Walnut Pi 2B is a single-board computer (SBC) with high power and a smaller size that will compete with the most popular small computers, such as Raspberry Pi, but with up-to-date connections and hardware oriented towards AI. It is a single-board based on the Allwinner T527 64-bit octa-core Cortex-A55 processor with a co-processor based on RISC-V and is compatible with many diverse projects, including embedded development, DIY systems, edge computing, robotics, and home automation.
The Walnut Pi 2B has a Mali-G57 MC1 graphics acceleration unit with OpenGL ES, OpenCL, and Vulkan capability under the hood, and a dedicated 2 TOPS NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that supports OpenGL ES, OpenCL, and Vulkan-powered AI tasks at the edge. This blend causes it to be nothing but a general-purpose SBC, but an AI inference and smart uses board as well.
It is available with 1GB, 2GB, or 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and storage is expandable by a microSD card up to 512 GB. The 8MB SPI Flash is an optional 32GB eMMC flash and onboard storage, making it suitable for the requirements of varied applications. It is well networked with Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6 dual band and Bluetooth 5.0.
On the physical side, the board can be supported with 1x USB 3.0, 3x USB 2.0, microHDMI 2.0a, display up to 4K60Hz, MIPI DSI and CSI camera, and PCIe 2.1 x1 (NVMe SSD rotates), or USB 3.0 active thus switching. There is also a 40-pin GPIO header, programmable button and LED, infrared receiver and, importantly, the programmable key.
Power is offered through a USB-C at 5 V/2 A and optional PoE (network-based power). The panel has close dimensions of 85 x 56 mm and is approximately 43 g in bare weight. It runs many operating systems (Walnut Pi OS (Debian-based), Ubuntu, Android and Home Assistant, etc.), which is flexible for all makers, students, and hobbyists.
The Walnut Pi 2B is broadly marketed as a cheaper Raspberry Pi–like SBC alternative, at a price typically in the range of $40 to $50, starting with base models with less RAM and no eMMC disk. Other higher configurations like the 4GB RAM version with 32GB eMMC tend to sell at approximately about $55 to $65, depending on the seller. The product can be mainly found on online shopping platforms such as AliExpress and other international electronics sellers, but not on the significant platforms such as Amazon. The price and inventory may differ according to the region, and they usually sell bundle products, including accessories like cases and power supplies, at a higher price as well.