Comma.ai Releases an eGPU Dock with Open-Source Firmware

George Hotz, known for the Comma.ai and Tinygrad projects, has unveiled something new — the Tiny Chestnut eGPU dock and its expanded version, Chestnut, which comes bundled with an AMD Radeon RX 9060 graphics card sporting 8 GB of memory. The device converts PCIe Gen4 x4 into USB4, but the one detail that sets it apart from the many similar products out there is this: it runs on open-source firmware.

Why Comma.ai Needs This

The main goal behind the launch is to lift the compute-power constraints in driver-assistance systems. Right now the company's self-driving system makes do with a budget of roughly 10 watts, whereas Chestnut allows that to be scaled up to 100 watts. With that kind of boost and a graphics card on the level of the Radeon RX 9060, the system can work with larger driving models.

The dock's arrival is timed to coincide with the release of a new 1-billion-parameter model, which is set to debut alongside OpenPilot 0.11.2. The company wryly notes that this — in their own words — “gussied-up eGPU dock” can be mounted right under the car's seat or the graphics card can be placed at the passenger's feet.

Open Firmware and Compatibility

The most interesting part for the community is that Chestnut's use isn't limited to Comma.ai's proprietary systems. The dock can be connected to an ordinary computer and used just like any other USB4 station. The firmware has been published on GitHub: it's C code for the ASM2464PD bridge controller, which handles the USB4/Thunderbolt-to-NVMe link. And of course, it also supports working with the Tinygrad framework.

Pricing

On its own, the Tiny Chestnut eGPU Dock is priced at $249. The Chestnut version with a Radeon RX 9060 already installed costs $799 as of the announcement. The company posted the product details on its own blog.

Source: Phoronix