Banana Pi M1 Overview

The Banana Pi M1 is a versatile and powerful single-board computer (SBC) designed for a wide range of applications. It features the Allwinner A20 ARM Cortex-A7 processor, 1GB of DDR3 RAM, and supports a variety of expansion options. It is ideal for multimedia, SBC Home servers, IoT, and embedded systems.

The board offers connectivity options such as Gigabit Ethernet and USB 2.0, and it comes with built-in support for SATA, GPIO, and LCD displays. Its compact size and low power consumption make it suitable for many DIY and professional projects.

Banana Pi (M1)

Front view of Banana Pi M1 board

Image: Fxstation / Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY‑SA 3.0. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

More info: Banana Pi – Official Site :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

SATA Interface on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 features a native SATA II interface, which supports faster data transfer speeds than traditional USB storage options. This allows for the addition of external hard drives or SSDs to the system, making it suitable for applications such as network-attached storage (NAS), media servers, or any system requiring high-capacity storage with fast read/write speeds.

Connecting SATA storage devices directly to the board is ideal for projects that require large amounts of storage space or fast data retrieval, such as file sharing, backup solutions, or multimedia storage.

Gigabit Ethernet on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 comes equipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port (10/100/1000 Mbps), which allows for high-speed internet and local network connections. The inclusion of Gigabit Ethernet provides much faster data transfer compared to older 100Mbps Ethernet ports, making it ideal for network-heavy tasks such as media streaming, file transfers, or hosting servers.

This feature makes the Banana Pi M1 suitable for use in scenarios where fast and reliable network connectivity is required, such as in IoT projects, network servers, and SBC Home automation systems.

Serial Console Connector on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 includes a Serial Console (UART) interface for low-level system interaction, debugging, and recovery. The serial port can be accessed through a 4-pin header, which includes TX, RX, GND, and a 3.3V pin. This is especially useful for troubleshooting or configuring the board without needing a monitor or keyboard.

Serial communication via UART allows for commands and system logs to be transmitted over a simple terminal connection, providing a minimal interface for system management.


# Enable and use UART (ttyS0)
screen /dev/ttyS0 115200
# Or using Python
python3 -c "import serial; s=serial.Serial('/dev/ttyS0',115200); s.write(b'Hello\n')"

Battery on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 supports a 3.7V Li-ion battery via a dedicated connector. This battery can provide backup power for the system, which is especially useful for maintaining real-time clock (RTC) functionality during power outages. Additionally, it ensures the device remains powered for portable applications or when running off-grid.

This feature is particularly useful in embedded or mobile projects where the Banana Pi M1 is deployed in remote or unstable power environments, allowing the system to keep time and prevent data loss.

Composite Video on Banana Pi M1

In addition to HDMI, the Banana Pi M1 includes a composite video output through a 3.5mm jack, allowing the board to connect to older TVs or video equipment that supports composite video input. This feature is ideal for legacy systems or environments where HDMI or digital video outputs are not available.

The composite video output supports both PAL and NTSC video formats, making it suitable for a wide range of devices, especially those with analog video input.

LCD Connector on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 comes with a 24-bit LVDS LCD connector for connecting external LCD displays. This connector allows you to attach a wide variety of LCD screens, enabling the board to display graphics, user interfaces, or multimedia content.

It is commonly used with 7-inch to 10-inch LVDS screens, providing high-quality visuals for embedded projects, digital signage, or interactive kiosks. The display interface supports both basic GUI applications as well as complex multimedia tasks.

Camera Interface on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 features a Camera Serial Interface (CSI), allowing it to connect to compatible camera modules for image or video capture. The 24-pin MIPI-CSI2 connector can support various camera types, including Raspberry Pi camera modules and other MIPI-CSI compatible sensors.

This feature is useful for applications in surveillance, robotics, machine vision, or media creation. The camera module can capture still images or video streams that can be processed or transmitted by the Banana Pi M1.

I2C Interface on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 provides an I2C interface for communication with various I2C devices such as sensors, displays, and other peripherals. The board supports multiple I2C buses, allowing for flexibility in connecting a range of devices.

I2C is a two-wire protocol (SCL for clock and SDA for data) that simplifies communication between microcontrollers and peripheral devices, making it ideal for embedded applications where many devices need to be connected to a single bus.


# Enable I2C and detect devices
i2cdetect -y 1
# Read register 0x00 from device at address 0x3C
i2cget -y 1 0x3c 0x00

I2S Interface on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 also supports the I2S (Inter-IC Sound) interface for high-quality audio data transfer. This is particularly useful for connecting digital audio devices such as DACs, ADCs, or audio codecs for professional-grade sound systems or audio processing applications.

I2S is a serial bus interface standard that allows for the transmission of digital audio data between devices with minimal interference, making it ideal for high-fidelity audio applications like sound recording or playback.


# I2S support on Banana Pi is hardware-limited and requires custom kernel overlays
# Example: record using arecord
arecord -D plughw:1,0 -f cd test.wav

SPI Interface on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 comes equipped with an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus for high-speed communication with a variety of peripheral devices such as sensors, displays, and memory chips. SPI is a full-duplex protocol that provides faster data transfer speeds compared to I2C, making it ideal for applications requiring high-speed data exchange.

It is commonly used for communication with devices like SD cards, LCD displays, and sensors, offering a flexible solution for many embedded systems.


# Enable SPI and check device
ls /dev/spidev0.*
# Example using spidev in Python
python3 -c "import spidev; spi=spidev.SpiDev(); spi.open(0,0); spi.max_speed_hz=50000; print(spi.xfer([0xAA]))"

GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 offers a wide range of GPIO pins that can be configured as either input or output, making it highly flexible for controlling various devices such as LEDs, motors, relays, and other hardware peripherals. These pins can also be used for digital signal processing or as communication interfaces like I2C or SPI.

The board exposes a 26-pin header with a variety of functions, allowing for a wide range of use cases in embedded and IoT projects.


# Export GPIO pin 18 and toggle output (using sysfs)
echo 18 > /sys/class/gpio/export
echo out > /sys/class/gpio/gpio18/direction
echo 1 > /sys/class/gpio/gpio18/value
sleep 1
echo 0 > /sys/class/gpio/gpio18/value

Interrupts on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 supports interrupts, which allow the processor to respond to external events without constantly polling for input. Interrupts are crucial for low-latency applications where the system must react immediately to an event such as a button press, sensor input, or communication signal.

Interrupts can be configured on specific GPIO pins or other peripherals, enabling the Banana Pi M1 to efficiently handle time-sensitive events.

Interrupts are typically handled in the Linux kernel using IRQ (Interrupt Request) handlers. You can configure GPIO pins for interrupts through the sysfs interface or through kernel drivers.


# GPIO interrupt via sysfs (polling example in Bash)
echo 18 > /sys/class/gpio/export
echo in > /sys/class/gpio/gpio18/direction
echo rising > /sys/class/gpio/gpio18/edge
while true; do read line < /sys/class/gpio/gpio18/value; echo "Interrupt!"; done

Audio + Microphone on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 provides a 3.5mm audio jack for analog audio output, which can be connected to external speakers or headphones. Additionally, the board supports digital audio input through the I2S interface for microphones, which is useful for voice recognition or audio recording applications.

The audio output can be configured for stereo sound, and external microphones can be connected via I2S to capture high-quality audio for various applications like voice assistants, sound recording, and more.

IR (Infrared) on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 supports an IR (Infrared) interface for communication with IR devices such as remote controls, sensors, and other IR-enabled peripherals. The board includes a GPIO pin that can be used to transmit and receive IR signals, which makes it ideal for remote control applications.

This feature allows the Banana Pi M1 to be used in applications like SBC Home automation, robotics, and multimedia systems, where controlling devices via infrared is required.

Timer + PWM on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 features timers and PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) capabilities, which are essential for controlling motor speeds, generating precise timing signals, and creating applications that need timing and frequency control.

The timers are typically used for periodic events such as controlling LEDs, generating audio signals, or driving motors. PWM allows for smooth control over motor speeds and other devices by varying the duty cycle of a square wave.


# Timer functionality generally accessed via kernel modules or high-res timers
# Example using sleep in Bash (not precise)
start=$(date +%s%N)
sleep 1
end=$(date +%s%N)
echo "Elapsed: $(( (end - start)/1000000 )) ms"
    

# PWM using sysfs (example for PWM chip 0, channel 0)
echo 0 > /sys/class/pwm/pwmchip0/export
echo 1000000 > /sys/class/pwm/pwmchip0/pwm0/period
echo 500000 > /sys/class/pwm/pwmchip0/pwm0/duty_cycle
echo 1 > /sys/class/pwm/pwmchip0/pwm0/enable

USB on Banana Pi M1

The Banana Pi M1 is equipped with a USB 2.0 host interface, allowing you to connect a wide variety of USB peripherals such as keyboards, mice, USB storage devices, and more. The board provides a Type-A USB port that can be used for connecting these devices, as well as additional USB functionality depending on the operating system and drivers in use.

USB 2.0 offers data transfer speeds of up to 480 Mbps, providing sufficient bandwidth for most typical USB devices. The USB ports also support plug-and-play functionality, which simplifies the process of connecting external devices.

USB Gadget on Banana Pi M1

The USB Gadget feature on the Banana Pi M1 allows the board to act as a USB device, enabling it to function as a USB peripheral to a host system, such as a PC or another Raspberry Pi. This can be useful for projects where the Banana Pi M1 needs to communicate as a USB device, for example, as a keyboard, mouse, network device, or mass storage device.

USB Gadget mode is configured through the Linux kernel and typically requires specific drivers or configuration changes. This feature expands the usability of the Banana Pi M1 by allowing it to be used in unique embedded applications.

For example, the Banana Pi M1 can be configured as a USB Ethernet adapter or a virtual serial port to communicate with a host system, allowing it to interact in a wide range of projects.

Banana Pi (BPI) is trademarked by the Banana Pi open hardware community. :contentReference[oaicite:9]{index=9}
Onion, Omega2 is open-source hardware (see their documentation). :contentReference[oaicite:10]{index=10}