Welcome, Guest. Please Login.
YaBB - Yet another Bulletin Board
May 10th, 2025, 9:44am
News: Welcome to the Cabin! If you want to register send me an e-mail. you can link to my e-mail under the welcome page.


Pages: 1
The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs... (Read 1577 times)
Fernando
YaBB Administrator
*****
NY City




Posts: 2380
Gender: male
The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Sep 19th, 2017, 2:10pm
 
Just found this on the net and it answers a lot of questions.
https://linux-sunxi.org/H2%2B#Variants
 
According to this the H2 and the H3 are the same CPU system, being 95% pin compatible with each other. The only differences is the H2 does not Gigabit Ethernet and 4K HDMI output support though it does have 10/100 Ethernet and the Mali 400 GPUs are still being used but through a composite output. The H2 is geared too lower cost systems, and is 100% Binary Code Compatible with the H3, so no changes were made there.
 
So, according to (my) theory, with a few changes to the config file, the Armbian image for the O-Pi PC that works on the O-Pi Lite and O-Pi One should work for the O-Pi Zero. The only change that would be needed to the config file is where the video it being sent too, as the config is set up for the HDMI and not the composite output and the O-Pi Zero does not have an HDMI output.
Back to top
 
 
View Profile   IP Logged
Fernando
YaBB Administrator
*****
NY City




Posts: 2380
Gender: male
Re: The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Reply #1 - Sep 19th, 2017, 2:17pm
 
Whoa.... reading on the specs of the CPU, though not implemented, it can address 1TB of RAM! This is this for the H3, with everything else being equal, it should count into the H2 as well.
 
https://linux-sunxi.org/H2%2B#Overview
Back to top
 
 
View Profile   IP Logged
Fernando
YaBB Administrator
*****
NY City




Posts: 2380
Gender: male
Re: The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Reply #2 - Sep 19th, 2017, 2:25pm
 
Some (very basic) information can be found here but only for the H3. If one removes the GB-Ethernet and the HDMI connectivity, the H2 is still an impressive CPU under these specs.
 
http://www.allwinnertech.com/index.php?c=product&a=index&id=47
 
Somewhere I read, forgot where - lost the link, that the H2 was being made at $4 a chip. Considering the low cost of the O-Pi Zero and other boards that uses it, this is a very reasonable system set up. I'm sure though, the price of making the chip is a lot cheaper than $4. The Raspberry Pi's Cortex Single Core A7 CPU (used R-Pi Model A/A+, B/B+ and R-Pi Zero) is said to cost at 50cents per CPU. This is what keeps the R-Pi Zero at the $5 price.
 
Edit Addition:
The CHIP $9 system is also said to be made at under $1 per CPU, which is also an Arm 7 Variant.
Back to top
 
 
View Profile   IP Logged
Fernando
YaBB Administrator
*****
NY City




Posts: 2380
Gender: male
Re: The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Reply #3 - Sep 19th, 2017, 2:37pm
 
More Whoa!
 
Research is a rabid dog when one finds unexpected things. On this page - it says:
Quote:
Allwinner H5 is pin-to-pin compatible with Allwinner H3, so the PCB is exactly the same. The upgrade brings slightly better CPU performance, as well as – in theory – better GPU performance, but the latter might not be usable right now (in Linux) due to a lack of software support. Power consumption might be a little higher too (TBC).

 
https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/03/28/orange-pi-zero-plus-2-h5-board-replaces- allwinner-h3-by-allwinner-h5-for-1-more/
 
But the O-Pi Zero Plus 2 (H3) is not being replaced by the O-Pi Zero Plus 2 (H5), at least not by AlexiExpress' website, both are still bine made and sold according to them.
 
So this brings up the CPU Compatibility for the H2, H3 and H5, as stated so far are all pin-to-pin compatible with the exception of the H2 having its HDMI Pins missing or disconnected from the core.
 
I need to get the O-Pi Zero Plus 2 (H3 & H5) boards and push them. As it, the little O-Pi Zero, even the little 256MB Version can do a freaking lot!
Back to top
 
 
View Profile   IP Logged
Fernando
YaBB Administrator
*****
NY City




Posts: 2380
Gender: male
Re: The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Reply #4 - Sep 19th, 2017, 2:55pm
 
Damn it, I'm spamming the site! LMAO!!!!
 
On every board I have seen and even worked on, they all have Mono Audio Input. But according the site previously posted, it has Stereo Audio Input. All the boards have Stereo Audio Output but not input.
https://linux-sunxi.org/H2%2B#H3_SoC_Features
 
Interesting on how all this is being held back on a powerful CPU. A lot of people complain that the ARM CPU system is a bitch to program (probably on the Assembly Level) but from what I seen on other languages, it it more or less the same to me. Since I came from the 6502/6809 and 68K side of the CPU universe, I find the Intel CPUs to be horrendous in their Assembly Language even though I can manage Z80 and Z80 was supposed to be an improved clone of the Intels back in the 1980s.
Back to top
 
 
View Profile   IP Logged
Hondo I. Sackett
YaBB Administrator
*****
Behind you!




Posts: 1349
Gender: male
Re: The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Reply #5 - Sep 20th, 2017, 11:47pm
 
thats a lot to take in, but great info!
Back to top
 
 

Well the cowboy, like the red man, you had to leave your land
You can't raise your stock and plant your crop in the gumbo and the sand
Greed disguised as progress has put us to the test
They won't be glad until we're gone from our home out in the west
It's sad to see those good old days replaced with greed and doubt
Soon we'll leave the country, the campfire has gone out
Bid 'em all adieu, you can't turn the world about
The cowboy left the country, the campfire has gone out
View Profile WWW   IP Logged
Fernando
YaBB Administrator
*****
NY City




Posts: 2380
Gender: male
Re: The difference between H2 & H3 CPUs...
Reply #6 - Sep 21st, 2017, 9:16pm
 
Oh, I'm just finding more! Damn!
 
Just found out about the H2+, which has HDMI Output but not the Gigabyte Ethernet. A few systems use it like the FriendlyArm Nano Pi and at least 1 Orange Pi.
 
The Board of the Orange Pi Zero Plus 2 is the same board for both the H3 and H5 series as they have the same pin outs. So if one is crazy, and have a SMD/SMT system, you could buy something like the Orange Pi One or Lite and swap the H3 CPU with an H5. In theory this should work.
Back to top
 
 
View Profile   IP Logged
Pages: 1