[DFR1142]Lite Carrier for LattePanda Mu

Mubook

Mubook is a "portable" x86 based system that is designed to house both mini PC and homelab functionalities while still being small enough to be easily carried and expandable enough for processor upgrades.

The project itself is a submission to Hackclub Highway and has the capability to support 4 3.5 inch HDDs and M.2 cards while maintaining upgradeability and much higher performance over other SoM boards with its Intel N100 processor.

Onshape Link: https://cad.onshape.com/documents/5acc811496d77f90c0752dd0/w/e9eca540294b20cf51e85b2b/e/d6c7fa954eee015fd1c89e31?renderMode=0&uiState=688c2f7e44961510ff4b2d40

Features

• 2x USB 3.0 Type A

• 2x USB 2.0 Type A

• 2x USB 2.0 Type C

• 1x HDMI

• 1 GbE RJ45

• 1x M.2 M-Key

• 1x M.2 E-Key

• 4x SATA

• 5x I2C

• 3x UART

• Ability to run normal Windows + Linux

The board measures 140 cm wide and 170 cm long, with a height of 50 mm (with the designed case assembly), and uses a single 40 mm exhaust fan to move air through the system. Additionally, it has the ability to carry a second BIOS on a QSPI flash chip, which can be switched with a header to provide all the modularity the N100 can provide. The onboard SATA reaches SATA III speeds, and the M.2 slots are serviced by 1 PCIe 3.0 lane each.

Why?

I decided to design MuBook to create a lightweight and compact homelab system (around the size of a Harry Potter novel) that can effectively be used the same way a Mac Mini would be, but with much more expansion capabilities and modability while providing a starting point for others who want to design a carrier based on the Mu, as all of the other references are either quite specialized or untested. Another objective was to design a system that is much more powerful than existing hobbyist level designs which involve boards such as the Raspberry Pi 5 or a weaker ARM based system. All of the other boards were not as effective as running x86 workloads, nonetheless the sheer amount of high speed IO that the MuBook breaks out from the LattePanda Mu it carries. Those are the more performance focused goals. One of the most important reasons why I chose to do this design was because it would give me a chance to greatly develop my KiCad skills and knowledge of high-speed design beyond basic PCBs). Hopefully this project will solve a lot of the research and design mysteries of the Lite Carrier.

BOM

I decided to design MuBook to create a lightweight and compact homelab system (around the size of a Harry Potter novel) that can effectively be used the same way a Mac Mini would be, but with much more expansion capabilities and modability while providing a starting point for others who want to design a carrier based on the Mu, as all of the other references are either quite specialized or untested. Another objective was to design a system that is much more powerful than existing hobbyist level designs which involve boards such as the Raspberry Pi 5 or a weaker ARM based system. All of the other boards were not as effective as running x86 workloads, nonetheless the sheer amount of high speed IO that the MuBook breaks out from the LattePanda Mu it carries. Those are the more performance focused goals. One of the most important reasons why I chose to do this design was because it would give me a chance to greatly develop my KiCad skills and knowledge of high-speed design beyond basic PCBs). Hopefully this project will solve a lot of the research and design mysteries of the Lite Carrier.

BOM

Total: 300 USD

I currently have pin headers at my house so that's why they don't have links or prices. Also I am extremely sorry for the massive BOM :(