nanopi neo tft display made in china

These messages mean that there are four CPU cores working online simultaneously. Each core"s temperature is 26.5 degrees in Celsius, the scheduling policy is on-demand and the working frequency is 624MHz. You can set the frequency by running the following command:

Currently the NanoPi NEO2 Black only works with a RTL8821CU USB WiFi dongle, plug and play. After this module is connected to the board it will by default work under AP mode and the hotspot"s name is "rtl8821cu-mac address" and the password is "password";

The NanoPi NEO has gotten support for kernel Linux-4.14 with Ubuntu Core 16.04. For more details about how to use mainline u-boot and Linux-4.14 refer to :Building U-boot and Linux for H5/H3/H2+

Visit this link download link and enter the "sources/nanopi-H3-bsp" directory and download all the source code.Use the 7-zip utility to extract it and a lichee directory and an Android directory will be generated.You can check that by running the following command:

Armbian releases Armbian_5.20_Nanopineo_Debian_jessie_3.4.112 and Armbian_5.20_Nanopineo_Ubuntu_xenial_3.4.112 for the NanoPi NEO. You can refer to its home page for more details.

The 1-bay NAS Dock is an expansion board which can be used to connect an external hard disk to a NanoPi NEO.It uses JSM568 USB3.0 to SATA IC and communicates with a NanoPi NEO via USB interface. It works with a 2.5" SATA hard disk.It uses TI"s DC-DC chipset to convert a 12V input to 5V. It has a power switch for users to turn on/off the device.It supports an onboard RTC battery. FriendlyElec migrated mainline Linux-4.14 kernel and Debian-Jessie with OpenMediaVault. Together with FriendlyElec"s customized aluminum case you can quickly assemble a storage server. Here is a hardware setup :1-bay_NAS_Dock

The UNO Dock module is an Arduino board compatible with Arduino UNO and works with Arduino programs.You can use Arduino IDE to run all Arduino programs on the Dock.It also exposes the NanoPi NEO"s pins.It converts 12V power input to 5V/2A output.You can search for various code samples from Ubuntu"s ecosystem and run on the Dock. These features make it a powerful platform for IOT projects and cloud related applications. Here is a hardware setup:UNO Dock for NanoPi NEO v1.0

The Power Dock for NanoPi NEO is a high efficiency power conversion module. It provides stable and reliable power source. Here is a hardware setup:Power Dock for NanoPi NEO

The NanoHat Proto is an expansion board which exposes NEO"s various pins.It has an onboard EEPROM for data storage.Here is a hardware setup:NanoHat Proto

The Matrix-2"8_SPI_Key_TFT module is a 2.8" TFT LCD with resistive touch. It uses the ST7789S IC and XPT2046 resistive touch IC. It has SPI interface and three configurable user keys.Here is its wiki page Matrix - 2"8 SPI Key TFT

The linux kernel Branch for NanoPi is nanopi-v4.1.y, you should switch the branch to nanopi-v4.1.y, then build it, you will get the kernel programming file arch/arm/boot/zImage.

So – nice looking – I’m not sure why they chose hardwired Ethernet over WIFI – I’d have gone the other way and kept the height down – but there you are. The existing case for the NEO does not fit the new model incidentally.

One thing that worried me – and I’ve complained about this before – the requirements are: A NEO2 (obviously), a micro TFT card, a power supply and “a computer running Ubuntu 14.04 64 bit” – FRIENDLYARM – YOU MUST BE JOKING! Most of us in the west have Microsoft Windows PCs. I do have one PC running Linux – it is running MINT and I’ve no intention of changing that just for one new board!!!

So, despite desire for Debian, I downloaded the Ubuntu Core software from the FriendlyArm WIKI site. I blew the image file with Win32 Disk Imager as usual and plugged it into the NEO 2 board. From what I could read, this would expand on first use and might take some time.

I’ve now heard back from FriendlyArm on the subject of GPIO and the issues I had – they have fixed the most trivial – the temperature display – here is the link – https://www.sendspace.com/file/eqh907

Hello, I have been trying for a few weeks to get this LCD dsiplay (Store Wiki) to work with the NanoPi Neo Air.  The display driver required is apparently the ST7789V.

This thread mentioned the display I am using and talked about building a custom kernel. I got the build env up ran a kernel build but I was not able to find any drivers relating to the ST7789V.

NanoPi NEO Quad Core Cortex A7 Board [256M, 512GB RAM] is a full computer on a small single-board (smaller than half size of the Raspberry Pi), which consist of CPU, GPU, HDD, RAM, Ports, and also operating systems to be placed in educational robot, copters, toys, etc., to command and control things. FriendlyARM is an open-source computer developer which makes open-source single-board computers with NanoPi brand, for Linux hackers, toymakers, and hobbyists. Such a single-board computer can be run under the Linux based operating system. The NanoPi computers are produced in different model and series of NanoPi 2, NanoPi 2 Fire, NanoPi M1, NanoPi M2, NanoPi M3, NanoPi NEO, NanoPi NEO Air, NanoPi NEO core, NanoPi S2, NanoPi fire, Nano Pi Duo, etc.

This computer board is NEO series and based on the Allwinner H3, Quad-core Cortex-A7 Up to 1.2GHz CPU with 256MB or 512MB optional  DDR3 SDRAM, which is booted and operated on the Linux Based operating system such as u-boot and UbuntuCore. This series is ultra-low size, simplified, and funny, to control the things easily and simply.  This board is supplied by 5V DC with 2A current through the micro-USB port or 2 pins input. It has  OTG-USB (data and power in), USB2A-host, USB (through the pins of GPIO pins), MiPi video socket (for LCD and camera), and RJ45 as input ports and pins serial GPIO-UART, SPI, I2C, Audio, etc, and a TFT slot.

This computer board is sold alone, but you can prepare its dedicated accessory such as USB to Micro-USB cable, 220 to 5V 2A adapter, NanoPi case, from our site store.

FriendlyElec have now released version 1.2 of their NAS box for the NanoPi NEO. What’s the difference? It’s now using a newer USB3.0 to SATA bridge chip from JMicron, which supposedly has a faster throughput than the previous SATA bridge.

I had spec"d out a DC boost to around 6.5, for a 5v clean output for the audio card. The nanopi"s 5v line gets so polluted by all the fast switching from various sources. I used the same circuit all those cheap MT3608 boost converters from china use. They work, in my experience, and you can get 40 of them, shipped to USA, for about $6.  The 5v reg is an MIC2920, just because I had them in stock. Their LDO characteristics aren"t bad, either. There is another 3.3v line for the STM32, mainly so it"s ADCs are a little bit cleaner. I used a MAX604, since I had it around.

I also had to tweak the software on the nanopi, as the reset and boot0 pins have to always be initialized. I use stm32flash to do the business. Since the nanopi doesn"t have a compiler, I rsync the bin from my desktop the board, then have a bash script which handles the flashing. It works reliably now!

The demo program of the fingerprint module uses LED lights to prompt the user to enter the fingerprint and compare the status (success or failure). But I want to use an LCD display, so I chose a 480×272 resolution serial LCD display. The specific model of this display is STONE STVC050WT-01, which communicates with MCU through UART, and will be covered in later chapters.

In this project, I would like to use STONE STVC050WT-01 TFT LCD to display the status of the fingerprint module (entry status, comparison status and deletion of fingerprint data). This display comes with a driver chip, and development software is provided for user interface development. The user simply needs to add the designed UI picture through the software as well as any button or text box as needed, and then generate the configuration file to flash into the display.

In theory, the STONE display and fingerprint module can communicate directly. However, due to the different communication data protocols, it is impossible to establish communication. Therefore, an MCU is still needed to handle serial communication.

The STM32F103C8T6 development board and STVC050WT-01 TFT-LCD display are connected through UART, and then the STM32F103C8T6 development board and fingerprint module are also connected through UART.

First of all, we need to design a UI display image, which can be designed with PhotoShop software or other image design tools. After designing the UI display image, save the image as JPG format. Here’s the UI I designed in Photoshop.

The UI includes a status bar that shows fingerprint verification in real-time, so you need to add a font, as well as text display components and buttons.

Once the UI design above is complete, you can generate the configuration file and download it to the STVC050WT-01 display, which is described in the STONE development materials.

Perform step 1 to generate the configuration file, then insert the USB flash drive into the computer. The flash drive will display. Then click “Download to u-disk” to download the configuration file to the USB flash drive, and then insert the USB flash drive into STVC050WT-01 to complete the upgrade.

The BPI-M3, which sells for $73 on AliExpress, features an octa-core Allwinner A83T. The SBC has about the same size (92 x 60mm), layout, and features as the M2 Ultra, and similarly integrates 40-pin GPIO. Like the M2 Ultra, the M3 supplies GbE, WiFi, SATA, 3x USB, and multiple display and camera options. Software support includes Android 5.1, Debian 8, Ubuntu 16.04 Mate, Raspbian Jesse Mate, Arch Linux, and more.

This robotics-oriented, education-focused BeagleBoard.org collaboration with the UCSD Coordinated Robotics Lab is a BeagleBone clone that adds motion control and battery friendly power. The BB Blue is one of the few boards in the roundup to drop in price since last year, selling for $70 at Arrow. Like the BeagleBone Black Wireless, the BeagleBone Blue integrates a TI WiLink 8 with WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 LE, as well as an Octavo Systems OSD3358 SiP module that encapsulates the Sitara AM3358 SoC, RAM, and flash along with a PMIC and other features. There is no Ethernet or display I/O, but you get micro-USB 2.0 host and client ports, 8x servo outputs, 4x DC motor outputs, and 4x quad encoder inputs. Other features include an IMU, barometer, JTAG, GPS, and a DSM2 radio. You also get a 9-18V DC input, a LiPo battery connector, extra user buttons and LEDs, plus the usual extensive list of BB Black interfaces. Distro support includes the BeagleBone’s default, real-time enhanced Debian stack, as well as Ubuntu Core. There is also compatibility with ArduPilot, MATLAB, Simulink, LabVIEW, and ROS.

The Habanero DVK showcases a 49 x 45mm Habanero module that runs OpenWrt on a quad -A7 Qualcomm IPQ4019. The SoC lacks a 3D GPU but has NEON support and Wave2 WiFi dual-band MU-MIMO 802.11ac for improved simultaneous connections. The DVK is equipped with 5x Gigabit Ethernet ports, USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, and a 12-24V power socket. For storage, you get a microSD slot, an eMMC socket, and up to 1GB NAND flash. A wide range of I/O includes PCIe 2.0 and 46 GPIOs. See also 8devices’ similar Jalapeno board farther below. 8devices has opened $69 pre-orders on a Habanero-I module that appears will work with the Habanero DVK. The Habanero-I is almost identical to the standard Habanero, but switches to an IPQ4029, a quad -A7 SoC sibling of the IPQ4019 with a -40 to 85°C range instead of 0 to 65°C. 8devices also offers a sandwich-style Mango-DVK, but at $219, it is over our limit. The Mango-DVK offers a choice of two Mango modules that run OpenWrt Linux on an up to 1.8GHz, quad -A53 Qualcomm IPQ6000 or IPQ6010 SoC, both with 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6). The DVK features 2.5GbE with PoE, SFP, and 2x GbE.

The Jalapeno DVK preceded the similar Habanero DVK and offers a lower price and fewer GbE ports. The headless, sandwich-style board incorporates a 47 x 32mm Jalapeno module that runs OpenWrt on a quad -A7 Qualcomm IPQ4018. The SoC lacks a 3D GPU but has NEON and crypto support plus built-in Wave2: dual-band 802.11ac with support for simultaneous connections to multiple devices. The DVK is equipped with 2x Gigabit Ethernet ports, 2x USB 3.0, and a micro-USB port. I/O includes I2S, SPI, UART, GPIO, and JTAG. See also 8devices’ MIPS-based Komikan DVK.

The Khadas project’s Vim3 may well be the fastest Arm-based SBC in the roundup, although if the Khadas Vim4 had begun shipping, it would have taken the prize. Whereas the Vim3 offers a 12nm Amlogic A311D SoC with 4x 2.2GHz -A73 cores, 2x 1.8GHz -A53 cores, a high-end Mali-G52 MP4 GPU, and a 5-TOPS NPU, the upcoming, octa-core VIM4 offers 4x -A73, 4x -A53, and a Mali-G52 MP8 (8EE). It is unclear if Khadas will add an NPU to the Vim4 design. Meanwhile, the Vim3 is plenty powerful, and there is also a cheaper Khadas Vim3L model that shifts down to a quad -A55 Amlogic S905D3 with a Mali-G31 and a 1.2-TOPS NPU. The $69.90 Vim3L is limited to the same 2GB RAM and 16GB eMMC of the basic Vim3 but is otherwise identical. The Khadas Vim3 boards have the same, somewhat Raspberry Pi-like 82 x 58 x 11.5mm footprint and layout as the earlier Vim boards. They similarly offer 40-pin GPIO and support all the Vim accessories. An M.2 2280 socket lets you load NVMe modules. Dual simultaneous displays are available via the [email protected] ready HDMI 2.1 port and 4-lane MIPI-DSI. Other features include WiFi/BT, 4-lane MIPI-CSI, GbE, USB Type-C OTG, and 2x USB 3.0 host ports. You also get an RTC, IR, an accelerometer, and a 5-20V input. OS support includes Ubuntu 18.04 LTS with Kernel 5.0, Armbian, LibreELEC, and Android 9.

As far as we know, FriendlyElec (AKA FriendlyARM) announced only one new SBC in the chip shortage plagued year of 2021 with its NanoPi R2C, a minor variant of the NanoPi R2S (see farther below). The company has also discontinued several SBCs, including the NanoPi Neo2 and Neo4. Yet, their catalog continues to rival the breadth of fellow Chinese hacker board vendors Shenzhen Xunlong (Orange Pi) and SinoVoip (Banana Pi). The NanoPC-T3 Plus, which jumped in price by over $28 since last year, replaced the NanoPC-T3, which was similarly equipped with an octa-core S5P6818. (The earlier, almost identical NanoPC-T2, which has a quad-core S5P4418, is still available at $75). The T3 Plus doubles the RAM and flash of the T3 and adds -40 to 80°C support. The SBC is slightly larger at 100 x 64mm, and switches one of the USB headers to a Type-A port, thereby providing 3x coastline USB 2.0 ports instead of two. Like the T3, the T3 Plus supplies WiFi, BT 4.0, and a GbE port, as well as microSD and micro-USB client connections. Media ports include HDMI, LVDS, LCD, MIPI-DSI, MIPI-CSI, and audio. In place of the 40-pin RPi connector found on NanoPi boards, the NanoPC-T3 Plus provides a 30-pin GPIO header. OS support includes Android 7.1.2, Debian, and the Ubuntu Core 16.04 based FriendlyCore. Available images for each of FriendlyElec’s open-spec boards may be found here and a common wiki index is here. Like most of the NanoPi and NanoPC SBCs boards, the NanoPC-T3 Plus is available with extensive options ranging from cases to heat sinks to camera modules.

When it debuted in early 2018, the 100 x 64mm NanoPC-T4 was the smallest RK3399 SBC around, an honor that was quickly eclipsed by FriendlyElec’s NanoPi M4 and recently discontinued NanoPi Neo4. The relatively high price, which rose by a whopping $65 since last year, is due to the standard allotment of 4GB of RAM. FriendlyElec’s first Rockchip-based SBC is also its most powerful, combining the hexa-core RK3399 with advanced features like M.2 and native SATA. Display interfaces include HDMI 2.0, DP, eDP, and MIPI-DSI. You also get MIPI-CSI with dual-camera support, an RPi-compatible 40-pin interface, and a 0 to 80°C operating range. OS support includes Android 8 and 10, Armbian, Buildroot, Lubuntu 16.04, and the similarly Ubuntu based FriendlyCore 18.04 and FriendlyDesktop Bionic 18.04. Like most of the NanoPi and NanoPC SBCs boards, the NanoPi K1 Plus is available with extensive options ranging from cases to heat sinks to camera modules.

The tiny (50 x 25.4mm) NanoPi Duo was launched in Aug. 2017 as the first of several headless, COM-like NanoPi boards, including the more recent, 40 x 40mm NanoPi Neo Core and Core2 spins of the Neo and Neo2. The Duo was replaced by the NanoPi Duo2, which switches the HD-ready Allwinner H2+ to the similar, but 4K ready, H3 model. The NanoPi Duo2 provides an optional IoT-2G Application Carrier Board (currently out of stock) that replaces the Duo’s optional Mini Shield carrier. The only other differences include the addition of Bluetooth and a narrower -20 to 70°C range. The Duo2 has 32x I/O pins via a dual-in-line interface designed to plug into the IoT-2G carrier or a 2.55mm pitch breadboard. Unlike the Core boards, the Duo2 supplies WiFi, a microSD slot, and a micro-USB port, qualifying it as standalone SBC. Headers supply 10/100 Ethernet, 2x USB host, audio, CVBS, and serial debug. The NanoPi Duo2 is available with FriendlyCore 16.04 Xenial and FriendlyWrt 19.07.10 (OpenWrt), both with Linux 4.14. Shipping to the U.S. is more expensive on the NanoPi and NanoPC boards than for most Banana Pi and Orange Pi boards. Also, FriendlyElec adds a note for all its SBCs that: “Although DHL service is partly recovered, there are still issues with on-time delivery. Postal services get delayed by around 30-45 days in many countries.”

The shopping page for the NanoPi M1 Plus lists a $48 price that is $10 higher than last year, and it also says availability is “temporary stopped.” This more feature-rich update of the discontinued NanoPi M1 retains the Allwinner H3 but is slightly smaller at 64 x 60mm. The higher price of the NanoPi M1 Plus reflects the standard 1GB RAM and 8GB eMMC, as well as new features like WiFi, Bluetooth, a mic, and Gigabit Ethernet. One of the three USB 2.0 host ports, however, has moved to an onboard header. Other features include HDMI, DVP camera, CVBS A/V, IR, and a microSD slot, plus a 40-pin RPi header. OS options include FriendlyCore Xenial, OpenWrt, and Debian.

The NanoPi-M4V2 updates the now discontinued NanoPi-M4, but its availability is listed as “temporary stopped.” The V2 model doubles the RAM count to 4GB but is otherwise the same except for the addition of power and recovery buttons and a WiFi upgrade to 2×2 MIMO. Unlike the RK3399-based, $175 NanoPC-T4, which also ships with 4GB, the NanoPC-M4V2 has a Raspberry Pi form factor, layout and 40-pin header. It also supplies a 24-pin header with 2x PCIe lanes. Other features include native GbE, 802.11ac, Bluetooth, HDMI 2.0a, USB Type-C, and 4x USB 3.0 ports. You also get audio I/O, an RTC, -20 to 70°C support, and two configurable MIPI-DSI/CSI interfaces. OS support includes Android 7.1.2, Lubuntu 16.04, FriendlyCore 18.04, and FriendlyDesktop 18.04.

In Nov. 2017, FriendlyElec replaced its NanoPi 2 Fire with two fiery new models. One is the NanoPi Fire3-LTS with an octa-core S5P6818 and 1GB RAM, which is now listed as out of stock for $22 more than last year at $57. Here, we cover the other variant: the $30 NanoPi Fire2A, which runs on the same quad -A9 S5P4418 found on the defunct NanoPi 2 Fire along with 512MB DDR3. The 75 x 40mm SBC offers GbE, micro-HDMI, USB 2.0 host, and a micro-USB OTG port for 5V input. The Fire2A is equipped with a 40-pin GPIO header, RGB LCD, DVP camera, and serial debug interfaces plus an RTC with battery and PMIC. OS support includes Linux 4.4, Debian, FriendlyCore with Qt 5.9 (based on Ubuntu Core 16.04), and FriendlyWrt 19.07.

The Neo was the first of a sub-series of tiny NanoPi boards such as the wireless enabled Neo Air, quad -A53 Neo2-LTS and the Neo Plus2 (see below). The Neo boards are among the world’s smallest and most affordable quad-core ARM SBCs. At 40 x 40mm, they occupy only 1,600 square millimeters, compared to 1,950 sq. mm for the 65 x 30mm Raspberry Pi Zero. The NanoPi Neo, which has now been given LTS status, is equipped with microSD, USB 2.0 host, and micro-USB OTG ports, but like the other Neo variants, it lacks a display interface. You get 36 GPIO pins instead of the usual RPi connector. The board runs Ubuntu Core or Mate on the Allwinner H3. The similar NanoPi Neo2 has been discontinued over the last year and the similar NanoPi Neo2 Black disappeared the year before that. There is still a $22 to $23 Neo Core-LTS compute module that is designed to work with an optional, $11, RPi-like Mini Shield carrier board.

The NanoPi Neo3-LTS was announced in July 2020 and was later renamed with the long-term LTS designation. The RK3328-powered SBC is more than twice as expensive as last year. The NanoPi Neo3 is equipped with a microSD, GbE, USB 3.0, and a power-only micro-USB port. Other features include some USB and serial debug headers, a user key, 2x LEDs, and 26-pin GPIO. The -20 to 70℃ tolerant board supports Ubuntu Core 18.04 and FriendlyWrt (Linux kernel 5.4 LTS). Note that the RK3399-bsed NanoPi Neo4 has been discontinued.

The NanoPi Neo Air-LTS is a wireless variant of the NanoPi Neo. This headless IoT board has the same 40 x 40mm footprint, and similarly runs Ubuntu Core and Mate on an Allwinner H3. The Neo Air adds WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, and a DVP camera connector, but sacrifices the Neo’s Ethernet port and the sole USB host port, leaving you only a micro-USB OTG for power and data. You can derive more USB ports or a power connection via the split bank of 36 GPIO pins. Now an LTS (long-term support) product, the Neo Air no longer offers an eMMC option beyond the standard 8GB. The price has risen $8 since 2020 and now ships with a 3-4 week wait time.

The NanoPi R1 mini router board, which is now standard with 1GB DDR3, has doubled in price to $60 with an up to 1-month lead time. The similarly headless and Allwinner H3-based NanoPi R1S linked to above, has also almost doubled in price, in this case to $39.90 with 512MB DDR3. The R1S was previously referred to as the R1S-H3, but FriendlyElec shortened the name after the Allwinner H5-based NanoPi R1S-H5 was discontinued. The R1S loses one of the R1’s two USB 2.0 host ports, as well as the RTC and UART interface. The dual-band WiFi/BT module has been changed to a 2.4GHz WiFi chip without Bluetooth. On the other hand, you get dual GbE ports instead of 10/100Mbps and 10/1000/1000Mbps on the R1. (The new second GbE is a slower, USB-driven model.) The NanoPi R1S is smaller at 55.6 x 52mm compared to the 60 x 55.5mm R1 and both the board and free case are redesigned. Common features for both include a microSD slot, micro-USB port, and -20 to 70°C support. OS support includes FriendlyCore (Ubuntu Core) with Linux-4.14-LTS, Armbian, and FriendlyWrt (OpenWrt). For an even cheaper FriendlyElec board with an H3 SoC and a tiny footprint, see FriendlyElec’s single-GbE ZeroPi SBC.

We would not be surprised if the NanoPi R2S is discontinued in 2022 now that there is a cheaper, almost identical NanoPi R2C model and upcoming R2C Plus (see item above.) The 55.6 x 52mm SBC (without enclosure) can’t quite match the throughput of the native and PCIe-based GbE ports on the larger NanoPi R4S (see item below) but offers higher bandwidth on one of the ports than the smaller, Allwinner H3 based NanoPi R1 and R1S boards covered above. In addition to the native GbE port, there is GbE port based on USB 3.0, thereby providing up to 941Mbps bandwidth rather than 334Mbps. Other features on the headless board include USB 2.0 host and micro-USB 2.0 power/device ports, serial and GPIO headers, LEDS, heatsink, and an optional plastic case. The 0 to 80℃ tolerant board runs FriendlyWrt 19.07 and Ubuntu Core 18.04 with Linux 4.4.

The NanoPi R4S was revealed in Nov. 2020 and started shipping a few weeks later. The SBC offers the unusual pairing of the media-oriented RK3399 with a headless networking board. The 66 x 66mm SBC is larger than the NanoPi R2S and R1S boards and has a different layout. The RK3399 enables native and PCIe-based GbE ports for maximum throughput. Other features include a microSD slot, 2x USB 3.0 ports, a debug UART, and headers for USB 2.0, SPI, and I2C. A USB Type-C port inputs 5VDC, and there is a PMIC, RTC with battery connector, 4x LEDs, a user key, and a 5V fan connector. The operating range is -20 to 70℃ and a case is optional. OS support includes FriendlyCore 20.04 with Linux 4.19.111 and FriendlyWrt 19.07.4 based on Linux 5.4. When we click on the 4GB RAM option, the price stays at $86.90, so considering the current RAM shortage and price inflation, we imagine this option is not currently available.

In Nov. 2020, Seeed launched the Quantum Mini in collaboration with a developer named Zhihui and built with Seeed’s design and PCB prototyping and manufacturing services. The GPL 3.0 licensed SBC features an M.2 form-factor “Quark-N” module that runs Ubuntu Core on an Allwinner H3 plus a 40 x 35mm “Atom-N” carrier, making it the smallest Linux hacker board we have seen. The Quark-N module provides the 512MB DDR3 and 16GB eMMC along with a 26-pin GPIO with USB OTG, USB-Serial, I2C, UART, SPI, I2S, and GPIO. The Atom-N carrier adds a microSD slot, dual USB 2.0 host ports, a Type-C port for power, and some golden finger pads for I/O. A small TFT display is mounted on the board along with a motion sensor, user buttons, and a microphone. For communications, you get 2.4GHz WiFi with Bluetooth 4.0.

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is still available, but barely. The new Linux hacker board industry leader arrived Jun. 2019 with enhancements including up to 4GB RAM and a faster, 28nm fabricated Broadcom SoC with 4x 1.5GHz Cortex-A72 cores. The SoC also offers an enhanced VideoCore VI GPU with up to 4Kp60 support. In early 2020, RPi Trading discontinued the 1GB RAM model and lowered the price of the 2GB model to $35 and a few months later, added a $75 8GB model. In Oct. 2021, however, RPi Trading announced that due to chip shortages, it was bringing back the 1GB SKU at $35 and boosting the 2GB price to $45. The RPi 4 steps up to a native PCIe Gen2 based GbE port, once again with optional PoE. Two of the four USB host ports are USB 3.0, and the micro-USB switches to a more versatile Type-C. There is still no M.2 slot with SATA, but the faster USB 3.0 ports make USB storage more feasible. Like the RPi 3B+, the RPi 4 offers a WiFi-ac/BT module, 40-pin GPIO, microSD slot, MIPI-DSI and -CSI, and a composite video/audio jack. The RPi 4 has had a few growing pains, led by overheating problems, but various fans and cases have helped ease the way. Although the dual-display capability is useful to some, many users might have preferred a single HDMI instead of dual micro-HDMI ports. Yet, the RPi 4 has been a hit and reigns among the most powerful Arm SBCs in the catalog. An 8GB RAM option is also available on the similarly Broadcom BCM2711 based Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4). In Nov. 2020, RPi Trading launched a Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard computer with a faster, 1.8GHz version of the BCM2711. The RPi 4B is available at PiShop for $45 (limited to 1x unit per customer per month) and on pre-order with 2GB RAM only from CanaKit for $45, with shipments due Feb. 28. You can also buy a $129.95 Complete Starter Kit with 2GB that ships immediately. Finally, MicroCenter has the 2GB model at $45 for in-store pickup only.

The ROC-RK3308B-CC Plus (or ROC-RK3308B-CC-plus) appears to be a replacement for the ROC-RK3308-CC, which had a separate listing in last year’s catalog. This year, this older model is available in limited quantities only on a Seeed page at Mouser for $54.42 with long lead times. The larger, 85.15 x 60mm Plus model, which sells for $40 at T-Firefly, offers the same headless, audio-focused RK3308 SoC, which is found on boards like Radxa’s Rock Pi S (see farther below). This time, T-Firefly implements them via a new Core Board RK3308B compute module, which starts on its own at $23. (Since last year, T-Firefly changed the name of the SBC from ROC-RK3308-CC Plus to ROC-RK3308B-CC Plus to reflect the switch to the new module.) The Raspberry Pi-like, 85 x 56mm SBC provides 4GB or 8GB eMMC, 128MB or 256MB NAND, and a microSD slot for storage. Other features include USB host, Type-C OTG, and 2x 10/100 Ethernet port with PoE compared to one on the earlier ROC-RK3308B-CC. The Plus model can achieve 720p instead of 480p LCD displays on the earlier model, but the 6-mic far-field array has been replaced with a 4-mic array and the SPDIF has been removed. The dual-band WiFi-ac/BT module has been replaced with 2.4GHz WiFi and there is a narrower 0 to 60°C operating range. There are dual 40-pin connectors instead of a single 40-pin with separate mic array and GPIO headers. OS support includes Buildroot Linux with extensions including ROS, Alexa, and iFlytek. The $40 price stays the same when you click on the 512MB/8GB option with 256MB NAND, so we are assuming here that the price reflects a 256MB/4GB with 128MB NAND configuration and that the 512MB/8GB model is not available in single units.

Pine64’s RockPro64 stands out with its full-size PCIe x4 expansion slot. The SBC has the same 127 x 79mm dimensions and many of the same features found on Pine64’s Allwinner H6 based Pine H64. You get HDMI, eDP, MIPI-DSI, 2x MIPI-CSI, Parallel camera, USB 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, and DisplayPort 1.2 via USB Type-C. For communications, there is a GbE port and optional, $16 WiFi-ac with Bluetooth 4.1. Audio links are available along with a 40-pin RPi-style connector. Images are available for Armbian, Debian, Ubuntu, CentOS, Slackware, DietPi, and more. The 2GB model is out of stock but the 4GB model costs the same as last year — a rarity in this year’s roundup.

Udoo Neo prices have risen by $10 at the Udoo shopping site, and the listed prices exclude VAT and shipping. Like the larger Udoo Quad/Dual SBCs, the IoT-focused, 85 x 59mm Udoo Neo runs Linux or Android on a Cortex-A9 based i.MX6. The Neo, however, is optimized for the single-core i.MX6 SoloX variant and uses its Cortex-M4 MCU to mimic an Arduino. The specs differ slightly from the Kickstarter package referenced in the LinuxGizmos link above. The Udoo Neo Basic provides Ethernet, microSD, USB host, micro-USB OTG, micro-HDMI, LVDS with touch, and a Parallel camera interface. You also get an Arduino connector, as well as GPIO, UART, CAN, PWM, I2C, and SPI interfaces. The Neo Extended bumps the RAM to 1GB, adds 3-axis motion sensors, and replaces Ethernet with a WiFi/Bluetooth module. The Neo Full is identical to the Extended but offers both Ethernet and wireless. The Neo is the only Udoo available right now. The venerable, i.MX6 based Udoo Quad/Dual was discontinued over the last year. The Udoo X86 II has slipped over our $200 limit and like the even pricier, Ryzen V1000 based Udoo Bolt is currently “not available.”

Aaeon launched an UP Core Plus SBC on Kickstarter in 2018 as the centerpiece of an UP AI Edge family that includes optional, AI add-on boards. The family also includes a higher end UP Squared AI Vision Kit based on the UP Squared board. Refreshingly, the 2GB/32GB model costs the same as last year and the other models are cheaper. The 90 x 56.5mm, Apollo Lake based UP Core Plus is larger than the Intel Cherry Trail based UP Core and has a choice of three quad-core Apollo Lake Atom SoCs. OS support is the same as the UP Core except that it also supports XenServer 7.2. The UP Core Plus is equipped with a DisplayPort, eDP, and 2x MIPI-CSI interfaces plus USB 3.0 host and OTG ports and 2x USB 2.0 ports. Dual 100-pin high speed GPIO connectors are compatible with UP board add-ons. The SBC supplies 802.11ac and Bluetooth but lacks an Ethernet port. In July, Aaeon launched an UP Connect Plus carrier option for both the UP Core Plus and UP Xtreme that starts at $99. The carrier adds 3x GbE ports with optional TSN plus an M.2 3042/3052 slot with 5G support. Other UP Core Plus options include cooling systems, enclosures, mini-PCIe based 3G and LTE cards, and the UP AI Core module.

The first FriendlyElec SBC without a “Nano” in the name combines the quad -A7 Allwinner H3 of the NanoPi Neo LTS with the Gigabit Ethernet port of the recently discontinued, Allwinner H5-based NanoPi Neo2. The ZeroPi, which has more than doubled in price since last year, shares the 40 x 40mm footprint, USB 2.0 host, micro-USB, and debug features of these earlier models, and it offers the -20 to 70℃ range of the Neo. However, it lacks a GPIO header. Aside from the GbE upgrade, the only improvement we can see from the Neo is a connector for adding SPI flash. For $5 more, there’s a metal case that also includes a heatsink. Images are available for Ubuntu Core 16.04 and OpenWrt, both with Linux-4.14, as well as Armbian.