Debashis Das, Author at CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 28, 2024January 28, 2024 by Debashis Das - 8 Comments

Mcuzone MP4GM 4G LTE PCIe Module for Raspberry Pi 5 also adds three USB 2.0 interfaces

Mcuzone recently announced the MP4GM, a new 4G LTE module for the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC. This module connects to the Raspberry Pi 5 via PCIe and includes three extra 1.25mm JST connectors for three additional USB 2.0 interfaces. This HAT is compatible with various 4G LTE mini PCIe modules from Mcuzone and Fibocom, providing flexible options for 4G connectivity. We have previously covered a 5G Modem Kit for the Raspberry Pi 5, but this is the first time we have found out about a 4G LTE kit designed for the Pi 5. We have also covered Mcuzone RK3308 SoM and the MDK3308-EK Evaluation Kit, designed for smart voice applications as well as a Raspberry Pi CM4 board with dual Ethernet capabilities all from MCUzone. So, feel free to check those out if you are interested in their products. Mcuzone MP4GM 4G LTE module specification: Model – MP4GM PCIe to […]

January 26, 2024January 25, 2024 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Quectel FGH100M Wi-Fi HaLow module based on Morse Micro MM6108 receives CE and FCC Certifications

Quectel and Morse Micro's FGH100M Wi Fi HaLow Module

In a collaboration, Quectel Wireless Solutions and Morse Micro have developed the FGH100M a Wi-Fi HaLow module, powered by Morse Micro’s MM6108 SoC. This module has achieved CE certification in Europe and FCC approval in the US, meeting high safety and environmental standards. After reading through the press release, I initially thought the 802.11.ah WiFi, known as WiFi HaLow, would be similar to other LPWAN standards like LoRaWAN or Sigfox. However, further research showed that Wi-Fi HaLow, operating in the 900 MHz band, was first announced in 2014 and got its name in 2016. However, in the following years, there wasn’t much interest in this wireless standard. But starting from 2021, it’s becoming more popular, and we’ve seen many HaLow-based products like a mini PCIe card, a WiFi HaLow development board, and a gateway kit to extend the range of IP cameras, and also ALFA Network’s AHPI7292S Raspberry Pi HAT […]

January 25, 2024 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Waveshare ESP32-S3-LCD-1.28 development board with 1.28-inch IPS round LCD is available for $15

The Waveshare “ESP32-S3-LCD-1.28” is an ESP32-S3-based display board featuring a 1.28-inch round LCD screen with a 240×240 resolution, driven by the GC9A01 display driver chip. It also includes a Li-ion battery charger, a QMI8658 6-axis IMU (for motion tracking), a USB Type-C connector, and wireless capabilities. This board is quite similar to others like the Lilygo T-RGB, Round Display for XIAO, ESP32-S3 Round SPI boards. However, it’s thinner and more affordable. Waveshare ESP32-S3-LCD-1.28 development board specifications: Wireless MCU – ESP32-S3 Xtensa 32-bit LX7 dual-core, up to 240MHz frequency. Display: 1.28-inch round IPS LCD. Resolution – 240×240 pixels. 65K color. Display Chip – GC9A01A. IMU Parameters: Sensor – QMI8658 Accelerometer resolution – 16-bit; Range (Optional): ±2, ±4, ±8, ±16g. Gyroscope resolution – 16 bits; Range (Optional) – ±16, ±32, ±64, ±128, ±256, ±512, ±1024, ±2048°/sec. Memory: Built-in 512KB SRAM. 384KB ROM. Onboard 2MB PSRAM. External 16MB Flash memory (W25Q128JVSIQ). Wireless Connectivity: […]

January 24, 2024January 23, 2024 by Debashis Das - 10 Comments

Geekworm X1003 PCIe to NVMe SSD adapter for Raspberry Pi 5 works with the active cooler or official case

Geekworm x1003 NVMe SSD adaper Raspberry Pi 5 active cooler

The Geekworm X1003 is a well-designed PCIe to NVMe expansion board for the Raspberry Pi 5. It supports 2230 and 2242 SSDs with M.2 M-Key, does not interfere with the airflow when using the active cooler, and fits snugly within the official Pi 5 ABS case although you need to take out the fan layer from the top of the case. We previously wrote about the low-cost Waveshare PCIe to M.2 adapter, but user Rex Tang highlighted a design flaw with its 2230 screw mount affecting 2242 SSDs that have chips on both sides of the module. Then, user PANiCnz recommended the X1003 with a compact design that doesn’t have the same issue. We also covered other PCIe to NVMe expansion boards such as Pimoroni NVMe Base and PineBerry Pi’s HatDrive, so feel free to check those out if interested. Geekworm X1003 PCIe to NVMe adapter specifications: Compatible with Raspberry […]

January 23, 2024January 23, 2024 by Debashis Das - 11 Comments

LinkStar H28K is a compact travel router with dual gigabit Ethernet based on Rockchip RK3528 SoC

LinkStar H28K Compact Quad Core Travel Router

The LinkStar H28K is a compact travel router equipped with a Rockchip RK3528 processor. It offers two Gigabit Ethernet ports and comes with 4GB of memory and 8GB of eMMC storage, which can be expanded to 512GB using a microSD card. Additionally, it features a 12V Type-C connector with Power Delivery (PD) capability. Sadly this router does not offer Wi-Fi capabilities, but the LinkStar H68K does. We’ve also looked at other small yet powerful routers like the NanoPi R5S, FastRhino R68s, and the Radxa E25. Additionally, we’ve written about the X88Pro 13 8K TV box built around the same RK3528 SoC as found in the H28K router. LinkStar H28K travel router specifications: Processor – Rockchip RK3528 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.5 GHz Memory – 4GB LPDDR4X Storage: Onboard 8GB eMMC MicroSD card slot (supports up to 512GB) Network: 1x PCIe Gigabit Ethernet port 1x RGMII Gigabit Ethernet Port USB Ports: 1x […]

January 22, 2024January 22, 2024 by Debashis Das - 5 Comments

Waveshare PCIe to M.2 adapter for Raspberry Pi 5 will only cost you $8.99

The Waveshare PCIe To M.2 adapter is an inexpensive PCIe to M.2 HAT+ module for the Raspberry Pi 5 designed for PCIe Gen2 and Gen3 SSDs. It is compatible with standard SSD sizes of 2230/2242 and features status indicator LEDs, a power monitoring chip, an EEPROM, and a cooling fan vent to keep temperatures in control during heavy use. It’s not the first Raspberry Pi 5 adapter taking NVMe SSDs (or AI accelerator), as we previously explored the PineBerry Pi’s HatDrive, suitable for 2230, 2242, and 2280 SSDs up to PCIe Gen3 speeds and the Pimoroni NVMe Base with a different design and compatible with 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 drives up to PCIe Gen3 speeds. A few days ago, we already covered Waveshare’s PoE HAT(F), which shares a similar form factor with Waveshare PCIe To M.2 Adapter and uses the new HAT+ standard to provide 24W of power to […]

January 20, 2024January 21, 2024 by Debashis Das - 14 Comments

This new ESP32-C6-based IoT development board supports solar battery charging

FireBeetle 2 ESP32 C6 IoT Development Board with Wi Fi 6, Bluetooth 5, Solar Powered

DFRobot’s FireBeetle 2 ESP32-C6 is an IoT Development Board with 802.11ax (now called Wi-Fi 6), Bluetooth 5, Zigbee 3.0, Thread 1.3, and flexible power options including USB Type-C, 5V DC, and a CN3165 Lithium Ion battery charger for solar-powered systems. This isn’t the first solar-based board we’ve covered. We’ve also explored boards like Conexio Stratus, Wisblock Kit 2, and RAK8211-NB iTracker along with other solar-powered devices such as solar-powered laptops, solar-powered headphones, and even a solar-based power supply. FireBeetle 2 ESP32-C6 IoT Development Board Specifications: Processor – ESP32-C6 RISC-V single-core, 160 MHz Memory SRAM – 512KB ROM – 320KB Flash – 4MB RTC SRAM – 16KB USB – USB 2.0 CDC Wi-Fi Protocols – IEEE 802.11b/g/n, IEEE 802.11ax (20 MHz-only non-AP mode) Bandwidth – Supports 20 MHz and 40 MHz at 2.4 GHz Modes – Station, SoftAP, SoftAP+Station Frequency – 2.4GHz Frame Aggregation – TX/RX A-MPDU, TX/RX A-MSDU Bluetooth Protocol […]

January 19, 2024 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Firefly CT36L AI Smart Camera Features Rockchip RV1106G2 with 0.5 TOPS NPU, 100Mbps Ethernet with PoE support

Firefly CT36L AI Smart Camera (PoE) features a Rockchip RV1106G2 CPU with 0.5 TOPS NPU, a 5-megapixel ISP, and a 3-megapixel HD lens. It supports 100Mbps Ethernet with PoE and includes advanced image enhancements like HDR, WDR, and noise reduction, all while maintaining low power consumption and high image integration. We’ve previously explored various AI cameras such as Tokay Lite, EDATEC ED-AIC2020, ThinkCore TC-RV1126, Orbbec Persee+, M5Stack UnitV2 among others. Feel free to check them out for more information. Firefly CT36L AI Smart Camera (PoE) specifications: CPU – Rockchip RV1106G2 Arm Cortex-A7 @ 1.2GHz, with Neon and FPU NPU – 0.5 TOPS, supports INT4/INT8/INT16, TensorFlow/MXNet/PyTorch/Caffe/Onnx NN ISP – 5MP high-performance, HDR, WDR, 3DNR, 2DNR, sharpening, defogging, fisheye and gamma correction, feature detection VPU – 3072×1728 (5M) @ 30fps H.265/H.264 encoding, 16M@60FPS JPEG snapshot RAM – 128MB DDR3 built-in Storage – 16MB SPI Flash built-in Camera specifications: Type – Color Camera Image Sensor – SC3336 CMOS Size […]