC storage measures 8, 16, 32, 64 or 128 GB, although the model is also available without eMMC storage. WiFi in the 2.4 GHz band and Bluetooth 5.0 are supported, and the single-board computer has a single USB 2.0 connection. A PCIe 2.0 connection with one lane and a speed of 5 GBit/s can also be utilized, although this connection has to be shared with any SATA 3.0 connection in use.

HDMI is available for image display and MIPI DSI is also supported. Cameras can be connected via MIPI CSI. Audio devices can be used via I2S and PDM, and arrays consisting of several individual microphones are also supported. The 67.6 x 30 millimeter board can also connect external sensors and actuators, usually with a corresponding carrier board, and up to 60 GPIO connections are supported. Various Linux distributions can be used, including Debian and Ubuntu. 

The Radxa CM3S is already available for purchase here.

Editor of the original article: Silvio Werner – Senior Tech Writer – 8920 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2017

I have been active as a journalist for over 10 years, most of it in the field of technology. I worked for Tom’s Hardware and ComputerBase, among others, and have been working for Notebookcheck since 2017. My current focus is particularly on mini PCs and single-board computers such as the Raspberry Pi – so in other words, compact systems with a lot of potential. In addition, I have a soft spot for all kinds of wearables, especially smartwatches. My main profession is as a laboratory engineer, which is why neither scientific contexts nor the interpretation of complex measurements are foreign to me.

Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 549 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022

Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.

Silvio Werner, 2024-01- 1 (Update: 2024-01- 1)