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

February 7, 2016February 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Izitron I-SEN1 Environmental Sensors Board Works with XBee Modules

Izitron, a start-up based in the South of France, has designed a board with temperature, pressure, humidity and light sensors and a XBee header to provide a way to monitoring environmental variables for weather monitoring, agriculture, industrial applications, and more. I-SEN1 technical specifications: Sensors Temperature – Microchip MCP9700-E/T0; accuracy: ±4°C Accuracy from 0°C to +70°C | -4°C/+6°C Accuracy from -40°C to +150°C; temperature range: -40 to 125 °C Pressure – Infineon KP236N6165; accuracy: 2%; pressure range: 60 kPa to 165 kPa; temperature range: -40 to 125 °C Humidity – Honeywell HIH-5030-001; accuracy: ±3% RH; range: 0 to 100% RH; temperature range: -40 to 85 °C Light – AMS TSL14S-LF; reponsivity: 16 mV/ (uW/cm2); temperature range: 0 to 70 °C Header for XBee RF module Power Supply 5V via micro USB 5 to 12V via Wago terminal block 2x batteries No power management chip Power on/off button Power consumption – Up […]

February 6, 2016February 8, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Winsat V8 Angel Android Set-top Box Supports Satellite, Terrestrial and Cable Television

A few years ago, there were only a few Android TV boxes with digital TV tuners, but in the last year, more and more models have been coming to market. Winsat, aka Yuwhua Technology Limited, has been making satellite, terrestrial, and cable TV receivers for several years, but their latest V8 Angel model runs Android 4.4, and supports DVB-S2, DVB-T2 and DVB-C. The company has not provided a complete list of specifications, and the processor, memory and storage are unspecified, but here’s what we do know: Video Output – HDMI and AV Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and optical S/PDIF Tuners – DVB-S2, DVB-T2, and DVB-C support via LNB IN and RF IN antenna connectors Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, Bluetooth, and WiFi USB – 2x USB host ports Misc – Mechanical power switch, frontal panel LCD display Power Supply – 12V Dimensions – 156 x 92 x 26 mm The […]

February 5, 2016February 5, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

ProView S3 Affordable 3-Axis Smartphone Stabilizer Helps Shooting Better Videos (Crowdfunding)

Smartphone stabilizers (aka gimbals) for smartphones allow you take much better videos while on the move, as they smooth the shaking that occurs when you walk, run, or bike. Stabilizers are currently available, such as KumbaCam or other white brand stabilizers, are sold for $250 to $400, but Navin, a Taiwanese company, has designed a cheap video stabilizer for smartphones with ProView S3 that starts at $125 + shipping via Indiegogo. ProView S3 3-axis stabilizer can handle larger size smartphones, features orientation sensors, precision motors, and stabilization algorithms to provide smooth video recording. Some of ProView S3 specifications and features include: Adjustable mount from 67mm to 78 mm width Wind resistant thanks to algorithms and mechanical design Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless firmware updates Dual IMU sensors with tilt, roll, and pan motors. Underslung shot- You can take videos upside down too… 4 operational modes – Full Lock (no […]

February 5, 2016February 5, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

How to Use Your Old Laptop Screen with Raspberry Pi or Your Computer

After reading an article on Liliputing about using Raspberry Pi Zero with Motorola Lapdock, I decided to look for clones for the device since Motorola Lapdock is now hard to buy at a decent price, if at all, since the product has been discontinued for a while. I did not find anything similar, but instead I came across M.NT68676.2A LCD driver HDMI kit selling for $37.99 on eBay that allows you to re-use your old laptop screen with any development board or computer that comes with HDMI, DVI, or VGA output. The kit is comprised of a monitor control board (M.NT68676.2A), an “inverter” board which depends on your LCD panel model number, a keypad board, an LVDS cable, and a cable to connect all three boards together. M.NT68676.2A monitor control board specifications: Chipset – NT68676 (UFG) Supported Panel – LED/LCD, Single/Dual LVDS (8bit) up to 2048×1152 resolution Video Input “PC-RGB […]

February 5, 2016March 28, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablet is the First Ubuntu “Convergence” Device

Three years ago, Canonical unveiled their plan to develop Ubuntu for Tablets with support for both tablet mode and full desktop convergence, but development took longer than expected, and in the meantimes some companies launched tablets without real mobile / desktop convergence, such as Cube i7-CM or Mastermind UT One, non of which were really successful. However, with the upcoming Ubuntu 16.04 “Xenial Xerus” LTS release, Canonical has worked it out, and the company cooperated with BQ to develop Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition tablet the feature both mobile and desktop modes. BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu edition specifications: SoC – MediaTek MT8163A ARM Cortex-A53 quad-core processor @ 1.5 GHz with ARM Mali-T720MP2 GPU System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 16GB storage + microSD card slot for up to 64GB of removable storage Display – 10.1″ multitouch screen; 1920×1200 resolution Video Output – micro HDMI output Audio – Frontal speakers, 3.5mm […]

February 4, 2016February 4, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Maoxiaoer Bluetooth Smart Fishing Float Works with Android and iOS Devices

I used to go fishing a lot when I was a kid, and if in the future I go fishing again, I’d probably just leave the phone at home to enjoy with nature. But if you tend to fall asleep while fishing, or like to fish at night, Maoxiaoer smart fishing float will alert your smartphone over Bluetooth once you get a catch, and its LED will blink. From the outside it jsut looks like a normal blue fishing float made of balsa, but it takes two CR425 batteries to power LEDs and Bluetooth connectivity. The sensitivity of the float’s alarm as well as LED intensity is controlled by an app that runs on Android or iOS. Here are some of the fishing float specifications: Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 up to 15 meters Sensitivity – 12 levels Battery life – 8 hours Color – White, black, gold Dimensions – Float […]

February 4, 2016April 29, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

FriendlyARM NanoPC-T2 Board Gets More Storage, WiFi & Bluetooth, Stays Cool, and Costs Less

FriendlyARM NanoPC-T1 board powered by Samsung Exynos 4412 processor with 1GB RAM and 4GB eMMC flash was unveiled at the start of 2014 for $69. The company has now announced NanoPC-T2 with Samsung S5P4418 processor with 1GB RAM, and 8GB Flash, as well as WiFi and Bluetooth, as Gigabit Ethernet all of which were missing in the first version. NanoPC-T2 also has a power management chip, and a larger heatsink, meaning that it does not suffer from overheating like NanoPi2 according to FriendlyARM. NanoPC-T2 specifications: SoC – Samsung S5P4418 quad core Cortex A9 processor @ up to 1.4GHz with Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1GB 32bit DDR3 RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, and 1x SD card slot (on the bottom of the board) Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE 4.0 (Ampak AP6212) with on-board chip antenna and 1x IPX antenna connector Video Output / Display […]

February 4, 2016November 18, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

How to Check CPU Throttling in Windows 10 or Windows 11

Recent processors all have the ability to adjust the operating frequency to either decrease power consumption or make sure the processor does not overheat. That’s why for example Intel processors have a maximum junction temperature (Tj max) so that if this temperature is reached the processor can slow down (throttle) to cool things off and avoid damaging itself. That also explains why computers with the same processor, storage, and memory may have greatly different performance under load depending on their thermal design. I’m currently testing a fanless mini PC with an Intel Celeron N3150 Braswell processor, and yesterday I noticed the frequency would be stuck at 0.22 GHZ (yes, that’s 220 MHz) at all times, even when starting the web browser and loading long web pages. It was very slow, and I had a few “windows not responding” in the process. I checked the metal box temperature with an IR […]