Linux-Powered BeagleBoard AI Comes With Debian Out-of-the-box

Linux-powered BeabgleBoard AI Single Board Computer (SBC) has been launched by the BeagleBoard foundation at a $125 price tag. The new SBC runs Debian GNU/Linux out of the box.

The organization says that the new SBC fills the gap between small Raspberry Pi-like computers and more powerful desktop machines.

The BeagleBoard AI was shown way back in February 2019 and now it has finally been launched.

In my experience, Beagleboard computers are really awesome devices. We have even included the original Beagleboard, the Beagleboard Black and the X15 on our list of “Best Raspberry-Pi Alternatives.”

With the new BeagleBoard AI, the organization seeks to empower AI development among developers, using the Open source Linux platform and a more powerful yet ultra-portable hardware.

According to Jason Kridner, Co-Founder of the BeagleBoard.org Foundation, “This board is the answer to our community’s request to see the next major advancement in the BeagleBone family.”

Linux Powered BeagleBoard AI Single Board Computer

The BeagleBoard AI is now one of the most powerful SBCs in the series after the BeagleBoard Black. It runs a more capable Sitara AM5729 processor featuring Dual ARM Cortex-A15 RISC based microprocessors clocked in at 1.5 GHz as opposed to the AM3358 series processor running at a lower 1 GHz frequency. The AM5729 processor also comes with 2.5MB of superfast L3 cache memory for quick data retrieval.

The Beaglebaord AI features a header and mechanical compatibility with the BeagleBoard black. The computer board features 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of eMMC flash storage.

In terms of connectivity, the BeagleBoard AI is equipped with a USB Type C along with a dual-band Gigabit Ethernet port. The new SBC also has micro-HDMI and Bluetooth.

The AM572x series processors signify the real jump in the performance of BeagleBoard AI. This series of processors can support up to 2GB DDR3 memory, 4k @15 FPS H.264 encode and decode support along with 1080P @60 FPS video playback capabilities. The SOC also features two dual-core programmable Real-Time Unit subsystems. They offer ultra-low latency control.

The GPU used in this series is the PowerVR Series X5T graphics processor. It is used in a number of popular Series of Chips (SOCs) including MediaTek MT6589, Samsung Exynos 5410 octa, Intel Atom ‘Clovertail+’ Z2580, etc. The BeagleBoard X-15 uses the AM5728 series SOC and it comes.

Considering the main application of this SBC will be in the development of autonomous cars, these features will be quite useful.

Christine Long, the executive director of BeagleBoard.org said that the BeagleBoard AI will “excel” in real-world applications. The foundation has tried to provide the new SBC at an affordable rate and according to officials it is a “game-changer.”

BeagleBoard SBC: Should You Buy It?

From the looks of it, the BeagleBoard AI has a better CPU but less RAM than its bigger cousin X15. However, the AI comes at almost a $100 lower price point which makes it quite a competitive SBC.

If you’re in the market for a powerful Raspberry Pi alternative then definitely check out the BeagleBoard AI.