History
Banana Pi F2P/F2S
I found out about the Banana Pi F2P/F2S single board computer in around April 2020. I found that it was fascinating that Sunplus has released a general-purpose ARM SoC. I acquired the board shortly after but I did not make much use of it until years later. As of September 24, 2024, Sunplus lists Tibbo and Banana Pi as the two vendors of SP7021-based hardware.
Personal Factors
I have generally had interest in Sunplus Technology as I learned about the hardware in the V.Smile and Hyperscan consoles after I found an SPHE8203R in a DVD player in April 2019. The V.Smile had great importance in my early childhood.
I have been fascinated by the idea of Sunplus and its spin-offs such as SunplusIT and Generalplus having such a large presence in computer hardware though rarely ever being heard of. Sunplus microcontrollers and microprocessors have been found in devices such as in-vehicle infotainment, V.Smile, HyperScan, first generation Furby and probably a lot of other things.
The SP7021
The SP7021 was created in collaboration between Sunplus Technology and Tibbo Technology.
I personally believe that the SP7021 has great potential in both industrial applications and hobbyist applications as it seems to be the only Linux-capable SoC/SiP that is in a TQFP package with integrated DRAM.
Possible Applications
I consider the SP7021 to be more of an embedded industrial control processor instead of a multimedia processor.
My Projects
I have planned on using the SP7021 in projects since 2020 but actual development with the SP7021 has not started until 2024.
Current
Starting September 26, 2024, all hardware projects have been put on hold for the time being
SP7021-Block
SP7021-Block is a single-board computer design that was started in late September 2024 as one other vendor has released a single board computer: Banana Pi. The Banana Pi F2P/F2S appears to be more of a development kit for the SP7021 than a general-purpose single-board-computer making use of the SIP.
SP7021-Block is intended to be a physically smaller and lower cost option than the F2P/F2S intended for the maker market.
MediaCow Touch 2
Starting September 11, 2024, MediaCow Touch 2 uses the SP7021 as its embedded controller (dubbed System Management Embedded Controller; SMEC).
Upcoming/Idea-only
MediaCow Touch Mini SP7021
MediaCow Touch Mini SP7021 is an upcoming experimental hardware design for a tablet-like portable media player that demonstrates the use of a Cologne Chip GateMate series FPGA with the SP7021 in a mobile application.
NetKart ECU
One of the earliest ideas I had for the SP7021 was to use it in an engine control unit (ECU) system for an experimental camless/free-valve engine configuration. I do not plan to work on this for a long time.