CuBox

{{Infobox computer hardware

| name = CuBox

| logo =

| image = File:Cubox.png

| caption = i.MX6-based CuBox (2014)

| invent-date =

| invent-name =

| conn1 =

| via1_1 =

| class-name =

| class1 =

| manuf1 = Marvell or Freescale Semiconductor

| designfirm = SolidRun

| manufacturer =

| introduced = CuBox
{{Start date|df=yes|2011|12|11}}{{cite web |url=http://www.solid-run.com/news/1-cubox-developer-platform-announcement |title=CuBox Developer Platform Announcement |accessdate=2012-01-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130202145839/http://www.solid-run.com/news/1-cubox-developer-platform-announcement |archivedate=2 February 2013 |df=dmy-all }} CuBox Developer Platform Announcement

| discontinued =

| cost = 99 euro (~US$135)

| type = Single-board computer

| processor = Marvell Armada 510 ARMv7 or i.MX6

| frequency = From 800 MHz and upwards

| memory = From 1 GB and upwards

| coprocessor = VFPv3 (VFP/FPU)
WMMX / WMMX2 SIMD
vMeta Video Decoder
Vivante GC600 GPU
Two XOR/DMA Engines and PDMA
TrustZone CESA
PMU (Power Management Unit)

| connection =

| ports = HDMI 1.3 with CEC
S/PDIF (optical output)
1000baseT Ethernet
2 × USB 2.0 host ports
1 × eSATA (3 Gbit/sec)
IrDA (InfraRed) receiver
MicroUSB (console only)
MicroSD slot (comes with 2 GB MicroSD SDXC, upgradable to 64 GB)

| power = 3 W @ 5 V, 2 A DC

| weight = ~91 g

| dimensions = 55 × 55 × 42 mm

}}

CuBox and CuBox-i are series of small and fanless nettop-class computers manufactured by the Israeli company SolidRun Ltd. They are all cube-shaped and sized at approximately 2 × 2 × 2 inches (5 cm) and weigh 91 grams (0.2 lb, or 3.2 oz).http://www.cnx-software.com/2013/09/05/solidrun-announces-cubox-i-platform-with-freescale-i-mx6-for-as-low-as-45/ SolidRun Announces Cubox-i Platform with Freescale i.MX6 for as low as $45. CuBox was first announced in December 2011 and began shipping in January 2012, initially being marketed as a cheap open-source developer platform for embedded systems.[http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/cubox-is-a-sexy-ice-cube-sized-arm-computer-20111221/ CuBox is a sexy, ice cube-sized ARM computer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120108161703/http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/cubox-is-a-sexy-ice-cube-sized-arm-computer-20111221/ |date=8 January 2012 }}.[http://www.crazyengineers.com/cubox-ice-cube-sized-arm-computer-1465/ CuBox – Ice Cube Sized ARM Computer].[http://archive.linuxgizmos.com/android-ready-arm-mini-htpc-costs-130-uses-just-three-watts/ Android-ready ARM mini-HTPC costs $130, uses just three Watts].[http://www.cnx-software.com/2011/12/14/solid-run-cubox-open-source-platform-for-android-tv-media-center-and-nas-development/ Solid-Run CuBox: Open Source Platform for Android TV, Media Center and NAS Development].[http://coburndomain.org/index.php/2011/12/move-raspberry-pi-cubox-enters-fray-1gb-ddr3-ram-dualcore-cpu-hdmi-gbit-lan-cubed-box/ Move over Raspberry Pi: CuBox enters the fray with 1GB DDR3 RAM, dualcore CPU, HDMI, GBit LAN… all inside a cubed box] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110062343/http://coburndomain.org/index.php/2011/12/move-raspberry-pi-cubox-enters-fray-1gb-ddr3-ram-dualcore-cpu-hdmi-gbit-lan-cubed-box/ |date=10 January 2012 }}.[http://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2011/12/meet-cubox-a-tiny-arm-powered-media-centre-capable-of-running-ubuntu/ Meet CuBox – A Tiny ARM Powered Media Centre Capable of Running Ubuntu].

The first-generation CuBox was according to SolidRun the first commercially available desktop computer based on the Marvell Armada 500-series SoC (System-on-Chip) and at the time was said to be the world's smallest desktop computer.[http://www.myxnews.com/2011/12/solid-run-cubox-worlds-smallest-htpc.html Solid-Run CuBox: World's Smallest HTPC (video)].

In November 2013, SolidRun released the Cubox-i1, i2, i2eX, and i4Pro, containing i.MX6 processors.{{cite web |url=http://www.solid-run.com/festive-day-at-solidrun-pre-orders-of-cubox-i-packed-and-ready-for-shipping/ |title=CuBox-i Series Release |accessdate=2014-07-11 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140714213918/http://www.solid-run.com/festive-day-at-solidrun-pre-orders-of-cubox-i-packed-and-ready-for-shipping/ |archivedate=14 July 2014 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web |url=http://www.solid-run.com/wiki/CuBox-i_Hardware |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140714213921/http://www.solid-run.com/wiki/CuBox-i_Hardware |url-status=dead |archive-date=2014-07-14 |title=CuBox-i Hardware |accessdate=2014-07-11 }}

Overview

CuBox is a low-power computer based on ARM-architecture CPU, using the Marvell Armada 510 (88AP510) SoC with an ARM v6/v7-compliant superscalar processor core, Vivante GC600 OpenGL 3.0 and OpenGL ES 2.0 capable 2D/3D graphics processing unit, Marvell vMeta HD Video Decoder hardware engine, and TrustZone security extensions, Cryptographic Engines and Security Accelerator (CESA) co-processor.[http://linuxdevices.linuxgizmos.com/marvell-expands-range-of-arm-socs/ Marvell expands range of ARM SoCs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160625144618/http://linuxdevices.linuxgizmos.com/marvell-expands-range-of-arm-socs/ |date=25 June 2016 }}.

Despite being about 2-inch-square in size, the platform can stream and decode 1080p content, use desktop-class interfaces such as KDE or GNOME under Linux, while requiring less than 3 watts and less than 1 watt in standby.{{youtube|twEoMYEJls4|XBMC on SolidRun Platform named CuBox}}.

SolidRun currently officially only supports Linux kernel 2.6.x or later and Android 2.2.x and later. It comes with Ubuntu Desktop 10.04 and Android 2.2 dual-boot pre-installed.

Newer models

In November 2013, SolidRun released a family of CuBox-i computers named CuBox-i1, i2, i2eX, and i4Pro, containing a range of different i.MX6 processors by Freescale Semiconductor.

They have also released a series of caseless i.MX6 models called the Hummingboard.{{cite web

|url=http://www.solid-run.com/double-dip-double-delicious/

|title=Hummingboard Release

|accessdate=2014-07-11

|url-status=dead

|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140714213917/http://www.solid-run.com/double-dip-double-delicious/

|archivedate=14 July 2014

|df=dmy-all

}}

CuBoxTV

Announced in December 2014, CuBoxTV is a mid-range and simplified version of the CuBox-i computer and runs the RISC-OS operating system although is designed to operate KODI (formerly known as XBMC) on an OpenELEC operating system.{{cite news|last1=Lehrbaum|first1=Rick|title=Hands-on review: CuBoxTV running OpenELEC+Kodi and Android|url=http://linuxgizmos.com/hands-on-review-cuboxtv-running-openelec-kodi-and-android/|accessdate=4 June 2015|work=LinuxGizmos.com|date=20 December 2014}}

CuBoxTV weighs approximately {{convert|9.9|oz}}, and is around 2X2 Inches wide and 1.8 inches high, shaped like a cube with rounded sides. It features an i.MX6 Quad core processor at a 1GHz speed, 1GB of RAM memory, 8GB base storage memory and a GC2000 OpenGL quad shader GPU. It houses a couple of USB 2.0 ports, a HDMI port, microSD port and an Ethernet port.{{cite web|title=CuBoxTV Tech Specs|url=http://cuboxtv.com/|website=CuBoxTV.com|accessdate=4 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602213155/http://cuboxtv.com/|archive-date=2 June 2015|url-status=dead}}