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Walnut Pi 2B Introduces Allwinner T527 Octa-Core Processor in Raspberry Pi Compatible Form Factor

News Single-Board Computer Walnut Pi
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The Walnut Pi 2B has emerged as a notable addition to the single board computer market, featuring an Allwinner T527 octa-core Cortex-A55 system on chip (SoC) with a built-in AI accelerator. This new board aligns closely with the Raspberry Pi 5 design, allowing for compatibility with many HAT+ expansion boards and accessories.

Specifications and Features #

The Walnut Pi 2B is available with 1GB to 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and offers an optional 32GB of eMMC flash storage. It includes a microSD card slot, gigabit Ethernet, four USB ports, and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. The board supports various display outputs via a single micro HDMI port, capable of up to 4K at 60 frames per second.

Key specifications include:

  • SoC: Allwinner T527
    • Octa-core processor with clock speeds of 1.80 GHz and 1.42 GHz
    • Arm Mali-G57 GPU
    • AI accelerator with up to 2 TOPS
  • Memory: Up to 4GB LPDDR4 RAM
  • Storage: Optional 32GB eMMC, microSD card slot
  • Networking: Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
  • Expansion: 40-pin GPIO header, PCIe 2.0 x1 FFC connector

The dimensions of the Walnut Pi 2B are 85 x 56 mm, making it compact and suitable for various applications.

Software Compatibility #

The Walnut Pi 2B can run several operating systems, including Walnut Pi OS based on Debian, Ubuntu, and Android. Users can access the build script for Walnut Pi OS on GitHub and find documentation on the manufacturer’s website.

Market Position #

Pricing for the Walnut Pi 2B starts at approximately $40 for the 1GB RAM configuration without eMMC storage. The board’s price is slightly lower than the Raspberry Pi 5, which begins at around $50 for its 2GB version. However, the Walnut Pi 2B does not offer the same RAM options as the Raspberry Pi 5, which includes configurations up to 16GB.

While the Walnut Pi 2B offers advanced features such as Wi-Fi 6 and an AI accelerator, it is limited to one micro HDMI port and one USB 3.0 port, which may affect its appeal in certain use cases.

Source: CNX Software – Embedded Systems News.

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