,

ClusBerry-2M with dual Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

Updated ClusBerry device for IoT prototyping

Recently TECHBASE introduced ClusBerry, an industrial Raspberry Pi based cluster device, utilizing up to 8x Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and custom cluster board with a wide range of configuration possibilities.

For smaller projects and IoT prototyping, the company designed a smaller and ready-to-deploy cluster device including two independent ModBerry I/O mainboards and two Compute Module 4’s. The ClusBerry-2M offers similar resources as double ModBerry 500-CM4 with software cluster management tools – Docker and K3s Lightweight Kubernetes solutions.

Each module can perform various tasks, from standard I/O gateway, wireless modem, Gigabit LAN router to NAS file server and AI Gateway with Google Coral Edge TPU modules. You can manage your cluster modules at ease, boot modules from one to another, upgrade firmware crosswise and provide safe operation of each module. The modules are connected to each other to provide such features and allow quick healing of the dual cluster.

New features of multiple Compute Modules 4 brought to new ClusBerry series

Fully configurable devices are something desirable in the IoT market, where high performance and low cost is a key factor to success of implementation. TECHBASE’s Industrial IoT Ecosystem gives the opportunity to adjust ordered devices with certain resources and cut unnecessary I/Os, lowering the total cost of the device. 

Various implementations must have guaranteed high hardware performance to react fast enough in real time. For this purpose, the arrays of processor blocks are constructed to be assigned to individual tasks. For several years now, attempts have been made to use various types of SBC for this purpose, including, of course, Raspberry Pi. 

Reason for use of CM4 cluster in ClusBerry-2M

The introduction of new Compute Module 4 has opened the possibility to construct and maintain effective hardware matrix solutions with the use of both PCI-Express buses and 1GBps Ethernet. Therefore, the ClusBerry-2M opens up completely new capabilities of utilizing cluster solutions for Industrial Automation and server applications.

ClusBerry-2M can be equipped with multiple expansion cards, e.g. serial RS-232/485 ports, range of digital and analog I/Os, USB, HDMI and Ethernet. Interfaces can be expanded with additional I/Os and opto-isolation, relays, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, M-Bus Master and Slave, accelerometer and many more features like TPM Security Chip & eSIM. The device can also be equipped with additional SuperCap backup power source for continuous work and safe boot/shutdown in case of emergency.

ClusBerry-2M series also offers two M.2 NVMe SSD slots and up to four standard miniPCIe module support for various wireless communication protocols, such as:

  • GSM modem (4G/LTE and fast 5G modem)
  • economic NarrowBand-IoT technology
  • LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Sigfox, Wireless M-Bus
  • secondary Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interface or Wi-Fi Hi-Power
  • custom wireless interfaces

Software cluster management with Docker and K3s Lightweight Kubernetes

With use of Docker-based and Kubernetes solutions, installation and management of ClusBerry-2M is easy and backed with a large community for further support and development. Kubernetes is a portable, extensible open-source software platform for managing containerized tasks and sites that enables declarative configuration and automation. The Kubernetes ecosystem is large and dynamically developing. Kubernetes services, support and tools are widely available.

Kubernetes provides:

  • Detection of new services and traffic. Kubernetes can balance the load and redirect the network traffic to ensure the stability of the entire installation.
  • Kubernetes data storage management enables you to automatically mount any type of storage system – on-premises, from cloud providers and others.
  • Automatic deployment and rollback. You can describe the expected state of your installation with Kubernetes, which will take care of bringing the actual state to the expected state in a controlled manner. For example, with Kubernetes, you can manage your cluster modules at ease, boot modules from one to another, upgrade firmware crosswise and provide safe operation of each module.
  • Automatic management of available resources. ClusBerry-2M provides a cluster of modules that Kubernetes can use to run tasks in containers. You determine the CPU power and RAM requirements for each container. Kubernetes arranges containers on machines in such a way as to make the best use of provided resources.
  • Self-healing Kubernetes reboots containers that have stopped working, replaces them with new ones, forces disabling containers that are not responding to certain status queries, and does not announce their availability until they are ready to run.
  • Managing confidential information and Kubernetes configuration with TPM Security Chip allows you to store and manage confidential information such as passwords, OAuth tokens and SSH keys. Secured data and configuration information can be provided and changed without having to rebuild the container image and without exposing sensitive data in the overall software configuration.

ClusBerry-2M availability

Basic version of ClusBerry-2M is available in 2-4 weeks. Delivery time for various configurations of ClusBerry-2M including ExCard modules and modems can be approximately 2 months, depending on the CM4 supply on the market and chosen expansion cards. For more information please contact via our website and sign the offer here: https://clusberry.techbase.eu/

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

4G vs 5G – main network differences for Industrial IoT

The cellular infrastructure that enables wireless communication is updated approximately every 10 years. Currently, 5G is gradually replacing 4G worldwide. The main difference between 4G and 5G is speed. 5G is expected to be much faster than 4G, while having lower latency and greater bandwidth.

In most conversations about 5G, speed is often the specification that sets it apart from 4G. And that makes sense. Because each generation of cells is much faster than before. 4G can now reach speeds of up to 100Mbps, but actual performance is typically below 35Mbps. 5G can be 100 times faster than 4G, with a theoretical maximum speed of around 20Gbps and current real speeds of 50Mbps to 3Gbps.

But it’s a little more complicated than that. There are three main flavors of 5G, and each one has its own speed. The so-called low-band 5G is somewhat faster than 4G with performance around 50-250 Mbps. The fastest version of 5G, called high-band 5G, is the version that reaches 3 Gbps.

Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/4g-vs-5g?IR=T
The Reality of 5G. Source: https://www.gms-worldwide.com/blog/the-reality-of-5g-in-2020/

Latency and coverage of 5G network

The delay of 4G networks is currently around 50ms, but 5G networks are expected to reduce it to an impressive 1ms. Latency reduction is important for many applications that allow connected devices to rely on the cloud for computing. For example, self-driving cars that use 5G to allow cloud-based AI to make real-time navigation decisions.

Even 10 years after 4G, there are remote and rural areas around the world where 4G coverage is insufficient. As 5G is still in its infancy, its coverage is essentially non-existent except in a few major cities. 5G takes years to reach levels of coverage similar to 4G, with different implementations (5G highband, midband, and lowband), each with its own speed and bandwidth.

5G modem support for Raspberry Pi

With latest premiere of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 some companies introduced new IoT devices, that utilize the processor module and allow usage of high-end cellular modems, such as 5G. TECHBASE developed their top product, ModBerry 500 CM4, to be a perfect IoT solution and expansion platform for latest wireless communication modules and such technologies as M.2 NVMe SSD support.

ModBerry 500 CM4 can be ordered here: https://iiot-shop.com/product/modberry-500-cm4/

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

Raspberry Pi based ClusBerry possitively affecting IoT market

New features of multiple Raspberry Pi Compute Modules 4 brought to new ClusBerry series

Accompanying the release of ModBerry 500-CM4 and AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4, we present to you a cluster version of the device, called ClusBerry 9500-CM4. Main difference between standard Gateway and ClusBerry is the possibility to include multiple Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 in one device, as well as the intended suitable amount of wired and wireless interfaces, suited for the project.

Fully configurable devices are something desirable in the IoT market, where high performance and low cost is a key factor to success of implementation. TECHBASE’s Industrial IoT Ecosystem gives the opportunity to adjust ordered devices with certain resources and cut unnecessary I/Os, lowering the total cost of the device. 

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

Wide range of ClusBerry modules

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 supports up to 8 cluster modules and comes with a variety of interchangeable modules to choose from, including:

  • Standard 9500-CM4 cluster module with Compute Module 4 and chosen configuration:
    • I/O Controller with range of DI, DO, AI, 1-Wire, RS-232/485 and CAN interfaces
    • Communication Gateway with wired (1/2x Ethernet, Serial Ports) and wireless interfaces (LTE-cat.M1, 4G, 5G, LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wireless M-Bus)
    • AI Gateway with 1x Coral Edge TPU via PCIe M.2, introduced in December 2020: https://iiot-shop.com/product/ai-gateway/ or up to 4x Coral Edge TPU via USB3.0
  • NAS File Server with 2x SSD SATA III and RAID support, managed with Nextcloud or ownCloud software
  • USB3.0 Hub for 5G communication, Modems, AI Cluster and peripherals
  • Gigabit LAN/WAN Router with additional 2.5GbE network card as an independent switch/router shielded from the mainboard cluster network
  • SuperCap / Power management module for backup power supply (supercapacitors / Li-Ion battery) and sleep mode management aided with ESP32-module
  • Additional expansion cards, with resources suited for the installation (DIO, AIO, Serial Ports and dedicated sensor cards, detailed below)
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

This is where Raspberry Pi Compute Module can shine, but due to the hardware speed limitations of the buses in this module, it was not completely effective and was rather a development platform. Altho the introduction of new Compute Module 4 has opened the possibility to construct and maintain effective hardware matrix solutions with the use of both PCI-Express buses and 1GBps Ethernet. Therefore, the ClusBerry 9500-CM4 opens up completely new capabilities of utilizing cluster solutions for Industrial Automation and server applications.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

Reason for use of Raspberry Pi CM4 cluster in ClusBerry 9500-CM4

Various implementations must have guaranteed high hardware performance to react fast enough in real time. For this purpose, the arrays of processor blocks are constructed to be assigned to individual tasks. For several years now, attempts have been made to use various types of SBC for this purpose, including, of course, Raspberry Pi. However, the practical effectiveness of such solutions so far has not been of interest for several reasons. First of all, these solutions were most often associated with many mechanical limitations and the structure of the matrix itself required excessive wiring, preventing failure-free operation and the cost of the entire maintenance of the structure.

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 with available expansion cards 

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 can be equipped with multiple expansion cards, e.g. serial RS-232/485 ports, range of digital and analog I/Os, USB, HDMI and Ethernet. Interfaces can be expanded with additional I/Os and opto-isolation, relays, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, M-Bus Master and Slave, accelerometer and many more features like TPM Security Chip & eSIM. The device can also be equipped with additional SuperCap backup power source for continuous work and safe boot/shutdown in case of emergency.

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 series also offers a standard PCI module support for various wireless communication protocols, such as:

  • GSM modem (4G/LTE and fast 5G modem)
  • economic NarrowBand-IoT technology
  • LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Sigfox, Wireless M-Bus
  • secondary Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interface or Wi-Fi Hi-Power
  • custom wireless interfaces
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

Software cluster management with Docker and K3s Lightweight Kubernetes

With use of Docker-based and Kubernetes solutions, installation and management of ClusBerry 9500-CM4 is easy and backed with a large community for further support and development. Kubernetes is a portable, extensible open-source software platform for managing containerized tasks and sites that enables declarative configuration and automation. The Kubernetes ecosystem is large and dynamically developing. Kubernetes services, support and tools are widely available.

Kubernetes provides:

  • Detection of new services and traffic. Kubernetes can balance the load and redirect the network traffic to ensure the stability of the entire installation.
  • Kubernetes data storage management enables you to automatically mount any type of storage system – on-premises, from cloud providers and others.
  • Automatic deployment and rollback. You can describe the expected state of your installation with Kubernetes, which will take care of bringing the actual state to the expected state in a controlled manner. For example, with Kubernetes, you can manage your cluster modules at ease, boot modules from one to another, upgrade firmware crosswise and provide safe operation of each module
  • Automatic management of available resources. ClusBerry 9500-CM4 provides a cluster of modules that Kubernetes can use to run tasks in containers. You determine the CPU power and RAM requirements for each container. Kubernetes arranges containers on machines in such a way as to make the best use of provided resources.
  • Self-healing Kubernetes reboots containers that have stopped working, replaces them with new ones, forces disabling containers that are not responding to certain status queries, and does not announce their availability until they are ready to run.
  • Managing confidential information and Kubernetes configuration with TPM Security Chip allows you to store and manage confidential information such as passwords, OAuth tokens and SSH keys. Secured data and configuration information can be provided and changed without having to rebuild the container image and without exposing sensitive data in the overall software configuration.
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 availability

First prototypes are being developed, since Compute Module 4 is already available for the purchase. Delivery time for various configurations of ClusBerry will be approximately 2 months, depending on the CM4 supply on the market and chosen expansion cards. For more information contact TECHBASE’s Sales Department via email or Live Chat here or visit product website: https://clusberry.techbase.eu.

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

Possible NVMe SSD RAID for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4

With latest Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, the Raspberry Foundation added NVMe SSD support via M.2 (PCIe 2.0) interface. Jeff Geerling tested 3 piece M.2 SSD RAID array which is another example how Compute Module 4 is a milestone in IoT applications.

SSD/eMMC benchmark scores for Compute Module 4

With the debut of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and ModBerry 500 CM4 from TECHBASE, another addition came to Industrial Controllers and Edge Automation. New module carried the likelihood to associate NVMe SSD module by means of M.2 slot utilizing PCIe 2.0 interface.

We took our ModBerry 500 CM4 device, utililizing latest Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and carried two test:

  • eMMC built-in standard Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4
  • selected NVMe SSD via M.2 slot

Both eMMC and SSD drive perfomed truly well, accomplishing extremely high benchmark score: 5078 for eMMC and unbelivable 13807 for NVM. SSD. For direct correlation, you can check a few tests performed by over 20.000 clients of this benchmark here: https://jamesachambers.com/2020s-fastest-raspberry-pi-4-storage-sd-ssd-benchmarks/?amp

Score of eMMC on ModBerry 500 CM4
Score of NVMe SSD on ModBerry 500 CM4

More benchmark scores can be found here: https://storage.jamesachambers.com/

Order next batch of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 devices

TECHBASE’s ModBerry 500 series has gotten an update to Compute Module 4 and is accessible for pre-orders. TECHBASE is leading producer of Industrial Raspberry Pi and Industrial Compute Module applications. ModBerry 500 series is completely viable with all arrivals of Compute Module from Rasbperry Pi Foundation.

Primary highlights of refreshed device are:

  • up to 4x quicker eMMC Flash with up to 32GB capacity
  • up to 2x quicker execution than recent CM3 rendition with quad-center Cortex-A72 4×1.5GHz
  • up to 8x more RAM (8GB LPDDR4)
  • 1Gbit Ethernet interface
  • discretionary PCIe card support for NVMe SSD by M.2
  • discretionary second PCIe support for remote modem arrangements, for example 5G modems

First group of ModBerry 500 CM4 devices has just been dispatched, we are gathering orders for next batch. Hustle just a bit to get your devices rapidly!

Purchase ModBerry 500 CM4 NOW!

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster for Smart Home

Updated ClusBerry device for Smart Home and developers

A new addition to TECHBASE’s Industrial IoT Ecosystem is a variation of recent cluster device, ClusBerry based on multiple Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and custom cluster board allowing free configuration from two up to eight modules. Each module can perform various tasks, from standard I/O gateway, wireless modem, Gigabit LAN router to NAS file server and AI Gateway with up to 4 Google Coral Edge TPU modules.

You can manage your cluster modules at ease, boot modules from one to another, upgrade firmware crosswise and provide safe operation of each module. The modules are connected to internal Ethernet Switch and USB OTG to provide such feature and allow quick heal of the cluster.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster for Smart Home

For home applications and with the nod to software developers, we released ClusBerry device in less industrial casing, to be used in the comfort of own house – on your desk next to PC or wall-mounted in any convenient place. ClusBerry for Home is fully modular as it’s industrial version and offers the same performance and options.

More information here: https://clusberry.techbase.eu/

New features of multiple Compute Modules 4 brought to new ClusBerry series

Accompanying the release of ModBerry 500-CM4 and AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4, we present to you a cluster version of the device, called ClusBerry 9500-CM4. Main difference between standard Gateway and ClusBerry is the possibility to include multiple Compute Module 4 in one device, as well as the intended suitable amount of wired and wireless interfaces, suited for the project.

Fully configurable devices are something desirable in the IoT market, where high performance and low cost is a key factor to success of implementation. TECHBASE’s Industrial IoT Ecosystem gives the opportunity to adjust ordered devices with certain resources and cut unnecessary I/Os, lowering the total cost of the device. 

Reason for use of Raspberry Pi CM4 cluster in ClusBerry 9500-CM4

Various implementations must have guaranteed high hardware performance to react fast enough in real time. For this purpose, the arrays of processor blocks are constructed to be assigned to individual tasks. For several years now, attempts have been made to use various types of SBC for this purpose, including, of course, Raspberry Pi. However, the practical effectiveness of such solutions so far has not been of interest for several reasons. First of all, these solutions were most often associated with many mechanical limitations and the structure of the matrix itself required excessive wiring, preventing failure-free operation and the cost of the entire maintenance of the structure.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

This is where Raspberry Pi Compute Module can shine, but due to the hardware speed limitations of the buses in this module, it was not completely effective and was rather a development platform. Altho the introduction of new Compute Module 4 has opened the possibility to construct and maintain effective hardware matrix solutions with the use of both PCI-Express buses and 1GBps Ethernet. Therefore, the ClusBerry 9500-CM4 opens up completely new capabilities of utilizing cluster solutions for Industrial Automation and server applications.

Wide range of ClusBerry modules

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 supports up to 8 cluster modules and comes with a variety of interchangeable modules to choose from, including:

  • Standard 9500-CM4 cluster module with Compute Module 4 and chosen configuration:
    • I/O Controller with range of DI, DO, AI, 1-Wire, RS-232/485 and CAN interfaces
    • Communication Gateway with wired (1/2x Ethernet, Serial Ports) and wireless interfaces (LTE-cat.M1, 4G, 5G, LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wireless M-Bus)
    • AI Gateway with 1x Coral Edge TPU via PCIe M.2, introduced in December 2020: https://iiot-shop.com/product/ai-gateway/ or up to 4x Coral Edge TPU via USB3.0
  • NAS File Server with 2x SSD SATA III and RAID support, managed with Nextcloud or ownCloud software
  • USB3.0 Hub for 5G communication, Modems, AI Cluster and peripherals
  • Gigabit LAN/WAN Router with additional 2.5GbE network card as an independent switch/router shielded from the mainboard cluster network
  • SuperCap / Power management module for backup power supply (supercapacitors / Li-Ion battery) and sleep mode management aided with ESP32-module
  • Additional expansion cards, with resources suited for the installation (DIO, AIO, Serial Ports and dedicated sensor cards, detailed below)
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 with available expansion cards 

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 can be equipped with multiple expansion cards, e.g. serial RS-232/485 ports, range of digital and analog I/Os, USB, HDMI and Ethernet. Interfaces can be expanded with additional I/Os and opto-isolation, relays, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, M-Bus Master and Slave, accelerometer and many more features like TPM Security Chip & eSIM. The device can also be equipped with additional SuperCap backup power source for continuous work and safe boot/shutdown in case of emergency.

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 series also offers a standard PCI module support for various wireless communication protocols, such as:

  • GSM modem (4G/LTE and fast 5G modem)
  • economic NarrowBand-IoT technology
  • LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Sigfox, Wireless M-Bus
  • secondary Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interface or Wi-Fi Hi-Power
  • custom wireless interfaces
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster for Smart Home

Software cluster management with Docker and K3s Lightweight Kubernetes

With use of Docker-based and Kubernetes solutions, installation and management of ClusBerry 9500-CM4 is easy and backed with a large community for further support and development. Kubernetes is a portable, extensible open-source software platform for managing containerized tasks and sites that enables declarative configuration and automation. The Kubernetes ecosystem is large and dynamically developing. Kubernetes services, support and tools are widely available.

Kubernetes provides:

  • Detection of new services and traffic. Kubernetes can balance the load and redirect the network traffic to ensure the stability of the entire installation.
  • Kubernetes data storage management enables you to automatically mount any type of storage system – on-premises, from cloud providers and others.
  • Automatic deployment and rollback. You can describe the expected state of your installation with Kubernetes, which will take care of bringing the actual state to the expected state in a controlled manner. For example, with Kubernetes, you can manage your cluster modules at ease, boot modules from one to another, upgrade firmware crosswise and provide safe operation of each module
  • Automatic management of available resources. ClusBerry 9500-CM4 provides a cluster of modules that Kubernetes can use to run tasks in containers. You determine the CPU power and RAM requirements for each container. Kubernetes arranges containers on machines in such a way as to make the best use of provided resources.
  • Self-healing Kubernetes reboots containers that have stopped working, replaces them with new ones, forces disabling containers that are not responding to certain status queries, and does not announce their availability until they are ready to run.
  • Managing confidential information and Kubernetes configuration with TPM Security Chip allows you to store and manage confidential information such as passwords, OAuth tokens and SSH keys. Secured data and configuration information can be provided and changed without having to rebuild the container image and without exposing sensitive data in the overall software configuration.
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster for Smart Home

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 availability

First prototypes are being developed, since Compute Module 4 is already available for the purchase. Delivery time for various configurations of ClusBerry will be approximately 2 months, depending on the CM4 supply on the market and chosen expansion cards. For more information contact TECHBASE’s Sales Department via email or Live Chat here or visit product website: https://clusberry.techbase.eu.

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

Super-fast NVMe SSD for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 based modern IoT device

With the debut of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and ModBerry 500 CM4 from TECHBASE, another addition came to Industrial Controllers and Edge Automation. New module carried the likelihood to associate NVMe SSD module by means of M.2 slot utilizing PCIe 2.0 interface.

SSD/eMMC benchmark scores for Compute Module 4

We took our ModBerry 500 CM4 device, utililizing latest Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and carried two test:

  • eMMC built-in standard Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4
  • selected NVMe SSD via M.2 slot

Both eMMC and SSD drive perfomed truly well, accomplishing extremely high benchmark score: 5078 for eMMC and unbelivable 13807 for NVM. SSD. For direct correlation, you can check a few tests performed by over 20.000 clients of this benchmark here: https://jamesachambers.com/2020s-fastest-raspberry-pi-4-storage-sd-ssd-benchmarks/?amp

Score of eMMC on ModBerry 500 CM4
Score of NVMe SSD on ModBerry 500 CM4

More benchmark scores can be found here: https://storage.jamesachambers.com/

Order next batch of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 devices

TECHBASE’s ModBerry 500 series has gotten an update to Compute Module 4 and is accessible for pre-orders. TECHBASE is leading producer of Industrial Raspberry Pi and Industrial Compute Module applications. ModBerry 500 series is completely viable with all arrivals of Compute Module from Rasbperry Pi Foundation.

Primary highlights of refreshed device are:

  • up to 4x quicker eMMC Flash with up to 32GB capacity
  • up to 2x quicker execution than recent CM3 rendition with quad-center Cortex-A72 4×1.5GHz
  • up to 8x more RAM (8GB LPDDR4)
  • 1Gbit Ethernet interface
  • discretionary PCIe card support for NVMe SSD by M.2
  • discretionary second PCIe support for remote modem arrangements, for example 5G modems

First group of ModBerry 500 CM4 devices has just been dispatched, we are gathering orders for next batch. Hustle just a bit to get your devices rapidly!

Purchase ModBerry 500 CM4 NOW!

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

Cluster Edge computing coming to Industrial IoT installations

New features of multiple Raspberry Pi Compute Modules 4 brought to new ClusBerry series

Accompanying the release of ModBerry 500-CM4 and AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4, we present to you a cluster version of the device, called ClusBerry 9500-CM4. Main difference between standard Gateway and ClusBerry is the possibility to include multiple Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 in one device, as well as the intended suitable amount of wired and wireless interfaces, suited for the project.

Fully configurable devices are something desirable in the IoT market, where high performance and low cost is a key factor to success of implementation. TECHBASE’s Industrial IoT Ecosystem gives the opportunity to adjust ordered devices with certain resources and cut unnecessary I/Os, lowering the total cost of the device. 

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

Reason for use of Raspberry Pi CM4 cluster in ClusBerry 9500-CM4

Various implementations must have guaranteed high hardware performance to react fast enough in real time. For this purpose, the arrays of processor blocks are constructed to be assigned to individual tasks. For several years now, attempts have been made to use various types of SBC for this purpose, including, of course, Raspberry Pi. However, the practical effectiveness of such solutions so far has not been of interest for several reasons. First of all, these solutions were most often associated with many mechanical limitations and the structure of the matrix itself required excessive wiring, preventing failure-free operation and the cost of the entire maintenance of the structure.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

This is where Raspberry Pi Compute Module can shine, but due to the hardware speed limitations of the buses in this module, it was not completely effective and was rather a development platform. Altho the introduction of new Compute Module 4 has opened the possibility to construct and maintain effective hardware matrix solutions with the use of both PCI-Express buses and 1GBps Ethernet. Therefore, the ClusBerry 9500-CM4 opens up completely new capabilities of utilizing cluster solutions for Industrial Automation and server applications.

Wide range of ClusBerry modules

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 supports up to 8 cluster modules and comes with a variety of interchangeable modules to choose from, including:

  • Standard 9500-CM4 cluster module with Compute Module 4 and chosen configuration:
    • I/O Controller with range of DI, DO, AI, 1-Wire, RS-232/485 and CAN interfaces
    • Communication Gateway with wired (1/2x Ethernet, Serial Ports) and wireless interfaces (LTE-cat.M1, 4G, 5G, LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Wireless M-Bus)
    • AI Gateway with 1x Coral Edge TPU via PCIe M.2, introduced in December 2020: https://iiot-shop.com/product/ai-gateway/ or up to 4x Coral Edge TPU via USB3.0
  • NAS File Server with 2x SSD SATA III and RAID support, managed with Nextcloud or ownCloud software
  • USB3.0 Hub for 5G communication, Modems, AI Cluster and peripherals
  • Gigabit LAN/WAN Router with additional 2.5GbE network card as an independent switch/router shielded from the mainboard cluster network
  • SuperCap / Power management module for backup power supply (supercapacitors / Li-Ion battery) and sleep mode management aided with ESP32-module
  • Additional expansion cards, with resources suited for the installation (DIO, AIO, Serial Ports and dedicated sensor cards, detailed below)
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 with available expansion cards 

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 can be equipped with multiple expansion cards, e.g. serial RS-232/485 ports, range of digital and analog I/Os, USB, HDMI and Ethernet. Interfaces can be expanded with additional I/Os and opto-isolation, relays, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, M-Bus Master and Slave, accelerometer and many more features like TPM Security Chip & eSIM. The device can also be equipped with additional SuperCap backup power source for continuous work and safe boot/shutdown in case of emergency.

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 series also offers a standard PCI module support for various wireless communication protocols, such as:

  • GSM modem (4G/LTE and fast 5G modem)
  • economic NarrowBand-IoT technology
  • LoRa, ZigBee, Z-Wave, Sigfox, Wireless M-Bus
  • secondary Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interface or Wi-Fi Hi-Power
  • custom wireless interfaces
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

Software cluster management with Docker and K3s Lightweight Kubernetes

With use of Docker-based and Kubernetes solutions, installation and management of ClusBerry 9500-CM4 is easy and backed with a large community for further support and development. Kubernetes is a portable, extensible open-source software platform for managing containerized tasks and sites that enables declarative configuration and automation. The Kubernetes ecosystem is large and dynamically developing. Kubernetes services, support and tools are widely available.

Kubernetes provides:

  • Detection of new services and traffic. Kubernetes can balance the load and redirect the network traffic to ensure the stability of the entire installation.
  • Kubernetes data storage management enables you to automatically mount any type of storage system – on-premises, from cloud providers and others.
  • Automatic deployment and rollback. You can describe the expected state of your installation with Kubernetes, which will take care of bringing the actual state to the expected state in a controlled manner. For example, with Kubernetes, you can manage your cluster modules at ease, boot modules from one to another, upgrade firmware crosswise and provide safe operation of each module
  • Automatic management of available resources. ClusBerry 9500-CM4 provides a cluster of modules that Kubernetes can use to run tasks in containers. You determine the CPU power and RAM requirements for each container. Kubernetes arranges containers on machines in such a way as to make the best use of provided resources.
  • Self-healing Kubernetes reboots containers that have stopped working, replaces them with new ones, forces disabling containers that are not responding to certain status queries, and does not announce their availability until they are ready to run.
  • Managing confidential information and Kubernetes configuration with TPM Security Chip allows you to store and manage confidential information such as passwords, OAuth tokens and SSH keys. Secured data and configuration information can be provided and changed without having to rebuild the container image and without exposing sensitive data in the overall software configuration.
Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster

ClusBerry 9500-CM4 availability

First prototypes are being developed, since Compute Module 4 is already available for the purchase. Delivery time for various configurations of ClusBerry will be approximately 2 months, depending on the CM4 supply on the market and chosen expansion cards. For more information contact TECHBASE’s Sales Department via email or Live Chat here or visit product website: https://clusberry.techbase.eu.

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

ModBerry 500 with Compute Module 4 available for pre-order

TECHBASE’s ModBerry industrial computer series has received an update to Compute Module 4 and is available for pre-orders. TECHBASE is leading manufacturer of Industrial Raspberry Pi and Industrial Compute Module solutions. ModBerry 500 series is fully compatible with all releases of Compute Module from Rasbperry Pi foundation.

ModBerry 500 CM4, First industrial computer based on Raspberry Pi’s Compute Module 4

Main features of updated device are:

  • up to 4x faster eMMC Flash with up to 32GB storage
  • up to 2x faster performance of CPU appllications than previous CM3 version
  • up to 8x more RAM (8GB LPDDR4-3200)
  • 1Gbit Ethernet interface
  • PCI 2.0 card support for NVMe SSD drive (via mPCIe or optionally via M.2)
  • optional second PCIe support for wireless modem solutions, i.e. 5G modems

First orders will be ready with subject to the availability of the CM4 module itself.

Pre-order ModBerry 500 CM4 NOW!

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 world premiere

Few days ago, Raspberry Foundation announced new member of its family, a Rasbperry Pi Compute Module 4. It’s quite obvious, even from the first look, that the new module is very different from its predecessors. Main difference is a new form factor, leaving DDR2 SODIMM in the past.

The same 64-bit quad-core BCM2711 application processor as in Raspberry Pi 4B, the Compute Module 4 brings higher performance: faster CPU cores, better multimedia, more interfacing capabilities, and, for the first time, a choice of RAM densities and a wireless Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options.

Compute Module 4 comes in 32 variants. Lite, as always, offers no eMMC memory, a and standard versions come with up to 8GB RAM, 32 eMMC Flash and wireless modem.

New Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 in new form factor

New features of Compute Module 4

  • 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 CPU as in Raspberry Pi 4 version B
  • 1GB, 2GB, 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM
  • 8GB, 16GB or 32GB eMMC Flash storage for Standard version, Lite version without eMMC
  • Optional 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ac wireless LAN and Bluetooth 5.0
  • Single-lane PCI Express 2.0 interface
  • Gigabit Ethernet PHY with IEEE 1588 support
  • Dual HDMI interfaces, at resolutions up to 4K
  • 28 GPIO pins, with up to 6 × UART, 6 × I2C and 5 × SPI

Source: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/raspberry-pi-compute-module-4/

/0 Komentarze/Autor
,

World-first industrial AI Gateway for Machine Learning

New features of Edge TPU brought to ModBerry series

In October 2020, with the release of the latest Compute Module 4 from Rasbperry Pi Foundation, TECHBASE announced an upgraded device from ModBerry 500 series, called ModBerry 500 CM4. Thanks to the high-performance PCI-Express bus introduced in Compute Module 4 and Raspberry Pi community, the device itself presents support for a wide range of new applications, such as use of Google’s Artificial Intelligence modules at ease.

Therefore, TECHBASE designed a new device, called ModBerry AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4, utilizing the vertical format of ModBerry 9500, latest Compute Module 4 and Google’s Coral TPU. Installation-ready AI GATEWAY allows direct application in industrial fields.

TECHBASE’s AI GATEWAY series, world-first industrial gateway utilizing Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and Google Coral TPU

AI GATEWAY with Coral TPU enhancement 

Neuron network capabilities enhance CM4-based devices, not only collecting and sending data, but also allows local data change predictions and allows direct management on-site. This feature gives the possibility for various applications, such as data analysing and establishing trends predictions, smart alarms and smart monitoring, local notification control, etc.

Used Edge TPU coprocessor via PCI-Express bus is capable of performing 4 trillion operations per second (TOPS), using 0.5 watts for each TOPS (2 TOPS per watt). Google Coral easily integrates with Raspberry Pi Compute Module in Linux and optionally in Windows with full support of TensorFlow Lite framework and AutoML Vision Edge solution.

TECHBASE’s AI GATEWAY series, world-first industrial gateway utilizing Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and Google Coral TPU
TECHBASE’s AI GATEWAY series, world-first industrial gateway utilizing Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 and Google Coral TPU

AI GATEWAY with available expansion cards 

ModBerry AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4 can be equipped with serial RS-232/485 ports, range of digital and analog I/Os, USB, HDMI and Ethernet. Interfaces can be expanded with additional I/Os and opto-isolation, relays, Ethernet, 1-Wire, CAN, M-Bus Master and Slave, accelerometer, OLED screen and many more features like TPM Security Chip, eSIM and SuperCap backup power support. 

ModBerry AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4 series also offers a standard PCI module support for various wireless communication protocols, such as:

  • GSM modem (4G/LTE and fast 5G modem, interchangeable with Coral TPU)
  • economic NarrowBand-IoT technology
  • LoRa, ZigBee, Sigfox, Wireless M-Bus
  • secondary Wi-Fi/Bluetooth interface or Wi-Fi Hi-Power
  • custom wireless interfaces

ModBerry AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4 availabilityFirst prototypes are being developed, since Compute Module 4 is already available for the purchase. Delivery time for various configurations of AI GATEWAY will be approximately 2 months, depending on the CM4 supply on the market and chosen expansion cards. For more information contact TECHBASE’s Sales Department via email or Live Chat here.

Pre-order ModBerry AI GATEWAY 9500-CM4 NOW!
/0 Komentarze/Autor