T3 Gemstone

T3 Gemstone is a family of single-board computers (SBCs) specifically engineered for embedded systems development, robotics, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Developed with an open-source philosophy, the series aims to provide a high-performance platform for developers, researchers, and engineers. The first member of the family is designated by the code T3 GEM O1 and is officially named "Obsidian." Following the "Gemstone" branding, each subsequent product in the line is named after a precious or semi-precious stone.

The T3 GEM O1 is built upon the Texas Instruments (TI) AM67A processor architecture. The hardware is designed to handle multi-tiered processing tasks through a heterogeneous core structure:

• Application Processing: A quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 cluster, designed to run high-level operating systems (HLOS) such as Linux.
• Real-Time Processing: Dual ARM Cortex-R5F cores dedicated to low-latency, real-time control tasks.
• AI Acceleration: Integrated deep learning accelerators providing a total capacity of 4 TOPS (2 TOPS per accelerator), optimized for edge AI workloads.
• Graphics and Compute: A GPU delivering 50 GFLOPS of computing power, supporting modern APIs including OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 1.2 EP, and Vulkan 1.2.
• Digital Signal Processing: Inclusion of the C7x DSP component within the AM67A SoC for advanced signal processing and mathematical computations.

The board is equipped with 4 GB of LPDDR4 system memory. For primary storage, it features an onboard 32 GB eMMC module, allowing the system to boot and operate without the need for an external microSD card.

Additional storage and configuration options include:

• EEPROM: A 512 Kbit I2C-compatible serial EEPROM for system configuration.
• microSD Slot: Supports High-Speed SDR104 mode for expandable storage.
• NVMe Support: An M.2 2280 slot for high-speed NVMe SSD integration.

The T3 Gemstone provides robust wireless and wired communication interfaces:

• Wireless: Utilizes the TI WL1835MOD module, supporting Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) with dual external 2.4 GHz antenna connectors, alongside Bluetooth 5.1 and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).
• Wired Networking: A standard RJ45 port providing Gigabit Ethernet connectivity.
• Industrial/Automotive: An onboard CAN FD converter is included for automotive and industrial communication protocols.

The board offers a comprehensive array of interfaces for peripheral integration:

• USB: 2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A, 1x USB 2.0 Type-C, and 1x USB 2.0 Type-C with Power Delivery (PD) and Device Mode support.
• Display & Camera: 2x 4-lane MIPI CSI camera interfaces and 1x 4-lane MIPI DSI interface. It also features a full-sized HDMI output.
• Expansion: A 40-pin GPIO header, which maintains pinout compatibility with the Raspberry Pi ecosystem.
• Debugging: A 10-pin ARM Cortex JTAG connector and a 3-pin UART connector for serial console access.

Designed for motion tracking and environmental monitoring, the board integrates:

• InvenSense ICM-20948: A 9-axis MotionTracking device (accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass).
• Bosch BMP390: A high-performance 24-bit barometric pressure sensor.
• TI HDC2010: A digital sensor for high-accuracy humidity and temperature measurements.

Power Management: Primary power is supplied via USB Type-C (5V to 9V, 3A) with Power Delivery support. An alternative DC power jack supports a range of 5V to 12V (5A).

The T3 Gemstone project adheres to an open-source model, providing both hardware design files and software components to the community for modification and redistribution.

The ecosystem supports various Linux distributions, categorized into three primary image types:

1. Desktop: Includes full graphical user interface (GUI) components.
2. Minimal: A lightweight version for IoT and embedded projects requiring no GUI, pre-configured with drivers for Serial, CAN Bus, and Ethernet.
3. Kiosk: Optimized for single-application display systems.

Official support includes Ubuntu 22.04 (Default SDK), Debian 11/12, and Pardus 23.

The Gemstone Imager is a cross-platform application (Linux, Windows, macOS) used to download, customize, and flash OS images onto microSD cards, eMMC, or NVMe SSDs. It allows for advanced pre-configuration of services and system settings through its "OS Customization" menu.

The T3 Gemstone is positioned as a versatile controller for complex autonomous systems and industrial automation. Key application areas include:

• Autonomous Vehicles: Autopilot and mission computers for UAVs, UGVs, and UUVs.
• Robotics: Industrial robotic arms, agricultural automation, and autonomous mobile robots (AMR).
• Edge AI: High-speed image processing and computer vision systems using GStreamer-based pipelines with Python and C++ support.
• Control Systems: Touch-panel interfaces, kiosks, and command-and-control units.

Current development roadmaps include full support for ArduPilot, NuttX, PX4, Buildroot, and Phoenix RTOS.