TS-4900 Specifications

From embeddedTS Manuals

Power Specifications

The TS-4900 only accepts 5V input to the board.

Input Min voltage Max voltage
5V input 4.75 5.25

Power Consumption

The TS-4900's power consumption can vary a lot depending on the build and activity of the board. Most of the power savings happens automatically when the CPU and GPU are idle, but it is also possible to disable the Ethernet PHY for additional savings. No savings were observed putting eMMC or the ICE40 in reset.

# Put ETH PHY in reset
echo "116" > /sys/class/gpio/export
echo "high" > /sys/class/gpio/gpio116/direction

These tests are performed on a TS-8550 with most active components removed to measure power of just the TS-4900 itself. Ethernet is not connected unless otherwise specified, and serial is disconnected during the measurement. Not all combinations are included in these tests but the TS-4900-1024-S10S-C is the lowest power consumption board, and the TS-4900-2048-4096F-Q10S-RTC-WIFI-E consumes the most power.

TS-4900-1024-S10S-C
Test Average (W) Max (W)
Idle with Ethernet PHY in reset 0.59 1.48
Idle (no changes) 0.99 1.88
Idle (ethernet connected) 1.25 2.37
Busy CPU (openssl speed) 1.94 3.35
TS-4900-2048-4096F-Q10S-RTC-WIFI-E
Test Average (W) Max (W)
Idle with Ethernet PHY in reset 1.28 2.31
Idle (no changes) 1.66 2.70
Idle (ethernet connected) 1.99 3.59
WIFI active (iperf over wpa2) 2.50 4.48
Busy CPU (5x openssl speed) 4.76 6.33
Busy CPU+GPU 4.90 10.35

Temperature Specifications

The i.MX6 CPUs we provide off the shelf are either a solo industrial, solo commercial, or quad core extended temperature. The TS-4900 is designed using industrial components that will support -40C to 85C operation, but the CPU is rated to a max junction temperature rather than an ambient temperature. We expect the solo to work to 80C ambient while idle with a heatsink and open air circulation. To reach higher temperatures with this or other variants of this CPU some custom passive or active cooling may be required.

Model Number Operating Minn Cooling Temp [1] Passive Temp [2] Critical/Max Junction Temp [3]
TS-4900-*S8S* -40C 75C 85C 105C
TS-4900-*S10S* 0C 75C 85C 105C
TS-4900-*Q10S* -20C 75C 85C 100C
  1. CPU stops all throttling below this temperature
  2. CPU begins throttling until the cooling temperature
  3. CPU Max temperature. Linux will shut down to cool in u-boot at this temperature.

For custom builds with different CPUs these are also exposed in /sys/:

# Passive
cat /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/trip_point_0_temp
# Critical
cat /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/trip_point_1_temp

The current CPU die temp can be read with:

cat /sys/devices/virtual/thermal/thermal_zone0/temp

When the CPU heats up past the cooling temp on a first boot, it will take no action. Once it hits the passive temperature however the kernel will reduce clocks in an attempt to passively cool the CPU. This will show a kernel message:

[  158.454693] System is too hot. GPU3D will work at 1/64 clock.

If it cools back down below the cooling temperature it will spin back up the clocks.

[  394.082161] Hot alarm is canceled. GPU3D clock will return to 64/64

If it continues heating to the critical temperature it will overheat and reboot. When the system boots back up u-boot will block the boot until the temperature has been reduced to the Cooling Temp+5C. This will be shown on boot with:

U-Boot 2015.04-07857-g486fa69 (Jun 03 2016 - 12:04:30)

CPU:   Freescale i.MX6SOLO rev1.1 at 792 MHz
CPU Temperature is 105 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 102 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 99 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 90 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 86 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 84 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 80 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 80 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU Temperature is 80 C, too hot to boot, waiting...
CPU:   Temperature 78 C
Reset cause: WDOG
Board: TS-4900
Note: Pre-2015 U-boots will not block for temperature.
TS-4900 clip on heatsink

These temp tests show how the TS-4900 functions with/without the heatsink. Note that the listed adhesive heatsink is not recommended with the i.MX6, but the data is provided as a reference for a smaller heatsink.

Temp Testing quad core

Temp Testing solo core

IO Specifications

The GPIO external to the board are all nominally 3.3V, but will vary depending on if they are CPU/FPGA pins.

The CPU pins can be adjusted in software and will have initial values in the device tree. This lets you adjust the drive strength, and pull strength of the IO. See the device tree for your kernel for further details on a specific IO.

The FPGA IO cannot be adjusted further in software.

IO Typical Range Absolute Range Logic Low Logic high Drive strength
External CPU GPIO 0-3.3V -0.5V to 3.3V Rail + 0.3V 0.3 * 3.3V Rail 0.7 * 3.3V Rail 27.5mA
External FPGA GPIO 0.3.3V -0.5-3.75V 0.8 2.0 12mA


Refer to the ice40 Family Datasheet for more detail on the FPGA IO. Refer to the CPU quad or solo datasheet for further details on the CPU IO.

WARNING: Do not drive any IO from an external supply until 3.3V is up on the board. Doing so can violate the power sequencing of the board causing failures.

Rail Specifications

The TS-4900 generates all rails from the the 5V input. This table does not document every rail. This will only cover those that can provide power to an external header for use in an application.

5V will allow you to bypass our regulator allowing more current, but the absolute max supply can provide 5A to the board.

Rail Current Available Location
AN_1.8V 10mA CN2_63
3.3V 700mA CN2_39, CN2_79