Ultra compact, rugged bandwidth

RouterCore (Patent Pending) is a tiny, rugged Layer 3 router that packs serious networking capability into 68 x 47 x 33mm.

With 16 × Gigabit Ethernet ports and 3 × 10Gbps interfaces in an embeddable module, RouterCore is designed for edge AI, autonomous systems and mobile compute platforms moving large amounts of data between cameras, sensors, computers and other onboard hardware.

It brings high-bandwidth networking, routing, precise timing, PoE, wireless connectivity and general-purpose interfaces together in a single compact module, without requiring a separate router, switch or interface board.

Designed around the SWaP constraints of drones, robotics, vehicles, satellites and other mobile platforms, RouterCore delivers high port density while keeping size, weight and power consumption low. It is built for systems operating in harsh environments across air, land, sea and space.

19 Ethernet interfaces in a tiny footprint

RouterCore provides:

16 × 10BASE-T / 100BASE-TX / 1000BASE-T Ethernet ports with integrated magnetics
3 × high-speed interfaces supporting 10GBASE-R, USXGMII, 1GBASE-X and SGMII
Up to 90 W PoE on four Gigabit Ethernet ports
CAN, UART, I2C, Wi-Fi6, BLE 5.4

That gives engineers enough network capacity to connect large sensor suites, cameras, edge computers and other high-bandwidth devices without building a network around several separate switches.

Layer 2 + Layer 3 networking

RouterCore isn't just a high-port-count Ethernet switch. It includes Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking features for managing traffic directly at the edge.

Layer 3 functionality includes:

802.1Q tag-based and port-based VLANs
Up to 4,096 VLANs
Link aggregation groups
Port control and status
Energy Efficient Ethernet
Port-based and tag-based QoS
Speed, duplex and auto-MDIX configuration
Port mirroring
IGMP Multicast V1/V2/V3 and MLD

Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol
Firewalling
WireGuard VPN
SSH tunneling
Tshark and TCPDump

RouterCore runs Linux/OpenWRT, giving engineers a familiar platform for configuring and managing networking directly onboard the system.

Precise timing for sensor-heavy systems

For applications where cameras, sensors and compute need to agree on exactly when something happened, RouterCore includes full IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) support.

Supported timing modes include:

Boundary / Transparent Clock
End-to-end / Peer-to-peer
gPTP industrial PTP profile 802.1AS
Linux OpenWRT timing support

This makes RouterCore particularly useful in sensor fusion, autonomy, robotics and distributed compute systems where accurate synchronization between networked devices is important.

More than Ethernet

RouterCore also brings common embedded interfaces directly into the module, reducing the number of additional boards and adapters required around your network.

It includes:

CAN-FD with timestamping
2 × UART, galvanically isolated
1 × I²C, galvanically isolated
Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4

At the center is a Microchip SAM7 processor with an 800 MHz ARM9 core, 2 Gbit DDR3L memory and crypto engine.

Designed to embed

RouterCore uses a 200-pin Samtec SEARAY stacking connector, allowing the module to become part of a larger embedded system rather than requiring a conventional standalone router enclosure.

You can use RouterCore with our RouterCore BaseBoard for a fast, ready-to-use implementation, or integrate the module directly onto your own custom PCB.

This makes it possible to build the networking around the mechanical and electrical requirements of your platform instead of designing the platform around a conventional router.

Wide power input for mobile platforms

RouterCore accepts a wide 5–60 VDC input, with reverse-polarity and overvoltage protection.

That wide input range makes it easier to integrate into battery-powered and vehicle systems without adding another dedicated power conversion stage just for the network.

Cooling is completely passive, with an aluminum 7075 chassis designed to dissipate heat without fans or other moving parts.

Built for harsh environments

RouterCore was designed around the conditions encountered by mobile systems rather than a server rack.

The module has been tested against environmental conditions including:

Operating temperature: -70°C to +110°C
Temperature shock: -50°C to +110°C, five-minute cycles
Vibration: MIL-STD-810H Method 514.8
Mechanical shock: MIL-STD-810H Method 516.8, including 75 g peak acceleration
Low-pressure operation: MIL-STD-810H Method 500.6, including operation at 30,000 ft and rapid decompression testing
Radiation tolerance: 20 krad(Si), operating