Banana Pi BPI-M1S RK3528 SBC features HDMI 2.0, 2.5GbE, WiFi 6, and more

The Banana Pi BPI-M1S, also known as the ArmSoM-Sige1, is a low-profile single board computer (SBC) based on the Rockchip RK3528 quad-core Cortex-A53 SoC initially designed for entry-level 4K TV boxes.

Contrary to the two other RK3528(A) SBCs we’ve covered, namely the Radxa Rock E20C and FriendlyELEC NanoPi Zero2 focusing on low-cost and small footprint for headless networked applications, the Banana Pi BPI-M1S integrates more features such as HDMI 2.0 for 4K video output and audio, 2.5GbE and WiFi 6 networking, and a 40-pin GPIO header for expansion.

Banana Pi BPI-M1S specifications:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3528
  • CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ 2.0 GHz
  • GPU – Arm Mali-G450 GPU with support for OpenGL ES1.1, ES2.0, and OpenVG 1.1 APIs
  • VPU
    • H.264, H.265, and AVS2 decoder up to 4Kp60
    • H.264 and H.265 encoder up to 1080p60
• Memory – 4GB LPDDR4x
• Storage
  • 32GB eMMC flash (by default)
  • MicroSD card slot
• Video Output – HDMI 2.0b up to 4Kp60
• Audio
  • HPOUT speaker connector
  • Digital audio via HDMI
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • 2.5GbE RJ45 port
  • 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 via  Realtek RTL8852BS module
• USB
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
  • 1x USB 2.0 OTG Type-C port
• Expansion – 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible (mostly) GPIO header with UART, SPI, I2C, I2S, PWM, 5V, 3.3V, and GND
• Misc
  • Reset and MaskROM buttons
  • 2x LEDs one for status, and the other user-programmable
  • 5V fan connector
  • Battery connector for low-power HYM8563TS RTC chip
• Power Supply – 9V/2A, 12V/2A, 15V/2A via USB Type-C port (USB PD compatible)
• Dimensions – 92 x 62 mm
• Temperature Range – 0 to 80°C

The documentation on Banana Pi and ArmSoM websites lists support for “Android 9.0_box and, Debian 11 operating systems, and buildroot build system, as well as third-party support from Armbian and Istoreos, another fork of OpenWrt also offers with the Radxa Rock E20C. Since Android 9.0 seems crazy in 2024, especially considering RK3528 TV boxes already ship with Android 13, I contacted ArmSoM and they confirmed Android 13 was indeed supported and promised to update the documentation soon.

Looking at the ArmSoM wiki specifically, I can see download links for Debian 11, “Android9 Box”, LEDE (I thought the project had merged back with OpenWrt years ago), Armbian, and “Ubuntu Rockchip”. What’s clear is that the documentation needs to be updated in more places than one.

Banana Pi BPI-M1S SBC is sold on AliExpress for $52.63 plus shipping in the default 4GB/32GB configuration. ArmSoM sells the Sige1 on its own store for $48 with 2GB LPDDR4 and 8GB eMMC flash. I can also see a metal case with two external antennas, but it does not appear to be available for sale right now.

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