I like to browse Linux changelog to learning about new features in the kernel, but also new hardware that made it into mainline Linux, even if only preliminary or partial. And in the just-released Linux 5.13, one board that caught my eye was Art-Pi, powered by an STMicro STM32H750 Cortex-M7 microcontroller without MMU (memory management unit) that was initially designed for RT-Thread real-time operating system. Art-Pi specifications: MCU – STM32H750XBH6 Value Line Cortex-M7 microcontroller @ 400 MHz, with 128KB flash, 16KB D/I cache, 864 SRAM, 64KB+128KB TCM with ECC correction System Memory – 32MB SDRAM Storage – MicroSD card slot, 16 MB SPI flash, 8MB QSPI flash Display – FPC connector for RGB888 displays Connectivity – SDIO WiFi 4 and UART Bluetooth via Ampak AP6212 module USB – 1x USB OTG Type-C port Debugging – On-board ST-LINK/V2.1 via USB-C DBG port Expansion – 2x 40-pin P1 & P2 headers with […]
Ugoos AM6B Plus 2021 TV box adds WiFi 6 connectivity
Ugoos AM6B Plus 2021 is an update to last year’s Ugoos AM6 Plus Android 9.0 TV box with Dolby Vision support through Amlogic S922X-J hexa-core processor. What has changed exactly? A WiFi 6 & Bluetooth 5.0 LE module replaces the WiFi 5 & Bluetooth 5.0 LE module used on the previous model. The new WiFi 6 TV box still comes with 4GB RAM, 32GB eMMC flash, Gigabit Ethernet, 4K video support through an HDMI 2.1 port, and VPU capable of 4Kp60 H.265, H.264, and VP9 video decoding. Ugoos AM6B Plus 2021 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S922X-J hexa-core processor with 4x Arm Cortex-A73 cores @ up to 2.2 GHz, 2x ARM Cortex-A53 cores, and an Arm Mali G52 MP6 GPU System Memory – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 2.1 up to 4K @ 60fps with HDCP2.2 support, HDR10, HDR10+, […]
M5Stack Atom DTU LoRaWAN Kit also supports WiFi, RS485, Modbus communication
M5Stack is known for its ESP32 based building blocks for the IoT with WiFi & Bluetooth wireless connectivity, I/O headers, and block-specific features like a tiny color display, a speaker, a touchscreen display, a camera, and more. The company’s latest product is the M5Stack Atom DTU LoRaWAN Kit based on ESP32 ATOM Lite, as well as ASR Micro ASR6501 LoRa module (SX1302 based) and one RS485 header that allows for industrial communication notably with the Modbus protocol. M5Stack Atom DTU LoRaWAN Kit specifications: Wireless connectivity M5Stack ATOM Lite with ESP32 WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2/5.x dual-core SoC ASR ASR6501 LoRa chip Operating frequency – 868MHz or 915 MHz Transmit power – Up to +21dBm RX sensitivity – Up to -137dBm (SF=12/BW=125KHz) Serial communication – UART 115200bps (AT command) via ESP32 Antenna – SMA antenna connector Power consumption @ 3.3V (from ASR6501 datasheet) Tx @ +21dBm – 106 mA Rx – […]
A customer’s review of NextPCB PCB manufacturing service (Sponsored)
This article is based on the feedback from “Fix Until Broken”, one of NextPCB customers who details his experience with their PCB manufacturing service, including the ordering process, pricing, customer service, available options, and quality of the boards ordered. Ordering with NextPCB Ordering is a very simple process. First, check your design rules just like you would with any board manufacturer. If you want to check it yourself or set it into your design rules with your EDA/CAD, you can find PCB capabilities on their website. Alternatively, NextPCB also offers a free program to check your Gerber files for free. NextDFM is great for checking Gerber files. This is especially true when using files from an open-source design that you got from Github. After checking your design rules you can start the ordering process. For the free trial just make sure you are using 1-2 layers, ordering no more than […]
Custom Raspberry Pi 3 SBC with eMMC flash powers gateway for washing machines
As I was browsing some group on Facebook, I noticed somebody had bought a custom Broadcom BCM2837 SBC that looks very much like a Raspberry Pi 3 board, and that thing was apparently bought from a Saleng, a three-wheeled motorbike with a side cart where people can buy and sell old/second-hand items. All good fun… So without further ado, here’s what the board looks like… Click for higher resolution photos. Both MIPI CSI and DSI connectors are gone, and so is the AV jack. Two of the USB 2.0 ports have made place for a micro USB port and some headers. Looking at the bottom of the board, the MicroSD card slot is gone, because there’s a 16GB Kingston eMMC flash for storage in that location. At first, I was quite confused, first because the Raspberry Pi logo is nowhere to found, then it’s the first “Raspberry Pi” SBC I […]
Rockchip RK835 & RK837 fast charger chips support USB PD 3.0, QC4+, and VOOC
Rockchip is better known for its application processors for TV boxes (RK3328), Chromebooks and other higher-end hardware (RK3399), AIoT applications (RK3566), and more, but the company has recently introduced the RK83x family with RK835 and RK837 chips designed for fast chargers compatible with USB PD 3.0 and/or Qualcomm Quick Charge 4+ and BBK Electronics’ VOOC. RK835 Specifications MCU sub-system – Arm Cortex-M0 with 60KB flash, 1KB RAM USB PD 2.0/3.0 and PSS with TID number 4325 USB Type-C and Vconn power source Supports proprietary protocols 8-channel 10-bit, 500Hz converter speed ADC sensing voltage and 1-channel 10-bit current ADC All GPIOs can be configured as ADC input or edge triggering input DP/DM pins can be configured as UART, BC 1.2, or GPIO mode High-voltage endurance DP/DM and CC1/2 pins I2C interface with slave and master modes Low-power RC oscillator, 3 timers, one watchdog Discharge N-MOSFETs for VCC and VBUS Power – […]
TPM 2.0 modules quadruple in price, run out of stock following Windows 11 announcement
Microsoft announced Windows 11 with new system requirements that include having hardware with a TPM 2.0 chip. Yesterday, we noted that could be an issue, as not all computers, laptops, and tablets may come with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM), especially if version 2.0 is required. Microsoft explains it’s for a good reason, name improved security, but the requirement has already had an impact on the market, even though Windows 11 is not officially available just yet, as TPM 2.0 modules have quadrupled in price according to a Tweet from Shen Ye, senior director, global head of hardware products for HTC. Note that while the bottom scale shows dates, it only shows dates when the price changes and the price was indeed $24.90 before Microsoft’s announcement, and gradually went up to $99.90 within 12 hours. At the time of writing, that module is out of stock on Amazon. Shen further […]
Pico Wireless Pack adds ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth module to Raspberry Pi Pico
Pimoroni Pico Wireless Pack is an add-on board for Raspberry Pi Pico adding a MicroSD card socket and ESP32 WiFi & Bluetooth module to the popular MCU board. While it’s a nice idea to add wireless connectivity to Raspberry Pi Pico, ESP32 is a dual-core Xtensa LX6 processor clocked at 160 to 240 MHz with WiFi, Bluetooth, and plenty of I/Os that should be able to handle most tasks better than Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ processor clocked at 48 MHz by default, although we’ve also seen it overclocked up to 252 MHz. It comes with female headers that allow it to be inserted directly to the back of Raspberry Pi Pico has shown above, or into a “GPIO expander” board like the Pico Omnibus shown below through an SPI interface. Pico Wireless Pack specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32E WiFi 4 & Bluetooth 4.2/5.x module with PCB antenna, 4 MB […]