Banana Pi BPI-RV2 Gateway Board Features Siflower SF21H8898 RISC-V Processor, 2.5GbE Port

Banana Pi has recently introduced the BPI-RV2, an open-source gateway board developed through a collaboration between Siflower Communications and the Banana Pi community. It is built around the Siflower SF21H8898 SoC, a powerful industrial-grade chip featuring a 4-core 64-bit RISC-V processor, a dedicated NPU for high-speed data processing, and advanced networking capabilities.

The BPI-RV2 offers 512MB DDR3 RAM, 128MB NAND, and 16MB NOR flash for reliable onboard storage, along with expansion options like M.2 and Mini PCIe interfaces. It provides a 2.5GbE WAN port and five Gigabit LAN ports, making it ideal for use as an enterprise gateway or industrial control gateway. Other key features include USB 2.0 ports, PoE power support, RTC with backup battery, and a MikroBUS expansion socket.

Additionally, the board can connect PCIe Gen 2×1 SSDs, WiFi modules, and has easy debug options through a USB-C console. It is mainly used for fast enterprise networking, industrial control systems, and edge computing, where quick data handling and real-time work are needed. The board is pretty compact at 148 x 100.5 mm, so it’s easy to fit into different professional and industrial setups.

Banana Pi BPI-RV2 Gateway Board Specifications:

• SoC: Siflower SF21H8898 quad-core 64-bit RISC-V processor @ 1.25GHz with NPU for hardware L2/L3 network acceleration
• System Memory: 512MB DDR3 RAM
• Storage:
  • 128MB SPI NAND flash for U-Boot and Linux
  • 16MB SPI NOR flash (write-protected by default, jumper selectable)
  • M.2 2242 socket for NVMe SSD (PCIe Gen2 x1)
• Networking:
  • 1x 2.5GbE RJ45 WAN port
  • 5x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 LAN ports
  • Optional support for 802.3af/at PoE (with additional module)
• USB Interfaces:
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A host port
  • 1x USB Type-C port (for UART console via onboard USB-to-UART chip)
• Expansion:
  • 1x M.2 Key B socket (PCIe Gen2 x1) for SSD, 5G modules, etc.
  • 1x Mini PCIe slot (PCIe Gen2 x1) for WiFi modules, network cards, etc.
  • 1x MikroBUS socket for add-on modules
• Debugging:
  • 3-pin UART connector or USB-C console access
• Misc:
  • RTC with backup battery holder (CR1220)
  • Reset and user buttons
  • Boot selection between NAND (default) and NOR (via jumper)
• Dimensions: 148 x 100.5 mm

In terms of software, the BPI-RV2 works with OpenWrt, and you can find the source code and system images on GitHub, Google Drive, and Baidu Cloud. Developers can also access the Siflower SF21H8898 datasheet along with a getting-started guide to help them work with the board.

It is not the first time that Banana Pi has developed such boards for network applications. Previously, Banana Pi has launched the BPI-CanMV-K230D-Zero, a RISC-V SoC-based SBC and the BPI-R4 Lite, a router board with OpenWrt, 2.5G WAN and a Wi-Fi 7-supported board.

At the time of writing, the Banana Pi BPI-RV2 is available on AliExpress at $35.78 and Taobao, with prices starting at about $34.50.

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