Key findings
- It has separate ARM and RISC-V cores
- At $10, it's much cheaper than the competition
- It is also quite powerful and has a decent number of ports
Development boards and SBCs are incredible companions for anyone interested in DIY projects. Not only are they small enough for all your tinkering, but they also cost a fraction of what you'd pay for a full-fledged PC. But even among these devices, the Milk-V Duo S stands out with its experimental features. After testing it out extensively over the past few weeks, here are three reasons why the Duo S has become one of my favorite SBCs.
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3 It has both ARM and RISC-V cores
However, there is a big problem with this feature
Since the release of the first Raspberry Pi in 2012, SBCs with ARM processors have become increasingly popular, while consumer-grade RISC-V systems have only been on the market for a few months. But what if you could switch between the open-standard RISC-V chip and the good old ARM CPU on a single device?
That's exactly what Milk-V has attempted to do with its Duo S development board. Equipped with both ARM and RISC-V cores, the device features a tiny latch that lets you switch between the two CPUs. If you're interested in app development, the ability to experiment with ARM and RISC-V microprocessors is more than enough to justify purchasing the device. Unfortunately, there is one caveat to the dual-architecture setup: the ARM processor isn't ready to go yet, and you'll have to wait for more updates before you can properly use it with the SBC.
2 It is budget-friendly
You don't have to spend more than $100 on an SBC
While most SBCs cost over $50, the Milk-V Duo S costs a modest $10. Even compared to the very affordable Raspberry Pi Zero 2, the Duo S is still $5 cheaper than the SBC.
Of course, there's no denying that the Duo S can only run CLI-based operating systems, while its Raspberry Pi competitor can run full-fledged GUI operating systems. But the Duo S is still ridiculously cheap for a device that ships with both ARM and RISC-V processors.
1 Despite its small size, it is quite powerful
And it even has a few ports
Cheap development boards aren't exactly known for their processing speed and ports, but the Milk-V Duo S is quite capable for a $10 device. The SG2000 SoC on the Duo S is more than capable of hosting lightweight Flask servers and can even handle smaller projects like running a network-wide Pi-Hole server without a hitch. If we look at the specs, the Duo-S should actually be enough to rival the performance of the Raspberry Pi Foundation's budget offering, although it will be a few months before the Duo-S's software can reach that level.
While there's no display port, you'll have to use the Duo S in a headless setup, it still has some good connectivity options. Along with a PoE-compatible Ethernet port and an additional USB Type-A port, the Duo S is equipped with two camera ports. It even has 52 GPIO pins that you can use to pair additional sensors and accessories!
Despite its shortcomings, the Duo S is a worthwhile device for hobbyists
While I spent most of the article praising the Milk-V Duo S, it still has some notable issues. Even months after its release, the Duo S can't run Arduino code, although the other devices in the Duo line can. The ARM + RISC-V core setup is definitely a game-changing feature, but the half-hearted ARM support is quite a mood killer.
That said, I'm still excited about this $10 SBC because of its enormous potential. I'll admit that RISC-V isn't optimized enough to break into mainstream computing yet, but affordable devices like the Duo S could be the silver bullet needed to get more developers on the RISC-V bandwagon.
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