MicroPython Forum (Archive)

A new dual-core RISC-V 64bit board, Sipeed MAIX, just apeared on the Indiegogo campain.

Sipeed MAIX is the first RV64 AI board for Edge Computing, it makes AI embeded to any IoT device possible.
MAIX have tons of excited features: DualCore RV64 IMAFDC, 8MB SRAM, Neural Network Processor(0.25~0.5TOPS, support TensorFlow Lite), APU, hardcore FFT...
All this is in Square Inch, 0.3W, from $5!
Also we have breadboard friendly board, and micropython available.
MAIX is openmind, everyone can contribute code/document, trade network module.
MAIX, Maximize AI's power.

It offers very low price, excelent characteristics, Micropython support (MaixPy, with source code available on Github.
I've contributed for one MAIX Bit, hopefully it will be delivered in December, and one M1w dock suit which should be available this month.
If it will work good, it will be the fastest and most powerful MicroPython board.

MAIX's CPU
In hardware, MAIX have powerful KPU K210 inside, it offers many exciting features:

• First competitive RISC-V chip, also Fisrt competitive AI chip, newly release in Sep. 2018.
• It is 28nm process, dual-core RISC-V 64bit IMAFDC, on-chip huge 8MB high-speed SRAM(not for XMR ), 400MHz frequency(overclockable to 800MHz).
• It have KPU(Neural Network Processor) inside, 64 KPU which is 576bit width, support convolution kernels, any form of activation function. It offers 0.25TOPS@0.3W,400MHz, and when you overclock to 800MHz, it offers 0.5TOPS. It means you can do object recognition 60fps@VGA.
• It have APU(Audio Processor), support 8mics, upto 192KHz sample rate, hardcore FFT unit inside, thus it is easy to make an Mic Array(MAIX offer it too)
• It have flexible FPIOA(Field Programmable IO Array), you can map 255 functions to all 48 GPIOs on the chip.
• DVP camera and MCU LCD interface, you can connect an DVP camera, run your algorithm, and display on LCD.
• And many other accelerators and peripherals: AES Accelerator, SHA256 Accelerator, FFT Accelerator(not APU's one), OTP, UART,WDT,IIC,SPI,I2S,TIMER,RTC,PWM, etc.

Promo video, running MicroPython demonstrated.

sounds too good to be true

Interesting discussion with some useful links on HACKADAY

OMG that is insane.

How am I going to tell my wife that I just punched my credit card details into this campaign

Your allowance is less than $5?

BTW, Fun Fact: The board with WiFi contains an ESP8285, so you could in fact run TWO MicroPython instances on one board.

kak wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:39 pm

Your allowance is less than $5?

I don't quite understand the point.

kak wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:39 pm

BTW, Fun Fact: The board with WiFi contains an ESP8285, so you could in fact run TWO MicroPython instances on one board.

Fun aside, it wouldn't be too useful to run MicroPython on ESP8285, but it could be interesting (and maybe useful) to flash it with different than default AT-Command firmware to get more options and better integration with MAIX MicroPython.

MAIX-Bit (which does not have any wifi) and ESP32-PICO-D4, connected by fast SPI interface could be a really great combination.

kak wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 16, 2018 1:39 pm

Your allowance is less than $5?

BTW, Fun Fact: The board with WiFi contains an ESP8285, so you could in fact run TWO MicroPython instances on one board.

Well I spent a little more than $5 as there was also lots of cool looking accessories : mic array, binocular cameras, 8 bit parallel screens small dev board

One thing bothers me about all this cheap hardware: support. You pay more for Pyboards and products from Adafruit, but the support is first rate. Alternatively you buy a complex processor board from China for $5. After putting weeks of effort into your project, you find it doesn't work. Your only option is likely to be to chuck it in the bin and start again with something else.

I've wasted far too much time failing to get products to work in the face of subtle bugs to have much appetite for the process.

Caveat emptor

goog jod,can i reprint this article to http://bbs.sipeed.com/?

[quote=pythoncoder post_id=31935 time=1542439781 user_id=265]
One thing bothers me about all this cheap hardware: support. You pay more for Pyboards and products from Adafruit, but the support is first rate. Alternatively you buy a complex processor board from China for $5. After putting weeks of effort into your project, you find it doesn't work. Your only option is likely to be to chuck it in the bin and start again with something else.

I've wasted far too much time failing to get products to work in the face of subtle bugs to have much appetite for the process.

[i]Caveat emptor[/i]
[/quote]

Hi, I'm zepan from Sipeed.
If you want use MAIX's mpy to make a product, it is obviously too early; Because the chip is just born for two month, and we just port mpy to this chip for 3 weeks.
But if you want experience newest and featured chip&board, Sipeed MAIX is the best choice.
It is nothing to do with price, esp8266 is cheap too, but it have big success.
We offered $5 at a loss, just want more people can afford it.