Arduino UNO Q 4GB: The Powerful, Standalone Linux Single-Board Computer is Here

Arduino has begun shipping the 4GB variant of its UNO Q development board, which packs a fully standalone-capable Linux-compatible system into the classic UNO microcontroller board footprint — recommending it over the original 2GB variant "if you intend to use Arduino UNO Q as a standalone SBC." "We've already seen lots of amazing projects based on Arduino UNO Q come up since its launch in early October – but we’re doubling down anyway," the Arduino team writes of its latest release. "Today, we are launching a new Arduino UNO Q variant with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage, allowing all of you to dream bigger and go further, while still enjoying the same Arduino UNO Q form factor and ease of use." The Arduino UNO Q was unveiled late last year along with the news that the company had been acquired by embedded computing giant Qualcomm. While sharing the same footprint as earlier Arduino UNO microcontroller boards, complete with iconic staggered header pin-out, the UNO Q is a full-fat single-board computer powered by a Qualcomm Dragonwing QRB2210 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 chip with an STMicroelectronics STM32U585 coprocessor for real-time control. The board can be used either as a development target connected to a host PC, or as a standalone single-board computer running Debian Linux — but 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage somewhat limit its capabilities in this mode. As a result, Arduino also announced plans to release a variant with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage with pre-orders opening earlier this month. Now, that version is ready-to-ship — and Arduino says it's the model to pick if you're planning to use the device in standalone mode. "This new version is recommended if you intend to use Arduino UNO Q as a standalone SBC (single-board computer) – connecting a monitor, keyboard, and mouse via the USB-C hub and running the Debian Linux OS on the board with a graphical user interface," the Arduino team says. "To enjoy a responsive Linux desktop experience in this case, the 4GB RAM provides a comfortable baseline."