Asus has announced a new single-board computer (SBC) called the Tinker Board 3N. This new board is based on the Rockchip RK3568 system-on-a-chip (SoC) and uses the NUC form factor, which provides more space for expansion than the Raspberry Pi form factor used in previous Tinker Boards.
Features
The Tinker Board 3N features a 64-bit, quad-core Arm v8 CPU and a low-profile heatsink to cool the SoC. The board has a form factor similar to the Nvidia Jetson, with a rotated HDMI connector and ports along one side of the board. The 100 x 100mm form factor is slightly larger than that of a Raspberry Pi 4, and the underside of the board is dominated by the heat sink.
| SoC | Rockchip RK3568 |
| CPU | Quad-core Arm Cortex®-A55 |
| GPU | Arm® Mali-G52 |
| RAM | 2/4/8GB LPDDR4X |
| Storage | None / 32 / 64GB eMMC |
| Row 5 – Cell 0 | MicroSD, 16MB SPI Flash |
| M.2 Slots | E Key 2230 for Wi-Fi 5/6 & Bluetooth |
| Row 7 – Cell 0 | B Key 3042 / 3052 for 4G/5G or SSD |
| Networking | Dual LAN ports |
| Ports | 1 x HDMI, 1 x LVDS, 1 x eDP |
| Row 10 – Cell 0 | 3.5mm headphone jack, Speaker pin header |
| Row 11 – Cell 0 | 1 x USB C, 2 x USB 3.2, 2 x USB 2 pin header |
| Row 12 – Cell 0 | CAN Bus, 2 x COM 232 header |
| GPIO | 1 x 12 pin GPIO (GND, I2C, 2 x UART, SPI, SPDIF, 4 x PWM, 2 x ADC) |
| OS Support | Debian 11 / Android 12 |
| Power | 12 – 24V DC via 5525 barrel jack |
| Row 16 – Cell 0 | 1 x 4 pin Power input header |
| Dimensions | 100 x 100mm |
Pricing
As of now, the pricing for the Tinker Board 3N is not yet available. However, we can expect it to be more expensive than the Asus Tinker Board 2, which can go for around the $200 mark.
Raspberry Pi Alternatives
The Tinker Board 3N is just one of many Raspberry Pi alternatives available in the market. These alternatives come in various form factors and offer different features and capabilities. While the Raspberry Pi remains the most popular SBC, these alternatives provide a hardware and software ecosystem that supports all the boards.
Conclusion
The Asus Tinker Board 3N is a new Raspberry Pi alternative that offers a unique form factor and features. With its NUC form factor and Rockchip RK3568 SoC, the Tinker Board 3N provides more space for expansion and a powerful CPU. While the pricing for the board is not yet available, we can expect it to be more expensive than the Asus Tinker Board 2. If you’re looking for a Raspberry Pi alternative, the Tinker Board 3N is definitely worth considering.