Debashis Das, Author at CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

CyberT. – A BlackBerry-like Raspberry Pi CM4-based handheld Linux computer with Kali Linux support

CyberT. Beta handheld Linux computer

Designed by Carbon Computers, the CyberT. is a BlackBerry-style handheld Linux computer equipped with a 4-inch panel built around the Raspberry Pi CM4. It features a custom QMK-powered QWERTY keyboard, a BlackBerry-style touchpad, HDMI output, microSD card slot, stereo speakers, and an onboard battery management system (BMS), packed into a compact form factor. Compared to Clockwork’s uConsole, which features swappable CM3/CM4 SoMs, a 5-inch display, and optional 4G LTE, the CyberT. focuses on cybersecurity and portable development. While many Raspberry Pi CM4-based handheld devices like the RetroLite CM4 and ReBoi target retro gaming with joysticks or Game Boy-style enclosures, the CyberT., takes a cyberdeck-style approach and runs Kali Linux, or other Linux distributions like Raspberry Pi OS. CyberT. Beta Specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) Storage – MicroSD card slot for OS and data storage Display 4-inch 720×720 RGB TFT display (ST7701S controller, TTL RGB interface – […]

$3.50 nanoCH57x CH570/CH572 RISC-V development board offers USB-C port, 2.4GHz radio/BLE, and GPIO pins

MuseLab nanoCH57x development board

Designed by MuseLab, the nanoCH57x is a WCH CH570/CH572 development board with a 2.4 GHz proprietary radio (CH570) or Bluetooth LE (CH572) that only costs $3.50 and is more compact than the official CH570 Basic Evaluation Board. We first came across this low-cost MCU back in March this year, and saw that the official development board became available for purchase as early as April. The nanoCH57x development board currently features the 100 MHz  CH572D RISC-V microcontroller (the CH570D version is coming later), which includes 256KB of flash memory, 12KB of SRAM, and an onboard 32 MHz crystal. The board also includes a USB 2.0 Type-C Host/Device port and PCB antenna for BLE/RF communication. MuseLab nanoCH57x development board specifications: MCU (one or the other) – WCH CH570D or CH572D CPU – QingKe 32-bit RISC-V3C core @ up to 100 MHz Memory – 12KB SRAM Storage – 256KB non-volatile memory 240KB code […]

Dual-channel LoRaWAN AC energy meter features 10A/100A CT clamps, measures temperature and humidity

AgroSense 2 Channel LoRaWAN AC Current Monitor

The AgroSense AGLW2CT is a dual-channel LoRaWAN-based industrial AC energy meter that utilizes 10A and 100A CT clamps to measure power consumption non-invasively. The device features two 0–5V analog inputs for the clamps, an AHT20 temperature & humidity sensor, and local storage for 3,300+ records. It supports LoRaWAN 1.0.3 OTAA Class C and works with TTN, Datacake, and CloudStudio. The device operates within the -40°C to 85°C industrial temperature range and is suitable for contactless current sensing, overload/no-load detection, and machine health monitoring. We had previously covered, and even reviewed, several Wi-Fi-connected CT clamps meters such as the MachineQ’s MQpower CT, Seeed Studio’s XIAO-2CH-EM, and Emporia’s Vue Gen 2 energy monitor, but it’s the first time we’ve come across a LoRa AC energy meter with CT clamps. Earlier this month, we noticed the MOKO LW005-MP LoRaWAN Smart Plug and power meter, but it relies on direct AC power measurements and […]

BentoIO CMX1 – A low-profile Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier board that’s just 11mm thick

BentoIO CMX1 Low Profile IO Carrier Board for Raspberry Pi CM5

The BentoIO CMX1 is a compact, low-profile Raspberry Pi CM5 carrier board, developed by Terioto in Germany. With an 85 x 85 mm footprint and a height of just 11 mm, it’s designed for space-constrained applications like embedded systems, industrial control, and compact edge devices. After the official launch of the Raspberry Pi CM5 module and its carrier board, we’ve seen boards like Waveshare CM5-NANO-B and Orange Pi CM5 “Tablet” Base Board get released. There is no doubt that they are compact, but they are not as slim as this board. While it’s slim, that doesn’t mean it lacks I/Os; it includes a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header, two USB 3.0 ports, two internal USB 2.0 headers, a MIPI DSI  connector and an optional HDMI port for video output, optional gigabit Ethernet, a PCIe M.2 M-Key for expansion, and it uses a USB-C for power. Other features include an RTC battery connector, […]

Renesas RA2L2 – The first low-power MCU with USB-C Revision 2.4 support

Renesas RA2L2 group of low power MCUs

Renesas RA2L2 is the world’s first low-power MCU to support the USB-C Revision 2.4 standard with 15W CC detection, USB FS support. It also offers support for CAN Bus, I3C, and low-power UART. The announcement follows other devices from the Renesas RA series, such as the RA2A2 Arm Cortex-M23 MCU introduced in 2024, and the RA4L1 ultra-low-power MCU unveiled earlier this year with just 168 µA/MHz operation, dual-bank flash, and capacitive touch. The RA2L2 Cortex-M23 microcontroller also embeds up to 128KB of code flash, 16KB SRAM, and 4KB data flash for EEPROM-like storage. It supports a wide 1.6V to 5.5V supply voltage and an industrial-grade -40°C to +125°C temperature range. The MCU also integrates a ±1% high-accuracy on-chip oscillator, multiple timers including 16-bit and 32-bit PWM and low-power asynchronous timers, a 12-bit ADC, a real-time clock, and an internal temperature sensor. It’s available in 32- to 64-pin packages and offers […]

Avalue ACP-PI – A Raspberry Pi-like industrial SBC family with long-term supply, Rockchip or NXP SoC

ACP 3566 PI and ACP IMX8 PI Raspberry Pi industrial SBCs

Avalue Technology’s ACPI-PI is a Raspberry Pi-compatible, industrial SBC family, starting with the ACP-3566-PI and ACP-IMX8-PI, designed for edge computing and industrial IoT applications with long-term supply. The ACP-3566-PI is built around a Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor with 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC. Other features include 4K HDMI output, MIPI DSI/CSI, GbE LAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a 40-pin GPIO header for UART, SPI, I2C, and RS-232/RS-485 expansion. The ACP-IMX8-PI, on the other hand, is built around an NXP i.MX8M Mini processor (quad Cortex-A53 + Cortex-M4), 4GB LPDDR4, 32GB eMMC, HDMI, MIPI display, and camera support. Additionally, it has four USB 2.0 ports, an SD slot, an audio jack, and GPIO/UART expansion. Measuring 85×55 mm, both boards can be used for smart retail, healthcare, factory automation, and AI edge deployments. ACP-3566-PI specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3566 CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.8/2.0 GHz GPU – with Arm […]

$7 NearLink WS63E board supports Wi-Fi 6, BLE, and SparkLink Low Energy (SLE)

HH D02 NearLink Dev Board

The HiHope_NearLink_DK_WS63E_V03 is a low-power NearLink dev board built around the HiHope HH-SPARK-WS63E module, which features the HiSilicon NearLink WS63E SoC with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi 6, BLE 5.2, and SparkLink (SLE) 1.0 support. It’s designed for Smart Home and AIoT applications requiring low power and high security. The NearLink WS63E SoC features a 240MHz 32-bit CPU, 606KB SRAM, and a 4MB flash. The board exposes various interfaces like SPI, QSPI, I2C, UART, ADC, PWM, and GPIOs through GPIO headers. Security features include hardware AES, RSA, ECC, and FIPS140-2-compliant RNG. Target applications include Smart Home appliances, wearables, medical monitoring, industrial testing, energy management, and Smart Agriculture. HiHope NearLink_DK_WS63E specifications: SoC – HiSilicon NearLink WS63E 32-bit microprocessor up to 240 MHz 606 KB SRAM, 300 KB ROM 4MB embedded Flash Wireless (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n/ax (ch1–ch14), 20/40MHz (n), 20MHz (ax) Data rates: up to 150 Mbps (HT40), 114.7 Mbps (HE20) MAC: 802.11d/e/i/k/v/w; Features: A-MPDU, […]

Jetway PIC-ASL1 – A low-power Intel Atom x7213RE/x7433RE fanless industrial Pico-ITX SBC

Jetway PIC ASL1 Pico ITX Motherboard

Jetway PIC-ASL1 is a low-power, fanless Pico-ITX SBC built around the Intel Atom x7213RE or x7433RE Amston Lake SoC for industrial use. This SBC is very similar to the Alder Lake-N-based JPIC-ADN1, which Jetway released just last year. While both boards support up to 32GB DDR5 memory and dual displays via HDMI 2.0b and LVDS/eDP, the PIC-ASL1 adds industrial-grade resilience with shock/vibration resistance, a Nano SIM slot for cellular connectivity, and an Intel PTT for security. It also features a similar I/O layout, including dual USB 3.2 Gen 2, four USB 2.0, serial headers, two M.2 expansion slots, and a SATA III port for storage. Additionally, the PIC-ASL1 complies with various industrial standards, making it more suitable for use in harsh industrial environments compared to the ADN1. Jetway PIC-ASL1 specifications: Amston Lake SoC (one or the other) Intel Atom x7213RE dual-core processor @ 2.0 to 3.4 GHz with 6MB cache, […]

UP 710S Alder Lake-N Credit Card-size SBC