Microsoft announced Windows 11 with new system requirements, including hardware with a TPM 2.0 chip. Altho not all computers, laptops, and tablets come with Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which can be a problem, especially if you need version 2.0.

According to a tweet from Shen Ye, Senior Director, Global Head of HTC Hardware Products, the price of TPM 2.0 has quadrupled, so while Windows 11 isn’t officially available yet, Microsoft has it legitimate, and the name is security.

Securing devices with Infineon industrial grade TPM

Infineon Technologies AG has unveiled a new security chip that defines the first TPM (Trusted Platform Module), designed specifically for industrial applications such as industrial computers, servers, industrial controllers and edge gates. The module protects confidential data in connected devices and reduces the risk of leakage of this information due to attacks, e.g. hackers.

The OPTIGA TPM SLM 9670 module protects the integrity of industrial systems and the identity of users using them. The system controls access to sensitive data at key locations in industrial environments, such as an automated factory. It also protects the cloud interface if the network uses one. The security system fully meets the TPM 2.0 standard developed by the Trusted Computing Group and is certified by an independent test laboratory in accordance with the criteria contained in this standard. The new module is meticulously controlled and certified by Infineon. Thanks to its use, it is possible to shorten the time of designing and introducing the device to the market, thanks to the ready security solution in the system.

The TPM system has a lifetime declared as 20 years. It allows programmers to perform firmware updates, which in turn enables them to meet the long-term security requirements in rapidly changing industrial environments. In this way, it can also reduce maintenance costs of industrial equipment thanks to secured remote software updates. The TPM chip will be available in serial production in the second half of 2019.

TPM 2.0 Key Features

  • Random Number Generator (RNG) according to NIST SP800-90A
  • TPM FW update functionality installed
  • 6962 Bytes of free NV memory
  • Full personalization with Endorsement Key (EK) and EK certificate
  • Up to 3 keys in the volatile memory
  • Up to 7 keys in the NV memory
  • Up to 8 NV counters
  • Support of various cryptographic algorithms:
    • RSA-1024 and RSA-2048
    • SHA-1 and SHA-256
    • ECC NIST P256
    • ECC BN256

Security chip implementation in Industrial IoT devices

With knowledge of latest Industrial IoT security measures, the choice of proper end-point conroller or gateway is much easier than you think. Some manufacturers can implement TPM 2.0 security chip in production process, to allow users to generate certification keys after purchase, maximizing security of their installations. TECHBASE offers wide range of solutions, optionally aided with TPM system.

For example, ESP-32 based solution, Moduino X series and eModGATE series products offer the support for such security measures. Read more in Industrial IoT Ecosystem brochure, to understand the importance of reliable and secure hardware for Industrial IoT.

Home Assistant OS version 6 includes a new daemon created by Go called the OS Agent. This gives supervisors access to more aspects of the operating system. One such aspect is moving the data to an external data drive or wiping the data and starting over without reinstalling. However, at this point, it’s important to remember that the logic required by the supervisor and front end is still under development.

Under the hood, the OS was updated to the latest upstream Linux 5.10 kernel as well as Buildroot 2021.02.1. The latest Buildroot release brings tons of new software versions along with bug and security fixes. Some key components which received an update were systemd 247 and the Docker Container Engine 20.10.6.

Source: https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2021/06/11/home-assistant-os-release-6/

Open virtualization appliance & Google Coral support

The virtual disk images are now built from a sparse file as source, which leads to smaller effective disk image sizes. Disk images are now also distributed in the more common zip file format (except the qcow2 images which are mostly used on Linux, they continue to be in the xz compression format).

By default, the image now has a serial console enabled which is useful to access Home Assistant OS on headless host systems.

@ryddler enabled the driver for Google Coral PCIe TPU devices. This allows to use Google Coral Mini PCIe Accelerator or M.2 Accelerator on all boards supporting PCIe.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster for Smart Home

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.

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.

The balena platform provides a variety of tools to build, deploy, and manage IoT applications on your device. This IoT development platform is designed for use with Linux-based devices such as Raspberry Pi and Nvidia’s Jetson TX2. The device is initially flashed on balena OS with Docker compatible container and Yocto Linux based host operating system. Therefore, you are free to choose your own development framework, but you also have to code the functionality yourself.

Key Features for Balena IoT Platform :

  • Linux containers for Single Board Computers (SBCs).
  • Support for open-source tools such as balenaOS, balenaEngine, and balenaEtcher.
  • Built on Git, Docker, and Yocto.
  • A device supervisor container to continue running and pulling new code even if an application crashes.
  • Communication between balena and the device goes through encryption at all times.

Source: https://www.cnx-software.com/2021/08/06/iot-development-platform-comparision-toit-balena-particle-microsoft-azure-iot/

ModBerry 500 CM4 an ultimate solution for IoT monitoring

TECHBASE’s ModBerry industrial computer series has received an update to Compute Module 4 and is available for 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 M.2)
  • two PCIe support for wireless modem solutions, i.e. LTE/5G modems

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/

MinCab could be a good replacement for the upcoming (and delayed) Raspberry Pi 4 Model A for anyone who wants to use the Broadcom BCM2711 processor in a more compact form factor, but to be honest, like Piunora. You can’t save space compared to a standard carrier board. This is because there are multiple ports at the cost of thickening the system.

Uptime Lab does not have any information about the carrier board on its website at this time.  It’s similar in concept, although admittedly much smaller (when the CM4 is not connected), to the open-source hardware Less-is-More (LiM) carrier board that also offers a USB-C port for power and two LED’s, as well as a MicroSD card slot for the latest version.

Source: https://www.cnx-software.com/2021/08/10/mincab-smallest-raspberry-pi-cm4-carrier-board/

ModBerry 500 CM4 an ultimate solution for IoT monitoring

TECHBASE’s ModBerry industrial computer series has received an update to Compute Module 4 and is available for 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 M.2)
  • two PCIe support for wireless modem solutions, i.e. LTE/5G modems

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/

Radxa, in collaboration with Rockchip’s Toybrick division, began sampling the new community-supported SBC built around Rockchip RK3568 with NPU. ROCK 3A is basically a little brother of ROCK Pi 4, with some improvements from the experience on ROCK Pi 4, the main features are:

  • RK3568 based, Quad A55 up to 2GHz, Mali G52 GPU, 0.8T NPU
  • pluggable eMMC module, 2/4/8GB LPDDR4 3200MT/s, dram controller frequency up to 1560MHz
  • QC/PD power support, with a new generation QC/PD protocol IC
  • Two USB2 same as ROCK Pi 4, two USB3(1x OTG+1x HOST), the two USB3 can be configured in SATA mode with a SATA breakout cable
  • GbE with PoE support
  • M.2 M key for NVMe with PCIe 3.0 x2 lanes
  • M.2 E key for connectivity with PCIe 2.0 x1/SDIO/UART, support WiFi 6 cards
  • 1x MIPI DSI, 1x MIPI CSI, compatible with ROCK Pi 4
  • 40P GPIO mostly compatible with ROCK Pi 4

Source: https://forum.radxa.com/t/new-rock-3a-brought-to-you-by-radxa-and-rockchip/6800

Radxa ROCK 3A
Radxa ROCK 3A

ROCK 3A will run Debian 10, maintained by the Toybrick team. Other community distributions will also be supported too. Early samples(few) for developers are ready. A larger batch will be available in late August 2021. As for an alternative, Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 based devices are ready for orders.

ModBerry 500 CM4 an ultimate solution for IoT monitoring

TECHBASE’s ModBerry industrial computer series has received an update to Compute Module 4 and is available for 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 M.2)
  • two PCIe support for wireless modem solutions, i.e. LTE/5G modems

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/

Home Assistant OS version 6 includes a new daemon created by Go called the OS Agent. This gives supervisors access to more aspects of the operating system. One such aspect is moving the data to an external data drive or wiping the data and starting over without reinstalling. However, at this point, it’s important to remember that the logic required by the supervisor and front end is still under development.

Under the hood, the OS was updated to the latest upstream Linux 5.10 kernel as well as Buildroot 2021.02.1. The latest Buildroot release brings tons of new software versions along with bug and security fixes. Some key components which received an update were systemd 247 and the Docker Container Engine 20.10.6.

Source: https://www.home-assistant.io/blog/2021/06/11/home-assistant-os-release-6/

Open virtualization appliance & Google Coral support

The virtual disk images are now built from a sparse file as source, which leads to smaller effective disk image sizes. Disk images are now also distributed in the more common zip file format (except the qcow2 images which are mostly used on Linux, they continue to be in the xz compression format).

By default, the image now has a serial console enabled which is useful to access Home Assistant OS on headless host systems.

@ryddler enabled the driver for Google Coral PCIe TPU devices. This allows to use Google Coral Mini PCIe Accelerator or M.2 Accelerator on all boards supporting PCIe.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Cluster for Smart Home

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.

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.

Microsoft announced Windows 11 with new system requirements, including hardware with a TPM 2.0 chip. Altho not all computers, laptops, and tablets come with Trusted Platform Module (TPM), which can be a problem, especially if you need version 2.0.

According to a tweet from Shen Ye, Senior Director, Global Head of HTC Hardware Products, the price of TPM 2.0 has quadrupled, so while Windows 11 isn’t officially available yet, Microsoft has it legitimate, and the name is security.

Securing devices with Infineon industrial grade TPM

Infineon Technologies AG has unveiled a new security chip that defines the first TPM (Trusted Platform Module), designed specifically for industrial applications such as industrial computers, servers, industrial controllers and edge gates. The module protects confidential data in connected devices and reduces the risk of leakage of this information due to attacks, e.g. hackers.

The OPTIGA TPM SLM 9670 module protects the integrity of industrial systems and the identity of users using them. The system controls access to sensitive data at key locations in industrial environments, such as an automated factory. It also protects the cloud interface if the network uses one. The security system fully meets the TPM 2.0 standard developed by the Trusted Computing Group and is certified by an independent test laboratory in accordance with the criteria contained in this standard. The new module is meticulously controlled and certified by Infineon. Thanks to its use, it is possible to shorten the time of designing and introducing the device to the market, thanks to the ready security solution in the system.

The TPM system has a lifetime declared as 20 years. It allows programmers to perform firmware updates, which in turn enables them to meet the long-term security requirements in rapidly changing industrial environments. In this way, it can also reduce maintenance costs of industrial equipment thanks to secured remote software updates. The TPM chip will be available in serial production in the second half of 2019.

TPM 2.0 Key Features

  • Random Number Generator (RNG) according to NIST SP800-90A
  • TPM FW update functionality installed
  • 6962 Bytes of free NV memory
  • Full personalization with Endorsement Key (EK) and EK certificate
  • Up to 3 keys in the volatile memory
  • Up to 7 keys in the NV memory
  • Up to 8 NV counters
  • Support of various cryptographic algorithms:
    • RSA-1024 and RSA-2048
    • SHA-1 and SHA-256
    • ECC NIST P256
    • ECC BN256

Security chip implementation in Industrial IoT devices

With knowledge of latest Industrial IoT security measures, the choice of proper end-point conroller or gateway is much easier than you think. Some manufacturers can implement TPM 2.0 security chip in production process, to allow users to generate certification keys after purchase, maximizing security of their installations. TECHBASE offers wide range of solutions, optionally aided with TPM system.

For example, ESP-32 based solution, Moduino X series and eModGATE series products offer the support for such security measures. Read more in Industrial IoT Ecosystem brochure, to understand the importance of reliable and secure hardware for Industrial IoT.

Sleep functionality for ModBerry 500 CM4 devices

TECHBASE company designed an extended version of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 based devices, ModBerry 500-CM4-PM series for better power management in changing conditions of industrial applications. With the use of GPIO the module can manage boot, sleep mode or safe shutdown of the device in terms of unexpected drop in the power network with help of built-in ESP32 module and Arduino environment.

In the last few years developers marketed a wide range of ARM-based development boards, lacking in enhanced power management, especially sleep and wake up modes, commonly used in PC-grade computing. These boards are not adjusted for battery power supply, so it’s natural that sleep/wake functions should be implemented. In connection with the development of solutions based on Linux-SBC, key factor is adding sleep modes to any remote installation

ESP32 based addon module for Raspberry Pi

With built-in algorithms and the possibility to program on your own, the TECHBASE’s sleep/wake addon module can wake the device using a scheduler/timer. The module itself is based on ESP32-WROVER, used in the Moduino X series. ESP32 as a lightweight and low-powered solution is a perfect aid system for Raspberry Pi. Another option is wake on external triggers, e.g. change of input state, etc. All the options for sleep, shutdown and wake can be configured for various scenarios to ensure constant operation of devices, safety of data and continuity of work in case of power failure in any installation.

Sleep mode with additional power backup

Additional power management option for ModBerry devices is sleep functionality enhanced with SuperCap UPS energy backup device. This solution allows programming scenarios including the execution of chosen actions, in order to save data, send a notification and restart/shutdown the controller after completion.

Advanced power management solution

Most advanced configuration includes use of ESP32 module, known from the successful, lightweight Moduino X series, for extra logic for wake up / sleep scripts. This addon will allow the RaspberryPi-based ModBerry device to be woken up by the internal ESP32 controller

Moduino-ModBerry symbiosis allows a wide range of wake-up/sleep schedule customization, in order to perform best and save energy according to power supply state. Arduino and MicroPython environments provide libraries to control different scenarios of data and power management.

ModBerry 500-CM4-PM availability

The preliminary ModBerry 500-CM4-PM devices are available on request and delivery time will be specified by the Sales Dept. depending on the size of the project. Contact via email or Live Chat here: https://iiot-shop.com/product/modberry-500-cm4-pm/

A new PCB to help interface a Raspberry Pi 4 to your car has come to the market. CarPiHat is a Raspberry Pi Car Interface, changing the power supply voltage to support the Raspberry Pi and add a range of I/Os to the board.

The board conforms to the standard HAT format, including EEPROM for automatic configuration of some device tree overlays. All connections are made with Molex’s heavy-duty, snap-on Molex nanofit connector. The board has the following features:

  • 12V – 5V buck converter to power the Pi and touchscreen, with fuse and filtering.
  • Safe shutdown circuitry to allow the Pi to control its own power.
  • < 1mA current draw when switched off.
  • Dedicated reverse, illumination and aux inputs, all opto isolated.
  • 2 opto isolated general purpose inputs. (for a total of 5 inputs)
  • 2 high current, high side switched 12V outputs (@1A). (for switching relays, lights etc)
  • 1 independent CAN bus port.
  • Real time clock to maintain system time across reboots.
  • Broken out I2C bus.
  • Broken out 1W for temperature sensor etc.
  • Mounting hardware (4 standoffs and 8 machine screws)
  • 5V Power Output for display etc.

Source: https://www.tindie.com/products/tjd/carpihat-raspberry-pi-car-interface-pcb/

Sleep functionality for ModBerry 500 CM4 devices

TECHBASE company designed an extended version of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 based devices, ModBerry 500-CM4-PM series for better power management in changing conditions of industrial applications. With the use of GPIO the module can manage boot, sleep mode or safe shutdown of the device in terms of unexpected drop in the power network with help of built-in ESP32 module and Arduino environment.

In the last few years developers marketed a wide range of ARM-based development boards, lacking in enhanced power management, especially sleep and wake up modes, commonly used in PC-grade computing. These boards are not adjusted for battery power supply, so it’s natural that sleep/wake functions should be implemented. In connection with the development of solutions based on Linux-SBC, key factor is adding sleep modes to any remote installation

ESP32 based addon module for Raspberry Pi

With built-in algorithms and the possibility to program on your own, the TECHBASE’s sleep/wake addon module can wake the device using a scheduler/timer. The module itself is based on ESP32-WROVER, used in the Moduino X series. ESP32 as a lightweight and low-powered solution is a perfect aid system for Raspberry Pi. Another option is wake on external triggers, e.g. change of input state, etc. All the options for sleep, shutdown and wake can be configured for various scenarios to ensure constant operation of devices, safety of data and continuity of work in case of power failure in any installation.

Sleep mode with additional power backup

Additional power management option for ModBerry devices is sleep functionality enhanced with SuperCap UPS energy backup device. This solution allows programming scenarios including the execution of chosen actions, in order to save data, send a notification and restart/shutdown the controller after completion.

Advanced power management solution

Most advanced configuration includes use of ESP32 module, known from the successful, lightweight Moduino X series, for extra logic for wake up / sleep scripts. This addon will allow the RaspberryPi-based ModBerry device to be woken up by the internal ESP32 controller

Moduino-ModBerry symbiosis allows a wide range of wake-up/sleep schedule customization, in order to perform best and save energy according to power supply state. Arduino and MicroPython environments provide libraries to control different scenarios of data and power management.

ModBerry 500-CM4-PM availability

The preliminary ModBerry 500-CM4-PM devices are available on request and delivery time will be specified by the Sales Dept. depending on the size of the project. Contact via email or Live Chat here: https://iiot-shop.com/product/modberry-500-cm4-pm/

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.

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

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.

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

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/