Rhino Pi A1 Mini Carrier Board Introduction

Product Overview

The Rhino Pi A1 Mini carrier board is equipped with the Rhino Core Q64 smart module. The carrier board features rich data communication interfaces: one 1G RJ45 Ethernet port (with HAT POE power support), an onboard WiFi module supporting WiFi 6 and BT 5.4, USB 3.0 Type-A and USB 2.0 Type-A ports, as well as MIPI DSI, MIPI CSI and HDMI display interfaces. In addition, it supports multiple general-purpose bus interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, I2S and GPIO, an onboard PCIe interface for external PCIe devices, and a Micro SD card socket for external storage expansion.

The board is manufactured with strictly selected components and a compact design with rich interfaces, making it easy to integrate into finished products while delivering a smooth experience and strong performance. It can be widely used in industries such as digital signage, touch interaction, consumer electronics and entertainment systems, as well as in robotics, industrial inspection and edge AI scenarios.

Product Appearance

Photo of the Rhino Pi A1 Mini carrier board:

Interface Diagrams

Physical Dimensions

Item	Parameter
PCBA size	85mm × 56mm (±0.5mm)
Board thickness	1.2mm (±10%)
Mounting hole diameter	5mm
Screw hole specification	∮2.5mm × 4 (±10%)

For detailed dimension information, contact the APLUX FAE to obtain the DXF document.

Specification List

Category	Specification
Core Board	A6490MA1 core board
TF Card	Plug-in TF card socket
USB	4 × Type-A (USB 3.0 ×1 + USB 2.0 ×3)
Display	HDMI Type D connector; MIPI DSI display interface
Camera	2 × FPC 22PIN MIPI CSI × 4lane interfaces
Ethernet	1 × 1G Ethernet port with POE
Wireless	WiFi 6 & BT 5.4
PCIe	1 × PCIe FPC 16PIN connector
Expansion	40pin Pitch 2.54mm dual-row header (I2C, I2S, SPI, UART, GPIO)
Buttons	Flashing key (RECOVERY) and power key
Power Input	12V/2A, Type-C interface input (PD3.2 adapter supported)
Debug	External 3.3V serial debug support
Environment	Operating temperature -25°C ~ 50°C, humidity 0%~95% (non-condensing)
Dimensions	Length × Width (85mm × 56mm)

Functions and Interface Definitions

J6 & J12 Power Input Interfaces

The board supports power supply through either the Type-C interface or the pin header, with a rating of 12V/2A; the Type-C interface is compatible with PD3.2 adapters. The pin header input and the Type-C input must not be used at the same time.

[J6] Type-C power input interface, supporting 12V/2A input and compatible with PD3.2 adapters.

[J12] Pin header power supply, 1×3×2.54mm, where PIN3 is the power-on signal and can be used for an external power button.

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	VCC_12V	12V input
2	GND	Digital ground
3	PWR_KEY	Power-on signal

J11 RTC Interface

[J11] RTC backup battery interface. An external backup battery is required to use the RTC function. It is a 1×2×1.25mm locking connector, manufacturer: JST, model: SM02B-GHS-TB(LF)(SN).

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	GND	Digital ground
2	VBAT	RTC battery

J5 FAN Interface

The board provides a 5V fan power interface to support an additional cooling fan, with a maximum current of 1A.

[J5] FAN power socket (1×2×1.25mm), manufacturer: XUNPU, model: WAFER-GH1.25-2PLB.

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	5V	DC input (5V)
2	GND	Power ground

J7 TF Card Socket

[J7] Plug-in standard TF card socket, supporting SD v3.0 (backward compatible with 2.0).

J1 & J2 USB Interfaces

J1 is a dual-deck Type-A USB2.0 + USB3.0 interface, where USB2.0 is expanded from the SoC's native USB2.0 through the GL852 chip, and USB3.0 is the SoC's native USB3.0. Each has its own load switch with a load capacity of 1.2A.

J2 is a dual-deck Type-A USB2.0 interface, both expanded from the SoC's native USB through the GL852 chip; the two ports share one load switch with a total load capacity of 1A.

U15 Micro HDMI Connector

[U15] Micro HDMI connector (HDMI Type D interface).

J55 MIPI DSI Interface

[J55] The DSI interface is 4lane, using a double-sided-contact, flip-type 31PIN FPC connector. Manufacturer: HRS, model: FH35C-31S-0.3SHW(50).

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	LEDA	Backlight anode
2	LEDA	Backlight anode
3	LEDA	Backlight anode
4	-	-
5	-	-
6	LEDK	Backlight cathode
7	LEDK	Backlight cathode
8	LEDK	Backlight cathode
9	GND	Digital ground
10	GND	Digital ground
11	LN2_P	MIPI DSI data signal
12	LN2_M	MIPI DSI data signal
13	GND	Digital ground
14	LN1_P	MIPI DSI data signal
15	LN1_M	MIPI DSI data signal
16	GND	Digital ground
17	CLK_P	MIPI DSI clock signal
18	CLK_M	MIPI DSI clock signal
19	GND	Digital ground
20	LN0_P	MIPI DSI data signal
21	LN0_M	MIPI DSI data signal
22	GND	Digital ground
23	LN3_P	MIPI DSI data signal
24	LN3_M	MIPI DSI data signal
25	GND	Digital ground
26	-	-
27	Reset	Display reset signal
28	-	-
29	VDD1V8	LCD 1.8V IO power
30	3V3_LCD	LCD 3.3V power
31	3V3_LCD	LCD 3.3V power

[J13] is the TP connector supporting I2C, using a flip-type FPC connector. Manufacturer: HRS, model: FH34SRJ-6S-0.5SH(50).

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	I2C_SCL	I2C clock signal, 3.3V
2	I2C_SDA	I2C data signal, 3.3V
3	GND	Digital ground
4	TP_RST	TP reset signal
5	TP_INT	TP interrupt signal
6	VCC_3V3	3.3V power output

J22 & J23 Camera Connectors

J22 & J23 are camera connectors with identical signal definitions, both supporting MIPI 4Lane CSI with up to 2.5Gbps per lane. They are 1×22×0.5mm vertical drawer-type FPC connectors. Manufacturer: HDGC, model: 0.5K-A-22PB.

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	GND	Digital ground
2	LN0_M	Differential data signal
3	LN0_P	Differential data signal
4	GND	Digital ground
5	LN1_M	Differential data signal
6	LN1_P	Differential data signal
7	GND	Digital ground
8	CLK_M	Differential clock signal
9	CLK_P	Differential clock signal
10	GND	Digital ground
11	LN2_M	Differential data signal
12	LN2_P	Differential data signal
13	GND	Digital ground
14	LN3_M	Differential data signal
15	LN3_P	Differential data signal
16	GND	Digital ground
17	RST	Reset signal
18	LED	LED signal
19	GND	Digital ground
20	SCL	I2C bus clock signal
21	SDA	I2C bus data signal
22	CAM_3V3	3.3V power output

J3 Ethernet Port

[J3] 1G Ethernet port with POE; the POE function requires a HAT.

J10 PCIe Interface

[J10] is a PCIe interface using a vertical drawer-type FPC connector. Manufacturer: XUNPU, model: FPC-0.5AL-16PB.

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	PCIE_5V	5V output, can power PCIe peripherals, 1.2A
2	PCIE_5V	-
3	GND	Digital ground
4	PCIE_CLK_P	PCIe clock signal
5	PCIE_CLK_N	-
6	GND	Digital ground
7	PCIE_RX_P	PCIe data receive signal
8	PCIE_RX_N	-
9	GND	Digital ground
10	PCIE_TX_P	PCIe data transmit signal
11	PCIE_TX_N	-
12	GND	Digital ground
13	PCIE_PWR_EN	PCIe peripheral power enable signal
14	PCIE_DET_WAKE	PCIe wake signal
15	PCIE_CLKREQ_N	PCIe clock request signal
16	PCIE_RST_B	PCIe reset signal

CON1 Expansion Interface

[CON1] External expansion interface, using a 40PIN 2.54mm pitch dual-row header. It can expand I2C, I2S, SPI and UART functions, and can also be used as GPIO. The interface level is 3.3V.

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	VCC_3V3	3.3V output
2	VCC_5V_EXT	5V output
3	GPIO44_I2C_SDA_3V3	GPIO44, default I2C0
4	VCC_5V_EXT	5V output
5	GPIO45_I2C_SCL_3V3	GPIO45, default I2C0
6	GND	Digital ground
7	GPIO96_MI2S0_MCLK_3V3	GPIO96, default I2S
8	DEBUG_UART_TX_3V3	Debug serial
9	GND	Digital ground
10	DEBUG_UART_RX_3V3	Debug serial
11	GPIO25_SPI_MOSI_3V3	GPIO25, default SPI0
12	GPIO97_MI2S0_SCLK_3V3	GPIO97, default I2S
13	GPIO16_I2C_SDA_3V3	GPIO16, default I2C1
14	GND	Digital ground
15	GPIO17_I2C_SCL_3V3	GPIO17, default I2C1
16	GPIO6_UART1_TX_3V3	GPIO6, default serial ttyHS0
17	VCC_3V3	3.3V output
18	GPIO7_UART1_RX_3V3	GPIO7, default serial ttyHS0
19	GPIO49_SPI1_MOSI_3V3	GPIO49, default SPI1
20	GND	Digital ground
21	GPIO48_SPI1_MISO_3V3	GPIO48, default SPI1
22	GPIO57_FP_SPI_MOSI_3V3	GPIO57, default SPI2
23	GPIO50_SPI1_CLK_3V3	GPIO50, default SPI1
24	GPIO51_SPI1_CS0_N_3V3	GPIO51, default SPI1
25	GND	Digital ground
26	GPIO55_SPI1_CS1_N_3V3	GPIO55, default SPI1
27	GPIO0_I2C_SDA_3V3	GPIO0, default I2C2
28	GPIO1_I2C_SCL_3V3	GPIO1, default I2C2
29	GPIO27_SPI_CS_3V3	GPIO27, default SPI0
30	GND	Digital ground
31	GPIO24_SPI_MISO_3V3	GPIO24, default SPI0
32	GPIO26_SPI_SCLK_3V3	GPIO26, default SPI0
33	GPIO56_FP_SPI_MISO_3V3	GPIO56, default SPI2
34	GND	Digital ground
35	GPIO100_MI2S0_WS_3V3	GPIO100, default I2S
36	GPIO59_FP_SPI_CS_3V3	GPIO59, default SPI2
37	GPIO58_FP_SPI_CLK_3V3	GPIO58, default SPI2
38	GPIO98_MI2S0_DATA0_3V3	GPIO98, default I2S
39	GND	Digital ground
40	GPIO99_MI2S0_DATA1_3V3	GPIO99, default I2S

Note:

1. All the above function pins can be configured as GPIO with a 3.3V level; ensure level matching when connecting external devices.
2. The 3.3V and 5V outputs can supply up to 1A.
3. The I2C, SPI and UART numbers above are the port numbers in the system.

J14 4-Pole Headset Jack

[J14] 4-pole 3.5mm headphone/microphone jack (CTIA standard).

J4 Speaker Interface

[J4] Speaker interface, 1×2×1.25mm, connector model: WAFER-GH1.25-2PLB, manufacturer: XUNPU. It has an onboard power amplifier with a maximum output of 3.24W×1@4Ω.

PIN Definition:

Pin#	Definition	Note
1	VO-	Negative BTL audio output
2	VO+	Positive BTL audio output

WiFi/BT Antenna Interfaces

[ANT1 & ANT2] WiFi antenna interfaces (iPEX Gen 1). The board integrates an FCU760K WiFi/BT module supporting WiFi 6 and BT 5.4. ANT1 is the WiFi antenna interface and ANT2 is the BT antenna interface.

SW1 Flashing Mode Button

[SW1] SMD flashing button. Press and hold it, then power on for about 3 seconds and release to enter flashing mode.

SW2 Power Button

[SW2] Power-on button.

LED

The board has one red LED and one green LED. During normal boot the green LED stays on, and the red LED lights up when the system is abnormal.

Precautions

Please note the following key points when assembling and using the carrier board:

• Relative humidity: 0~95% non-condensing.
• Operating temperature: -25°C ~ 50°C.
• Storage temperature: -45°C ~ 80°C.
• ESD protection is required during assembly and transportation.
• Cables connected to the board's interfaces must not be too long, otherwise signal quality may be affected.
• Do not twist or apply heavy pressure to the board during assembly to avoid deformation.
• Never allow a short circuit between the bare board and other peripherals.
• When connecting external devices to the external interfaces (GPIO, serial, I2C, SPI, etc.), ensure the peripheral I/O levels and currents meet the requirements. When powering peripherals from the power pins on the board's connectors, the current on regular power pins must never exceed 100mA.

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Document Information

• Document name: Rhino Pi A1 Mini Carrier Board Product Specification
• Product name: Rhino Pi A1 Mini
• Product code: A6490PZ2-YSQM01
• Version: V1.1
• Release date: 2026-10-13
• Scope: The carrier board and whole-device integration projects based on this hardware platform