Technical Specifications

Explore the technical details of the ALPON X5 AI on this page. Access comprehensive information about the device's hardware and electrical specifications.

Product Specifications

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Power

For powering the device, there are three available options: Type-C input, Screw Terminal Block, and Power over Ethernet (PoE). There is no priority among the power inputs. Power is consumed from the voltage with the highest capacity. The device must be operated with only one power input at a time. Connecting two or more power inputs at the same time is not recommended.

1. Type-C Input

From this port, the device is powered by a USB PD-enabled Type-C power adapter capable of providing 27W or more. We recommend using the power adapter included in the package.

2. Screw Terminal Block

The terminal block is the recommended input for industrial deployments. It includes hardware-level reverse polarity protection to prevent damage from incorrect wiring. Pay attention to the polarity + / - connections.

3. Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Powering the device via PoE is only possible if the version includes a built-in PoE module, as the module cannot be added separately. The device supports the PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at) compliant. The power adapter must be PoE+ Class 4 (IEEE 802.3at) compliant. Other types of adapters are not supported and will not provide sufficient power for optimal device performance.

Restricted Mode

If the device is powered below 12V from any input source, it automatically enters Restricted Mode. This is a protective state designed to prevent hardware damage from undervoltage or insufficient current.

In Restricted Mode, only the following components remain powered:

Power Consumption

The table below shows measured power consumption values for each subsystem at three operating levels: idle, 50% load, and full load. Values marked with a dash (–) indicate that the subsystem draws negligible or no power at that load level independently.

All values are approximate. Actual consumption may vary depending on workload, connected peripherals, and ambient temperature.

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LEDs

The ALPON X5 AI has four LED indicators. They are connected to the system via an I2C I/O Expander (TCA6408, address 0x20) on the I2C1 bus (SDA: GPIO 2, SCL: GPIO 3).

One RGB LED is reserved for user applications. The remaining LEDs are controlled by ALPON cloud platform.

Below are all the details about LEDs.

Control RGB LED

The TCA6408A IC (Integrated Circuit) is used as the I/O expander and is connected to GPIO2 (SDA1) and GPIO3 (SCL1), i.e., I2C1 of the Compute Module 4. The I2C address of the TCA6408A is 0x20.

Here is the Python code and explanations to control LED A (Programmable RGB) connected.

🔗 GitHub GistView Python Script on GitHub Gist

This Python script controls LED A on the ALPON X4 device. The LED is connected to three pins: P2 for Red, P3 for Green, and P4 for Blue. The script sets these pins as outputs and uses a function to change the LED's color by turning each pin on or off.

The script runs in a loop, showing red, green, blue, and then turning off the LED. It keeps repeating this cycle until the program is stopped, at which point the LED turns off.

Buttons

The device has two hardware buttons:

There are two user-configurable buttons that can be assigned to different functions:

By default, both buttons are in a HIGH state (PULL UP configuration). When pressed, the button is pulled LOW.

Display

Display capabilities are determined by the CM5 module. For the full list of supported modes, refer to the Raspberry Pi CM5 datasheet.

It can be connected to the monitor with a standard HDMI cable. HDMI should be connected before powering the ALPON X5. HDMI port supports 4Kp60 output.

USB Ports

The device has two USB 3.0 ports (5 Gbps each).

Watchdog, Boot/Burn Switches

The switches on this product are covered with a silicone cap. To access the switches, use a pointed object to gently open from the notch on the cover.

SW1 — Watchdog Switch

The hardware watchdog monitors system activity and automatically resets the device if it becomes unresponsive.

When the watchdog is enabled (SW1 OFF), the CM5 must send a periodic trigger signal to GPIO 16 at least once every 5 minutes. If no trigger is received within 5 minutes, the watchdog cuts all power to the device, waits 3 seconds, then restores power to reboot the system.

The watchdog can only be disabled using the physical SW1 switch. There is no software command to disable it.

SW2 — Boot / Burn (Image Flashing) Switch

Dimensions

Click here to download the ALPON X5 AI dimensions file.

GPIO Port

This port provides the I/Os, supply voltage, and communication interfaces (I²C, UART, SPI) needed for various applications with the device. Although the socket is similar to the RJ45 socket, it is not for Ethernet communication. Instead, it provides access to Raspberry Pi's I/O pins for custom peripherals and Add-on modules.

Although the Add-on Port uses an RJ45 connector, it is NOT an Ethernet or PoE port. Connecting a standard Ethernet cable or PoE device to this port will cause permanent hardware damage. This port is exclusively for compatible ALPON Add-on modules.

The port provides 6 configurable GPIO pins, a 5V power output, and a ground reference. All signal pins operate at 3.3V logic and include built-in level conversion and ESD protection. A 1 kΩ hardware pull-up resistor is present on every signal pin.

Power Management & Fault Detection

The port's 5V supply and all signal communication are controlled by an internal power switch. The switch must be explicitly enabled in software before the port becomes active.

LTE Modem

Performing a Modem Hard Reset

If the modem becomes unresponsive or loses its network connection, perform a hardware reset as follows:

1. Set GPIO 18 to HIGH to cut power to the modem.
2. Wait at least 10 seconds to allow internal capacitors to fully discharge.
3. Set GPIO 18 back to LOW to restore modem power.

NPU & SSD Communication (PCIe)

Both the NVMe SSD and the DEEPX AI Accelerator communicate with the CM5 over PCIe Gen 3. The CM5's PCIe lane is split between the two devices using an ASM2806I PCIe Packet Switch, which ensures both the SSD and NPU share the high-speed PCIe bus efficiently.