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

October 15, 2020October 15, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

FPGA powered Corazon-AI gateway supports up to 8 IP cameras for video analytics

Earlier this year, we covered some video analytics solutions based on AAEON UP Xtreme Edge embedded computer combining an Intel Whiskey Lake processor with Intel Movidius Myriad X AI accelerator modules, as well as video management & analytics software solutions from Milestones & SAIMOS, or aotu.ai BrainFrame. iWave Systems has now introduced a similar solution with Corazon-AI gateway capable of handling up to 8 IP cameras in real-time, but instead of relying on AI accelerators, the company leverages Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ Arm Cortex-A53/R5 FPGA MPSoC for AI inference. Corazon-AI gateway specifications: SoC – Xilinz Zynq Ultrascale+ ZU2, ZU3, ZU4 or ZU5 MPSoC Processing System (PS) Quad/Dual Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.5GHz, dual Cortex-R5 @ 600MHz Arm Mali-400MP2 GPU @ 677MHz H.264/H.265 Video Encoder/Decoder Programming Logic (PL) Up to 256K Logic cells PL GTH Transceivers x 4 @ 12.5 Gbps System Memory 64bit, 2GB DDR4 with ECC for PS (upgradable) 32bit, 1GB […]

October 15, 2020February 26, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Embedded Artists Unveils iMX RT1064 uCOM with WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 5.1 Module

Embedded Artists have recently introduced iMX RT1064 uCOM system-on-module powered by NXP i.MX RT1064 Cortex-M7 crossover MCU clocked at 600 MHz with 1MB SRAM and 4GB flash on-chip, as well as 32MB SDRAM, and equipped with an optional WiFI 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 module from Murata. iMX RT1064 uCOM technical specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX RT1064 Arm Cortex-M7 @ up to 600 MHz with 1MB SRAM, 4MB on-chip QSPI flash, 2D graphics acceleration engine System Memory – 32 MB SDRAM Storage – Optional additional 4GB to 32GB eMMC flash and/or SQPI flash Wireless – Optional Murata Type 1ZM dual-band 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 module based on NXP 88W8987 2x DF40C-100 board-to-board connectors: Storage – 2x USDHC Display I/F – 24-bit parallel RGB up to 1366 x 768 pixels Camera – Parallel CSI Audio – 3x SAI, SPDIF Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet (requires PHY on carrier board) USB – […]

October 15, 2020October 17, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

VIA VAB-950 SBC Features MediaTek i500 SoC for AIoT Applications

While MediaTek is better known for their mobile SoCs and they also offers processors made for AIoT (AI + IoT) applications such as MediaTek i700, i500 or i300 SoCs. We only covered a few development / evaluation boards so far, with Pumpkin i500 SBC or Innocom SB30 EVK, but we’ve now got another one with VIA VAB-950 single board computer equipped with MediaTek i500 AIoT octa-core processor, up to 4GB LPDDR4, 16GB flash storage, HDMI, dual Fast Ethernet, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, and support for 4G LTE cellular connectivity. VAB-950 SBC specifications: SOM-9X50 system-on-module SoC – MediaTek i500 octa-core processor with 4x Cortex-A73 @ 2.0GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ 2.0GHz Arm Mali-G72 GPU up to 800 MHz with support for OpenGL ES 3.0, OpenCL ES 1.1, and Vulkan 1.0 VPU for 1080p30 H.264/H.265 decoding 2x Cadence Tensilica Vision P6 DSPs System Memory – 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4 SDRAM Storage – […]

October 14, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ASRock NUC 1100 BOX Series mini PC Offers 2.5GbE, WiFI 6, and quad 4K output

The new Tiger Lake UP3 embedded processors have enabled industrial mini PCs and motherboards to get higher-end features including 2.5 GbE, WiFI 6, USB 4.0, and support for up to four independent 4K displays. ASRock industrial already unveiled ASRock iBOX 1100 rugged mini PC last month, but the company is now back with an even more compact Tiger Lake UP3 mini PC that offers quad 4K video output, 2.5GbE, and WiFi 6 connectivity. Meet ASRock NUC 1100 BOX Series industrial computer designed for entertainment, gaming, office collaboration, content creation, retail, and business applications. ASRock NUC 1100 specifications: SoC NUC BOX-1165G7 – Intel Core i7-1165G7 quad-core/octa-thread Tiger Lake UP3 processor @ up to 1.2 GHz / 4.7 GHz (Turbo) with 96EU Iris Xe Graphics; 15W TDP (Configurable between 12 and 28W) NUC BOX-1135G7 – Intel Core i5-1135G7 quad-core/octa-thread Tiger Lake UP3 processor @ up to 0.9 GHz / 4.2 GHz (Turbo) […]

October 14, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

MicroSAM System-on-Module Standard Targets Microcontrollers, IIoT Sensors

There are plenty of system-on-module standards, but those mostly target application processors such as Intel/AMD x86 processors or Arm Cortex-A based SoCs. PICMG has now added a new IIoT-related open standard with MicroSAM specifying a 32x32mm module for microcontrollers and industrial IoT sensor nodes. MicroSAM standard highlights: Reliable RS422 industrial-grade communications PWM output for motion control applications Direct connectivity to a variety of sensor types (analog voltage, analog current, digital) Low power consumption Power filtering and signal conditioning for embedded installations Dimensions – 32mm x 32mm Latching connectors for secure connectivity Full industrial operating temperature range from -40°C to +85°C One of the advantages often cited for traditional SoMs is that customers don’t have to take care of the complex layout around the processor and RAM, and can simply create a 2-layer baseboard to insert the 6-layer SoM into it. This lowers the development costs and time-to-market. But it’s not […]

October 14, 2020October 14, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Imagination IMG B-Series GPU family scales from IoT to the datacenter

Last year, Imagination Technologies unveiled IMG A-Series GPU family scaling from low-power IoT to mobile and high-performance server applications with up to 2.5 times the performance of the earlier PowerVR 9-series GPUs, as well as eight times faster AI processing and 60% less power under similar conditions. While I’m not aware of any SoCs announced with the new IMG A-Series GPU yet, the company has already announced the next-gen IMG B-Series GPU family with up to 4 times the multi-core performance thanks to decentralized multi-core technology, 30% lower power consumption, and 2.5 times the fill rate. The company offers four types of IM B-series GPU, each optimized for specific applications IMG BXE for high-resolution displays – From 1 up to 16 pixels per clock (PPC) BXE scales from 720p to 8K for UI rendering and entry-level gaming. IMG BXM designed for mid-range mobile gaming and complex UI solutions for DTV […]

October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

BBC micro:bit v2 board Unveiled with Nordic nRF52833 SoC, Microphone and Speaker

The original BBC micro:bit educational board was launched in July 2015 with a Nordic nRF51822 Arm Cortex-M0 MCU @ 16 MHz providing Bluetooth LE connectivity, a few I/Os, some buttons, and a LED matrix acting as a small display. The British company has now launched a new update with BBC micro:bit v2 with the same form factor, but equipped with a more powerful Nordic Semi nRF52833 Bluetooth 5.1 Arm Cortex-M4 MCU clocked at 64 MHz and adding a microphone and a speaker. BBC micro:bit v2 specifications: Wireless MCU – Nordic Semi nRF52833 Arm Cortex-M4 MCU clocked at 64 MHz with 128 KB RAM, 512 KB flash, Bluetooth 5.1 LE connectivity “Display” – 25x red LED indicator lights in a 5×5 matrix USB – 1x micro USB port for power and programming via NXP Kinetis KL27Z Cortex-M0+ microcontroller Audio – Built-in MEMS microphone and speaker Expansion 25 pins on edge connector […]

October 13, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments

Teensy 4.1 Cortex-M7 Board Gets Marlin Firmware and OpenPnP Breakout Board

Teensy 4.0 and Teensy 4.1 are some of the most powerful microcontroller-class boards you’ll find on the market thanks to NXP i.MX RT1062 Arm Cortex-M7 crossover processor clocked at up to 600 MHz, and there won’t break the bank are PJRC sells those for $20 and up on their own store or Amazon. If you’re into 3D printers, CNC, or pick-and-place machines, you’ll be glad to learn Teensy 4.1 board is the first Arm Cortex-M7 board to support Marlin 2.0 firmware, and a person nicknamed CrazzyFrenchDud is developing PeeNaPle breakout board for Teensy 4.1 to work with OpenPnP open-source software. The initial commit to Marlin firmware was made on September 10 for both Teensy 4.0 and 4.1 boards, but the title was changed to Teensy 4.1 only since Teensy 4.0 is not supported at this time, and may not be suitable for many 3D printers due to a lack of […]