Amlogic A311D2 is an upgraded version of A311D, which has improved performance and supports richer video input and output interfaces, NPU becomes an option. Compared with the A311D, the new version of the A311D2 is more suitable for commercial display or smart large-screen product applications.
A311D2 has 4x Cortex A73 at 2.2Ghz, 4x Cortex-A53 at 2.0GHz, four Cortex-A53 cores, and a more powerful Mali-G52 MP8 (8EE) GPU, which supports up to 16GB LPDDR4/X memory, providing performance guarantee for product applications. A311D2 supports eDP and LVDS video interfaces, supports 2x V-by-One outputs, and 3x HDMI 2.1 up to 4Kp60. Besides, the chipset also supports 8K@24fps AV1 video decoding, integrates a 16MP ISP, and supports 4K video encoding. A311D2 can support 4K UI rendering, which is currently only available for flagship products and can provide better visual effects for high-resolution apps.
Comparison of Amlogic A311D2 and A311D specifications
| Model | Amlogic A311D | Amlogic A311D2 |
| CPU | 4x Cortex-A73 at 2.2GHz, 2x Cortex-A53 at 1.8GHz | 4x Cortex-A73 at 2.2GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 at 2.0GHz |
| GPU | Arm Mali G52 MP4 (6EE) at 800MHz | Arm Mali-G52 MP8 (8EE) |
| NPU | 5 TOPS | TBC |
| RAM | Up to 4GB 32-bit LPDDR4/X @ 1608MHz | Up to 16GB 64-bit LPDDR4/X @ 2133 MHz |
| Display I/F | 1x HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60 | 1x MIPI DSI |
| Camera I/F | 1x 4-lane MIPI-CSI with 8MP ISP | 2x 4-lane MIPI-CSI with 16MP ISP |
| HDMI Input | No | 3x HDMI 2.1 up to 4Kp60 |
| 4K UI | No | Yes |
| Video Decoding | 4Kx2Kp60 + 1x1080p60 | |
| Main Video Codecs | 4K H.265, VP9, and AVS2 | 8Kp24/4Kp60 AV1, H.265, VP9, 4Kp60 AVS2 |
| Video Encoding | H.265 & H.264 at 1080p60 | H.265 & H.264 at 4Kp50 |
| Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet MAC Fast Ethernet PHY |
Gigabit Ethernet MAC Fast Ethernet PHY |
| USB | 1x USB 3.0 multiplexed with PCIe 1x USB 2.0 with OTG support |
1x USB 3.0 1x USB 2.0 with OTG support |
| PCIe | 1-lane PCIe multiplexed with USB 3.0 | 1-lane PCIe |
| Process | 12 nm | |
About Amlogic A311D chipset
Amlogic A311D has multiplexed PCIe and USB 3.0 interfaces, which can realize the following two configurations: 1x USB 2.0 Host + 1 PCIe or 1x USB3.0 (no PCIe). But the PCIe and USB 3.0 interfaces in Amlogic A311D2 are independent, so we can also use USB 3.0 while using PCIe (5 Gbps). Other than the optional dual HiFi 5 audio DSP and neural network extended audio/voice processing, the specific information of AI processor has not yet been clarified.
Devices powered by Amlogic A311D2 SoC
There are already several devices on the market powered by the Amlogic A311D2 chipset. Among others, Khadas VIM4 A311D2 SBC (on Amazon for $219.99), and Beelink GT-King II Android TV Box. Interestingly, the manufacturer Videostrong recently unveiled its VS-D5 AI development board, more here.
Summary
Generally speaking, the usage scenario of A311D2 is still positioned at the 4K level, and 8K is only a bright spots, which cannot really meet the functional requirements of the 8K scenario. A311D2 improves upon GPU, 4K video encoding, HDMI 2.1 feature support, separate USB 3.0 and PCIe ports, HDMI input, and RAM. These improvements are mainly aimed at the expansion of application scenarios, but the performance of the chip itself is not greatly improved. However, it is very necessary for industry to upgrade these functions, especially for commercial display and smart large screen applications.
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