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

May 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

ThinkNode M2 ESP32-S3-based Meshtastic handset features 1.3-inch OLED display, 1,000 mAh battery

Elecrow ThinkNode M2 is yet another Meshtastic handset for off-grid messaging and GPS coordinate sharing based on an ESP32-S3 module providing Bluetooth connectivity to a smartphone, and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver for low-power long-range wireless connectivity. It’s an evolution of the ThinkNode-M1, itself similar to the LILYGO T-Echo, based on a Nordic Semi nRF52840 Bluetooth module and SX1262 LoRa transceiver with an external antenna housed in a 3D printed enclosure. The new ThinkNode M2 is very similar but features a more powerful ESP32-S3 module instead, relies on a 1.3-inch OLED display instead of a 1.54-inch e-paper display, and is housed in an ABS plastic case. ThinkNode M2 specifications: Core module – ESP32-S3 module (looks to be ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 on the photo below) SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – dual-core 32-bit microcontroller @ 240MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 384KB ROM 4MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth […]

May 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments

Beelink ME Mini is a compact 6-slot SSD NAS and mini PC powered by an Intel N150 Twin Lake SoC

Beelink was one of the first companies to launch an Intel Processor N150 mini PC with the EQ14 model, and they’ve now launched the ME Mini 6-slot SSD NAS based on the Twin Lake processor, coupled with 12 GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash, and a 2TB NVMe SSD. The compact NAS/computer also features two 2.5GbE ports, a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless module, HDMI 2.0 video output, and a few USB ports. Like the Beelink EQ14, it comes with an integrated 100/240V power supply instead of an external power brick. Beelink ME Mini specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N150 quad-core Twin Lake processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1.0 GHz; TDP: 6W System Memory – 12GB LPDDR5 4800 MHz; note: a 16GB LPDDR5 model will also be available Storage 5x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 x1 sockets 1x M.2 2280 PCIe 3.0 […]

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

M5Stack Tab5 is a tablet-like ESP32-P4 IoT development kit with a 5-inch touchscreen display and front-facing camera

The M5Stack Tab5 may look like a small tablet, but it’s an ESP32-P4 IoT development kit with a 5-inch touchscreen display, a 2MP front-facing camera, an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 wireless module, and a range of interfaces. Those include USB Type-A and Type-C ports, an RS485 interface, a STAMP pad to connect an LTE Cat M/NB-IoT or LoRaWAN module, and expansion connectors including a Grove module, a 30-pin M5Bus header, and a GPIO_EXT connector. The Tab5 is also equipped with a built-in speaker and dual-microphone array, and the ESP32-P4 development kit is powered by a removable battery with charging support. M5Stack Tab5 specifications: Microcontroller – Espressif Systems ESP32-P4NRW32 CPU Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V HP (High-performance) CPU @ up to 400 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU Single-RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core @ up to 40 MHz with 8KB of zero-wait TCM RAM Memory 768 KB HP L2MEM […]

May 9, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

UGOOS SK2 – A 4K Google TV box powered by Realtek RTD1325 SoC with 4GB RAM, WiFi 6, Dolby Vision & Atmos

UGOOS SK2 is a 4K Google TV (Android TV 12) box powered by a Realtek RTD1325 quad-core Cortex-A55 SoC with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, 32GB eMMC flash, 100 Mbps Ethernet, and WiFi 6 connectivity. The TV box features an HDMI 2.1a port that outputs up to 4Kp60 with HDR, an optical S/PDIF audio output, and two USB ports. As a certified device, it ships with a Widevine L1 license for video streaming, as well as Dolby Vision and Atmos audio support. UGOOS SK2 specifications: SoC – Realtek RTD1325 CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 @ 1.7GHz with 512KB L3 cache; 20,000 DMIPS GPU – Arm Mali-G57 MC1 with OpenGL ES 3.2 and Vulkan 1.3 API support VPU – 4Kp60 10-bit AV1, VP9, H.265, AVS2 video decoder System Memory – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash Video & Audio Output HDMI 2.1a up to 4K resolution (3840 x 2160) with 4K HDR […]

May 9, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

MIPI C-PHY v3.0 released with 18-Wirestate mode encoding increasing the per-lane performance by up to 35 percent

The MIPI Alliance has recently released the MIPI C-PHY v3.0 specification, defining the physical layer for connecting cameras and displays. The main change in MIPI C-PHY Version 3.0 is the addition of an 18-Wirestate mode encoding option – instead of the 6-Wirestate mode encoding used in previous versions – that increases the maximum performance of a C-PHY lane by approximately 30 to 35 percent. The MIPI Alliance claims this enhancement delivers up to 75 Gbps over a short channel for ultra-high-resolution image sensors. The table below shows the key features and differences between versions of the MIPI C-PHY specification. Interestingly, the symbol rate decreased for MIPI C-PHY v3.0 compared to v2.1 (7.0 Gsps vs 8.0 Gsps for short channel), but the data rate increased from 18.3 to 24.9 Gbps, a 36% increase, due to the more efficient encoding option 32b9s that transports 32 bits over nine symbols (3.56 bits per symbol) while maintaining […]

May 8, 2025May 8, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Bluetooth 6.1 specification introduces randomized RPA updates for enhanced privacy and power efficiency

The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has just adopted the Bluetooth 6.1 Core Specification with the addition of the randomized Resolvable Private Address (RPA) Updates feature and several errata. The Randomized RPA updates feature is designed to enhance privacy and power efficiency in Bluetooth devices by randomizing the timing of address changes to make it much more difficult for third parties to track or correlate device activity over time, and offloading the address change operation to the Controller to help the Bluetooth device extend its battery life. That’s about all there is for Bluetooth 6.1, except some errata like “Pause Encryption should be mandatory to support with encryption”. You’ll find the latest specification on the Bluetooth website, as well as a page specific to Randomized RPA Updates. None of the usual silicon vendors like Silicon Labs, Nordic Semi, or NXP have announced any updates to Bluetooth 6.1. One of the […]

May 8, 2025May 8, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

HydraLink USB-to-Automotive Ethernet dongle works over a single twisted pair (Crowdfunding)

HydraLink is a compact USB-to-Automotive Ethernet dongle that supports 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 standards over a single twisted pair (no large RJ45 connector needed) and provides a solution for diagnosing, testing, and prototyping automotive networks. The rationale behind HydraLink is that the automotive sector is undergoing a shift from CAN-based systems to advanced Automotive Ethernet networks like BroadR-Reach (802.3bw) that allow multiple in-vehicle systems to simultaneously access information over unshielded single twisted pair cables. So as I understand it, the HydraLink is the modern equivalent of OBD-II USB scanners relying on Ethernet instead. HydraLink specifications: Networking – 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps automotive Ethernet via 2.54 mm pin header (Note: the board below features a Broadcom BCM89811 BroadR-Reach automotive Ethernet RGMII transceiver limited to 100BASE-T1 data rate) USB – USB 3.0 Gen 1 Type-C port Misc – Link activity and link speed LED indicators Power Supply – 5V via USB interface […]

May 7, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

MINIX NEO Z150-0dB and Z150-Aero – Fanless and actively-cooled Intel Processor N150 mini PCs with WiFi 6 and 2.5GbE

MINIX NEO Z150-0dB and NEO Z150-Aero mini PCs are both based on an Intel Processor N150 Twin Lake processor, but the first one is fanless, and the second is actively cooled. Both mini PCs ship with up to 16GB DDR4 memory and 512GB NVMe SSD storage, and the most obvious difference is that the fanless model comes with two external antennas, while the actively-cooled mini PC features internal antennas. But there are more. Let’s find out by checking out the specifications. MINIX NEO Z150-0dB MINIX Z150-0db specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N150 quad-core “Twin Lake” processor @ up to 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1000 MHz; TDP: 6W Memory – 8GB or 16GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM memory; upgradeable up to 32GB Storage 256GB or 512GB M.2 SSD in M.2 PCIe Gen3 x4 socket MicroSD card slot Video Output – 2x HDMI 2.1 ports up to […]