Development of a Compact RK3576 System-on-Module
Project Description
This project aims to design and fabricate a compact, high-performance System-on-Module (SoM) based on the Rockchip RK3576 processor, together with a 4 layer carrier board. The RK3576 delivers exceptional computing power for its power envelope, supporting graphical Linux distributions (e.g., Ubuntu), making it an ideal candidate for lightweight onboard single board computers in robotics and edge AI.
The core module will be implemented on a 6 layer PCB to accommodate LPDDR4 memory routing, HDMI, and MIPI high speed signals. The carrier board will expose essential interfaces: MIPI DSI (to drive a display panel), HDMI output, MIPI CSI (camera input), as well as UART, I²C, and CAN buses.
The key technical challenges include LPDDR4 layout with impedance control and timing matching, signal integrity tuning for HDMI/MIPI, and hardware debugging of the high speed peripherals. The final deliverables will be a fully assembled and validated SoM + carrier board set, demonstrating stable OS booting, display output and basic communication over the exposed interfaces.
The core module will be implemented on a 6 layer PCB to accommodate LPDDR4 memory routing, HDMI, and MIPI high speed signals. The carrier board will expose essential interfaces: MIPI DSI (to drive a display panel), HDMI output, MIPI CSI (camera input), as well as UART, I²C, and CAN buses.
The key technical challenges include LPDDR4 layout with impedance control and timing matching, signal integrity tuning for HDMI/MIPI, and hardware debugging of the high speed peripherals. The final deliverables will be a fully assembled and validated SoM + carrier board set, demonstrating stable OS booting, display output and basic communication over the exposed interfaces.
Supervisor
SHI, Ling
Quota
1
Course type
UROP1000
UROP1100
UROP2100
UROP3100
UROP3200
UROP4100
Applicant's Roles
1. Schematic capture and 6 layer PCB layout plus 4 layer carrier board.
2. Component assembly (soldering of fine pitch BGA packages e.g., RK3576, LPDDR4), and board level bring up.
3. Debugging of clock distribution, and high speed interfaces using oscilloscope and logic analyzer.
4. Flashing and configuring bootloader/kernel (U Boot, Device Tree) to enable Ubuntu and validate DSI/HDMI/CSI functions.
2. Component assembly (soldering of fine pitch BGA packages e.g., RK3576, LPDDR4), and board level bring up.
3. Debugging of clock distribution, and high speed interfaces using oscilloscope and logic analyzer.
4. Flashing and configuring bootloader/kernel (U Boot, Device Tree) to enable Ubuntu and validate DSI/HDMI/CSI functions.
Applicant's Learning Objectives
1. Master advanced PCB design skills: high speed routing (DDR4, HDMI, MIPI), stack up planning, impedance control, and signal integrity considerations for 6 layer boards.
2. Learn to use oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers for clock validation, and protocol decoding (I²C, UART, MIPI DSI/CSI).
3. Understand embedded Linux boot process and basic device tree customization for peripheral enablement.
2. Learn to use oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers for clock validation, and protocol decoding (I²C, UART, MIPI DSI/CSI).
3. Understand embedded Linux boot process and basic device tree customization for peripheral enablement.
Complexity of the project
Challenging