Radxa ROCK 5T: A Compact Yet Powerful SBC with High-Performance Features

 

The Radxa ROCK 5T is a compact single-board computer (SBC) that integrates most of the features of the larger ROCK 5 ITX mini-ITX motherboard into a smaller 110x80mm PCB. Designed around the Rockchip RK3588 or RK3588J SoC, this SBC is available in commercial and industrial-grade variants, offering flexibility for various applications.

Key Features and Specifications

SoC – Rockchip RK3588 or RK3588J (industrial grade)
CPU – Octa-core processor with four Cortex-A76 cores @ up to 2.2 GHz (industrial) / 2.4 GHz (commercial), four Cortex-A55 cores @ up to 1.8 GHz
GPU – Arm Mali G610MC4 GPU
VPU –

• 8Kp60 10-bit H.265 / VP9 / AVS2 / AV1 decoder
• 8Kp30 H.264 decoder
• 8Kp30 H.265 / H.264 encoder
  AI Accelerator – 6 TOPS NPU

System Memory – 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 24GB, or 32GB 64-bit LPDDR5

Storage –

• 2x M.2 2280 sockets for NVMe SSD (PCIe 3.0 x2)
• MicroSD card socket
• 4x SATA ports
• Optional onboard 16GB to 128GB eMMC flash
• Optional SPI Flash for Bootloader

Video Output –

• 2x HDMI port, one up to 8Kp60, the other up to 4Kp60
• 1x USB-C with DisplayPort Alt. mode up to 4Kp60
• 1x 4-lane MIPI DSI connectors
• 1x eDP with touch panel support
• Up to four independent displays supported up to 4K + 4K + 4K + 2K resolutions or 8K + 4K + 2K resolutions (3x displays)

Video Input –

• HDMI input up to 4Kp60
• 2x 4-lane MIPI CSI connectors (also configurable as 4x 2-lane MIPI CSI)

Audio –

• 3.5mm headphone jack with microphone input
• Digital microphone via FPC connector
• 3.5mm microphone Jack
• Front audio header
• Optical S/PDIF output

Networking –

• 2x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet RJ45 ports, one with optional PoE support
• WiFi –
• Commercial (RK3588) – Wi-Fi 6 & Bluetooth 5.2 module with two IPEX antenna connectors
• Industrial (RK3588J) – Wi-Fi 6E & Bluetooth 5.3 module with two IPEX antenna connectors
• M.2 E-Key socket for WiFi 6 module
• Cellular – M.2 Key-B 3042 socket and Nano SIM card slot for 4G LTE/5G connectivity

USB –

• 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports
• 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 OTG/Host Type-C port
• 2x USB 2.0 via front USB header

Expansion – 40-pin (mostly) Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header

Miscellaneous –

• Power and Recovery buttons
• RGB LED for power indicator, system status, and user
• PWM fan connector
• RTC battery connector
• RTC socket (CR1220 battery)
• Front Panel header for Power Button / Reset Button / Status LED

Power Supply –

• 12V DC power barrel jack (55x25mm)
• Standard 24-pin ATX power supply interface
• PoE Header (additional PoE module required)

Dimensions – 110 x 80mm

Temperature Range –

• Commercial (RK3588) – Recommended: 0 to 60°C
• Industrial (RK3588J) – TBD, up to -40 to +85°C

Compliance – FCC/CE

The Radxa ROCK 5T is designed to deliver the functionality of the larger ROCK 5 ITX mini-ITX motherboard in a more compact form factor. One of the key differences is that the ROCK 5T is offered in both commercial and industrial temperature grades, while the ROCK 5 ITX is limited to commercial applications. Some features of the mini-ITX motherboard, such as the 24-pin ATX connector, front panel header, four SATA connectors, two USB 3.1 Type-A ports, and the M.2 Key-E socket for wireless, have been omitted in the ROCK 5T. However, these changes are justified by the inclusion of soldered-on Wi-Fi 6/6E and Bluetooth 5.x modules, which save space and improve integration.

The ROCK 5T also introduces new features, such as a 24GB RAM option, a 40-pin GPIO header compatible with Raspberry Pi HATs, and an M.2 Key-B socket for cellular connectivity. Additionally, the RTC battery socket has been replaced with a 2-pin connector, further streamlining the design.

When compared to the ROCK 5 ITX+, the ROCK 5T aligns more closely, as the ITX+ version removed the four SATA ports based on community feedback. The ROCK 5T also shares similarities with the ROCK 5B+, but it adds an extra 2.5GbE port, implements PoE through an additional module, and uses a 12V DC power jack instead of a USB-C port. However, due to its slightly larger dimensions, the ROCK 5T is not compatible with ROCK 5B/5B+ cases.

The ROCK 5T supports the same software as its predecessors, running on a Debian-based Radxa OS and Android. For more details, visit the documentation website and the productpage. The commercial version of the ROCK 5T SBC is available for purchase on AraceTech at $139.50 for the 16GB RAM variant and $219.50 for the 32GB RAM variant. If you're unfamiliar with the ROCK 5 ITX+, you can find it on AliExpress along with additional information on its productpage.