Author: Debashis Das

Debashis Das is a technical content writer and embedded engineer with over five years of experience in the industry. With expertise in Embedded C, PCB Design, and SEO optimization, he effectively blends difficult technical topics with clear communication
Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on BIGTREETECH Pi 2 SBC and CB2 module for 3D printers now feature Rockchip RK3566 SoC with Gigabit Ethernet

BIGTREETECH Pi 2 SBC and CB2 module for 3D printers now feature Rockchip RK3566 SoC with Gigabit Ethernet

BIGTREETECH Pi 2 and the BIGTREETECH CB2 Compute Modules

BIGTREETECH recently announced the release of the BIGTREETECH Pi 2 SBC and BIGTREETECH CB2 SoM, both powered by the Rockchip RK3566 SoC. These new modules are direct upgrades from the BIGTREETECH Pi v1.2 and BIGTREETECH CB1, which we covered and reviewed in our previous posts. Specially designed for 3D printers, these new modules have a similar form factor to that of a Raspberry Pi and the RPI CM4 module, and come with a set of upgraded features including support for GbE Ethernet, dual-band WiFi, up to 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM, eMMC storage, HDMI, USB, and more. BIGTREETECH Pi 2 Specifications SoC – Rockchip RK3566 CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor @ 1.8 GHz GPU – Arm Mali G52-2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 2.0 NPU – 0.8 TOPS AI accelerator VPU – 4Kp60 H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding, 1080p100f H.265/H.264 video encoding System Memory – 2GB LPDDR4 (Customizable – 1GB/2GB/4GB/8GB) […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 5 Comments on $4.99 ESP32-S3-Tiny board measures just 23.50 x 18 mm

$4.99 ESP32-S3-Tiny board measures just 23.50 x 18 mm

waveshare esp32 s3 tiny kit a mini development board

Waveshare has recently released the ESP32-S3-Tiny mini development board powered by ESP32-S3 wireless MCU and measuring just 23.50 x 18 mm. Due to its compact form factor, it does not include a USB-to-UART converter or a USB port. That is why, you will need an additional adapter board with an FPC cable to program it, which costs only $1. Despite its small size, the board is feature-rich. It includes 34 multi-function GPIO pins, along with Wi-Fi, BLE, SPI, I2C, UART, ADC, PWM, and more. The design of the board is very similar to the Raspberry Pi RP2040-powered Waveshare RP2040-Tiny board that we covered last year. However, what sets this board apart is its 34 I/O pins, compared to the 23 found on the RP2040-Tiny board, and wireless connectivity. We’ve also written about several other boards with compact form factors, such as the Unexpected Maker NANOS3 board (28 x 11 mm), […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 2 Comments on Microchip 8-bit AVR DU family supports secure USB connectivity and 15W power delivery

Microchip 8-bit AVR DU family supports secure USB connectivity and 15W power delivery

Microchip DU Family of MCUs

At Embedded World 2024, Microchip announced their new AVR DU family of 8-bit MCUs featuring a full-speed USB 2.0 data interface along with USB-C 15W Power Delivery enabling up to 12Mbps data transfer and charging. They also have features like secure bootloaders and Program and Debug Interface Disable (PDID), which protect your embedded designs. Based on the Harvard architecture, these MCUs can have up to 64 KB of Flash memory, 8 KB of SRAM, and 256 bytes of EEPROM. Their wide operating voltage range of 1.8V to 5.5V makes them suitable for small, space-sensitive devices, power bricks, and rechargeable devices. But one thing to note is that the USB function is only available for VDD above 3.0V and I2C Fm+ (Fast-mode Plus) is only supported for 2.7V and above. I²C Fm+ extends the standard I²C protocol, boosting communication speeds up to 1 MHz while maintaining compatibility with older I²C devices. It’s […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 12 Comments on Unexpected Maker NANOS3 might be the world’s tiniest ESP32-S3 module, yet fully-featured

Unexpected Maker NANOS3 might be the world’s tiniest ESP32-S3 module, yet fully-featured

Unexpected Maker NANOS3 A ESP32 S3 Powred Dev Board

Seon Rozenblum, better known as Unexpected Maker, has launched NANOS3  a development board that claims to be the world’s smallest, fully-featured ESP32-S3 module! This new module packs all the peripherals, and wireless connectivity features of an ESP32-S3 while being even smaller than the TinyPICO Nano. The module features two variants one with an onboard 3D antenna and the other with an u.FL connector. Previously we have written about TinyS3, FeatherS3, and ProS3 boards from Unexpected Maker we have also covered many unique ESP32-S3 boards like the ESP32-S3 PowerFeather Board with solar input, the Waveshare ESP32-S3-Relay-6CH, the ESP32-S3 4G dev boards and more feel free to check those out if you are interested in ESP32 boards with advanced features. Unexpected Maker NANOS3 Specifications ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R2 MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with 512KB SRAM, 16 KB RTC SRAM Memory – 2MB QSPI PSRAM Storage – 8MB QSPI flash Wireless – […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on $15 Waveshare 1.69-inch IPS touch LCD module works with Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP32, STM32, and other platforms

$15 Waveshare 1.69-inch IPS touch LCD module works with Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP32, STM32, and other platforms

Waveshare 1.69-inch Round IPS LCD Display Module with Touch Panel

The Waveshare 1.69-inch IPS touch LCD is a 1.69-inch rounded display with 240×280 resolution and a 262K color range. The display driver (ST7789V2) and touch controller (CST816T) are integrated on-board and rely on SPI and I2C interfaces that make it compatible with popular platforms such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP32, STM32, and more. Previously we have covered many similar display modules like the MaTouch ESP32-S3, T-RGB ESP32-S3, and ESP32-S3 Round SPI TFT. Feel free to check these out if you are looking for a specific rounded display product. Waveshare 1.69-inch IPS touch LCD specifications Display 1.69-inch round LCD with 240×280 resolution and IPS panel. 262K color depth Display Driver –  ST7789V2 SPI display driver Touch Control – CST816T I2C capacitive touch controller for responsive input. Onboard Logic Level Converter  – Onboard voltage translator for 3.3V/5V power, works with Raspberry Pi, ESP32-S3, Raspberry Pi Pico, Arduino, STM32, and more. Dimensions – 41.13 x 33.13 […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 6 Comments on unPhone – An ESP32-S3 IoT development platform with LoRaWAN, touchscreen, open-source ecosystem

unPhone – An ESP32-S3 IoT development platform with LoRaWAN, touchscreen, open-source ecosystem

unPhone All in one LoRa, WiFi and BT dev device with touchscreen and LiPo battery

Pimoroni, in partnership with the University of Sheffield, introduced the unPhone – an open-source non-cellular IoT development platform built around the ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller. The unPhone isn’t meant to replace phones but can simplify tasks and give you more control over your data. In addition to the ESP32-S3, it features a 3.5″ 320×480 touchscreen display, LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a vibration motor, an accelerometer, and various other features. Designed with these capabilities, this module can be used for teaching and rapid prototyping, while also finding applications in aquaponics. unPhone key features and components Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1U-N8 MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with 512KB SRAM and 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB Quad SPI flash Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 Hardware Features LCD touchscreen for debugging and UI creation. LoRaWAN for free radio communication Vibration motor for notifications. IR LEDs for remote control. […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Industrial MicroATX motherboards support Intel Core 12th-14th Gen processors with up to four 2.5GbE/10GbE ports

Industrial MicroATX motherboards support Intel Core 12th-14th Gen processors with up to four 2.5GbE/10GbE ports

DFI industrial microATX motherboard

DFI has recently unveiled two new Industrial MicroATX Motherboards, the RPS310 and ADS310, that claim to have support for Core 12th Gen (Alder Lake-S), 13th Gen (Raptor Lake-S), and 14th Gen (Raptor Lake-S Refresh) processors. The motherboards can be built around R680E or Q670E chipset and support a range of peripherals including VGA, DP++, HDMI, PCIe, M.2 M key, SATA3.0, and much more. The key difference between the two is that the RPS310 supports DDR5 memory, features 4x Intel 2.5GbE network connections, and has a 10-year CPU lifecycle with optional 5-year extended support. In contrast, the ADS310 supports DDR4 memory, features 2x Intel 10GbE + 2x Intel 2.5GbE network connections, and boasts a longer 15-year CPU lifecycle support. We’ve previously covered motherboards with a similar form factor, including the HiFive Pro P550 and Milk-V Pioneer, both powered by RISC-V CPUs. If you’re interested in alternative architectures, you might also enjoy […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on IcyBlue Feather V2 board features Lattice Semi iCE5LP4K FPGA in Adafruit Feather form factor

IcyBlue Feather V2 board features Lattice Semi iCE5LP4K FPGA in Adafruit Feather form factor

IcyBlue Feather V2 FPGA Bo

The IcyBlue Feather V2 from Oak Development Technologies is a powerful and compact dev board that combines the Lattice Semi iCE5LP4K FPGA with the Adafruit Feather form factor. This unique combination allows this FPGA board to be compatible with the Adafruit FeatherWings ecosystem, providing functionalities such as additional GPIOs, displays, connectivity modules, and more. This new board features a USB-C port for powering and programming the FPGA. Additionally, it features two hardware I2C and SPI blocks that do not consume FPGA resources while operating. The board also includes 22 accessible GPIOs, a bright RGB LED for status indication, and two user-programmable LEDs. Previously, we have discussed many similar tiny FPGA-based development boards, such as the Lattice Semi MachXO2 FPGA, tinyVision.ai Pico-Ice board, Silicon Witchery S1, and ULX3S Education Board. Feel free to explore these if you are looking for similar options. IcyBlue Feather V2 Specification FPGA – Lattice Semi iCE40 […]