Device Comparison
Side-by-side comparison of the ALPON X5 AI edge AI computer and the ALPON X4 edge IoT computer. Use this page to decide which device fits your workload before you buy.
Choose the ALPON X5 AI if you need on-device AI inference, as it has a 25 TOPS DEEPX DX-M1 NPU, a faster Cortex-A76 (CM5) processor, NVMe SSD support, and 2× Gigabit Ethernet. Choose the ALPON X4 for general-purpose IoT gateway, telemetry, and remote-monitoring workloads where you do not need an AI accelerator. Both devices share the same ALPON Cloud, fleet management, eSIM connectivity, and industrial enclosure.
Quick decision guide
If you can answer "yes" to any of the following, the choice is clear.
ALPON X5 AI
Edge AIPick X5 AI if you need to…
- Run computer vision, object detection, or segmentation on-device
- Deploy quantized AI models (INT8) at 25 TOPS
- Process multiple camera streams in real time
- Use Compute Module 5 (Cortex-A76) and NVMe SSD
- Drive a 4K display at 60 Hz
ALPON X4
Edge IoTPick X4 if you need to…
- Build an industrial IoT gateway or telemetry collector
- Aggregate sensor data and forward it to the cloud
- Deploy long-running services without GPU/NPU workloads
- Optimize for cost where AI inference is not required
- Use proven Compute Module 4 hardware
The X5 AI is not a drop-in replacement for the X4. The two devices share the same enclosure footprint and ALPON Cloud, but they differ in dimensions (X5 AI is 12 mm taller), processor architecture, and I/O layout. Validate your antenna, mounting, and power assumptions before swapping.
Full specification comparison
Every spec from the official datasheets, side by side. Highlighted rows are where the two devices differ.
| Specification |
ALPON X5 AI
Edge AI Computer
|
ALPON X4
Edge IoT Computer
|
|---|---|---|
| AI Acceleration | ||
| AI Accelerator | DEEPX DX-M1 UltraM.2 2280, on-board | — None |
| AI Performance | 25 TOPSINT8 inference | Not applicable |
| NPU Memory | 4 GB on-chipDedicated, does not share system RAM | Not applicable |
| NPU Power | 2–5 WMin/max under AI workloads | Not applicable |
| System | ||
| Compute Module | Raspberry Pi CM5 | Raspberry Pi CM4 |
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2712Quad-core Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz (Armv8) | Broadcom BCM2711Quad-core Cortex-A72 @ 1.5 GHz (Armv8) |
| Memory | 8 GB or 16 GBLPDDR4-4267 with ECC | 8 GBLPDDR4 (optional 2 GB / 4 GB) |
| Storage | eMMC + NVMe SSDCM5 eMMC (optional) plus NVMe | 32 GB eMMCOptional 8 GB / 16 GB |
| Real-Time Clock | CR1220 coin cell | CR1220 coin cell |
| Connectivity | ||
| Cellular | 4G / LTE Cat 4 (Global) | 4G / LTE Cat 4 (Global) |
| eSIM | eUICC, remote profile mgmt | eUICC, remote profile mgmt |
| Wi-Fi | 2.4 / 5 GHz, 802.11 b/g/n/ac | 2.4 / 5 GHz, 802.11 b/g/n/ac |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0, BLE | Bluetooth 5.0, BLE |
| Ethernet | 2× 1 GbpsRJ45 | 1× 1 Gbps + 1× 100 MbpsRJ45 |
| GNSS / GPS | GPS/GNSS + cellular geolocation | GPS/GNSS + cellular geolocation |
| LTE Data Rate | 150 Mbps DL / 50 Mbps UL (FDD) | 150 Mbps DL / 50 Mbps UL (FDD) |
| Input / Output | ||
| USB | 2× USB 3.0 + 1× USB-C OTG | 2× USB 2.0 + 1× USB-C PD |
| Display | HDMI 2.0, up to 4K @ 60 Hz | HDMI 2.0, up to 4K @ 30 Hz |
| Camera Interface | 1× 4-lane MIPIDSI/CSI over mini HDMI | — None |
| GPIO | RJ45 breakoutI2C, UART, SPI, 5V, GND | 6× RPi GPIO pins5V output, 1A max |
| User Buttons | 2× programmable | 2× programmable |
| LED Indicators | 4 LEDs1× user RGB, 1× power, 2× status | 4 LEDs1× RGB, 1× cellular, 1× connection, 1× power |
| Switches | Boot/Burn DIP, Watchdog DIP | Boot/Burn DIP, Watchdog DIP |
| Power | ||
| Input Voltage | 9–30 V DC, 27 W | 9–30 V DC, 27 W |
| Power Options | USB-C PD · Screw terminal · PoE+ (opt.) | USB-C PD · Screw terminal · PoE+ (opt.) |
| USB Output | 5 V DC, 1.8 A totalUSB 3.0 | 5 V DC, 1 A totalUSB 2.0 |
| Mechanical & Environmental | ||
| Dimensions | 100 × 100 × 45 mm3.93 × 3.93 × 1.77 in | 111 × 100 × 33 mm4.37 × 3.93 × 1.30 in |
| Weight | ~457 g (1 lb) | ~457 g (1 lb) |
| Case | Aluminum, fanless, passively cooled | Aluminum, fanless, passively cooled |
| Protection Class | IP40 | IP40 |
| Operating Temperature | −20 °C to +60 °C | −20 °C to +60 °C |
| Storage Temperature | −40 °C to +85 °C | −40 °C to +85 °C |
| Mounting | Desk, DIN rail, wall (optional) | Desk, DIN rail, wall (optional) |
| Security | ||
| TPM | Infineon SLB 9670VQ2.0 (TPM 2.0) | Infineon SLB 9670VQ2.0 (TPM 2.0) |
| Hardware Watchdog | Yes | Yes |
| Software & Platform | ||
| Operating System | ALPON X5 AI OSRaspberry Pi compatible, with DEEPX runtime | ALPON X4 OSRaspberry Pi compatible |
| ALPON Cloud | Full support | Full support |
| Fleet Management | Yes | Yes |
| OTA Updates | Yes | Yes |
| Container Deployment | Docker (arm64) | Docker (arm64) |
| Multi-Network Failover | Ethernet → Wi-Fi → LTE | Ethernet → Wi-Fi → LTE |
Specifications are taken from the official ALPON X5 AI and ALPON X4 datasheets. Some variants may ship with different memory, storage, or PoE options. See the X5 AI / X4 specification pages for variant detail.
Typical use cases
Workloads where each device fits naturally.
Computer vision & AI
- Real-time object detection (YOLO family)
- People counting and traffic analytics
- Defect detection on production lines
- License-plate recognition (ALPR)
- Smart-camera and CCTV analytics
Robotics & autonomy
- Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)
- Vision-based navigation
- Edge inference for ROS / ROS 2 nodes
- Multi-stream sensor fusion
Industrial IoT gateway
- Modbus / OPC-UA data aggregation
- Telemetry forwarding to cloud platforms
- Remote machine monitoring
- Asset tracking with cellular failover
Connected infrastructure
- Smart-city sensor backhaul
- Vending and kiosk telemetry
- Energy and utility metering
- Mobile / vehicle gateway
What both devices share
Once you onboard a device, the platform experience is identical — learn it once, use it for either fleet.
Common across ALPON X4 and X5 AI
- ALPON Cloud fleet management
- OTA updates and rollback
- Container-based application deployment
- Multi-network failover (Ethernet, Wi-Fi, LTE)
- eSIM with remote profile management
- TPM 2.0 hardware root of trust
- Hardware watchdog
- Fanless aluminum enclosure
- −20 °C to +60 °C operating range
- 9–30 V DC, USB-C PD, optional PoE+
- DIN rail and wall mounting (optional)
- 2× user-programmable push buttons
Frequently asked
Does the ALPON X5 AI consume more power than the ALPON X4?
Yes, under AI workloads, the DEEPX NPU adds 2–5 W on top of the system baseline. Both devices accept the same 9–30 V DC input and the same 27 W USB-C PD power supply, so power-supply sizing usually does not change.
Can I migrate a workload from X4 to X5 AI without code changes?
If your workload is a containerized arm64 service that does not depend on X4-specific GPIO pinouts, it will run unchanged on the X5 AI. AI inference code and DEEPX runtime calls are X5 AI-only.
Are the antennas and accessories interchangeable?
The cellular, Wi-Fi, and GNSS antennas use the same connectors on both devices and are interchangeable. Mounting kits and the IP67 outdoor antenna are also shared. See the Accessories page for compatibility tags.
Can I replace an X4 with an X5 AI in the same enclosure cutout?
Not directly. The X5 AI is 12 mm taller (45 mm vs 33 mm) due to the DEEPX module and PCIe switch. The footprint (100 × 100 mm) is similar but not identical to the X4 (111 × 100 mm). Re-validate any custom enclosure or panel cutout.
If your workload involves any kind of vision, inference, or model deployment, choose the X5 AI, because future-proofing your fleet for AI is cheaper than retrofitting later. For pure data-collection and gateway roles, the X4 remains the cost-effective option.
Updated about 8 hours ago