IEI unveiled a “Hyper-RK39” Pico-ITX SBC that runs Ubuntu or Android on a Rockchip RK3399 and supplies 2GB RAM, 16B eMMC, dual and 4K display support, GbE, WiFi/BT, and optional LTE.

The hexa-core Rockchip RK3399 continues to be popular on community hacker boards such as the recent NanoPi Neo4. Now, commercial board vendors are giving the somewhat x86-like Arm SoC a try. First, there was Aaeon’s RICO-3399 and now IEI has answered with the similarly Pico-ITX form factor (100 x 72mm) Hyper-RK39.

Hyper-RK39, front and back
(click images to enlarge)

Designed for intelligent digital signage, kiosk, POS, and gaming applications, the Hyper-RK39 follows other IEI Pico-ITX boards like the Intel Braswell based Hyper-BW. The Hyper-RK39 is IEI’s first Arm-based SBC or is at least the only one currently available.

The RK3399 has dual Cortex-A72 cores at up to 1.8GHz and four -A53 cores at up to 1.5GHz. There’s also a Mali-T864 GPU, which IEI says offers 45 percent better performance than the Mali-T628. IEI supports the SoC with Ubuntu 16.04 and Android 7.1, soon to be upgraded to 8.1.

The feature set is much like the RICO-3399 lineup, with 2GB LPDDR3, 16GB eMMC, a microSD slot, and 4K ready HDMI 2.0 and eDP ports with dual simultaneous display support. You get standard GbE and WiFi/Bluetooth, as well as USB 3.0, 3.0 Type-C, USB 2.0, and serial ports.

Hyper-RK39 detail views
(click image to enlarge)

A mini-PCIe slot is dedicated to an optional LTE module. Although the Hyper-RK39 lacks the Aaeon board’s optional NFC and GPS, you get a MIPI-CSI connector with an optional camera, as well as a speaker header with optional 2W speaker.

The Hyper-RK39 is further equipped with a watchdog timer, RTC, audio and I2C headers, and 8-bit GPIO. It has a similar temperature range as the RICO-3399, except the highs and lows are 10 degrees lower at -10 to 50°C.

Specifications listed for the Hyper-RK39 include:

• Processor — Rockchip RK3399 (2x Cortex-A72 and 4x Cortex-A53 cores @ up to 1.8GHz); Mali-T864 GPU
• Memory:
  • 2GB LPDDR3-1866 RAM
  • 16GB eMMC flash
  • MicroSD slot
• Wireless:
  • 802.11ac with Bluetooth 4.1
  • Optional WiFi antenna
  • Mini-PCIe slot for optional LTE (with optional antenna and SIM slot)
• Networking — Gigabit Ethernet port (Realtek RTL8211E)
• Media I/O:
  • HDMI 2.0a port for up to 4Kx2K @ 60Hz with HDCP 2.2
  • eDP header at up to 4Kx2K @ 60Hz
  • Optional eDP touchscreen (11.1-inch, 1920 x 1080, 280 nits)
  • Dual display support
  • MIPI-CSI connector with optional 2592 x 1944 camera module
  • Audio line in/out header
  • 2W speaker header with optional speaker
• Other I/O:
  • USB 3.0 port
  • USB 3.0 Type-C port (for OS update)
  • USB 2.0 port
  • RS-232/422/485 port
  • RS-232 header
  • 8-bit GPIO
  • I2C interface
• Other features — Watchdog timer; RTC with battery slot; optional cables
• Power — 12V DC header (AT/ATX)
• Operating temperature — -10 to 50°C
• Weight — 80 g
• Dimensions — 100 x 72mm; Pico-ITX form factor
• Operating system — Ubuntu Linux 16.04; Android 7.1 (soon 8.1)

 
Further information

No pricing information was provided for the Hyper-RK39. More information may be found on IEI’s Hyper-RK39 announcement and product pages.