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Hardware Specifications

Status: Implemented · Tier: Hardware

This document defines the recommended hardware platforms and peripherals for the Silvasonic recording station.

Compute & Storage Classifications

The standard deployment target for optimal performance and reliability.

  • SBC: Raspberry Pi 5
  • RAM: 8 GB
  • Storage: 256 GB M.2 NVMe SSD (Gen 2/3) via PCIe HAT
  • Cooling: Active Cooler (Mandatory)
  • Power: Official 27W USB-C Power Supply

Minimum Specification

Capable of running the core recording stack, though some analysis features may require tuning.

  • SBC: Raspberry Pi 5
  • RAM: 4 GB
    • Note: Running concurrent heavy inference models (e.g., BirdNET + BatDetect) may be memory-constrained.
  • Storage: 128 GB M.2 NVMe SSD
  • Constraint: NVMe is mandatory. SD Cards are strictly prohibited for production data storage due to low write endurance and throughput limits. See ADR-0015.

Experimental / Legacy

Hardware that is technically capable but not officially tested or supported for long-term production usage.

  • SBC: Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB/8GB)
  • Storage: External SSD via USB 3.0
    • Warning: USB-attached storage is less reliable than PCIe NVMe and may suffer from bus contention.
    • Constraint: USB Boot is supported for legacy Pi 4, but SD Cards remain prohibited (see ADR-0015).

Storage Policy: "NVMe Only"

Silvasonic follows a strict storage policy to maximize data integrity and write endurance. See ADR-0015 for the full rationale.

  1. Provisioning (SD Card Allowed): An SD card may be used temporarily to update the bootloader or flash the OS onto the NVMe drive.
  2. Production (Remove SD): Once the system is provisioned, the SD Card MUST be removed. The system must boot and run entirely from the NVMe SSD.

Audio Inputs (Tested Devices)

The following USB Class Compliant interfaces are known to work well and have been tested in our project context. For technical details on how these devices are configured, see Microphone Profiles.

Ultrasonic (Bat Monitoring)

  • Dodotronic Ultramic 384 EVO
    • Sample Rate: 384 kHz
    • Type: Integrated USB Ultrasonic Microphone

Audible (Birds & Ambience)

  • RØDE NT-USB
    • Sample Rate: 48 kHz
    • Type: Studio-quality Cardioid Condenser
  • Generic Interfaces: Most Class Compliant USB interfaces (e.g., Focusrite Scarlett, Behringer U-Phoria) work but require manual configuration.

Network Requirements

  • Connection: Gigabit Ethernet (Strongly Preferred) or Wi-Fi (Supported).
  • VPN / Telemetry: The local network firewall MUST allow outgoing UDP traffic.
    • This is required for Tailscale (uses WireGuard internally) mesh networking to establish peer-to-peer connections for fleet management.

Power & Environment

  • Power Supply: Use high-quality USB-C PD supplies (Official Pi Power Supply recommended). Voltage drops can cause NVMe instability.
  • Cooling: Active Cooling is recommended for all deployments. The enclosure must provide sufficient airflow to prevent thermal throttling during daylight analysis processing.