The Orange Pi CM4 (Computer Module 4) is a compact and powerful computer module that is compatible with Raspberry Pi CM4 (Compute module 4).
Last couple of years we have seen how crazy it was to find a Raspberry Pi CM4 module, my own customer projects got delayed due to availability issues.
I am quite happy that now these alternatives or clones, whatever you may want to call, are coming up in the market and will be able to serve the applications.
The Orange Pi is already a well established brand now in Single board Computer domain, they have a lot of good boards with documentation and support.
Orange Pi CM4 module is powered by a quad-core 64-bit Rockchip RK3566 processor, has 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB of LPDDR4/4X RAM, and supports up to 128GB of eMMC flash memory. It also has a variety of I/O ports, including HDMI, USB, Gigabit Ethernet, and Wi-Fi 5.
The Orange Pi Compute Module 4 is a good choice for a variety of deep embedded applications, such as industrial automation, smart home devices, robotics, machine vision, medical devices, and automotive electronics. It is also a good choice for developers who want to create custom embedded systems.
The Orange Pi Compute Module 4 is open source and has a large community of developers. It is a good option to consider if you are looking for a compact and powerful SBC for deep embedded applications.
Orange Pi CM4 Module (Top View)
Orange Pi CM4 Module (Bottom View)
Technical Specification of Orange Pi CM4 Module
| Processor | RockChip RK3566 |
| CPU Spec | Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55 processor up to 1.8GHz main frequency |
| GPU | • ARM Mali G52 2EE graphics processor • Supports OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1 • Embedded high performance 2D acceleration hardware |
| NPU | • Integrated RKNN NPU AI gas pedal, 0.8Tops@INT8 performance • Supports Caffe/TensorFlow/TFLite/ONNX/PyTorch/Keras/Darknet |
| VPU | • 4K@60fps H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding • 1080P@100fps H.265 video encoding • 1080P@60fps H.264 video encoding |
| PMU | RockChip RK809-5 |
| RAM | 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB （LPDDR4/4x） |
| Memory | • On-board eMMC: 8GB/32GB/64GB/128GB • SPI Flash: default not populated |
| Wi-Fi + Bluetooth | Dual Band Wi-Fi 5 and BT 5.0，BLE（20U5622） Onboard antenna is available and option for external antenna is also available |
| Ethernet transceivers | 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet (on module PHY chip : YT8531C) |
| Interface | • 100Pin*2, 24Pin*1, contains the following signals: • 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet MDI signals • 1* HDMI 2.0 interface up to 4K@60fps • 1* 2-lane MIPI DSI display interface • 1* 4-lane MIPI DSI display interface • Embedded Display Port (eDP) • 1* 4-lane MIPI CSI camera interface • SATA3 or PCIe • USB3.0*1+USB2.0*3 • RESET, MASKROM, RECOVERY • Headphone jack Audio input and output signals • DC 5V input power supply, DC3.3V and 1.8V output power supply |
| Supported OS | Android 11, Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 20.04, Debian 11, Debian 12, OpenHarmony 4.0 Beta1, Orange Pi OS (Arch), Orange Pi OS (OH) based on OpenHarmony and other operating systems. |
| PCB | 55 X 40mm |
| Weight | 12g |
I would definitely like to buy one or two of these modules and try to compare how compatible they are with the Raspberry Pi CM4 module especially when connecting to different carrier boards.
I am sure there will be some differences between them, but it would still be interesting to see how they compare.
Carrier Board for Orange Pi CM4
Interfaces available on Orange Pi CM4 Carrier Board
| Memory | • M.2 M-KEY slot: SATA3 or PCIe2.0 NVME SSDs • TF card slot |
| Ethernet interface | 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet RJ45 socket |
| Video output | • 1* HDMI TX 2.0 , up to 4K@60fps • 1*MIPI DSI 2 lane • eDP1.3 |
| Camera | 2*MIPI CSI 2 Lane |
| USB | •1*USB 2.0 support Device or HOST mode •1*USB 3.0 HOST •2*USB 2.0 HOST |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone jack audio in/out |
| Button | 1*MaskROM key, 1*RECOVERY key, 1*RESET key |
| FAN | 4Pin 2.54mm size 5V fan connector |
| 40Pin | 40Pin functional expansion interface, interface voltage 1.8V/3.3V optional, supports the following interface types: GPIO, UART, I2C, SPI, PWM |
| Power source | Type-C 5V3A |
| PCB dimension | 85x56mm |
| Weight | 46g |
More details about carrier board is available on the product page.
Online Store for Orange Pi CM4
Documentation and Support for Orange Pi CM4
I hope you have found the information useful, other details are available on the Orange Pi Computer Module 4 Product Page
I am currently working as an embedded systems design consultant and helping companies build custom embedded products, develop test automation solution for their PCB or complete product.
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