Why RK3588 Leads AIoT Development Boards—and How to Pick Yours

Driven by the dual trends of domestic chip replacement and intelligentization, Rockchip's RK3588 stands out from the crowd thanks to its quad-core A76 + quad-core A55 heterogeneous architecture, 6TOPS computing power NPU, and 8K video processing capabilities. Its high performance, low power consumption, and strong scalability have made it a benchmark for computing power in industrial control, intelligent security, edge computing, and other fields.

The reasons for its popularity can be summarized into the following four points:

1. Superb computing power: The 6TOPS NPU supports INT4/INT8/FP16 hybrid operations and is compatible with mainstream frameworks such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, easily handling complex tasks such as AI visual inspection and natural language processing.

2. 8K UHD processing capability: A built-in 8K 60fps H.265 decoding engine supports up to 16 1080P cameras and a 48MP ISP for precise image processing.

3. Customizable industrial-grade: Operating in a wide operating temperature range of -20°C to 85°C, it supports 24/7 stable operation and is suitable for extreme industrial environments.

4. Extensive expansion interfaces: PCIe 3.0, CAN, multiple Gigabit Ethernet ports, and other interfaces meet the expansion needs of peripherals such as sensors and 5G modules.

With the increasing market demand for RK3588 boards, our company has developed three different types of development boards to provide customers with more possibilities for industrial-grade R&D.

1. Raspberry Pi-Compared Single Board Computer

The market demand for the Raspberry Pi remains high, but due to the design and Cost Control Policy, Raspberry Pi 4 /5 lacks the industrial application strength required by project developers and experienced developers. Therefore, our company has developed a Raspberry Pi-compatible single board computer that far surpasses the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5.

• Core Configuration: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM + 128GB eMMC, dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 2.1 ports, six MIPI CSI ports, two MIPI DSI ports, Mini-PCle interface (supports Wi-Fi network cards, 4G modules, 5G modules, or other Mini-PCle interface modules), 40-pin expansion port (compatible with the Raspberry Pi 40-pin port, supporting PWM, GPIO, PCI Express, SPI, UART, and CAN), M.2 M-KEY compatible with M.2 SSDs

• RK3588 SBC Advantages: Compared to Raspberry Pi products, the RK3588 development board offers superior performance, richer interfaces, and more powerful multimedia processing capabilities, making it more suitable for AI and industrial applications.

2. RK3588 development board with board-to-board structure

• Core Configuration: 16GB LPDDR5 RAM + 128GB eMMC, 6-channel MIPI CSI camera interface, 4-channel MIPI-CSI interface + HDMI 2.1 output, integrated hardware video encryption module

• Structural Advantages: The board-to-board architecture significantly shortens R&D cycles and accelerates time to market. It eliminates the need for complex high-speed circuit design and debugging (such as DDR and PCIe), allowing customers to focus solely on developing the application functions of the baseboard. This significantly reduces the hardware design barrier and risks. The core board's compact size makes it ideal for embedded integration. The board-to-board architecture facilitates maintenance and upgrades, saving costs and time for subsequent product upgrades. Most importantly, customers can freely customize the baseboard based on their project requirements using the same core board.

• Application Scenarios: The board-to-board architecture is ideal for mass production, industrial control, embedded systems, and space-constrained equipment.

3. Goldfinger RK3588 Development Board

• Core Configuration: PCIe 3.0 x4 expansion slots, MIPI/LVDS LCD*2

• Structural Advantages: The goldfinger structure is locked to the base via screws. The goldfinger slot has strong retention and can withstand vibration and shock, making it suitable for harsh environments. The goldfinger connector is designed for high-speed signals, with short links, easily controlled impedance, and excellent signal integrity.

• Application Scenarios: Industrial automation, embedded gateways, high-end network equipment, medical equipment, military applications, and more—any system requiring robustness, high speed, and scalability.

When the performance and interfaces are similar, our recommended selections are:

l l RK3588 SBC: Standard product for prototyping, concept testing, education, and quick time to market (required for concept testing)

l l RK3588 BTB Motherboard: Space-constrained mass production and highly customized embedded devices (required for high-volume production)

l l RK3588 Golden Finger Motherboard: Harsh environments, requiring high-speed buses, and industrial/military-grade applications (required for harsh environments)

The RK3588's hardware advantages (such as high computing power, localization, and industrial-grade reliability) coupled with its deep adaptability to AIoT scenarios continue to unlock its market value. Choosing a development board tailored to the specific scenario maximizes the chip's performance.

Compared to similar products, our development boards are designed with different architectures to adapt to different scenarios, better meeting the application needs of diverse customers. For more professional advice, please contact us NOW!

For the above boards, we provide open-source documentation and free technical support to help customers shorten their time to market. Orders are limited to one piece, saving R&D costs!