HiKey970 Downloads

HiKey970 firmware and system image downloads

Summary

This page provides download guidance for the HiKey970 development board, powered by the HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip. The Kirin 970 integrates an octa-core ARM Cortex-A73/A53 CPU cluster, a Mali-G72 MP12 GPU, and a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for on-device AI inference. Available downloads include Debian-based Linux images, Android AOSP builds, and UEFI firmware packages. All files are distributed with SHA-256 checksums for integrity verification.

Who This Is For

This guide targets developers and engineers working with the HiKey970 for AI/ML prototyping, Android platform development, or general-purpose Linux workloads. You should be comfortable with fastboot-based flashing workflows, UEFI firmware concepts, and basic command-line operations. If you are new to 96boards-format development boards, review the 96boards documentation before proceeding.

Download and Verification Guidance

The following image categories are available for the HiKey970:

  • Debian Linux: A minimal Debian-based distribution with desktop or server variants. Includes GPU acceleration support and NPU driver packages for AI workloads.
  • Android AOSP: An Android Open Source Project build optimised for the Kirin 970 platform. Suitable for Android application development and hardware abstraction layer (HAL) testing.
  • UEFI Firmware: The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface binary that initialises the board hardware and provides the boot environment. Must be flashed before any operating system image.

After downloading each file, verify the SHA-256 checksum:

sha256sum hikey970-debian-desktop.img.gz

Compare the output against the published checksum. Discard and re-download any file with a mismatched hash. Keep verified files on local storage to prevent corruption from network interruptions during subsequent flash operations.

Flash Checklist

  • Install Android SDK Platform Tools on your host machine to obtain the fastboot utility.
  • Connect the HiKey970 to your host via the USB Type-C port designated for flashing.
  • Set the board DIP switches to recovery/fastboot mode (refer to the board silkscreen or HiKey970 hardware manual for switch positions).
  • Flash the UEFI firmware first: fastboot flash ptable prm_ptable.img, then flash individual partitions.
  • Flash the system image: fastboot flash system system.img.
  • Reset the DIP switches to normal boot mode after flashing completes.

First Boot Verification

After resetting the DIP switches and powering on the board, connect an HDMI display to observe the boot sequence. The UEFI splash screen should appear briefly, followed by the operating system boot log. For Debian images, verify a login prompt appears on the display or via serial console (115200 baud). For Android, the launcher home screen should load within 60 seconds. Run uname -a on Debian or check Settings > About Phone on Android to confirm the correct build is active.

Recovery Mode

If the board becomes unresponsive or fails to boot after a flash attempt, enter recovery mode by setting the DIP switches to the fastboot position and power-cycling the board. The board will enumerate as a fastboot device on the USB bus. Use fastboot devices on your host to confirm detection, then re-flash the UEFI firmware and system image. Recovery mode erases user data, so back up any important files before proceeding.

Troubleshooting

  • Fastboot device not detected: Verify USB drivers are installed on Windows. On Linux, check lsusb for the HiSilicon device ID and ensure udev rules permit access.
  • Flash fails mid-write: Use a shorter, high-quality USB-C cable. Avoid USB hubs. Retry the flash command.
  • UEFI does not appear: Re-flash the firmware partition. Confirm DIP switch settings match the normal boot configuration.
  • No display output: Try a different HDMI cable or monitor. Some monitors do not support the initial UEFI output resolution.

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Author: LeMaker Documentation Team
Last updated: 2026-02-10