Banana Pi BPI-M2 Berry
Original price was: 52,80 €.38,40 €Current price is: 38,40 €. INCL. VAT
- Native SATA port to connect a drive without a USB adapter, ideal for a mini NAS
- Quad-core Cortex-A7, 1 GB DDR3, Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0
- 85 x 56 mm form factor and 40-pin GPIO identical to the Raspberry Pi 3
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- Description
Description
Banana Pi M2 Berry (BPI-M2 Berry): the quad-core board with SATA port in the Raspberry Pi 3 form factor
The Banana Pi BPI-M2 Berry combines, in an 85 x 56 mm form factor identical to the Raspberry Pi 3, a quad-core Allwinner processor, 1 GB of memory, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet and above all a native SATA port. It is a board designed to connect a drive directly and build a small file server, a gateway or a media player without a USB adapter.
Highlights
- Native SATA handled by the SoC: a 2.5-inch drive connects directly, without going through USB.
- Gigabit Ethernet (Realtek RTL8211E/D) for fast network transfers.
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 built in (AP6212 module).
- Four USB 2.0 ports plus a micro-USB OTG port.
- 40-pin connector with the Raspberry Pi 3 pinout, with UART, I2C, SPI, PWM and I2S.
- Same dimensions as the Raspberry Pi 3 : Banana Pi states that its cases fit.
Technical specifications
| Element | Specification |
|---|---|
| SoC | Allwinner A40i / R40 / V40, 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores (32-bit) |
| GPU | Mali-400 MP2 at 500 MHz, OpenGL ES 2.0 |
| Memory | 1 GB DDR3 at 733 MHz (shared with the GPU) |
| Storage | microSD reader, SATA port; no eMMC |
| Network | Ethernet 10/100/1000 Mbit/s, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 |
| Video | HDMI 1.4, 4-lane MIPI DSI; H.264 decoding up to 1080p60 |
| Camera | CSI connector |
| Audio | HDMI, 3.5 mm jack, I2S |
| USB | 4 x USB 2.0 host, 1 x micro-USB OTG |
| GPIO | 40 pins (28 GPIO) |
| Buttons | Reset, Power, U-boot |
| Power supply | 5 V / 2 A via micro-USB |
| Dimensions / weight | 85 x 56 mm, 40 g |
Which one should you choose?
| Model | Processor | Memory / storage | Main advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| BPI-M2 Berry | 4 x Cortex-A7 | 1 GB DDR3, microSD | Native SATA, Raspberry Pi 3 form factor |
| BPI-M4 Berry | Allwinner H618, 4 x Cortex-A53 64-bit | 2 GB LPDDR4, 8 GB eMMC | HDMI 2.0a 4K60, Wi-Fi 5 |
| BPI-M5 | Amlogic S905X3, 4 x Cortex-A55 | 4 GB LPDDR4, 16 GB eMMC | 4 USB 3.0 ports, HDMI 2.1 4K60 |
| BPI-M2 Pro | Amlogic S905X3, 4 x Cortex-A55 | 2 GB LPDDR4, 16 GB eMMC | Square 65 x 65 mm form factor, 2 USB 3.0 |
Choose the M2 Berry if native SATA is your priority and a lightweight 32-bit system is enough for you. For 4K multimedia use or a more comfortable Linux desktop, the BPI-M4 Berry or the BPI-M5 are better suited.
Compatibility and pitfalls
- No eMMC : the system is installed on a microSD card. Use a good quality card.
- 32-bit architecture (Cortex-A7): some recent software is only released in 64-bit.
- Raspberry Pi OS is not official : use the images published by Banana Pi (Ubuntu, Debian, Android 6.0, Armbian, Tina Linux) or community Raspbian ports.
- Raspberry Pi HATs : the 40-pin connector is physically compatible, but boards that depend on drivers specific to Raspberry Pi OS may not work.
- No infrared receiver built in.
Recommended accessories
- L'official Raspberry Pi 12.5 W micro-USB power supply : 5.1 V / 2.5 A, above the required 2 A, with the right micro-USB connector.
- The official case for Raspberry Pi 3B+, 3 and 2, since Banana Pi states that Raspberry Pi 3 cases fit the M2 Berry.
- A SanDisk Ultra microSD card for the system.
- The official Raspberry Pi HDMI cable for the full-size HDMI output.
Uses and projects
- Mini NAS : a SATA drive and the Gigabit port are all you need to share files on the local network.
- IoT gateway : Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPIO to link sensors and services.
- 1080p media player and digital signage on an HDMI display.
- Learning Linux on a low-power board.
For installation, follow our guide to getting started with a Banana Pi, then discover the other boards on the Banana Pi page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the Banana Pi M2 and the M2 Berry?
“M2” refers to a family. The M2 Berry is the version in the Raspberry Pi 3 form factor with an Allwinner A40i/R40/V40 SoC, native SATA and built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth.
Does the BPI-M2 Berry have eMMC memory?
No, it boots from a microSD card. The SATA port lets you add a drive for data.
Which power supply should I use?
Banana Pi specifies 5 V / 2 A via micro-USB. A 5.1 V / 2.5 A power supply is suitable.
Are Raspberry Pi 3 cases compatible?
Yes, Banana Pi states that the M2 Berry is the same size as the Raspberry Pi 3 and can use its cases.
Which operating systems can I install?
Banana Pi publishes Android 6.0, Ubuntu, Debian, adapted Raspbian, Armbian and Tina Linux images.
Is the M2 Berry a 64-bit processor?
No, its Cortex-A7 cores are 32-bit. For 64-bit, look at the BPI-M4 Berry or the BPI-M5.
The Banana Pi M2 Berry is the affordable SATA board for your storage and IoT projects. At MonRaspberry, you buy official, tested products, shipped from our stock based in France within 24/48 h after payment is received, with free pickup point delivery on orders from €200, returns within 14 days (with return authorization) and payment by Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
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