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Embedded Computers

Banana Pi BPI-R3 Review: Details, Pricing, & Features

By androidpimpJanuary 29, 2023Updated:February 6, 2023No Comments20 Mins Read
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Table of Contents
[Open][Close]
  • Banana Pi BPI-R3 Router board
  • Banana Pi BPI-R3
  • Main Specification
  • Key Features
  • Real-World Applications
  • Improved Cooling
  • A Quick Demo
  • Banana Pi BPI-R3 Board Layout
  • Hardware
    • Storage Interfaces
    • Connectivity
  • Wi-Fi 6 Ready
    • Misc & Other Interfaces
    • Part 1: Package Contents, Unboxing, and Hardware
    • Package Contents:
  • Unboxing All Items
    • The Banana Pi R3 Board
    • Unboxing the Banana Pi R3 Case – 1 of 2
    • Unboxing the Banana Pi R3 Case – 2 of 2
    • Power Supply
    • Antennas
  • Part 2: Case Design
    • Great Design but not flawless
  • Part 3: Operation
    • Downloading OpenWrt image file
    • How to Install an M.2 NVMe SSD
    • Installing an SSD Card With a Heatsink
    • NVMe Performance Testing
    • (Read/Write) SSD Performance Test
  • Part 4: Installing a Fan-Cooled Heat Sink
    • FAN Wiring Configurations (Options)
    • Configuration Option No. 1 (Passive Cooling)
    • Cooled FAN Heatsink
    • Preparing Conductive Silicone Thermal Pad
    • Configuration Option No. 2
    • Connecting 4 Pins Cooled Heatsink wires w/ the XH2.54 4 PIN wires
    • Final Step (Powering/Operating the FAN)
    • How to Automatically load the script
    • Configuration Option No. 3
    • Connecting 4 Pins Cooled Heatsink wires w/ the VH3.96-2PIN wires
    • Configuration Option No. 3 (With Support PWM)
  • Part 5: Checking Temperatures
    • Testing another Cooling Configuration.
  • Part 6: WiFi Antennas Installation (Best Practices)
    • Antennas Arrangement & Installation
    • Installation tips!
  • Part 7: Adding a 2.5G Network Card (Optional Configuration)
  • Part 8: Setting up a NAS Server (Optional Configuration)
    • How to setup a NAS device (Optional Configuration, DIY Style)
  • Part 9: Connectivity
    • Network Throughput Testing using iPerf
    • iPerf Test: 2.5 SFP RJ45 LAN Speed Test
    • iPerf Test: Wireless (WiFi) LAN Speed Test
  • Price & Availability

Maybe you missed it? Banana Pi R2 Router Board Review


Banana Pi BPI-R3 Router board

Sinovoip Co., Ltd, The company behind the famous Banana Pi brand, just announced a new open-source router with two SFP ports named Banana Pi BPI-R3. It’s probably amongst the first single-board routers on the market with built-in optical interfaces.

This excellent product can be especially beneficial for users connected to a fast fiber internet that want to use higher throughput internet speeds above the standard 1Gbps limit, which was very commonly used in recent years. As we move into a new year (2022), the 1Gbps standard becomes outdated when used with IoT devices and single-board computers requiring higher Internet speeds.

Banana Pi BPI-R3

Banana Pi Bpi R3 Router
Banana Pi Bpi R3 Router Board

Main Specification

HardWare Specification of Banana Pi BPI-R3

Model Number

BPI-R3

SoC

MediaTek MT7986 (Filogic 830) 

CPU

Quad-core ARM Cortex A53+M17531 chip

RAM

2G DDR4

On Board Storage

26 Pin GPIO,some of which can be used for specific functions including DART, I2C, SPI, PWM, 12S.

GPIO 

26 Pin GPIO, some of which can be used for specific functions including DART, I2C, SPI, PWM, and 12S.

On board Network 

x5 Port 10/100/1000Mbps 

SFP

x2 2.5GbE SFP cages

Wi-Fi 6

2.4GHz 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 (MT7975N)

5GHz 4×4 Wi-Fi 6 (MT7975P)

u.FL antenna connectors

x8

mini PCIE

Mini PCIe via USB M.2

M.2 Interface

M.2 KEY-M PCIe interface

USB

x1 USB 3.0 host ,x2 USB interface with slot

Debugging

x1 Debug UART header for serial console

Buttons

Reset button,WPS botton, boot switch

LEDs

Power status Led and R145 Led

Power Supply

12V/2A DC

Size

100.5 x 148mm

Weight

200g

Software

OpenWRT 21.xx/Ubuntu/Android


Key Features

  • MediaTek MT7986(Filogic 830) Quad-core ARM Cortex A53+MT7531 chip design.
  • Wi-Fi 6: 4×4 2.4G Wi-Fi(MT7975N) +4×4 5G Wi-Fi(MT7975P).
  • 2G DDR RAM.
  • 8G eMMC flash.
  • x2 SFP 2.5GbE.
  • x5 GbE network port.
  • POE support (optional).
  • Mini PCIe via USB.
  • M.2 KEY-E PCIe interface.
  • Micro SD card interface.
  • 26-PIN GPIO.

Real-World Applications

Common Product Applications:

-

Internet service Router

Wireless Router

Wireless Repeater

Home Security Gateway

Home Automation

NAS Device

Network and Communication Applications


Improved Cooling

According to the photo, The R3 will come with a massive aluminum Heatsink and a fan covering most of the board’s main components that need continuous cooling. They include the main SoC chip, eMMC, and memory chips.

Banana Pi Bpi R3 Heatsink

A Quick Demo


Banana Pi BPI-R3 Board Layout

Hardware

The BPI-R3 comes with 2GB DDR RAM, 4GB would be nicer to have, but we expect it will become available shortly, so we can’t complain. Under the hood, you will find a MediaTek MT7986 Quad-core ARM Cortex A53 processor. You can expect decent software support and good performance at a lower cost.

These hardware specifications should cover most open-source projects running Linux-based distributions like Debian / Ubuntu without trouble.


Storage Interfaces

The Banana Pi BPI-R3 features plenty of interfaces at your disposal. It offers two external storage options via PCIe sockets. On top of that, you have a MINI PCIe socket (slot) and an M.2 KEY-E PCIe interface on the back of the board. An 8GB EMMC flash chip and MicroSD card slots are included if you wise to load OS boot files through them. The BPI-R3 comes with one USB V3.0 host port and additional onboard extension USB V2.0 Host interfaces.


Connectivity

Kiss 1Gbps speeds goodbye. For connectivity, you also have plenty of options. The BPI-R3 comes with two 2.5Gbps SFP optical ports, one GbE WAN port, and x4 GbE LAN ports. According to the board photo, you also have a series of onboard Ipx sockets to connect with external wifi antennas, which is a good thing to have.

A Micro Sim card slot also exists if you need wireless connectivity, especially in environments without Wi-Fi networks. Remember that you must buy a supported 5G PCIe expansion card to make it work.


Wi-Fi 6 Ready

MediaTek FastPath™ technology offers low-latency performance for games and AR/VR applications using the 6GHz spectrum. Wi-Fi 6 provides many advantages over previous generations, including lower latency, greater bandwidth capacity, and faster transfer rates. You are getting a feature that currently only exists in more expensive high-end routers selling at $300 and higher.


Misc & Other Interfaces

Sinovoip Co., Ltd included standard interfaces you might see in most of the banana pi board series. You have your 26 PIN Header, WPS button, power button, Fan socket, boot switch, and a debug UART. Also, another vital highlight worth mentioning is regarding Heatsink mounting. The company’s design team included four mounting holes for Heatsink that covers most of the significant chips: Main SoC Chip, memory, and DDR memory chips.

Banana Pi BPI-R3 Router Board (Interfaces)

Banana Pi Bpi R3 Router Board 1
Banana Pi Bpi R3 Router Board 2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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