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OrangePi Zero WiFi. First run. Test, review, opinions.

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  • OrangePi Zero WiFi. First run. Test, review, opinions.
    The popularity of the Raspberry Pi is growing thanks to the many examples available and the development driven by the community interested in minicomputer platforms. In addition to RPi, it is worth taking an interest in alternative minicomputers, perhaps they will be better suited to the planned project.
    OrangePi Zero is equipped with SoC AllWinner H2 1.2GHz ARM Cortex A7, 256MB / 512MB RAM, Ethernet 100Mb / s, WiFi 802.11 b / g / n, USB, microSD slot, support for Android, Lubuntu, Debian, Raspbian, all with 48mm × dimensions 46mm and the price of 60-80 PLN. The module, compared to typical Arduino or ESP8266 / 32 boards, gives us a much larger amount of RAM, efficient CPU and the ability to run software known from Linux distributions. On the other hand, you should take into account the increased power consumption and more complex software, compared to eg Arduino we will be "further away from the hardware".

    Preparation of the SD card
    OrangePi will start from the system image located on the SD card. I used the distribution for testing Armbian . After downloading and unpacking the file with the system image, "burn" the img file on the card, eg using the software Etcher and a reader connected to the PC.
    OrangePi Zero WiFi. First run. Test, review, opinions.

    First launch of OrangePi Zero
    Place the prepared microSD card in the slot on the OrangePi board, then supply 5V power using the micro USB connector, power consumption during start up 1-2W depending on the tasks performed by the system. The board does not have an HDMI output (video output is available), so we log into the CLI of the installed Linux distribution using UART or SSH.

    For the first login, I used a UART connection and a USB UART converter that accepts 3.3V voltage levels and software, for example PuTTY, in which we will open a connection on the selected COM with a speed of 115200. This method allows you to observe the start-up process and log in regardless of the state and configuration of the network . The default login details for the current Armbian distribution are root user and password 1234 which of course we change. By issuing the ifconfig command, we can check and modify the settings of network interfaces. After configuring the Internet connection, it is worth updating the software by issuing the apt upgrade command.
    OrangePi Zero WiFi. First run. Test, review, opinions.
    OrangePi Zero WiFi. First run. Test, review, opinions.

    We can also completely resign from UART by connecting the device to the local network with a twisted pair and an Ethernet interface, then we can log into the system using ssh, e.g. PuTTY, we only need to determine what address from DHCP was assigned during the first start of OrangePi (at a later time, we can e.g. set static IP or abandon Ethernet in favor of a WiFi interface).
    - To determine what IP address has been assigned, we can log into the router, which assigns IP addresses in a given LAN using DHCP.
    - You can also run a DHCP server on a PC and connect OrangePi with a twisted pair to the PC port, thanks to which we will have control over the initial IP address assigned.
    - Another way to determine what address has been assigned to a new device in our network may be to scan the addresses in the subnet using e.g. axence nettools .
    - Another way is to use the TV-OUT output and connect the signal to the TV's video input, then connect the USB keyboard to OrangePi.
    OrangePi Zero WiFi. First run. Test, review, opinions.

    Finally, we can review the configuration using the tool: armbian-config
    it's worth a look at h3consumption -p and optimize the settings for power consumption
    monitoring of the system operation is possible eg by running armbianmonitor -m

    Description of the PCB leads: OrangePi Zero pinout

    What do you think about Orange Pi Zero? The cheapest version can be purchased for a few or a dozen dollars.

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    About Author
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
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    TechEkspert wrote 6246 posts with rating 4908, helped 16 times. Been with us since 2014 year.
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  • #2 16803903
    mongoł2000
    Level 18  
    From deep practice, I can say that it is not a nice plate for advanced work. Drivers are buggy, no good graphics acceleration, stability problems, low power optimization. The price is plus, but as you know, only because they sell parts for the price, because the Chinese government subsidizes the tiles for us :)

    The soft that this company gives you can be thrown away. Even the first version of Windows did not have so many gates :) Only Armbian, but also not good for every tile.

    FCC and CE are fake in these tiles. I even had the opportunity to meet Mr. CEO of this company and we still have contact.
  • #3 16804151
    noyo
    Level 18  
    Does this board have audio output pins?
  • #4 16804193
    Ture11
    Level 39  
    noyo wrote:
    Does this board have audio output pins?

    The contacts are on the goldpin connector, for conversion to the jack connector you can use the cap from the same manufacturer.

    Added after 1 [minutes]:

    TechEkspert wrote:
    What do you think about Orange Pi Zero? The cheapest version can be purchased for a few or a dozen dollars.

    I am using as a server for SDR. It works the same as the server on Odroid C2.
    The SoC heats up tremendously in the PCB - but for obvious reasons - a small PCB surface, no heat sink, and the Allwinner H2 +. I have the impression that this board dissipates heat through the Ethernet connector :-)
  • #5 16806071
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    @noyo here board pinout: OrangePi Zero pinout

    @ mongoł2000 hmm. price determines quality? As for heating, I think it is similar to, for example, BeagleBone, etc. a small heat sink will be useful (I saw even ready ones that fit into the holes in the PCB, but just a regular one glued with heat conductive glue is enough).

    @ Ture11 cool thing, such a webSDR, maybe you could present it on elektroda.pl?

    Here: https://www.elektroda.pl/rtvforum/topic3390036.html you can get an OPi0 board.
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  • #6 16806247
    tronics
    Level 38  
    Pros:
    1.small
    2. cheap
    3. It just works in basic applications
    Minuses:
    1. Pathetic WiFi (XR819)
    2.overheating even with a heat sink and hanging,
    3.no security on power lines (this is common to all Xunlong products)
    4. Taking responsibility for programming support on the community (as col. Mongoł2000 wrote pictures from the producer's website, they are only suitable to record, watch how weak it is and delete it)
    I will add that OPi is also capricious about microSD cards :) But that's more of the norm in SBC ;)
    Overall, I have a wide range of Xunlong products and some are clearly better (OrangePi Lite, OrangePi Prime), and others worse (OrangePi Zero and OrangePi PC2), all equally poorly supported in terms of programming by the manufacturer, which is the biggest obstacle to popularizing these solutions. Personally, I would not dare to use OrangePi as a commercial product. I use it as a hobby as much as possible. I am simply not afraid of some flaws, and I got used to others and this is "a calculated risk".

    What's worth adding? OPi has no MAC, and if it is incorrect. In armbian distribution, the MAC is generated, you change the image and the MAC changes. This can be a problem on some networks where MAC filtering is also present despite DHCP.
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  • #7 16806429
    Ture11
    Level 39  
    TechEkspert wrote:
    @ Ture11 a nice thing, such a webSDR, maybe you could present it on elektroda.pl?

    Well, unfortunately, it's not webSDR but just a LAN TCP server for SDR - I use it in conjunction with HDSDR. Such an Orange Pi with RTL-SDR can be mounted on the roof, close to the antenna (I normally used RTL-SDR on USB - but the USB range limits a lot).
  • #8 16809832
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    What bandwidth does this TCP connection need and what delays are acceptable, e.g. can it be sent via WAN?
  • #9 17076343
    ghost2000
    Level 18  
    I would clarify the statement
    Quote:

    The board does not have an HDMI output (video output is available), so we log into the CLI of the installed Linux distribution using UART or SSH.

    Video output works only after the graphics card has been started, for example through the graphics environment. The only way to log into Rasbera is via CLI via SSH or USART.
  • #10 17078052
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    I do not know how it is on RPi, but on OrangePi on Video you can see CLI and after connecting the keyboard you can issue commands.
  • #11 17078068
    ghost2000
    Level 18  
    TechEkspert wrote:
    I do not know how it is on RPi, but on OrangePi on Video you can see CLI and after connecting the keyboard you can issue commands.

    Today I checked on OrangePiZero. I connected the TV, there was nothing on the Video. In addition, I checked with an oscilloscope for zero signal.
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  • #12 17078078
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    Perhaps it depends on the distribution.
  • #13 17078196
    noel200
    Level 27  
    I've had orange pi zero for about a month and have been playing with it. I put armbiana on ubuntu and there is nothing on the tv output.
    I use this with octoprint and webcam. Built-in wifi works tragically. I connected the hub and connected the printer and webcam to it. When I connected the wifi card to the usb, the printer disappeared from the list of devices. I glued the heat sink to the processor, it is a bit better, but the stability of this board is tragic. Badziewo terrible. 32 PLN lost.
  • #14 17078226
    ghost2000
    Level 18  
    noel200 wrote:
    I put armbiana on ubuntu and there is nothing on the tv output.

    I also have Arbian on Ubuntu.

    noel200 wrote:

    I stuck the heat sink on the processor, it's a little better,

    Maybe you need to give oil cooling like MV transformers.
  • #15 17078256
    noel200
    Level 27  
    Or they'll throw it in a bubble of liquid nitrogen.
  • #16 17078284
    ghost2000
    Level 18  
    noel200 wrote:
    Or they'll throw it in a bubble of liquid nitrogen.

    The electrons will freeze and stop moving :-)
    I will not use graphics, only access via Ethernet (HTTP, UDP).
  • #17 17079068
    TechEkspert
    Editor  
    What can I say, CVBS in OrangePi works for me :) maybe a different version of the distribution, or a different rev. plates.
    On the serial console we can observe the complete start of the system, while in the case of CVBS the image from CLI appears when logging on to TTY1, we get something similar to SSH.

    The video output is a curiosity for me, but maybe it will be useful to someone.
  • #18 18236880
    mikomaaz
    Level 17  
    What can I say about Xunlong computers, and I have two: OrangePiPC and OrangePiZeroLTS, the community support is pretty good. So much so that most of the boards are already running on the mainline kernel with support for the graphics and sound. I am posting a link to the wiki, where there is a fairly well-described situation of what the SoC can do at the moment: https://linux-sunxi.org/Linux_mainlining_effort. Most of the Allwinner SoC boards are also quite well described on the wiki itself.

    Currently on my OrangePi Zero LTS I have Armbian Buster with 5.3.7 kernel, which according to Armbian's website is not compatible with this board. So far the only problem I have found is the possible incorrect temperature reading from / sys / devices / virtual / thermal. I have to measure the SoC temperature with some device and compare it with what, for example, shows an armbian htop.
  • #19 18236902
    tronics
    Level 38  
    @mikomaaz - how about XR819 support? Because this OrangePi Zero LTS looks identical to the good old OrangePi Zero and WiFi was a problem there. Radio like radio, on android probably worked ok, but Linux support was buggy, lots of bugs, disconnections for no reason, etc. Only newer series with better chips (OrangePi Zero Plus) really worked. Graphics support for such H5s was only successful this year (lima open source Mali driver and decoder support by Cedrus). For the same reason, only this year the H5 is finally being served by RetrorangePi :)
  • #20 18237002
    mikomaaz
    Level 17  
    I was able to connect to WiFi normally using nmtui. I have not been able to create a hotspot from this yet through the console. LXDE over VNC also works normally.

    Writing for posterity. The only problem with the latest version of this board is probably the temperature. He can heat up quite a bit. I tested several solutions and with the help of Armbian Beta version with 5.3.4 kernel, I was able to use the Wi-Fi module repeatedly without any problems as a network host and as an access point. I was even able to redirect the network from the ethernet connector to this hotspot without any major problems using armbian software called "armbian-config". I do not know yet about the pins, whether they are commonly called GPIO, or those with USB 2.0, video output, etc. Network settings are remembered without any problems. After creating the hotspot, I can normally disconnect the board from the power supply, and after plugging in, the access point reappears.
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Topic summary

The OrangePi Zero, powered by the AllWinner H2 SoC, is discussed in terms of its performance, usability, and community support. Users report mixed experiences, highlighting its low cost and compact size as advantages, but also note significant drawbacks such as buggy drivers, poor WiFi performance, overheating issues, and limited manufacturer support. The board is primarily used for basic applications and hobby projects, with some users successfully employing it as a server for software-defined radio (SDR). Discussions also touch on video output capabilities, with some users experiencing difficulties in getting video signals. Community-driven solutions and alternative operating systems like Armbian are mentioned as potential improvements for functionality and stability.
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