Supported Hardware
Single Board Computers (SBCs)
Recommended Boards
| Board | CPU | RAM | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange Pi 5 | RK3588S | 4-16GB | Full LLM, NPU accel | $89-149 |
| Raspberry Pi 5 | BCM2712 | 4-8GB | General purpose | $60-80 |
| Orange Pi Zero 3 | H618 | 1-4GB | Minimal deployments | $20-35 |
| Raspberry Pi 4 | BCM2711 | 2-8GB | Established ecosystem | $45-75 |
| Raspberry Pi Zero 2W | RP3A0 | 512MB | Ultra-compact | $15 |
| Rock Pi 4 | RK3399 | 4GB | NPU available | $75 |
| NVIDIA Jetson Nano | Tegra X1 | 4GB | GPU inference | $149 |
| BeagleBone Black | AM3358 | 512MB | Industrial | $55 |
| LattePanda 3 Delta | N100 | 8GB | x86 compatibility | $269 |
| ODROID-N2+ | S922X | 4GB | High performance | $79 |
Minimum Requirements
For UI only (connect to remote botserver):
- Any ARM/x86 Linux board
- 256MB RAM
- Network connection
- Display output
For local botserver:
- ARM64 or x86_64
- 1GB RAM minimum
- 4GB storage
For local LLM (llama.cpp):
- ARM64 or x86_64
- 2GB+ RAM (4GB recommended)
- 2GB+ storage for model
Orange Pi 5 (Recommended for LLM)
The Orange Pi 5 with RK3588S is ideal for embedded LLM:
Displays
Character LCDs (Minimal)
For text-only interfaces:
| Display | Resolution | Interface | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| HD44780 16x2 | 16 chars × 2 lines | I2C/GPIO | Status, simple Q&A |
| HD44780 20x4 | 20 chars × 4 lines | I2C/GPIO | More context |
| LCD2004 | 20 chars × 4 lines | I2C | Industrial |
Example output on 16x2: Simple text display showing user prompt and bot status.
OLED Displays
For graphical monochrome interfaces:
| Display | Resolution | Interface | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| SSD1306 | 128×64 | I2C/SPI | 0.96“ |
| SSD1309 | 128×64 | I2C/SPI | 2.42“ |
| SH1106 | 128×64 | I2C/SPI | 1.3“ |
| SSD1322 | 256×64 | SPI | 3.12“ |
TFT/IPS Color Displays
For full graphical interface:
| Display | Resolution | Interface | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILI9341 | 320×240 | SPI | Common, cheap |
| ST7789 | 240×320 | SPI | Fast refresh |
| ILI9488 | 480×320 | SPI | Larger |
| Waveshare 5“ | 800×480 | HDMI | Touch optional |
| Waveshare 7“ | 1024×600 | HDMI | Touch, IPS |
| Official Pi 7“ | 800×480 | DSI | Best for Pi |
E-Ink/E-Paper
For low-power, readable in sunlight:
| Display | Resolution | Colors | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waveshare 2.13“ | 250×122 | B/W | 2s |
| Waveshare 4.2“ | 400×300 | B/W | 4s |
| Waveshare 7.5“ | 800×480 | B/W | 5s |
| Good Display 9.7“ | 1200×825 | B/W | 6s |
Best for: Menu displays, signs, low-update applications
Industrial Displays
| Display | Resolution | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Advantech | Various | Wide temp, sunlight |
| Winstar | Various | Industrial grade |
| Newhaven | Various | Long availability |
Input Devices
Keyboards
- USB Keyboard - Standard, any USB keyboard works
- PS/2 Keyboard - Via adapter, lower latency
- Matrix Keypad - 4x4 or 3x4, GPIO connected
- I2C Keypad - Fewer GPIO pins needed
Touch Input
- Capacitive Touch - Better response, needs driver
- Resistive Touch - Works with gloves, pressure-based
- IR Touch Frame - Large displays, vandal-resistant
Buttons & GPIO
Enclosures
Commercial Options
- Hammond Manufacturing - Industrial metal enclosures
- Polycase - Plastic, IP65 rated
- Bud Industries - Various sizes
- Pi-specific cases - Argon, Flirc, etc.
DIY Options
- 3D Printed - Custom fit, PLA/PETG
- Laser Cut - Acrylic, wood
- Metal Fabrication - Professional look
Power
Power Requirements
| Configuration | Power | Recommended PSU |
|---|---|---|
| Pi Zero + LCD | 1-2W | 5V 1A |
| Pi 4 + Display | 5-10W | 5V 3A |
| Orange Pi 5 | 8-15W | 5V 4A or 12V 2A |
| With NVMe SSD | +2-3W | Add 1A headroom |
Power Options
- USB-C PD - Modern, efficient
- PoE HAT - Power over Ethernet
- 12V Barrel - Industrial standard
- Battery - UPS, solar applications
UPS Solutions
- PiJuice - Pi-specific UPS HAT
- UPS PIco - Small form factor
- Powerboost - Adafruit, lithium battery