High-performance CompactPIC serial CPU board

duagon presents the G029, a new CompactPCI Serial CPU board developed for high-end embedded computing applications in rolling stock, rail wayside, industrial and medical technology. It is based on the 13th generation IntelCore nSeries processors U/P/H, known as Raptor Lake.

With up to six Performance (P) and up to eight Efficient (E)-cores, the board is ideal for virtualisation, enabling resource optimisation, and simplifying updates and maintenance. A stand-out feature of the board is an integrated GPU with up to 96 Execution Units (EU), allowing the execution of its own local AI algorithms and the support of other AI accelerators available in the system. The board supports applications such as intelligent CCTV and object detection.

In addition to its 14 cores, the 3U CompactPCI Serial CPU board can be equipped with a capacity of up to 96GB DDR5 RAM, aimed primarily at high-end embedded computing applications. The board's memory is protected against external influences with in-band ECC (IBECC) for high reliability and availability. Using Intel's new hybrid architecture and modern virtualisation techniques, the board provides an advantage by streamlining system complexity and reducing maintenance costs. According to applicable industry standards, all components are soldered for protection against shock and vibration. Also, all models come with fast 120GB NVMe storage.

Compared to the duagon G28, the G029 achieves a 20-25% increase in performance-per-watt, setting a new standard for embedded solutions. Due to its performance features, the board is especially suited to railway applications, as it serves as a virtualisation hub and a centralised maintenance platform. Also, it can serve as the basis for future ML/AI advancements.

The board has a TPM 2.0 and supports a user-manageable secure boot key to fulfil the highest possible security standards. This permits the board to perform a fully controlled secure boot process and prevent the execution of unauthorised code. Intel Trusted Execution Technology, Intel Virtualization Technologies (VT-x / VT-d) and Intel Boot Guard complete the board's security package. It was developed in accordance with the company's TÜV-SÜD-certified IEC 62443-4-1 cybersecurity process.

One of the most critical aspects of the new board is its scalability, particularly in terms of CPU performance and memory configuration. duagon uses the extended CPU scalability with options ranging from 15W (U-series) to 45W (P-series) power consumption and many P/E core configurations to fit operational needs even in harsh ambient temperatures of up to +70C. For models with U-series CPUs, a fanless operation is possible in this system environment, which is a benefit for extremely robust applications where forced air cooling is not an option.

The integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU with 96 EUs is AI-ready for a wide range of low-complexity applications such as in rail transportation (intelligent CCTV with obstacle and anomaly detection, sensor and track defect monitoring, improved passenger safety, people counting), medical (surgical robots) and other industrial applications (robot control, improved quality control). The Intel Open VINO toolkit, combined with the accessibility of pre-trained models such as YOLO, provides a robust foundation for the seamless deployment of inference applications in real-world scenarios.

A versatile board management controller of the device supplies intelligent monitoring and supervision of all vital signals, including supply and onboard voltages and temperatures, and a watchdog for the OS. Also, the new CompactPCI Serial board supports Intel AMT remote out-of-band management.

The new board supports Linux and real-time operating systems, and a Red Hat certification will soon be available. This presents further advantages in terms of performance, reliability, and updates. Long-term availability ensures an extended product life and fewer replacement cycles. The board is backwards compatible with predecessor models G28, G25A and G23.