Author: Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Quarky Intellio – A LEGO-compatible AI, Augmented Reality, and IoT learning platform (Crowdfunding)

Quarky Intellio – A LEGO-compatible AI, Augmented Reality, and IoT learning platform (Crowdfunding)

Quarky Intellio rover car robot

Quarky Intellio is an ESP32-S3-based development kit designed as an educational platform for learning AI, Augmented Reality (AR), and IoT concepts. It is compatible with LEGO bricks and targets users aged 10 and older. The core AI-AR module features an SPI TFT display interface, a 5MP camera, a speaker and microphone, a microSD card slot for data storage, a USB-C port for programming and charging, servo and GPIO expansion ports, and a 1,000 mAh battery. The company offers a discovery kit with the core module only as well as a rover car kit, and since it’s compatible with LEGO, users can easily create their own robot. Quarky Intellio specifications: Core module – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R8 SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core LX7 processor with up to 240MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM (SiP) Storage – 384KB ROM Wireless – WiFi 4 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.0 LE Storage – 16MB flash […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on ESP32-C6-Devkit-Lipo – A small, open-source hardware ESP32-C6 board with battery support, UEXT connector

ESP32-C6-Devkit-Lipo – A small, open-source hardware ESP32-C6 board with battery support, UEXT connector

Olimex ESP32-C6-Devkit-Lipo

Olimex ESP32-C6-DevKit-Lipo board is a small open-source hardware board based on the ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, and Zigbee/Thread SoC with support for LiPo batteries and UEXT expansion modules. It’s the second announcement from the company this week, and comes after they introduced the MOD-ESP32-C5 to add wireless connectivity to boards equipped with a UEXT connector. The ESP32-C6-DevKit-Lipo adds to the list of small ESP32-C6 USB-C boards, such as the 01Space ESP32-C6 board and Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C6, among many others. It’s actually larger than most similar boards, but differentiates itself with its open-hardware design, dual USB-C design, breadboard compatibility, LiPo battery circuitry, and a UEXT connector. ESP32-C6-Devkit-Lipo specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-C6-WROOM-1-N4 module Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 SoC CPU – Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ 160 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 16KB low-power SRAM Wireless 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 1T1R with Target Wake Time (TWT) support Bluetooth LE 5.0 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on ExtrudeX machine recycles failed/old 3D prints into new filament (Crowdfunding)

ExtrudeX machine recycles failed/old 3D prints into new filament (Crowdfunding)

ExtrudeX machine recycle 3d printer filament

When 3D printing, users will always waste filament one way or the other, either due to a failed print or because of the support for the print, and there may also be test/old prints that you don’t need/use anymore, for example, a retraction cube or a benchy. That means all that material usually ends up in the dustbin. Priyank Pal, founder of Creative3dp, did not like all that waste, so he created the ExtrudeX machine to recycle 3D print waste and filament scraps back into usable filament. On top of that, the machine itself is 3D printable and much more affordable than commercial solutions from companies such as Filabot. I’d usually provide the specifications here, but as a crowdfunded project, the ExtrudeX’s full technical details are not fully available. We just know that a single DC gear motor drives the main screw inside a metal barrel, while band heaters and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Rikomagic DS08 – A Rockchip RK3588-powered 8K digital signage player with RTC and watchdog support

Rikomagic DS08 – A Rockchip RK3588-powered 8K digital signage player with RTC and watchdog support

Rikomagic DS08 digital signage player

Rikomagic DS08 is a Rockchip RK3588-powered Android 13 digital signage player with 8K and 4K HDMI video outputs, RTC and watchdog support, and support for portrait and landscape orientation. It looks to be an update to the Rockchip RK3288-powered Rikikomagic DS02 introduced in 2020. The new model appears to have the same enclosure, but with a slightly different port layout, and much better specifications. Besides an octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 SoC, the system ships with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB eMMC flash, and features a Gigabit Ethernet port, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, optional 4G LTE, and a few USB ports. Rikomagic DS08 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588 CPU – Octa-core 64-bit Armv8 SoC with 4x Cortex-A76 cores @ 2.4GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.8 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G610 MP4 with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.2, Vulkan 1.1 NPU – Up to 6 TOPS, supports INT4/INT8/INT16, compatible […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Edgi-Talk machine learning development kit features Infineon PSOC Edge E84 Edge AI SoC (Crowdfunding)

Edgi-Talk machine learning development kit features Infineon PSOC Edge E84 Edge AI SoC (Crowdfunding)

Edgi-Talk machine learning platform

Edgi-Talk is a machine learning platform/development kit powered by an Infineon PSOC Edge E84 Arm Cortex-M55/M33 SoC featuring Arm Helium, an Arm Ethos-U55 micro NPU, and an ultra-low-power NNLite neural network accelerator, all of which enable AI/ML processing at varying power/performance levels. The devkit also comes with 128 MB PSRAM, 128MB QSPI flash, a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen display, two digital microphones, a speaker, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth LE 6.0 wireless connectivity, motion and environmental sensors, as well as a 40-pin Raspberry Pi header and two PMOD connectors for expansion. Edgi-Talk specifications: SoC – Infineon PSOC Edge E84 CPU Arm Cortex-M55 @ 400 MHz with FPU, MPU, Arm Helium support, 256KB i-TCM, 256KB D-TCM, and 5MB SRAM Arm Cortex-M33 @ 200 MHz with 1MB SRAM, 64KB ROM GPU – Low-power 2.5D GPU NPU – Dual architecture Arm Ethos-U55 NPU + NNLITE NPU System Memory – 128 MB PSRAM Storage 128 MB […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Mini review of JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger with power meter function

Mini review of JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger with power meter function

JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5 port charger review

I’ve just received a review sample of the JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger, which I found interesting because it integrates a power meter function for the whole charger and for each individual port, which could be useful for reviews of USB-powered boards and devices. In this short review, I’ll go through an unboxing, before testing the features with a smartphone, and trying to stress it a little with five devices, including a laptop, a USB-C powered HDMI display, a wireless display, an Android smartphone, and a Raspberry Pi 5 SBC. JOYROOM PODIX 140W charger unboxing I received the device in its retail package, reading “JOYROOM PODIX” “140W 5-port desktop GaN charger” and listing key features like fast charging, 80cm retractable cables, and a 1.54-inch “ultra large” display, as well as compatibility with standards such as USB PD 3.1, PPS, AFC, SCP, FCP, and QC 3.0. The side of […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Jetway B420UADN1 fanless Intel N97 mini PC supports three 4K displays for kiosks and digital signage applications

Jetway B420UADN1 fanless Intel N97 mini PC supports three 4K displays for kiosks and digital signage applications

Intel N97 digital signage mini PC

Jetway B420UADN1 is a compact Intel N97 fanless mini PC designed for kiosks and digital signage applications with support for up to three independent 4K displays through four display interfaces: HDMI, DisplayPort, and two USB-C with DP Alt mode. At first, I thought we had already covered it since the Jetway B420PADN1 embedded box PC has a similar design, but it only comes with one HDMI port. The new B420UADN1 fanless mini PC also supports DDR5 SO-DIMM memory and M.2 NVMe or SATA storage, and offers two 2.5GbE ports, optional WiFi/Bluetooth support, a 3.5mm audio jack, a few USB 3.2/2.0 Type-A ports, and an RS-232/442/485 COM port for peripherals like barcode readers. Jetway B420UADN1 specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N97 quad-core Alder Lake-N CPU @ up to 3.6 GHz with 6MB cache, 24 EU Intel UHD graphics @ up to 1.20 GHz; TDP: 12W System Memory –  Up to 32GB […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments on MetaComputing AI PC with Framework Laptop 13 features CIX P1 12-core Arm processor with up to 45 TOPS

MetaComputing AI PC with Framework Laptop 13 features CIX P1 12-core Arm processor with up to 45 TOPS

CIX P1 Framework laptop

MetaComputing, a Switzerland-based company founded in 2024, has announced the “MetaComputing AI PC with Framework Laptop 13” featuring the same CIX P1 12-core Cortex-A720/A520 SoC with 45 TOPS found in SBCs like the Orion O6 and Orange Pi 6 Plus, or the MINISFORUM MS-R1 mini PC. As far as I know, it’s the first laptop based on CIX P1. It features 16GB or 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD and ships with the Framework Laptop 13 chassis (Pro model). There’s also a “Standard” model with a co-branded Framework and Cooler Master Case. MetaComputing AI PC specifications (preliminary): SoC – CIX P1 (CP8180) 12-core DynamIQ processor 4x Cortex‑A720 big cores @ up to 2.6 GHz 4x Cortex‑A720 medium cores 4x Cortex‑A520 LITTLE cores Cache – 12MB shared L3 cache GPU – Arm Immortalis G720 MC10 with hardware ray-tracing support, graphics APIs: Vulkan 1.3, OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 3.0 VPU Video […]

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UP 710S Alder Lake-N Credit Card-size SBC