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Introduction

1. Introduction#

NanoCluster is an ultra-miniature cluster board developed by Sipeed, featuring 7 SOM slots interconnected via a RISC-V-based Gigabit switch. It supports USB-C PD power supply and optional PoE expansion. Additionally, NanoCluster provides independent UART and power control, making it an ideal entry-level platform for HomeLab users exploring distributed computing, Kubernetes, Docker, and edge computing.

NanoCluster is compatible with Sipeed's Longan Module 3H (4 × Cortex-A53), M4N (4 × Cortex-A55 + NPU), as well as the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (4 × Cortex-A72) and Compute Module 5 (4× Cortex-A76). Users can freely choose compute modules based on performance needs and budget, or mix and match different architectures to build a highly customized and heterogeneous computing cluster.

The NanoCluster adopts an open SOM interface standard, supporting both official core modules and custom adapter boards for third-party SOM solutions. This design greatly enhances the platform's flexibility.


产品特写图

2. Technical Specifications#

2.1. Baseboard#

Hardware Specifications
SOM Slots 7× Dual M.2 M-Key vertical slots
Power Supply USB-C 20V PD (Max 60W), Optional 60W PoE module
Ethernet Integrated RISC-V Gigabit switch chip JL6108 for high-speed interconnection, supporting web-based management and SDK-based custom feature development
USB Ports USB-A Host (Top), USB-A OTG (Bottom), connected to Slot 1
Display Interface HDMI, connected to Slot 1
Cooling System Equipped with a 60mm 2-pin fan for efficient cooling
Status Indicators 7× SYS LED indicators for node status monitoring
Serial Communication 7× independent UARTs for easy debugging and control, optional quad-serial USB module available
Power Management Slot1 centrally manages other Slots and switch power through IO expansion chip
Power Consumption 3.6 W
Dimensions PCBA: 88x57mm, approximately 100x60x60mm with SOMs installed and fan mounted

底板裸板特写图

2.2. SOM#

SOM LM3H M4N CM4 CM5
SoC H618 AX650N BCM2711 BCM2712
Memory 2GB ~ 4GB 8GB 1GB ~ 8GB 1GB ~ 16GB
eMMC 32GB 32GB 0GB ~ 64GB 0GB ~ 64GB
CPU 4 × A53
1.5 GHz
8 × A55
1.6 GHz
4 × A72
1.5 GHz
4 × A76
2.4 GHz
GPU Mali-G31 - VideoCore VI VideoCore VII
NPU - 18TOPS INT8 - -
Network 100M 1G 1G 1G
Additional Interfaces None Download interface + M.2 SSD + USB 3.0 Download interface + M.2 SSD Download interface + M.2 SSD + USB 3.0
Power
Idle /
Full Load /
Peak
1.2W/2.6W/3.7W 3W/8.3W/9W 3W/4.5W/4.6W 4W/7.6W/8W

SOM图

3. Interface Diagram#

3.1. Baseboard Interfaces#

接口图示

3.2. SOM#

The LM3H SOM connects directly to the baseboard via 7 × dual M.2 M-Key vertical slots.

The M4N SOM connects to a dedicated adapter board through a BTB connector, which then interfaces with the baseboard.

SOM LM3H M4N
Front Side
Back Side

3.3. Adapter Boards#

The CM4 / CM5 adapter board features a BTB connector on the front side, supporting CM4 and CM5 SOMs. It also includes a Boot button and a Type-C port for flashing.
The back side includes an SD card slot, an M.2 NVMe SSD connector (compatible with 2242 or 2230 size), and a reserved USB pad for optional CM5 USB 3.0 support.

The M4N adapter board features a BTB connector for Sipeed M4N SOMs, a Boot button, and a Type-C flashing port on the front side.
The back side includes an M.2 NVMe SSD connector (2242 or 2230), and a reserved USB pad for optional USB 3.0 support.

Adapter Board CM4 / CM5 M4N
Front Side
Back Side

4. Hardware & Software Resources#

4.1. Baseboard Hardware#

Click to view

4.2. Longan Module 3H Documentation#

Hardware documentation can be accessed here: Click to view. For system building and software development guides, please refer to: Click here.

4.3. M4N Documentation#

Hardware Documentation
Software Development Guide
Software Development SDK

4.4. Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4#

Click to view

4.5. Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5#

Click to view

5. Purchase Information#

Pre-order Portal

6. Feedback & Support#

If you have any questions or suggestions during use, please provide feedback through the following channels:

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