ARM Cortex A72 class development boards are usually quite expensive, and cheaper boards like Mediatek X20 development board ($200) appears to be out of stock very often, and software support is limited to Android 6.0. But things look to improve soon, as T-Chip is about to release Firefly-RK3399 development board powered by Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core Cortex A72/A53 processor.
Firefly-RK3399 (preliminary) specifications:
- SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core bit.LITTLE processor with dual core Cortex A72 up to 2.0 GHz and quad core Cortex A53 processor with ARM Mali-T860MP4 GPU with OpenGL 1.1 to 3.0 support, OpenVG 1.1, OpenCL and DX 11.
- System Memory – 2 to 4 GB DDR3
- Storage – 16 to 32 GB eMMC flash + micro SD card
- Video Output & Display Interfaces – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60 Hz, eDP 1.2 interface, YUV interface, 1x MIPI DSI interface
- Video Decode – 4K VP9 and 10-bit H.265 video codec support up to 60 fps
- Audio – HDMI, 3.5mm headphone jack, optical S/PDIF, built-in microphone
- Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) port, WiFi and Bluetooth
- USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x USB 3.0 port, 1x USB 3.0 type C port
- Camera – 2x MIPI CSI interfaces
- Debugging – 3-pin serial header
- Expansion
- GPIO female header
- mini PCIe 2.1 M.2 slot
- SIM card slot
- Misc – RTC battery header; power, reset and recovery buttons; IR receiver
- Power Supply – 12V DC
- Dimensions and Weight – TBD
The board will support Android 6.0.1 and Ubuntu 16.04, and can achieve around 75,000 points in Antutu. I got all information above from the video embedded below.
There’s a WIP Wiki page for the board currently in Chinese only, based on support for their previous Firefly-RK3288 board, we should soon have pretty good documentation and software support in English.
What I don’t know is pricing, but T-chip is not one of the Chinese manufacturers trying to cut price with almost zero margin, which explains why they can provide decent support for their board. For reference Firefly-RK3288 board is selling in 2GB/16GB and 4GB/32GB configuration on GeekBuying for respectively $159.99 and $219.99, so I’d expect the new board to go for less than $200 / $250 based on the same configurations. The end of the video also gives the clue that the board will be launched on Kickstarter, I just don’t know exactly when.
Thanks to Nanik for the tip.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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i wonder if they will be able to keep these prices for long
now there is competition with remix io+ and mqmaker also has plans for miqi-2
as for software support, i expect it to be good because rockchip devs have done a good job in mainlining the rk3399 soc
It’s the same SOC that is Gru, Kevin (Samsung Chromebook Pro) and some other Chromebooks (e.g Bob). Gru/Kevin even boots with upstream kernel! There was a commit mentioning that a few days ago.
This seems very expensive. I’ve been seeing discounted Haswell Asus mini PCs selling for close to $150 and a full tower is also cheaper/more flexible. The Remix IO+ seems more interesting. If only that gets proper Linux support… Android stuff isn’t really supported after a while.
For people that just want an Android Box, the Shield TV is both cheaper and significantly faster – those A57s have similar performance due to high clock and memory bandwidth – and you get four.
YEAAAA!!!
boot-lınux
http://wiki.t-firefly.com/index.php/Firefly-RK3399/en for english version..
This rk3399 is really looking more & more like a joke, it was planned for Q3 2016 and there is still nothing. I was waiting it to buy a new android tv box, but i begin to think that investing in an nvidia shield tv would be a better choice.
@Altaïr
2016 q3 was for OEM availability. Last month’s exp already showed both reference designs and w.i.p OEM designs getting ready for mass production (laptops, tv boxes) which is a lot faster then the typical 3-6month to get out to market.
Hi RK, thanks for the comment, any release date for the first tv box ?
I get Firefly-RK3288 from Firefly website is cheaper than geekbuying,Firefly-RK3288 2GB/16GB is 129$,Firefly-RK3288 plus 4GB/32GB is 159$
I want to see a tablet with this, including 4gb LPDDR4 ram, eMMc 5.1 storage a retina LCD and high-end specs on a budget tablet
I see the Firefly-RK3399 in kickstarter,it cost 139$ and 159$ for 2G/16GB,
Firefly-RK3399 puls(4G/32GB) cost 199$
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1771382379/firefly-rk3399-six-core-64-bit-high-performance-pl?token=9e13310a
Hi,
I have one of these systems, and it pretty much boots and runs Ubuntu16 and Android dual from the onboard emmc flash.
i’ve found they uploaded a newer Ubuntu, but have not found out how to get a bootable sd card to work. The only things that seem to be online are some things online on google drive with images, and the original marketing stuff. Not much in depth technical stuff I’ve found.
It does run, and I do have a formula to allow me to deploy it in my pile around here, so it will be hopefully a useful part of my setup.
Also there are two of the PCIe slots, one on the top and one on the bottom of the board. I will fill them with large expansion boards if they are supported in the Ubuntu (or will when they are).
I don’t use these boards much for graphics at the moment, unable to comment other than to say the HDMI2 1080P works.
Only down side is that my small workstation has a 7″ 1080p hdmi display. Things get a bit small with default sizing. maybe stretched that a bit too much to try to save room on the bench. I do have an 11″ small screen as well, I may switch to it, but it eats a lot more room.
The Ubuntu has the horrid Ubuntu One thing enabled, and i had to force the lock and kill it to allow apt-get to function. The package database was locked anyway. I’ve never used ubuntu one and don’t plan on it if i can avoid it.
I don’t know if I’ll spend 219 on the step up board. I would save a bit up and go for another small micro Intel Core I7 platform, though for more $$. not out of the question though.
Oh, and they snuck another MIPI port on the back as well, making three of those ports.
thanks
Jim
The Firefly has released the Multiple video coding&decoding for Firefly-RK3399