RK3528 Linux Network Gateway Development | Obeita
This configuration is proposed for assessment. Confirm interfaces, components and performance for your specific project.
Build a compact Linux network appliance around an RK3528 board with three Ethernet ports, Wi-Fi 6 and USB expansion. Unlike a serial DTU, this platform targets IP routing, segmented networks, local storage and network-connected peripherals.
Three Ethernet paths with different hardware
One port uses the integrated 100 Mbps Ethernet path, one Gigabit port uses RTL8211F on GMAC, and another uses RTL8111F over PCIe. Physical port labels must match the Linux interface map. The proposed OpenWrt layout separates LAN and WAN; VLAN, rate limiting, filtering and Samba are software configuration tasks whose resource use should be evaluated together.
Wireless, display and peripheral expansion
AP6275S provides the Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0 hardware direction. Wi-Fi station or access-point roles and Bluetooth A2DP sink use different software paths. Four USB 2.0 ports, USB OTG, HDMI 2.0, audio, microSD and I2C/UART/SPI access make the board useful for storage, a camera or a local status display. A display expansion board and temperature-controlled fan are separate development items.
Recovery and USB power control
Separate USB-C power and OTG connections support flashing and service access. Maskrom, Recovery and Reset controls should remain accessible in the enclosure. The OTG 5 V switch matters: disable peripheral-power output when the connection arrangement could back-feed a host computer. A production image also needs its own provisioning credentials rather than reused development defaults.
Proposed design configuration
These are configuration inputs for development; the final assembly, firmware and acceptance tests define the delivered specification.
| Item | Configuration |
|---|---|
| SoC | Rockchip RK3528 |
| Ethernet | 1 × 100 Mbps + 2 × Gigabit |
| Radio | AP6275S; Wi-Fi 6 / Bluetooth 5.0 |
| USB | 4 × USB 2.0 plus OTG |
| Media / expansion | HDMI 2.0, audio, microSD, I2C/UART/SPI |
| Supply | USB-C 5 V; separate OTG power control |
Project questions
Can the three ports be treated as an identical switch?
No. They use different controller paths. Define LAN/WAN or VLAN roles, then test forwarding, CPU load and recovery with the actual image.
What should be accessible after enclosure assembly?
Keep the required power, OTG and recovery controls reachable, and allow clearance for the selected antenna and heatsink.
Plan this project
Send your port-role diagram, OpenWrt package list and USB peripheral load to define the network appliance configuration.