ArmSoM-CM7s Product Introduction

Let's get to know the ArmSoM-CM7s and ArmSoM-CM7s-IO in 5 minutes

CM7s Introduction

ArmSoM-CM7s Core Board: compact in size, powerful in performance, built specifically for deep embedded scenarios. The board comes with the Rockchip RK3588S 8-core 64-bit flagship processor (4×Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz + 4×Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz), built on an advanced 8nm process, offering great computing power and excellent energy efficiency. It features an ARM Mali-G610 high-performance GPU, fully compatible with OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.2, and Vulkan 1.2 graphics APIs. It also has a powerful 6 TOPS NPU, supporting INT4/INT8/INT16 mixed-precision computing, easily handling edge AI inference.

The module offers a variety of bus and expansion interfaces, supports eMMC flash memory of different capacities, and can be widely used in industrial IoT, edge computing, and smart devices.

ArmSoM-CM7s

Rockchip RK3588s

Relying on a strong ecosystem and a variety of expansion accessories, ArmSoM can help users easily go from ideas to prototypes to mass production, making it an ideal creative platform for makers, dreamers, and hobbyists.

tip

armsom-cm7s v1.1 CN2 pins 2 and 4 aren't working, will be fixed in the next v1.2 version

Key parameters

• SOC：Rockchip RK3588S (8nm LP process)
• CPU：8-core 64-bit（4×Cortex-A76@2.4GHz + 4×Cortex-A55@1.8GHz）
• GPU：ARM Mali-G610 3D GPU，supports OpenGL ES3.2 / OpenCL 2.2 / Vulkan 1.2
• NPU：6 TOPS computing power, supports mixed INT4/INT8/INT16 operations
• RAM：Supports 4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB LPDDR4/LPDDR4x
• eMMC：32/64/128/256GB eMMC
• interface：On-board 3×100-pin connector (DF40C-100DP-04V), supports multiplexed buses and control pins like Type-C/DP1.4, HDMI 2.1/eDP1.3, MIPI DPHY/CSI, USB 3.0/2.0, SATA III/PCIe 2.1 ×1, SDIO 3.0/RGMII, SDMMC, and I2C/I2S/UART/SPI/CAN/PWM/GPIO.
• Power supply：Input DC 5V (MAX 2500mA); Output DC 3.3V/1.8V (MAX 600mA)
• Size：55 x 40 x 1.6 mm
• Operating temperature：0℃ ~ 80 ℃
• Input：DC 5V MAX 2500mA
• Output: DC 3.3 V max. 600 mA and DC 1.8 V max. 600 mA
• PCB size：55 x 40 x 1.6 mm (L x W x H)

Module interfaces and multiplexed functions

CM7s exposes display, camera, USB and storage expansion signals through its board-to-board connectors for custom carrier designs. The table below describes module signal capabilities; physical connector counts and available functions depend on the carrier hardware and software configuration.

Interface category	Count and function	Notes
Type-C / DisplayPort	1 USB 3.0 / DP 1.4 signal group	The schematic lists 4-lane DP, Type-C USB and combined USB + 2-lane DP modes; availability depends on the carrier and software.
HDMI / eDP	1× HDMI 2.1 or eDP 1.3	Multiplexed alternatives, not two independent ports.
USB	Type-C USB 3.0 channel + 1 optional multiplexed USB 3.0 channel; 3× USB 2.0	The Type-C channel is separate from high-speed expansion group 2 below. USB 2.0 comprises 1× OTG + 2× Host; do not double-count multiplexed functions or hub downstream ports.
SDMMC	1× SDMMC	For storage expansion on the carrier.
SDIO / RGMII	SDIO 3.0 or RGMII	Multiplexed alternatives selected by the carrier design, not two independent interfaces.
MIPI D-PHY TX	1× 4-lane + 1× 2-lane	Two transmit interfaces for display expansion.
MIPI D-PHY RX	2× 2-lane	Two receive interfaces for camera expansion.
MIPI CSI RX	1× 4-lane or 2× 2-lane	Alternative lane configurations selected according to camera wiring and configuration.
High-speed expansion group 1	1× SATA III or PCIe 2.1 ×1	Select one function for this signal group.
High-speed expansion group 2	1× SATA III, PCIe 2.1 ×1 or USB 3.0	Select one function for this signal group; the three alternatives are not simultaneously available ports.

Carrier design and interface multiplexing

“Or” indicates alternative functions within a signal group. Do not add these alternatives together as simultaneously available ports. The Type-C / DP channel also supports combined USB + DP lane configurations in the schematic, so it is not always a mutually exclusive choice. Type-C describes a connector form factor; DP and USB functions require the corresponding carrier circuitry. Confirm pin assignments, lane mappings and simultaneous-use combinations against the schematic, pin definitions and device tree configuration for the applicable hardware revision.

CM7s Hardware Info

Hardware interface

ArmSoM-CM7s-front & back

tip

• Designed as a board-to-board connector

ArmSoM CM7s vs Raspberry Pi CM5

Here's a comparison chart of the specs for the ArmSoM CM7s and the Raspberry Pi CM5:

Specification	ArmSoM CM7s	Raspberry Pi CM5
Processor	RK3588S SoC	Broadcom BCM2712
CPU Architecture	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76 & Quad-coreCortex-A55	Quad-core ARM Cortex-A76
GPU	ARM Mali-G610 MP4	VideoCore VII
NPU	6 TOPS computing power	No built-in NPU
Memory	Supports up to 32GB LPDDR4X	2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB LPDDR4
Storage	eMMC storage (optional capacity)	eMMC storage (optional capacity)
Display Output	HDMI 2.1 / eDP 1.3; USB 3.0 / DP 1.4 channel (including combined USB + DP modes)	2x HDMI 2.0
Video Resolution	Supports 8K@60fps	Supports 4K@60fps
Network Interface	GMAC signals exposed; RJ45 on CM7s-IO	1x Gigabit Ethernet port
USB Ports	Type-C USB 3.0 + optional multiplexed USB 3.0; 3× USB 2.0	2xUSB3.0，1xUSB2.0
GPIO	GPIO exposed through board-to-board connectors; 40-pin header on CM7s-IO	40 pin GPIO
Expandability	1× SATA III / PCIe 2.1 ×1; 1× SATA III / PCIe 2.1 ×1 / USB 3.0 (multiplexed within each group)	1x PCIe 2.0
Camera Interface	2× 2-lane D-PHY RX; CSI RX: 1× 4-lane or 2× 2-lane	2x 4-channel MIPI CSI
Display Interface	MIPI D-PHY TX：1× 4-lane + 1× 2-lane	2x 4-channel MIPI DSI
Power Input	5V	5V
Dimensions	55mm x 40mm	55mm x 40mm
Operating System Support	Debian, Android, Ubuntu, Armbian, etc.	Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu, etc.
Primary Use Cases	High-end tablets, edge computing, AI, cloud computing, AR/VR, smart security, smart home, and more	Embedded systems, industrial control, AI/machine learning, digital signage, IoT, edge computing

Product block diagram

ArmSoM-CM7s-product

Hardware Specs

Category	Function
SOC	RockChip RK3588S
CPU	RK3588S quad-core Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz and quad-core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz, 8nm process
GPU	ARM Mali-G610 MP4 GPU ARM Mali-G610 MP4 quad-core GPU, supports OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.2, Vulkan 1.1/1.2, with a computing power of 450 GFLOPS
NPU	6 TOPS@INT8 Supports INT4, INT8, INT16, and FP16 mixed operations Supports deep-learning frameworks: TensorFlow, PyTorch, Caffe, and more.
VPU/Codec	Hardware decoding: supports 8K@60fps (H.265/VP9/AVS2), 8K@30fps (H.264), and 4K@60fps (AV1). Hardware encoding: 8K@30fps (H.265/H.264), with simultaneous encoding and decoding.
ISP	Integrated 48MP ISP, supports HDR and 3DNR
RAM	Supports 4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB LPDDR4/LPDDR4x
Flash	32GB/64GB/128GB/256GB eMMC SDMMC signals exposed; the microSD socket is on the carrier PCIe 2.1 ×1 signals exposed; CM7s-IO provides an M.2 Key M socket (PCIe 2.1 ×1)
Display	1× HDMI 2.1 or eDP 1.3; HDMI supports 8K@60Hz or 4K@120Hz 1 USB 3.0 / DP 1.4 signal group, including combined USB + DP modes; DP supports up to 8K@30Hz MIPI D-PHY TX: 1× 4-lane + 1× 2-lane; MIPI DSI supports up to 4K@60Hz
Camera	MIPI D-PHY RX: 2× 2-lane MIPI CSI RX: 1× 4-lane or 2× 2-lane Up to 2.5Gbps per lane; available combinations depend on carrier wiring and software configuration
Network	1x GMAC, providing RGMII/RMII interface output SDIO 3.0 or RGMII: multiplexed signals selected according to the carrier design
PCIe	Group 1: 1× SATA III or PCIe 2.1 ×1 Group 2: 1× SATA III, PCIe 2.1 ×1 or USB 3.0 Select one function within each multiplexed group
USB	Type-C USB 3.0 channel; 1 additional optional multiplexed USB 3.0 channel; 3× USB 2.0 The optional USB 3.0 channel shares high-speed expansion group 2 with PCIe / SATA; the Type-C channel is separate Type-C / DP functionality depends on the carrier design
Audio	SPDIF_Tx x2 I2S x4 PDM x2
Others	UART DEBUG x1 Fan-control and RTC-related signals exposed; fan connector, RTC IC and battery connector on CM7s-IO

RK3588S Block Diagram

RK3588S Block Diagram

Pin Definition

ArmSoM-CM7s_Pinout

hardware documentation

Get CM7s schematics, DXF, and other hardware materials

Google Drive link

📄

CM7s SCH

📃

CM7s 2D

📜

CM7s SMD

📑

Datasheet

💡

Case 3D

CM7s-IO Introduction

The CM7s-IO is the IO board for the ArmSoM CM7s, measuring 100x79x41 mm. It's great for quickly evaluating the features of the ArmSoM CM7s platform, debugging peripheral drivers, and developing system prototypes. It can also serve as a reference hardware design for products like industrial gateways, edge AI inference terminals, and multimedia interactive devices, helping users smoothly transition from prototyping to mass deployment.

CM7s-IO Hardware Info

Hardware Specs

The CM7s-IO board is an expansion board designed specifically for the CM7s computing module, aimed at helping with system and embedded board development.

• 1x HDMI output, 1x Type-C (DP) output
• 4× USB 3.0 Type-A (expanded by an RTS5411S USB hub and sharing its upstream link)
• Supports Gigabit Ethernet RJ45
• Firmware flashing and device mode via USB Type-C
• GPIO: 40-pin header
• Power connector: DC barrel jack for 12V power input
• Expansion: M.2 (M key, PCIe 2.1 ×1), microSD
• MIPI DSI: 1x 4-lane MIPI DSI, supports up to 4K@60fps (x4)
• MIPI CSI0: 1x 4-lane MIPI CSI, up to 2.5Gbps per lane
• MIPI CSI1: 1x 2-lane MIPI CSI, up to 2.5Gbps per lane
• Others: HPOUT, FAN, VRTC
• Dimensions: 100 x 79 x 1.6 mm (3.94 × 3.11 × 0.06 inches)
• Weight: 60g

Hardware interface

ArmSoM-CM7s-IO

tip

The CM7s-IO Board uses 12V DC power.

Pin Definition

40-PIN Socket

Open full-size pinout

Checked against the CM7S-IO V1.0 schematic. Numbers in the diagram are physical pins. NC means not connected; DNP means not populated. Alternate functions require matching system configuration; legacy GPIO numbers are not Linux gpiochip line offsets.

GPIO number (legacy)	Function	Physical pin	Physical pin	Function	GPIO number (legacy)
—	+3.3V	1	2	+5.0V	—
63	GPIO1_D7 / PWM15_IR_M3 / UART1_CTSN_M1 / I2C8_SDA_M2	3	4	+5.0V	—
62	GPIO1_D6 / PWM14_M2 / UART1_RTSN_M1 / I2C8_SCL_M2	5	6	GND	—
39	GPIO1_A7 / PWM3_IR_M3 / SPI2_CS0_M0 / PDM1_SDI0_M1	7	8	UART2_TX_M0 / GPIO0_B5 / I2S1_MCLK_M1 / I2C1_SCL_M0	13
—	GND	9	10	UART2_RX_M0 / GPIO0_B6 / I2S1_SCLK_M1 / I2C1_SDA_M0	14
130	GPIO4_A2 / I2S1_LRCK_M0 / SPI0_CLK_M1	11	12	GPIO3_B2 / UART2_RX_M2 / I2S2_SDI_M1 / PWM3_IR_M1	106
131	GPIO4_A3 / UART0_TX_M2	13	14	GND	—
18	GPIO0_C2	15	16	GPIO1_A0 / UART6_RX_M1 / SPI4_MISO_M2 / I2C2_SDA_M4	32
—	+3.3V	17	18	GPIO1_A1 / UART6_TX_M1 / SPI4_MOSI_M2 / I2C2_SCL_M4	33
42	GPIO1_B2 / UART4_RX_M2 / SPI0_MOSI_M2 / PDM1_SDI3_M1	19	20	GND	—
41	GPIO1_B1 / SPI0_MISO_M2 / PDM1_SDI2_M1	21	22	GPIO1_B0 / SPI2_CS1_M0 / PDM1_SDI1_M1	40
43	GPIO1_B3 / UART4_TX_M2 / SPI0_CLK_M2 / PDM1_CLK1_M1	23	24	GPIO1_B4 / UART7_RX_M2 / SPI0_CS0_M2 / PDM1_CLK0_M1	44
—	GND	25	26	GPIO1_B5 / UART7_TX_M2 / SPI0_CS1_M2	45
57	GPIO1_D1 / SPI1_MOSI_M2 / UART6_RX_M2 / I2C7_SDA_M0 / PDM0_SDI1_M0 / I2S0_SDO2 / I2S0_SDI3	27	28	GPIO1_D0 / SPI1_MISO_M2 / UART6_TX_M2 / I2C7_SCL_M0 / I2S0_SDO1	56
58	GPIO1_D2 / SPI1_CLK_M2 / UART4_TX_M0 / PWM0_M1 / I2C1_SCL_M4 / PDM0_SDI2_M0 / I2S0_SDO3 / I2S0_SDI2	29	30	GND	—
59	GPIO1_D3 / SPI1_CS0_M2 / UART4_RX_M0 / PWM1_M1 / I2C1_SDA_M4 / PDM0_SDI3_M0 / I2S0_SDI1	31	32	GPIO4_B2 / CAN1_RX_M1 / PWM14_M1 / I2S1_SDO1_M0 / UART8_RTSN_M0 / SPI0_CS0_M1 / I2C7_SCL_M3	138
139	GPIO4_B3 / CAN1_TX_M1 / PWM15_IR_M1 / I2S1_SDO2_M0 / UART8_CTSN_M0 / I2C7_SDA_M3	33	34	GND	—
52	GPIO1_C4 / SPI4_CS1_M0 / PWM11_IR_M2 / I2C2_SDA_M3 / PDM0_CLK1_M0	35	36	GPIO1_D5 / SPI1_CS1_M2 / PDM0_SDI0_M0	61
54	GPIO1_C6 / PWM15_IR_M2 / I2C4_SDA_M4 / PDM0_CLK0_M0	37	38	GPIO0_C4 / I2C4_SDA_M2 / PDM0_CLK1_M1 / UART0_RX_M0 / PWM2_M0	20
—	GND	39	40	GPIO0_C5 / I2S1_SDI0_M1 / I2C4_SCL_M2 / PWM4_M0 / UART0_TX_M0	21

FAN

0.8mm connector (CN5)

Pin	Assignment	Description
1	VCC5V0_DEVICE_S0	5V power output
2	GND	GND
3	Switched return	Connected to the Q45 collector and controlled by FAN_PWM6_M0 through Q45/Q46; not a direct logic-level PWM pin

HPOUT

0.8mm connector (CN4)

Pin	Assignment	Description
1	AOR	Right channel
2	AOL	Left channel
3	GND	GND

VRTC

0.8mm connector(J27)

Pin	Assignment	Description
1	+	Positive electrode
2	-	negative electrode

Getting started

📝

CM7s-IO User Manual

How to start using your CM7s Kit

Development Materials

SDK source code

📚

ArmSom-bsp

Building a Linux System

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Armbian

Armbian Linux build framework

📗

CM7s kernel

Improved Rockchip Linux

📘

CM7s uboot

ArmSoM/u-boot

📕

RKNN-LLM

AI models to Rockchip chips

Cloud drive link

Google Drive links, including software information and hardware information:

Google Drive link

Official mirror

ArmSoM provides the following official system images. Select the matching product folder and image version in the shared drive. How do I flash a system image?📤📤

The following systems have been officially tested and verified by ArmSoM:

Logo	Description	Download
	Debian 12 for CM7s-IO: Debian 12 (Bookworm) system images. Open the matching product folder in the shared drive; available versions and desktop variants are listed there.	Google Drive root folder
	Ubuntu 22.04 LTS for CM7s-IO: Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) system images. Select the matching image in the product folder in the shared drive.	Google Drive root folder

Third-party mirror

logo	Description	Download
	Armbian for CM7s-IO: Armbian is a computing build framework that lets users create ready-to-use images with working kernels based on various single-board computer configurations. It provides a variety of pre-built images for some supported single-board computers, usually based on Debian or Ubuntu.	Armbian Image

User Manual

1. Preparation for getting started

Before you start using the ArmSoM-CM7s-IO product, please get the following items ready

Tool Preparation

• Power supply
• System Installation (Choose One)
  • Onboard eMMC startup
    • Flashing the USB Type-C cable, use a 12V power adapter to supply power to the motherboard; to write an image from the CM7s-IO Type-C port to the CM7s, you need to connect the CM7s-IO and PC with a USB Type-C cable, and at the same time use the 12V power adapter to power the CM7s-IO through its DC port.
  • MicroSD card/TF card boots
    • MicroSD card/TF card, Class 10 or above, at least 8GB SDHC, and card reader
    • Here are the high-speed TF cards tested and verified by the ArmSoM team
      • SanDisk 32GB TF (MicroSD) Dashcam & Security Monitoring Dedicated Storage Card (Recommended for Long-Term Operation)
      • SanDisk 32GB TF (MicroSD) Storage Card for Dashcams & Security Monitoring (Recommended for Long-Term Use)
      • SanDisk TF 8GB Class10 microSD
      • SanDisk TF 128G Class10 microSD XC TF 128G 48MB/S:

You can set up the CM7s as an interactive computer with a desktop, or as a headless computer that can only be accessed over the network. To set up the CM7s as a headless computer, you'll configure the hostname, user account, network connection, and SSH during the initial OS installation. If you want to use the CM7s directly, you'll need the following extra accessories:

Optional options

• Keyboard & Mouse
• HDMI monitor and HDMI cable
• Ethernet cable
• Camera module
  • For the 4-lane camera, we recommend the camera-module1 module (OV13850).
  • For the 2-lane camera, we recommend the camera-module-v2 module (IMX219).
• LCD display
  • We recommend Display 10 HD.
• 3.5mm wired headphones.

Power supply

• Supports DC 12V power adapter, 2.5mm

Account needed to log in

Username	Password
root	root
armsom	armsom

2. Choose Burning Method

🎇

Flashing the System Image

3. Interface Usage

If this is your first time using the CM7s Kit, please get familiar with the products first. CM7s Hardware interface and CM7s-IO Hardware interface，so that you can better understand the following content.

3.1 Debugging Serial Port

Use a USB-to-serial chip (CH340) to connect the TTL serial cable to the 40-pin on CM7s-IO:

CM5-IO	Connect	Serial Module
GND (pin 6)	--->	GND
TX (pin 8)	--->	RX
RX (pin 10)	--->	TX

tip

Serial Communication Parameters

• Baud rate: 1500000
• Data bits: 8
• Stop bits: 1
• Parity: None
• Flow control: None

3.2 Ethernet Port

1. First, plug one end of the Ethernet cable into the ArmSoM-CM7s-IO's Ethernet port, and plug the other end into the router, making sure the network is working properly.
2. Once the system starts, it will automatically assign an IP address to the Ethernet card via DHCP, with no other configuration needed.
3. On the ArmSoM-CM7s Linux system, the command to check the IP address is shown below, where end1 is the name of the Ethernet device.

armsom@armsom:~$ ip a
1: lo: <LOOPBACK,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 65536 qdisc noqueue state UNKNOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/loopback 00:00:00:00:00:00 brd 00:00:00:00:00:00
    inet 127.0.0.1/8 scope host lo
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
    inet6 ::1/128 scope host noprefixroute
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever
2: dummy0: <BROADCAST,NOARP> mtu 1500 qdisc noop state DOWN group default qlen 1000
    link/ether 46:fc:71:98:e2:45 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
3: end1: <BROADCAST,MULTICAST,UP,LOWER_UP> mtu 1500 qdisc mq state UP group default qlen 1000
    link/ether d6:3c:08:0f:a4:05 brd ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff
    inet 192.168.1.156/24 brd 192.168.1.255 scope global dynamic noprefixroute end1
       valid_lft 43188sec preferred_lft 43188sec
    inet6 fd45:d3b4:e549::8a2/128 scope global dynamic noprefixroute
       valid_lft 43186sec preferred_lft 43186sec
    inet6 fd45:d3b4:e549:0:54c0:d3b4:6f75:62be/64 scope global dynamic noprefixroute
       valid_lft 5386sec preferred_lft 2686sec
    inet6 fe80::aeef:d7f3:1189:902b/64 scope link noprefixroute
       valid_lft forever preferred_lft forever

After the CM7s starts up, there are three ways to check the IP address:

• Connect an HDMI monitor, log into the system, and use the terminal to enter the ip a command to check the IP address.
• Connect a debug serial port and use the terminal to enter the ip a command to check the IP address.
• If you do not have a debug serial port or an HDMI monitor, you can also check the IP address of the CM5 Kit's Ethernet port through the router's management interface. However, sometimes the IP address may not be visible on the router. If the IP address is not visible, troubleshoot as follows:
  • First, check if the Linux system has started normally. If the green light on the CM5 Kit is steady, it has generally started correctly.
  • Check if the Ethernet cable is securely connected, or try a different cable.
  • Try using a different router, as issues have been encountered where routers cannot properly assign IP addresses or the assigned IP address does not show up on the router.
  • If no other router is available, you will need to connect an HDMI monitor or use a debug serial port to check the IP address.

tip

Note that DHCP automatic IP assignment on the CM7s does not require any configuration.

4. Use the ping utility to check network connectivity.

The following command tests network connectivity. You can stop ping by pressing Ctrl+C.

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo ping -I end1 www.baidu.com
PING www.wshifen.com (103.235.46.96) from 192.168.1.156 end1: 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 103.235.46.96 (103.235.46.96): icmp_seq=1 ttl=44 time=311 ms
64 bytes from 103.235.46.96 (103.235.46.96): icmp_seq=2 ttl=44 time=311 ms
64 bytes from 103.235.46.96 (103.235.46.96): icmp_seq=3 ttl=44 time=312 ms
64 bytes from 103.235.46.96 (103.235.46.96): icmp_seq=5 ttl=44 time=312 ms
64 bytes from 103.235.46.96 (103.235.46.96): icmp_seq=6 ttl=44 time=311 ms
^C
--- www.wshifen.com ping statistics ---
6 packets transmitted, 5 received, 16.6667% packet loss, time 5021ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 311.040/311.447/311.866/0.296 ms

tip

Only regular users need to use sudo; root does not.

3.3 HDMI

CM7s-IO supports HDMI up to 8Kp60.

1. Connect the CM7s-IO to an HDMI monitor using an HDMI cable.
2. After booting Linux, image output on the HDMI monitor indicates that the HDMI port is working properly.

tip

Note: Although many laptops have an HDMI port, it is usually output-only and does not support HDMI input. This means the HDMI output of another device cannot be displayed on the laptop screen. Before connecting the development board's HDMI output to a laptop, make sure the laptop supports HDMI input. If there is no HDMI display, first check whether the installed system includes a desktop environment. A server version displays only the terminal.

HDMI-to-VGA Display Test

1. Prepare the following accessories:

• HDMI-to-VGA adapter
• A VGA cable and a monitor with a VGA port

2. The HDMI-to-VGA display test is shown below.

sige-hdmi-vga

tip

When using HDMI-to-VGA display output, no settings are required on the CM5 Kit or in Linux; the development board's HDMI output only needs to work properly. If the test fails, check the HDMI-to-VGA adapter, VGA cable, and monitor.

3.4 DP Display (Type-C)

The Type-C port on CM7s-IO supports DisplayPort (DP) video output. To connect a monitor with a Type-C video input, use a full-featured USB-C to USB-C cable that supports DP Alt Mode video transmission. A charging-only USB-C cable cannot carry video.

For a monitor with a standard DisplayPort input, use a USB-C to DisplayPort video cable that supports output from a USB-C DP Alt Mode source to a DP monitor.

3.5 USB

Testing with a USB Mouse or Keyboard

1. Connect a USB keyboard to a USB port on the CM7s.
2. Connect the CM7s to an HDMI monitor.
3. If the mouse or keyboard can operate the system normally, the USB port is working properly (a mouse can only be used with a desktop system).

Testing with a USB Storage Device

1. First, connect a USB flash drive or USB external hard drive to a USB port on the ArmSoM-CM7s.
2. Run the following command. If an sdX device appears in the output, the USB drive has been detected successfully.

armsom@armsom:~$ cat /proc/partitions | grep "sd*"
major minor  #blocks  name
   8        0   30720000 sda
   8        1   30718976 sda1

3. Use the mount command to mount the USB drive under /mnt, then you can view its files.

armsom@armsom:~$ mkdir -p /test
armsom@armsom:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda1 /test/
mount: /test: /dev/sda1 already mounted on /test.

4. After mounting, use df -h to view the USB drive's capacity usage and mount point.

armsom@armsom:/$ df -h | grep "sd"
/dev/sda1        30G   64K   30G   1% /test

3.6 M.2 Key M

The CM7s-IO provides an M.2 Key M connector:

• There is an M.2 Key M connector on the back of the product. The board has a standard M.2 2280 mounting hole for an M.2 2280 NVMe SSD.
  Note: This M.2 interface does not support M.2 SATA SSDs.

After connecting the NVMe device, try mounting it to a newly created directory. A successful mount indicates that it is working.

root@armsom:/# mkdir temp
root@armsom:/# mount /dev/nvme0n1 temp

3.7 Micro SD card slot

The CM7s-IO has a standard onboard microSD card slot, primarily used as a system boot drive or for additional storage.

1. To use an SD card as the system boot drive, insert the prepared bootable SD card into the Micro SD card slot before powering on the board. The CM7s will boot from the SD card first.

2. To use the SD card for additional storage, follow the steps below. First, check the log messages generated when the SD card is inserted:

armsom@armsom:~$ [  293.228591] mmc_host mmc1: Bus speed (slot 0) = 148500000Hz (slot req 150000000Hz, actual 148500000HZ div = 0)
[  293.309039] dwmmc_rockchip fe2c0000.mmc: Successfully tuned phase to 155
[  293.309114] mmc1: new ultra high speed SDR104 SDHC card at address 0001
[  293.310505] mmcblk1: mmc1:0001 ASTC 7.44 GiB
[  293.326321]  mmcblk1: p1 p2

The output shows that the system has detected the inserted SD card (mmcblk1, capacity 7.44 GiB, with partitions p1 and p2). Next, check the SD card device information.

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo fdisk -l /dev/mmcblk1
Disk /dev/mmcblk1: 7.44 GiB, 7990149120 bytes, 15605760 sectors
Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disklabel type: gpt
Disk identifier: BDFDC9CF-2FC3-46BB-AF10-C9DF254BB1E2

Device           Start      End  Sectors  Size Type
/dev/mmcblk1p1   32768  1081343  1048576  512M Linux extended boot
/dev/mmcblk1p2 1081344 15605726 14524383  6.9G Linux filesystem

The filesystem partition is /dev/mmcblk1p2. Mount the SD card as follows:

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo mkdir -p /mnt/sdcard
armsom@armsom:~$ sudo mount /dev/mmcblk1p2 /mnt/sdcard
[  491.938107] EXT4-fs (mmcblk1p2): recovery complete
[  491.939897] EXT4-fs (mmcblk1p2): mounted filesystem with ordered data mode. Quota mode: disabled.
mount: (hint) your fstab has been modified, but systemd still uses
       the old version; use 'systemctl daemon-reload' to reload.
armsom@armsom:~$ df -h /mnt/sdcard
Filesystem      Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mmcblk1p2  6.8G  6.6G     0 100% /mnt/sdcard
armsom@armsom:~$ cd /mnt/sdcard/
armsom@armsom:/mnt/sdcard$ ls
bin   dev  home  lost+found  mnt  proc  run   snap  swapfile  tmp  var
boot  etc  lib   media       opt  root  sbin  srv   sys       usr

3.8 Audio

1. View the system's sound cards.

root@armsom:~# aplay -l
**** List of PLAYBACK Hardware Devices ****
card 0: rockchipdp0 [rockchip-dp0], device 0: rockchip-dp0 spdif-hifi-0 [rockchip-dp0 spdif-hifi-0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 1: rockchiphdmi0 [rockchip-hdmi0], device 0: rockchip-hdmi0 i2s-hifi-0 [rockchip-hdmi0 i2s-hifi-0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0
card 2: rockchipes8388 [rockchip,es8388], device 0: dailink-multicodecs ES8323 HiFi-0 [dailink-multicodecs ES8323 HiFi-0]
  Subdevices: 1/1
  Subdevice #0: subdevice #0

In the listed sound cards, card 2: rockchipes8388 is the onboard ES8388 audio codec on the CM7s-IO. It is used with the onboard MIC microphone for recording and the onboard 3.5 mm HPOUT headphone jack for audio playback.

2. Configure Audio Controls

Before testing recording and playback, run the following commands to configure the audio.

• Configure the onboard microphone

armsom@armsom:~$ amixer -c 2 cset numid=45 1    # Left PGA Mux = Line 2L    
armsom@armsom:~$ amixer -c 2 cset numid=46 1    # Right PGA Mux = Line 2R   
armsom@armsom:~$ amixer -c 2 cset numid=27 8    # Left-channel gain (range 0–8, default: 0)
armsom@armsom:~$ amixer -c 2 cset numid=28 8    # Right-channel gain (range 0–8, default: 0)

• Configure the headphone output

armsom@armsom:~$ amixer -c 2 cset numid=34 30,30    # OUT1 analog volume (left and right values, range 0–33)
armsom@armsom:~$ amixer -c 2 cset numid=55 on       # Enable the OUT1 output channel (disabled by default)

3. Record Audio

Record audio using the onboard MIC microphone and the arecord command.

armsom@armsom:~$ arecord -D hw:2,0 -f S16_LE -r 44100 -c 2 -d 5 /tmp/record.wav
Recording WAVE '/tmp/record.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo

4. Play Audio

Connect headphones with a 3.5 mm plug to the 3.5 mm headphone jack, then use the aplay command to play audio.

armsom@armsom:~$ aplay -D hw:2,0 /tmp/record.wav
Playing WAVE '/tmp/record.wav' : Signed 16 bit Little Endian, Rate 44100 Hz, Stereo

3.9 40 PIN

The CM7s provides a 40-pin GPIO header that is compatible with most commonly available sensor applications.

Using wiring-armbian

Download the wiringOP source code to the development board: wiring-armbian

• After downloading the wiringOP source code, build and install it by running the following commands:

root@armsom:~# cd wiring-armbian/
root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# chmod +x build
root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# ./build 

• After the build completes, edit /etc/armbian-release, change the board name to 'armsom-cm7s', then save and exit.

root@armsom:~# vi /etc/armbian-release
BOARD=armsom-cm7s

• The output of the gpio readall test command is shown below.

 root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio readall
 +------+-----+----------+--------+---+  ArmSoM-CM7s +---+--------+----------+-----+------+
 | GPIO | wPi |   Name   |  Mode  | V | Physical | V |  Mode  | Name     | wPi | GPIO |
 +------+-----+----------+--------+---+----++----+---+--------+----------+-----+------+
 |      |     |     3.3V |        |   |  1 || 2  |   |        | 5V       |     |      |
 |   63 |   0 | I2C8_SDA | (null) | 0 |  3 || 4  |   |        | 5V       |     |      |
 |   62 |   1 | I2C8_SCL | (null) | 0 |  5 || 6  |   |        | GND      |     |      |
 |   39 |   2 | GPIO1_A7 |     IN | 1 |  7 || 8  | 1 | ALT10  | UART2_TX | 3   | 13   |
 |      |     |      GND |        |   |  9 || 10 | 1 | ALT10  | UART2_RX | 4   | 14   |
 |  130 |   5 | GPIO4_A2 |     IN | 0 | 11 || 12 | 1 | IN     | GPIO3_B2 | 6   | 106  |
 |   13 |   7 | GPIO4_A3 |  ALT10 | 1 | 13 || 14 |   |        | GND      |     |      |
 |   18 |   8 | GPIO0_C2 |     IN | 1 | 15 || 16 | 0 | IN     | UART6_RX | 9   | 32   |
 |      |     |     3.3V |        |   | 17 || 18 | 0 | IN     | UART6_TX | 10  | 33   |
 |   42 |  11 | SPI_MOSI |     IN | 0 | 19 || 20 |   |        | GND      |     |      |
 |   41 |  12 | SPI_MISO |     IN | 0 | 21 || 22 | 1 | IN     | GPIO1_B0 | 13  | 40   |
 |   43 |  14 | SPI_SCLK |     IN | 0 | 23 || 24 | 1 | IN     | SPI0_CS0 | 15  | 44   |
 |      |     |      GND |        |   | 25 || 26 | 1 | IN     | SPI0_CS1 | 16  | 45   |
 |   57 |  17 | I2C7_SDA | (null) | 0 | 27 || 28 | 0 | (null) | I2C7_SCL | 18  | 56   |
 |   58 |  19 | UART4_TX | (null) | 0 | 29 || 30 |   |        | GND      |     |      |
 |   59 |  20 | UART4_RX | (null) | 0 | 31 || 32 | 1 | IN     | PWM14_M1 | 21  | 138  |
 |  139 |  22 |  CAN1_TX |     IN | 1 | 33 || 34 |   |        | GND      |     |      |
 |   52 |  23 | GPIO1_C4 |  ALT11 | 1 | 35 || 36 | 0 | (null) | GPIO1_D5 | 24  | 61   |
 |   54 |  25 | GPIO1_C6 |     IN | 1 | 37 || 38 | 1 | IN     | UART0_RX | 26  | 20   |
 |      |     |      GND |        |   | 39 || 40 | 1 | IN     | UART0_TX | 27  | 21   |
 +------+-----+----------+--------+---+----++----+---+--------+----------+-----+------+
 | GPIO | wPi |   Name   |  Mode  | V | Physical | V |  Mode  | Name     | wPi | GPIO |
 +------+-----+----------+--------+---+  ArmSoM-CM7s +---+--------+----------+-----+------+

• Set the GPIO pin to output mode. The argument is the wPi number corresponding to the pin.

root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio mode 5 out

• Read the current logic level of the corresponding pin.

root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio read 5
0

• Set the GPIO pin to output a high level. Then measure the pin voltage with a multimeter; a reading of 3.3 V indicates success.

root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio write 5 1
root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio read 5
1

• Set the GPIO pin to output a low level. Then measure the pin voltage with a multimeter; a reading of 0 V indicates success.

root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio write 5 0
root@armsom:/wiring-armbian# gpio read 5
0

• Other pins can be configured in the same way; simply change the wPi number to the number corresponding to the desired pin.

3.10 RGB LED

The CM7s has a user LED (green) and a power indicator LED (red).

• User LED By default, it acts as a heartbeat LED and can be controlled by the user.

• Power Indicator LED By default, a steadily lit LED indicates that the system is operating normally.

The user LED can be controlled with the following commands.

armsom@armsom:~$ echo 0 > /sys/class/leds/led-green-usr/brightness (off)
armsom@armsom:~$ echo 1 > /sys/class/leds/led-green-usr/brightness (on continuously)
armsom@armsom:~$ echo heartbeat > /sys/class/leds/led-green-usr/trigger (restore heartbeat mode)

3.11 RTC

• The CM7s integrates an LK8563S RTC chip. The CM7s-IO also has an onboard VRTC connector for an RTC battery.

root@armsom:~# dmesg | grep -w rtc
[    2.024480] rtc-hym8563 6-0051: rtc information is invalid
[    2.032951] rtc-hym8563 6-0051: registered as rtc0
[    2.033959] rtc-hym8563 6-0051: setting system clock to 2021-01-01T12:00:00 UTC (1609502400)

• Locate rtc0, then use the following commands to set the system time and synchronize it with rtc0.

// Read the current time from the RTC chip
root@armsom:~# hwclock -r -f /dev/rtc0
2026-04-28 07:26:02.198445+08:00

// View the current system time
root@armsom:~# date
Tue Apr 28 07:26:38 AM CST 2026

// Set the system time
root@armsom:~# date -s "2026-10-12 10:30:00"
Mon Oct 12 10:30:00 AM CST 2026

// Write the current system time to the RTC
root@armsom:~# hwclock -w -f /dev/rtc0

// Read the RTC chip's time again
root@armsom:~# hwclock -r -f /dev/rtc0
2026-10-12 10:30:45.494092+08:00

• If an RTC battery is connected, power off and restart the CM7s, then check the RTC time. The following command should show that the RTC retains the time set above (as if it had not lost power).
• If no RTC battery is connected, the following command will show that the time has reset because the RTC lost power and its data.

root@armsom:~# sudo hwclock -r -f /dev/rtc0
2026-04-28 07:26:02.198445+08:00

3.12 MIPI-CSI

CM7s-IO supports a two-lane IMX219 (Raspberry Pi Camera Module 2) on CAM0 and a four-lane OV13850 (ArmSoM camera-module1) on CAM1. Power off before connecting ribbon cables and check their orientation.

Enable Camera Configuration

Edit the CM7s boot configuration:

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo nano /boot/uEnv/uEnvarmsom-cm7s-io.txt

Remove the leading # from the required lines. The following configuration enables both cameras:

dtoverlay=/dtb/overlay/rk3588s-armsom-cm7s-io-camera-imx219-cs0-overlay.dtbo
dtoverlay=/dtb/overlay/rk3588s-armsom-cm7s-io-camera-ov13850-cs1-overlay.dtbo

Save and reboot:

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo reboot

Check Cameras and Device Nodes

The following logs and nodes were collected on CM7s with Debian 12 / Linux 6.1 and both cameras enabled:

armsom@armsom:~$ dmesg | grep -E "imx219|ov13850"

[    2.805909] ov13850 1-0010: Detected OV00d850 sensor, REVISION 0xb2
[    2.892223] imx219 4-0010: Detected IMX000219 sensor

Port	Camera	I2C address	CIF topology	ISP topology	ISP main output
CAM0 (2 lanes)	IMX219	4-0010	/dev/media0	/dev/media2	/dev/video22
CAM1 (4 lanes)	OV13850	1-0010	/dev/media1	/dev/media3	/dev/video31

Node numbers may vary with the image and enabled devices. A single enabled camera may use /dev/video11. Identify the correct ISP output node before replacing the nodes below; do not use CIF RAW nodes for preview:

armsom@armsom:~$ v4l2-ctl --list-devices
armsom@armsom:~$ media-ctl -d /dev/media0 -p
armsom@armsom:~$ media-ctl -d /dev/media2 -p
armsom@armsom:~$ v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video22 --get-fmt-video
armsom@armsom:~$ v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video31 --get-fmt-video

Tools and the 3A Service

Some images require GStreamer to be installed manually. If gst-launch-1.0 is missing, run:

Before refreshing the index, check the system clock and repositories in Update the APT package source list.

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo apt-get update
armsom@armsom:~$ sudo apt-get install -y gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-x

Start or restart the 3A service before capture for automatic exposure and white balance:

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo systemctl restart rkaiq_3A.service

Run only one set of capture commands at a time. Preview requires a local desktop terminal. Press Ctrl+C to exit; recording uses -e, so wait for file finalization. If no image appears after switching capture methods, stop capture and restart the 3A service.

OV13850 Camera

These examples use 2112×1568 with a configured rate of 30 FPS. Actual frame rate depends on exposure and other factors.

Capture a frame (raw NV12, not JPEG):

armsom@armsom:~$ v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video31 --set-selection=target=crop,top=0,left=0,width=2112,height=1568 --set-fmt-video=width=2112,height=1568,pixelformat=NV12 --stream-mmap=3 --stream-to=ov13850.nv12 --stream-count=1 --stream-poll

Record video (H.264 / MP4):

armsom@armsom:~$ gst-launch-1.0 -e v4l2src device=/dev/video31 num-buffers=300 ! video/x-raw,format=NV12,width=2112,height=1568,framerate=30/1 ! mpph264enc ! h264parse ! mp4mux ! filesink location=ov13850.mp4

The image must include the matching Rockchip encoder plugin. Check with gst-inspect-1.0 mpph264enc.

Preview:

armsom@armsom:~$ gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video31 ! video/x-raw,format=NV12,width=2112,height=1568,framerate=30/1 ! videoconvert ! ximagesink sync=false handle-events=false

IMX219 Camera

Capture and preview use 3280×2464 @ 15 FPS. Do not configure this full-resolution mode for 30 FPS.

Capture a photo (JPEG):

armsom@armsom:~$ GST_V4L2SRC_MAX_RESOLUTION=3280x2464 gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video22 num-buffers=1 io-mode=4 ! video/x-raw,format=NV12,width=3280,height=2464 ! videoconvert ! jpegenc ! filesink location=imx219.jpg

Record video (MJPEG / AVI):

The following software-encoding example scales ISP output to 1920×1080 @ 15 FPS and produces large files. Full-resolution IMX219 H.264 hardware recording timed out on the tested image, so the old 8MP / 30 FPS command is not retained. This MJPEG example has not yet been verified on hardware.

armsom@armsom:~$ gst-launch-1.0 -e v4l2src device=/dev/video22 num-buffers=150 ! video/x-raw,format=NV12,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=15/1 ! videoconvert ! jpegenc ! avimux ! filesink location=imx219.avi

Preview:

armsom@armsom:~$ GST_V4L2SRC_MAX_RESOLUTION=3280x2464 gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video22 ! video/x-raw,format=NV12,width=3280,height=2464,framerate=15/1 ! videoconvert ! ximagesink sync=false handle-events=false

GST_V4L2SRC_MAX_RESOLUTION is a mode-selection extension in some SDK images. If unsupported, omit it and use a mode supported by the actual node.

Preview Both Cameras Simultaneously

Download the CM7s dual-window preview script to the board. In a local desktop terminal, enter its directory and run:

armsom@armsom:~$ sudo apt-get install -y python3-gi gir1.2-gtk-3.0 gir1.2-gstreamer-1.0 gir1.2-gst-plugins-base-1.0
armsom@armsom:~$ sudo systemctl restart rkaiq_3A.service
armsom@armsom:~$ python3 cm7s-dual-camera-preview.py

The script targets a 1920×1080 screen, with IMX219 on the left and OV13850 on the right. Each ISP output is 640×480, scaled proportionally to 960×720 without cropping. Measured rates were approximately 15 FPS and 25 FPS; both cameras' colors and smoothness were confirmed. Update the camera list if node numbers differ. Press Ctrl+C to exit.

Test image below: titles and upper/lower black borders were cropped out. Only the left IMX219 image was rotated 180° to correct its orientation; the right image is unchanged.

3.13 MIPI DSI

The CM7s MIPI-DSI interface supports resolutions up to 2K@60Hz.

1. Connect the ribbon cable as shown below.

cm5-io-display-10-hd

2. The Linux image does not enable the MIPI LCD configuration by default. To use a MIPI LCD, enable it manually.

root@armsom:~# nano /boot/uEnv/uEnvarmsom-cm7s-io.txt
#dtoverlay=/dtb/overlay/rk3588s-armsom-cm7s-io-display-1200x1900-10.1hd-overlay.dtbo

Uncomment this line, save and exit, then reboot. The LCD should light up.

Product Certificate

CE / FCC / RoHS

Supply Statement

ArmSoM-CM7s will be produced at least until August 2034.

Accessory

The official accessories we designed for the ArmSoM-CM7s-IO are meant to help you get the best performance from your computer.

Display-10-hd

10.1-inch touchscreen display, can be used for interactive projects like entertainment systems and information dashboards.

Camera-module1

The camera-module1 is compatible with the OV13850 and is a low-power camera module.

Purchase Samples

ArmSoM Official Website: https://www.armsom.org/product-page/cm7s

ArmSoM Official AliExpress Store: https://aliexpress.ru/item/1005013244630755.html?gatewayAdapt=glo2rus&sku_id=12000060657514869

ArmSoM Official Taobao Store: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=1074292029401

For OEM & ODM, please contact: sales@armsom.org

Expert Perspective

User Case

Notes

[Electrostatic Protection]

1. Before handling the device, please ensure you wear an anti-static wrist strap or take electrostatic discharge measures to prevent damage to the development board.
2. Assembly should be performed in an electrostatic-safe environment, avoiding operations in dry and low-humidity conditions.
3. When not in use, store the device in an anti-static bag and keep it in a suitably temperature-controlled, low-humidity environment to prevent static electricity buildup.
4. When handling the device, avoid friction or collisions to prevent the generation of static electricity that could cause damage.
5. When holding the device, try to avoid direct contact with the chips on the mainboard to prevent static damage.
6. Do not plug or unplug wires or other devices while the device is operating to avoid damage from electrical surges.
7. When connecting or disconnecting the GPIO/MIPI expansion interfaces, make sure to turn off the power and disconnect the power cable to prevent damage from electrical current.

[Heat Management]

Without effective cooling measures, the surface temperature of the main chip may exceed 60 degrees. When handling the device, please avoid direct contact with the SoC and surrounding power inductors to prevent burns. Ensure that the environment is well-ventilated during operation to prevent localized heat buildup, which could lead to overheating. Additionally, do not place the device in direct sunlight. It is recommended to choose between the official cooling fan, heat sink, or third-party cooling kits based on specific usage conditions to ensure optimal cooling performance.