What are you using your Rock Pi S for?

#1

Just wondering what are you guys using the Rock Pi S for?

I have a few ideas (still playing with my Pi S)

  • Simple web-server
  • Simple cloud based service

Both are targeted at people who would like to play with SBCs and learn a little linux.
However, having no HDMI output, it would only be possible for experts that is familiar with linux command lines…

However, the price of the Rock Pi S, makes it really affordable… a child (say 10 years old), could afford such a device, and learn more about SBCs/Linux/Command line… and setup real world applications like a webserver, or even a cloud service… pretty sure parents would be shocked what a small SBC can achieve…

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#2

For me its main draw is the built in audio and a very strong design direction of voice ai applications hence the embedded DSP VAD.
The codec with adc/dac provides a very strong audio platform.

Having no HDMI is not a problem as burn image boot up and use something like https://www.advanced-ip-scanner.com/ to get your IP. SSH is enabled by default but maybe Avahi should be also.

The 8 channel adc is absolutely massive with the price and apart from audio a range of signal processing and collection can be done.
V13 is out in the wild and we will have to if some of the noise on the ADC has been fixed or its still I2S or PDM

#3

I didn’t even know there is built in hardware… I noticed a mic option in one of the cases… but didn’t know there was a chip included.

Are there any images or tutorials on how to use this chip on the Pi S?

#4

Nope that is where things are quite raw but community based.
Its not a chip its embedded functionality and the datasheets can be quite hard work but are essentially a gold mine.

I2S Inter-IC Sound has up to 16 channels I can only verify 8 in and 8 out.
PDM 8 input with 2 channel dac output
8 channel ADC with 2 channel dac output.
These are on on the RK3308 silicon with a codecs built in.
DSP 4 channel VAD on 1st channel that in sleep mode uses first channel to trigger wake, which surprised not seen some sort of monitoring. battery operation @ 1.1Ghz .

The rest is pretty much raspberry like minus hdmi but a SPI display can be used, same with camera as usb can be used.

Its Debian based there is Ubuntu but debian is far more conservative and currently very much like a 64bit Raspbian OS.

I am beginning to think there are so many great features on this SoC it was a mistake to use 2x26pin headers.

It has strong potential for VoiceAI projects such as https://mycroft.ai/ https://community.rhasspy.org/ or https://github.com/voice-engine/voice-engine.
Crazy robot projects where Keyword / AI makes a far more interactive intelligent product.

Its really well specified as Pi3 is really the bare minimum for much voice AI and that is where it approx stands with some interesting audio frequency interfaces that may not be strictly audio.
Its RockPiS vs Pi3A+ and from that take your pic.

At the same clock speed the Cortex- A35 reaches 80%-100% of the performance of a Cortex- A53 Pi3 depending on the workload; it only consumes 68% of the available power when doing so.

The VAD to wake from sleep on the spectral energy on a single input probably means it has many low power monitoring applications.

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#5
  1. sACN-DMX convertor with midimonster. It make me possible to use midi controller with lighting software (Avolites Titan and GMA2).
  2. Web Switch. I need to turn on/off my office fan from my home. mini-httpd, gpio, 1 channel relay and 2n7000 can make it possible.