Raspberry Pi lookalike offers RK3288 for $75

Raspberry Pi lookalike offers RK3288 for $75

Mar 3, 2021 — by Eric Brown

— 774 views

Geniatech has launched a $75 “XPI-3288” Raspberry Pi pseudo-clone that runs on a Rockchip RK3288 with 2GB DDR3L, 16GB eMMC, 4x USB, GbE, WiFi/BT, HDMI, and 40-pin GPIO.

Geniatech, which last month revealed some RK3568 and RK3566 Development Boards featuring Rockchip’s quad-core, Cortex-A55 based and NPU-equipped RK3568 and RK3566, has returned with an SBC based on a much older and lower-end, 32-bit RK3288. The Raspberry Pi-like XPI-3288 ships with Android 7.1 or optional Linux on the 1.6GHz quad-core, Cortex-A17 SoC, which integrates Arm’s Mali-T764 GPU.

XPI-3288 with wireless daughterboard
(click images to enlarge)

The XPI-3288 is the most affordable RK3288 SBC we have seen yet, selling for $75 with 2GB DDR RAM and 16GB eMMC. By comparison, Aaeon’s recent, and similarly commercial RICO-3288MINI Pico-ITX SBC sells for $91 in the same configuration. This compares with $80 (2GB/16GB) to $100 (4GB/32GB) for T-Firefly’s Firefly-RK3288 and $100 (2GB/16GB) for the Tinker Board S. The open-spec Firefly and Asus boards are the only two remaining RK3288 SBCs in our recently updated catalog of 150 Linux hacker boards.

Compared to Aaeon’s RICO-3288MINI, the XPI-3288 offers twice the number of USB ports and adds a microSD slot and dual-band WiFi and BT, which is mounted on a raised daughtercard. However, it lacks Aaeon’s extras like a watchdog and RTC. The Firefly-RK3288 and Tinker Board S have slightly more advanced features than the XPI-3288, especially when it comes to options, but not by much.

XPI-3288 detail views
(click image to enlarge)

Specifications listed for the XPI-3288 include:

• Processor — Rockchip RK3288 (4x Cortex-A17 cores @ 1.6GHz); Mali-T764 GPU
• Memory:
  • 2GB DDR RAM (probably DDR3 or DDR3L)
  • 16GB eMMC flash, with optional 8GB or 32GB
  • MicroSD slot up to 64GB
• Networking:
  • Gigabit Ethernet port
  • Dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Other I/O:
  • HDMI port for up to 1920 × 1080 @ 60fps or 2160p@24fps
  • 4x USB 2.0 host ports
  • Micro-USB port for power input
  • UART debug connector
  • 40-pin GPIO connector with up to 28x GPIOs, I2S, I2C, SPI, UART, etc
• Power — 5V / 3A DC input via micro-USB; optional adapter
• Operating temperature — 0 to 70°C
• Dimensions – 85 x 56mm
• Operating system — Android 7.1 or optional Linux with Buildroot

Further information

The XPI-3288 is available for $75 with 2GB RAM and 16GB eMMC. More information may be found on Geniatech’s product page.