CS-A76-BOX¶

Version 1.0

Front View

Rear View

Side View 1

Side View 2

Product Overview¶

The fanless embedded single board computer CS-A76-BOX (PN: CS-RK3588-BOX) is a Cortex^®-76 series high-quality industrial PC. Thanks to the fanless design, it is stable and reliable in client terminal, multimedia and other industry applications.

The offered CPU consumes very little power, around 4.35W (max). From the ground-up, the CPU is built for low power consumption. As such, it is best suited for mobile and power-constrained industrial or field applications. A specially designed aluminum alloy housing with fins for increased heat dissipation serves as a passive cooler, eliminating the need for built-in fans. The fanless design reduces noise, as well as the maintenance costs and efforts, leading to increased reliability at the same time.

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC is based around the powerful RK3588 System on Chip (SoC), powered by the Rockchip RK3588 low-power processor which integrates a Quad(4)-core Cortex^®-A76 (2.4GHz) and Quad(4)-core Cortex^®-A55 (1.8GHz) processor.

The RK3588 supports multi-format video decoders and has a high-performance 8GB LPDDR4 RAM capable of sustaining demanding memory bandwidths. It also provides a complete set of peripheral interfaces.

Ordering Options¶

Chipsee products can be customized during the ordering process. The product will be shipped with the pre-installed factory defaults if no extra requirements are specified. The table in the Hardware Features section provides information about the default options bundled with the product.

Note

You can order the CS-A76-BOX from the official Chipsee Store or from your nearest distributor.

Operating System¶

This product comes with a pre-installed OS of your choice. Please see the list below for the supported OSes, which can also be obtained from the Software Documentation section, along with the detailed installation instructions.

Debian 11
Buildroot Linux Qt 5.15

Warning

The Software Documentation section provides a detailed instruction on how to install different OSes on your own. However, bear in mind that Chipsee can’t take the responsibility of inadequate installation procedure. If you “brick” your device, please contact Chipsee Technical Support at support@chipsee.com for further assistance

Optional Features¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC does not include 4G/LTE module by default. The module is optional and can be selected at the Chipsee store during the ordering process.

Warning

Installation, repair, and maintenance tasks should be performed by trained personnel only. Chipsee does not bear any responsibility for damage caused by inadequate handling of the product.

Hardware Features¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC offers a broad range of performance and connectivity options for scalable integration, providing expandability according to future needs. Some of the key features are listed in the table below.

Key Features¶
CS-A76-BOX
CPU	Rockchip RK3588, Quad(4)-core Cortex-A76 (2.4GHz) and Quad(4)-core Cortex-A55 (1.8GHz)
GPU	ARM Mali-G610 MC4. Up to 8K60 FPS video decoding, up to 8K30 FPS video encoding.
NPU	Neural network acceleration engine with 6Tops int8, support Int4/8/16/FP16/BF16/TF32.
RAM	8GB LPDDR4
eMMC	64GB
SSD	N/A
Storage	TF Card, Supports up to 128GB SDHC
Display	N/A
HDMI	1 x HDMI-D (Micro-HDMI) Out
Touch	N/A
USB	2 x USB 3.0 HOST, 1 x USB Type-C1
LAN	2 x RJ45, GbE
POE	N/A
Audio	3.5mm Audio In/Out Connector, 2W Internal Speaker
Buzzer	Yes
RTC	High accuracy RTC with farad capacitor, can work 1 week after power off (default). High accuracy RTC with lithium coin battery, can work 3 years after power off (optional).
RS232	default 2 x RS232 (Optional 6 x RS232 at most, include 1 debug port)2
RS485	default 3 x RS485 at most2
CAN	default 2 x CAN
GPIO	8 Channels Isolated IO, 4 x Input and 4 x Output
WiFi/BT	Integrated WiFi/BT Module
4G/LTE	Supported, Optional
Power Input	From 6V to 36V (supports optional 24V ignition signal)
Current	290mA (max) at 15V
Power Consumption	4.35W (max)
Working Temperature	From -40°C to +85°C
OS	Debian11, Buildroot Linux Qt 5.15
Dimensions	CS-A76-BOX (PN: CS-RK3588-BOX): 209 x 125 x 37.3mm
Weight	CS-A76-BOX (PN: CS-RK3588-BOX): 900g
Mounting	CS-A76-BOX (PN: CS-RK3588-BOX): Rear, VESA

1: The USB-A host (near RJ45) and USB-C can’t be used at the same time. Before boot into OS, USB-C is enabled for install OS image; after boot into OS, USB-A is enabled but USB-C is disabled. In Android, these can be configured; in Linux, these can’t be configured.
2(1,2): This product has 6 x UART channels in total. The default configuration is 2 x RS232 and 3 x RS485, including 1 debug port. CAN0 can be configured to RS232. UART can be swapped between RS232 and RS485 modes easily, if you need a different RS232/RS485 configuration, please get in touch with the Chipsee Technical Support at support@chipsee.com

Power Input¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC can be powered by a wide range of input voltages: From 6V to 36V (supports optional 24V ignition signal) DC.

There are two DC input interfaces on this device: a 3-pin, 3.81mm terminal, and a 2.1mm I.D x 5.5mm O.D x 9.5mm DC connector.

Power Input

Note that the “+” sign represents the positive power input. The “-” terminal is shorted to the ground.

Default Connector¶

By default, the 3 pins are +, - and ground.

Power Connector¶
Power Input Definition
Pin Number	Definition	Description
Pin 1	Positive Input	DC Power Positive Terminal
Pin 2	Negative Input	DC Power Negative Terminal
Pin 3	Ground	Power System Ground

Note

The system ground “G” is connected to power negative “-” on board.

DC Jack¶

For a proper 2.1mm x 5.5mm x 9.5mm DC power connector, refer to the figure below:.

DC Jack

Ignition Signal¶

The product has a “ignition signal” optional feature. By default the ignition signal is not installed. If you need this feature you can contact us when placing an order. In this setup, Pin 3 is the ignition signal pin.

The DC jack doesn’t support ignition signal.

To use this feature, apply a 24V DC input (relative to -) to Pin 3. If Pin 3 detects a low input voltage, the product will be shutdown. If Pin 3 detects a high input voltage, the product will be boot and running.

Power Input (with Ignition Signal)

Power Connector with Ignition Signal¶
Power Input Definition
Pin Number	Definition	Description
Pin 1	Positive Input	DC Power Positive Terminal
Pin 2	Negative Input	DC Power Negative Terminal
Pin 3	Ignition	Ignition Signal

Connectivity¶

There are many connectivity options available on the CS-A76-BOX industrial PC. It has 2 x USB 3.0 HOST, 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x RJ45, GbE (RJ45) Ethernet connector supporting up to 1 Gbps, and 5 x UART terminals (RS232/RS485), 2 x CAN.

RS232/RS485/CAN¶

The serial communication interfaces (RS485, RS232, and CAN) are routed to a 16-pin 3.81mm terminal, as illustrated on the figure below.

RS232 RS485 CAN Pins

The table below offers more detailed description of every pin and its definition:

RS232 / RS485 / CAN Pin Definition¶
Pin Number	Definition	Description	OS Node
Pin 16	CAN1_H	CPU CAN2_M1, CAN H signal
Pin 15	CAN1_L	CPU CAN2_M1, CAN L signal	CAN1
Pin 14	CAN0_H	CPU CAN1_M1, CAN H signal
Pin 13	CAN0_L	CPU CAN1_M1, CAN L signal	CAN0
Pin 12	RS485_5-	CPU UART1, RS485 –(B) signal
Pin 11	RS485_5+	CPU UART1, RS485 +(A) signal	/dev/ttyS1
Pin 10	RS485_4-	CPU UART0, RS485 –(B) signal
Pin 9	RS485_4+	CPU UART0, RS485 +(A) signal	/dev/ttyS0
Pin 8	RS485_3-	CPU UART4, RS485 –(B) signal
Pin 7	RS485_3+	CPU UART4, RS485 +(A) signal	/dev/ttyS4
Pin 6	RS232_0_RXD	CPU UART6, RS232 RXD signal
Pin 5	RS232_0_TXD	CPU UART6, RS232 TXD signal	/dev/ttyS6
Pin 4	RS232_2_RXD	CPU UART2, RS232 RXD signal, Debug Port
Pin 3	RS232_2_TXD	CPU UART2, RS232 TXD signal, Debug Port	/dev/ttyFIQ
Pin 2	GND	System Ground
Pin 1	+5V	System +5V Power Output, No more than 1A Current output

Attention

RS485_3,RS485_4 and RS485_5 can control the input and output direction automatically. There’s no need to control it from within the software.
The 120Ω match resistor for the RS485 is mounted by default.
The 120Ω match resistor for the CAN bus is NOT mounted by default.

USB Connectors¶

There are 2 x USB HOST and 1 x USB DEVICE (for flashing OS) ports onboard: 2 x USB 3.0 HOST, 1 x USB Type-C, as shown in the figures below.

The USB-A host (near RJ45) and USB-C can’t be used at the same time. Before boot into OS, USB-C is enabled for install OS image; after boot into OS, USB-A is enabled but USB-C is disabled. In Android, these can be configured; in Linux, these can’t be configured.

USB 3.0 HOST Port

USB Type-C Port

Warning

Be careful not to touch surrounding electronic components accidentally while plugging USB devices into the embedded IPC version.

LAN Connectors¶

LAN (RJ45) connector provides 2 x RJ45 Ethernet Ethernet connectivity over standardized Ethernet cables as shown in the figure below. The integrated Ethernet interface supports up to 1 Gbps data throughput.

RJ45 LAN Connector

Note

Use CAT5 or better cables to achieve full data throughput over maximum distance defined by the 1000BASE-T standard (100m).

WiFi & BT Module¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC is equipped with the WiFi-6 Realtek RTL8852BE WiFi/BT chip (through CPU PCIe lane) which supports Bluetooth V2.1+EDR/4.2/5.2, as well as IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4/5 GHz Wireless LAN (WLAN).

Realtek RTL8852BE Chip

The CS-A76-BOX includes an SMA connector for an external WiFi/BT antenna, as illustrated in the figure below.

WiFi+BT Antenna SMA

4G/LTE Module¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC is equipped with a mini-PCIe connector (through USB CPU lane) that can connect an optional 4G/LTE module. The customer will also need a SIM Card Holder and a 4G/LTE antenna connector to ensure 4G/LTE works on the CS-A76-BOX. SIM card does NOT support hot plug. Power off before inserting or removing SIM card.

Mini PCI-e and 4G/LTE Module

4G/LTE Antenna

SIM Card Direction

Attention

The product does not come shipped with the 4G/LTE module by default. The customer can choose the 4G/LTE module option when placing an order, we will install all the necessary components.

GPIO¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC features a 10-pin 3.81 mm terminal that provides 8 x opto-isolated GPIO pins, of which 4 x are output, and 4 x are input pins. The 10-pin terminal also includes an isolated PSU input in the range of 5 to 24 VDC. The exact pinout is given in follow table.

The GPIO HIGH output level corresponds to the voltage connected at the isolated Power Input, while the GPIO LOW output level corresponds to the isolated Ground Input. Each GPIO output can drive loads up to 500mA, enough to drive various applications directly, such as relays or solenoid valves.

GPIO Terminal

Isolated GPIO reduced schematic

GPIO Pinout¶
Pin Number	Definition	GPIOD Chip	GPIOD Line
Pin 1	Isolated Power Input3
Pin 2	Isolated Ground Input
Pin 3	OUT1	4	14
Pin 4	OUT2	4	13
Pin 5	OUT3	4	8
Pin 6	OUT4	4	7
Pin 7	IN1	4	6
Pin 8	IN2	1	9
Pin 9	IN3	1	8
Pin 10	IN4	1	6

3: If the isolation is not a requirement, it is possible to use a non-isolated PSU instead.

It is also possible to use the onboard 5V power supply: it can be re-routed to the Isolated Power Input pin by populating two PCB resistor footprints with 0Ω resistors.

Note that in this case, the Isolated Power Input pin will become an output for the onboard 5V power supply.

TF Card Slot¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC features 1 x TF Card (micro SD) slot. TF Card can address up to 128GB of storage.

TF (micro SD) Card Slot

Note

The product does not come shipped with the TF Card by default.

Audio Connectors¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC features some audio peripherals. It has a 3.5mm audio input/output jack, an internal speaker, as well as a small buzzer.

Audio Connector (enclosed PC version)

The miniature 2W embedded speaker is handy for audio reproduction, the small buzzer can play alarm/notification sounds.

2W Micro Speaker and Buzzer

Attention

By plugging in the headphone cable, the internal speaker will be disabled automatically.

HDMI Connector¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC is equipped with 1 x HDMI-D (Micro-HDMI) Out port. The HDMI connector allows connecting an additional (external) monitor. HDMI output resolution can be configured by the software.

HDMI Connector

PROG Button¶

The CS-A76-BOX Industrial PC has one button on the board marked as PROG, as shown in the figure below.
When the button is pressed before powering up, the CS-A76-BOX will enter MASKROM mode. In this mode you can use a USB Type-C cable to upgrade its operating system. You can use this feature to flash another OS to the internal eMMC.

When the button is not pressed before and during power up, the CS-A76-BOX will boot normally.

There is no need to press the button during regular operation. However, if you need to flash the OS in MASKROM mode, the button will be used. Please refer to the software documents for more information.

PROG Button

Mounting Procedure¶

You can mount CS-A76-BOX with VESA mounting (guide): 75 x 75 mm, 4 x M4 (6mm) screws.

You can also mount CS-A76-BOX with rear mounting method (guide).

Mechanical Specifications¶

For CS-A76-BOX, the outer mechanical dimensions are 209 x 125 x 37.3mm (W x L x H).

Please refer to the technical drawing in the figure below for details related to the specific product measurements.

../../../../../_images/CS-RK3588-BOX-TD.png — CS-A76-BOX *Technical Drawing*¶

Disclaimer¶

This document is provided strictly for informational purposes. Its contents are subject to change without notice. Chipsee assumes no responsibility for any errors that may occur in this document. Furthermore, Chipsee reserves the right to alter the hardware, software, and/or specifications set forth herein at any time without prior notice and undertakes no obligation to update the information contained in this document.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained herein, this document is not guaranteed to be error-free. Further, it does not offer any warranties or conditions, whether expressed orally or implied in law, including implied warranties and conditions of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. We specifically disclaim any liability with respect to this document, and no contractual obligations are formed either directly or indirectly by this document.

Despite our best efforts to maintain the accuracy of the information in this document, we assume no responsibility for errors or omissions, nor for damages resulting from the use of the information herein. Please note that Chipsee products are not authorized for use as critical components in life support devices or systems.

Technical Support¶

If you encounter any difficulties or have questions related to this document, we encourage you to refer to our other documentation for potential solutions. If you cannot find the solution you’re looking for, feel free to contact us. Please email Chipsee Technical Support at support@chipsee.com, providing all relevant information. We value your queries and suggestions and are committed to providing you with the assistance you require.