Been itching to get your paws on some affordable RISC-V hardware?
If so, Pine64 has you covered.
The company, famous for offering an array of open-source friendly hardware at low cost, is launching a new single-board computer powered by a quad-core RISC-V processor.
RISC-V (pronounced ‘risk-five’) is an open-source processor spec designed to be modular, extensible, and free to produce. Though it’s loosely related to ARM (in the sense that both ARM and RISC-V use RISC instruction sets) it is an entirely distinct, unique architecture set.
Naturally, Linux already boasts burgeoning RISC-V support — and an affordable entry-level RISC-V device like the Star64 allows more enthusiasts and developers to get involved in furthering that work.
Star64 Specs & Price
Pine64 announced the Star64 last year but, in its latest monthly news-drop, have revealed more details about the device, including memory configurations, price, and the date at which interested folks can go and buy one.
First, the Star64 specs:
- Quad-core 64-bit RISC-V U74
- 4 x DSI and 4 x CSI lanes
- i2c touch panel connector
- Dual Gigabit Ethernet ports
- Dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- PCIe x1 open-ended slot
- GPIO bus pins (i2c, SPI and UART)
- 128 Mb QSPI flash Nor Flash
- Barrel type DC Jack Connector
Connectivity is well catered to with a full-size HDMI video out, 1 native USB 3.0 port, 3 shared USB 2.0 ports, and a microSD card slot for booting (optional eMMC flash is also available).
The Star64 goes on sale April 4, 2023 on the Pine Store where it will be available in 2 configurations: a $69.99 model with 4GB RAM, and a $89.99 model with 8GB RAM.
Emerging ecosystem
Compared to RISC-V hardware available to date the Star64 is very attractive. In keeping the entry price low, Pine64’s tech will help get RISC-V hardware into hands of more people, in more places, furthering work on the platform.
That said, do understand that the Star64 won’t be as immediately useful as something like a Raspberry Pi. The RSIC-V ecosystem and Linux support for it is very much a developing landscape.
For more general needs, Pine64 stock a range of ARM-powered single-board computers, such as the ROCK64.