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Rodney Mckay
Canada
Asked
Single-Board Computer Recommendations Needed
Hello everyone,
I'm looking for opinions or recommendations on single-board computers (SBCs). I have a talking head robot that I want to transform into a standalone unit. My goal is to make it a plug-and-play device: simply place it on a shelf, plug it in, and have it operate independently. It should be capable of running its own computing tasks and providing Wi-Fi connectivity.
I'm interested to know if anyone has tried this approach and would appreciate insights, especially considering the latest SBC models. Although I've gone through previous forum posts, I'd like to hear about any recent experiences or recommendations. Thank you!
i am using a AWOW AK10 Pro Mini PC Intel N100 (bis zu 3,4 GHz), 16GB RAM 512GB SSD, Wi-11 Pro, 4K UHD, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, Gigabit LAN. or looks like the beelink u59. I am quite happy with it. the input power is 12v. one negative point is the consumption ,about 1.7A. I bought an used one for 80eu it's ok
@Rodney Mckay, No worries brother.
If money was no object I'd get a computer like Deep Thought form Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. However with my luck I'd probably have to wait forever and then get an answer I don't understand. LOL.
Sorry, that was no help to you.
I'm not really up to date on the latest or best. It would take some studying and research to answer your question. All I know is what I found last year and the experience of what I've used. When I was looking to upgrade from the Rock Pi X I looked at a bunch of "Best Of" lists and YouTube comparison vids. That helped me narrow thing down.
I do know Synthiam's ARC really doesn't need a lot of power or a big computer for it to run smoothly. I think the boost you would see from running ARC on a powerful fast computer would be the computer's functions like boot up, graphics speed and working in Windows. I do think that a mini computer seems to me to have more to offer then a SBC, But again, I'm no expert.
I really don't know what your robot's needs are or how it runs. Perhaps you would be happy with one of Radxa's X series SBC's I pointed to above? Whatever you find after your research make sure it has the options you will need to run your robot that way you want and need to.
Good luck and let us know what you find.
@jp15sil24, thanks for your input, it helps!
In addition to Dave’s input, here’s my personal feedback on power management for robots running Windows.
I’m using an AWOW AK-10 as an SBC with Windows 11, and powering it with a 14.4V 2Ah Li-ion battery from a cordless screwdriver, along with a step-down voltage converter to get 12V input. A 12V battery would be more ideal, but since I already had four 14.4V packs, I decided to use them.
It works okay, but I’ve experienced two unexpected power-offs. That’s a real issue when running Windows - both times, the OS became unbootable and I had to repair it manually.
To prevent this, I installed a small voltmeter and planned to shut down Windows cleanly when voltage dropped below 12V. Good idea, but it didn’t work. Li-ion batteries tend to hold a steady voltage until they’re nearly empty, then they suddenly shut down. My voltmeter always showed 12.3-12.4V until the system crashed.
Now, I rely on the battery’s built-in charge indicator (the button with 4 LEDs) to check the status regularly.
I’m planning to upgrade to an 18V 4Ah battery, hoping for longer runtime.
I also looked into automatic shutdown options based on voltage or battery level monitored from the SBC itself, but I couldn’t find anything that works. There’s no built-in feature on the AWOW AK10 to automatically shut down Windows based on input voltage.
Has anyone tried this? LattePanda 3 Delta
It has Maker-Friendly GPIO & Arduino Co-Processor: Equipped with a wide range of IO ports and an integrated Arduino coprocessor ATmega32U4, this mini PC is compatible with over 200 sensors and actuators.
What does @athena have to say about this.
Regarding x86-based SBCs, I've had very good experiences with the youyeetoo X1 Intel X64 SBC / 16 GB RAM / 2 TB SSD.
In addition to the usual peripheral connections, the SBC offers a lot more:
Audio Output: 3.5mm Headphone Jack (4-line), headset with MIC SPK XH2.0 PIN: Onboard 3W power amplifier, matching 8 ohm speakers
HDMI Audio Output (Audio can be output to TV via HDMI)
Audio Input: 1. Onboard digital microphone MIC: with noise reduction function (default)
M.2 Socket: M.2 M Key: NVME SSD/M.2 SATA SSD (M-key) 2280
M.2 E Key: WIF15+BT5.0/WIFI6+BT5.2 Module 2230 or 4G adapter board to support 4G LTE module (E-key)
UART UART TTL * 3 serial ports, XH2.0, 4-PIN, RS232 or RS485 /CAN modules can also be used I2C IIC * 1 XH2.0 4-PIN, provides a Windows/Linux operation example tutorial. Default 3.3V
SPI SPI * 1 XH2.0 5-PIN, provides a Windows/Linux operation example tutorial. Default 3.3V
GPIO GPIO * 5 XH2.0 6-PIN, provides a Windows/Linux operation example tutorial. Default 3.3V
The average power consumption is approximately 18 watts at 12 volts.
Its dimensions are 115 mm x 75 mm, so it can fit into many devices. Robot applications can be integrated. I'm running it with Windows 11. It runs absolutely stable, can be purchased from Amazon, and is quite affordable.