Orange Pi Zero LTS SBC Launched for $8.49 and Up

Buy Orange Pi Zero LTS Allwinner H2 SBC

Orange Pi Zero LTS is an update to Orange Pi Zero Allwinner H2+ board with the same specifications, but tweaks to the hardware that Shenzhen Xunlong Software claims lower power consumption and reduce heat. The SBC supports Armbian’s Debian and Ubuntu images, and best suited for headless applications that require network connectivity via Ethernet and/or WiFi such as smart speakers. The board also features one USB port, and two I/O headers for expansion. The good news is that you can now buy Orange Pi Zero LTS for the same price as the original model, namely $8.49 for the 256MB RAM version, and $10.49 for the 512MB model$10.49 for the 512MB model, excluding shipping costs ($4.73 to my location). Here’s a reminder of Orange Pi Zero LTS (v1.5) specifications: SoC – Allwinner H2+ quad-core Cortex A7 processor @ 1.2 GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU @ 600 MHz System Memory – 256 to […]

How to Overclock Raspberry Pi 4 to 2.0 GHz

Raspberry Pi 4 Overclocked Benchmarks

Yesterday I played with my new “ICE Tower CPU cooling fan”  for Raspberry Pi 4 which cools the board just great but is clearly over the top. Regular reader and commenter m][sko mentioned it was possible to overclock Raspberry Pi 4 to 2.0 GHz after a firmware upgrade. That looks like a perfect task for my new fansink! I’ve upgraded both the firmware and operating system:

then edited /boot/config.txt as root (sudo) to add the following lines to boost the maximum frequency to 2.0 GHz:

Do not try to set force_turbo=1, as while it would allow to further boost the voltage, it will change a fuse in the chip, and it will void your warranty. We can now reboot the board to validate the settings, and check those are applied:

Good. At idle the frequency is lower, but that normal:

Voltage is set to 1.0335V:

[…]

LyRa is a Raspberry Pi CM3L based Handheld Game Console (Crowdfunding)

The LyRa handheld game console is the first of its kind to carry a Raspberry Pi CM3L module inside. We reported on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 Light in early 2017, and its significant features and abilities. The LyRa is being developed by Creoqode who started their campaign on Kickstarter in July 2019.  The campaign has already surpassed its funding goal, and it looks like the LyRa will become a reality. The LyRa comes in two versions 1. RTG – Ready-To-Go which is a completely assembled and ready to play handheld game console, computer and entertainment console. 2. DIY – Do-It-Yourself version comes in pieces that can be made into a fully functioning handheld game console in about 15 minutes. The unit features a Raspberry Pi CM3L module which is able to emulate literally hundreds of classic game consoles and games. The unit can attach through HDMI to a […]

PineBook Pro Arm Linux Laptop now up for pre-order for $199.99

Pinebook Pro Laptop

Pine64 unveiled a Pinebook Pro laptop prototype at FOSDEM 2019 as an update to the original Allwinner A64 powered Pinebook laptop, but instead of just being a toy to play with, Pinebook Pro aimed to be used as a daily driver thanks to a relatively powerful Rockchip RK3399 processor combined with 4GB RAM, and 64/128GB storage, and equipped with a 14″ Full HD display all for a target price of $200. Last May, we noticed some good progress on the software development side with a demo showcasing Ubuntu & Debian with MATE desktop, 4K video playback, 3D graphics acceleration, and USB-C video output.  The good news is that Pinebook Pro has just launched and can be pre-ordered for $199.99 on Pine64 store. [Update: If you are an existing forum member, you may want to redeem your coupon here] Pinebook Pro laptop specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 big.LITTLE hexa-core Arm Cortex […]

N-Fuse Launches Raspberry Pi 3B+ LoRaWAN Gateway with PoE Support

PoE enabled Raspberry Pi 3B+ based LoRaWAN™ Gateway

Raspberry Pi is everywhere, and this small size single-board computer has reshaped technology and STEM education. The launch of the recent Raspberry Pi 4 is evident in the success and continuous growth. The Raspberry Pi 3B+ has seen so much success in several maker’s projects, while not the most powerful SBC in the market, but undoubtedly one of the most popular. I once put together an AI-powered mobile robot using just a Raspberry Pi 3B+, an RPLidar A2, and Raspberry Camera which was way capable of so many things. Another exciting Raspberry Pi end product is the “PoE enabled Raspberry Pi 3B+ based LoRaWAN Gateway” from n-fuse. The PoE enabled Raspberry Pi 3B+ based LoRaWAN Gateway as called by n-fuse is a LoRaWAN gateway based on the Raspberry Pi 3B+, the LRWCCx-MPCIE Concentrator, and the SBCPoE RPI Hat. It supports both the Europe 868Mhz and America 915Mhz frequency (you have […]

Orange Pi Zero LTS Allwinner H2+ SBC Gets More Efficient and Cooler

Allwinner H2+ SBC Low Power Consumption

Orange Pi Zero is a cool little Arm Linux board based on Allwinner H2+ processor for headless applications requiring WiFi and/or Ethernet that was first launched in November 2016 for $7 and up. It was not launched without controversy, as first users had various issues with the Allwinner XR819 WiFi module, but I had no such problem when I made an Orange Pi Zero Google Assistant smart speaker. Nevertheless, Shenzhen Xunlong Software is about to launch a newer version of the board – Orange Pi Zero LTS -, with the same specifications, but improvements in the design in order to reduce power consumption, and lower the board’s temperature. As the name implies, the company will commit to long term support (i.e. long term availability) for the board, but they did not tell me for how many years. Orange Pi Zero LTS v1.5 specifications: SoC – Allwinner H2+ quad-core Cortex A7 […]

Docker Pi IoT Node(A) Adds LoRa, GPRS and GPS to Raspberry Pi Board

The Docker Pi IoT Node(A) is the latest addition to the Docker Pi series of modules meant to enhance IoT capability and expand on the Raspberry Pi family of SBCs. Although it is mountable on the Raspberry Pi SBC, the HAT form factor allows it to be used with other similar single board computers such as Rock64 board. The Docker Pi IoT Node(A) supports GPS/BDS (Beidou), GSM, and LoRa. The add-on board interfaces to the host over I2C, in order to control LoRa & GSM connectivity, as well as the GPS/BDS module through SC16IS752 chip. There are a number of code examples and instructions that can be found on the Wiki. The unit can also be controlled directly without programming, and all the GPIO pins are extended so the board can stack on other HAT compatible boards, in appropriate layers. Specifications GPRS section Low power consumption, standby sleep current <1mA […]

PicoLog 6 Beta supports Raspberry Pi 4, 3B and 3B+

One of the most popular computer platforms, Raspberry Pi has not been supported for Pico’s advanced datalogging software, up until now. The PicoLog 6 datalogging software is now compatible with Raspbian Stretch or later OS. The software has been designed for quick access to simple or complex acquisitions, and enabled to record, analyze or view data of almost any type. TC-08 Thermocouple Datalogger with Raspberry Pi 3 board Real Power It is essentially the same software that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, with a few differences to take advantage of the capability of the lower-powered Arm processors.  Producing a powerful datalogger for the Raspberry Pi SBC platform. The PicoLog 6 is optimized for Raspbian Stretch and runs the Raspberry Pi 4, 3B and 3B+ SBC’s. The core of the utility is an easy to use visual interface that allows for an almost out-of-box use to the program. Features Making […]

Memfault IoT and embedded debugging platform