Are you looking for the best way to make use of a Banana Pi Pro? Look no further – we’ve got the answer! While this mini computer is incredibly versatile, it can be used for a variety of tasks, including as a media center, server, or desktop PC. In this post, we’ll show you how to set up your Banana Pi Pro and get started using it. So if you’re ready to learn more about this amazing little machine, read on!
What Is a Banana Pi Pro?
It features a 1 GHz ARM Cortex A7 processor, 1 GB of DDR3 RAM, Gigabit Ethernet port, Wi-Fi capabilities, USB ports, HDMI output, infrared receiver and transmitter. The device runs on the open source Linux operating system with various distributions available for download including Debian and Raspbian. Banana Pi Pro can also run Android 7.1 Nougat. This affordable yet powerful SBC makes it ideal for hobbyists looking to create their own projects or build custom solutions that fit specific needs.
The Banana Pi Pro can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used as a media center to stream movies and music, or for home automation projects such as controlling lights and appliances with voice commands. Whether you are coding in Python, C++, Java or HTML/CSS – it can all be done with ease using this software development tool. Additionally, the Banana Pi Pro can be used for robotics projects like autonomous vehicles or drones.
To get started with the Banana Pi Pro, you will need to install an operating system onto the board. For most users, either Debian or Raspbian is recommended. Once installed, you can begin using it for your desired purpose by connecting it to any peripherals you may need such as a monitor and keyboard/mouse combination. If you plan on using the Banana Pi Pro for development purposes, then you should connect it to the internet so that you can install any necessary software.
By using a Banana Pi Pro, you can unleash your creativity and begin building projects or solutions that are tailored to fit your needs. With its extensive capabilities, open source framework, affordability, and ease of use, the Banana Pi Pro is one of the most popular single-board computers available today. [1]
How to Use a Banana Pi Pro?
Android
Install Image with Usb Burning Tool
By utilizing the USB Burning Tool, you can swiftly install an Android image on your Banana Pi Pro. To do this, download the latest version of the USB Burning Tool from the official website and follow these steps:
- Connect your Banana Pi Pro to your computer using a micro-USB cable and open the USB Burning Tool application.
- Select ‘Image’ and select the path for where you have stored the Android image file on your computer.
- Click ‘Start’ to begin installing the image on your Banana Pi Pro.
- Once complete, disconnect the Banana Pi Pro from your computer, insert an SD card with at least 4GB of storage space into it and power up your device.
Install Image with Aml Flash Tool
The Banana Pi Pro is easy to use with a few simple steps. The first step is to install an image for the board using the AML Flash Tool. This is free software that helps you flash images on your Banana Pi Pro. To get started, download the latest version of this tool from their website, then follow the instructions provided there. Once you have downloaded and installed the AML Flash Tool, connect your board to your computer via USB cable and open up the program. Select “Image File” from the top menu bar and browse for an appropriate image file (usually in *.img format) that you want to burn onto your Banana Pi Pro. Finally, click on the “Flash Now” button to start flashing the image onto your board. It should take about 5 minutes for the flashing process to complete, after which you can disconnect and start using your Banana Pi Pro. [2]
Build Android Source Code
Once you’ve downloaded an image onto your Banana Pi Pro, you can construct Android source code from the ground up! This is a bit more complicated than the previous step, but not impossible. First of all, you need to download and set up the Android SDK (Software Development Kit). After that, build the code by downloading and configuring the device-specific sources for your board. Once this is done, enter “make” in the command line to compile the source code. Finally, use “adb install” command to flash it onto your board. It should take around half an hour or so for this process to complete.
Android DTB overlay
The Android DTB overlay is a simple process to enable hardware acceleration on your board. To use this, you first need to download the appropriate files from the Banana Pi Pro website. Once downloaded, copy these files onto your SD card and reboot your board. This should enable hardware acceleration on your Banana Pi Pro and help it run smoother and faster than before.
Install OpenGapps
Finally, you can install OpenGapps on your Banana Pi Pro. This is an open-source app store which provides access to a wide range of apps and games for the board. To install it, simply download the latest version from their website and then drag and drop it onto your SD card. After that, reboot your board, open up OpenGapps and start installing whatever apps you need. [3]
These are some of the basic steps to get you started with using a Banana Pi Pro. It’s important to remember that this is just scratching the surface; there are plenty more things you can do with this little powerhouse!
Linux
Install Image to SDcard
Banana Pi Pro can boot from the SDcard, so you need to install an image to your SDcard. You need to download a Linux operating system image, such as Raspbian or Ubuntu and then copy it onto your SDcard using Win32DiskImager. Once the image has been copied to the SDcard, insert it into your Banana Pi Pro and power it up. Once booted up the device will automatically start running the installed software. You can use SSH (Secure Shell) to access and control it over a network connection, allowing you to carry out various tasks remotely.
Install Image to EMMC
You can also install an image to the Banana Pi Pro’s on-board EMMC storage. To do this, you need to insert a USB drive containing your chosen operating system into one of the Banana Pi Pro’s USB ports and then power it up. Once powered up the device will detect the USB drive and start installing the software automatically. Once completed, remove the USB drive and reboot your device for it to boot from its internal EMMC storage.
Build Linux Source Code
The Banana Pi Pro offers great flexibility when it comes to building your own Linux distributions. You can compile and build the source code for various Linux versions including Ubuntu, Raspbian and other operating systems from scratch using the Banana Pi Pro’s powerful processor. To do this you will need to download the necessary source code from Github or another version control repository. Once downloaded, you can use popular tools such as GCC or Makefiles on your device to compile the source code into a bootable image.
DTB overlay
The Banana Pi Pro also supports Device Tree Overlay (DTO) which allows you to add support for additional hardware such as LCD displays, buttons and sensors. The device tree overlay can be used to enable the Banana Pi Pro’s extra features without having to modify the Linux kernel source code. To use this feature you will need to download a dtb file from the official Banana Pi website or other sources and then copy it into your root filesystem. Once done, reboot your device with the dtb file in place and you will be able to access its added functionality.
WiringPi
Banana Pi Pro also supports WiringPi, a library that provides access to the GPIO (General Purpose Input Output) pins on the Banana Pi Pro. This allows you to easily create programs that interact with physical components connected to the device such as motors, LEDs and sensors. To use this feature you need to download and install the WiringPi library onto your device from its official website. Once installed, you can start writing code in any language that has bindings for WiringPi, such as C or Python.
RPi.GPIO Library
The Raspberry Pi GPIO library is also compatible with the Banana Pi Pro. This library provides a simple interface for controlling the pins on your device, allowing you to easily write programs that interact with physical components connected to it such as motors and LEDs. To use the RPi.GPIO library you need to first install it onto your device from its official website and then write code in any language that has bindings for the library, such as C or Python. [4]
Custom Applications
Using all of the features mentioned above, you can create custom applications for your Banana Pi Pro based on Linux operating systems.
To do this you will need to have an understanding of basic programming concepts and be comfortable using the command line interface as most applications built for the Banana Pi Pro require it.
Once your custom application is ready, you can install it onto your device either by copying the executable files over a network connection or through a USB drive. Once installed, you can start running your applications on the Banana Pi Pro to carry out various tasks such as controlling motors, LEDs and other hardware components connected to it.
In conclusion, the Banana Pi Pro offers great flexibility when it comes to developing custom applications for Linux operating systems. [5]
FAQ
How do you use Banana Pi?
Using a Banana Pi Pro is easy and straightforward. The most important step is to ensure that the Pi is properly powered on and connected to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. Once your Pi is up and running, you can begin using it in a variety of ways. To get started, you’ll need an SD card with an operating system such as Debian or Ubuntu installed on it. You can either download these from the official sites or purchase one pre-loaded with the OS for convenience. Once your SD card has been inserted into the slot located on the board, simply connect your monitor, mouse, and keyboard; then power it up by plugging in the micro USB power adapter provided with the board.
Can I use another operating system with the Banana Pi?
Yes, you can use other operating systems such as Android or Raspbian on the Banana Pi Pro. To do this, simply download the desired OS from its official website and install it onto an SD card prior to powering up your board. Make sure that when installing the OS, you select ‘Banana Pi’ as the correct platform in order to ensure compatibility. Once complete, simply insert your SD card into the slot located on the board and power it up; then follow any instructions provided by your chosen OS to get started.
Is Banana Pi Pro compatible with Raspberry Pi Zero?
No, Banana Pi Pro is not compatible with Raspberry Pi Zero. The two devices have different processors and interfaces. Banana Pi Pro uses the Allwinner A31s 1GHz Quad-core processor while Raspberry Pi Zero has an ARM1176JZF-S 700 MHz single-core processor. Both have different types of GPIO headers and therefore are not compatible with each other. Furthermore, the operating systems that are available for each device differ, as Banana Pi recommends Android 4.4+, Debian 8/9+ and Ubuntu 18.04+ for its model while Raspberry Pi supports a variety of OS like Raspbian, Ubuntu MATE etc.
Useful Video: Banana Pi BPI-R2 PRO Unboxing & Overview (OpenWRT/Android/Linux)
Conclusion
The Banana Pi Pro is an incredibly versatile device for those seeking to build their own projects or create their own media centers. It comes with a range of features that can help you achieve a variety of tasks, from streaming media and web browsing to computing and robotics applications. With its low price tag and open source software system, the Banana Pi Pro is an ideal choice for DIYers looking to save money and time. Whether you’re using it as a small-scale computer or creating your own custom project, the possibilities with the Banana Pi Pro are only limited by your imagination.
Have fun tinkering!
References
- http://www.lemaker.org/product-bananapi-guide
- https://www.armbian.com/banana-pi-pro/
- https://hub.packtpub.com/installation-and-setup/
- https://wiki.banana-pi.org/Banana_Pi_BPI-M2_Pro
- https://linux-sunxi.org/LeMaker_Banana_Pro