Miroslaw Folejewski's BiPiRat Turns a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Into a Tiny Cryptocurrency Node
A considerably more compact design than his earlier MirkoPC, the BiPiRat hosts a Raspberry Pi Compute Module and M.2 NVMe storage.
Hardware designer Miroslaw Folejewski is working on a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 carrier board with a difference: The BiPiRat Computer is designed specifically for running a local node in a cryptocurrency network.
The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 family brings the performance and power of the Raspberry Pi 4 range of single-board computers to a system-on-module format, and has proven popular since its launch last year — particularly for network attached storage systems, as seen in carrier board designs from Wiretrustee, Mehdi, and others. Folejewski is no stranger to the board, either: Earlier this year he unveiled a PC-style carrier board through his company Mirko Electronics, the MirkoPC.
The BiPiRat Computer, though, is a very different beast - for all that it's powered by the same Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4. "This is [a] dedicated, first in the world, tiny, compact platform for cryptocurrency networks," Folejewski explains of his latest design, "such as for Bitcoin nodes."
There's no sign of any high-performance hardware designed for cryptocurrency mining in the BiPiRat; instead, it's made to simply run a local node in the cryptocurrency network of the user's choice, downloading the blockchain to local storage and processing transactions itself for broadcast to the wider network. As a result, there's no surprise to see the design make use of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4's PCI Express connectivity to add a M.2 2280 M-key slot for Non-Volatile Memory Express (NVMe) storage.
On top of the local storage the board includes the high-density connectors required for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, a gigabit Ethernet port, two USB 2.0 ports, a USB Type-C port for flashing the eMMC storage on compatible Compute Modules, HDMI video connectivity, and a fan header for active cooling. Its 5V power rail, meanwhile, is said to offer up to 5A. What you won't find: A general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header or analog audio connectivity.
"This is only GEN1," Folejewski notes. "The GEN2 will have (probably): Optional PoE support (power supply); M.2 socket placed on the bottom side (more compact design); 12VDC input and dedicated buck regulator; only passive cooling. Now this is only [a] concept, not verified!"
More details are available on Folejewski's Hackaday.io project page.