Category: Zephyr OS

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on Synaptics Astra SRW1500 Cortex-M52 Edge AI MCU features Ethos-U55 NPU, Wi-Fi 6/7, Bluetooth 6.0, 802.15.4 connectivity

Synaptics Astra SRW1500 Cortex-M52 Edge AI MCU features Ethos-U55 NPU, Wi-Fi 6/7, Bluetooth 6.0, 802.15.4 connectivity

Synaptics SRW1500 Series AI MCU

Synaptics has introduced the Astra SRW1500 Series of AI-native Edge AI MCUs designed for smart IoT edge devices. The family features an Arm Cortex-M52 core, an optional Arm Ethos-U55 Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and tri-band Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0 LE, and 802.15.4 connectivity, in a single package. It targets low-latency on-device AI workloads such as voice-trigger detection, sound-event classification, and AI-enhanced Wi-Fi sensing. The series currently comes in four variants offering different wireless and USB options. Since sensing, AI processing, and wireless connectivity are integrated into a single chip, this approach helps reduce system costs, simplify PCB design, and lower power consumption in devices such as smart home hubs, building automation systems, and home appliances. Synaptics SRW1500 Series specifications: CPU Arm Cortex-M52 application core up to 200 MHz with Arm Helium (MVE) vector extensions for DSP and ML Arm Cortex-R4 WiFi core with 960 KB SRAM and 1408 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Docker for Microcontrollers? AkiraOS combines Zephyr RTOS with WebAssembly (WASM) applications

Docker for Microcontrollers? AkiraOS combines Zephyr RTOS with WebAssembly (WASM) applications

AkiraOS architecture

AkiraOS is a Zephyr-based embedded OS that runs sandboxed WebAssembly applications on microcontrollers and lets users deploy and update firmware OTA without reflashing. In other words, it’s similar to Docker containers, but for microcontrollers. The open-source embedded platform separates the OS from the application. That means the firmware stays stable, while apps are independent .wasm binaries deployable over-the-air without touching the OS, and portable so a single binary works on ESP32-S3, nRF5x, or STM32 MCU boards. AkiraOS highlights: User space Up to 8 wasm apps can be installed Up to two apps can run at the same time Footprint: 50KB to 200KB per app Akiraz runtime – Custom WASM runtime App Manager UI Framework with 32 widgets Shell/console 18 API modules WebAssembly Micro Runtime (WAMR) – Two options: Interpreter or Ahead-Of-Time (AOT) compilation with 10 to 50x higher performance RTOS – Zephyr RTOS Scheduler Network stack HTTP for OTA updates […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on $13 Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK offers Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and 802.15.4 connectivity (Bouffalo Lab BL618 inside)

$13 Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK offers Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and 802.15.4 connectivity (Bouffalo Lab BL618 inside)

The Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK

Back in November 2024, we wrote about Qualcomm’s QCC730M and QCC74xM modules for low-power IoT devices, but at the time, there was no evaluation board EVK for those SoCs. Fast forward to today, and the official development boards for the QCC74x series have finally been released, complete with a surprisingly affordable price tag. The Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK is a tri-radio evaluation board with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee) with a price tag of just over $13. But what is interesting is that, while it carries the Qualcomm brand, documentation from the Zephyr Project clearly shows that the QCC74x series is actually based on and mostly equivalent to the Bouffalo Lab BL61x series, specifically the BL618. Qualcomm QCC74xM EVK specifications: Wireless Module – Qualcomm QCC74xM LGA Module (QCC743M, QCC744M, or QCC748M depending on the board variant) CPU – 32-bit RISC-V processor (RV32IMAFCP) @ up to 325 MHz with FPU […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Ezurio Tungsten 510/700 SMARC SoM features MediaTek Genio 510/700 AIoT SoC, dual GbE, WiFi 6

Ezurio Tungsten 510/700 SMARC SoM features MediaTek Genio 510/700 AIoT SoC, dual GbE, WiFi 6

Ezurio Tungsten 700 Mediatek Genio 700 SMARC system-on-module

Ezurio Tungsten 510 and Tungsten 700 SMARC 2.1 compliant system-on-module powered by MediaTek Genio 510 hexa-core and Genio 700  octa-core Cortex-A78/A55 AIoT SoCs with an up to 4 TOPS NPU. The SMARC modules feature 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4 memory and 16GB flash by default (upgradeable up to 128GB), offer dual Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and various interfaces exposed through a standard 314-pin MXM connector, including  HDMI, DisplayPort, eDP, and MIPI DSI display interfaces, two MIPI CSI camera interfaces, two I2S audio interface, PCIe Gen2 x1, and more. Ezurio Tungsten 510/700 specifications: SoC (one or the other) MediaTek Genio 510 (MT8370) CPU – Hexa-core processor with 2x Arm Cortex-A78 core up to 2.2 GHz, 4x Cortex-A55 cores up to 2 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU VPU – 4Kp60 H.265, AV1, VP9, H.264 video decoding, 4Kp30 H.265 and H.264 video encoding Accelerators – Up to 3.2 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on BeagleConnect Zepto – A “$1 computer” based on TI MSPM0L1117 Cortex-M0+ MCU

BeagleConnect Zepto – A “$1 computer” based on TI MSPM0L1117 Cortex-M0+ MCU

BeagleConnect Zepto

BeagleBoard.org Foundation’s BeagleConnect Zepto “$1 computer” is an upcoming open-source hardware board powered by Texas Instruments MSPM0L117 Cortex-M0+ MCU, part of the MSPM0 family introduced in 2023. It’s a tiny board with mikroBus-compatible headers, a TAG-CONNECT JTAG connector, two Qwiic connectors for expansion (or one Qwiic connector + USB-C depending on the variant), Boot and Reset buttons, and an RGB LED. BeagleConnect Zepto specifications: MCU – Texas Instruments MSPM0L117 CPU – 32MHz Arm Cortex-M0+ core Memory – 16KB SRAM Storage – 128KB dual-bank flash Package – QFN32 (5×5 mm) USB – Optional USB-C port for power (multiplexed with one of the Qwicc JST connectors) Expansion mikroBUS headers supporting a choice of about 2,000 ClickE add-on boards; one of the sides is compatible with some Raspberry Pi HATs (note limited to 12 pins) Up to 2x Qwicc connectors with full Grove function: I2C, UART, ADC, GPIO Debugging – 8-pin TAG-CONNECT JTAG […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Nuvoton NuMicro M3331 Cortex-M33 MCU features built-in ARGB LED controller, optional USB 2.0 OTG interface

Nuvoton NuMicro M3331 Cortex-M33 MCU features built-in ARGB LED controller, optional USB 2.0 OTG interface

M3333 Series MCU

Nuvoton’s new NuMicro M3331 is a series of 32-bit Arm Cortex-M33 MCUs clocked at 180 MHz that integrate an ARGB LED controller, a DSP instruction set, a single-precision FPU, and TrustZone security for smart factories, renewable energy systems, and consumer devices. In the past, we have written about other Cortex-M33 MCUs like the STM32U3B5/C5, Texas Instruments MSPM33C321A,  Nordic Semi’s nRF54LM20A, and various others, but the Nuvoton M3331 series specifically features a built-in Enhanced LED Light Strip Interface (ELLSI) and up to 10 standard LLSI channels. This allows the MCU to natively support gaming ARGB Gen1 and Gen2 LED control protocols, completely offloading the CPU to run fluid, dynamic LED effects. It comes in two variants, the M3333 series and the M3334 series, with the latter adding a high-speed USB 2.0 OTG controller with an integrated PHY. NuMicro M3331 specifications: MCU core – Arm Cortex-M33 32-bit CPU @ 180 MHz with single-precision […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Toradex OSM and Lino SoMs – 30×30mm NXP i.MX 93/i.MX 91 modules with solder-down or B2B connector designs

Toradex OSM and Lino SoMs – 30×30mm NXP i.MX 93/i.MX 91 modules with solder-down or B2B connector designs

Toradex Lino IMX93 B2B System on Module

Toradex has launched two new ultra-compact (30x30mm) System-on-Module (SoM) families: OSM and Lino, powered by NXP i.MX 91 or i.MX 93 Arm Cortex-A55 SoC for Edge industrial and IoT applications. The OSM iMX91 and OSM iMX93 variants comply with the OSM Size-S standard, featuring a 332-ball contact grid designed to be soldered to the carrier board. The Lino is a proprietary format that keeps the OSM Size-S dimensions but features two board-to-board (B2B) connectors offering more flexibility for potential replacement or future upgrades. Toradex Lino iMX91/iMX93 system-on-module Toradex Lino specifications: SoC (one or the other) NXP i.MX 93 CPU 2x Arm Cortex-A55 up to 1.7 GHz 2x Arm Cortex-M33 up to 250 MHz GPU – PXP 2D GPU with blending/composition, resize, and color space conversion NPU – Arm Ethos-U65 NPU @ 1 GHz up to 0.5 TOPS Security – EdgeLock Secure Enclave NXP i.MX 91 CPU – Single-core Arm Cortex-A55 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Texas Instruments MSPM0G5187 and AM13Ex MCUs integrate TinyEngine NPU for Edge AI applications

Texas Instruments MSPM0G5187 and AM13Ex MCUs integrate TinyEngine NPU for Edge AI applications

MSPM0G5187 TinyEngine NPU

Texas Instruments MSPM0G5187 and AM13Ex are two new microcontroller (MCU) families featuring the company’s  TinyEngine neural processing unit (NPU) to enable low-latency, high-efficiency Edge AI/Machine Learning inference on the chips. TI claims that the TinyEngine NPU can run AI models with up to 90 times lower latency and more than 120 times lower energy utilization per inference than similar MCUs without an accelerator.  The MSPM0G5187 is a general-purpose, low-power Arm Cortex-M0+ MCU, while the AM13Ex Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller targets real-time motor control, starting with the AM13E23019 SKU. TI MSPM0G5187 general-purpose Cortex-M0+ MCU Key features and specifications: CPU – Arm Cortex-M0+ @ 80 MHz Memory – 32 KB RAM with ECC Storage – 128 KB flash with ECC, 8 KB data flash with ECC Accelerators TinyEngine NPU for AI/ML delivering up to 2.56GOPS (Giga Operations Per Second) at 80MHz MATHACL math accelerator Peripherals USB – 1x USB 2.0 (12 Mbps) Audio […]

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