Power & Mounting
Power & Mounting
Power input options, consumption profiles, and physical installation methods for the ALPON industrial edge AI computer. This reference covers every supply interface, the device's protective Restricted Mode, and the approved mounting hardware for tabletop, wall, and DIN rail deployments.
The ALPON accepts power from three independent inputs: USB Type-C PD (15V, 27W min), a screw terminal block (9–30V DC, 27W min), and optional PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at, up to 25W) on ETHERNET 0. Typical consumption is 8W idle and up to 45.5W under full AI load. The fanless aluminum enclosure supports tabletop, wall, and standard 35mm DIN rail mounting via 2× M4 holes.
What power inputs does the ALPON support?
The ALPON provides three independent power interfaces. All three share a common power rail through hardware ideal diodes, meaning simultaneous connections are tolerated but the system always draws from the source with the highest voltage. For production deployments, use only one input at a time to simplify fault isolation.
USB Type-C PD
15V / 27W min
Sink-only USB-PD port. Use the bundled 27W adapter, or a 45W unit for full AI workloads.
Screw Terminal
9–30V DC / 27W min
Preferred input for industrial edge AI computer deployments. Reverse-polarity protected.
PoE+ (802.3at)
37–57V / 25W max
Single-cable install on PoE-variant SKUs. Active on ETHERNET 0 only.
USB Type-C PD input
The USB-C port is a sink-only USB-PD interface. It accepts power from a PD-capable adapter but does not provide USB data or power output during normal operation. The included 27W adapter is sufficient for typical workloads; a 45W adapter is recommended for sustained full-load AI inference.
| Recommended Adapter | 27W minimum at 15V. 45W adapter recommended for full-load AI workloads. |
| Supported PD Profiles | 12V / ≥2.25A (recommended 12.0V / 3.75A) 15V / ≥1.8A (recommended 15.0V / 3.0A) |
| PD Controller | CYPD3177-24LQXQ |
| Mode | Sink only. No power output. |
| Data Mode | USB data available only while SW2 = Burn (image flashing mode). |
Screw terminal block (9–30V DC)
The 3-pin screw terminal is the recommended input for industrial edge computing deployments. It accepts a wide 9–30V DC range, includes hardware reverse-polarity protection, and provides a dedicated chassis ground pin for EMC-sensitive installations. Incorrectly wired + / − polarity will not damage the device, but the unit will not power on until corrected.
| Input Voltage Range | 9V – 30V DC (12V – 32V DC on some production revisions) |
| Minimum Power | 27W |
| Reverse Polarity Protection | Yes (hardware-level) |
| Connector Type | 3-pin screw terminal block, pitch 5.08mm |
| Pinout | Pin 1: Chassis Ground · Pin 2: Negative (−) · Pin 3: Positive (+) |
Power over Ethernet (PoE+)
PoE+ is available only on PoE-variant SKUs and cannot be retrofitted; the PoE module is installed at manufacture. When present, PoE+ is wired to ETHERNET 0. ETHERNET 1 is data-only and cannot power the device.
| Standard | IEEE 802.3at · PoE+ Class 4 |
| Input Voltage Range | 37V – 57V |
| Maximum Delivered Power | 25W |
| Supported Port | ETHERNET 0 only |
| Injector Requirement | IEEE 802.3at / PoE+ Class 4 compliant PSE. Passive PoE injectors are not supported. |
What is Restricted Mode?
Restricted Mode is a protective state the ALPON enters automatically when any power source drops below 12V (for example, a 5V supply applied to USB-C). It prevents brownout damage to the NPU, SSD, and peripheral rails by powering down high-draw subsystems while keeping the compute module and network interfaces online.
In this mode the device remains addressable over LTE or Ethernet for remote diagnostics, but local I/O and AI acceleration are unavailable until a compliant power source is restored.
- CM5 Compute Module
- LTE Modem
- ETHERNET 0
- ETHERNET 1
- USB 3.0 Ports
- PCIe Interface (NVMe SSD + DEEPX NPU)
- GPIO Add-on Port
- Camera Port (MIPI-CSI)
Power consumption
Measured subsystem power draw at idle, 50% load, and full load. A dash (–) indicates the subsystem draws negligible standalone power at that level. Values are approximate and depend on workload, connected peripherals, and ambient temperature.
| Subsystem | Idle (W) | 50% Load (W) | Full Load (W) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CM5 Compute Module | 4 | 7 | 10 |
| LTE Modem | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| Voltage Regulators | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| GPIO Add-on Port | – | – | 5 |
| USB 3.0 Ports | – | – | 9 |
| Camera Port (MIPI-CSI) | – | 1.4 | 2.5 |
| DEEPX AI Accelerator | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| NVMe SSD | 1 | 3 | 6 |
| Total | 8 | 19.4 | 45.5 |
How do I mount the ALPON?
The ALPON enclosure includes 2× M4 mounting holes on its base for direct attachment to walls, panels, or DIN rail adapters. The fanless aluminum case doubles as a passive heatsink, so mounting orientation should preserve airflow across the top finned surface. Three mount kits are supported: wall, DIN rail, and a combined adapter.
Wall Mount
Bracket-based fixing to flat surfaces via 2× M4 screws. Suits desks, cabinets, and indoor walls.
DIN Rail Mount
Adapter snaps onto standard 35mm DIN rail. Preferred for control cabinets and panel enclosures.
Combined Mount
Wall bracket with an attachable DIN rail adapter. Switch between mounting styles without replacing hardware.
Wall mount installation
The wall mount kit ships with all fasteners required for drywall, plywood, or metal panel surfaces. Use the supplied wall plugs for masonry and the lock nuts for panel through-mounting.
Position the bracket on the wall, mark the two screw hole locations with a pencil, and confirm the bracket is level.
Drill the marked holes to match the supplied 8 mm wall plugs. For metal panels, drill to the screw diameter and omit plugs.
Press the plugs flush with the wall surface before driving screws.
Align the bracket with the 2× M4 mounting holes on the base of the ALPON. Secure using the M4×6 mm Phillips pan-head screws.
Position the bracket over the wall plugs and drive the M5.5×45 mm sheet metal screws until the assembly is flush and stable.
DIN rail installation
The DIN rail adapter attaches directly to the base of the ALPON and snaps onto any standard 35mm top-hat DIN rail (EN 60715). Use this method for control cabinets, industrial panels, or any rack where multiple ALPON units need uniform spacing.
Place the DIN rail adapter against the base of the ALPON so that its screw holes line up with the device's 2× M4 mounting holes.
Drive the two M4×6 mm Phillips pan-head screws to secure the adapter to the enclosure.
Hook the upper clip of the adapter over the top edge of the DIN rail, then press the lower section until it clicks into place.
Combined wall + DIN rail mount
The combined option is the wall mount bracket with the DIN rail adapter layered on top. This is useful when a deployment may migrate between surface-mounted and panel-mounted installations without replacing fasteners.
Follow the wall mount steps above to attach the bracket to the device.
Position the DIN rail adapter over the wall bracket and align its mounting holes.
Fasten the adapter to the wall bracket using the supplied screws.
Slide the complete assembly onto a DIN rail, or fix the wall bracket backplate directly to a flat surface.
Mechanical envelope
Key physical parameters relevant to mount planning and thermal design.
Power troubleshooting
The device does not power on
- Confirm the supply voltage matches the input you're using: 12V or 15V PD profile for USB-C, 9–30V DC for the terminal block, or a compliant 802.3at PSE for PoE+.
- On the screw terminal, verify polarity. Pin 2 is negative (−) and Pin 3 is positive (+). Reverse polarity will not damage the device but prevents power-on.
- For PoE+, confirm the cable is plugged into
ETHERNET 0.ETHERNET 1does not accept PoE. - Check that the power LED is off. If it flickers briefly then drops, the supply is current-limited below the 27W minimum.
The device boots but USB, NVMe, or the NPU are unavailable
- The device has entered Restricted Mode. Check the supply voltage at the active input. Any reading below 12V triggers protection.
- Replace the adapter with a PD-capable unit that negotiates at 15V, or switch to the terminal block with a 12V or 24V industrial supply.
- Reboot the device after restoring a compliant source. Restricted Mode does not auto-clear on every revision.
The device resets under AI load
- Measure total draw under peak inference. If consumption approaches or exceeds 27W, upgrade to a 45W USB-C PD adapter or a terminal block supply rated ≥45W.
- Check cable quality for USB-C. Non-compliant USB-C cables can drop voltage under sustained load even with a capable adapter.
- For PoE+, verify the run length. Cable losses on 100m runs can bring delivered power below the 25W port budget.
Updated about 8 hours ago