RM182X M.2 2280 AI Compute Co-Processor Module (20TOPS)

RM182XMC0 (including RM1820MC0 and RM1828MC0) is a high-performance AI compute co-processor module supporting 3B / 7B large models (RM1820MC0 supports 3B, RM1828MC0 supports 7B), designed for AI inference and machine vision applications.
The module uses an M.2 Key M gold-finger connector and measures 22mm × 80mm. Customers only need to design a simple carrier board to integrate it into edge or embedded devices.
The core value
Large-model inference delivered as a standard M.2 2280 card. As long as your host has a free PCIe M.2 slot, dropping in one card adds 20 TOPS of local compute — no host replacement, no cloud round-trip.
Key specifications
- Compute: 20 TOPS @ INT8
- Data types: INT4 / INT8 / INT16 / FP8 / FP16 / BF16
- CPU: 3× 64-bit RISC-V (SRV, VRV0, VRV1); VRV0/VRV1 include a 128-bit vector unit
- On-chip DRAM: 2.5GB on RK1820, 5GB on RK1828, with hundreds of GB of bandwidth
- Interface: M.2 Key M, PCIe 2.1, supporting both EP and RC modes and PCIe EP boot
- Dimensions: 22mm × 80mm, 6mm thick
- Power: carrier board must supply an additional 12V/3A; M.2 socket supplies 3.3V/3W
- Operating environment: -10℃ ~ 55℃
Supported models
- LLMs: Qwen 2.5 0.5B / 1.5B / 3B, Qwen 3 0.6B / 1.7B
- Multimodal: FastVLM
- Image classification: MobileNetV1, MobileNetV2, ResNet50V2
- Object detection: YOLOv5s, YOLOv6s, YOLOv8s
Measured performance (input tokens: 128)
| Model | Mode | TTFT (ms) | TPS (tokens/s) | Avg power | Peak power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qwen2.5 3B | Power-save | 144.455 | 54.537 | 5.35W | 15.14W |
| Qwen2.5 3B | Standard | 96.05 | 77.945 | 7.2W | 24.86W |
| Qwen2.5 7B | Power-save | 288.255 | 35.044 | 7.02W | 16.11W |
| Qwen2.5 7B | Standard | 186.435 | 51.476 | 10.4W | 27.28W |
Software stack
- RKNN3 Toolkit: PC-side development kit for model conversion and quantization
- RKNN3 Runtime: on-device runtime API
- RKNN3 Model Zoo: model conversion and deployment examples
Ordering information
| Model | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| RM1820MC0 | M.2 Key M, PCIe2.1 | Chip RK1820, supports 3B large models |
| RM1828MC0 | M.2 Key M, PCIe2.1 | Chip RK1828, supports 7B large models |
Documentation
For the hardware specification and carrier board design guide (PCIe routing rules, 12V power design, thermal recommendations), visit the docs center: RM182X Documentation
Related reading
- Thermal Design for Edge Boxes: Fanless, Active or Passive Cooling
- Embedded Linux or Android for Industrial Devices: A Decision Checklist
- PCIe Expansion on RK3588: Adding SATA, NVMe and Network Cards
- Watchdog and Power-Loss Protection: Reliability for 24/7 Unattended Devices


Related Reading
- Deploying Models on the RK3588 NPU: From the RKNN Toolchain to Real 6 TOPS Throughput
- Embedded AI at the Edge: 2026 Trends & Board Selection Guide
- Custom PCBA Requirements: 12 Things to Specify Before Requesting a Quote
- Industrial Vision Inspection Terminals: Cameras, Compute and Line Integration
- Embedded Device Power Budgeting: How to Size It So the Field Does Not Bite