M5Stack AI Acceleration Module LLM-8850 Brings 24 TOPS NPU to Raspberry Pi 5

M5Stack LLM-8850 AI acceleration module

The M5Stack LLM-8850 card is an M.2 M-Key 2242 NGFF socket AI acceleration module that is capable of being used with host devices like Raspberry Pi 5, Rockchip RK3588 SBCs, and even x86 PCs like mini PCs with an extra M.2 Key-M socket. It is powered by an Axera AX8850 SoC and delivers 24 TOPS (INT8) of NPU performance. An M.2 AI acceleration module called the M5Stack LLM-8850 Card helps transform the Raspberry Pi 5 into an advanced local AI platform.

The LLM-8850 card, which is centered on the Axera AX8850 Octa-Core Cortex A55 1.7 GHz CPU SoC, boasts onboard 8GB RAM (64-bit LPDDR4x @ 4266 Mbps), a 32Mbit SPI NOR flash, PCIe 2.0 ×2 lanes, and accommodates H.265/H.264 8Kp30 video encoding and 8Kp60 video decoding. The VPU’s potential to process up to 16 concurrent channels of 1080p video streams in parallel is even more astounding. The aforementioned opens up possibilities for applications comprising video analysis, surveillance monitoring, and multi-camera security systems. Additionally, it has an active cooling system to keep enclosures at consistent temperatures and mitigate thermal deterioration.

M5stack AI-8850 LLM Acceleration M.2 Module

M5Stack LLM8850 card specifications:

• SoC: Axera AX8850
  • CPU: Octa-core CortexA55 processor running at 1.7 GHz
  • NPU: 24 TOPS @ INT8
  • VPU:
    • Video Encoder: 8K @ 30 fps H.264/H.265 encoding, supports scaling / cropping
    • Video Decoder: 8K @ 60 fps H.264/H.265 decoding, supports 16 channels 1080p parallel decoding, supports scaling / cropping
• Memory: 8GB 64bit LPDDR4x @ 4266 Mbps
• Storage: 32Mbit QSPI NOR Flash (used for Bootloader only)
• Networking: 2x Gigabit Ethernet MAC
• USB: 1x USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0
• Host Interface: NGFF M.2 M-KEY 2242 size, supports 2x PCIe 2.0 lanes plug-and-play
• Cooling: Onboard Micro turbo fan + CNC aluminum alloy integrated heatsink, EC-monitored temperature-current-speed closed loop
• Secure boot and encryption: AES / DES / 3DES / SHA‑256 hardware security module
• Power Supply: 3.3V via edge connector
• Power Consumption: Up to 7 Watts
• Temperature Range:
  • Operating Temperature: 0 to 60°C
  • Full load temperature at room temperature: 70°C
• Dimensions: 42.6 x 24.0 x 9.7mm
• Weight: 14.7 grams

M5stack LLM-8850 Card Overview

Only Linux distributions are in alignment with the M5Stack LLM-8850 card’s software. Debian 12 and Ubuntu 20.04, 22.04, and 24.04 are among the supported operating systems. Virtualization environments, WSL, Windows, and macOS are not available for support. The AXCL Runtime architecture, which offers C and Python programming interfaces for card interaction and model management, is compatible with this Linux-only strategy. Installing AXCL Runtime is done in accordance with standard Linux package procedures. The official M5Stack documentation page contains comprehensive setup instructions, sample code, and comprehensive documentation.

M5stack LLM-8850 Card Compatible Model List

M5Stack sells the LLM-8850 M.2 Axera AI module on AliExpress for $166.80 and its own online store for $139.

Images used courtesy of m5stack.com