"With the prosperity of the maker movement and the proliferation of open source hardware, many makers are dazzled, not to mention the single-chip microcomputer level, such as various Arduino series hardware products. There are no less than ten kinds of microcomputer level development boards. The following will briefly introduce 10 open source hardware platforms to let makers understand the diversity of this field.
1.【CubieBoard】（CB）
Here take CB2 purchased by the mainstream as an example. Note that cubietruck is indeed CB3, but it is not discussed here.
The CPU of CB2 is allwinner A20. Its architecture is arm cortex-a7 dual core. The performance of this CPU can be compared with the relatively cheap Android Tablet. Running Android is not so powerful, but it's enough. Running Linux is pretty good. Light load won't cause obvious Caton.
Other configurations are 100M Ethernet, on-board 4GB NAND storage, extended TF storage, 1g DDR3 memory, 3.5mm headset + mic composite jack, SATA, HDMI + VGA (external circuit required) + LCD (external circuit required), camera camera interface (external circuit required). The price is 350.
I visited cube tech. Their support input is continuous and active and can be trusted. Android, Debian and Ubuntu (linaro) can be easily swiped into CB.
CB is a very early admission in open source hardware. Although CB1 was released later than raspberry PI, its listing and promotion in China were the same as or even earlier than raspberry PI (due to the early shortage of raspberry PI and the time difference between its introduction into China). Therefore, there are relatively more people with CB in China.
The trouble with CB is that the expansion interfaces are all 2.00mm instead of the standard 2.54mm. Expansion boards and other things may be needed to directly connect various electronic modules of 2.54mm, which is a little verbose.
The circuit boards of CB1 and CB2 are exactly the same, and all configurations are the same, except that the CPU retreats to allwinner A10 (arm cortex-a8 single core), with a price of 300.
It is generally believed that you can upgrade to dual core CPU without much money, and the value of buying CB1 is not great, unless you save a little in some applications with sufficient performance.
Let's mention allwinner. Zhuhai Quanzhi is an arm chip manufacturer in China. Their CPUs are widely used to make cheap Android tablets.
The biggest feature of Zhuhai Quanzhi is that they are more scheme companies than product companies. Quanzhi's CPU is generally manufactured and optimized for a single Android application scenario. When leaving the factory, it provides partners with a full set of solutions and SDK for manufacturing Android devices using CPU, and can quickly create products without modification.
But at the same time, this idea also leads to the objective shortsightedness of chip development, mining and data construction. In other words, it's very easy to use this chip as the scheme adjusted by the manufacturer, but it's easy to do other things. Even the most basic information will be lacking. Many people shout "Keng father" and "Shanzhai" after they get the datasheet of Quanzhi CPU. In fact, this is the reason. Quan Zhi is not bad at making materials, but the starting point is not here.
2.【Raspberry Pi】（RPi）
Version a has very few sources, so it is not discussed. Here is only version B.
Raspberry pie is a pioneer of love and hate.
The CPU of RPI is Broadcom bcm2835. Its architecture is ARM11 single core. This architecture is a generation behind the arm cortex-a architecture of all smart phones and all other Mini PC boards. It belongs to the last generation of classic arm products before arm opened the cortex multi product line. The performance of this CPU is desperate. Low to death, just move the mouse on the card type. It's better to ask software developers to pay attention to optimization, and it's almost cutting corners. Fortunately, the built-in graphics processor in SOC can be strong, and there is no lack of hard interpretation of H.264, and the graphics performance is still a little expected.
The rest are configured as 100M Ethernet (shared USB bandwidth), no half load storage, all rely on SD storage, 512M SDRAM memory, HDMI + analog composite video, CSI camera interface. The price is about 210 (suspected of evading VAT).
Love is that the community support is too full. There are very rich and diverse applications and materials without relying on manufacturers. What I hate is the appalling low performance; Broadcom is the enemy of open source, and various hardware APIs and drivers are not released to developers; The software and hardware design of the foundation is full of loopholes, and the system function is only publicized but not proved, "digging a hole but not filling in".
My attitude is: the first board for Linux novices recommends RPI, but not for proficient ones. But since it's not expensive, you can always buy it as a second board.
3.【pcDuino】（pcD）
Take the newly released V3 as an example.
The CPU of pcd-v3 is allwinner A20. Consistent with CB2 without discussion.
Other configurations are 100M Ethernet and WiFi (via USB), on-board 4GB NAND storage, extended TF storage, 1g DDR3 memory, SATA, camera camera interface, HDMI + LVDS LCD interface, IR infrared input, 3.5mm headphone microphone composite Jack.
Pcduino is interesting in that its extension interface is fully compatible with Arduino. Therefore, as long as it is the expansion board available for the special Arduino (that is, Arduino TRE) of version 3.3V, it can be directly used for pcduno.
Pcduino's software strategy is also interesting. The pcduino factory system is an easy to program Ubuntu (linaro) rather than the usual Android. Special Arduino IDE and scratch are built in the system environment, which can be directly used to command the expansion pin for hardware programming, which is very convenient.
Let me say that as a hardware developer and propagandist of hardware DIY, pcduino may be the closest to my ideal of using Mini PC as a hardware development infrastructure.
The update of pcduino manufacturers is also positive. They have saved a lot of information in their learning center (other board users who are not pcduino can also refer to it).
What makes people hate about pcduono is the price... The price of pcd-v3 suit is as high as 680, local tyrant consumer goods.
In addition, all pcduino are single USB ports, and USB hub is almost necessary. It will cause some trouble.
The CPU of pcd-v2 retreats to allwinner A10 and cancels the interfaces of SATA, LVDS, camera, IR infrared input and 3.5mm headphone microphone composite Jack. The price is 400. It is also a high consumption in the board of Quanzhi a10.
V1 seems to have few sources of goods and will not be discussed.
Wonderful recommendation of single chip microcomputer development board:
Riotboard is equipped with a powerful i.mx6solo and arm's cortex-a9 core, which is oriented to high-end mobile devices, high-end handheld computers, high-end portable media players, game consoles, netbooks, desktop all-in-one computers, portable navigation devices and other fields
Svtronics omap5432 evaluation board A single board computer based on cortex-a15 and cortex-m4 to realize convenient evaluation and benchmark of portable data terminal (PDT), digital signs and medical monitoring terminal equipment.
Atom e3815 single board computer adopts Intel ® AToM ™ ( Bay trail processors are suitable for efficient imaging workflow, digital signage with secure content delivery, portable medical devices, industrial control systems and on-board infotainment (IVI) systems.
4.【MK802】
As far as I know, mk802 is not a single product, but a name commonly used by many Android TV sticks.
Ruixin micro, Quanzhi and other CPUs may be used, most of which will not be high-grade. Basically only wireless networks. Flash + TF expansion card slot. Single HDMI output. All can only use the old version of Android 4.1 or 4.2, can't brush Linux, can't program, and can't be used for hardware DIY. Prices range from 200 to 400.
There are different manufacturers, generally three noes, and no one will take care of the after-sales service. It can only be used to turn an ordinary TV into an Android smart TV with poor personality.
There is no purchase value. Whoever buys is fooled.
I really want to assemble Android smart TV. It's better to buy tmall, Xiaomi and other well-known boxes. Although the use experience of those is still debatable, it must be several blocks better than this kind of junk.
Other nice Mini PCs:
5.【CubieTruck】（CT）
Cubietruck is cubieboard3.
CT is the luxury version of cubieboard product line. Completely replaced the circuit board design of the previous two generations.
The CPU is still Quanzhi A20. Add on-board NAND to 8g, memory to 2G DDR3, and upgrade Ethernet to Gigabit (important!), Add onboard WiFi, direct VGA output, 3.5mm headphone + mic composite jack, SPDIF optical fiber output and IR infrared input.
This board is fully functional in peripheral configuration, regardless of playing with Android and Linux. Price 540.
6.【Banana Pi】（BPi）
New products that have just been widely publicized in China in the first half of this year.
The CPU is Quanzhi A20 (on the back of the circuit board). 1GB DDR3。 No onboard storage, all use SD card storage. Gigabit Ethernet (important!). HDMI + composite video + LVDS LCD. 3.5mm headphone output, onboard microphone. Onboard IR. Camera interface.
Just look at the shape of the board. All the goals of this board are to be compatible with raspberry PI. I met with the banana PI team. According to their own account, for this goal, they made great sacrifices against the ideal goal in board design, such as insisting on using SD instead of TF.
The manufacturer even achieved the downward compatibility of armv6 instruction set with the help of armv7, providing a compatible image that only replaces the kernel and bootloader, while the roots and raspberry PI remain unchanged.
Price 299. The cheapest board in A20.
7.【BeagleBone Black】（BBB）
Works of the American team. Texas Instruments (Deyi, Texas Instruments, Ti) scheme rarely seen in the market.
The CPU is ti am3358, arm cortex-a8 single core (Architecture equivalent to Quanzhi A10).
Wonderful recommendation of single chip microcomputer development board:
Riotboard is equipped with a powerful i.mx6solo and arm's cortex-a9 core, which is oriented to high-end mobile devices, high-end handheld computers, high-end portable media players, game consoles, netbooks, desktop all-in-one computers, portable navigation devices and other fields
Svtronics omap5432 evaluation board A single board computer based on cortex-a15 and cortex-m4 to realize convenient evaluation and benchmark of portable data terminal (PDT), digital signs and medical monitoring terminal equipment.
Atom e3815 single board computer adopts Intel ® AToM ™ ( Bay trail processors are suitable for efficient imaging workflow, digital signage with secure content delivery, portable medical devices, industrial control systems and on-board infotainment (IVI) systems.
512MB DDR3, onboard 4GB EMMC storage, with TF card expansion. Micro HDMI or LCD video output (special shield circuit board is required). 100M Ethernet.
Ti is good because foreigners actually like to play... There are a lot of English materials. In addition, TI's datasheet is better. Senior hardware developers will like ti, which is launched by large companies.
Onboard storage is a good thing. EMMC has a built-in controller, which is consistent with the SD card, saving a lot of trouble.
BBB is the micro HDMI that people hate to death! There is too little space next to the interface! If you use HDMI to micro HDMI adapter, you will directly block the nearby TF slot and USB interface! Even with the native micro HDMI cable, it will occupy space with the USB cable inserted together. Which board painted by a brain cripple!
Price 380 (Chinese version produced by Shenzhen inbitel authorized) / 430 (American imported version).
8.【Radxa Rock】
Quad core high configuration board of Ruixin micro core. The four core development board is few in the current market.
The founder was once one of the creators of cubieboard.
Rockchip's rk3188 CPU. The architecture is arm cortex-a9 quad core.
2GB DDR3 memory. 8GB NAND storage, supporting TF expansion. 100M Ethernet (it's a pity to do such a high configuration but not Gigabit!!!). Onboard WiFi + bt4.0, real-time clock (rare), SPDIF optical fiber, composite video, 3.5mm headset + mic composite Jack.
Not actually used. Ask for more supplements on the use experience.
The price is 600.
9.【WRTnode】
A very chic board. 4 * 5cm area can run Linux practical small things.
The idea is to make the router chip into a development board. Therefore, the system only supports openwrt, a special Linux distribution.
The CPU is mt7620n, a rare MIPS architecture.
DDR2 64MB memory, 16MB SPI flash. On board 802.11 BGN wireless network. Up to 5 100M Ethernet interfaces can be expanded. 30~ 150mA@5V Low power consumption. This is a positioning between Arduino (MCU level) and raspberry PI (arm high performance board). It will be of great use when the computing power of Linux is required, the performance requirements are not harsh, but the space needs to be saved.
Low configuration and low price. At present, the public beta price is 150.
The public beta was just opened in May 2014, which is an absolute pioneer board. Dedicated to players who are not afraid of difficulties and challenges.
10. [Longxin Zhilong] (the first work of Longxin "Kailong" open source hardware series cards)
Godson. It's the domestic MIPS CPU. Just
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