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Banana Pi M2 Plus
The Banana Pi M2+ is Sinovoip Company’s sixth-generation single-board computer with an upgraded SoC, providing even more power for computing tasks packed in a tiny small board (65 x 65 mm). The board features a brand new Allwinner H31 ARM Cortex-A7 quad-core processor along with 1GB DDR3 and 8G RAM eMMC flash running at a Clock speed of up to 1.2 GHz, Capable of H.265/HEVEC 4K Video decoding.
As for OS support, the board supports Android, including popular Linux distributions such as Debian, Ubuntu, and Firefox OS, available to download from Sinovoip company forum. Other interfaces included are USB, HDMI, USB OTG, DC, Gigabit Ethernet port, WiFi, BT, Camera interface, and 40-pin GPIO array interface, compatible with the Raspberry Pi B+ board. For further details, including prices, you are welcome to check the links listed below:
Banana Pi M2 Development Board
Banana Pi M2 Board + Acrylic clear Case
BPI-M2+ Board
Banana Pi M2+ Specifications
- SoC: Allwinner H3 quad-core Cortex A7 (Up to 1.2 GHz)
- GPU: Mali 400MP2 @600MHz,Supports OpenGL ES 2.0
- Memory: 1GB DDR3 (SDRAM shared with GPU)
- Storage: Micro SD card (Max. 64GB), 8GB EMMC Flash
- USB: x2 USB 2.0 host ports + Micro USB / OTG port (power only)
- OS: Android 4. x, Ubuntu, Debian, Raspberry Pi Image
- Connectivity: 10/100/1000 Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi ( AP6212 Module )
- Buttons: Power, Recovery, Uboot.
- Dimensions : 65 x 65 mm
- Weight: 48 grams
Other Interfaces:
- External WiFi antenna interface.
- Power Supply: 5V DC @ 2A
- Debugging: UART pins for serial console
- Camera Interface: CSI connector
- GPIO Header: 40-pin R-Pi compatible header
- Video / Audio: HDMI 1.4
- LED: Power-led, Status led
- IR: IR Receiver on board.
Banana Pi M2 Package
Banana Pi M2 Unboxing
A Closer Look at the Banana Pi M2
The M+ is a very compact single-board computer in a square shape measuring 65 mm. The board is powered with an H3 Allwinner processor running at a Clock speed of up to 1200 MHz. On the backside, you have two USB version 2.0 ports, HDMI 1,4 Interface, LAN, and the power input socket. The power requirements for operating the board are 5V – 2A. Using a SINOVOIP power adapter (not included in the default package) is highly recommended, or using the OTG port with a standard USB – Micro USB type cable.
Banana Pi M2 Board
Banana Pi M2 Board Layout
- 40 Pin Headers
- Debug TTL UART
- Memory: 1GB DDR3
- Micro SD Card Socket
- uBoot Button
- Reset Button
- Power
- HDMI 1.4 Interface.
- 10/100/1000 Ethernet LAN.
- x2 USB 2.0 host ports
- Power Button
- Micro USB / OTG port
- Wi-Fi Antenna interface.
- Realtek LAN Module.
- AP6212 WiFi & Bluetooth Module.
- IR Receiver
- Camera Interface
- 8GB eMMC
- SoC: Allwinner H3 quad-core Cortex A7 + Mali 400MP2
Accessories
The default package only includes the Banana Pi M2+ Board. SINOVOIP Company provides extra essential Accessories at additional cost. For example, Acrylic plastic housing comprises segments (parts), assembled to form a square-shaped box. Another item worth considering buying if you need good reception is the external Antenna that might be handy for streaming videos across a WiFi network.
Banana Pi M2 Board | Accessories
Hardware Platform
In terms of hardware, the M2+ has pretty decent specifications, including Allwinner H3 quad-core Cortex A7 Processor, Mali 400MP2 GPU, 1GB RAM, and 8GB eMMC Flash. Hardware requirements that are more than enough to run Linux distributions and play and stream videos at FHD 1800P resolution.
OpenELEC / Kodi Support
From my tests playing with the OpenELEC Media Center image, based on KODI Jarvis Version 16.1, most video files played well, especially those sampled at 1080P up to 2K resolution. It’s important to mention that 4K Videos are also supported. Still, not all will play smoothly do two “bottlenecks,” which are the ability of the Mali4000 MP2 GPU to decode high-resolution videos and the fact that the hardware comes with HDMI 1.4 output limited to 4K @30fps. That being said, playback should be better than the raspberry PI 3 board, and it will play the most popular video formats sampled at resolutions between 360P-2K.
Operating Systems, Software Compatibility
SINOVOIP Company constantly provides fixes and updates through their GitHub community, including their forum, with a joint contribution of open source developers, which also share new images as they come out. The M2+ board currently supports a wide selection of operating systems (list below) and continues to grow.
List of Linux distributions / OS:
- Ubuntu
- Armbian
- Android
- OpenELEC
- openSUSE
- Raspbian
- Kali
- Fedora
- CentOS
User Experience
The user experience was good playing with a few popular Linux distributions from this list, such as Ubuntu Mate, Raspbain, OpenELEC, and Fedora. Everything worked well, and distributions also came pre-installed with the sound drives, which saves users extra time installing and compiling them. LibreOffice Office Suite also pre-installed all distributions and loaded relatively fast with the AllWinner H3 quad-core processor. Also no complaints in the connectivity area. Both Wi-Fi and wired LAN worked well without any complications or tech issues.
Ubuntu Mate Screenshots (Educational Edition)
Banana Pi M2 Quick Overview
WiFi, Bluetooth, Antenna
The M2+ has a built-in Broadcom AP6212 WiFi / Bluetooth chip that saves the hassle of buying extra WiFi and Bluetooth adapters that occupy additional USB ports. Another good idea by SINOVOIP was adding an onboard external antenna socket (not included in the default package), which improves signal strength and provides optimal streaming experience when the M2+ isn’t nearby an access point/modem.
Bluetooth
I had issues with onboard Bluetooth support with most, if not all, OS images. Perhaps a driver issue that needs fixing. Although the Bluetooth daemon service was up and running, I couldn’t run a device discovery scan and connect my wireless keyboard through the Bluetooth manager. This issue was informed to SINVOIP, and they are currently working on fixing the problem.
External Antenna
The 3db / 5db WiFi Antenna accessory is a cheap item you can buy through AliExpress or purchased separately for a few extra dollars and connects directly to the onboard Antenna socket through provided antenna wire. My tests compare a series of bandwidth speed tests between a tablet PC next to the M2+ unit, located in the same spot and distance from my router. Bandwidth test results were the same, with transfer speeds ranging between 36-40Mb, indicating everything works as it should.
The Antenna item includes:
- 1x 2.4GHz 2db Wi-Fi Antenna – (Male) RP-SMA Connector.
- 1x Antenna Cable Wire.
- x1 Washer.
- x1 Nut.
Banana Pi M2 With 3db / 5db Antenna
Final Words
The Banana Pi M2+ is an excellent board with built-in Wi-Fi support and a 1 Gigabit LAN Interface. The H3 quad-core processor does a decent job running Linux distributions, including Android OS. SINOVOIP tech support is also relatively good, offering newer updates and OS images when available.
Price and Availability
For a retail price of $36.84, you get the board without any accessories; If you invest an additional $14, you can get their nice friendly, metal-made housing, which will save you extra time in designing and building a customized one.
- Wide Selection of OS to choose from.
- Onboard Wi-Fi / Bluetooth Support.
- 8GB eMMC.
- Gigabit Ethernet.
- Price
- None
