Huawei's mysterious chip is finally exposed

Latest update time：2024-07-05

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Source: The content is compiled from tomshardware by Semiconductor Industry Observer (ID: i cbank), thank you.

The Orange Pi Kunpeng Pro development board was announced in May and has been a secret until now - we knew that the Raspberry Pi alternative was equipped with a 64-bit quad-core Arm processor, but nothing else was certain, as Huawei and OrangePi refused to disclose the type of processor used in the device. Thanks to a recent teardown, more facts have been revealed.

Orange Pi removed all markings from the motherboard, and Huawei did not reveal the architecture and GPU behind the Kunpeng Pro. This is, of course, a common practice for the Chinese chipmaker as it seeks to circumvent U.S. export restrictions by avoiding Western prying eyes.

However, one of the chips has a label on it. The label says "Hi 1910", which means it may be the HiSilicon Hi1910 AI module. This chip is also used in the Atlas 200 AI module, which provides 22 TOPS of AI performance. The Orange Pi Kunpeng Pro is described as only 8 TOPS, so CNX Software believes that Orange Pi may be using a scaled-down version to reduce costs.

After reading our previous coverage of the Orange Pi Kunopeng Pro, in which we noted that the chip was intentionally hidden, YouTuber Technically Unsure (video below) set out to get one to reveal the chip inside. While Orange Pi doesn't officially sell the Kunpeng Pro outside of China, the outlet managed to get a sample board. The sample he received shows up as Orange Pi Ai Pro in Linux fastfetch output. It runs OpenEuler 22.03 OS, a Red Hat derivative built on the Linux 5.10.10 kernel.

Technically Unsure had trouble getting the SBC's more advanced features to work properly because the operating system's output was primarily in Chinese. Using an oscilloscope, a multimeter, and Linux's built-in benchmarking tools to do his sleuthing, he uncovered some interesting details.

The Orange Pi Kungpeng Pro's CPU processed 8020.46 events. Technically Unsure states that the Raspberry Pi 5 CPU can handle at least 10,000 events per second.

In testing, Technically Unsure was unable to get GPU acceleration to work, nor was he able to benchmark the AI features. He disassembled the computer and installed an M.2 NVMe SSD, which Linux was able to recognize and mount without any problems. Regardless, he was unable to get GPU acceleration to work, and many of the sample tests installed on the system failed.

Nonetheless, the teardown and review confirm some of our suspicions about the origin of this mysterious processor. The new Orange Pi Kunpeng Pro SoC is positioned as a Chinese alternative to single-board computers with AI capabilities, but its capabilities appear to lag behind what competitors currently offer.

Reference Links

https://www.tomshardware.com/raspberry-pi/teardown-and-analysis-reveal-details-of-new-huawei-powered-raspberry-pi-competitor-orange-pi-kunpeng-pro-sbc-tested

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