Category: Processors

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on Review of Ebox T8 V Amlogic S912 TV Box with SATA Bay – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown

Review of Ebox T8 V Amlogic S912 TV Box with SATA Bay – Part 1: Specs, Unboxing and Teardown

Last summer I reviewed Ebox T8-4, an Android TV box based on Amlogic S905 processor sold by entertainmentbox.com and geared towards the UK market. Although it had some of the typical issues with HDMI audio pass-through, I found the box easy to setup, and potentially interesting for UK viewers since popular IPTV apps were pre-installed. It also came with a SATA bay but for some reasons I never managed to have either a 1TV HDD or 128 GB SSD recognized by the system. Nevertheless, the box is now used full time by another person who seems to be quite happy about it, especially since it comes with an air mouse and a gamepad, and good support. The company has now sent me their updated model, Ebox T8 V, with very similar features but instead equipped with Amlogic S912 octa-core processor. Before checking the firmware, I’ll have a look at the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 56 Comments on Orange Pi Zero NAS Expansion Board with SATA, USB, and AV Port Sells for $10 Shipped

Orange Pi Zero NAS Expansion Board with SATA, USB, and AV Port Sells for $10 Shipped

Orange Pi Zero is a $7 and up board based on Allwinner H2+ quad core Cortex A7 processor with 256 to 512MB RAM, Ethernet, WiFi, and USB, but no video output except on headers, making it more suitable to headless applications. The company has just launched Orange Pi Zero NAS Expansion port adding SATA, mSATA, two more USB ports, and an AV port allowing you to add a hard drive or SSD, and connect it to a TV with composite input. Orange Pi Zero NAS Expansion Board preliminary specifications: Storage – 1x SATA port, 1x mSATA port both through a JMS578 USB 3.1 to SATA bridge with UAS support each, which should be better than some other USB to SATA solution despite only being connected to a USB 2.0 interface. USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports Video & Audio Output – 3.5mm AV jack with composite video (TBC) and stereo […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on InfoTM C23 Processor is Designed for Camera Applications Including 360 Degrees Video Cameras

InfoTM C23 Processor is Designed for Camera Applications Including 360 Degrees Video Cameras

InfoTM (aka InfoTMIC) is a Shanghai based fabless silicon vendor established in 2008, and while I wrote about their iMAPx15 tablet processor a few years ago, you’d be forgotten if you’ve never heard about the company. One of their latest solution is InfoTM C23 processor designed for camera applications ranging from sports camera to car DVR and 360° / 720° cameras. InfoTM 23 specifications: CPU – 32-bit processor up to 600MHz Memory – Integrated 1Gb (128 MB) DRAM; supports 32-bit DDR2 / DDR3 / LPDDR2 533MHz Storage – SPI NOR Flash support “GPU”/ISP – ISP engine supporting up to 5MP sensors, 3D noise reduction, EIS, fish eyes, face recognition and other functions Video Processor – Full HD 1080p 30fps H.264 hardware decoding; 1080p 30fps H.264 hardware encoding Camera interfaces – ITU 601/656 & MIPI CSI Display Interface  – RGB888 / I80 display interface Audio – I2S / PCM input and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Qualcomm’s Alleged “No License, No Chips” Policy Gets it into Trouble with the FTC

Qualcomm’s Alleged “No License, No Chips” Policy Gets it into Trouble with the FTC

Qualcomm is the leader in baseband processors used for cellular communications in smartphones and other products, and one way the company has become a leader is by leveraging its patents, by either forcing customer to first “purchase a license to standard-essential patents, including elevated royalties that the customer must pay when using a competitor’s processor”,  “refusing to license its cellular standard-essential patents to competitors”, or “entering exclusivity dealing arrangements” with companies such as Apple. At least that’s according to a complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US that accuses Qualcomm of maintaining a monopoly and using unfair methods of competition, violating the company’s commitment to license on a FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) basis . The license requirements may explain why smaller companies have a hard time making Qualcomm based products, although this may have  improved with the partnership with Allwinner, and the launch of Qualcomm […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on NexDock is Working on a Hybrid Laptop Dock for Intel Compute Cards

NexDock is Working on a Hybrid Laptop Dock for Intel Compute Cards

NexDock first launched a 14″ laptop dock for smartphones, tablets, and development boards via a Indiegogo campaign in 2016, where they successfully raised over $350,000, and delivered rewards to backers last September and October. With the recent introduction of the Intel Compute Card, the company has now decided to work on a new NexDock that will take Intel’s cards. We don’t have much details right now, but the company said that beside the Intel Compute Card, it will come support interchangeable USB type-C modules, and will still support Windows 10 smartphones with continuum feature, Raspberry Pi and other devices that can be connected through a USB-C port. The second drawing also suggests the keyboard will be detachable, and you’ll be able to use NexDock as a Windows tablet. It could be nice to have an Intel laptop with Linux or Windows, and an ARM tablet with Android, but this won’t […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on SAM 15×15 is a Tiny Arduino Zero Compatible Board based on Atmel SAMD21G18 MCU

SAM 15×15 is a Tiny Arduino Zero Compatible Board based on Atmel SAMD21G18 MCU

Arduino Zero is an official Arduino board based on UNO r3 form factor but using Atmel SAMD21G18 ARM Cortex M0+ MCU instead of an AVR MCU. Albert van Dalen has decided to design a compatible module based on the same MCU, and called SAM 15×15, as its size can be trimmed down to as low as 15×15 mm. SAM 15×15 comparison with Arduino Zero and Uno boards. SAM 15×15 Arduino Zero Arduino Uno Microcontroller ATSAMD21G18A ATSAMD21G18A ATmega328P Digital I/O Pins digitalWrite digitalRead 34 20 14 Analog Output Pins (PWM) analogWrite 24 10 6 Analog Input Pins (ADC) analogRead 14 6 6 ADC resolution 12-bit 12-bit 10-bit 10-bit DACs 1 1 0 Flash Memory 256KB 256KB 32KB SRAM 32KB 32KB 2KB EEPROM 32KB (emulated in Flash) 32KB (emulated in Flash) 1KB CPU Speed 48MHz 48MHz 16MHz The board allows for three form factors to match your specific needs: 28 x 28mm […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 29 Comments on PINE64 Introduces SOPINE A64 Allwinner A64 SoM and SOPINE “Model A” Baseboard

PINE64 Introduces SOPINE A64 Allwinner A64 SoM and SOPINE “Model A” Baseboard

SOPINE-A64-Model-A-Carrier-Board

Following yesterday’s Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3 launch, we have a new development board turned into system-on-module (SoM) today with PINE64 launching SOPINE A64 SO-DIMM module based on Allwinner A64 processor with 2GB RAM together with SOPINE “Model A” baseboard. SOPINE A64 CPU module specifications: SoC – Allwinner A64 quad core Cortex A53 processor @ 1.2 GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 2GB LPDDR3 Storage – 128 Mbit SPI flash, micro SD slot (on the back) I/Os via 204-pin SO-DIMM edge connector Video Output / Display – HDMI + CEC, MIPI DSI Audio – I2S, HP, headphone, microphone 2x USB 1x Gigabit Ethernet (RGMII) UART, I2C, PWM, GPIOs, etc… Power Supply – AXP803 PMIC Dimensions – 67.9 x 31.0 mm (DDR3 SO-DIMM form factor) SOPINE A64 will basically run the same firmware as used for PINE A64+ development board, except for some modifications for LPDDR3 RAM support. Support operating […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on RailPi 2.0 DIN Rail Enclosure & Industrial Expansion Board is Designed for Raspberry Pi 3 & ODROID-C2 Boards

RailPi 2.0 DIN Rail Enclosure & Industrial Expansion Board is Designed for Raspberry Pi 3 & ODROID-C2 Boards

We’ve already seen the Raspberry Pi compute module used for industrial applications with RevolutionPi RevPi Core industrial computer with a DIN rail enclosure, support for digital I/O modules and fieldbus gateways. Hagedorn Software Engineering GmbH, another German company has designed a similar industrial computer, called RailPi 2.0, with a DIN rail enclosure integrating an add-on board designed for Raspberry Pi 3 and ODROID-C2 boards. RailPi 2.0 specifications (adapted from Google Translation of website): I/Os 4x digital outputs, short-circuit-proof, PWM-compatible, with diode for the connection of inductive loads such as relays. 2x optically decoupled inputs, current-limited, with dimensions compliant with the S0 standard to allow them to be used with  pules counters / current meters. RS485 interface 1-Wire bus placed at the front of the RailPi Bus connector for extensions with GND,I2C Clock (5V), I2C data (5V), 5V, and 12V Misc – Real-time clock Power Supply – Input voltage range of […]