Kurze Antwort: Choosing a Rockchip development board means picking the right chip tier first. RK3566 is the cost-efficient entry point for single-display panels and basic IoT. RK3568 is the industrial workhorse with dual Ethernet, triple display, and SATA. RK3588 is the flagship for edge AI, 8K video, and multi-camera systems. RK3588S is a compact variant of RK3588 with the same CPU/GPU/NPU but fewer expansion ports — best for all-in-one kiosks and signage. This guide maps all four chips to real use cases and links directly to ieeker's products for each.
Rockchip's product family has expanded fast. Buyers face a confusing spread of chip names, board variants, and vendor claims. The goal of this guide is simple. It helps you find the right Rockchip development board for your project in under five minutes. It covers all four tiers that ieeker manufactures. It links to deeper guides for each application type.
If you already know your chip and want to go deeper, use the navigation below to jump straight to your section. If you're still deciding, start with the decision matrix at the top of each section.
Rockchip Development Board Comparison: All Four Tiers at a Glance
The table below maps the four ieeker Rockchip development board options to their core specs. Use it to eliminate tiers before going deeper.
| Spezifikation | RK3566 泰山派 | RK3568 工业版 | RK3588 YKR-RK3588 | RK3588S YKR-3588S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU | 4× A55 @1.8GHz | 4× A55 @2.0GHz | 4× A76 + 4× A55 @2.4GHz | 4× A76 + 4× A55 @2.4GHz |
| NPU | 0.8 TOPS | 1.0 TOPS | 6 TOPS | 6 TOPS |
| Videodekodierung | 4K@60 | 4K@60 | 8K@60 | 8K@60 |
| Anzeigeausgänge | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Ethernet | 1× GbE | 2× GbE | 2× 2,5 GbE | 1× GbE |
| PCIe | 2.1 ×1 | 3.0 ×2 | 3.0 ×3 | Begrenzt |
| SATA | - | ✅ SATA III | ✅ SATA III | - |
| CAN-Bus | - | ✅ ×2 | ✅ ×2 | - |
| Maximaler Arbeitsspeicher | 8GB | 8GB | 32GB | 16GB |
| Typical BOM | $60–$100 | $80–$130 | $120–$180 | $100–$150 |
| Best for | Panels, kiosks, education | Gateways, HMI, NVR | Edge AI, 8K, multi-camera | Signage, all-in-one kiosk |
How to Choose a Rockchip Development Board: Five Questions
Answer these five questions in order. Each answer eliminates one or more tiers. Most projects reach a clear answer by question three.
Q1. Do you need AI inference on the device?
Basic face detection or classification → any tier works. Real-time object detection at video frame rates → RK3588 or RK3588S. No AI at all → RK3566 or RK3568.
Q2. How many displays does your product need?
One display → RK3566 or RK3588S. Two displays → any tier. Three displays → RK3568, RK3588, or RK3588S. Four displays → RK3588 or RK3588S.
Q3. Do you need dual Ethernet, SATA, or CAN bus?
Yes to any of these → eliminate RK3566 and RK3588S. Choose RK3568 or RK3588. No to all → any tier is viable from an I/O standpoint.
Q4. Is compact board size a requirement?
Yes, and you need flagship performance → RK3588S. Yes, and mid-range is enough → RK3566. Size is not a constraint → any tier.
Q5. What's your per-unit BOM target?
Under $100 → RK3566. Under $130 → RK3568. Up to $150 → RK3588S. Up to $180 → RK3588. Budget isn't the constraint → choose by capability.
RK3566 — Entry-Level Rockchip Development Board: Panels, Kiosks, and Education
The RK3566 is Rockchip's most cost-efficient embedded SoC for products that need a full Linux or Android platform but don't need industrial-grade I/O. It's the right choice when your product has one display, one Ethernet connection, and no SATA or CAN bus requirement.
Best applications: Smart home control panels (6–10 inch wall-mounted touch panels), single-screen POS terminals, self-service kiosks, educational robotics, IoT gateways with basic connectivity.
Key specs: Quad-core Cortex-A55 @ 1.8GHz, Mali-G52 GPU, 0.8–1.0 TOPS NPU, 4K@60fps decode, dual display output, 1× GbE, PCIe 2.1.
ieeker RK3566 Board
3566 development board → Full GPIO access, Android and Linux validated, single-unit samples available.
Deep-dive guides: RK3566 Development Board Buying Guide · RK3566 vs RK3568: Which to Choose?
RK3568 — Industrial Workhorse: Gateways, HMI, and NVR
The RK3568 is the most capable mid-range industrial Rockchip SoC. It adds exactly what industrial products need over RK3566: dual independent Gigabit Ethernet for LAN/WAN separation, a third display output, PCIe 3.0, SATA III, and CAN bus. CPU and GPU performance is nearly identical to RK3566.
Best applications: Industrial IoT gateways, Modbus-to-MQTT protocol converters, HMI control panels with multiple screens, mid-scale NVR systems, machine vision pre-processors.
Key specs: Quad-core Cortex-A55 @ 2.0GHz, Mali-G52 GPU, 1.0 TOPS NPU, 4K@60fps decode, triple display output, dual GbE, PCIe 3.0 ×2, SATA III, CAN bus ×2.
ieeker RK3568 Board
RK3568 Core Board + Base Board Development Kit → Core board plus baseboard kit, full industrial I/O, Buildroot/Debian/Ubuntu/Android validated.
Deep-dive guides: RK3568 Industrial IoT Gateway Guide · RK3568 HMI Panel Guide · RK3566 vs RK3568 Comparison · RK3568 vs i.MX8M Plus · RK3568 im Vergleich zu AM62x
RK3588 — Flagship Performance: Edge AI, 8K Video, and Multi-Camera
The RK3588 is a performance jump, not just an incremental upgrade. It uses a big.LITTLE CPU with four fast Cortex-A76 cores alongside four Cortex-A55 cores. Its 6 TOPS NPU handles real-time object detection and multi-model inference. It decodes 8K video and drives up to four independent displays. It's built for demanding applications.
Best applications: Edge AI inference boxes, multi-camera machine vision systems, NVR with AI analytics, 8K digital signage, robotics with on-board perception, industrial multi-panel control rooms.
Key specs: 4× Cortex-A76 @ 2.4GHz + 4× A55 @ 1.8GHz, Mali-G610 MP4 GPU, 6 TOPS NPU, 8K@60fps decode, 4 independent display outputs, dual 2.5GbE, PCIe 3.0 ×3, SATA III, CAN bus.
ieeker RK3588 Board
YKR-RK3588 Development Board → Full I/O flagship platform, RKNN-Toolkit2 NPU validated, Android 12 and Linux images included.
Deep-dive guides: How to Choose an RK3588 Development Board · RK3588 vs RK3588S Comparison · RK3588 im Vergleich zum Jetson Orin Nano · RK3588 NPU Performance Guide
RK3588S — Compact Flagship: Signage, All-in-One Kiosks, and Multi-Display Panels
The RK3588S delivers identical CPU, GPU, and NPU performance to the full RK3588. The difference is packaging: a smaller 17×17mm BGA chip with fewer I/O pins. This removes PCIe expansion, reduces Ethernet to one port, and caps memory at 16GB. It's the right choice when you need RK3588-tier performance in a smaller board footprint, without SATA or multi-port networking.
Best applications: Digital signage players, interactive kiosks, compact NVR systems, restaurant menu boards, multi-screen retail displays, all-in-one industrial panels.
Key specs: Same CPU/GPU/NPU/VPU as RK3588, 4 independent display outputs, 8K video, up to 16GB LPDDR4X, single GbE, eMMC storage, compact form factor.
ieeker RK3588S Board
YKR-3588S All-in-One SBC → Compact 8K AI board, 4-screen independent output, YKR-CR3588-V1 core, Android 12 and Linux validated.
Deep-dive guides: YKR-3588S All-in-One SBC Application Guide · RK3588 vs RK3588S: What's the Difference?
ieeker's Rockchip Development Board Lineup
ieeker manufactures all four tiers in-house in Shenzhen. Each board ships with validated OS images, SDK documentation, and direct engineering support. Every tier is available for single-unit evaluation before volume commitment.
- 3566 Taishan PI — Entry-level, smart panels, education, single-screen kiosks
- RK3568 Core Board + Base Board Development Kit — Industrial gateways, HMI panels, NVR, dual-network designs
- YKR-RK3588 — Flagship edge AI, 8K video, multi-camera systems, 32GB RAM
- YKR-3588S — Compact flagship, signage, all-in-one kiosks, 4-screen independent output
For projects transitioning from prototype to production, ieeker also offers matching SoM (System-on-Module) configurations and custom carrier board design. See the custom development board guide und embedded board manufacturer evaluation checklist.
Not sure which Rockchip development board tier fits your project?
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→ Get a Free Board Recommendation →Frequently Asked Questions About Rockchip Development Boards
What is the best Rockchip development board in 2026?
There's no single best board — it depends on your application tier. RK3566 is best for cost-sensitive single-display products. RK3568 is best for industrial gateways and HMI panels. RK3588 is best for edge AI and multi-camera systems. RK3588S is best for compact signage and kiosk products that need flagship performance without full I/O expansion.
What is the difference between RK3568 and RK3588?
The RK3568 uses four Cortex-A55 CPU cores and has a 1.0 TOPS NPU with 4K video decode. The RK3588 uses four faster Cortex-A76 plus four Cortex-A55 cores, a 6 TOPS NPU, and decodes 8K video. The RK3588 is significantly faster for AI inference and video workloads. The RK3568 is sufficient for most industrial IoT and HMI applications and costs substantially less.
Do Rockchip development boards support Linux?
Yes. All four ieeker Rockchip boards ship with validated Linux images. Options include Debian, Ubuntu, and Buildroot depending on your deployment preference. Android is also available for display-heavy applications.
Can I use a Rockchip development board for commercial production?
Yes. ieeker's boards are production-grade hardware, not hobby boards. They're manufactured with in-house SMT lines, industrial-grade component options, and validated BSP. There are no quantity restrictions on ordering. See our Leitfaden zur Lieferantenbewertung for the criteria to check before committing to any board for production.
Which Rockchip chip is best for AI edge applications?
RK3588 or RK3588S for serious AI inference. Both have a 6 TOPS NPU — seven times the TOPS of RK3566/RK3568 — and use the RKNN-Toolkit2 SDK for model deployment. If you also need full PCIe expansion and SATA storage, choose RK3588. If a compact board is enough, choose RK3588S. For a detailed comparison against NVIDIA Jetson, see our RK3588 vs Jetson Orin Nano guide.