Onion's Omega2 Dash Is an IoT Platform for All-in-One Touch-Driven Projects
2.8" 320x240 touchscreen display board is powered by an Omega2S+ computer module, offering Wi-FI and Ethernet connectivity.
Onion's low-cost Omega2 Internet of Things (IoT)-focused computer is set to get an all-in-one bigger brother, dubbed the Omega2 Dash and boasting a compact form factor dominated by a 2.8" TFT touchscreen display.
Launched three years ago, and since followed by the Omega2 Pro and Omega2 LTE designs, Onion's Omega2 has proven popular for offering a surprising amount of compute performance in a very compact and low-cost — merely $5 in its base configuration — package. The Omega2 Dash doesn't mess with the core formula - it's based on the Omega2S+ design - but instead builds upon it with a compact ready-to-run touchscreen interface.
The core of the Omega2 Dash is a system based around the Omega2S+ IoT computer module, meaning it includes a MIPS CPU running at 580MHz, 128MB of RAM, and 32MB of on-board storage running OpenWrt 18.06 Linux. The Dash redesign then places this core module on a board featuring a 2.8" TFT touchscreen display, offering 320x240 resolution, a 12-bit touch input interface, and RGB565 colour support.
An expansion header on the rear of the board is fully compatible with existing Omega2 expansion boards, offering I2C, UART, PWM, and GPIO capabilities. THe board also includes wired Ethernet and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity, USB 2.0 host support, a micro-USB port for power and a serial interface into the system, and a micro-SD slot for storage expansion.
"This self-contained device is powered over microUSB and boots up in under a minute," Onion claims of its design. "It's drop-in ready for projects, and works right out of the box. Dash is a stand-alone, all-in-one solution for providing a touch-based visual UI that can be internet connected, connected to other devices, or both."
Pricing and availability have yet to be confirmed, but Onion has prepared a Crowd Supply campaign page where interested parties can register for more information.
UPDATE: The Omega2 Dash is now live on Crowd Supply, starting at $69 for a single unit.