Rockchip RK3588 RKNN Neural Processing Unit (Rocket)
The on-chip 6 TOPS neural processing unit (NPU) found in Rockchip's RK3588 application processor, used for on-device AI inference on single-board computers and edge devices like the Orange Pi 5 Plus and similar Rockchip-based boards shipping from 2024 onward.
recommendation
It should stay in the kernel because the hardware is current: Rockchip's RK3588 SoC and boards built around it, such as the Orange Pi 5 Plus, are actively sold in 2025 and into 2026 for edge-AI workloads. The Rocket driver was merged in mid-2025, is still receiving bug fixes as recently as December 2025, has matching Mesa userspace support, and is the only in-tree way to reach this NPU.
repository signals
sources
- lkml.org
May 16, 2025 LKML v3 cover letter introduces the Rocket DRM accel driver for Rockchip's RKNN NPU, says it supports the RK3588 NPU, and references Mesa userspace support.
- mail-archive.com
December 15, 2025 patch series fixes error-path bugs in accel/rocket, indicating ongoing upstream maintenance rather than removal.
- rockchips.net
Current RK3588 product page advertises a 6 TOPS NPU for AI/edge use and presents the SoC as an actively sold product family.
- orangepi.org
Orange Pi 5 Plus product page markets an RK3588 board with the integrated NPU, showing contemporary board-level deployments.
codex reasoning notes (technical)
Obtained local evidence via exec_command: Kconfig and module metadata identify this as a DRM accel driver for the Rockchip NPU IP, and local git history shows introduction in 2025-07 plus bug-fix traffic through 2026-01/02 with no removal commits. Obtained https://lkml.org/lkml/2025/5/16/1046 via web search and web open; it shows active bring-up of the driver and supported hardware. Obtained the mail-archive patch URL via web search snippet; it shows post-merge fix activity, so I back away from any deprecation signal. Obtained the Rockchip RK3588 page via web search and web open; obtained the Orange Pi page via web search snippet. Together they indicate the hardware is still sold for new SBC/edge-AI deployments in 2025/2026. No natural upstream replacement exists for this hardware-specific NPU driver.