[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.

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.