Pine64 has unveiled a “QuartzPro64” SBC based on the octa-core Rockchip RK3588. The SBC will ship with 16GB LPDDR4X, 64GB eMMC, PCIe Gen3, HDMI in, 2x HDMI out, MIPI-DSI/CSI, 2x SATA, 2x GbE, and 4x USB including Type-C with DP.

Pine64 has posted preliminary specs for its much-anticipated SBC based on the Rockchip RK3588. The feature-rich, 180 x 180mm QuartzPro64 will initially be sold only to Pine64 community developers via the coupon system the company used for the early versions of the RK3566-based PineNote and RK3399-powered PinePhone Pro smartphone. Pricing has not been determined, but Pine64 expects the board to cost more than $300, which it says will be based on cost or a possible vendor subsidy.

QuartzPro64 layout (left) and block diagram
(click images to enlarge)

The Hong Kong-based company will announce availability details in the coming weeks on its Telegram and Discord channels. The initial release will be followed later in the year by a production version.

Based on its usual pattern, Pine64 is likely to follow the QuartPro64 with a smaller, more affordable RK3588 SBC that will likely ship in 2023. In the same March newsletter announcement where it unveiled the QuartzPro64, Pine64 said the Raspberry Pi-like, RK3566-based Quartz64 Model B follow-on to the more developer focused Quartz64 Model A will launch “soon.”

Rockchip’s 8nm-fabricated RK3588 features 4x up to 2.4GHz Cortex-A76 and 4x up to 1.8GHz -A55 cores. There is also a powerful, quad-core Mali G610MC4 GPU and a 6-TOPS NPU for AI acceleration.

Rockchip RK3588 block diagram
(click image to enlarge)

The chief delay in rolling out the QuartPro64 — aside from the lack of production volume of the much sought after RK3588 — lies in developing a Linux BSP for the complex RK3588. “We both hope and expect to see BSP-based support in the initial months, with mainlining efforts running in parallel to the BSP development,” said Pine64 in its March update. “This is an amazing platform, but it will take time for it to mature.”

In an alternative timeline without Covid-19 and chip shortages, the current flurry of announcements of RK3588-based products would have happened last fall. Even now, Pine64 the lack of a photo of the QuartzPro64 is due to a stay-at-home order caused by a fresh outbreak of Covid in Hong Kong and Eastern China. Pine64 is hardly alone here: Khadas, which offers one of the few Arm SBCs that are competitive with the RK3588 boards with its Amlogic A311D2 powered Khadas Vim4, just announced that “due to the covid-19 lockdown situation in Shenzhen China, Khadas Shop will be closed for at least 7 days (or more), and shipping is only likely to resume in April.”

The RK3588 has so far been announced on Radxa’s Rock 5 Model B SBC, as well as the Firefly ITX-3588J Mini-ITX board and an unnamed Banana Pi dev kit based on a Banana Pi RK3588 Core module. More recently, we have seen Mixtile’s Blade 3 Pico-ITX SBC and Mekotronics’ R58X mini-PC.

Radxa Rock 5

Preliminary specs for the QuartzPro64 include 16GB LPDDR4X, 64GB eMMC, and a microSD slot. By comparison, the Banana Pi Core module will ship with up to 8GB RAM, the Radxa Rock 5 and Mektronics R58X will offer up to 16GB, and the Firefly and Mixtile products will offer up to 32GB.

The QuartzPro64 is equipped with 2x SATA 3.0, 2x USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB Type-C with DisplayPort support via video-alt mode, and a USB Type-C for debug. There are 2x GbE ports (1x GMAC, 1x PCIe Gen2) plus a WiFi 6 (802.11ax) radio, which is supported with dual SMA antennas.

Media features include 2x HDMI 2.1 outputs, which, based on other RK3588 products announced to date, would presumably deliver up to 8Kp60. You also get DP via the Type-C plus 2x 2-lane MIPI-DSI. An audio codec is available via I2S along with dual amps.

Video input interfaces include 2x 4-lane MIPI-CSI and an HDMI-in port, a previously rare feature that has appeared on all the RK3588 products except the Mixtile Blade 3. (Note that the block diagram differs from the spec list in that it appears to show a third HDMI output — HDMI 2.0 — instead of the HDMI input.)

For high-speed expansion, Pine64 lists only PCIe 3.0 x4. Dedicated PCIe Gen3 connectors are also found on the Firefly ITX-3588J, the Mixtile Blade 3, and the carrier board for the Banana Pi Core module. The Radxa Rock 5 instead offers M.2 NVMe storage and WiFi slots while the R58X has an M.2 for NVMe. The Blade 3 has a mini-PCIe slot and the Firefly Mini-ITX has 2x M.2 slots in addition to their PCIe Gen3 connectors.

The QuartzPro64 runs on a 12VDC input and supplies an RTC with battery holder, a fan header, and switches including power on/off, maskrom, and system KEY. There are also mounting holes for a heatsink.

 
Further information

No pricing or availability information was provided for the QuartzPro64. More information may be found in Pine64’s March update.