The ESPRESSObin is a high-performance 64-bit dual-core networking computing platform based on the ARMv8 architecture with low power consumption. The board is powered by Marvell's Armada 3700 dual-core SoC chipset which runs up to 1.2GHz.
ESPRESSObin specifications across several hardware revisions are shown in the table below:
| Component | ESPRESSObin v5 and older | ESPRESSObin v7 |
|---|---|---|
| SoC | Marvell Armada 3700LP (88F3720) dual-core ARM Cortex A53 processor up to 1GHz | Marvell Armada 3700LP (88F3720) dual-core ARM Cortex A53 processor up to 1.2GHz |
| System Memory | 1GB DDR3 or 2GB DDR3 | 1GB or 2GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 1x micro SD card slot | 1x micro SD card slot |
| Optional 4GB eMMC footprint | Optional 4GB eMMC footprint | |
| SATA power connector and SATA 3.0 connector | Single SATA connector | |
| Network Connectivity | 1x Topaz Networking Switch | 1x Topaz Networking Switch |
| 2x GbE Ethernet LAN | 2x GbE Ethernet LAN | |
| 1x Ethernet WAN | 1x Ethernet WAN | |
| 1x MiniPCIe slot for Wireless/BLE peripherals | 1x MiniPCIe slot for Wireless/BLE peripherals | |
| USB | 1x USB 3.0 | 1x USB 3.0 |
| 1x USB 2.0 | 1x USB 2.0 | |
| 1x micro USB port | 1x micro USB port | |
| Expansion | 2x46-pin GPIO headers for accessories and shields with I2C, GPIOs, PWM, UART, SPI, MMC, etc. | 2x46-pin GPIO headers for accessories and shields with I2C, GPIOs, PWM, UART, SPI, MMC, etc. |
| Misc | Reset button | Reset button |
| JTAG interface | JTAG interface (Marvell JTAG Prove V debugger support) | |
| Power supply | 12V DC jack | 12V DC jack |
| Power consumption | Less than 1W thermal dissipation at 1 GHz | Less than 1W thermal dissipation at 1 GHz |
Low cost and power consumption combined with powerful Networking and Storage interfaces make the ESPRESSObin board a perfect fit for a wide variety of deployments often neglected by other SBCs such as:
- Home & office networking
- Storage
- Media streaming
- IoT
Listed below are some of the use cases where you could utilize the ESPRESSObin board:
- NAS-SATA-Wi-Fi -> By connecting the device SATA interface to hard drives, you can stream via wireless or Ethernet.
- Video Camera Monitor -> Reuse old USB cameras and turn them into power-conscious IP cameras by connecting them to ESPRESSObin and streaming content directly to your computer.
- Plex Media Server -> Ethernet or Wi-Fi streaming from hard drives, USB sticks to connected television sets in multiple rooms.
- Stacking switch cluster -> Create power efficient storage units by connecting storage and Ethernet. Compute clusters for Torrent server applications.
- IoT Gateway -> Turn the ESPRESSObin into an IoT Gateway by connecting LORA, BLE, ZigBee, Zwave and other protocols through a variety of interfaces supported by the board.