PINE64 Unveils the Ox64, a Low-Cost Dual-Core RISC-V Single-Board Computer with Breadboard Support
With 64MB of RAM and up to 16MB of flash, this low-cost embedded machine features an unusual chip design.
Open hardware specialist PINE64 has announced a new low-cost single-board computer (SBC) based on the Bouffalo LAb BL808 RISC-V system-on-chip: the compact Ox64, with an unusual dual-core 32-bit/64-bit split design.
"The Ox64 is a RISC-V based Single Board Computer powered by Bouffalo Lab BL808 [with] C906 64-bit RISC-V CPU, 32-bit CPU, embedded 64MB PSRAM [Pseudo-Static RAM] memory, and [built-in] three radio RF (Wi-Fi, BT [Bluetooth], Zigbee)," PINE64 explains of its upcoming SBC, brought to our attention by CNX Software. "It provides breadboard friendly form factor, microSD Card slot, USB 2.0, and many other peripheral interfaces for makers to integrate with sensors and other devices."
The Bouffalo LAb BL808 on which the Ox64 is built is an unusual design: While it's technically a dual-core system-on-chip, the two cores aren't a matched pair. The first core is based on Alibaba's T-Head C906 64-bit RISC-V core, running at up to 480MHz. The second core, meanwhile, is a T-Head E907 32-bit RISC-V core running at 320MHz. The two are distinct, but connected — sharing the 64MB PSRAM included on the board.
Elsewhere in the compact layout, which boasts a breadboard-friendly design with castellated pins to two sides for installation in a carrier board as a surface-mount module, is room for either 2MB of 16MB of flash memory, a microSD slot with SDHC and SDXC support, 26 usable general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins brought out to the two pin headers, USB 2.0 On-The-Go (OTG), and a dual-lane MIPI Camera Serial Interface (CSI) port for an optional camera module with microphone and speaker.
For connectivity, the board offers 2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, and Zigbee support as standard; those who need a wired connection will have the option of adding an expansion board, PINE64 has confirmed, with a 10/100 Ethernet port. On the software side, however, operating system support for both Linux and an unspecified real-time operating system (RTOS) is not yet finished with the company stating its current OS images are "still in alpha build [and] are only fit for board bring-up and testing purposes."
More information on the Ox64 is available on the PINE64 wiki; the company has not yet confirmed a launch date and pricing, but the board is expected to launch below $10.