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

March 28, 2021April 1, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Semiconductors lead times in March 2021

As we previously mentioned previously there is a serious chip shortage that will lead to supply issues and higher prices for single board computers and other electronics products. A few days ago, Hardkernel had o increase the price for ODROID boards using DDR4 memory with increases of $3 to $4 for ODROID-N2+, ODROID-C4, and ODROID-HC4 boards. But besides price increase, some semiconductors will not be available at any price with extended periods as lead times of up to 52 weeks have been reported as shown in the table below, obtained from a trusted, anonymous source, which I have translated from Chinese. Every manufacturer is impacted, but items highlighted in red are severely impacted. Since include processors from Qualcomm, STMicroelectronics, and NXP, as well as Broadcom wireless chips which are found in nearly every SBC with WiFi or Bluetooth through Ampak modules. Here’s the source image in Chinese for reference. Jean-Luc […]

March 27, 2021March 28, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

$30 Raspberry Pi CM4 IoT Router Carrier Board Mini offers Dual Gigabit Ethernet

We’ve recently written about Seeed Studio’s “Dual Gigabit Ethernet Carrier Board for Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4” that offers dual Gigabit Ethernet, and two USB 3.0 ports for software router applications, but it can also be used for IoT, Smart Home, and camera projects, as well as HTPC maker thanks to micro HDMI output and MIPI DSI/CSI connector. It is sold for an affordable $45, exceeding the Raspberry Pi CM4 module. But if all you want to do is get a dual Gigabit Ethernet WiFi router or IoT gateway, DFRobot has now introduced a more compact and cheaper carrier board for Raspberry Pi CM4: “Compute Module 4 IoT Router Carrier Board Mini“. CM4 IoT Router Board Mini specifications: Compatible Module – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 / 4 Lite with Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 processor, up to 8GB RAM, up to 32GB flash, optional 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 […]

March 26, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1 RISC-V WiFI & BLE board to launch for $8, modules for $1.8+

ESP32-C3 may be one of the most expected RISC-V processors in the IoT world, as it’s eventually expected to sell for the same price as ESP8266 and offers both WiFi and Bluetooth LE connectivity. Some engineering samples of the chip. modules and boards were distributed to developers shortly after the announcement at the end of the last year, but now it appears ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1 board will become available for $8 next month from distributors such as Mouser or DigiKey. Since I’ve never written about ESP32-C3-DevKitM-1 board let’s check out the specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-C3-MINI-1 with ESP32-C3FH4 (105°C) or ESP32-C3FN4 (85°C) 32-bit RISC-V single-core processor, up to 160 MHz, 4 MB embedded flash, 384 KB ROM, 400 KB SRAM (16 KB for cache), 8 KB SRAM in RTC Connectivity – 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth LE 5.0 USB – 1x Micro USB port for power and programming via USB-UART […]

March 26, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

It’s now easier to customize Raspberry Pi OS images

When I need to flash a Raspberry Pi OS image, I usually download the image from the Raspberry Pi website before flashing it to a MicroSD card with either balenaEtch or USBimager. The Raspberry Pi Foundation released the Raspberry Pi Imager last year, but I never used it, except to try it out, because at the time, it would just flash the image to the MicroSD card like other tools, and since I’m working with SBCs from different vendors it did really not bring any benefits to me. But with the v1.6 release, the Raspberry Pi tool has become more useful to advanced users, notably those who like to set up the image in a headless Pi. Before we had to flash the image, mount the MicroSD card, and go edit /boot/config.txt to enable SSH and other settings. Now, it’s possible to do the same from Raspberry Pi Image v1.6 […]

March 26, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Snapdragon 780G 5G SoC announced with 12 TOPs AI performance, triple ISP, WIFI 6E

Qualcomm has just announced an update to its Snapdragon 765G 5G processor with Snapdragon 780G 5G mobile platform equipped with Qualcomm Spectra 570 triple ISP (Image Signal Processor) and a 6th generation Qualcomm AI Engine that delivers up to 12TOPS AI performance, or twice that of Snapdragon 765G 5G SoC. As a “G” part, Snapdragon 780G comes with Snapdragon Elite Gaming features to improve the gaming experience with updateable GPU drivers, ultra-smooth gaming, and True 10-bit HDR gaming. Snapdragon 780G also updates its 5G modem with Snapdragon X53 with peak download speeds of 3.3 Gbps on sub-6 GHz frequencies, and supports premium Wi-Fi 6/6E and Bluetooth audio features offered on Snapdragon 888 premium SoC. Snapdragon 780G 5G (SM7350-AB) key features and specifications: CPU – Octa-core Kryo 670 processor with 1x Arm Cortex-A78 @ 2.4GHz, 3x Arm Cortex-A78 @ 2.2GHz, 4x Arm Cortex-A55 @ 1.9GHz GPU – Adreno 642 with support […]

March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Raspberry Pi CM4 Panel PCs offer IP67 protection, 7-inch display

We just have covered Raspberry Pi CM4 in CutiePi 8-inch tablet, but I don’t think I’ve seen the latest Raspberry Pi Compute Module inside a panel PC that typically offers additional interfaces such as Ethernet, RS232, or CAN bus for industrial applications. But today I’m here to write not about just one Raspberry Pi CM4 panel PC, but two from Chipsee and WIN Enterprises all with a 7-inch display, and features like Ethernet, opto-isolated GPIOs, RS485 terminal blocks, etc…, and the Win Enterprises’ model also adds dust and waterproofness with IP67 ingress protection rating. Chipsee CM4-70 Industrial Pi 7-inch Panel PC Chipsee panel PC is offered in two versions with CM4-70-EM model meant to be integrated into the customer’s own chassis, and CM4-70-PA integrating the board and display into a fully assembled panel. Specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) with Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 processor, 2GB RAM, […]

March 25, 2021September 20, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Firefly unveils Core-3568J AI Core Rockchip RK3568 system-on-module & devkit

Firefly has unveiled a new 314-pin SO-DIMM system-on-module (SoM) with Core-3568J AI Core powered by Rockchip RK3568 processor and equipped with up to 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC flash with interfaces including PCIe, SATA, dual Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, eDP 1.3, MIPI DSI and more. The company also provides AIO-3568J development kit for the module with all those interfaces plus an M.2 socket for 5G or WiFi 6 connectivity, and PoE support among other features. Core-3568J AI Core system-on-module Specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3568 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ 2.0 GHz with Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1, 0.8 TOPS NPU for AI acceleration, 4Kp60 H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding, and 1080p100 H.265/H.264 video encoding System Memory – 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4 ECC RAM up to 1600 MHz Storage – 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB eMMC flash 314-pin SO-DIMM edge connector with: Storage – SATA 3.0 […]

March 25, 2021March 25, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Long range ESP32 Wi-Fi development board promises up to 1.2km range (Crowdfunding)

WiFi is not really designed for kilometer range transmission, but CNLohr previously demonstrated 1km range with ESP8266, and some directional antennas are sold to expand the WiFi range. Bison Science’s ESP32-M1 Reach Out WiFi development board has been specifically designed for long-range connectivity with up to 30 dBm (1W) transmit power and support for various types of antennas for a 1.2-kilometer range, even tested up to 1.5km in a clear day. ESP32-M1 Reach Out features and specifications: WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-D0WDQ6 dual-core processor @ 240 MHz Storage – 32 Mbit flash Connectivity 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 4.2/5.x Classic and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) QPF4219 PA (Power Amplifier) and LNA (Low Noise Amplifier) Wi-Fi RF front end (RFFE) from Qorvo with 33 dB PA gain and 15 dB LNA gain Wi-Fi transmit output power adjustable from 21 to 30 dBm (1 W) conducted Wi-Fi front end bypass […]