Particle Unveils Tachyon: A Revolutionary 5G and AI-Enabled Single-Board Computer

Particle unveils Tachyon, a 5G and AI-enabled single-board computer for everyone

GamesBeat is excited to partner with Lil Snack to have customized games just for our audience! We know as gamers ourselves, this is an exciting way to engage through play with the GamesBeat content you have already come to love. Start playing games here. Particle has launched Tachyon, its first Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered single-board computer (SBC) designed to make cutting-edge chipsets and AI tooling widely accessible to consumers and businesses. The 5G device is available for pre-order via a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign for $149, and it is compatible with Raspberry Pi's ecosystem. Zach Supalla, CEO of Particle, said in an interview with GamesBeat that Tachyon brings the power of a modern smartphone to the far corners of the world with speedy hardware, a powerful AI accelerator, built-in high-bandwidth 5G and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and a Linux-powered Ubuntu operating system. By providing a complete edge-to-cloud infrastructure, Particle enables customers to focus on what matters most: their application. Expanding the internet of things Tachyon is a kind of extension for Particle, which has been around for 10 years and is an internet of things edge-to-cloud infrastructure provider. "The way our business works is we make very easy to use development kits for prototyping," Supalla said. Customers start prototyping on the platform and then scale it up as they launch a full business. "We've been living in microcontroller land for a while with sensors and controls, things like that. We're about to launch our first microprocessor-based product, a single board computer called the Tachyon," Supalla said. "The basic premise of it is we're entering the world of Raspberry Pi, where low cost, single-board computers are useful for a lot of different applications." Particle saw an opportunity in systems that are even more powerful and are built around 5G wireless, GPUs and AI accelerators that can do machine learning applications like computer vision. "We are essentially are taking the tech of a Qualcomm Snapdragon smartphone and packaging it up with a bunch of Linux and connectivity and cloud services to make it easy for folks to build IoT products that are smartphone equivalent in terms of their capabilities," he said. A surge in AI demand The demand for AI-enabled edge solutions is exploding in today's technology landscape, driving the need for powerful devices and platforms to manage these fleets. Rich peripherals, robust AI and graphics accelerators, and wireless connectivity make up some of the device requirements, powered by open-source software and a vibrant development community, Supalla said. "Any engineer or technically minded person should have access to the building blocks of a modern smartphone, but that's not the case right now," said Supalla. "5G connectivity and AI accelerators are limited today because they're not democratized; only a few large players have access to the bleeding-edge technology that will power the next wave of connected devices. Exploration is the beginning of the innovation cycle, and we want Tachyon to enable that spark of imagination to take root." San Francisco-based Particle is known for pioneering accessible IoT products and tools, starting 10 years ago with its record-breaking Kickstarter projects for the Spark Core and the Electron. The company now powers hundreds of connected products from household-name brands like Jacuzzi (which makes, yes, a smart Jacuzzi), Trek, and Anytime Fitness. Today, Particle is introducing a new line of IoT modules, starting with Tachyon, a device that can handle AI/ML workloads while supporting broad-base wireless connectivity, all at an affordable price. This Raspberry Pi-compatible SBC makes it possible for anyone -- whether shipping at scale or for personal use -- to create remotely-deployed AI-enabled IoT products. This kind of capability has previously only been available to smartphone and PC manufacturers and wasn't readily available to the average person or business. Particle's new Linux-based SBC is the IoT module that can handle it all. Powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon system on a chip (SoC), Tachyon marries the speed and efficiency of modern computing with the limitless range of high-bandwidth wireless connectivity, all in a compact footprint. It has an Qualcomm Snapdragon platform with an eight-core Kryo CPU (1x 2.7GHz, 3x 2.4GHz, 4x 1.9GHz). And it comes with robust connectivity out of the box, with 5G cellular connectivity and Wi-Fi 6E with on-device antennas. The little box has AI and graphics accelerators, including a 12 TOPS NPU and Adreno 643 GPU. The storage includes 4GB RAM and 64GB built-in (UFS) flash storage. It's computer vision ready with 2 x CSI 4-lane with ISP, supporting 20+ different camera sensors (e.g. IMX519, OV13850) up to 25MP. And it has broad peripheral compatibility with USB-C 3.1 PD with DisplayPort, 1 x 2-lane PCIe Gen 3 (NVMe compatible), and DSI 4-lane up to 1200×2520 resolution. And it has External power and built-in battery support, powered by USB-C, DC input or lithium-ion battery with a built-in battery charger. Built for modularity Tachyon's credit card-sized form factor is designed with modularity in mind. USB-C ports provide connectivity to a wide ecosystem of cameras, displays, and sensors, and the integrated antennas provide a plug-and-go experience from initial setup through commercial deployments. Power can be provided by USB or built-in lithium-ion battery support. The company's mix of products is eclectic, as the products range from a smart hot tub to methane emission monitoring in oil and gas industries. It has gadgets built into E-bikes and E-scooters, and you can find its applications in healthcare, agriculture and more. These small computers can be placed on lobster fishing boats to make sure the are complying with fishing regulations. Supalla said he admired Raspberry Pi because it had low prices and built a lot of community around its products and that has helped it get very popular. But his company saw a gap in the market with slightly more powerful systems and systems with strong cellular connectivity. "There's a gap for cellular single-board computers," he said. "A lot of applications are remote, where you deploy something out into the world. That's a big part of what we focus on." Supalla said the company also focuses on providing a great Linux software experience built on Ubuntu, which is the same version of Linux that Raspberry Pi provides. But Particle aims to differentiate based on its cloud service, which handles tasks like telemetry, over the air software updates, remote monitoring of devices out in the field, connectivity management, and other DevOps infrastructure." AI at the edge Supalla acknowledged that the more powerful AI PCs being announced now can do up to 55 TOPS and are running local large language models. But for IoT, he said the silicon for local LLMs is very expensive and IoT devices can strike a balance between local processing and the cloud. IoT apps focus around computer vision, audio classification, natural language processing -- which benefit from having a good AI accelerator, but don't require the same level of processing power that an LLM would. Some of this is new territory for Particle, which is a connected microcontroller and embedded systems company. "This will be our first entry into the single board computer land. And I think for a lot of folks that this will be the first time they've heard of us," Supalla said. The Kickstarter ends in 30 days and the company aims to be shipping in January. A new market I asked about how powerful the 12 TOPS AI processor would be. He replied, "I think that the silicone wars around AI are just starting. There are going to be increasingly competitive dynamics around AI accelerators. And that's where Moore's Law makes gains now. We're at the very beginning of that. It's going to lead to another wave for the internet of things." This is actually the company's third Kickstarter campaign. When it did its earlier campaigns in 2015 and 2013, the company's name was Spark. Now the company has about 100 people. "It's been nine years and so this is like coming back home for us," he said.

The Raspberry Pi gets a serious competitor as Particle unveils its 5G-capable SBC

Key Takeaways Particle's Tachyon SBC is a powerhouse with 5G, AI, and numerous features packed onto a credit card-sized board. CEO Zach Supalla aims to democratize bleeding-edge technology for engineers and innovators with the Tachyon. Back the Tachyon on Kickstarter for $149 to support Particle's track record of successful projects and cutting-edge technology. With people doing so many innovative things with Raspberry Pis, it's easy to think it's the only SBC out there. However, ignoring the competition can be a seriously bad move, as manufacturers are creating some seriously cool boards that can do things a Pi can't. Such is the case with Particle's Tachyon, the first 5G-powered, AI-enabled SBC that the company claims is suitable "for everyone and everything." Related My first hands-on experience of RISC-V is with the Milk-V Duo S, and I'm excited The Milk-V Duo S is a RISC-V SBC that has an Arm CPU in tow, though you can't make use of it just yet. Particle reveals the Tachyon SBC for $149 Image Credit: Particle It's probably easier to list all the things that the Tachyon doesn't have, as this SBC is packing a ton of features into a tiny board. But we have to start somewhere, so here goes. Alongside the aforementioned 5G connectivity, the Tachyon also has a Wi-Fi 6E antenna, both of which are built onto the board. The Tachyon also sports an octa-core Qualcomm Kryo CPU, 4GB RAM, and 64GB of built-in flash storage. It comes with an Adreno 643 GPU and sports 12 TOPS of AI processing power. Finally, it has over 20 different camera sensors, a USB-C 3.1 PD port, a 2-land PCI3 Gen 3 slot, and a DSI 4-lane that can go up to 1200x2520. All on a board the size of a credit card - phew. As you might imagine, Zach Supalla, the CEO of Particle, is pretty pleased with this powerhouse of an SBC: "Any engineer or technically minded person should have access to the building blocks of a modern smartphone, but that's not the case right now. 5G connectivity and AI accelerators are limited today because they're not democratized; only a few large players have access to the bleeding-edge technology that will power the next wave of connected devices. Exploration is the beginning of the innovation cycle, and we want Tachyon to enable that spark of imagination to take root." If you're interested, you can head over to Particle's Kickstarter page and back the Tachyon for $149. Particle has plenty of backer experience with the Spark Core and the Electron, so you know you'll be in good hands if you do decide to invest in this project.

Particle debuts Tachyon single-board computer for powering connected devices - SiliconANGLE

Particle debuts Tachyon single-board computer for powering connected devices Startup Particle Industries Inc. today debuted Tachyon, a single-board computer designed to power connected devices. Tachyon is positioned as an alternative to the popular Raspberry Pi line of miniature computing modules. Companies and consumers have bought more than 60 million Raspberry Pi devices since the product series launched in 2012. Those modules are used to power agricultural equipment, industrial robots, satellites and a range of other systems. San Francisco-based Particle is backed by more than $80 million in funding from Qualcomm Inc. and other investors. It operates a cloud platform that companies use to manage their connected device fleets. The platform enables developers to remotely change connected devices' configuration, issue software updates and troubleshoot technical issues. Particle also offers a range of complementary products. It provides an operating system that companies can install on their connected gadgets to provide a software foundation for on-device applications. To help customers link their devices to the internet, Particle offers hardware modules that can be used to equip a system with 5G and Wi-Fi connectivity. Tachyon, the new device that the company debuted today, extends its hardware portfolio into a new market. It's a so-called single-board computer, a computer implemented on a single circuit board to save space and reduce power usage. Similarly to the competing Raspberry Pi, the Tachyon is about the size of a credit card. The bulk of the device's processing power comes from an eight-core central processing unit supplied by Particle investor Qualcomm. The chip's fastest core can reach speeds of up to 2.7 gigahertz. There are two sets of slower cores that peak at 2.4 gigahertz and 1.9 gigahertz, respectively. The CPU is supported by 4 gigabytes of RAM and a solid-state drive with 64 gigabytes of space. The SSD is based on UFS flash, a type of flash that is widely used in smartphones and requires less power than the NVMe variety favored by data center operators. Customers that require more capacity can optionally attach an external flash drive via an NVMe-compatible USB-C port integrated into the circuit board. One of the tasks that Particle promises to ease with Tachyon is running artificial intelligence models at the edge. A manufacturer, for example, could use the device to power a production line monitoring system that leverages computer vision to detect malfunctions. To support such use cases, Particle has equipped Tachyon with a neural processing unit that can perform up to 12 trillion calculations per second. There's also an Adreno 643 graphics processing unit from Qualcomm. It's designed to boost the speed at which the Tachyon can process multimedia files. The device can only ingest such data but also output it to external displays thanks to the built-in USB-C port, which supports the DisplayPort protocol for transferring multimedia content. Yet another task for which the USB-C port can be used is charging Tachyon-powered systems. Alternatively, customers may order the computer with a built-in battery. That configuration option allows it to be used inside connected devices that don't operate in the immediate vicinity of a power outlet.