Debashis Das, Author at CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 25, 2025June 25, 2025 by Debashis Das - 9 Comments

Battery-powered knob display board pairs ESP32-S3 and ESP32 wireless SoCs, features audio DAC for audio visualization

ESP32 S3 Knob Touch LCD 1.8, dual ESP knob display dev board

The Waveshare ESP32-S3-Knob-Touch-LCD-1.8 is a batterry-powered knob display board designed for HMI applications that combines ESP32-S3 and ESP32 SoCs in a dual MCU architecture. The design differs from other ESP32-based knob / rotary encoder with a built-in display such as the MaTouch SmartKnob, M5Dial, and LILYGO T-Encoder Pro. The Waveshare device also stands out with a larger 1.8-inch capacitive touch display, integrated audio DAC, and real-time audio visualization. It comes with a CNC-milled full-metal enclosure for a more premium and durable build. The devkit supports swipe gestures and volume control, and can be used as a Pomodoro timer, a text reader, a secondary PC screen, and a Bluetooth audio player through a 3.5mm audio jack. Other features include a digital microphone, a vibration motor, and a microSD card slot for storage. ESP32-S3-Knob-Touch-LCD-1.8 Specifications: MCUs Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI […]

June 23, 2025June 23, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

ST’s Human Presence Detection (HPD) solution tracks head and posture with AI and VL53L8CP ToF sensor

VL53L8CP ToF sensor for AI presence detection

Back in 2022, we first saw STMicro launch the VL53L5CP ToF presence detection sensor for the PC market with features like user detection, gesture recognition, and intruder alert. Building upon that, the company has recently released its 5th‑generation Human Presence Detection (HPD) solution, built around the VL53L8CP 8×8 multizone Time‑of‑Flight sensor family with edge AI features offered as a turnkey solution for laptops, PCs, monitors, and accessories. We have seen and even tested earlier ToF sensors like the VL53L0X and VL53L1X, which used a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) for single-zone ranging. After that, we saw ST release the VL53L5, which was a major upgrade with up to 64-zone multi-zone support, enabling features like touch-to-focus and object tracking. Now, in the age of AI, ST has launched a 5th-gen turnkey HPD solution built around the VL53L8CP sensor. STMicro HPD solution specifications: Sensor – ST FlightSense VL53L8CP 5th generation multi-zone direct Time-of-Flight (dToF) […]

June 22, 2025June 23, 2025 by Debashis Das - 14 Comments

$2 development board features Puya PY32F030 Cortex-M0+ MCU with 64KB Flash, 8KB RAM

The Puya PY32F030 core board is a low-cost industrial development board based on the 48 MHz PY32F030K28T6 Arm Cortex-M0+ MCU, featuring 64KB flash and 8KB RAM, and capable of operating in a wide temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. It supports USB, SPI, I2C, UART, and I2S interfaces, and is designed for applications such as IoT, robotics, and automation in harsh environments. We have written about various low-cost MCUs over the past. Back in 2019, we wrote about the Padauk PMS150C, a 3-cent 8-bit MCU with 64 bytes of RAM, up to 6 I/Os, PWM, and basic peripherals. Then in 2022, the WCH CH32V003 made headlines with a 32-bit RISC-V core, 2KB SRAM, 16KB flash, and a 10-cent price tag. After that, in 2023, we discovered the Puya PY32 series of MCUs. It was an 8-cent MCU with an Arm Cortex-M0+ core, 32KB flash, and 4KB RAM, and was found […]

June 19, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

HackLED Pro LED controller – An Adafruit Sparkle Motion alternative with WS2812 and RGBCW LED support

HACK Lab HackLED Pro is an Adafruit Sparkle Motion-like LED controller that runs a custom version of WLED and supports both WS2812 and RGBCW LEDs, making it ideal for DIY lighting projects, smart home setups, and audio-reactive light displays. Built around an ESP32 MCU, this board includes 2-way WS2812 LED outputs, 5 PWM channels (RGBCW), and an onboard silicon microphone for music reactive LED setup. Like the Sparkle Motion, the outputs of this board are level-shifted, and there’s also a power switch that toggles the output power between 5V and 12V. The board features a USB-C port with a PD controller, with which you can power and program the board. The controller is housed in a thermally protected 3D printed case and is also compatible with the generic version of the WLED firmware. HackLED Pro specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32E-N4 WiFi and Bluetooth module with 4MB Flash LED Control 2x […]

June 19, 2025June 21, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

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

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 – […]

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 by Debashis Das - 6 Comments

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

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 […]

June 18, 2025June 18, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

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 […]

June 16, 2025June 16, 2025 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

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

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, […]