Important statistics about SBC and Raspberry
1. Favorite among other SBCs:
(Click on the picture to enlarge)
2. Top 10 SBC:
 Raspberry Pi 2 Model B (#1) |
 Beaglebone Black (#2) |
 Raspberry Pi Model B+ (#3) |
 Odroid-C1 (#4) |
 DragonBoard 410c (#5) |
 Odroid-XU3 (#6) |
 Parallella (#7) |
 Arduino TRE (#8) |
 Edison Kit for Arduino (#9) |
 Odroid-U3 (#10) |
3. Comparison by features of SBCs:
4. Important SBC features:
5. SBC by Applications:
6. Spec summary of 53 SBCs:
| SBC Spec Summaries |
Summaries of all 53 SBCs in our survey appear below, in alphabetical order.
| 86Duino / 86Duino One |
Summary:
- Company/project — DM&P, 86Duino.com
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — DM&P Vortex86EX (1x x86 @ 300MHz)
- Memory — 128MB RAM
- Price — $49 (Zero), $86 (One)
Description — DM&P’s 86Duino features Arduino-compatible expansion and a modular COM+baseboard approach. For $37 more, the 86Duino One model supplies the same RAM, as well as Ethernet, USB, and microSD connections, and adds HD audio and more expansion I/O.
| A10-OlinuXino-Lime |
Summary:
- Company/project — Olimex, OlinuXino, Mouser
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A10 (1x Cortex-A8 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 512MB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $34 (30 Euros)
Description — This tiny (84 x 60mm) Android- and Linux-ready SBC is also available with an optional mini-PC enclosure. I/O includes microSD, SATA, Ethernet, and HDMI, plus three USB ports and 160 GPIOs.
| A20-OlinuXino-Micro |
Summary:
- Company/project — Olimex, OlinuXino, Mouser
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A20 (2x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM; optional 4GB NAND flash with preloaded Android
- Price — $62 (55 Euros)
Description — This faster, dual-core OlinuXino model is 1080p-ready and has all the I/O of the Lime. The A20-OlinuXino-Micro also doubles the RAM and adds VGA, LCD with touch support, and audio I/O. The SBC also adds UEXT expansion connectors, with optional UEXT modules.
| Arduino TRE |
Summary:
- Company/project — Arduino LLC
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — TI Sitara AM335x (1x Cortex-A8 @ 1GHz)
- Memory — 512MB RAM
- Price — N/A
Description — The schism that is forking the Arduino community has further delayed the Arduino TRE, which was announced back in Oct. 2013. The TRE is now “coming soon,” according to Arduino LLC, which represents the original Arduino project. The Arduino TRE is not listed on the Arduino.org website of the forked Arduino Srl entity, which is instead pushing a new Arduino Yún Mini. The TRE’s Cortex-A8-based TI Sitara runs a full version of Linux, unlike the lightweight, OpenWRT-based Linino used by the Yún Mini and Yún. (The original Yún is sold by both Arduino companies.) The TRE also offers an 8-bit Atmel Atmega MCU for AVR-compatible control of expansion shields. I/O includes HDMI, Ethernet, microSD, LCD, GPIOs, and five USB ports.
| Arduino Yún Mini |
Summary:
- Company/project — Arduino Srl
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Qualcomm Atheros AR9331 (1x MIPS24k @ up to 400MHz)
- Memory — 64MB DDR2 RAM
- Price — $59.90
Description — This update to the original Yún is currently offered only by Arduino Srl (Arduino.org), which has broken off from Arduino LLC. The Arduino Yún Mini similarly runs the OpenWRT based Linino on Qualcomm’s 400MHz AR9331 SoC, as well as Arduino code on an Atmel Atmega32U4 chip. Linino now has access to more of the board’s features, says Arduino Srl. The Yún Mini is smaller (71.1 x 22.9mm), lighter (16 grams) and cheaper than the original, but it’s still pricier than most OpenWRT-on-Atheros boards. The Mini strips out the earlier Ethernet port, USB port, and microSD slot, and instead makes these and other interfaces available via optional “dog” accessories.
| Arndale Octa |
Summary:
- Company/project — ArndaleBoard.org, InSignal, Pyrustek
- Product page
- Processor — Samsung Exynos 5420 Octa (4x Cortex-A15 @ 1.8GHz and 4x Cortex-A7 @ 1.3GHz); ARM Mali T-628 MP6
- Memory — 3GB LPDDR3e RAM
- Price — $199
Description — ArndaleBoard.org’s Octa board sports Samsung’s Exynos 5420 SoC. It offers generous helpings of display (HDMI, eDP, and MIPI DSI) and USB connections, plus MIPI-CSI camera support and an optional wireless module.
| Banana Pi M2 |
Summary:
- Company/project — SinoVoip
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A31 (4x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $59
Description — Just as the original dual-core Banana Pi was a near clone of the Raspberry Pi Model B, SinoVoip’s Banana Pi M2 closely resembles the Model B+, complete with a similar 40-pin expansion connector. Its A31 processor is competitive with that of the new RPi 2 Model B. The M2 features five USB ports, a range of display and camera interfaces, a gigabit Ethernet port, and WiFi. Last year, the Banana Pi project split between SinoVoip and LeMaker factions. BananaPi.org has since moved to the LeMaker camp with its dual-core Banana Pro (see below), but SinoVoip says it will soon regain control via an agreement that will end the trademark dispute with LeMaker.
| Banana Pro |
Summary:
- Company/project — LeMaker
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A20 (2x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 MP2 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $43.33
Description — Compared to the rival Banana Pi M2 from former partner SinoVoip, LeMaker’s own Banana Pi update sticks closer to the original, retaining the dual-core A20 SoC. It expands to a Raspberry Pi Model B+-like 40-pin connector, switches the SD slot to microSD, and adds WiFi and a micro-USB OTG port. Unlike the M2, it provides a SATA connector, but it only has two USB host ports compared to the M2’s four. The Pro is currently available atRobotShop for $43.33, but sells for $55 on Amazon. The future of the board is uncertain pending the upcoming settlement with SinoVoip.
| BD-SL-i.MX6 (SABRE Lite) |
Summary:
- Company/project — Boundary Devices, Element14
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 Quad (4x Cortex-A9 @ up to 1GHz)
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $199
Description — Freescale’s SABRE Lite dev board for the i.MX6 was spun off as a fully open spec “BD-SL-i.MX6″ SBC, sold by Boundary Devices and Element14. The Linux-ready board features extensive I/O including RGB, LVDS, and HDMI display connections, dual camera ports, a GbE port, dual SD slots, and a SATA interface. Three USB ports are provided, along with PCIe expansion and a CAN port.
| BeagleBone Black |
Summary:
- Company/project — BeagleBone.org, CircuitCo
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — TI Sitara AM3358 (1x Cortex-A8 @ 1GHz)
- Memory — 512MB RAM; 4GB flash
- Price — $55
Description — The Debian-ready BeagleBone Black Rev C with 4GB of flash came in second in last year’s survey. Nothing has changed since then, but the BB Black gives you a lot for your money, starting with the large Beagleboard.org community. The SBC stands out with its numerous expansion interfaces, as well as its programmable “PRU” MCUs. On June 19, Seeed Studio will release a Beaglebone Green clone of the BB Black that adds a battery backed real-time clock (RTC) and dual Grove System connectors for adding Grove sensor boards. The BB Green also swaps out the barrel jack power connector for a micro-USB, and removes the HDMI port.
| Black Swift |
Summary:
- Company/project — Smart Electronics
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Qualcomm Atheros AR9331 (1x MIPS24k @ up to 400MHz)
- Memory — 64MB DDR2 RAM
- Price — $26 ($34 for Pro)
Description — Russia-based Smart Electronics plans to ship its Kickstarter-funded SBC in June, barely making our survey cut-off. At $26, or $34 for a Pro version that adds an integrated USB-UART adapter, the Black Swift is one of the cheapest SBCs around. Most of its competition in this price range not named Raspberry Pi similarly runs OpenWRT on a MIPS-based AR9331 SoC. The fully open source, 35 x 25mm device offers WiFi, dual micro-USB ports, and dual PLLD interfaces for adding additional I/O including Ethernet, digital audio, and various industrial interfaces.
| CloudBit |
Summary:
- Company/project — LittleBits Electronics
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX233 (1x ARM9 @ 454MHz)
- Memory — 64MB RAM; 4GB microSD card
- Price — $60
Description — In 2014, the popular, Arduino-oriented LittleBits maker platform added its first Linux SBC with the ARM9-based CloudBit. The tiny (15 x 10mm) board integrates WiFi, a USB port, and dual “BitSnap” connectors for adding standard LittleBits modules, six of which are provided in a $100 bundle. The Arch Linux based platform connects to a Node.js-oriented cloud platform designed for monitoring IoT gizmos, and supports the IFTTT IF-THEN scripting language for social networking connectivity.
| Creator CI20 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Imagination Technologies
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Ingenic JZ4780 (2x Xburst MIPS32 @ 1.2GHz); PowerVR SGX540
- Memory — 1GB RAM; 4GB flash
- Price — $65
Description — Imagination recently modified its hacker SBC with a design that squares off the previous wing and indent and provides better claimed WiFi performance. The new CI20 also adds built-in FlowCloud API support for cloud-based IoT device management. The CI20 still runs Android 4.4 or Debian 7 on Ingenic’s MIPS chip and features onboard WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0. Other I/O includes HDMI, camera, and audio ports, as well as USB OTG and host ports. You also get serial UARTs and multiple analog inputs and digital I/O.
| Cubieboard2 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Cubieboard.org, Wang and Tom Development, Ltd.
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A20 (2x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM, 4GB NAND flash
- Price — $59
Description — The Cubieboard2 runs Android or Linux on an Allwinner A20 SoC, and offers SATA, microSD, Ethernet, HDMI, and dual USB ports. It also supplies a 96-pin expansion connector. A version that replaces the NAND flash with a second microSD slot goes for $47.
| Cubieboard3 (CubieTruck) |
Summary:
- Company/project — Cubieboard.org, Wang and Tom Development, Ltd.
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A20 (2x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 2GB DDR3 RAM, optional NAND or TSD flash
- Price — $75
Description — With the arrival of the Cubieboard4, the price of the third-generation model dropped to $75. This “CubieTruck” model offers everything the Cubieboard2 does, and more, including 2GB of RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, gigabit Ethernet, VGA, and SPDIF ports. It has fewer expansion pins (54) and lacks standard flash, but you can choose between dual microSD slots, or a mix of microSD and onboard flash options.
| Cubieboard4 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Cubieboard.org, Wang and Tom Development, Ltd.
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A80 (4x Cortex-A15 @ up to 2GHz, 4x Cortex-A7 cores @ up to 1.3GHz); PowerVR G6230 GPU
- Memory — 2GB DDR3 RAM, 8GB eMMC, expandable to 64GB
- Price — $125
Description — Like the LinkSprite Arches, the Cubieboard4 runs Android 4.4 or Linux on an octa-core Allwinner A80 SoC, which is here paired with a 64-core PowerVR G6230 GPU. The 111 x 111mm Cubieboard4 offers generous storage expansion, plus VGA and HDMI ports, four USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, WiFi, Bluetooth, and gigabit Ethernet. There’s also a 54-pin expansion connector.
| Domino.IO |
Summary:
- Company/project — Domino.IO
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Qualcomm Atheros AR9331 (1x MIPS24k @ up to 400MHz)
- Memory — 64MB DDR2 RAM
- Price — $37
Description — The modular Domino.IO SBC kit is built around a $10 “Domino Core” module that runs the OpenWRT-based Linino distro on the WiFi-ready Atheros AR9331. You can extend the COM, which supplies 64MB RAM, with one of two minimalist expansion boards. One of them — the Domino Qi Mini — mimics an Arduino Leonardo. The Mini can be further extended with a Domino Qi Baseboard (pictured at the right), as well as other smaller I/O modules to make a fully figured SBC. A variety of pricing combos start at $37 for a Kickstarter funded package that includes the Core, the Mini, and the Baseboard. These and other packages are expected to ship in May and June.
| DPT-Board |
Summary:
- Company/project — DPTechnics
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Qualcomm Atheros AR9331 (1x MIPS24k @ up to 400MHz)
- Memory — 64MB DDR2 RAM
- Price — $52
Description — The Indiegogo-funded DPT-Board is the flagship product from Belgium-based DPTechnics. The sandwich-style SBC integrates a separately available COM with an Atheros AR9331 chip that runs OpenWRT. The $35 Indiegogo price is long gone, but $52 will get you a power-sipping IoT board with WiFi, GPIO, and JTAG plus dual 10/100 Ethernet ports and dual USB ports. The board ships with BlueCherry.io IoT connectivity software.
| DragonBoard 410c |
Summary:
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Company/project — Qualcomm
- Product page
- Processor — Snapdragon 410 (4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz); Adreno 306 GPU
- Memory — 1GB LPDDR3 RAM; 8GB eMMC flash
- Price — $75
Description — Like the octa-core HiKey (see farther below), Qualcomm’s quad-core DragonBoard 410c is compliant with Linaro’s 96Boards CE standard. The SBC showcases the chipmaker’s quad-core, Cortex-A53 Snapdragon 410 SoC. When the DragonBoard 410c arrives in June, it will be the second community-backed 64-bit ARMv8 board to ship after the HiKey. At 85 x 54mm, both SBCs are nearly identical in size to the Raspberry Pi, but have different expansion schemes. They both include the required 40-pin low-speed GPIO and 60-pin high-speed connectors. There’s no Ethernet port on either board, but the DragonBoard 410c provides WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, HDMI, microSD, and three USB ports. The SBC supports Android 5.1, Linaro-flavored Ubuntu, and Windows 10.
| Edison Kit for Arduino |
Summary:
- Company/project — Intel
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page; hardware guide
- Processor — Intel Atom “Tangier” (2x x86 @ 500MHz); Quark coprocessor (currently disabled)
- Memory — 1GB LPDDR3 RAM; 4GB eMMC flash
- Price — $100
Description — The Intel Edison may be a COM rather than an SBC, but it’s also sold to the maker community as part of a sandwich-style SBC called the Edison Kit for Arduino. Arduino extensions are also found in many of the specialized Edison hacker kits available from third parties like Grove and DSF Robot. Intel’s Edison Kit for Arduino goes for $100 on Sparkfunand $114 on Amazon. The 35.5 x 25mm Edison module mounted on the board runs Yocto Linux on a 22nm Intel Atom. The full Edison Kit for Arduino mash-up offers WiFi, Bluetooth LE, a microSD slot, and dual micro-USB ports. Other I/O includes a 70-pin connector and an Arduino breakout that supports Arduino shields.
| Firefly-RK3288 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Firefly
- Product page
- Processor –Rockchip RK3288 (4x Cortex-A17 @ 1.6GHz); Mali-T760 GPU
- Memory — 2GB DDR3 RAM; 16GB eMMC flash (Plus version has 4GB RAM, 32GB flash)
- Price — $129
Description — Like the new Radxa Rock 2, the open-spec, community backed Firefly-RK3288 rocks the 1.8GHz, quad-core Cortex-A17 RK3288 SoC. The 118 x 85mm board’s HDMI 2.0 port can output up to 4Kx2K@60Hz video resolution at up to 18Gbps, claims Firefly, a spinoff of T-Chip Technology Co. The Android/Ubuntu dual-boot board offers dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, a GbE port, and three USB ports. Additional I/O includes VGA, LVDS, eDP, MIPI-DSI, MIPI-CSI, SPDIF, serial debug, and IR. Other interfaces are available via dual 42-pin connectors. A “Plus” version doubles the RAM and flash counts. Firefly just opened a beta-testing program for a prototype of a new OpenWRT-based FireWRT router board.
| Galileo Gen 2 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Intel
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Intel Quark X1000 (1x Pentium-compatible @ 400MHz)
- Memory — 256MB DRAM
- Price — $65
Description — The Linux-ready Galileo Gen 2 can be found for as low as $65 at Frye’s. Intel’s second-generation Galileo offers the same Quark processor, memory, and Arduino compatibility as the original. The minor updates include changing the USB host port from micro-USB to full-sized, updating the PWMs to 12-bit, and making the 12 GPIOs “fully native” for faster performance. There’s also optional 12V PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) support.
| Gizmo 2 |
Summary:
- Company/project — AMD, GizmoSphere.org, SemiconductorStore.com
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — AMD G-Series GX210HA SoC (2x x86 @ 1GHz)
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 SDRAM
- Price — $189
Description — AMD-backed GizmoSphere.org’s Gizmo 2 is now $10 cheaper than when it launched in November. The second-generation version swaps out the G-Series APU found on the original Gizmo board for a faster G-Series SoC model. The SBC also adds HDMI, microSD, mSATA, and USB 3.0 ports. The SBC ships with Timesys Embedded Linux, but supports other Linux distros, as well as Windows and Minoca OS.
| HiKey |
Summary:
- Company/project — 96Boards.org (Linaro), CircuitCo, Avnet, Arrow
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — HiSilicon Kirin 6220(8x Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz); Mali 450-MP4 GPU
- Memory — 1GB LPDDR3 RAM; 4GB eMMC flash
- Price — $120
Description — The debut SBC for the 96Boards open SBC standard is a true group effort, involving the Linaro-supported 96Boards.org community, as well as CircuitCo for manufacturing, and Avnet and Arrow for distribution. The HiKey is also the first 64-bit, ARMv8 hacker SBC, featuring a new Kirin 6220 octa-core Cortex-A53 SoC. The SBC adopts the 85 x 54mm 96Boards Consumer Edition form-factor, which is also used by Qualcomm’s DragonBoard 410c, and features the standard’s required 40-pin low-speed GPIO connector and 60-pin high-speed connector. Real-world ports include HDMI, DisplayPort, and three USB ports. There’s no Ethernet, but you get WiFi and Bluetooth. The HiKey was delayed, but is now slated to ship in the next week.
| HummingBoard |
Summary:
- Company/project — SolidRun
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 Dual (HummingBoard-i2eX), DualLite (HummingBoard-i2), and Solo (HummingBoard-i1) SoCs (2x, 2x, and 1x Cortex-A9 @ up to 1GHz); Vivante GC2000 (i2eX) or GC880 (i2 and i1) GPU
- Memory — 512MB (i1) or 1GB (i2eX and i2) DDR3 RAM
- Price — $70 to $80 (i1), $90 to $100 (i2) or $100 to $120 (i2eX)
Description — This sandwich style carrier board is available with several modular “MicroSOM” COMs, letting you choose from two dual-core (i2 and i2eX) and one single-core (i1) i.MX6 configurations. The board offers Pi-like ports and layout, as well as a 26-pin connector that is similar to those used on the first-gen Pi models. All three models offer dual USB 2.0 ports, as well as HDMI, MIPI-CSI, and SPDIF audio. The i2eX model, which has an i.MX6 Dual SoC with a better GPU than the DualLite, also adds LVDS, IR, Mini-PCIe, an RTC, and extra internal USBs.
| LinkSprite Acadia |
Summary:
- Company/project — LinkSprite Technologies
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 Quad (4x Cortex-A9 @ up to 1.2GHz); Vivante GC355 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DRAM; 8GB eMMC flash
Price — $99
Description — Originally announced as the pcDuino Acadia 1 last September, the LinkSprite Acadia runs Linux or Android on an i.MX6 Quad, rather than the Allwinner SoCs typically used on LinkSprite’s pcDuino boards. This full-featured board not only offers eMMC flash and dual microSD slots, but also HDMI, LVDS, SATA, and gigabit Ethernet connections. Additional I/O includes three USB ports, dual cameras interfaces, and an Arduino-compatible expansion header.
| LinkSprite Arches |
Summary:
- Company/project — LinkSprite Technologies
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A80 (4x Cortex-A15, 4x Cortex-A7 cores); PowerVR G6230 GPU
- Memory — 2GB DRAM; 8GB flash
Price — $99
Description — The LinkSprite Arches was originally unveiled as the pcDuino8 in May 2014, and then arrived in beta form later in the year, before going final this year. The Arches runs Linux or Android on an octa-core Allwinner A80, and is quite similar to the $125, A80-based Cubieboard4. The SBC is equipped with microSD, HDMI, gigabit Ethernet, and three USB ports (one of them 3.0), as well as WiFi, Bluetooth, and a CSI camera interface.
| MarsBoard RK3066 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Haoyu Electronics, MarsBoard.com
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Rockchip RK3066 (2x Cortex-A9 @ 1.6GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM; 4GB eMMC flash
- Price — $64
Description — The MarsBoard RK3066 replaces earlier Allwinner-fueled MarsBoards, and similarly runs Linux and Android. The modular, COM+baseboard design incorporates five USB ports and a 10/100 Ethernet port, along with HDMI, SPDIF, IR, and camera interfaces. There’s also an almost identical PX2 version designed more for industrial usage.
| MarsBoard RK3066 Pro |
Summary:
- Company/project — Haoyu Electronics, MarsBoard.com
- Product page
- Processor — Rockchip RK3066 (2x Cortex-A9 @ 1.6GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM; 4GB eMMC flash
- Price — $140
Description — The MarsBoard RK3066 Pro has the same RK3066 SoC, memory, and modular, COM+baseboard design as the standard version, and similarly runs Linux and Android. This larger, pricier board adds more I/O, however, including an Arduino interface, a VGA port, a microSD slot, and 1-Wire, SPI, I2C, and UART interfaces. The Pro also offers the previously supplied five USB ports, 10/100 Ethernet, HDMI, LCD, SPDIF, IR, and camera interfaces.
| MinnowBoard Max |
Summary:
- Company/project — Intel, CircuitCo
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Intel Atom E3815 or E3825 (1x or 2x x86 @ 1.46GHz or 1.33GHz, respectively)
- Memory — 1GB to 4GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $105 (E3815) or $139 (E3825)
Description — The 3.9 x 2.9-inch MinnowBoard Max is available with single- or dual-core Atom E3800 chips, although more dual-core boards are in stock right now. The Debian and Android 4.4 ready board includes a low-speed expansion header that provides Arduino-like prototyping I/O. Like the original MinnowBoard, the Max also supports homegrown add-on boards called Lures. Other I/O includes dual USB ports, gigabit Ethernet, micro-HDMI, and SATA connections.
| Odroid-C1 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Hardkernel, Odroid project
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Amlogic S805 (4x Cortex-A5 @ 1.5GHz); Mali-450 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $35
Description — Hardkernel’s latest Odroid skips the usual Samsung SoCs for a quad-core Cortex-A5 Amlogic S805 SoC. Among quad-core boards, only the similarly priced Raspberry Pi 2, with its four faster Cortex-A7 cores, can match its low price. The Android- and Ubuntu-ready Odroid-C1 provides microSD or eMMC storage expansion, as well as HDMI in and out, gigabit Ethernet, and four USB host ports. The 85 x 56mm SBC offers a 40-pin connector that offers compatibility with the Raspberry Pi aside from a few pins dedicated to analog input.
| Odroid-U3 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Hardkernel, Odroid project
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor –Samsung Exynos 4412 Prime (4x Cortex-A9 @ 1.7GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 2GB LP-DDR2 SDRAM
- Price — $69
Description — The Samsung Exynos 4 based Odroid-U3 was the third-ranking open SBC in our 2014 SBC survey. The U3 is software compatible with the discontinued U2, and supports Xubuntu and Android KitKat. The price is kept low due to the lack of flash, but microSD and eMMC expansion options are available. Other I/O includes micro-HDMI, Ethernet, audio, and four USB ports. The 83 x 48 x 22mm dimensions reflect the built-in heat sink.
| Odroid-XU3 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Hardkernel, Odroid project
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Samsung Exynos5422 (4x Cortex-A15 @ 2.0GHz and 4x Cortex-A7 @ 1.4GHz); Mali-T628 MP6 GPU
- Memory — 2GB LPDDR3 RAM
- Price — $179
Description — The Odroid-XU3 runs Android and Ubuntu on an octa-core Exynos5422 SoC paired with a Mali-T628 GPU. The board provides an eMMC socket, and offers micro-HDMI, DisplayPort, SPDIF audio, and Ethernet ports. You also get USB 3.0 host and OTG ports, plus four more USB 2.0 host ports and a 20-pin expansion connector. A slightly smaller and cheaper ($99) Lite version removes the DisplayPort and energy monitoring features, and trims the clock rate to 1.8GHz.
| Orange Pi 2 / Orange Pi Mini 2 |
Summary:
- Company/project — Shenzhen Xunlong Software
- Product page
- Processor –AllWinner H3 (4x Cortex-A7 @ 1.6GHz); ARM Mali-400 MP2 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $39 ($30 for Mini)
Description — The Orange Pi 2 and almost identical Orange Pi Mini 2 advance from the dual-core Allwinner A20 found on the original models to an Allwinner H3, a new 1.6GHz quad-core SoC that is faster than the quad-core Allwinner A31. Both boards offer Raspberry Pi B+ compatible 40-pin connectors, as well as microSD, HDMI, CVBS, CSI, and five USB ports. The previous SATA port, LVDS interface, and VGA port are gone, however, and the GbE port has been replaced with 10/100 Ethernet. Both boards now have a 93 x 60mm form-factor similar to the original Mini. The only difference we can see between the two boards is that the Mini lacks built-in WiFi. The original Orange Pi and Mini are still available for those who don’t approve of the I/O changes, but the price is the same for these faster boards, or the in the case of the Mini, $5 more.
| Orange Pi Plus |
Summary:
- Company/project — Shenzhen Xunlong Software
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — AllWinner H3 (4x Cortex-A7 @ 1.6GHz); PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM; 8GB eMMC flash
- Price — $49
Description — Like the Orange Pi 2 models, the 112 x 60mm Orange Pi Plus moves up a quad-core, 1.6GHz Allwinner H3 SoC, but in this case it’s matched with a PowerVR SGX544MP2 instead of a Mali-400 GPU. The Plus similarly features a Raspberry Pi B+ compatible 40-pin connector, and offers a microSD slot, four USB host ports, a micro-USB port, and a CSI camera port. The WiFi-equipped Plus retains some of the features stripped out of the smaller, more affordable second-gen Orange Pi models, including SATA and gigabit Ethernet ports. Firmware images for Lubuntu, Raspbian, and Android were posted earlier this month.
| Parallella |
Summary:
- Company/project — Adapteva, Parallella.org
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Xilinx Zynq-7020 or -7010 SoC (2x Cortex-A9 @ 667MHz plus FPGA); 16-core Epiphany RISC chip
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $99
Description — Aimed at power-efficient server clustering applications and parallel programming research, the Parallella features a Zynq ARM/FPGA SoC running Ubuntu, plus a homegrown 16-core Epiphany coprocessor. I/O includes microSD, gigabit Ethernet, micro-HDMI, and dual USB ports. Four 60-pin connectors provide for Epiphany and FPGA extensions.
| PCDuino3B |
Summary:
- Company/project — LinkSprite Technologies
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A20 (2x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DRAM; 4GB flash
- Price — $59
Description — Unlike the newer LinkSprite branded Acadia and Arches boards, LinkSprite’s Ubuntu- and Android-ready pcDuino3B gives you Arduino-style expansion. Other features include SATA, gigabit Ethernet, HDMI, and dual USB ports. Audio, camera, and IR connections are also available. Unlike the smaller Nano version (see below), the 121 x 65mm PCDuino3B provides WiFi, a battery interface, and LVDS and I2S audio interfaces.
| PCDuinoNano |
Summary:
- Company/project — LinkSprite Technologies
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Allwinner A20 (2x Cortex-A7 @ 1GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 1GB DRAM; 4GB flash
- Price — $40
Description — The 92.2 x 54.1mm pcDuino3Nano offers most of the features of the larger, pricer pcDuino3B (see above), including Arduino expansion. The Nano lacks the 3B’s WiFi, LVDS, and I2S digital audio connections, but has a price that is $19 lower.
| Radxa Rock Pro / Rock Lite |
Summary:
- Company/project — Radxa
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Rockchip RK3188 (4x Cortex-A9 @ 1.6GHz); Mali-400 GPU
- Memory — 2GB DDR3 RAM; 8GB NAND flash (1GB/4GB on Radxa Rock Lite)
- Price — $99 (Pro); $59 (Lite)
Description — The Radxa Rock SBCs run Android or Linux on the quad-core RK3188 SoC. They both measure 100 x 80mm, and offer WiFi, HDMI, Ethernet, USB, and SPDIF ports. You also get 80 pins of expansion I/O. The Lite version, which is currently out of stock, has half the RAM of the Pro, at 1GB. The latest Lite models lack the originally announced 4GB of flash or Bluetooth, although you can expand both boards with a microSD slot. The Rock Pro does supply Bluetooth, as well as 8GB of NAND flash. Options for both include a case and antenna.
| Radxa Rock 2 Square |
Summary:
- Company/project — Radxa
- Product page
- Processor — Rockchip RK3288 (4x Cortex-A17 @ 1.6GHz); Mali-T764 GPU
- Memory — 2GB DDR3 RAM (4GB on SOM-B model); 16GB eMMC flash (32GB on SOM-B model)
- Price — $129
Description — Unlike the Rock Pro and Rock Lite, the Rock 2 has a modular, sandwich-style design featuring a Rock 2 SOM computer-on-module. The Rock 2 SOM has a faster, quad-core Cortex-A17 RK3288 SoC, as well as up to twice the RAM (2-4GB) and up to four times the flash of the Rock Pro depending on whether you buy the SOM-A or SOM-B. You also get a choice of baseboards, although it appears that only the smaller Square Baseboard is sold as a community-backed product while the larger Full Baseboard is focused on OEMs. The Square Baseboard runs on 5V/3A power, and offers WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE), GbE, and four USB ports. You also get HDMI 2.0, SPDIF, and analog audio ports, as well as LVDS, eDP, IR, debug, and UART I/O. The Full Baseboard offers all these features except that it removes the SPDIF port and one of the USB host ports, and it adds a second GbE port, a MIPI interface, and 3G support. The 5-12V/4A Full Baseboard supplies dual 40-pin connectors compared to a 40-pin GPIO output and 50-pin LVDS connector on the Square. Both baseboards support microSD cards of up to 128GB, as well as SATA HDDs up to 4TB.
| Raspberry Pi Model A+ |
Summary:
- Company/project — Raspberry Pi Foundation
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Broadcom BCM2835 (1x ARM11 @ 700MHz); Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU
- Memory — 256MB SDRAM
- Price — $20
Description — There will be no upgrade this year for the Raspberry Pi Model A+, which measures 65 x 56mm, and weighs in at just 23 grams. Compared to the original A, power consumption has been reduced to 600mA. The board followed its more popular sibling the Model B+, as well as the new RPi 2 Model B, in advancing to a 40-pin connector and switching from an SD slot to microSD. It also similarly offers an updated audio circuit, combines the audio and composite ports, and moves to a design with four mounting holes and rounded edges. Ports are similar to those of the B+ except that the A+ has no Ethernet port, and instead of having four USB host ports, it has one.
| Raspberry Pi Model B+ |
Summary:
- Company/project — Raspberry Pi Foundation
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Broadcom BCM2835 (1x ARM11 @ 700MHz); Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU
- Memory — 512MB SDRAM
- Price — $25
Description — The Linux-ready Model B+ recently received a price drop to $25, which makes sense considering the much faster Pi 2 goes for the B+’s original $35 price (see below). Compared to the older Model B, the ARM11-based Model B+ has a 40-pin GPIO header, two more USB ports, and a microSD slot. It’s also claimed to reduce power consumption by between 0.5W and 1W. The real draw here is the huge Raspberry Pi maker community, add-on market, and overall ecosystem.
| Raspberry Pi 2 Model B |
Summary:
- Company/project — Raspberry Pi Foundation
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Broadcom BCM2836 (4x Cortex-A7 @ 900MHz); Broadcom VideoCore IV GPU
- Memory — 1GB SDRAM
- Price — $35
Description — The new Raspberry Pi 2 Model B has sold well over a million units in just four months. The Pi 2 has established itself at the moment as the price/performance leader among low-cost hacker boards. The backward compatible, 40-pin SBC has twice the RAM of the first-gen Model B+, but is otherwise almost identical, with the same I/O, size (85 x 56mm) and weight (45 grams).
| Rico Board |
Summary:
- Company/project — MYIR
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — TI AM437x (1x Cortex-A9 core @ up to 1GHz); PowerVR SGX530 GPU
- Memory — 512MB DDR3 RAM (alternatively 256MB or 1GB); 4GB eMMC flash; 256MB or 512MB SLC NAND flash (reserved)
- Price — $99
Description — MYIR’s open-spec Rico Board is the first third-party SBC we’ve seen to tap TI’s single-core, Cortex-A9 AM437x SoC, which features TI’s latest quad-core, 200MHz Programmable Real-time Unit (PRU). The 100 x 65mm SBC integrates HDMI, GbE, and dual USB ports, as well as a 24-bit LCD interface that supports optional 7-inch touchscreens. Also available are Parallel camera interfaces and dual 40-pin expansion connectors with support for CAN and other industrial I/O.
| RioTboard |
Summary:
- Company/project — Newark Element14, RioTboard.org
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 Solo (1x Cortex-A9 @ up to 1GHz)
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM; 4GB eMMC flash
- Price — $79
Description — The RioT (“Revolutionizing the Internet of Things”) board runs Android or Linux on a low-power, single-core Cortex-A9 SoC. The 120 x 75mm SBC offers several advantages over the similar Wandboard Solo, including twice the RAM, built-in flash, and many more USB ports.
| SAMA5D4 Xplained |
Summary:
- Company/project — Newark Element14, Atmel
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Atmel SAMA5D4 (1x Cortex-A5 @ 528MHz)
- Memory — 512MB DDR2 RAM; 512MB NAND flash
- Price — $93.50
Description — Like the earlier (and still available) Atmel SAMA5D3-based SAMA5D3 Xplained, the SAMA5D4 Xplained is a collaboration between Atmel’s Linux4SAM developers site and Newark Element14. The Linux-ready, IoT-focused SBC showcases Atmel’s SAMA5D4, which like the SAMA5D3, is limited to a single Cortex-A5 core. The SAMA5D4 adds NEON, L2 cache, and security features, and several models support 720p video. The 138 x 88mm Xplained board ships with 512MB each of RAM and NAND flash, and offers partial Arduino compatibility. You also get HDMI, Fast Ethernet, and three USB ports.
| Udoo Neo |
Summary:
- Company/project — Udoo (Seco supported)
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 SoloX (1x Cortex-A9 @ 1GHz); Cortex-M4 MCU; Vivante GPU
- Memory — 512MB DDR3L RAM (1GB on Plus version)
- Price — $49
Description — Like the larger Udoo Quad SBC, the IoT-focused, 85 x 59.3mm Udoo Neo runs on a Freescale i.MX6 processor. However, it’s optimized for the new i.MX6 SoloX model. The Neo uses the SoC’s Cortex-M4 MCU to mimic an Arduino. The Neo provides WiFi, Bluetooth, and 3-axis sensors, as well as Ethernet, micro-HDMI, microSD, and dual USB ports. In addition to an Arduino connector, you get 36 GPIOs, six analog inputs, and six “multiplexable signals.” Kickstarter packages are available through June 4 starting at $49, and a Plus model with 1GB of RAM goes for $59. A May 14 blog post promises a new Linux 3.14 kernel, plus an “easy peasy” initial config system, which is also available for the Udoo Quad.
| Udoo Quad |
Summary:
- Company/project — Udoo
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 Quad (4x Cortex-A9 @ 1GHz) or optional DualLite; Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 MCU
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $135
Description — The Udoo Quad combines a quad-core i.MX6 SoC running Android or Linux with a Cortex-M3 based Arduino Due subsystem. In addition to the 110 x 85mm Udoo Quad, you can choose from a pair of dual-core i.MX6 DualLite options that have increased in price since the announcement. There’s a $115 Udoo Dual that lacks the Quad’s SATA port and faster Vivante GC355 GPU, and a $99 Dual Basic that also foregoes WiFi and gigabit Ethernet.
| USB Armory |
Summary:
- Company/project — Inverse Path
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX53 (1x Cortex-A8 @ 800MHz)
- Memory — 512MB DDR3 RAM
- Price — $130
Description — This tiny (65 x 19mm), Crowd Supply funded board is designed for secure computing applications. It features Trustzone security, USB emulation, and a secure boot feature that lets users apply verification keys that ensure only trusted firmware can be executed on a specific device. The Linux- and Android-ready board is limited to two real-world ports: a USB 2.0 OTG port and a microSD slot.
| Viola SBC |
Summary:
- Company/project — Toradex
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale Vybrid VF5x (1x Cortex-A5 @ 400MHz) standard via Colibri VF50 COM
- Memory — 128MB DDR3; 64MB DDR3 with ECC 128MB NAND flash
- Price — $64
Description — The sandwich-style Viola is typically sold as a carrier board for Toradex’s Colibri modules, but it ships as a hacker-friendly Viola SBC when pre-integrated with the company’s Colibri VF50 module. The VF50 COM integrates a Freescale Vybrid VF5x SoC with a Cortex-A5 core, while the carrier board provides LCD, Ethernet, and dual USB ports. There are also a variety of serial, analog, and industrial interfaces including CAN. The SBC ships with a Linux image, and Android is supported as well. The VF50 module can be swapped out for seven other Colibri modules that use Nvidia Tegra 2 or 3 SoCs, as well as Marvell PXA SoCs.
| Wandboard Quad |
Summary:
- Company/project — Wandboard.org
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 Quad (4x Cortex-A9 @ 1GHz) or optional Solo or Dual
- Memory — 2GB DDR3 RAM (1GB for Dual, 512MB for Solo)
- Price — $129
Description — Wandboard.org was one of the earliest open board communities, and it’s still quite lively, with frequent software updates. The boards have remained the same, however. The Wandboard is designed as a modular, sandwich-style, COM+baseboard assembly featuring a compute module that includes the i.MX6 and RAM, plus wireless, SD, and camera interfaces. In addition to the quad-core Wandboard Quad, there’s a $99, i.MX6 DualLite-based Wandboard Dual that loses the SATA, as well as a $79, single-core Solo version that also skips the wireless radios.
| Warpboard |
Summary:
- Company/project — Freescale, Warpboard.org, Revolution Robotics
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Freescale i.MX6 SoloLite (1x Cortex-A9 @ 1GHz) with Kinetis KL16 MCU
- Memory — N/A
- Price — $149
Description — Freescale’s Warpboard.org announced the tiny, wearables-focused Warpboard in Jan. 2014 at CES, but PMIC problems have delayed it until an expected shipment this month. In addition to the Warpboard’s single-core i.MX6, there’s a Kinetis KL16 daughter card that incorporates a Cortex-M4-based Kinetis microcontroller, as well as Freescale Xtrinsic sensor modules. (In 2015, a Warpboard based on the new i.MX6 SoloX, which integrates a Cortex-M4 on-chip, might make more sense.) The board ships with Android 4.3, which requires a $50 LCD touchscreen. Otherwise, you can download a Linux 4.0 distro that does not require the LCD.
| Z-turn Board |
Summary:
- Company/project –MYIR
- LinuxGizmos coverage
- Product page
- Processor — Xilinx Zynq-7010 (2x Cortex-A9 cores @ 667MHz, plus FPGA) or optional Zynq-7020
- Memory — 1GB DDR3 RAM; 512MB NAND flash (reserved)
- Price — $99
Description — The Z-turn Board runs Linux on the Xilinx Zynq-7010 or -7020, which combine dual Cortex-A9 cores with FPGA circuitry. The 102 x 63mm SBC features HDMI, GbE, and dual mini-USB ports, as well as a variety of sensors, buzzers, switches, buttons, and LEDs. Dual 80-pin expansion connectors express the FPGA signals, and can be configured as LVDS pairs. A $139 kit version adds a power adapter, cables, and a 4GB data card. The board can be considered as a cheaper alternative to the Zynq-based Red Pitayainstrumentation board, which missed our cut due to its $395 price.
Sources for this article:
1. http://linuxgizmos.com/raspberry-pi-stays-sky-high-in-2015-hacker-sbc-survey/