Open spec Allwinner A64 hacker board runs Linux or Android
Jun 5, 2017 — by Eric Brown — 3421 views[Updated: June 7] — Olimex has released its first 64-bit hacker board with the $56 A64-OLinuXino, featuring a quad -A53 SoC plus HDMI, GbE, USB, WiFi, and Bluetooth.
The A64-OLinuXino is Olimex’s first 64-bit ARMv8 OlinuXino board and the first to be designed entirely with open source CAD software (KiCad). The quad-core, Cortex-A53 driven board arrived a few days too late for our 2017 hacker board survey, but OLinuXino fans can write it in as a favorite.


A64-OLinuXino-1G4, front and back
(click images to enlarge)
The A64-OLinuXino is currently available in a 50-Euro A64-OLinuXino-1G4GW model with 1GB RAM, 4GB eMMC, WiFi, and Bluetooth. You can sign up for notifications for a lower-end model without flash or wireless, or a higher-end model with 2GB RAM, 16GB flash, and industrial temperature support, but no wireless:
- A64-OLinuXino-1G0G — 40 Euros ($45) — 1GB RAM
- A64-OLinuXino-1G4GW — 50 Euros ($56) — 1GB RAM, 4GB eMMC, WiFi, Bluetooth
- A64-OLinuXino-2G16G-IND — 75 Euros ($84) — 2GB RAM, 16GB eMMC, -40 to 85°C
The A64-OLinuXino joins other community-backed oLinuXino SBCs like the Allwinner A20 based A20-OlinuXino-Lime2 and A20-OlinuXino-Micro, and more recent Allwinner A33-based A33-OlinuXino. Earlier this year, the Bulgaria-based project also launched an open source, Linux-driven Teres-A64 laptop kit based on the Allwinner A64 for 225 Euros, as well as the non-Linux, ESP32-based ESP-WROVER-KIT.
The 90.0 x 62.5mm A64-OLinuXino runs Linux or Android on the 1.2GHz Allwinner A64, which drives hacker boards such as the $74 Banana Pi BPI-M64, the $25 NanoPi A64, the $30 Orange Pi Win Plus, and the $15 to $30 Pine A64. A similar number of boards in our hacker board roundup have instead tapped the newer quad -A53 Allwinner H5, which advances from a Mali-400 to a Mali-450 GPU.

A64-OLinuXino-1G4 angle view
(click image to enlarge)
The three A64-OLinuXino models all provide a GbE port, as well as microSD slot and USB host and micro-USB OTG ports. There’s an HDMI port, as well as a MIPI-DSI connector. An LCD interface is accessible via the 40-pin GPIO connector, which also includes MIPI-CSI, but is not claimed to be Raspberry Pi compatible.
The A64-OLinuXino is further equipped with audio jacks, a UEXT connector, USB and debug headers, and several buttons and LEDs. The board is powered from 5VDC, and there is also a 3.7V LiPo battery connector, accompanied by a step-up DC/DC converter and charging support. According to Olimex owner Tsvetan Usunov, the optional LiPo battery can provide UPS functionality in the event of loss of external power.
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Olimex has yet to post a detailed wiki for the A64-OLinuXino, but based on the A33-OLinuXino, the Linux and Android images noted on the product page may be Debian Jessie 3.4.39 and Android 4.4.
Specifications listed for the A64-OLinuXino-1G4GW include:
- Processor — Allwinner A64 (4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.2GHz); ARM Mali-400 MP2 GPU
- Memory/storage:
- 1GB DDR3L RAM (2GB on 2G16G-IND model)
- 4GB eMMC (none on 1G0G model, 16GB on 2G16G-IND)
- MicroSD slot (up to 32GB)
- Optional SPI flash in SO8 package with hardware WP (not assembled)
- Wireless — WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 (none on 1G0G or 2G16G-IND); antenna
- Networking — 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet port
- Multimedia:
- HDMI port
- MIPI DSI on 20-pin ribbon connector
- LCD interface on 40-pin ribbon cable
- 3.5mm audio input and output jacks
- Other I/O:
- USB 2.0 host port
- Micro-USB 2.0 OTG port
- USB headers
- GPIO 40-pin connector with CSI, GPIO, etc.
- UEXT 10-pin connector (not assembled)
- Debug UART header (TTL level)
- Other features — power, battery, and user LEDs; U-Boot, reset, and power buttons; RTC; 4x mounting holes
- Power — 5V DC jack; 3.7V LiPo battery connector, step-up, and charging support
- Operating temperature — commercial range except for 2G16G-IND model with -40 to 85°C
- Dimensions — 90.0 x 62.5mm
- Operating systems — Linux and Android
Further information
The A64-OLinuXino-1G4GW is available now for 50 Euros ($56) and the other two A64-OLinuXino models will open for orders at a later date. More information may be found on Olimex’s A64-OLinuXino product page.
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