Allwinner (全志科技) ARM SoCs
Allwinner Technology is a Chinese fabless semiconductor company that designs mixed-signal systems on a chip (SoC) for tablets, OTT boxes, and IoT devices.
SoC Series Breakdown
| Series | Focus Area | Common Models |
|---|---|---|
| A-Series | Tablets | A10, A20, A31, A64 (64-bit). |
| H-Series | OTT / Set-Top Boxes | H3, H5, H6, H616. Popular in SBCs like Orange Pi. |
| V-Series | Video / Camera | V3, V3s, V5. Used in dashcams and sports cameras. |
| R-Series | Smart Hardware / IoT | R8, R16, R40. Used in Google Home Hub and smart speakers. |
| T-Series | Automotive | T5, T7. Infotainment and smart cockpits. |
| F-Series | Low-cost Multimedia | F1C100s, F1C200s. Extremely compact ARM9 designs. |
Open Source Community (linux-sunxi)
The linux-sunxi community is a great resource for porting mainline Linux and U-Boot to Allwinner-based devices.
Key Technical Features
- CedarX: Allwinner's proprietary hardware video decoding engine.
- Boot Process: Allwinner SoCs typically boot from an internal ROM (BROM) which searches for code on SD cards (MMC0) or NAND/EMMC before falling back to USB FEL mode for flashing.