ArmSoM CM1 is a $15 RK3506J compute module with an optional carrier board.

We've seen a bunch of computer-on-a-module designs from Raspberry Pi, Banana Pi, NVIDIA, and others in recent years. But the ArmSoM CM1 stands out as one of the only models I've seen that can be used with or without a carrier board since it has a built-in USB-C port, MIPI-DSI display connector, and microSD card reader.

It's also pretty cheap, with prices starting at just $15 for a standalone module or $28.50 for a module + carrier board that offers a bunch of extra features. Just keep in mind that this is a low-cost, low-power compute module meant for pretty simple tasks.

ArmSoM CM1 & ArmSoM CM-IO

At the heart of the system is a Rockchip RK3506J processor, which has:

3 x ARM Cortex-A7 32-bit CPU cores @ 1.2 GHz

1 x ARM Cortex-M0 core

2D graphics engine

The module features 512MB of DDR memory and 512MB of SPI flash storage, but you can also use the microSD card reader for additional storage.

ArmSoM CM1

Other features on the module itself include the aforementioned 2-lane MIPI-DIS display connector and USB-C port, which can be used for 5V power input or data or programming. There's also a Maskrom button.

The 70 x 42mm (2.76″ x 1.65″) module also has 40-pin and 44-pin headers that expose all the other features of the RK3506J processor when you slot the board into place on a compatible carrier board like the optional CM1-IO.

That 100 x 70mm ( 3.94″ x 2.76″) board gives the little compute module a set of I/O features that includes:

2 x USB 2.0 ports

2 x 10/100 Ethernet ports

1 x USB-C port (for power, data, or programming)

1 x 3.5mm audio

1 x WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 4.2 chip

12-pin header (RS485/CAN/mic input/speaker output)

40-pin header (partially compatible with Raspberry Pi)

ArmSoM CM-IO

ArmSoM says the CM1 and CM1-IO are currently in stock and ready to ship, and according to the documentation the module should support software designed for the Forge1 single-board computer with the same processor, and there's a buildroot image available for download which is an embedded Linux distribution using Linux Kernel 6.1.

The company says it plans to make the ArmSoM CM1 and CM-IO available through at least 2035 for customers that need long-term support and availability.

ArmSoM CM-IO ArmSoM CM1 ArmSoM CM-IO

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