Firefly Automation Controller combines Raspberry Pi CM and STM32H7 MCU for real-time industrial control

On CrowdSupply, Firefly recently showcased its new Automation Controller, a Raspberry Pi Compute Module-compatible SoM with an STM32H7 microcontroller designed for real-time industrial applications such as robotics, automation, data acquisition, and building management. It supports IO-Link Class B channels for direct communication with sensors and actuators, with the STM32H7 (running up to 480 MHz) handling time-sensitive tasks via 80 MHz buffered communication lines, while the Compute Module can run embedded Linux or RTOS.

The most interesting features of this controller include dual M.2 slots (B-key for PCIe Gen 3/USB 3.0/2.0 and M-key for NVMe storage), dual Gigabit Ethernet ports (single Gigabit + 100 Mbit in Firefly-5lite), USB Type-C interfaces, a microSIM slot for cellular expansion, and dual 40-pin GPIO headers compatible with Raspberry Pi HATs. It supports USB PD power up to 240 W or 8–60V input, offers ESD and transient protection to IEC Class-4 standards, and optional isolated IO-Link power. Developed by Paisley Micro in collaboration with OV Tech GmbH (makers of the Pi.MX8 module with quad Cortex-A53 and single Cortex-M7 cores), the Firefly Automation Controller will come with an open-source module launch via CrowdSupply.

Firefly Automation Controller Specifications

• System-on-Module Support
  • Compatible with Raspberry Pi Compute Modules (CM4/CM5)
  • Also compatible with OV Tech Pi.MX8 Module
• Microcontroller
  • STM32H7 MCU running up to 480 MHz
  • 80 MHz buffered communication lines between the MCU and SoM
  • FTDI USB-RS232 bridge
  • MCU I/Os tested up to 50 MHz without disruptive crosstalk
• Networking
  • Firefly-5
    • 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports
  • Firefly-5lite
    • 1x Gigabit Ethernet port
    • 1x 100 Mbps Ethernet port
    • Optional 100 Mbps MCU-based networking
• Storage & Expansion
  • 1x M.2 B-key slot (PCIe Gen3 x1 + USB 3.0/2.0, microSIM slot access for cellular modems)
  • 1x M.2 M-key slot (PCIe Gen3 x1 for NVMe storage)
  • Simultaneous operation of both M.2 slots supported
• USB Ports
  • Up to 3x USB 3.0 ports
  • 2x USB Type-C ports
    • 1x dedicated programming port (flash SoM and MCU via single cable)
    • 1x configurable for device/host/programming
• Industrial I/O
  • 2x IO-Link Class B channels with 24V supply
  • Optional isolated industrial I/O modules
  • IO-Link, powerline monitoring, stepper/servo control expansion options
• GPIO
  • 2x 40-pin GPIO headers
    • 1x standard Raspberry Pi HAT-compatible (CM5 GPIOs)
    • 1x STM32H7-mapped GPIO header
      • Full ESD and transient protection to IE Class 4
      • Zero-dropout short circuit/OCS protection on all user I/O headers
• Power Input
  • Terminal block: 8–60V DC
  • USB Type-C PD: Up to 240W (Firefly-5 only)
  • Up to 600W total wired peripheral power (Firefly-5)
  • Auxiliary 24V power input for IO-Link devices (configurable isolation)
• Other Features
  • Real-time + high-performance computing support
  • PCIe, USB, Ethernet, and GPIO expansion
• Dimensions – 216 x 72 mm (8.5 x 2.8 inches)

The Firefly Automation Controller supports various software and tools to work with the SoM and onboard STM32H7 microcontroller. Users can run standard Raspberry Pi OS, Yocto Linux, or other Linux distributions on the Compute Module, while real-time control tasks are handled by the STM32 MCU using bare-metal C, FreeRTOS, or STM32Cube tools. The board supports flashing of both the SoM and MCU firmware through a single USB Type-C cable, streamlining development and deployment. The company (Paisley Microsystems) also mentions that they will provide open-source hardware design, PCB design files, software examples, and reference firmware through an upcoming GitHub repository, alongside extensive documentation on the same repository.

Paisley Microsystems has also collaborated with OV Tech GmbH to ensure this controller is compatible with the Pi.MX8 Module, featuring a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.8 GHz and a Cortex-M7 core up to 700 MHz, which is another alternative to the Raspberry Pi compute module.

Once the product is launched, CrowdSupply will provide more information and various updates.