Specifications
ALPON X5 AI Specifications
Complete hardware and electrical specifications for the ALPON X5 AI: an industrial edge AI computer built on Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 with a DEEPX DX-M1 NPU rated at 25 TOPS at INT8. Use this reference for mechanical integration, power budgeting, radio planning, and regulatory compliance.
The ALPON X5 AI ships with a Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core Cortex-A76 @ 2.4 GHz on Raspberry Pi CM5, 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4-4267 ECC RAM, a DEEPX DX-M1 NPU (25 TOPS at INT8) with 4 GB dedicated memory on a PCIe Gen 3 lane, NVMe SSD, 2× Gigabit Ethernet with optional PoE+ on ETHERNET 0, LTE Cat 4 with eSIM (eUICC), Wi-Fi 5 dual-band, Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE, and an Infineon SLB 9670 TPM 2.0. The fanless aluminum enclosure operates from -20 °C to +60 °C. Intelligented by DEEPX. Built on Raspberry Pi.
01Mechanical & environmental
The ALPON X5 AI uses a fully aluminum, fanless enclosure. The top face acts as a passive cooling surface and must remain unobstructed to ensure thermal performance under sustained AI inference workloads. DIN rail and wall mount kits are available as optional accessories.
| Dimensions | 100 × 100 × 45 mm (3.93 × 3.93 × 1.77 in), without antennas |
| Weight | Approx. 457 g (1.0 lb) |
| Case Material | Full aluminum enclosure, top side passively cooled |
| Protection Class1 | IP40 |
| Operating Temperature | -20 °C to +60 °C (-4 °F to +140 °F) |
| Storage Temperature | -40 °C to +85 °C (-40 °F to +185 °F) |
| Max. Relative Humidity | Up to 95%, non-condensing |
| Environmental | Rugged, fanless design suitable for industrial and harsh environments |
| Mounting Options | DIN Mount (optional) · Wall Mount (optional) |
For sustained high-TOPS AI workloads, mount the device with the aluminum top face exposed to ambient airflow. The enclosure is rated for +60 °C ambient; internal junction temperatures stay within CM5 and DEEPX thermal limits under typical industrial deployment scenarios.
02Compute & AI
The host platform is the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5. The AI accelerator is the DEEPX DX-M1 in M.2 2280 form factor on a PCIe Gen 3 lane, fanned out to the NVMe SSD through an on-board ASM2806I packet switch. AI inference does not contend with host CPU or system RAM; the NPU has its own 4 GB on-chip memory.
| Host Module | Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 |
| Processor | Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 (Armv8) SoC @ 2.4 GHz |
| AI Accelerator | DEEPX DX-M1 (M.2 2280) |
| NPU Performance | 25 TOPS at INT8 precision |
| NPU Memory | 4 GB on-chip dedicated (does not share system RAM) |
| NPU Power2 | 2 W min · 5 W max for DEEPX-supported AI models |
| NPU Interface | PCIe Gen 3 (via on-board ASM2806I packet switch) |
| Supported Model Formats | ONNX (input) → DXNN compiler · PyTorch, TensorFlow, Keras, MXNet, XGBoost-trained models exported to ONNX |
| Runtime APIs | Python (dx_engine) · C++ (dxrt_api.h) |
| Concurrent Inference | Multiple models supported simultaneously on the NPU |
| NPU Monitoring | dxtop command-line utility (NPU usage, memory, temperature) |
YOLO-family vision models compiled with PPU support reach approximately 50 FPS at 1280 × 720 and 20 to 25 FPS at 1920 × 1080 on the DX-M1, measured on nano-class variants. FPS varies by model and resolution; transformer-class models are not yet supported. See the AI Development guide for benchmarks and the model-conversion workflow.
03Memory & storage
System memory is supplied by the CM5 module. Persistent storage uses an NVMe SSD on the same PCIe Gen 3 fabric as the NPU, with optional onboard eMMC for boot.
| System Memory | 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4-4267 SDRAM with ECC |
| Primary Storage | NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen 3, M.2) |
| Boot Storage (Optional) | CM5 onboard eMMC |
| Real Time Clock | CR1220 coin-cell battery backup |
04Input & output
All externally accessible I/O is exposed on the front and rear faces of the enclosure. For pinouts and GPIO mapping, see the Physical Layout & I/O reference.
| USB | 2× USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) · 1× USB Type-C (USB-PD sink, burn mode only — not a data or power-out port) |
| USB Power Capacity | 5 V DC, 1.8 A total (shared across both USB 3.0 ports, AP22653 power switch) |
| Ethernet | 2× 1 Gbps (RJ45)3 |
| Display | 1× HDMI 2.0 (up to 4Kp60, HDR, HEVC / H.265) |
| Camera Module Interface | 1× MIPI CSI-2, 2-lane (camera only, not display) routed to a Mini HDMI connector |
| Camera Power | 3.3 V DC @ 490 mA |
| Tested Camera | Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 (via Sixfab Camera Board v1.0 adapter) |
| GPIO Add-on Port | 1× RJ45-style connector exposing 6 GPIO pins (SPI5, UART4, UART0, I2C2, I2C3) plus 5 V OUT, GND |
| GPIO Logic Level | 3.3 V · 1 kΩ pull-ups · ESD protected · onboard level converter |
| GPIO Power Output | 5 V DC @ 1 A (5 W max), software-enabled via GPIO 21, fault detection on GPIO 20 |
| Buttons | 2× user buttons (User on GPIO 5, Reset on GPIO 6) · pull-up, active-low |
| LED Indicators | 4 indicator LEDs: 2× programmable RGB · 1× status (green) · 1× power (white) · TCA6408 I/O expander on I2C1 |
| Switches | 1× boot/burn DIP switch (SW2) · 1× watchdog enable/disable DIP switch (SW1) |
The RJ45-style GPIO Add-on port is not an Ethernet or PoE port. Connecting an Ethernet or PoE cable to this port causes permanent hardware damage. Use this port only for Sixfab Edge add-on modules.
Total current across both USB 3.0 ports is shared and capped at 1.8 A. Exceeding this triggers hardware current limiting; sustained overload triggers thermal cut-off on both ports together. The ports recover automatically once the offending device is removed — no reboot required.
05Cellular
The integrated LTE Cat 4 modem connects to the CM5 over the native USB 2.0 bus and supports global LTE bands. eSIM (eUICC SGP.22) is soldered on-board for remote profile provisioning. Hardware reset is exposed on GPIO 18 for cases where the modem locks on the network.
| Cellular Module4 | 4G / LTE Cat 4 |
| Coverage | Global |
| Frequency Bands | B1 / B2 / B3 / B4 / B5 / B7 / B8 / B12 / B13 / B18 / B19 / B20 / B25 / B26 / B28 / B34 / B38 / B39 / B40 / B41 / B66 |
| Data Speed5 | LTE-FDD: up to 150 Mbps DL / 50 Mbps UL (theoretical) · LTE-TDD: up to 130 Mbps DL / 30 Mbps UL (theoretical) |
| SIM Type | eSIM (eUICC) SGP.22 compatible · Consumer profile management · remote download & switch |
| Modem Power | 3.3 V DC @ 3 A · max 5 W typical |
| Modem Reset | Hardware reset on GPIO 18 (HIGH for 10 s, then LOW) |
| Antennas | 2× LTE (LTE Main + LTE Diversity) |
| Outdoor IP67 Antenna (Optional) | 3-meter cabled combination antenna with surface mount |
06Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & GNSS
Short-range wireless and positioning are provided by the CM5's integrated radio plus a dedicated GNSS receiver. Antenna naming uses the standard Sixfab convention: LTE Main, LTE Diversity, GNSS/GPS, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.
| Wi-Fi | 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz dual-band, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac (Wi-Fi 5) |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 / BLE |
| Positioning | GPS / GNSS · Cellular Geolocation |
| Antennas | 1× Wi-Fi/Bluetooth · 1× GNSS/GPS |
| Network Failover | Automatic failover across Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and LTE Cat 4 (managed by the ALPON Cloud stack) |
For full antenna pattern, gain, and connector specifications, see Connectivity & Antenna Specifications.
07Power
The ALPON X5 AI accepts power on three inputs: a 12 to 32 V DC screw terminal, a USB Type-C PD sink, and an optional PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) path on ETHERNET 0. There is no hardware priority between sources; the device draws from whichever input has the highest voltage. The terminal block has reverse polarity protection.
| Power Inputs | Screw Terminal Block (12 to 32 V DC) · USB-C PD sink · PoE+ IEEE 802.3at, class 4 (optional, ETHERNET 0 only) |
| Terminal Block Pinout | 1: Chassis Ground · 2: V- · 3: V+ |
| Reverse Polarity Protection | Yes, on the terminal block |
| USB-C PD Recommended6 | 27 W minimum, 15 V PD (e.g. 15 V / 3.0 A) · 45 W adapter recommended for full-load operation |
| USB-C PD Supported Profiles | 12 V / 3.75 A · 15 V / 3.0 A |
| PoE+ Input Voltage | 37 to 57 V DC (per IEEE 802.3at) |
| PoE+ Maximum Power | Up to 25 W |
| Idle Power7 | Approx. 8 W (CM5 + LTE + regulators) |
| Half-load Power7 | Approx. 20 W |
| Full-load Power7 | Approx. 45 W (all subsystems active: NPU, USB, camera, GPIO add-on) |
| USB Output Power | 5 V DC, 1.8 A total (across both USB 3.0 ports) |
| Restricted Mode8 | Below 12 V input, the device runs only the CM5, LTE modem, and Ethernet ports; USB, PCIe, GPIO add-on, and camera are disabled |
Although the hardware tolerates simultaneous connections on multiple inputs, Sixfab does not recommend powering the device from more than one source at a time. When multiple inputs are connected, the device draws from the source with the highest voltage. PoE+ is available only on ETHERNET 0; ETHERNET 1 cannot supply power.
08Security
The ALPON X5 AI ships with a hardware root of trust via an Infineon TPM 2.0 module on SPI0. A hardware watchdog resets the device on firmware or OS failure and can only be disabled physically through the SW1 DIP switch — there is no software bypass.
| TPM Module | Infineon Technologies SLB 9670VQ2.0 (TPM 2.0, SPI interface) |
| TPM Connections | SPI0: SCLK GPIO 11 · CS GPIO 7 · MISO GPIO 9 · MOSI GPIO 10 · IRQ GPIO 24 · RST GPIO 4 (active LOW) |
| TPM Tooling | tpm2-tools (sudo apt install tpm2-tools) |
| Hardware Watchdog | 5-minute timeout · trigger pin GPIO 16 · status pin GPIO 8 · resets device on missed kick |
| Watchdog Disable | SW1 DIP switch only (no software disable) |
| Always-on VPN | Built-in VPN tunnel dedicated to ALPON Cloud services |
09Software
The device ships with the pre-installed ALPON X5 AI OS: a Raspberry Pi compatible Linux distribution with the DEEPX runtime driver (dxrt-runtime) installed on the host. Application workloads deploy as containers via ALPON Cloud.
| Pre-installed OS | ALPON X5 AI OS (Raspberry Pi compatible, ARM64) |
| NPU Runtime | dxrt-runtime driver pre-installed on host |
| Container Runtime | NPU exposed in containers via privileged mode + /dev/dxrt0 volume mapping |
| Container Management | Deploy, monitor, and update containers across device groups via ALPON Cloud |
| Network Management | Multi-network support (Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 5, LTE Cat 4) with automatic failover |
| Remote Access | Always-on VPN tunnel · TLS-encrypted diagnostics · remote terminal |
| OTA Updates | Remote firmware, software, and OS updates |
| Architecture | ARM64 (aarch64) — application binaries must be built for this architecture |
10Expansion
Hardware expansion is provided through the GPIO add-on port and USB ports, plus official Sixfab Edge add-on modules. eSIM remote provisioning supports the GSMA SGP.22 Consumer profile.
| SIM Type | eSIM (eUICC), GSMA SGP.22 compatible · Consumer profile management · remote download & switch |
| Supported Modules | Sixfab Edge add-on modules · third-party hardware via GPIO (3.3 V) and USB |
| Camera Adapter | Sixfab Camera Board v1.0 (Mini HDMI to MIPI CSI-2 breakout) |
| Tested Camera | Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 |
11Compliance
The ALPON X5 AI targets the regulatory certifications listed below. Compliance status is updated continuously; for region-specific availability and certified frequency declarations, contact Sixfab.
| Regulatory Certifications | CE, FCC, IC, UKCA, RoHS, WEEE, REACH, ICASA9, RCM9 |
| Network & Carrier4 | Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, PTCRB, GCF |
| Warranty | 2-year limited warranty |
| Value-added Services | Hardware customization · Branding & labelling · Remote support · Add-on module customization · Software containerization support · Consulting services |
1 IP40 protection against solid objects greater than 1 mm. Not rated for liquid ingress.
2 NPU-only power consumption for DEEPX-supported AI models. Total system power depends on workload across CM5, modem, USB, and camera subsystems.
3 ETHERNET 0 is a native CM5 Gigabit port and supports PoE+. ETHERNET 1 is bridged through a USB hub via the RTL8153B controller and shares its 5 Gbps USB lane with one USB 3.0 port.
4 This product supports only 4G/LTE networks, with no fallback to 2G/3G. Performance on non-4G/LTE networks is not guaranteed.
5 Data rates are theoretical maxima. Actual throughput depends on network conditions, band, and carrier.
6 The USB Type-C port is a USB-PD sink only. It does not source power and is not a general-purpose USB data port; it is used for image flashing in burn mode.
7 Indicative figures based on Sixfab measurements. Actual consumption varies with workload, ambient temperature, and connected peripherals.
8 Restricted mode is automatic. When input voltage drops below 12 V (e.g. a 5 V supply), the device disables high-power subsystems to keep core compute and connectivity online safely down to 5 V.
9 Certification in progress at time of writing.
Updated 11 days ago