Huawei has its own alternative to Raspberry Pi

A mysterious processor and a machine learning chip

OrangePi Kunpeng Pro is a single-board computer, similar to the popular Raspberry Pi, which is equipped with a mysterious quad-core ARM 64-bit processor and dedicated AI processor. Details about the processor are still shrouded in mystery, and the manufacturer hasn't even revealed its name. However, as Tom's Hardware reports, the processor is based on Huawei Kunpeng's custom CPU design.

The OrangePi Kunpeng Pro platform runs on the operating system openEuler and is equipped with a pre-installed database openGauss. It also includes a suite of programming tools, web applications, and production software, making it a versatile platform for a variety of projects – both amateur and professional.

Artificial intelligence with 8 TOPS computing power

One of the most interesting aspects of Kunpeng Pro is the use of Huawei Kunpeng's custom processor combined with AI FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). It is unclear whether these processors are separate chiplets or integrated into one die. Regardless, this configuration represents a new approach in Huawei's Kunpeng chip designs.

While the 8 TOPS neural network processor processing power is far behind the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite (45 TOPS) and Apple M4 (38 TOPS), for developers and students working on AI projects, Kunpeng Pro may be an attractive option due to its price of just 1076 yuan, so approximately PLN 600.

The computer offers two HDMI ports for connecting 4K displays, a Type-C power interface, Wi-Fi 5 and Gigabit Ethernet. Currently, the board is only available through Chinese retailers.