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

September 29, 2023September 28, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Samsung LPCAMM integrates LPDDR RAM on removable modules

Samsung has unveiled a new type of removable memory module called the LPCAMM (Low Power Compression Attached Memory Module) with LPDDR designed for PCs and laptops, and the company expects them to eventually be used in servers found in data centers. I would also not be surprised to find them in embedded systems in the future, for example in an updated COM Express standard. Laptops typically come with either low-power DDR (LPDDR) soldered to the motherboard or SO-DIMM modules with DDR memory chips, but there weren’t any removable modules with low-power memory so far, and Samsung LPCAMM changes that. The new LPCAMM module will initially be fitted with LPDDR5X chips and deliver a 50% performance boost (up to 7500 MT/s), improve power efficiency by 70%, and reduce the mounting area by 60% (78 x 23mm) compared to SO-DIMM modules A main factor in reducing the area required is that two […]

September 28, 2023September 28, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

BIGME B251 – An All-in-One color E-Ink computer and standalone monitor (crowdfunding)

The BIGME B251 is a 25.3-inch color E-Ink monitor that is also sold as an All-in-One (AIO) PC with a 12th generation Core-i5 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB SSD. The B251 is based on the same E-ink Kaleido 3 color display with 3200×1800 resolution as the DASUNG E-Ink color monitor, but BIGME included some extra features such as a cold/warm dual front light and voice control. It’s also the first time I’ve seen an AIO PC with an E-Ink display. BIGME B251 key features and specifications: All-in-one model SoC – Unnamed 12th Generation Intel Core-i5 Alder Lake processor System Memory – 16 GB RAM Storage – 1TB SSD OS – Windows 11 Display – 23.5-inch color E-ink Kaleido 3 color screen with 3200 x 1800 resolution, xRapid-refresh Tech, adjustable image quality, warm and cold dual front light, support for landscape and portrait mode orientation, Video Input – HDMI, mini […]

September 28, 2023September 29, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 60 Comments

Raspberry Pi 5 SBC launched with 2.4 GHz Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core Cortex-A76 SoC

The long-awaited Raspberry Pi 5 SBC is finally here with a powerful Broadcom BCM2712 quad-core Cortex-A76 processor clocked at 2.4 GHz, 4GB or 8GB memory, and the usual Raspberry Pi Model B form factor. The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B was introduced in June 2019, so it took over four years to get a new model, and the Raspberry Pi 5 should deliver 2 to 4 times the performance, compete directly with Raspberry Pi-shaped Rockchip RK3588S SBCs such as the Radxa Rock 5A or Cool Pi 4 Model B and benefit from a larger community and better software support. Raspberry Pi 5 specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2712 CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor @ 2.4 GHz with crypto extensions, 512KB per-core L2 caches, 2MB shared L3 cache GPU – VideoCore VII GPU @ 800 MHz with support for OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.2, 4Kp60 HEVC decoder System Memory – 4GB […]

September 27, 2023September 27, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Microchip PIC18-Q20 low-pin count MCU comes with up to two I3C interfaces

Microchip PIC18-Q20 is a new family of microcontrollers (MCUs) with a low-pin count (14 and 20-pin packages) that integrates up to two I3C interfaces as well as multi-voltage I/O (MVIO) interfaces. MIPI I3C was first teased in 2014, then officially announced in 2017, and the first MIPI I3C specification was released the following year, as a backward compatible update to I2C with lower power consumption, and higher bitrate allowing it to compete against SPI. We’ve seen it used in a few application processors and microcontrollers, but it’s the first time I3C can be found in a lower-cost, low-pin count microcontroller. Microchip PIC18-Q20 specifications: Core – PIC18 8-bit RISC microcontroller core @ 64 MHz Memory – 1KB to 4KB RAM Storage – 16KB to 64KB with Memory Access Partition (MAP) support, 256B EEPROM Peripherals Up to 2x I3C device interfaces Adhere to MIPI I3C Basic Specification 1.0 Support Target Reset Action […]

September 27, 2023September 26, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

LILYGO T-ETH-Lite – An ESP32-S3 board with Ethernet, optional PoE support

LILYGO T-ETH-Lite ESP32-S3 is a new ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth development board with a low-profile Ethernet RJ45 connector using a WIZnet W5500 Ethernet controller, supporting PoE with an extra shield, and also equipped with a microSD card socket and expansion I/Os. ESP32-based development boards with Ethernet have been around for years including LILYGO’s own “TTGO T-Lite W5500“, but so far we haven’t many based on the more recent ESP32-S3 microcontroller except for the SB Components’ ESPi board that we covered last April. But LILYGO T-ETH-Lite ESP32-S3 adds another cost-effective board with Ethernet. LILYGO T-ETH-Lite ESP32-S3 specifications: Wireless module ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core LX7 microprocessor @ up to 240 MHz with Vector extension for machine learning Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB SPI flash Connectivity – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5 with LE/Mesh PCB antenna Storage – MicroSD card slot Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 4 up to 150 Mbps and […]

September 26, 2023September 26, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

ACEMAGIC S1 – A Processor N95 mini PC with a built-in LCD information display

ACEMAGIC S1 is a mini PC powered by an Intel Processor N95 Alder Lake-N processor whose main highlight is its LCD information display that shows CPU and memory usage, CPU temperature, fan speed, and other information, and works in both portrait and landscape modes. The mini PC also comes with 16GB RAM and an SSD with either 512GB or 1TB capacity, as well as two HDMI video outputs up to 4K resolution, two gigabit Ethernet ports, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless connectivity, and four USB ports. ACEMAGIC S1 specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N95 quad-core Alder Lake N-series processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 16EU Intel HD graphics @ 1.2 GHz; TDP: 15W (up to 20W) System Memory – 16GB RAM Storage – 512GB or 1TB “dual-channel” M.2 SATA+NVMe SSD (whatever that means) Video Output – 2x HDMI ports up to 4Kp60; dual independent display […]

September 26, 2023September 25, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Review of Arylic BP50 Bluetooth 5.2 preamplifier with TIDAL Music

Arylic has sent us a sample of their low-cost BP50 Bluetooth 5.2 preamplifier for review. It features an ESS Saber ES9023P DAC chip and Qualcomm QCC3040 Bluetooth chip with support for aptX, aptX HD (High Definition), aptX LL (Low Latency), and aptX AD (Adaptive). It offers many input-output connections such as phono preamp MM/MC, optical, Line-in, subwoofer output, and HDMI ARC. You can find the full details about the specifications in the aforelinked announcement. Arylic BP50 unboxing Let’s start our review with an unboxing. Our package came with the following items: Arylic BP50 Bluetooth 5.2 preamplifier A 12V/1A power supply 2x Bluetooth antennas (3dBi) A remote Control A user manual As a reminder, here are the ports on the back of the preamplifier as shown in a stock image from the company. Test setup For this review, we’ve connected the Arylic BP50 Bluetooth preamplifier’s Line-Out port to the CD Audio […]

September 25, 2023September 28, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Bluetooth NLC (Networked Lighting Control) fully standardizes Bluetooth light bulbs

Bluetooth NLC (Networked Lighting Control) is a full-stack standard for wireless lighting control from the Bluetooth SIG that will enable multi-vendor interoperability, improve ease of deployment, and offer greater scalability. Bluetooth light bulbs have been around for many years, at first using Bluetooth LE (Radio Layer) and then adding Bluetooth Mesh (Network Layer) to the mix, but there were always some proprietary bits to the software stack, and Bluetooth NLC removes all those with a complete standard for lighting control that further adds Device Profiles specific to his use case. Bluetooth NLC still relies on Bluetooth Low Energy and Bluetooth Mesh, but adds the following NLC Device Profiles at the Device Layer defining the requirements for a range of devices/features: Ambient Light Sensor Basic Lightness Controller Basic Scene Selector Dimming Control Energy Monitor Occupancy Sensor You’ll find the specifications for each profile on the Bluetooth website. While the announcement was […]