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

June 30, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Ugoos X4 Cube Android 9.0 TV Box Plays 4Kp120 AV1 Videos

AOMedia AV1 video codec has been in the works for several years, and has strong industry backing since it’s open-source, royalty-free and delivers compression similar or even superior to H.265. Some services like YouTube and Netflix have already started using AV1 on PCs where the CPU is powerful enough to handle software video decoding. But relying on software video decoding is not ideal on typical Arm-based devices, either because of battery life concerns (e.g. phones) or simply impossible because the processor won’t be able to cope. The latter is especially the case on TV boxes who are not usually fitted with Arm Cortex-A53 cores leaving hardware video decoding to a video processing unit (VPU). Since AV1 is still fairly new, most VPU doesn’t support the new video codec, and while we have seen several AV1 capable processors including Broadcom BCM7218x, Realtek RTD1311/RTD1319, and Amlogic S905X4. as well as at least […]

June 30, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

One Netbook OneGx1 Mini Laptop Supports WiFi 6, 4G LTE or 5G Connectivity

ONE NETBOOK OneGx1 Amber Lake Mini Laptop

We’ve seen plenty of mini laptops with 6″ to 9″ displays in the last couple of years, mainly from GPD and One Netbook, and to a lesser extend from CHUWI. But so far, I had not seen one with 5G connectivity, and the latest One Netbook OneGx1 mini laptop with a 7″ display and powered by an Amber Lake processor, does offer a 5G model, besides its WiFi 6 and 4G LTE variants. OneGx1 mini laptop specifications: SoC – Intel Core i5-10210Y Amber Lake-Y quad-core/octa-thread processor @ 1.0 GHz (base) / 4.0 GHz (turbo one core) / 2.7 GHz (turbo all cores) with 24 EU Intel UHD Graphics @ up to 1.05 GHz; 6MB cache; 7W TDP (configurable) System Memory & Storage Options 8GB LPDDR3 RAM, 256GB M.2 NVMe SSD, MicroSD card up to 128GB 16GB LPDDR3 RAM and 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD, MicroSD card up to 128GB Display – […]

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Upcoming RTD1619 Media Players – Dune HD Pro 4K II, Zidoo Z9X, and Zidoo X

Realtek RTD1619 hexa-core Cortex-A55 media SoC was first spotted in 2018 in the Linux source code. Since no products had been launched based on RTD1619, I had mostly forgotten about the processor until I wrote about RTD1395 powered Dune HD RealBox 4K. I was then informed about the upcoming Dune HD Pro 4K II, and a quick search reveals Zidoo is also working on its own RTD1619 media players with Zidoo Z9X and Zidoo X models. Dune HD Pro4K II Specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1619 hexa-core Cortex-A55 processor with Mali-G51 Bifrost GPU System Memory – 4 GB RAM Storage – 32 GB flash, MicroSD slot, external SATA HDD (data + power) Video Output – HDMI 2.0b up to 4Kp60 HDR, 3.5mm A/V connector for composite Video Input – HDMI 2.0 input for PiP or recording Audio Output – optical S/PDIF, digital audio via HDMI, analog stereo audio via A/V connector […]

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Aegis Secure WiFi Smart Deadbolt Works with Android/iOS Phones (Crowdfunding)

We previously wrote about smart lock systems that allow you to open your door with the help of your smartphone. Products covered including Xiaomi Sherlock M1 that only works with specific doors/locks, and K1 smart lock box that stores your keys in a rugged box meaning it works with all door mechanisms, but it does not seem particularly secure to me. BOSMA Aegis Bluetooth & WiFi smart deadbolt looks to potentially a more secure solution as it should work with any door, and complements your main lock which you may want to use when you are not at home for longer periods of time. Aegis smart deadbolt specifications: Connectivity – Built-in Bluetooth; WiFi via a WiFi connector shipped with Aegis Voice Assitant Integration – Google Home and Amazon Alexa Optional BOSMA Sentry smart doorbell with Storage – Up to 128GB via MicroSD card slot; cloud storage Video – 1080p video […]

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 30 Comments

Tiny NanoPi NEO3 SBC Targets Networked Storage with GbE and USB 3.0

Once upon a time, FriendlyELEC launched a Raspberry Pi Zero competitor for headless applications with Allwinner H3 powered NanoPi NEO, which was then followed with NanoPi NEO2 equipped with a more powerful Allwinner H5 processor and Gigabit Ethernet, and less than two years ago, NanoPi NEO4 was launched with Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor, 1GB RAM, and HDMI output. “Wait! What happened to NanoPi NEO3?!” you may ask. It probably got lost in the woods, but FriendlyELEC found it under a rock, and are about to launch NanoPi NEO3 SBC based on Rockchip RK3328 and offering a USB 3.0 port and Gigabit Ethernet network connectivity. NanoPi NEO3 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3328 quad-core Arm Cortex A53 processor with Mali-450MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB or 2GB DDR4 Storage – MicroSD Slot for system boot and storage Video Output – N/A Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet with unique MAC via RTL8211E PHY USB […]

June 28, 2020June 28, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

J721E DRA829/TDA4VM/AM752x – Texas Instruments Cortex-A72 based Monster SoC’s

J721E DRA829 TDA4VM AM752x Block Diagran

Texas Instruments unveiled their first 64-bit processor in 2018 with TI AM654 “Keystone III” quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 + dual lockstep Cortex-R5F processor designed for general embedded and industrial applications. The company is now working on a more powerful processor with J721E SoC with Cortex-A72 cores belonging to the K3 Multicore SoC architecture platform appearing in TI Linux git repository. Ti J721E is a monster of an SoC, not necessarily in terms of CPU processing power, but it has an amazing amount of features and peripherals. I’m not going to list all specifications of this monster SoC, and we’ll do with J721E highlights instead: CPU Dual Cortex-A72 up to 2.0 GHz in a single cluster Up to three clusters of lockstep capable dual Cortex-R5F MCUs @ 1.0 GHz AI Accelerator / DSP Deep-learning Matrix Multiply Accelerator (MMA) @ up to 1.0 GHz (8 TOPS for 8-bit inference) C7x floating-point Vector DSP […]

June 27, 2020July 24, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

SC-10 SHARK is a Faster 3D Printer with Optional Laser Engraving, Bicolor, and Auto-leveling (Crowdfunding)

Printing a 3D model usually takes hours, if not days, so anything that can speed up the printing time while keeping the same quality should be welcomed. LOTMAXX SC-10 SHARK 3D printer promises to reduce the standard print time by up to 30%. How did they exactly make a faster 3D printer? Thanks to “Aeolus Heat Dissipation system” (AHDS) with four fans to cool the nozzle and “S Move System” (SMS) helping the motors travel at a high speed. The printer also happens to be a multifunction printer with support for laser engraving and bicolor printing. SC-10 SHARK launched on Kickstarter several weeks ago and raised over $200,000 US from around 620 backers with 12 days to go. SC-10 SHARK 3D printer key features & specifications: Molding technology – FDM Print Speed – Up to 200mm/s; normal speed: 45-90mm/s Printing Accuracy – +/-0.1mm Layer thickness – 0.1 to 0.4 mm […]

June 26, 2020June 26, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Miniature Inertial Navigation System Integrates 9-axis IMU Sensor and RTK GNSS with 1cm Accuracy

SBG Systems Ellipse-D is an industrial-grade inertial navigation system (INS) equipped with a 9-axis IMU sensor, a dual-antenna RTK GNSS module with one-centimeter accuracy, and a 64-bit microprocessor for processing the data. The inertial navigation system also includes a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor, supports odometer input, and is available in either Box or OEM versions. SBG Systems Ellipse-D inertial navigation sensor specifications: SoC – Unknown 64-bit microprocessor for data processing GNSS – Dual antenna GNSS with support for GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BEIDOU; Supported features: SBAS, RTK, RAW Sensors – 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis magnetometer, temperature sensors, pressure sensor Host Interface RS-232, RS-422, USB up to 921,600 bps CAN 2.0A/B up to 1 Mbit/s Protocols – Binary eCom, NMEA, ASCII, TSS Input Voltage – 5 – 36 V Power Consumption – < 1,000 mW Dimensions & Weight Box: 46 x 45 x 32 mm | 65 grams OEM: […]