Description

NUC32R-N42 VER1.2 Fanless Industrial Motherboard (Alder Lake-N)

A next-generation, ultra-efficient fanless motherboard powered by the Intel® Alder Lake-N platform, integrating quad 2.5GbE networking, modern M.2 storage, and robust I/O in a compact, rugged design for advanced networking and edge computing applications.

📋 Product Overview

The NUC32R-N42 VER1.2 is a cutting-edge, fanless embedded solution centered on Intel’s modern and power-efficient Alder Lake-N microarchitecture. It features a soldered Intel® Celeron N100 processor, delivering a balanced performance-per-watt ratio. Its standout capability is the integration of four Intel® 2.5GbE network controllers, making it an exceptional choice for firewall appliances, network attached storage (NAS), routers, and other bandwidth-intensive embedded networking tasks where reliability, connectivity, and compact size are paramount.

🛠️ Key Features

✓Next-Gen CPU Efficiency: Integrated Intel® Celeron N100 processor (Alder Lake-N architecture) with 4 cores, offering excellent performance per watt for fanless designs.

✓Quad 2.5GbE Networking: Four Intel® I225/I226 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports for high-speed, low-latency network connectivity, ideal for networking applications.

✓Modern Storage & Expansion: Features an M.2 Key-M slot for fast NVMe/SATA SSDs (2242/2280) and a Mini-PCIe slot for Wi-Fi/4G modules.

✓Robust Industrial I/O: Comprehensive connectivity with 8 USB ports, dual serial COM ports (configurable to RS485), GPIO, and TPM 2.0 header for security.

✓Fanless & Rugged Design: Passive cooling enables silent, maintenance-free operation, perfect for sealed enclosures in dusty or humid environments.

✓High-Speed Memory: Supports up to 16GB of single-channel DDR4 memory at 3200MHz for responsive system performance.

✓Compact Powerhouse: All these features are packed into a compact 120mm x 120mm form factor with wide-temperature operation (-10°C to +60°C).

🔧 Core System Specifications

CPU

Integrated Intel® Celeron N100 Processor (4 cores, 0.8GHz base, up to 3.4GHz burst). Based on the efficient Intel® Alder Lake-N microarchitecture, compatible with the full Alder Lake-N series.

Platform

Intel® Alder Lake-N SoC (System-on-Chip) Platform

Memory (DDR4)

1 x SO-DIMM slot, Single Channel DDR4 3200MHz (1.2V), supports up to 16GB

Storage

1 x M.2 Key-M 2242/2280 slot (supports SATA & PCIe NVMe SSDs)

1 x SATA 3.0 interface (for 2.5″ HDD/SSD)

Operating System

Windows 10, Windows 11, Linux

Graphics

Integrated Intel® UHD Graphics (Alder Lake-N, 24 Execution Units)

🎥 Display & Audio Interfaces

Display Outputs

1 x HDMI

1 x DisplayPort (DP)

(Supports dual independent display output via modern digital interfaces)

Audio

High-definition audio is supported via the HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces. (A dedicated 3.5mm audio jack is not listed for this network-focused variant).

🔌 Connectivity & I/O Ports

Network (LAN)

4 x Intel® I225/I226 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet (2.5G/1G/100M/10M) RJ45 ports.

Ideal for building firewalls, routers, network storage servers, and multi-gigabit network appliances.

USB Ports

2 x USB 3.0 ports

6 x USB 2.0 ports

(Total 8 USB ports)

Serial Ports (COM)

2 x RS232 (DB9 connectors).

Optional: One of the ports can be configured to support RS485.

Expansion Slots

1 x M.2 Key-M slot (for NVMe/SATA SSD – see Storage)

1 x Mini-PCIe slot (supports Wi-Fi or 4G LTE modules)

Security

1 x TPM 2.0 (Trusted Platform Module) header (2×6 pin). Enables hardware-based security features (module not included).

Fan Interface

Board is fanless by design. Includes 1 x 4-pin CPU fan header (reserved for optional active cooling).

GPIO

Supports 4-channel input & 4-channel output GPIO

Watchdog Timer

Hardware reset function (256 levels, 0~255 seconds)

⚡ Power & Electrical Specifications

Input Voltage

DC 12V ±5%

Power Mode

Supports AT and ATX mode switching for flexible power management.

Cooling System

Fanless passive heatsink design for silent, maintenance-free, and dust-resistant operation. Fan header provided for optional active cooling if required.

🌎 Environmental & Physical Specifications

Operating Temperature

-10°C to +60°C (Wide-temperature operation for industrial environments)

Storage Temperature

-20°C to +70°C

Operating Humidity

5% to 95% RH (non-condensing)

Dimensions (Board)

120mm × 120mm (Ultra-compact form factor, 4.7″ x 4.7″)

⚠️ Important Notes

CPU Architecture & Soldered Design: This board features a soldered Intel® Celeron N100 processor based on the modern Alder Lake-N architecture. It is not user-upgradable but offers excellent efficiency and performance for its class.

Network Controller & Driver: The four 2.5GbE ports use Intel® I225/I226 controllers. Ensure your target operating system (especially Linux distributions) has the necessary drivers for these specific network controllers.

M.2 SSD Compatibility: The M.2 Key-M slot supports both 2242 and 2280 length SSDs. It is compatible with both SATA and PCIe (NVMe) protocols. Verify your SSD’s interface (SATA vs. NVMe) and length for compatibility.

Serial Port Configuration: The two COM ports default to RS232. If RS485 functionality is required on one port, this is an optional configuration that must be specified when ordering.

TPM 2.0 Security: Hardware security via TPM 2.0 requires a separate TPM module (not included) to be installed on the provided header. This is essential for features like Windows 11 security requirements or disk encryption.

Power & Thermal for Networking Load: While the CPU is efficient, simultaneously driving four 2.5GbE ports at full load can increase power consumption and heat. Use a high-quality 12V power supply (recommended ≥ 75W) and ensure adequate ventilation in the final enclosure for optimal stability.