Hardware Source

[Ghost]

I'm just a backer like anyone else, and would love for this project to be more open regarding hardware and people able to make their own Pines, as happens with Arduinos. I think part of it is the Pine folks worrying at having to offer support for these homemade boards, but as has been said, this responsibility would not be on their heads.

The problem I think (and I could be wrong) is Allwinner. For good or ill, Pine64 have partnered with a company who are very closed in their approach to people using their products. If Allwinner don't want to reveal the details of their SoC, so be it. That isn't exactly Pine64's fault. But, as with the Raspberry Pi, they (Pine64) could make as much of the hardware as possible open. 

But you do run into the issue of having access to everything then except the chip that drives the heart of the beast. Is that really more useful than having no access at all?

[taros]

The problem I think (and I could be wrong) is Allwinner. For good or ill, Pine64 have partnered with a company who are very closed in their approach to people using their products. If Allwinner don't want to reveal the details of their SoC, so be it. That isn't exactly Pine64's fault. But, as with the Raspberry Pi, they (Pine64) could make as much of the hardware as possible open. 

But you do run into the issue of having access to everything then except the chip that drives the heart of the beast. Is that really more useful than having no access at all?

There is a datasheet and user manual for the A64 SoC, at http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Main_Page#Datasheet
There is also the A64 Linux kernel source code (version 3.10), at http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pine_A6...re_Release

What Allwinner is not doing, is developing the Linux kernel source code in a way to be readily accepted in the official Linux kernel.
Such a task is difficult, but again, that is the case with most other SoC manufacturers.

There is however work initiated by Andre Przywara that can boot the latest Linux kernel version on the Pine64, at https://github.com/apritzel/pine64

[Ghost]

The problem I think (and I could be wrong) is Allwinner. For good or ill, Pine64 have partnered with a company who are very closed in their approach to people using their products. If Allwinner don't want to reveal the details of their SoC, so be it. That isn't exactly Pine64's fault. But, as with the Raspberry Pi, they (Pine64) could make as much of the hardware as possible open. 

But you do run into the issue of having access to everything then except the chip that drives the heart of the beast. Is that really more useful than having no access at all?

There is a datasheet and user manual for the A64 SoC, at http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Main_Page#Datasheet
There is also the A64 Linux kernel source code (version 3.10), at http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pine_A6...re_Release

What Allwinner is not doing, is developing the Linux kernel source code in a way to be readily accepted in the official Linux kernel.
Such a task is difficult, but again, that is the case with most other SoC manufacturers.

There is however work initiated by Andre Przywara that can boot the latest Linux kernel version on the Pine64, at https://github.com/apritzel/pine64

Hey Taros

Ah, I had somehow overlooked that SoC datasheet/user manual info, cheers. 

Part of what I meant was the situation seems similar with the Raspberry Pi. In theory the schematics are there to make your own, but Broadcom are not likely to sell you the chips needed to 'finish off' the device. If Allwinner are happy to sell their A64 chips to the general populous, so much the better. But I don't know if they are happy to do that...

[sdwhwk]

I know you can buy AllWinner chips, especially from aliexpress on occasion, but not sure about this particular chip.

[enoCeniP]

Obviously, the Pine people cannot easily make Allwinner more open. But the Pine64 board itself could be open as promised... I guess without open source people over at

https://linux-sunxi.org/

there wouldn't be proper linux support at all.

[tllim]

Obviously, the Pine people cannot easily make Allwinner more open. But the Pine64 board itself could be open as promised... I guess without open source people over at

https://linux-sunxi.org/

there wouldn't be proper linux support at all.

I will meet up with Allwinner folks on next week, the new BSP version 1.2 (massive 23GB file) already release to us and we will post on wiki soon. I have not check how much new info that Allwinner provided on this new BSP. Overall, Allwinner folks are friendly and willing to discuss, lets put this is a positive step.

[enoCeniP]

Any news after the visit to Allwinner?

[tllim]

The problem I think (and I could be wrong) is Allwinner. For good or ill, Pine64 have partnered with a company who are very closed in their approach to people using their products. If Allwinner don't want to reveal the details of their SoC, so be it. That isn't exactly Pine64's fault. But, as with the Raspberry Pi, they (Pine64) could make as much of the hardware as possible open. 

But you do run into the issue of having access to everything then except the chip that drives the heart of the beast. Is that really more useful than having no access at all?

There is a datasheet and user manual for the A64 SoC, at http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Main_Page#Datasheet
There is also the A64 Linux kernel source code (version 3.10), at http://wiki.pine64.org/index.php/Pine_A6...re_Release

What Allwinner is not doing, is developing the Linux kernel source code in a way to be readily accepted in the official Linux kernel.
Such a task is difficult, but again, that is the case with most other SoC manufacturers.

There is however work initiated by Andre Przywara that can boot the latest Linux kernel version on the Pine64, at https://github.com/apritzel/pine64

Hey Taros

Ah, I had somehow overlooked that SoC datasheet/user manual info, cheers. 

Part of what I meant was the situation seems similar with the Raspberry Pi. In theory the schematics are there to make your own, but Broadcom are not likely to sell you the chips needed to 'finish off' the device. If Allwinner are happy to sell their A64 chips to the general populous, so much the better. But I don't know if they are happy to do that...

Allwinner are happy to sell chip.

---

Any news after the visit to Allwinner?

Positive meeting and Allwinner keen to support mianline kernel activity. I have already introduced Sunxi team to Allwinner and already start exchange email.