The OrangePi Plus2 e looks like excellent bang for the buck having 3, dedicated USB2 channels and an onboard GB Ethernet conrtroller running independently of the USB bus.
If supported, this would be a way of avoiding the USB/Ethernet issue on the Raspberry PI family of SoCs, which is still not fully solved, even on the 3B.
The device discussed here also has a 4 core Cortex-A7 processor, running at up to 1.6GHz and 2GB of onboard RAM.
It is part of a family of small SoC boards, based on the ARM Cortex and ranging in cost from a few dollars for a Raspberry Pi 2 equivalent, to around 60 for a quad core variant with dedicated ethernet and SATA.
I have chosen and ordered the version described here because of the GB ethernet and the lack of an onboard USB hub, which would split bus channels between ports and which is present on the "top" version to give one extra USB port.
Here's the hardwere spec of the plus 2e:
CPU
- H3 Quad-core Cortex-A7 H.265/HEVC 4K
GPU
Memory (SDRAM)
- 2GB DDR3 (shared with GPU)
Onboard Storage
- TF card (Max. 64GB) /?MMC card slot
Onboard Network
- 10/100/1000M Ethernet RJ45
Onboard WIFI
- Realtek RTL8189ETV, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n
Video Input
- A CSI input connector Camera:
- Supports 8-bit YUV422 CMOS sensor interface
- Supports CCIR656 protocol for NTSC and PAL
- Supports SM pixel camera sensor
- Supports video capture solution up to 1080p@30fps
Audio Input
Video Outputs
- Supports HDMI output with HDCP
- Supports HDMI 30 function
- Supports simultaneous output of HDMI and CVBS
Audio Output
Power Source
- DC input, USB OTG input don't supply power
USB 2.0 Ports
- Three USB 2.0 HOST, one USB 2.0 OTG
Buttons
- Power button: Next to Reset button
- UBoot button (optional): Behind HDMI connector
Low-level peripherals
- 40 Pins Header,compatible with Raspberry Pi B+
LED
Key
Supported OS
- Android, Lubuntu, Debian, Rasberry Pi Image
Product size
Weight
Although the hardware spec is excellent, suppoort for the build process is flakey. I have found a guide to build and install ArchLinux for the device, which I intend to follow when my unit arrives.
I have also ordered a simple, 5" touch screen.
I would love to use the ArchLinux build as the basis of a RuneOS variant for this device.
The goal for me is to replace my Sqeezebox Touch, which has some limitations that I would like to avoid.
Please let me know if this is something that would be interesting for the community and if anyone can help me, by supplying information and answering questions when it comes to tailoring the build.
Best regards
Marius
