Orangepi plus 2E instead of Raspi

Sgheillups

My project is about an automated system to manage access to all the classroom in a school. I started that project with Raspi but then I decided to change board due to problems with SD card that become slow after some months of use and it must be changed. I found the Orangepi plus 2E that seems to be okay (16gb flash memory, wifi, ethernet and 40 pins), moreover it has a faster CPU and more RAM than my Raspi.
My question is the following: can I use on orangepi exactly the same code that I used on raspi (everything in python)? Are the gpio pins the same?
In the end I was wondering if the board will continue to work after a blackout or will it have problems? (I read about somebody that needed to reinstall the OS after a blackout)
Thanks everybody! =)

igorpec

Are the gpio pins the same?

I depend. You might need to adjust numbers. Since I recommend you to base your project on a modern better-supported kernel, you will need to adjust those numbers anyway. Board, which you choose, is way better than RPi and worth this trouble. http://linux-sunxi.org/GPIO

I read about somebody that needed to reinstall the OS after a blackout

Of course not. Where did you read that?

Sgheillups

Of course not. Where did you read that?

It was on an italian forum and the user was using a Orangepi Zero, but probably he had problem because of a particular software and not because of the orangepi itself.

Which OS do you suggest to use? I was thinking about Raspbian just because it's the same I used on the Raspi but I can see it's not fully supported and updated, am I wrong?

igorpec

I was thinking about Raspbian just because it's the same

It might only appear to be the same but in reality, it's something completely different. Raspbian for all those devices was made for marketing reasons. To suggest RPi compatibility. Behind all this Raspbians there is a poor, old and crippled Android kernel 3.4.39 ... which was never updated and is full of troubles. It's not near to what is available under Raspbian for Rpi. You don't want to waste a second of your time with "Raspbian".

This particular board was actually co-designed by Armbian community https://forum.armbian.com/, which is behind the only stable and supported Debian based Linux https://www.armbian.com/orange-pi-plus-2e/ for those boards. In few weeks, there will be a major upgrade to most recent kernel 4.13.9 ... but until then you can use 3.4.113 or preview versions of 4.13 ... which generally works fine.

Sgheillups

Okay, thank you! I'll use armbian without even trying Raspbian.
I swear my board will come home as soon as possible.

Sgheillups

Okay, thank you! I'll use armbian without even trying Raspbian.
I swear my board will come home as soon as possible.

tokka

Pay attention of your needs, the raspi is better supported by communty than other  boards,  and you can find a lot of accessories for raspi if you plan to expand it.
Consider all and make your choice
Ciao

Sgheillups

I know that raspi community is probably the largest in this field but I really need onboard flash memory and there's no raspi with that. Expansion is not a problem, the only problem I could have is if my code (written for raspi) and my hardware (an electrical circuit) won't work with orangepi (except for numbering of gpio).

RobertChong

I like your project. It's great that this helps to systematize the access control system for all classes in the school. And so it can be useful in these matters. I'm always particularly careful about issues related to the educational process. And if I need academic help, then I turn to this source https://www.topessaywriting.org/apa-paper-writing-service It always helps me a lot and allows me to prepare properly.