Particle introduced Tachyon, the first 5G-enabled single-board computer (SBC) built to tackle the future of edge computing and IoT. Launched on Kickstarter, this innovative board is powered by an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon QCM6490 and integrates GPU and NPU acceleration, offering AI/ML capabilities in a compact, credit card-sized form. Early adopters can secure it for as little as $149, with shipments starting in January 2025.
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| Image Credit - Particle |
Key Takeaways:
- Powerful Edge Device: Tachyon boasts a mid-range smartphone’s performance packed into an SBC form factor, designed for AI and IoT applications.
- Qualcomm Snapdragon QCM6490: The board is equipped with an eight-core CPU, 12 TOPS NPU, Wi-Fi 6E, and cellular 5G (mmWave/Sub-6GHz) connectivity.
- Raspberry Pi-Compatible GPIO: Tachyon supports HATs designed for the Raspberry Pi, making it highly adaptable for existing projects.
- Kickstarter Campaign: Early bird rewards start at $149, with general availability beginning in January 2025.
Tachyon: Packed with Power
At its core, Tachyon houses the Qualcomm Snapdragon QCM6490, a chipset that powers mid-range smartphones, but tailored for industrial IoT applications. The octa-core Kryo 670 CPU includes four performance Cortex-A78 cores and four power-efficient Cortex-A55 cores, ideal for juggling high-demand tasks alongside everyday operations. The Adreno 643L GPU provides Tachyon with 4K display capabilities, further extending its use cases into multimedia applications.
The most exciting feature is the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), clocking in at 12 TOPS (Tera Operations per Second), making it a great fit for machine learning models in areas like computer vision and audio recognition. This hardware feature allows developers to experiment with AI and ML on the edge, right out of the box.
A Board Designed for IoT and Edge
With its focus on wireless connectivity, Tachyon is perfect for a wide variety of IoT and edge applications. It includes Wi-Fi 6E and 5G connectivity, ensuring seamless high-speed communication, while still offering LTE fallback for broader coverage.
Moreover, the board features a variety of peripheral interfaces, such as USB-C 3.1 with DisplayPort support, dual PCIe Gen 3, and connectors for CSI cameras and DSI displays. It’s designed to work with high-speed sensors and peripherals, making it a perfect candidate for edge computing tasks that require robust, fast data processing.
Why Linux over Android?
You might wonder why Tachyon runs on Linux (Ubuntu) instead of Android. While Android is great for consumer devices, Linux is the better choice for headless operations like those found in IoT devices. It offers more direct control over hardware, crucial in IoT applications, and ensures low-latency, reliable performance. Plus, Particle's powerful cloud-based IoT platform seamlessly handles connectivity and device management, eliminating the complexities associated with cellular communication.
Particle’s IoT Ecosystem
Particle is known for simplifying IoT development with its integrated hardware, software, and cloud services. Products like the Boron dev board (with Arm Cortex-M33 and LTE-M) have drastically reduced the time and complexity of getting IoT devices online. Tachyon builds upon this legacy by offering developers more processing power to handle edge AI workloads with the same ease.
With Particle’s full-stack IoT platform, developers can start streaming data to the cloud within minutes of setting up Tachyon. This comprehensive solution makes it possible to deploy scalable, secure IoT applications with minimal effort.
Community-Driven Innovation
Tachyon’s development doesn’t stop with the hardware. Particle is known for its active community involvement, and Tachyon’s Kickstarter campaign is no exception. By leveraging backer feedback, Particle aims to refine the platform’s software and hardware stack before the board starts shipping. Based on initial feedback, Particle has already announced a second version of Tachyon that will feature 8GB of RAM and 128GB of UFS storage for developers seeking even more robust performance.
Tachyon is set to make waves in the world of edge computing and IoT with its cutting-edge hardware, AI/ML acceleration, and 5G connectivity. By combining powerful processing, advanced connectivity, and Particle’s cloud services, Tachyon is not just a development board—it’s a game-changing solution for the future of IoT and edge applications.
For developers, engineers, and tech enthusiasts eager to explore the possibilities of AI at the edge, Tachyon represents the next step forward in SBC innovation. Back Tachyon on Kickstarter today and be part of the future of IoT and AI-driven edge computing!
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