It’s hard to keep up, but Shenzhen Xunlong has launched another Orange Pi board, as two weeks after introducing Orange Pi Zero Plus 2 development board, the company has now introduced “Orange Pi Zero Plus 2 H5” board, with the exact same specification, except Allwinner H3 quad core Cortex A7 32-bit processor has been replaced by Allwinner H5 quad core Cortex A53 64-bit processor.
Orange Pi Zero Plus 2 H5 board specifications:
- SoC – Allwinner H5 quad core Cortex A53 processor with 2+4 core Mali-450MP4 GPU
- System Memory – 512 MB DDR3 SDRAM
- Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot
- Video Output – HDMI port
- Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi + Bluetooth 4.0 LE (Ampak AP6212) with u.FL antenna connector and external antenna
- USB – 1x micro USB OTG port
- Camera – MIPI CSI port
- Expansion headers – Unpopulated 26-pin “Raspberry Pi B+” header + 13-pin header with headphone, 2x USB 2.0, TV out, microphone and IR receiver signals
- Debugging – 3-pin serial console header
- Misc – 2x LEDs for power and status
- Power Supply – 5V via micro USB port
- Dimensions – 48 x 46 mm
- Weight – 20 grams
Allwinner H5 is pin-to-pin compatible with Allwinner H3, so the PCB is exactly the same. The upgrade brings slightly better CPU performance, as well as – in theory – better GPU performance, but the latter might not be usable right now (in Linux) due to a lack of software support. Power consumption might be a little higher too (TBC).
The company claims support for Android, Ubuntu, Debian, and “Raspbian”, but I can’t double check since their website won’t load (yet again). Armbian will likely have Ubuntu Xenial nightly images with mainline Linux ready soon, like they did for NanoPi NEO 2 and Orange Pi PC 2, and while they are usable for some applications, you should not expect everything to work just yet.
The board costs just $1 more than the H3 version, as it sells for $19.90 + shipping on Aliexpress.
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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Pardon me being a little confused, but my Orange Pi Zero has ethernet on board, and no HDMI. It also only cost $7 (or thereabouts). Is this a derivative of a different Orange Pi board, perhaps?
Doh! Now I see the Zero Plus board you linked in comparison. Sorry!
@Rogan Dawes
You haven’t been following! But you’ll be forgiven since there must be around 15 Orange Pi boards now 🙂
The board here is “Orange Pi Zero Plus 2 H5”, an update of “Orange Pi Zero Plus 2” released two weeks ago.
As you’ve noticed the design is quite different from your Orange Pi Zero board which comes with Ethernet and micro SD only, no HDMI, no eMMC, no wireless connectivity, etc… How Shenzhen Xunlong comes with board’s names is a mystery…
@Rogan Dawes
and I’ve just seen your second comment after posting the answer…
Is this board compatible with Expansions boards? Regular and NAS?
https://es.aliexpress.com/store/product/New-Orange-Pi-Zreo-Expansion-board-Interface-board-Development-board-beyond-Raspberry-Pi/1553371_32770665186.html
https://es.aliexpress.com/store/product/Orange-Pi-Zero-NAS-Expansion-board-Interface-board-Development-board-beyond-Raspberry-Pi/1553371_32789632568.html
Thanks.
Yes, it compatible with REgular Expension board, i have tested it
So many Orange Pi boards… Why not add a version tag like ZERO-PLUS-2-H5?
We call it as “hardware” because it it hard to change since it was brought out, but Orange Pi turn it into software…
I notice the H5 runs at 1.2GHz ( saw tkasier OMG post yesterday ) wonder why 1.2GHz ? Amlogic s9XX range can do 1.5GHz. so why Allwinner H5 running so low?
Also find the H3 & H5 board pricing odd as they seem to each compete against each other for market share. What next a $1 dollar less H2+ plus version?
@manuti
If Xunlong would break compatibility with their own ‘Zero standard’ that would be a rather stupid move. Currently I don’t know whether eMMC on both ‘Zero Plus 2’ is populated but since they did so with all other eMMC equipped OPi in the meantime I would assume there will be an Android 4.4 on the H3 variant and 5.1 on the more expensive but also slightly faster H5 thingie. So simply add an enclosure and the $2 Dock and you have a wireless Android TV box (not worth a look IMO).
No idea though why people buy these two boards at all, I would’ve preferred a slight upgrade to real OPi Zero still without HDMI but RTL8189FTV replacing XR819 for maybe $1 more and another variant with Gigabit Ethernet to make some use of ‘NAS Expansion board’
I second the GigE and the H5 upgrade to the Orange Pi Zero, but I’m willing to leave the wireless off entirely. If a board had ethernet, I don’t see much value in it having (non-router performance) WiFi as well. BT would be nice, though–for remotes, keyboards, etc.
The H5 blind my mind and the naming convention makes me forget the lack of any Ethernet not even Gigabit.
OK, just waiting for the cheap holy grial of NAS SBC.
@willmore
exactly. the space of wifi-stuff should be used for emmc
@willmore
Well, the nice thing about Zero having Ethernet (especially with PoE) and Wi-Fi too for me is being able to use the Zero as an energy efficient AP for sensors (ESP8266 and the like — I would never allow these devices to join my main wireless network for obvious/security reasons!). Performance close to irrelevant there so it should already work with disabled powermanagement (otherwise performance will decrease significantly but that’s exactly the same with AP6212 now used on ‘Zero Plus 2’)
Today also XR819 documentation and a new driver code drop (same firmware but updated sources and a patch for hostapd mode) appeared: http://linux-sunxi.org/Wifi#Allwinner but I still would prefer to a get a minor Wi-Fi update on the ‘real Zero’ 🙂
Re ‘performant’ Wi-Fi: tests with Ralink RT5572 and Realtek RTL8812AU scheduled. Both dual-band/dual-antenna, the latter also USB3 and 802.11ac capable (though won’t test this since irrelevant. Will focus on performance/coverage in both 2.4 and 5GHz band with 802.11n and with and without MIMO).
@Theguyuk
Because allwinner h5 is manufactured at 40nm fab, while amlogic s9xx range is 28nm. This means lower voltages for a given frequency point.
For h5 to run at anything more than 1.37Ghz, it requires unsafe amount of volts coupled with tons of heat. Not something you want on a small board with potentially no heatsink.
Another H5: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Orange-Pi-Prime-Development-Board-H5-Quad-core-Support-linux-and-android-Beyond-Raspberry-Pi-2/32803048527.html
(now called Prime and formerly OPi 3)
@tkaiser
WTF are they doing? I can’t even figure out what’s different between it and the others…
@parrotgeek1
Well, this one was already leaked last August with a different name, just search for ‘New Oranges with H5 and H2+’ thread in Armbian forum. The differences are pretty simple: 2GB DRAM and RTL8723BS (WiFi/BT and comparable with Ampak’s AP6212) and same form factor as OPi Plus 2E. If it’s like always in a few months there will be ‘Prime Plus’ with 16 GB eMMC. But who knows.
Latest rumours are also about an Allwinner H6 (check linux-sunxi wiki) and a RK3399 board from Xunlong.
Updated the list of all currently known H2+/H3/H5 boards: https://forum.armbian.com/index.php?/topic/1351-h3-board-buyers-guide/&do=findComment&comment=28169
@Benjamin
Cheers
@tkaiser
Now, the h6 seems pretty interesting, usb 3.0 and pcie according to the product brief uploaded.
@tkaiser
I’ve seen one picture for RK3399 board, but no other information.
Quite a large board, and with the more expensive processor, it won’t be cheap like other Orange Pi boards.
Since there are so many models is this Orange Pi Zero plus a new model?
https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Orange-Pi-Zero-Plus-H5-Chip-Quad-Core-Open-source-Cortex-A53-512MB-development-board-beyond/1553371_32828347476.html?spm=2114.12010611.0.0.155cded2b6oKnj
@theguyuk
I think so. It shows in the “New Arrival” tab.
@cnxsoft
Seems they announced it a day or two ago, from reading Orange pi forum news post.
Orange Pi Zero plus a new model? another H5 chip with no support?aarach64 again?gigabit ethernet and new wifi chip from realtek which is so great but why H5?
@cnxsoft
Gigabit Ethernet + H5. 7 months later the Orange Pi Zero NAS Expansion Board gets the appropriate companion 😉