singleboard

A single-board computer, commonly referred to as an SBC, is a complete computer built on a single circuit board. It integrates the central processing unit, memory, storage interfaces, and input/output subsystems in one compact module. SBCs are designed to be small, affordable, and energy efficient, making them well suited for education, hobbyist projects, prototyping, and embedded applications. They typically run a full operating system, most often Linux-based distributions, and may also support Android or other OSes. Storage is usually external, via microSD cards or onboard eMMC, while RAM is fixed at manufacture.

Hardware on SBCs generally centers on a system-on-chip that combines CPU, GPU, and memory. They provide networking options such as Ethernet and wireless, USB ports, display and camera interfaces, and GPIO headers for external peripherals. Power is supplied through a dedicated DC input or USB, and peripherals are connected to the I/O interfaces rather than optional add-on cards.

Common uses include introductory programming education, small home servers, media centers, Internet of Things gateways, and robotics projects. The ecosystem is driven by a mix of vendors and community projects, offering supported operating systems, software libraries, and extensive documentation.

Prominent examples include Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Odroid, Banana Pi, NanoPi, and Asus Tinker Board. It is important to distinguish SBCs from microcontroller boards, which provide simpler, task-specific functionality and do not generally run a full general-purpose operating system.