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) - 12 Comments on ESP32-H4 low-power dual-core RISC-V SoC supports 802.15.4 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE

ESP32-H4 low-power dual-core RISC-V SoC supports 802.15.4 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE

ESP32-H4 block diagram

Espressif Systems has formally announced the ESP32-H4 low-power dual-core 32-bit RISC-V wireless microcontroller with support for 802.15.4 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE portfolio after having unveiled it at CES 2024. It’s the first Espressif chip to support Bluetooth 5.4 LE with previous models such as ESP32-H2 or ESP32-C6 only supporting Bluetooth 5.0/5.2. Besides BLE 5.4 support, the new ESP32-H4 dual-core RISC-V WiSoC is an evolution of the ESP32-H2 single-core chip with PSRAM support (up to 4MB built-in), additional GPIOs (36 vs 24), touch sensing GPIOs, and some extra security features such as a power glitch detector also found in the recently announced ESP32-C61. ESP32-H4 specifications: CPU – Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V core (at up to 96 MHz) RAM – 320KB KB SRAM, optional PSRAM up to 4MB Storage – 128KB ROM, External flash support Wireless connectivity IEEE 802.15.4 radio with Zigbee and Thread support, Matter protocol Bluetooth 5.4 (LE) radio designed in-house, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Qualcomm QCC730 low-power Arm Cortex-M4F WiFi 4 SoC targets battery-powered IoT applications

Qualcomm QCC730 low-power Arm Cortex-M4F WiFi 4 SoC targets battery-powered IoT applications

Qualcomm QCC730 dual WiFi IoT microcontroller

Qualcomm has unveiled the “micro-power” QCC730 Arm Cortex-M4F dual-band WiFi 4 microcontroller for the IoT market that targets similar applications as the Espressif ESP32 microcontrollers but potentially at lower power consumption with claims of up to 88% lower power than “previous generations” making it suitable for battery-powered industrial, commercial and consumer applications. To highlight the low-power consumption, the company also mentions that QCC730 devices could become high-performance alternatives to Bluetooth IoT solutions with direct cloud connectivity. Qualcomm QCC730 specifications: CPU core – Arm Cortex-M4F @ 60 MHz Memory/ Storage 1.5 MB RAM, including 600KB for user app (On-chip RRAM (NVM) to host application without the need for an external NOR flash) 640 KB SRAM, including 260KB for user app XiP over QSPI Flash Wi-Fi Standards: 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n, 802.11a Spectral Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Channels: 20 MHz Antenna Configuration: 1×1 Features: up to MCS3 Interfaces – Master I2C, 15x […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on ADLINK unveils Intel Atom x7000RE & x7000C Amston Lake COM Express and SMARC 2.1 modules

ADLINK unveils Intel Atom x7000RE & x7000C Amston Lake COM Express and SMARC 2.1 modules

Intel Amston Lake COM Express module

ADLINK has released two Intel Atom X7000RE & x7000C Amston Lake-powered modules with the cExpress-ASL COM Express Type 6 Compact module and the LEC-ASL SMARC 2.1 system-on-module both offered with up to 16GB LPDDR5 soldered-down memory and 2.5GbE networking. The modules are designed for high-performance, low-power, and ruggedized edge solutions running 24/7, and with support for Intel TCC and Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), the modules are also suitable for hard-real-time computing workloads required by use cases such as industrial automation, AI robots, smart retail, transportation, network communication, and more. Intel Atom x7000RE and x7000C Amston Lake processors The announcement came as a surprise because I had never heard about Intel Amston Lake processors so far. It might be because they were just announced and all seven SKUs are embedded parts with two to eight cores, and as a result, they may not quite get as much coverage as consumer processors. […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments on Orange Pi 5 Pro – A low-cost Rockchip RK3588S SBC with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, dual HDMI video output

Orange Pi 5 Pro – A low-cost Rockchip RK3588S SBC with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, dual HDMI video output

Orange Pi 5 Pro

As mentioned in the Orange Pi Developer Conference 2024 article, the Orange Pi 5 Pro launch was just around the corner, and the latest Rockchip RK3588S SBC is now available on Amazon or Aliexpressfor $109 and up with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM, but cheaper 4GB ($60) and 8GB ($80) variants are coming soon. One would think the Orange Pi 5 Pro would be an evolution of the Orange Pi 5 SBC with LPDDR4 memory, and in some ways it is, but there are enough changes to display ports, storage, wireless, GPIO header, and even the form factor that make a direct comparison challenging. Orange Pi 5 Pro specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588S CPU – Octa-core processor with 4x Cortex-A76 cores @ up to 2.4 GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 cores @ up to 1.8 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G610 MP4 GPU with OpenGL ES 3.2,  OpenCL 2.2, and Vulkan 1.2 support VPU – […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on LattePanda Mu is an x86 Compute Module based on Intel Processor N100 CPU

LattePanda Mu is an x86 Compute Module based on Intel Processor N100 CPU

LattePanda Mu x86 Compute Module N100

The LattePanda Mu is a compute module/system-on-module based on the popular Intel Processor N100 quad-core Alder Lake-N processor that can run Windows or Linux and aims to provide a more powerful solution than the Raspberry Pi 5 and upcoming Raspberry Pi CM5 (Compute Module 5). The LattePanda Mu does not follow any SoM standard and instead comes in a custom 69.6 x 60mm form factor using a 260-pin SO-DIMM edge connector. The module is equipped with 8GB RAM and 64GB eMMC flash by default, and the interfaces exposed through the edge connector (PCIe, USB, Ethernet, HDMI…) make it suitable for a range of applications such as IoT, robotics, digital signage, and edge computing through custom carrier boards. LattePanda Mu specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N100 quad-core Alder Lake-N processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel HD graphics @ 750 MHz; TDP: 6W System Memory – […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 board supports Bluetooth 5.1 LE through Renesas DA14531MOD module

SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 board supports Bluetooth 5.1 LE through Renesas DA14531MOD module

Sparkfun Thing Plus - RA6M5

SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 is a small MCU board based on a 200 MHz Renesas RA6M5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller and a Renesas DA14531MOD Bluetooth 5.1 LE module that follows Adafruit Feather/Sparkfun Thing Plus form factor. The module can transmit data over BLE with just 4mA (at 3.3V) power consumption and the company claims the board to be powered by a coin-cell battery. A LiPo battery can also be connected to the board through a 2-pin JST battery connector, and the Things Plus – RA6M5 board also features a single-cell charger and LiPo fuel gauge. Sparkfun Thing Plus – RA6M5 specifications: Microcontroller – Renesas R7FA6M5AH3CFP Core – Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller @ up to 200 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM Storage – 2MB Flash Security – Arm TrustZone, and Secure Crypto Engine 9 Wireless – Renesas DA14531MOD module for Bluetooth 5.1 LE connectivity with support for CodeLess AT command Datapump Radio Transmit […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Octavo OSD32MP2 System-in-Package (SiP) packs an STM32MP25 SoC, DDR4, EEPROM, and passive components into a single chip

Octavo OSD32MP2 System-in-Package (SiP) packs an STM32MP25 SoC, DDR4, EEPROM, and passive components into a single chip

Octava Systems OSD32MP2 SiP

Octavo Systems OSD32MP2 is a family of two System-in-Package (SiP) modules, comprised of the OSD32MP2 and OSD32MP2-PM, based on the STMicro STM32MP25 Arm Cortex-A35/M33 AI processor, DDR4 memory, and various components to reduce the complexity, size, and total cost of ownership of solutions based on the STM32MP2 chips. The OSD32MP2 is a larger, yet still compact, 21x21mm package with the STM32MP25, DDR4, EEPROM, oscillators, PMIC, passive components, and an optional RTC, while the OSD32MP2-PM is even smaller at 14x9mm and combines the STM32MP25, DDR4, and passive components in a single chip. OSD32MP2 specifications: SoC – STMicro STM32MP25 CPU – Up to 2x 64-bit Arm Cortex-A35 @ 1.5 GHz MCU 1x Cortex-M33 @ 400 MHz with FPU/MPU; 1x Cortex M0+ @ 200 MHz in SmartRun domain GPU – VeriSilicon 3D GPU @ 900 MHz with OpenGL ES 3.2 and Vulkan 1.2 APIs support VPU – 1080p60 H.264, VP8 video decoder/encoder Neural […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Radxa NIO 12L – A low-profile MediaTek Genio 1200 SBC with Ubuntu certification for at least 5 years of updates

Radxa NIO 12L – A low-profile MediaTek Genio 1200 SBC with Ubuntu certification for at least 5 years of updates

Radxa NIO 12L

Radxa NIO 12L is a low-profile single board computer (SBC) based on the MediaTek Genio 1200 octa-core Cortex-A78/A55 SoC with a 4 TOPS NPU that got Ubuntu certification with at least 5 years of software update, and up to 10 years for extra payment. The board comes with up to 16GB RAM, 512GB UFS storage, HDMI, USB-C (DisplayPort), and MIPI DSI video interfaces, a 4K-capable HDMI input port, two MIPI CSI camera interfaces, gigabit Ethernet and WiFi 6 connectivity, five USB ports, and a 40-pin GPIO header for expansion. Radxa NIO 12L specifications: SoC – Mediatek Genio 1200 (MT8395) CPU Quad-core Arm Cortex-A78 @ up to 2.2 to 2.4GHz Quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 @ up to 2.0GHz GPU Arm Mali-G57 MC5 GPU with support for OpenGL ES1.1, ES2.0, and ES3.2, OpenCL 1.1, 1.2 and 2.2, Vulkan 1.1 and 1.2 2D image acceleration module APU – Dual‑core AI Processor Unit (APU) Cadence […]

Exit mobile version