- Photonicat 2 offers a battery life up to 24 hours inside a compact computer brick
- The device admits the HDMI 4K output along with the connections of Dual Gigabit Ethernet
- Users can expand storage with a NVME slot that supports 2230 compact units
Photonicat 1 was built as a portable battery router that offers open source flexibility, broadband connectivity and support for Wireguard, Tailscale, Ethernet and Ruting Smart through OpenWRT.
It presented AC Wi-Fi, PCIe expansion for 4G/5G or Wi-Fi 6, EMMC/double loot SD, a high-performance CPU for Gigabit Nat and an aluminum body of durable magnesium with rechargeable battery power.
Photonicat 2 is a monitoring of the first model, which transports the same unusual concept of a compact computer box, with battery and highly flexible.
Compact frame with a configurable screen
The device measures 154 x 78 x 32 mm and weighs 260 grams without its batteries, but this rises to 485 grams when included.
It includes an LCD screen that can show the status of the network, data consumption, storage capacity, IP information and system temperatures.
The screen is totally customizable using JSON, which gives the user the freedom to adapt it to individual needs.
This system is executed in the Rockchip RK3576, an eight -core processor described as offers the performance of the previous RK3568.
Together with up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory and 128 GB of EMMC storage, it provides a base that must be adequate for light computer tasks and network administration.
The storage expansion is possible through a NVME slot that supports 2230 compact units, and the unit includes PCIe connectivity to add components such as a 5G modem.
If this results in an experience without problems for all cases of use, it will depend on how well the hardware works with the open source software stack.
The Photonicat 2 provides Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, HDMI with 4K output to 60 cadres per second, a USB-C port capable of charging 30 watts and a USB-3 port for peripherals.
It also includes MicroSD and Nano-SIM card slots, in addition to external antenna connectors to improve reception.
These options make it a versatile box, although the real world performance of 5G or Wi-Fi under heavy loads has not yet been tested.
This device comes with a 7000 mAh battery, which offers between 10 hours and 24 hours of time of use depending on the workload.
It also uses a passive cooling design complemented by a fader for heavier tasks to balance silence with sustained performance.
On the software side, the system runs Linux with Kernel 6.12+, admits Debian and Openwrt, and provides a Android compilation script.
This open approach invites experimentation, but also gives the user responsibility to configure and maintain stability.
At the time of writing this article, the Photony 2 has raised $ 13,732 of 40 sponsors in Kickstarter, exceeding its financing objective of $ 6,566 with 22 days remaining in the campaign.
Discharge of responsibility: We do not recommend or support any crowdfunding project. All crowdfunding campaigns have inherent risks, including the possibility of delays, changes or non -delivery of products. Possible sponsors must carefully evaluate the details and proceed to their own discretion.
