Category: Linux

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 33 Comments on Hisilicon HI3798C V200 64-bit ARM Processor Supports HDMI 2.0, 10-bit HEVC, USB 3.0, SATA and More

Hisilicon HI3798C V200 64-bit ARM Processor Supports HDMI 2.0, 10-bit HEVC, USB 3.0, SATA and More

There have been several Cortex A53 processors announced or released on the market such as Rockchip RK3368, Allwinner A64, or Amlogic S905, but in many cases I can read comments complaining about the lack of high speed interface, incomplete code support, or a weak GPU. Hisilicon Hi3798C V200 offers better features than its competitor, as beside four Cortex A53 cores, it includes a Mali-720 GPU, supports HDMI 2.0 output up to 4K at 60 HZ, 10-bit HEVC / H.265 and VP9 video decoding at 3840×2160 resolution at 60 fps, and integrates SATA and USB 3.0 interfaces. Hisilicon Hi3798C V200 key features and specifications: CPU – Quad core Cortex A53 processor (15K DMIPS) GPU – ARM Mali-T720 supporting OpenGL ES 3.1/2.0, OpenVG1.1, EGL, and Imprex 2.0 PQ engine Memory I/F – DDR3 or DDR4 Video Engine (VPU) Codecs – HEVC, H.264, VP9, VC1, MPEG2 Decoder – 10-bit up to 4Kp60 Encoder – […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on Allo SPARKY Board Supports Raspberry Pi HATs for Multimedia, IoT and VoIP Applications

Allo SPARKY Board Supports Raspberry Pi HATs for Multimedia, IoT and VoIP Applications

Allo is a company based in Bangalore, India specializing in VoIP hardware solutions, but they’ve recently developed a single board board powered by Actions Semi S500 quad core processor that supports various Raspberry Pi HATs and can be used for multimedia, IoT, and Telecom application such as Asterix or Freeswitch PBX. Allo SPARKY board specifications: SoC – Actions Semi S500 quad core Cortex A9r4 processor with PowerVR SGX544 GPU @ 500 MHz Memory – 1 or 2GB RAM Storage – Socket for 8, 16, 32 or 64GB pluggable eMMC modules,  micro SD slot up to 32GB, optional NAND flash Video Output – HDMI,  34-pin LCD connector Audio – HDMI, Headphone jack, built-in microphone Video Codec – H.265 (HEVC) and Ultra HD (4K*2K) video playback. Encoding up to 1080p@60fps. Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x USB 3.0 (OTG) port Camera –  24-pin camera interface (Up […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments on Inforce 6410Plus Single Board Computer with Snapdragon 600 SoC Sells for $98 (Promo)

Inforce 6410Plus Single Board Computer with Snapdragon 600 SoC Sells for $98 (Promo)

Inforce 6410Plus SBC is the successor of Inforce 6410 board, also based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor (APQ8064), but compared to the first version of the board, it adds GPS/Glonass, some MIPI CSI and DSI interface,and a few others changes. The normal price is $143, but it is currently selling for $98 for a limited period. I’ve reproduced the specifications below as a reminder: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 (APQ8064) Quad Core Krait 300 processor  @ 1.7GHz + Adreno 320 GPU System Memory – 2GB on-board PCDDR3, up to 533MHz Storage – 4GB eMMC + μSD card connector + SATA interface Connectivity: 802.11 b/g/n WiFi (Atheros QCA6234) Bluetooth 4.0 (Atheros QCA6234) 10/100/1000bps Ethernet (Atheros 8151) GPS/GLONASS Video and Audio Interfaces: μHDMI (1080p) 2x MIPI-CSI2 (4-lane, up to 20MP camera @ 15 fps) Dual MIPI-DSI (4 lane) – Primary : up to QWXGA (2048 × 1536), 60 Hz refresh rate; Secondary:  […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Calao Systems SMC-NTEK1 is a SMARC System-on-Module Powered by Nvidia Tegra K1

Calao Systems SMC-NTEK1 is a SMARC System-on-Module Powered by Nvidia Tegra K1

Calao Systems has introduced a new system-on-module compliant with SGET SMARC specifications, and powered by Nvidia Tegra K1 quad core Cortex A15 processor, that targets embedded systems for vision, video, data analytic and high computing applications. Calao SMC-NTEK1-IXX module specifications: SoC – Nvidia Tegra K1 quad core Cortex A15 processor with a Kepler GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3L Storage – 8 GB e-MMC, 8 MB SPI Flash, 1x EEPROM with unique S/N and MAC address Security – 1x Trusted Platform Module (TPM), 1x Crypto Authentication I/Os via MXM3 edge connector: Storage – SATA 3Gb/s, 1x SDIO Video Output – 1x LVDS, 1x HDMI Video Input / Camera – 2x CSI Audio I/F – 1x I2S, 1x S/PDIF Out Debugging – 1x JTAG Network connectivity – 1x Gigabit Ethernet USB – 2x USB 2.0 Host, 1x USB 2.0 OTG 1x PCIe x1 4x UART, 1x SPI, 3x I2C, 12x GPIO […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on pcDuino8 Uno is an Allwinner H8 Octa-core Development Board with Arduino Headers

pcDuino8 Uno is an Allwinner H8 Octa-core Development Board with Arduino Headers

H7 Hummingbird development board powered by Allwinner H8 octa-core Cortex A7 processor with support for 1080p H265 video decoding launched this summer, but Merrii does not usually provide much support to individual developers. Linksprite is about to launch a new H8 development board that also comes with Arduino compatible headers. pcDuino8 Uno board specifications: SoC – AllWinner H8 octa-core ARM Cortex-A7 processor @ up to 2.0GHz with PowerVR SGX544 GPU @ up to 700MHz System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – micro SD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p with HDCP support Audio I/O – HDMI, 3.5mm analog audio jack Connectivity – Ethernet (100M LAN shown on board, but “Gbps” listed in specs) USB – 1x USB 2.0 host port, 2x micro USB ports (1x OTG, 1x power only) Camera – 1x MIPI CSI header Expansion Headers – Arduino Uno headers with 14x […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Marsboard AM335X Development Board Features a TI Sitara AM335x SoM

Marsboard AM335X Development Board Features a TI Sitara AM335x SoM

Haoyu Electronics brought us several Allwinner and Rockchip Marsboard in the past few years, and now they’ve released a version based on Texas Instruments AM335x processor, with a form factor and features similar to  the Beaglebone Black, but comprised of a baseboard and system-on-module. Marsboard AM335x board specifications: CM-AM335x System-on-module: SoC – Texas Instrument AM335x (AM3358) ARM Cortex A8 processor @ 1Ghz with SGX530 3D GPU System Memory – 512MB DDR3 SDRAM Storage – 4GB eMMC Flash Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet PHY (LAN8710A) SoM Connectors – two 50×2 pin headers, 1.27mm pitch Misc – Power Indicator LED Power Management Unit – TPS65910 SIM-AM335X Baseboard Video Output – HDMI type A socket (via TDA19988 LCD to HDMI converter) Storage – mircro SD slot (bottom of the board) Connectivity – RJ45 connector for Fast Ethernet USB – 1x USB 2.0 Host port, 1x micro USB port Debugging – 14-pin JTAG interface (not […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on Loongson Introduces MIPS64 3A2000 & 3B2000 Processors Based on GS464E Architecture

Loongson Introduces MIPS64 3A2000 & 3B2000 Processors Based on GS464E Architecture

Loongson recently unveiled two new quad core processors Loongson-3A2000 & Loongson-3B2000 targeting respectively consumer electronics and server, and on the company’s new GS464E architecture using MIPS64 cores. Both processors are 4-way superscalar processors built on a 9-stage, super-pipelined architecture with in-order execution units, two floating-point units, a memory management unit, and a crossbar interconnect. According to Imagination Technology, Chinese media reported that 3A2000 CPU was designed at high-performance consumer electronics products such as desktop computers and laptops, 64-bit embedded and DSP applications, and network routers, while 3B2000 will be used in 8 to 16 core server systems, meaning there would be 2 to 4 quad core processors in these servers. I could not find anything about the new processors on Loongson product page, but a white paper describes GS464E architecture in details. Unfortunately, the document is entirely in Chinese, except the abstract and some charts and tables: Loongson GS464E is […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on Debian 8 on Orange Pi mini 2 Board (Video)

Debian 8 on Orange Pi mini 2 Board (Video)

Yesterday, I wrote a quick start guide for Orange Pi PC / 2 / Plus showing how to install Linux distributions on the board, and build your own image. With the launch of the $15 Orange Pi PC, Xunlong Software has taken over 1,500 orders for the board on their Aliexpress store, and probably sold a few hundreds or thousands in China via Taobao. So the board got relatively popular in a short time, considering it’s only selling via these two channels. I tested my tutorial with Orange Pi mini 2 ($23), a very similar board also based on Allwinner H3, but just a little larger and with an extra USB hosty port, but apart from that it’s similar to Orange Pi PC, and software compatible. I had already wrote about my test results in the previous article, where I did not recommend using the board in Linux as a […]