Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft), Author at CNX Software

December 12, 2025December 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Diptyx E-Reader – An open-source, ESP32-powered, dual-screen e-book reader (Crowdfunding)

There are plenty of e-book readers on the market, but the Diptyx E-Reader feels more like a proper book since it features two e-paper displays that can be folded or opened thanks to a custom-made plastic enclosure. While it’s powered by an ESP32-S3 wireless module with a PCB antenna, both WiFi and Bluetooth are disabled in the firmware, and instead, users can load EPUB files through the reader’s USB Type-C port. The combination of an automatic standby mode (using deep sleep) and e-ink displays enables the dual-screen device to run for weeks on a single charge. Two buttons are used to access the next or previous page, and a third one powers the device up in a few seconds. Diptyx E-Reader specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3-N16R8 CPU – ESP32-S3 dual-core LX7 microprocessor @ up to 240 MHz with Vector extension Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – […]

December 12, 2025December 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

nRF9151 SMA DK development kit offers cellular IoT, DECT NR+, and 5G NTN satellite connectivity

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 SMA DK development kit is designed for building IoT applications using LTE-M/NB-IoT cellular IoT, DECT NR+, or 5G NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) satellite connectivity. The development kit offers three ways to connect a SIM card, namely a NanoSIM card slot, an MFF2 SIM footprint for eSIM or software iSIM, and a 10-pin SIM connector. It also includes two SMA connectors for GPS and LTE antennas or lab equipment, multiple current measurement connectors, and Arduino UNO headers for expansion, notably the nRF7002 EK for adding Wi-Fi 6 locationing capabilities. nRF9151-SMA-DK specifications: Wireless System-in-Package – Nordic Semi nRF9151 CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 64 MHz Memory – 256KB RAM Storage – 1MB flash Connectivity Multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT/NB-NTN modem with DECT NR+ support and GNSS. 700-2200 MHz LTE band support. Power Class 5 20 dBm Power Class 3 23 dBm 1.9 GHz and 915 Mhz DECT NR+ band support Security – […]

December 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

UP Squared Pro TWL AI Dev Kit Review – Intel N150 + Hailo-8L accelerator tested on Ubuntu 24.04

Intel N150 SBC Hailo-8L module with Heatsink

I’ve been asked to review three Intel-based UP AI development kits running Ubuntu 24.04 Pro. Last time, I tested the UP TWL SBC with Nx Meta and UP AI Toolkit, and most AI workloads would pass, but since these were running on the Intel N150 CPU or GPU, the performance was not optimal for most. I’ll now switch to the UP Squared Pro TWL “mid-range” AI devkit review with another Intel Processor N150 SBC fitted with a 13 TOPS Hailo-8L M.2 AI accelerator. Both the UP TWL and UP Squared Pro TWL come with a 64GB eMMC flash, and I found out it was rather tight since AI software and models can take a lot of space. The UP Squared Pro TWL has a few M.2 sockets, so I’ll install an NVMe SSD to expand storage before installing the UP AI toolkit. As usual, I’ll run a few benchmarks and […]

December 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

iWave Systems iG-RainboW-G69M TI AM62L OSM Size-S system-on-module powers Raspberry Pi-sized SBC

Yesterday, I wrote about the Beacon AM62L SoM, one of the first system-on-module based on Texas Instruments AM62L dual-core Cortex-A53 SoC for low-power IoT and HMI applications. It turns out there’s another AM62L module compliant with the OSM Size-S standard, along with a Raspberry Pi-sized carrier board. iWave Systems iG-RainboW-G69M is a 30x30mm CPU module with 1GB or 2GB LPDDR4, 8GB eMMC flash by default, and 332 LGA contacts exposing interfaces such as RGB LCD and MIPI CSI display interfaces, dual gigabit Ethernet, I2S audio, USB 2.0 interfaces, and a range of low-speed I/Os. iWave Systems iG-RainboW-G69M specifications: SoC – Texas Instruments AM62Lx CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.25GHz Cache – 32KB L1 D-cache, 32KB L1 I-cache per core; shared 256KB L2 cache System Memory – 1GB LPDDR4, expandable up to 2GB Storage 8GB eMMC flash (other capacities available upon request) 32Kbit EPPROM 332 LGA contacts Storage […]

December 10, 2025December 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

AMD Ryzen Embedded 8840U COM Express Type 6 Compact module takes up to 128GB DDR5

SolidRun Ryzen R8000 COM6 Compact Module

SolidRun has unveiled a new COM Express Type 6 Compact module powered by the AMD Ryzen Embedded 8840U Series with up to 39 TOPS of AI performance for industrial, medical, automation, and edge AI applications. The module supports up to 128GB DDR5 of memory via two SO-DIMM sockets, on-module M.2 NVME SSD storage, and features an Intel i226 2.5GbE controller. It exposes I/Os through standard board-to-board connectors, including 16-lane PCIe Gen4, four DisplayPort video outputs, eDP or LVDS display interface, two SATA, various USB ports, and more. Ryzen R8000 CoM6 specifications: SoC – AMD Ryzen Embedded 8840U CPU – 8-core/16-thread Zen4 processor up to 3.3 GHz / 5.1 GHz (Turbo) GPU – AMD Radeon 780M with 12x Compute Units @ 2700 MHz (RDNA3 graphics) AI 16 TOPS NPU (AMD XDNA) Total combined 39 TOPS of AI performance Memory – 2x SODIMM DDR5-5600 with/without ECC up to 128GB RAM Storage – […]

December 10, 2025December 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

STEVAL-ROBKIT1 – A robot evaluation kit based on STM32H725 and STM32G0 microcontrollers

STEVAL-ROBKIT1 STM32H725 robot evaluation kit

The STEVAL-ROBKIT1 is an evaluation kit for robotics applications based on ST’s STM32H725 and STM32G0 Arm microcontrollers. It’s the first such robot kit from the company, and it targets both traditional engineering teams, educators, and students. The kit features an STM32H725 main board, an STM32G0 motor-control PCB, and a 1.53MP camera + ToF sensor module, as well as a robotic frame, wheels, and motors with encoders. It does not require a soldering iron for assembly to make it easier for students. STEVAL-ROBKIT1 key components and features: Main board – STEVAL-ROBKIT1-1 SoC – STMicro STM32H725IGT6 Arm Cortex-M7 microcontroller @ 550 MHz with 1MB flash, 564 KB SRAM with ECC Wireless – BlueNRG-M2 Bluetooth LE 5.2 SoC Sensors 6-axis IMU (LSM6DSV16BX) Magnetometer (LIS2MDL) Microphone (MP34DT06J) Expansion – 40-pin Raspberry Pi-like header Motor control board – STEVAL-ROBKIT1-2 SoC – STMicro STM32G071CBT6 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller at 64 MHz with 128 KB flash, 36KB SRAM Motor […]

December 10, 2025December 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Beacon AM62L – A compact (38x28mm), low-power dual-core Cortex-A53 System-on-Module (SoM)

Texas Instruments AM62L System-on-Module

Beacon EmbeddedWorks has announced a compact (38x28mm) System-on-Module (SoM) based on the recently introduced low-power Texas Instruments Sitara AM62L dual-core Cortex-A53 SoC designed for IoT, HMI, and general-purpose applications requiring a display. The AML62L SoM features LPDDR4 or DDR4 memory, an 8-bit eMMC flash, and an optional WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE module. All I/Os are exposed through two board-to-board connectors, including RGB LCD or MIPI DSI display interface, two gigabit Ethernet interfaces with TSN support, USB 2.0, CAN FD, analog inputs, and more. Beacon AM62L specifications: SoC – Texas Instruments AM62L dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.25GHz; 5600 DMIPS System Memory – LPDDR4, DDR4 Storage – 8-bit eMMC flash Wireless – 802.11ax WiFi 6 1×1 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE; cnxsoft: 802.11ax is WiFi 6, but the company only mentions support for WiFi 5 in other parts of the description. 2x board-to-board connector Storage – 2x 4-bit SD/SDIO […]

December 9, 2025December 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

7.3-inch full color e-paper wooden photo frame is designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero

Waveshare RPi-Zero-PhotoPainter-ACCE is a 7.3-inch color e-paper photo frame designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero family. It’s an 800×480 resolution display based on E-Ink Spectra 6 (E6), and housed in a wooden frame. The display also features an RTC with backup battery support, a LiPo battery connector with “UPS circuitry”, a USB-C port for power, a 3-pin debug/serial header, a power button, and a charging LED. It supports portrait and landscape orientation on the desk thanks to a rotatable stand and wall mounting through a hook hanger. RPi-Zero-PhotoPainter-ACCE specifications: Display – E-Ink Spectra 6 (E6) Full-color display with Black, White, Green, Blue, Red, and Yellow Resolution – 800×480 pixels Pixel Pitch – 0.2 x 0.2mm Viewing Angle – > 170° Refresh Time Full refresh – 12s Partial refresh – Not supported Grayscale – Two shades of gray Dimensions – 160 x 96mm Expansion – 40-pin HAT connector to connect Raspberry […]