DLP LightCrafter Display 2000 EVM Adds a Pico Projector to BeagleBone Black for $99

Back in 2012, Texas Instruments introduced DLP LightCrafter pico projector evaluation module powered by a TMS320DM365 ARM9 processor @ 300 MHz running embedded Linux, and selling for $599. Since then, we have seen many products including projectors based on DLP technology such as standalone tiny projectors, Windows mini PCs, Android TV boxes, tablets, an even light bulbs. However, so far I can’t remember seeing any easy way to easily integrate DLP projector with the cheap ARM Linux development boards available today. Texas Instruments has now filled that void with DLP LightCrafter Display 2000 EVM that adds a pico-projector to BeagleBone Black (or Green) based on the new 0.2″ DLP2000 DMD (Digital Mirror Device) chip. The board is comprised of two subsystems: Light engine (top) with the optics, red, green, and blue LEDs, and the 640 × 360 (nHD) DLP2000 DMD configured to deliver around 20 lumens by default (this can […]

iPazzPort SY-20-19RS TV Box Doubles as an Air Mouse Holder and Charger

iPazzPort SY-20-19RS is yet another Amlogic S905X powered Android TV box. But it sells with an air mouse with qwerty keyboard and touchpad by default, and includes a slot right in the middle to hold and charge the air mouse / remote control. iPassport SY-20-19RS TV box specifications: SoC –  Amlogic S905X quad core ARM Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.5 GHz with  penta-core Mali-450MP GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash + micro SD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 2.0, AV Video Codecs – 1080p/4k2k H.264, H.265, VP9; HD AVC/VC-1, HD MPEG1/2/4, RM/RMVB, Xvid/DivX 3/4/5/6, RealVideo 8/9/10 Audio – HDMI, AV, coaxial S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet (N.B.: Sellers mention GbE, but S905X does not support it), dual band 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Power Supply –  DC 5V/3A Dimensions – 124 mm ∅ x 80.7 […]

Microchip SAM D5x and SAM E5x ARM Cortex-M4 Micro-Controllers Launched with Optional Ethernet and CAN Bus

Microchip has just introduced two new families of micro-controllers based on ARM Cortex-M4F with SAM D5x and SAM E5x series sporting up to 1 MB of dual-panel flash and 256 KB of SRAM both with ECC support. Both families also support QSPI flash with XIP (eXecute In Place) support, features an SD card controller and a capacitive touch controller, with SAM E5x family also adding support for two CAN-FD ports and Ethernet. Microchip SAM A5x/E5x key features and specifications: MCU Core – ARM Cortex-M4F core running at 120 MHz with single precision Floating Point Unit (FPU) Memory – Internal memory architecture with user configurable Tightly Coupled Memory, System memory, Memory Protection Unit and 4KB Combined I-cache and D-cache; up to 256KB ECC SRAM, up to 1MB ECC flash Storage I/F – Quad Serial Peripheral Interface(QSPI) with Execute in Place (XIP) Support Peripherals Up to 2x Secure Digital Host Controller (SDHC) […]

Intel’s Movidius Neural Compute Stick Supports Raspberry Pi 3 Board

Last month, Intel introduced Movidius Neural Computer Stick to accelerate applications such as object recognition, and do so offline, i.e. without the cloud, and at low power. While there was not that much information available at the time, the minimal requirements for the host machine were that it had to be a x86_64 computer running Ubuntu 16.04, and come with at least 1GB RAM, and 4GB storage. So I understood the stick would only work attached with 64-bit Intel or AMD processors, and ARM development boards would not be an option. But today, I’ve found that Movidius had uploaded a new video showing a Python based object recognition demo with the Neural Compute Stick connected to the the Raspberry Pi 3 board. You just need to add a USB camera, copy ncapi directory from the SDK installed on your Ubuntu 16.04 development machine to the Debian Jessie installed on RPi 3 […]

STMicro Introduces 20 Cents STM8S001J3 8-Bit MCU in 8-Pin Package

STMicro has launched a new 8-bit micro-controller that sells for $0.20 per unit in 10k quantities, a price not too far from the one of cheapest MCU, especially considering it comes with flash. STM8S001J3 is also the first STM8 MCU offered in 8-pin package (SO8N), and should compete with some of the Microchip Attiny or PIC12F series micro-controllers. STM8S001J3 specifications: Core – 16 MHz advanced STM8 core with Harvard architecture and 3-stage pipeline,extended instruction set System Memory – 1 Kbyte RAM Storage 8 Kbytes Flash memory; data retention 20 years at 55 °C after 100 cycles 128-byte true data EEPROM; endurance up to 100 k write/erase cycles Clock, reset and supply management 2.95 V to 5.5 V operating voltage Flexible clock control, 3 master clock sources: external clock input; internal, user-trimmable 16 MHz RC; internal low-power 128 kHz RC Clock security system with clock monitor Power management – Low-power modes […]

Realtek RTL8195AM Ameba WiFi + NFC Module Sells for $9 Shipped

Last year, Realtek Ameba IoT SoCs and development kits launched with boards such as Ameba Arduino, and later, the family got some buzz thanks to $2 RTL8710AF modules like Pine64 Padi IoT stamp, which looked competitive priced against ESP8266 SoC, and featuring an ARM Cortex-M3 core. Back to 2017, ESP8266 appears to still be the preferred platform for makers, and the community around Reatek Ameba processor is relatively small, but maybe the solutions are being integrated into commercial products rather than hobbyists project. Today, as I browsed the web, I noticed that are also some Realtek RTL8195AM module with WiFi, and NFC starting with an “Realtek Ameba-RTL8195AM WiFi & NFC Module” I first found on DFrobot for $15 per unit, but after spending a bit more time searching, I ended finding what looks like the same model for $8.99 including shipping on IC Station. RTL8195AM module (MJIOT-AMB-02) specifications: SoC – […]

Zidoo H6 PRO Android TV Box is Powered by Allwinner H6 Processor

Earlier this year, Allwinner H6 was introduced as a 4K set-top box SoC with a quad core Cortex A53 processor, a Mali-T720MP GPU, support for “6K” video decoding, and several high speeds interfaces like USB 3.0 and PCIe. Zidoo just unveiled H6 PRO TV box based on the processor. Zidoo H6 PRO TV box specifications: SoC – AllWinner H6 quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.8GHz with Mali-T720MP2 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR4 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash, micro SD card reader up to 32 GB Video Output – 1x HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60hz with HDR support, AV port (composite) Video Playback Support H.265/HEVC Main/Main10 profile @ level 5.2 high-tier up to 4K @ 60fps / 6K @ 30 fps VP9 Profile 0/2, up to 4K @ 30fps H264/AVC BP/MP/HP @ level5.1, MVC, up to 4Kx2K @ 30fps MKV, MP4, Blu-ray ISO, 3D MVC… SmartColor 3.0 image […]

VIA Mobile360 ADAS System Includes a 4G Connected Rugged Computer, a 7″ Display and 4 to 6 Cameras

VIA Mobile360 ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) System is a road safety-enhancing solution that supports Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Blind Spot Detection, Pedestrian Detection, Vehicle Detection and Classification for special vehicles, motorcycles, and bicycles, Speed Limit Detection, and Rear-end Collision Avoidance. The system is comprised of “Mobile360 System” rugged computer, 4 to 6 cameras, and an optional 7″ display. Mobile360 System computer specifications: SoC – Unnamed Octa-core big.LITTLE processor with four ARM Cortex-A17 cores @ 1.8GHz, and four Cortex A7 cores @ 1.4GHz (Likely Zhaxin ZX-5880 SoC also including Elite 2000 GPU supporting OpenGL ES 3.1, OpenVG 1.1 and OpenCL EP 1.1) System Memory – 2GB Mobile LPDDR3 1600MHz RAM (Package-on-Package with SoC) Storage – 1x 512GB Transcend 2.5″ MLC SSD (-40°C-90°C); 16GB eMMC Flash memory; 1x Micro SD card slot; 1x full size SD card slot Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 1x 4G LTE module, 1x Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n […]