Author: Tomisin Olujinmi

Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.
Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment on GigaDevice announces GD32F5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller targeted at high-performance applications

GigaDevice announces GD32F5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller targeted at high-performance applications

GigaDevice GD32F5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller

GigaDevice has officially launched the GD32F5 microcontroller series based on the Arm Cortex-M33 core. The Arm Cortex-M33 core has a maximum operating frequency of 200MHz and a working performance of up to 3.31 CoreMark/MHz. It also comes with a digital signal processing extension and a single-precision floating-point unit to reduce the load on the core. The GD32F5 microcontrollers are designed for high-performance applications and come equipped with up to 7.5MB on-chip flash, 1MB static RAM (SRAM), and diverse connectivity peripherals. The on-chip flash includes a zero-wait execution area (code flash) to improve code processing efficiency and real-time performance, and sizable data flash space for storing backups and parameters. The products support seamless OTA updates with a maximum of 2MB for Read-While-Write (RWW) operations. According to GigaDevice, the GD32F5 series is expected to find applications in “energy and power management, photovoltaic energy storage, industrial automation, programmable logic controllers (PLC), network communication […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment on SolidRun Bedrock R8000 is the first Industrial PC to feature AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 series

SolidRun Bedrock R8000 is the first Industrial PC to feature AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 series

Bedrock 8000 AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 industrial PC

Israeli embedded systems manufacturer, SolidRun, has recently introduced the Bedrock R8000, a new fanless, Industrial PC targeted at edge AI applications. The Bedrock R8000 integrates the newly-announced AMD Ryzen Embedded 8000 series processors with 8 Zen 4 cores and 16 threads clocked at up to 5.1 GHz. The Ryzen Embedded 8000 Series has a 16 TOPS NPU for AI workloads and offers up to 10 years of guaranteed availability. Also, up to 3 AI accelerators (either Hailo-10 or Hailo 8) can be combined with the onboard NPU to achieve over 100 TOPS for generative or inferencing AI workloads. Apart from the Ryzen Embedded 8000 series, the Bedrock R8000 series also supports other Accelerated Processing Units (APU) in the “Hawk Point” family. The CPU power limit can be adjusted in the BIOS within a range of 8W to 54W. Memory goes up to 96GB DDR5 ECC/non-ECC and three NVME PCIe Gen4 […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 2 Comments on Renesas RA0 Cortex-M23 MCU series target power and cost-sensitive applications

Renesas RA0 Cortex-M23 MCU series target power and cost-sensitive applications

Fast Prototyping Board for RA0E1

Renesas has announced the new low-power RA0 microcontroller series based on the power-efficient Arm Cortex-M23 core and the entry-level RA0E1 Group in the series. According to Renesas, the RA0 microcontrollers offer the “industry’s lowest overall power consumption for general-purpose 32-bit MCUs.” With a current consumption of 84.3 μA/MHz in active mode and only 0.82 mA in sleep mode, these microcontrollers are built to provide ultra-low power consumption. They also offer a Software Standby mode where the CPU, peripheral functions, and internal oscillators cease to operate. This mode reduces power consumption further by 99% down to 0.20 µA. They also come with a high-precision, High-speed On-Chip Oscillator (HOCO) for fast wake-up. The Cortex-M23 core is based on the Armv8-M instruction set and offers a maximum clock frequency of 32 MHz, with up to 64KB of code flash memory and 12KB SRAM  for storing application code and data. This feature set makes […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on Imagination launches the APXM-6200 RISC-V “Catapult” CPU for cost-sensitive consumer and industrial applications

Imagination launches the APXM-6200 RISC-V “Catapult” CPU for cost-sensitive consumer and industrial applications

APXM-6200 RISC-V CPU

Imagination has expanded its Catapult product portfolio to include a new RISC-V core, the Imagination APXM-6200 CPU. The APXM-6200 is a 64-bit, in-order application processor with an 11-stage, dual-issue pipeline. There isn’t much information on the new Imagination RISC-V core on the product page but we know it offers “best-in-class” performance density, a minimal silicon footprint, and industry-standard security features. The CPU is targeted at intelligent consumer and industrial applications and delivers a 2.5x improvement in performance density and a 65% improvement in normalized performance over comparable Arm Cortex-A53 and other cores on the market. It’s also faster than the Cortex-A510 Armv9 core in SpecINT2k6. Imagination claims that combining the APXM-6200 CPU with their GPUs will ensure a 2x increase in bus utilization and a 2x reduction in memory traffic. It also comes with RISC-V vector extensions, and AI compute libraries and supports fast data coupling with AI accelerators for […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on u-blox ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2, Bluetooth 5.4 LE modules are based on Nordic nRF54H20 and nRF54L15 SoCs

u-blox ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2, Bluetooth 5.4 LE modules are based on Nordic nRF54H20 and nRF54L15 SoCs

u-blox ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2 modules

Wireless communication solutions provider, u-blox has added two new modules to its Bluetooth LE portfolio with the ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2 modules built upon the latest low-power wireless nRF54 chips from Nordic Semiconductor.  Both modules come in a portable, power-efficient layout and support Bluetooth 5.4 and 802.15.4 (Thread, Matter, Zigbee). The ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2 BLE modules are powered by the low-power nRF54H20 and nRF54L15 SoCs, respectively. This enables them to provide IoT devices with sufficient processing power for edge computing and machine learning without the need for external components. u-blox claims that the ALMA-B1 module provides “more than twice the processing power of previous Bluetooth LE modules” and can replace general-purpose microcontrollers in compact solutions. Also, the NORA-B2 reportedly “consumes up to 50% less current compared to previous generations of Bluetooth LE modules,” leading to longer battery life or smaller batteries in end products. Both modules are classified as open CPU […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment on Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM targets Edge AI and computer vision applications with STM32MP25 MPU

Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM targets Edge AI and computer vision applications with STM32MP25 MPU

digi connectcore mp25 module

Digi International, an American Industrial IoT solutions provider, has announced its latest system-on-module, the Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM, at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany. The Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM is built upon STMicroelectronics’ STM32MP25 microprocessor. It supports artificial intelligence and machine learning functionality through an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 1.35 tera operations per second (TOPS) and an image signal processor (ISP). It is powered by two 64-bit Arm Cortex-A35 cores running at 1.5GHz, supported by a 32-bit Cortex-M33 core operating at 400MHz and a 32-bit Cortex-M0+core running at 200MHz. With its machine learning capabilities, support for time-sensitive networking, and versatile connectivity features, the ConnectCore MP25 module is suitable for edge AI, computer vision, and smart manufacturing applications in various sectors, including medical, energy, and transportation. Digi ConnectCore MP25 specifications: SoC – STMicroelectronics STM32MP257F CPU – 2x 64-bit Arm Cortex-A35 @ 1.5 GHz; MCU 1x Cortex-M33 @ […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on Cavli’s CQM220 5G RedCap module is available in LGA, M.2, and mPCIe form factors

Cavli’s CQM220 5G RedCap module is available in LGA, M.2, and mPCIe form factors

Cavli QM220

At Embedded World 2024, leading cellular IoT module manufacturer, Cavli Wireless, is set to shine the spotlight on their latest product offering, the CQM220 cellular IoT module with support for the 5G RedCap (reduced capability) standard introduced in 3GPP Release 17. The module is available in three different form factors: LGA, M.2, and mPCIe Gen 2. It offers a maximum network speed of 226 megabits per second (Mbps) for downlink communication and 121 megabits per second for uplink communication. Similar to the Cavli C16QS module, it can support an integrated eSIM for global coverage via the Calvi Hubble cloud platform and comes with an optional GNSS (Global navigation satellite system) for tracking applications. Cavli CQM220 specifications: Processor – ARM Cortex-A7 @ up to 1.7 GHz Memory / Storage 256 MB RAM 256 MB flash Radio Radio Access Technology: 5G RedCap 3GPP Release: 17 Fallback: 4G LTE Cat 4 Network Speed […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on M5Stack BugC2 programmable robot base has an STM32 control chip and a four-way motor driver

M5Stack BugC2 programmable robot base has an STM32 control chip and a four-way motor driver

m5stack bugc2 robot

Modular IoT hardware developer, M5Stack, has released a new programmable robot base based on the STM32F030F4 microcontroller with LEGO and Arduino compatibility. The M5Stack BugC2 is “compatible with the M5StickC series controllers,” and includes the ESP32-powered M5StickC Plus2 development kit in the package. It features an L9110S four-way motor driver for all-directional operation, two programmable RGB LEDs, an infrared encoder, and a 16340 rechargeable Li-ion battery holder. It also comes with a USB Type-C port for charging the battery and supports onboard reverse charging protection and voltage detection. Listed applications for the M5Stack BugC2 programmable robot base include remote motor control, robot control, and an intelligent toy. M5Stack BugC2 specifications: Microcontroller – STMicroelectronics STM32F030F4 microcontroller, with Arm 32-bit Cortex-M0 CPU @ 48 MHz, and with up to 256KB of flash memory Motor driver – L9110S Infrared receiver – SL0038GD IR detection distance (StickC Plus2) Infrared emission distance (linear distance) at […]