Summary of KENDRYTE’S POPULAR K210 RISC-V SOC WITH NEURAL PROCESSING UNIT FINDS A NEW HOME IN SIPEED MAIX NANO M1N
Sipeed’s MAIX Nano M1n is a compact M.2 and USB-C single-board module featuring the Kendryte K210 dual-core 64-bit RISC-V AI SoC, 6 MB RAM, 2 MB NPU memory, and 128 MB SPI flash. It targets edge AI tasks like face detection and object recognition, supports Arduino IDE, Platform.io, and MicroPython, and offers an M.2 interface with a Type-C download board, camera carrier, GPIO headers, audio processing, JTAG/UART debugging, and robust power and temperature specs for embedded projects.
Parts used in the MAIX Nano M1n:
- Kendryte K210 dual-core 64-bit RISC-V SoC with convolutional NPU
- 128MB SPI flash
- 6 MB RAM for CPU
- 2 MB NPU memory
- M.2 interface (PCIe M.2 form factor)
- USB Type-C downloading board
- 224-pin 0.5mm pitch FPC DVP camera carrier (DVD 1.3, AVDD 3.0V)
- High-speed JTAG and UART interfaces
- High-performance microphone array processor
- Through-hole headers for 16 GPIO pins and LCD connectivity
- Audio input supporting 12/16/24/32-bit precision up to 192K sample rate
- Power supply supporting more than 300mA external current at 5V
It’s becoming increasingly common for single-board computers to ship with Kendryte’s popular K210, and Sipeed’s latest MAIX Nano M1n with PCIe M.2 and USB Type-C form factor is not left behind as it ships with the K210 embedded along with a 128MB of SPI flash and a 24-pin edge connector.
The K210 AI chip includes a powerful CPU that is based on a dual-core 64-bit RISC-V processor, with up to 400 MHz frequency and a custom convolutional NPU whose TOPs parameter is significant to the chip’s AI performance. It is designed to accelerate edge neural networking workloads with an accelerator that has its own memory alongside 6 MB RAM for the dual-core CPU and an additional 2 MB for the NPU coprocessors. It also has a good ability to realize Face detection, FFT spectrogram, and Object recognition applications.
Based on K210, the M1n which is compatible with deep learning frameworks can be programmed using the Arduino IDE, Platform.io, or MicroPython. For those looking to do more with its part, the MAIX Nano M1n includes an M.2 interface by which users can connect the Type-C downloading board that helps to download the code to the module. The downloading board has pins of 2.54 mm that are directly connected to the pins from the K210 chip for users to add more DIY functions.
Some features of the Sipeed MAIX Nano M1n include:
- Onboard camera DVP carrier: 224pin 0.5mm pitch FPC carrier, DVD – 1.3, AVDD – 3.0V
- Debugging support: High-speed JTAG and UART interface for debugging
- High-performance microphone array processor
- Supports a valid voice stream output
- Through-hole headers for 16 GPIO pins plus LCD display connectivity
- Supports 12-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit precision input audio signal and an audio input up to 192K sample rate.
- Supports multi-channel raw signal direct output
- Has 16-bit internal audio signal processing accuracy
- More than 300mA external current supply-demand @ 5V
- Temperature range: -30C to 85C
- What CPU does the MAIX Nano M1n use?
It uses the Kendryte K210 dual-core 64-bit RISC-V processor. - Can the MAIX Nano M1n be programmed with Arduino IDE?
Yes, it can be programmed using the Arduino IDE. - Does the MAIX Nano M1n support MicroPython?
Yes, it supports MicroPython. - How much onboard SPI flash does the module have?
It ships with 128MB of SPI flash. - What camera interface is provided on the MAIX Nano M1n?
It has a 224-pin 0.5mm pitch FPC DVP camera carrier (DVD 1.3, AVDD 3.0V). - Is there debugging support on the module?
Yes, it provides high-speed JTAG and UART interfaces for debugging. - Does the board support audio input and processing?
Yes, it supports multi-bit audio input up to 192K sample rate and includes a microphone array processor with 16-bit internal audio signal processing accuracy. - How are additional functions and programming accessed?
The M.2 interface and a Type-C downloading board connect to K210 pins and 2.54mm pins for adding DIY functions and downloading code. - What operating temperature range does the MAIX Nano M1n support?
The temperature range is -30C to 85C. - What external power supply capability is specified?
It supports more than 300mA external current supply at 5V.
