The DshanPi-A1 Is a $70 AI Education Board With a Rare HDMI Input Port

If you have been looking for a single-board computer that punches well above its price point, the DshanPi-A1 deserves your attention.

Built around the Rockchip RK3576 octa-core processor (four Cortex-A72 cores at 2.2 GHz, four Cortex-A53 cores at 2.0 GHz), this board is designed from the ground up for AI education and computer vision projects. But the feature that really sets it apart? A built-in HDMI input port.

Why HDMI Input Matters

Most SBCs only have HDMI output. The DshanPi-A1, using a dedicated Rockchip RK628D chip, adds a micro HDMI input — meaning you can capture and process a live video feed from another device (a game console, a camera, another computer) while simultaneously running AI inference on that feed with the built-in 6 TOPS NPU. All on a single board under $130.

The Full Spec Sheet

The board comes with 2GB to 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, optional 32GB or 64GB eMMC storage, and a microSD slot. Connectivity includes dual Gigabit Ethernet, optional Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 via an M.2 Key-E socket, two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, and a USB Type-C OTG with DisplayPort Alt mode.

For video, you get HDMI 2.1 output at up to 4K120, a 4-lane MIPI DSI connector for LCD panels, and two 4-lane MIPI CSI connectors supporting up to four cameras simultaneously. The 40-pin GPIO header is color-coded and partially compatible with Raspberry Pi HATs.

Software Support

The DshanPi-A1 supports Armbian, Buildroot, OpenWrt, ArchLinux, OpenEuler, and Fedora. It ships with AI and ML education tutorials covering OpenCV, LLMs, Qt5, and ROS2 — making it an excellent platform for students diving into robotics or computer vision.

Pricing

Starting at roughly $70 for the 2GB model, $83 for 6GB, or $131 for the fully loaded 8GB/64GB configuration on AliExpress.

For anyone building computer vision pipelines, learning robotics, or just wanting a versatile SBC with features you cannot find anywhere else at this price — the DshanPi-A1 is a compelling option.