Sfera Labs, a designer and manufacturer of solutions for embedded systems and Edge computing, has announced the first shipments of its latest product, the Strato Pi Max. This versatile and expandable industrial controller is based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module (CM) 4.
The Strato Pi Max is distinguished by its modular design, DIN rail-mount, Wi-Fi and BLE wireless connectivity, dual Ethernet ports, dual SD, eMMC, and/or SSD storage options, and two USB ports. It can accommodate up to four embedded expansion boards, enhancing its functionality to include serial (RS485/RS232) and CAN bus interfaces, digital I/O, additional wireless connectivity, and support for an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
The Strato Pi Max incorporates the same watchdog, isolated RS-485 port, and USB ports with independent power control and fault detection that are features of the existing Strato Pi family. It meets all relevant industry standards for electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), and sustainability.
Additional expansion boards will be introduced throughout 2024, providing new functionalities.
The Strato Pi Max is now available on the Sfera Labs web store and will soon be accessible on mouser.com and digikey.com, ensuring ease of purchase for customers.
There are two versions of the Strato Pi Max: the Strato Pi Max XS, which supports up to one expansion board, and the Strato Pi Max XL, which supports up to four.
Both models come with pre-assembled CM4 boards featuring up to 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC, and can be equipped with a high-performance M.2 PCIe SSD.
The Strato Pi Max XL can be ordered in a Lite variant, offering enhanced data reliability with the optional dual SD card.
A key feature of the Strato Pi Max is its modular architecture, allowing it to be customised to meet the specific needs of each project. It offers a wide range of combinations of I/O and storage options, providing unmatched flexibility. For example, the Strato Pi Max XL can support up to eight interfaces for CAN bus or Modbus, demonstrating its adaptability.
The partnership with Zymbit enhances the security of the Strato Pi Max. With the Zymbit Secure Compute Module at its core, the Strato Pi Max benefits from secure boot, encrypted file system, A/B updates with safe recovery, and a cryptographic engine—all encapsulated in a tamper-resistant module—making it ideal for zero-trust environments.
“Zymbit is excited to collaborate with Sfera Labs on the Strato Pi Max industrial controller,” said Phil Strong, Co-Founder & CEO of Zymbit. “Our Secure Compute Module seamlessly integrates with the Strato Pi Max, empowering developers with the flexibility to create highly innovative solutions. This combined offering simplifies penetration testing, elevates security for zero-trust environments, accelerates development cycles, and ensures the long-term resilience of industrial IoT applications”.
Based on open technology and fully compatible with the toolsets, programming languages, and development frameworks available for Raspberry Pi, the new module allows designers to implement advanced control systems in industrial, commercial, and residential environments more quickly and at a lower cost than typically possible with proprietary solutions.
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