CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 19, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

HackLED Pro LED controller – An Adafruit Sparkle Motion alternative with WS2812 and RGBCW LED support

HACK Lab HackLED Pro is an Adafruit Sparkle Motion-like LED controller that runs a custom version of WLED and supports both WS2812 and RGBCW LEDs, making it ideal for DIY lighting projects, smart home setups, and audio-reactive light displays. Built around an ESP32 MCU, this board includes 2-way WS2812 LED outputs, 5 PWM channels (RGBCW), and an onboard silicon microphone for music reactive LED setup. Like the Sparkle Motion, the outputs of this board are level-shifted, and there’s also a power switch that toggles the output power between 5V and 12V. The board features a USB-C port with a PD controller, with which you can power and program the board. The controller is housed in a thermally protected 3D printed case and is also compatible with the generic version of the WLED firmware. HackLED Pro specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32E-N4 WiFi and Bluetooth module with 4MB Flash LED Control 2x […]

June 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

The Future of Asset Tracking: IoT at Scale with LTE-M technology

CNXSoft: This is a guest post by Ohad Peled, Product Marketing Manager at Sony Semiconductor Israel, about the challenges of tracking a large number of IoT assets and how LTE-M can help businesses scale tracking solutions. Over the last few years, asset tracking has emerged as a critical business function and is estimated to grow to a $34.5B market by 2032, according to Custom Market Insights. Whether businesses are monitoring a global supply chain or keeping tabs on expensive equipment, knowing where assets are at all times is essential. It enables businesses to optimize supply chains, prevent theft, and reduce operational downtime. There are several technical and commercial challenges in deploying such a solution, which could result in failure to deliver the promised value. Some solutions struggle to maintain accurate tracking as assets move within or across different facilities, especially if they go through an indoor environment. Others suffer from […]

Graperain Samsung, Rockchip RK3588, and Qualcomm CPU modules, SBCs, and carrier boards

June 19, 2025June 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

AAEON de next-RAP8 credit card-sized Raptor Lake SBC features up to Intel Core i7-1365UE CPU

AAEON de next-RAP8 may be the world’s most powerful credit card-sized SBC since it’s powered by a choice of 15W Intel Raptor Lake processor, namely the hexa-core Core i3-1315UE SoC, or the 10-core Core i5-1335UE or Core i7-1365UE CPU. Designed for drones and robotics, the compact Raptor Lake SBC is equipped with up to 16GB LPDDR5x of RAM, supports SATA and M.2 NVMe SSD, features GbE and 2.5GbE networking ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI and eDP display interfaces, a PCIe Gen3 x4 FPC connector, RS232/RS485 interfaces, and more. de next-RAP8 specifications: 13th Gen Raptor Lake SoC (one or the other) DENEXT-RAP8-A10-0001 model – Intel Core i7-1365UE 10-core/12-thread processor up to 1.70 GHz / 4.90 GHz (Turbo) with 96 EU Intel Iris Xe Graphics @ 1.30 GHz; TDP/PBP: up to 15 Watts DENEXT-RAP8-A10-0002 model – Intel Core i5-1335UE 10-core/12-thread processor up to 1.30 GHz / 4.50 GHz (Turbo) with 80 […]

June 19, 2025June 18, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

CyberT. – A BlackBerry-like Raspberry Pi CM4-based handheld Linux computer with Kali Linux support

Designed by Carbon Computers, the CyberT. is a BlackBerry-style handheld Linux computer equipped with a 4-inch panel built around the Raspberry Pi CM4. It features a custom QMK-powered QWERTY keyboard, a BlackBerry-style touchpad, HDMI output, microSD card slot, stereo speakers, and an onboard battery management system (BMS), packed into a compact form factor. Compared to Clockwork’s uConsole, which features swappable CM3/CM4 SoMs, a 5-inch display, and optional 4G LTE, the CyberT. focuses on cybersecurity and portable development. While many Raspberry Pi CM4-based handheld devices like the RetroLite CM4 and ReBoi target retro gaming with joysticks or Game Boy-style enclosures, the CyberT., takes a cyberdeck-style approach and runs Kali Linux, or other Linux distributions like Raspberry Pi OS. CyberT. Beta Specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) Storage – MicroSD card slot for OS and data storage Display 4-inch 720×720 RGB TFT display (ST7701S controller, TTL RGB interface – […]

June 18, 2025 by Paisit Wongsongsarn - 9 Comments

SONOFF iPlug S60 Zigbee Smart Plug (S60ZBTPF) review with eWelink and Home Assistant

Sonoff iPlug S60 Zigbee S60ZBTPF smart plug review

At the end of 2023, CNX Software covered the SONOFF iPlug S60 Wi-Fi Smart Plug, the first model out of the S60 series. Recently, SONOFF has released a Zigbee version, and the company’s sent us a review sample of the SONOFF iPlug S60 (S60ZBTPF). The S60ZBTPF is the successor of SONOFF S31 ZB (2019) and SONOFF S40ZBTPB Lite (2021), and adds energy monitoring capability, making it the first Zigbee smart plug from SONOFF with a power meter function. It also works as a Zigbee Router to extend your Zigbee network coverage at home. SONOFF iPlug S60 Zigbee unboxing Inside the box, you’ll find just the smart plug itself and a quick guide manual. The unit we received is a Type E/F plug. As of the time of this review, only two versions are available on the market. That’s Type E/F for Europe and Type G for the UK. We believe […]

June 18, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Raspberry Pi HQ camera gets adapter for Canon EF/EF-S lenses used with DSLR cameras

Raspberry Pi HQ Camera with Canon EF/EFS lens

Pinefeat has designed an EF/EF-S lens controller and adapter for the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera, compatible with Canon lenses, and implementing full electronic control of autofocus and aperture. Canon EF (Electro-Focus) and EF-S (Electro-Focus Short Back Focus) lenses are designed for the company’s DSLR cameras with an EOS (electronic autofocus system). They have great optics, built-in motors taking care of focusing, and also handle aperture electronically. Pinefeat is a fan of the Raspberry Pi HQ Camera, but it requires manual focus and aperture adjustment, and that’s why he created a controller and adapter compatible with Canon EF/EF-S lenses. The kit is comprised of the following components: Canon EF / EF-S lens to C-mount camera adapter with a plastic housing and some metal components (66 x 26.5mm) Lens control board Camera I/F – 15-pin MIPI CSI-2 FFC/FPC connector Camera mount – C-mount Lens mount – Canon EF or EF-S Host interface […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 by Debashis Das - 4 Comments

$3.50 nanoCH57x CH570/CH572 RISC-V development board offers USB-C port, 2.4GHz radio/BLE, and GPIO pins

Designed by MuseLab, the nanoCH57x is a WCH CH570/CH572 development board with a 2.4 GHz proprietary radio (CH570) or Bluetooth LE (CH572) that only costs $3.50 and is more compact than the official CH570 Basic Evaluation Board. We first came across this low-cost MCU back in March this year, and saw that the official development board became available for purchase as early as April. The nanoCH57x development board currently features the 100 MHz CH572D RISC-V microcontroller (the CH570D version is coming later), which includes 256KB of flash memory, 12KB of SRAM, and an onboard 32 MHz crystal. The board also includes a USB 2.0 Type-C Host/Device port and PCB antenna for BLE/RF communication. MuseLab nanoCH57x development board specifications: MCU (one or the other) – WCH CH570D or CH572D CPU – QingKe 32-bit RISC-V3C core @ up to 100 MHz Memory – 12KB SRAM Storage – 256KB non-volatile memory 240KB code […]

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Dual-channel LoRaWAN AC energy meter features 10A/100A CT clamps, measures temperature and humidity

AgroSense 2 Channel LoRaWAN AC Current Monitor

The AgroSense AGLW2CT is a dual-channel LoRaWAN-based industrial AC energy meter that utilizes 10A and 100A CT clamps to measure power consumption non-invasively. The device features two 0–5V analog inputs for the clamps, an AHT20 temperature & humidity sensor, and local storage for 3,300+ records. It supports LoRaWAN 1.0.3 OTAA Class C and works with TTN, Datacake, and CloudStudio. The device operates within the -40°C to 85°C industrial temperature range and is suitable for contactless current sensing, overload/no-load detection, and machine health monitoring. We had previously covered, and even reviewed, several Wi-Fi-connected CT clamps meters such as the MachineQ’s MQpower CT, Seeed Studio’s XIAO-2CH-EM, and Emporia’s Vue Gen 2 energy monitor, but it’s the first time we’ve come across a LoRa AC energy meter with CT clamps. Earlier this month, we noticed the MOKO LW005-MP LoRaWAN Smart Plug and power meter, but it relies on direct AC power measurements and […]