RK3566 + MT7613BEN Drone Link Development Board

I’m looking for someone to design a custom development board based around the Rockchip RK3566 and MediaTek MT7613BEN/B.

The board should essentially be a compact Linux SBC with integrated 5 GHz Wi-Fi, intended for testing high-throughput wireless video/data links. I want the hardware to be close to what could later be used in a more compact production design, so this should not just be a breakout board.

The main components should be:

Rockchip RK3566
MediaTek MT7613BEN/B connected to the RK3566 over PCIe
RK809-5 PMIC or another proven RK3566-compatible power implementation
Around 2 GB DDR4
Around 32 GB eMMC
microSD for boot/recovery

A major requirement is component sourcing. The design should use parts that I can actually buy from LCSC. All ICs and other important non-generic components should have exact manufacturer part numbers and LCSC order codes. I already have suitable LCSC parts identified for the RK3566, MT7613BEN/B, RK809-5, DDR4, eMMC, Ethernet PHY, etc. I can provide the preferred parts list once we start discussing the project.

The MT7613BEN/B is particularly important. It should connect directly to the RK3566 over PCIe and both of its 5 GHz RF chains should be implemented, each ending in a U.FL/IPEX antenna connector. Proper RF matching provisions, grounding, power supply, and RF layout are required. I would also like a way to measure the MT7613 power consumption, for example using a removable 0 ohm link or shunt footprint on its supply.

The board needs a MIPI CSI-2 camera interface capable of supporting at least 1080p60. Ideally this should expose four CSI-2 data lanes, plus camera I2C, reset/power-down GPIOs, and suitable camera power rails. The goal is to use the RK3566 ISP and hardware H.264/H.265 encoder with an external camera module.

HDMI output is mandatory. I want to be able to use the RK3566 hardware video decoder and send the decoded output directly to a normal HDMI display.

USB-C is also mandatory. It should provide USB data connectivity to the RK3566, preferably with OTG/device and recovery functionality. Ideally the same USB-C connector can also be used as the board’s 5 V power input.

At least two 3.3 V UARTs should be exposed. One will be a general external UART and one should be reserved for the RK3566 Linux debug console.

Gigabit Ethernet should also be included for development and throughput testing. A microSD slot, reset/recovery controls, and a few status LEDs should also be provided.

The board should run from a simple 5 V input for this revision. I would prefer the RK3566 power section to follow a proven Rockchip reference design as closely as possible rather than unnecessarily redesigning the power architecture.

An 8-layer PCB is preferred because the design includes DDR4, PCIe, MIPI CSI, HDMI, USB, Ethernet, and 5 GHz RF. Controlled impedance and proper length matching should be used where required.

Mechanically, I would like the PCB to use a standard 30.5 mm x 30.5 mm four-hole mounting pattern. The development board itself can be larger, probably around 60 mm x 60 mm or smaller. I care more about good routing, RF performance, thermal design, testability, and connector accessibility than minimizing the first revision.

The finished board should be capable of booting Linux, operating the MT7613 through the Linux mt76/mac80211 stack, running normal Wi-Fi as well as monitor-mode/raw packet experiments, sustained high-rate networking, 1080p60 camera capture and hardware encoding, hardware video decoding to HDMI, USB connectivity, Ethernet, and simultaneous UART communication.

I would prefer someone with previous experience in at least some of the following: RK3566/RK3568, Linux application processors, DDR4/LPDDR4 routing, PCIe, MIPI CSI, HDMI, 5 GHz RF/Wi-Fi, or similar high-speed multilayer PCB designs.

I will provide the detailed preferred BOM, exact LCSC part numbers, interface requirements, and additional design notes to people interested in taking on the project.