embedded tiny PC with hdmi - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: vivi-d
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2025, 06:55:39 pm
content: In the spirit of re-inventing the wheel... I'm interested in learning how to make a small embedded board running linux that I can attach to my TV.I say re-inventing because I want to do the pcb routing and such myself.My main question is what parts to look into if I want to do without soldering BGAs. What CPU (RISCV, ARM, x86), RAM, HDMI output, USB would work well together for a beginner? Some of these could probably just be FPGA implementations...Where should I start?

author: ataradov
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2025, 08:53:43 pm
content: If you want to use actual ICs and not modules, then you don't have too many options. Allwinner A13 is one of the most popular ones in TQFP package, but I don't know if you can still get them, it is quite old.Allwinner has more recent F1C200S in QFN-88, but I don't know if it has HDMI.

author: langwadt
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2025, 08:57:43 pm
content: make a board for a rpi CM4 or CM5 ?

author: gamalot
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 03, 2025, 08:59:54 pm
content: You might consider using a separate HDMI transmitter or bridge.

author: pcprogrammer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2025, 06:26:28 am
content: Quote from: ataradov on June 03, 2025, 08:53:43 pmThat is also an old one and does not have HDMI. The R11 is a newer SOC in a 128 eLQFP package. Has a single lane LVDS video output that can be used for HDMI.

author: Whales
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2025, 08:17:17 am
content: https://jaycarlson.net/embedded-linux/Been a while since I read it, but I think it had lots of good advice on how hard different packages are to work with and what the minimum you can get away with is. IIRC Jay recommends buying an SoC with memory included in it if you can, whilst also claiming that routing DDR traces isn't as hard as people think.

author: vivi-d
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2025, 12:13:34 pm
content: Thanks everyone for the info! I think I will start with a compute module and go from there.

author: BadeBhaiya
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2025, 12:33:53 pm
content: Are there any x86 option? I have a few ideas that require x86 software and PCIe peripherals so ARM chips just won't work...

author: Doctorandus_P
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 04, 2025, 09:14:22 pm
content: Olimex still sells the A13:https://www.olimex.com/Products/Components/IC/A13/And complete boards with it:https://www.olimex.com/Products/OLinuXino/A13/open-source-hardwareOlimex sells boards to industrial customers, and long time support is more important then the latest and greatest. You can also buy a lot of their boards with components specified for industrial temperature ranges at a moderate extra cost. They also have a special contract with Allwinner. Allwinner has promised to start up the factory for Old IC's if Olimex buys enough of them (I think the critical mass is 10k chips).Olimex is also quite special, in that they opensourced a lot of their designs. A13 is quite old and done in eagle (which can be converted to KiCad without much trouble). Newer designs are already done in KiCad, or they converted it to KiCad themselves.https://github.com/OLIMEX/OLINUXINO/tree/master/HARDWARE@BadeBhaiyax86 may still be available in modules such as the Mity-Mite with a M6117D, but that one is also ancient, but industrial stuff dies hard. I have not looked any deeper then the link below. But it predates PCI3. It's more like ISA / PC104.http://www.dmp.com.tw/app/mitymite/I think Intel stopped making legacy x86 long ago, but several other companies kept on making them years later, so start with researching wich brand names did so, and who bought them over the years.

author: radiolistener
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: June 05, 2025, 03:01:52 am
content: Quote from: vivi-d on June 03, 2025, 06:55:39 pmTry starting by soldering a couple of power wires to a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, connect the HDMI and USB, and see how it works. Chances are, your journey will end there since this setup will probably cover all your needs.