Digi ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro Quick user guide

ConnectCore 8X
SBC Pro
Hardware Reference Manual

Revision history—90002297
Revision Date Description
1P December
2018
Initial release
2P September
2019
Added specifications, updated features and functionality, updated block
diagram, clarified expansion connector pinout table, and made
miscellaneous edits and enhancements.
3P October
2019
Added XBee socket note
4P June 2020 Updated USB 3.0 note with SBC version 3 information.
A November
2020
Added regulatory information and certifications; clarified MCA expansion
connector functionality.
B March 2021 Modified MCA signal information, fixed memory spec on features page.
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States and other countries worldwide. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the
property of their respective owners.
© 2021 Digi International Inc. All rights reserved.
Disclaimers
Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Digi International. Digi provides this document “as is,” without warranty of
any kind, expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of fitness or
merchantability for a particular purpose. Digi may make improvements and/or changes in this manual
or in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this manual at any time.
Warranty
To view product warranty information, go to the following website:
www.digi.com/howtobuy/terms
Customer support
Gather support information: Before contacting Digi technical support for help, gather the following
information:
Product name and model
Product serial number (s)
Firmware version
Operating system/browser (if applicable)
Logs (from time of reported issue)
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 2

Trace (if possible)
Description of issue
Steps to reproduce
Contact Digi technical support: Digi offers multiple technical support plans and service packages.
Contact us at +1 952.912.3444 or visit us at www.digi.com/support.
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ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 3

Contents
About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro
Overview 6
Features and functionality 6
Block diagram 8
Connectors, jumpers, and switches 9
Top view 9
Bottom view 10
Description 10
Interfaces
Power interfaces 13
DC-in jack connector 13
Additional power connector 13
Coin cell connector 13
5V supply connector 13
3.3V supply connector 14
Power and reset buttons 14
Boot mode 14
Debug interfaces 15
JTAG 15
SWD 15
Console port 15
Communication interfaces 16
10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet 16
USB Host 16
USB 3.0 17
PCI Express 17
XBee 19
Multimedia interfaces 21
LVDS/MIPI-DSI display 21
MIPI camera 22
Parallel camera 23
Audio 23
Storage interfaces 24
MicroSD 24
Expansion and user interfaces 24
Expansion connector 24
User LEDs 26
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 4

ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 5
Specifications
Electrical specification 28
Supply voltages 28
Power consumption 28
Mechanical specification 28
Environmental specification 28
WLAN specification 28
Regulatory information and certifications
United States FCC 30
Labeling requirements 30
Maximum power and frequency specifications (FCC) 30
FCC notices 31
FCC-approved antennas 31
RF exposure 33
Operating frequency 33
Europe 34
CE mark 34
OEM labeling requirements 34
CE labeling requirements 34
Declarations of Conformity 34
Approved antennas 35
Canada (IC) 36
Canadian Notice 36
Labeling requirements 36
Transmitters with detachable antennas 37
RF exposure 37
Approved antennas 38
Japan 38
Approval Label (MIC Marking) 38

About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro
Overview
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro is an ultra compact Pico-ITX board featuring the Digi ConnectCore 8X
system-on-module that integrates an NXP i.MX 8X application processor, LPDDR4 memory, eMMC
flash memory, WLAN/Bluetooth, power management IC for optimized power consumption applications
and a microcontroller assistant (MCA) for supporting additional functionality. This standalone product
serves as the reference design for the ConnectCore 8X system-on-module and can also be used on its
own to accelerate time to market.
Features and functionality
nConnectCore 8X System-on-Module:
lMX8X Dual/Quad ARM Cortex-A35 and single Cortex-M4F cores
l2 GB, 32-bit LPDDR4-1200 memory
l16 GB, 8-bit eMMC memory
lIEEE802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 5.0
nPower:
lPower jack and industrial dedicated 5V power connector
lCoin-cell battery charger, supplying the on-module RTC
lPower and reset buttons
nBoot source configuration: internal eMMC, microSD, USB
nDebug:
lStandard IEEE 1149.1-2001 JTAG interface
lSingle Wired Debug (SWD) interface for the microcontroller assistant
lTTL serial console
nCommunication:
lTwo 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet interfaces
lTwo USB Host 2.0 interfaces on stacked USB A-type connector
lUSB3.0 on USB C-type connector
lUSB 2.0 OTG on micro AB-type connector
lPCI Express Mini Card slot supporting full-size cards and Micro-SIM connection
lXBee socket
lMIMO IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 5.0 dual mode
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 6

About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro Features and functionality
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 7
nMultimedia:
lTwo LVDS/MIPI-DSI interfaces, each one supporting up to four differential data pairs
lOne MIPI CSI-2 camera
lOne 8-bit parallel camera interface
lAudio CODEC supporting stereo headphone jack, speakers, mic-in, line-out and two line-in
lines
nStorage:
lmicroSD card slot
nExpansion/User interfaces
lTwo 40-pin expansion connectors providing access to many different interfaces
lTwo user LEDs
nDimensions:
lPico-ITX form factor, 10 cm x 7.2 cm
lPCB height 2 mm
lMaximum part height:
oTOP side: 15.6 mm (USB connector)
oBOTTOM side: 6.8 mm (PCIe connector) (Host PCBs must have a cutout to accommodate
the components on the bottom side of the module.)
Note Some of the functionality mentioned above is specific to a ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro variant.

About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro Block diagram
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 8
Block diagram

About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro Connectors, jumpers, and switches
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 9
Connectors, jumpers, and switches
Top view

About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro Connectors, jumpers, and switches
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 10
Bottom view
Description
Connector Interface Manufacturer Manufacturer part number
J2 3.3V output Molex 53047-0210
J3 5V output Molex 53047-0210
J4 5V power-in jack Bobbintron CSCD443CCS011B00G
J5 5V power in TE Connectivity 640456-2
J6 Coin cell Molex 53047-0210
J7 Mini PCIe Foxconn AS0B226-S68Q-7H
J8 Micro SIM Molex 78727-0001
J9 SWD Samtec FTSH-105-01-F-DV
J10 MicroSD Molex 500873-0806

About the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro Connectors, jumpers, and switches
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 11
Connector Interface Manufacturer Manufacturer part number
J11 Console Molex 53047-0410
J12 Ethernet 1 XMultiple XMG-J1B2211NPA-1-DIG
J13 Ethernet 2 XMultiple XMG-J1B2211NPA-1-DIG
J14 LVDS 0 Hirose DF14A-20P-1.25H
J15 MIPI camera FCI SFW15S-2STE1LF
J16 LVDS 1 Hirose DF14A-20P-1.25H
J17 Parallel camera Omron XF2M-2015-1A
J18 Stacked USB A-type connector KYCON KUSBX-AS2N
J19 USB C-type connector Molex 201267-0005
J20-J27 Expansion connectors Wurth Electronics Inc 61304021121
J22-J23 XBee socket Samtec SMM-110-02-F-S-P-TR
J28 USB micro AB-type connector KYCON KMMX-ABSMT5SG-30TR
CAD1 i.MX8X JTAG Tag Connect - -
CAD2 MCA SWD Tag Connect - -
SW1 Power button ITT KSC221JLFS
SW2 Reset button ITT KSC221JLFS
S2 Boot switches TDA02H0SB1 C&K Components

Interfaces
Power interfaces 13
Boot mode 14
Debug interfaces 15
Communication interfaces 16
Multimedia interfaces 21
Storage interfaces 24
Expansion and user interfaces 24
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 12

Interfaces Power interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 13
Power interfaces
DC-in jack connector
A 5V DC-in power jack connector (J4) provides power to the entire ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro system.
An overvoltage circuit protects the SBC from voltages higher than 6.5V (up to 12V). Behind the
overvoltage protection, a 5V load switch (U2) controls the power delivered to the SBC. The enable pin
of the power switch is controlled through 5V_SBC_PWR_ON signal from the CPU (GPIO0_13).
Additional power connector
In addition to the power jack assembled on the SBC Pro, a 2-pin, 2.54 mm pitch, latched vertical
connector on the top side of the board offers an alternative power rail to the whole system. This
power input is also protected against overvoltage events.
The following table shows the pinout of the power connector (J5):
Pin Signal name Description
1 VIN 5 power supply line.
2 GND
Coin cell connector
A 2-pin, 1.25 mm pitch straight connector (J6), provides battery charging functionality and power the
real-time-clock (RTC) interface when the main supply of the board is off. The main power supply rail
powers the RTC while it is connected. You can supply the RTC with a primary Lithium cell (non-
rechargeable), a secondary Lithium cell (rechargeable) or a supercap.
Note For more information about the coin cell, see Electrical specification.
The following table shows the pinout of the coin cell connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 VCC_LICELL Power supply line for RTC.
2 GND
5V supply connector
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides a 2-pin, 1.25 mm pitch straight connector with a regulated 5V
supply for powering external circuitry. The 5V supply is generated on the on-board 5V regulator, which
is also used internally in the ConnectCore 8X SBC for powering the video interfaces. The following
table shows the pinout of the 5V supply connector (J3):
Pin Signal name Description
1 5V 5V power supply line.
2 GND

Interfaces Boot mode
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 14
3.3V supply connector
Together with the 5V supply connector, another 2-pin, 1.25 mm pitch straight connector is supported
on the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro providing a regulated 3.3V supply for powering external circuitry. The
3.3V power supply is generated on a buck regulator of the ConnectCore 8X PMIC (3V3_EXT power rail),
which is also used on-board for powering many interfaces of the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro carrier
board. The following table shows the pinout of the 3.3V supply connector (J2):
Pin Signal name Description
1 3V3_EXT 3.3V power supply line.
2 GND
Power and reset buttons
TheON/OFFbutton (SW1) on the SBC Pro is connected to the on-module MCA, and provides the
following functionality:
Board status Power button action Response
OFF Short press Power on
ON or SLEEP Long press for 5 seconds Power off
SLEEP Short press Wake up
ON Short press Sleep
TheRESETbutton (SW2) is also connected to the MCA, and by pressing it, the system will be reset.
Note The duration of some power button actions can be configured by the user. See the ConnectCore
8X online documentation for more information.
Boot mode
By default, the ConnectCore 8X module boots from the internal board settings, allowing it to boot
from the internal eMMC flash memory. For advanced functionality, the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro
provides two switches (S2) to configure the SOM boot mode, as explained below:
SW2 SW1 Boot mode
Open Open eMMC
Open Close Fuses
Close Open microSD
Close Close Serial downloader
Serial downloader mode allows you to boot from USB. This booting process is ideal for recovery
purposes, such as if the boot loader is erased or cannot boot. If the system is configured to boot from
any other source (internal eMMC, microSD) but the booting process fails (e.g. wrong images loaded)

Interfaces Debug interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 15
the system will also fall back to booting into USB debug mode, regardless the state of the switches.
For more information about the boot mode configuration, see the ConnectCore 8X System-on-Module
Hardware Reference Manual.
Debug interfaces
JTAG
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides a Tag Connect footprint for accessing the i.MX 8X JTAG debug
port. This footprint is located on the bottom side of the board.
SWD
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides two options for programming and debugging the
Microcontroller Assist carried by the ConnectCore 8X SOM:
The first option is a 2x5, 1.27 mm pitch pin header (J9) on the top side of the board that, by default, is
not populated. The following table shows the pinout of the SWD connector:
Pin Schematic signal name Description
1 VCC_MCA MCA power supply line.
2 SWD_DIO/PWR_IO SWD bidirectional data line.
3 GND
4 SWD_CLK/PWR_IO SWD clock signal.
5 GND
6 NC
7 NC
8 NC
9 GND
10 SYS_RESET Reset signal for the MCA.
The second option is the ARM 10-pin standard-compliant Tag Connect footprint on the bottom side of
the board.
Console port
As the debug console port, the ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides a 4-pin, 1.25 mm pitch connector
(J11). The UART2 port of the ConnectCore 8X module is used for this purpose. The console signals is a
serial TTL, which travels through the console connector directly to the i.MX8X processor. A TTL-to-USB
cable can be used for accessing this console port from a host PC USB port. The following table shows
the pinout of this console connector:

Interfaces Communication interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 16
Pin Signal name Description
1 CONSOLE_TX Transmission line.
2 CONSOLE_RX Receiver line.
3 3V3_EXT 3.3V power supply line.
4 GND
The default console setting are as follows:
Baud rate 115200
Data 8 bit
Parity none
Stop 1 bit
Flow control none
Communication interfaces
10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides two 10Base-T/100Base-Tx/1000Base-T Ethernet interfaces, by
using two Qualcomm Atheros AR8031 10/100/1000 Ethernet PHYs. These Ethernet PHYs are
connected to the i.MX8X ENET0 and ENET1 interfaces, respectively. Both Ethernet interfaces area
accessible through RJ-45 connectors (J12 and J13) with integrated link/activity LEDs, as specified in
the following table:
Green LED Yellow LED Link/activity status
ON OFF 10M Link
BLINK OFF 10M Active
ON OFF 100M Link
BLINK OFF 100M Active
ON ON 1000M Link
BLINK ON 1000M Active
For power management purposes, a dedicated power switch allows you to control the power over the
Ethernet PHYs.
USB Host
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro offers support for four USB Host interfaces through a USB Hub
controller:

Interfaces Communication interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 17
nTwo of them are available over a stackable dual USB A-type connector (J18) located on the
front of the board.
nOne USB host is connected to thePCI Express Mini card connector.
nOne USB host is connected to the XBee socket.
Both the PCI Express and the XBee USB buses can be disconnected from these interfaces and
accessed on the Expansion connector. These connections are managed through 0-ohm resistors:
USB_PCIe/EXPANSION_USB1 bus configuration
USB_PCIe connected EXPANSION_USB1 connected
R228/R229 Populated Not populated
R191/R192 Not populated Populated
XBEE/EXPANSION_USB2 bus configuration
XBEE connected EXPANSION_USB2
R76/R77 Populated Not populated
R78/R79 Not populated Populated
For power management purposes, a dedicated power switch allows you to control the power over the
USB Hub.
USB 3.0
One USB 3.0 bus is available through a USB C-type connector (J19) located on the top side of the
board. The USB 3.0 adds the SuperSpeed (SS) transfer rate, which works up to 5 Gb/s.
This interface can work at both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 modes, and it can also work in both Host and
Device modes.
When the interface is configured to work in Host mode, the power delivered to the device can be
configured up to 3A.
Note While the USB 3.0 bus was not supported in ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro first-availability kits, USB
3.0 is supported on the USB C-type connector starting with version 3 of the ConnectCore 8X
SBC Pro (Digi part number 30015752-03 or 50001990-01 from revision 1P on (1P, 2P, A, B, ...).
PCI Express
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides a Mini PCI Express connector with the following interfaces:
nI2C.
nUSB Host port (see USB Host section).
nPCIe interface, only available in carrier boards with non-wireless ConnectCore 8X SOM
variants.
nOne GPIO for the low-level PCIe wake-up signal.
nOne GPIO for the low-level PCIe disable signal.

Interfaces Communication interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 18
nOne GPIO for the low level PCIe reset signal.
nSIM interface. The micro-SIM card slot is located on the bottom side of the board (J10).
For power management purposes, a dedicated 3.3V regulator allows you to control the power over
the PCIe interface.
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro has two 2.6 mm metalized drills supporting full-size PCI Express cards.
The following table shows the pinout of the PCIe connector:
Pin Signal name Description
1 PCIE_WAKE_N Wake-up signal.
2 PCIe_VCC 3.3V power supply line.
3 NC Not connected.
4 GND
5 NC Not connected.
6 VLDO4_1V5 1.5V power supply line.
7 NC Not connected.
8 PCIE_UIM_PWR Power supply for SIM card.
9 GND
10 PCIE_UIM_DATA SIM card data line.
11 PCIE_CLK_N PCIe clock pair line (-).
12 PCIE_UIM_CLK SIM card clock line.
13 PCIE_CLK_P PCIe clock pair line (+).
14 PCIE_UIM_RST SIM card reset line.
15 GND
16 PCIE_UIM_VPP Power supply for SIM programming.
17 NC Not connected.
18 GND
19 NC Not connected.
20 PCIE_DIS_N Disable signal.
21 GND
22 PCIE_RESET_N Reset signal.
23 PCIE_RX_N PCIe reception pair line (-).
24 PCIe_VCC 3.3V power supply line.
25 PCIE_RX_P PCIe reception pair line (+).

Interfaces Communication interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 19
Pin Signal name Description
26 GND
27 GND
28 VLDO4_1V5 1.5V power supply line.
29 GND
30 PCIE_I2C_SCL I2C clock line.
31 PCIE_TX_N PCIe transmission pair line (-).
32 PCIE_I2C_SDA I2C data line.
33 PCIE_TX_P PCIe transmission pair line (+).
34 GND
35 GND
36 USB_PCIe_D_N USB differential data line (-).
37 GND
38 USB_PCIe_D_P USB differential data line (+).
39 PCIe_VCC 3.3V power supply line.
40 GND
41 PCIe_VCC
42 NC Not connected.
43 GND
44 NC Not connected.
45 NC Not connected.
46 NC Not connected.
47 NC Not connected.
48 VLDO4_1V5 1.5V power supply line.
49 NC Not connected.
50 GND
51 NC Not connected.
52 PCIe_VCC 3.3V power supply line.
XBee
The ConnectCore 8X SBC Pro provides an XBee socket supporting the connection of Digi XBee/XBee-
PRO modules. The XBee socket consist of two 10-pin, 2 mm pitch connectors (J22 and J23) which
follow the standard pinout of the XBee modules:

Interfaces Communication interfaces
ConnectCore® 8X SBC Pro Hardware Reference Manual 20
Description
Signal
name
J12
pin XBee standard pin
J13
pin
Signal
name Description
3.3V power
supply line.
XBEE_
VCC
11 - VCC ADC0/DIO0 -
20
1 -
XBee UART
output data
line.
MCA_
UART2_
RX
22 - DOUT AD1/DIO1 -
19
2 -
XBee UART
input data
line.
MCA_
UART2_
TX
33 -
DIN/CONFIG_
N
AD2/DIO2 -
18
3 -
- 4 4 - D08 AD3/DIO3 -
17
4 -
XBee reset
line,
connected to
MCA_IO15.
XBEE_
RESET_N
55 - RESET_N RTS_N/DIO6
- 16
5 MCA_
UART2_RTS
XBee UART
clear to send
line.
- 6 6 -
PWM0/RSSI
AD5/DIO5 -
15
6 -
XBEE_D_
P
77 - Reserved VREF - 14 7 -
XBEE_D_
N
88 - Reserved ON/SLEEP_
N - 13
8 XBEE_
ON/SLEEP_
N
XBee status
line,
connected to
MCA_IO16.
XBee
request line,
connected to
MCA_IO11.
XBEE_
SLEEP_
RQ
99 - DTR_
N/SLEEP_
RQ/DI8
CTS_N/DIO7
- 12
9 MCA_
UART2_CTS
XBee UART
request to
send lind.
GND 10 10 - GND AD4/DIO4 -
11
10 -
Note The XBee socket is powered through an external DC/DC regulator(U23 - MP2316). The purpose
of this external regulator is to provide higher current than using 3V3 supply coming from the module.
Disabling this regulator doesn't guarantee that the XBee socket is fully disconnected from the
module. In fact, some current travels through the I/Os to the module even after the regulator is
disabled.
If your design requires fully disconnecting the XBee socket from the ConnectCore 8X module, Digi
recommends you use bus switches for all I/Os connected to the XBee socket.
The XBee can communicate with the ConnectCore 8X SOM in two different ways:
nUsing the UART2 bus of the ConnectCore 8X on-module MCA.
nUsing the USB bus.