Rockchip RK3399Pro is an upcoming processor based on Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor, but adding RK1808 NPU block for AI workloads. We’ve already seen a few development boards based on the processor, including Rockchip’s own evaluation board – which mortals can’t buy -, Khadas Edge 1S, Pine64 RockPro64-AI, and Toybrick RK3399Pro Board.
Apart from a demo with Rockchip RK3399Pro EVB, I have not seen any of the SBCs in the wild yet. But we have even more choices now, as Geniatech, better known for their Amlogic TV boxes, has been entering the embedded mainboard market in recent years, and added DB3399Pro development board to their offering.
Geniatech DB3399Pro specifications:
- SoC – Rockchip RK3399Pro hexa-core processor with 2x Cortex-A72 @ 1.8 GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz, Arm Mali-T864 GPU, RK1808 NPU
- System Memory – 3GB LPDDR3 (option 6GB)
- Storage – 8GB eMMC flash (option 16G/32GB), SD card socket, SATA (where?)
- Video I/Os
- HDMI 2.0 output
- HDMI input
- DisplayPort
- DisplayPort via USB type-C port
- eDP 1.3 connector
- MIPI DSI
- VPU – H.264/H.265/VP9 decode up to 4Kx2K @ 60fps, H.264/MVC/VP8 encode up to 1080p@30fps
- Audio
- Speaker header microphone header
- Headphone, Line Out, and Line in 3.5mm audio jacks
- optical S/PDIF
- Camera I/F – 2x MIPI CSI
- Connectivity
- Gigabit Ethernet (RJ45) with optional PoE support
- 802.11 a/b/g/n 11ac WiFi 5 2T2R
- Bluetooth 4.2
- USB – 6x USB 2.0 ports, 1x USB3.0 port, 1x USB type-C port
- Expansion
- RS232
- Mini PCI-E socket
- Expansion header with SPI, GPIO, I2C, UART,
- Misc – IR receiver, Watchdog, RTC + battery socket
- Power Supply – 12V/2A via power barrel
- Dimensions – 155 x 105mm
- Temperature Range – -10°C to +60°C
The company only provides Android 8.0 for the board. Rockchip RK3399Pro memory configuration is different than RK3399 as usually memory is split as 2/3 for the processor and 1/3 for the NPU, so if the board has 3GB RAM, 2GB of RAM is connected to the actual processor, and 1GB of RAM is dedicated to the NPU. That means with 6GB of RAM, we have a 4GB+2GB configuration.
The specifications list 8 USB interfaces, but I can only see 4 USB ports on the photo above, so the other four must be available through headers and other connectors.
The product page has limited information at this stage, and interested parties are being asked to contact Geniatech for more details. DB3399Pro’s pricing and availability are unknown at the time of writing, but for reference, Toybrick-RK3399Pro is sold for $249 with 3GB RAM and $299 with 6GB RAM.
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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> so if the board has 3GB RAM, 2GB of RAM is connected to the actual processor, and 1GB of RAM is dedicated to the NPU. That means with 6GB of RAM, we have a 4GB+2GB configuration.
If I understood correctly then RAM available to RK3399 and RK1808 are independent from each other? If so, other setups would be possible too (e.g. 4 GB with 2 x 1GB available to RK3399 and 2GB available to RK1808 or 5GB with 2 x 2GB available to RK3399 and 1GB available to RK1808)?
If I look at the board, it looks very similar to the toybrick design. Price is 100 rmb more for this one compared to the toybrick. I assume they are designing close to the reference design from Rockchip and may have taken over the ram config as well?
Cooling looks bad as in the other board.
This is not that similar to the reference design from Rockchip, as that board has a x4 PCIe slot among other things, as per https://www.cnx-software.com/2018/11/07/rockchip-rk3399-pro-evb-npu-performance-video/
Do you know the price for DB3399Pro?
Edit: Sorry, that’s not the correct link. I’ll keep an eye on it.
Written earlier: It’s on taobao, 1599 RMB for 3G/16G EMMC, 1999 RMB for 6G/32G, so 100 RMB more than the toybrick. All pretty expensive for my taste. More than twice the price of the board without NPU. I wonder if the NPU is really worth that much. Also software support for these boards may not be as good as the more stable brands.
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.1.721525a45BSY8v&id=586790395078&ns=1&abbucket=11#detail
> If I understood correctly then RAM available to RK3399 and RK1808 are independent from each other?
Yes, RK3399Pro has separate RAM buses for the RK3399 and the RK1808 in there. Speaking just from observations, RK1808 seems to come most often in 1GB and 2GB setups (I don’t know if these are the only viable setups), so I guess any RAM setup you could come up with for the RK3399 (ie. 1GB, 2GB, 4GB), you could combine with those RK1808 setups,.
That’s what I assume too. But for now, I’ve only seen 2+1 and 4+2 configurations.
Why doesn’t anyone make a board using the Mediatek MT6771 (Helio P60)? Just leave the cell modem off to avoid messing with cellular. MT6771 has a nice NPU in it. Is this $6 price on taobao real?
https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a230r.1.14.179.41864d1eQgbT0v&id=582242713883&ns=1&abbucket=19#detail
MT6771 has much in common with RK3399Pro and it appears to be significantly cheaper. Plus it has far, far better camera support.
I’d guess worse support on the sw side?
Mediatek software is in pretty good shape. You can download the Android source for the OrangePi IOT 4G board. Mediatek has a P20 (P60 minus the NPU) build in Linaro too. The problem with cell phone chips has always been the thousands and thousands of patents on the cellular operations. Since this is a huge legal mess the cell phone chips are kept fairly closed, but if you toss the cell modem there shouldn’t be any legal issues. The source for most everything is available for this $200 board: https://www.96boards.org/product/mediatek-x20/ There is no physical reason for that board to be… Read more »
There is also the Mediatek Helio P90 with even more AI goodness, I have not seen a price for it.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/13718/mediatek-announces-new-premium-helio-p90-soc
It says 1127GMACs
Helio P90 was also announced on CNX Software 😉 https://www.cnx-software.com/2018/12/14/mediatek-helio-p90-apu-2-0-4x-ai-performance/
Once it becomes available, MediaTek MT8183 may be even more interesting for SBCs as it looks very similar to P90, including the same NPU, but without modem.
RK3399 can render a 4K openGLES surface?
No 4K video, a 4K accelerated app or a 4K webview?
This type of processor can normally render 4K video on a 4K hardware buffer, but the graphics stuff are limited to 1080p. It might be possible to render a 4K OpenGL ES surface (TBC) but performance might not be good enough.