Emcraft Releases Linux BSP for NXP i.MX RT1050 Cortex M7 Evaluation Board

NXP iMX RT series is a family of ARM Cortex M7 processors clocked at 600 MHz, making the solution a “crossover embedded processor” bridging the gap between real-time capabilities of micro-controllers and the performance of application processors. This week, NXP provided some benchmark numbers for i.MX RT1050 processor, which delivers a CoreMark score of 3020, DMIPS of 1284, and 20ns interrupt latency at 600 MHz, which means it could be a good candidate for embedded Linux, and Emcraft Systems has just released a uCLinux BSP for the NXP i.MX RT1050 EVK board. The BSP features U-Boot v2017.09-rc1, Linux Kernel 4.5 with relevant device drivers such as key I/O interfaces, Wi-Fi, SD card, LCD, etc…, and GNU development tools such as a GCC 4.7 toolchain, GDB, and so on. The company has made a demo with a GUI application designed with Crank Software’s Storyboard Suite, and running in Linux on the […]

A95X R1 4K Android TV Box Sells for $20 (Promo)

Rockchip RK3229 quad Cortex A7 processor powers some of the cheapest TV boxes on the market. One of them is A95X R1 with 1GB RAM, 8GB flash, which likeother RK3229 boxes supports both 4K H.265 and H.264, and outputs up to 3840×2160 @ 60 Hz via its HDMI 2.0 interface. GearBest is now selling the device for $19.99 shipped using coupon AA95XR1. A95X R1 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3229 quad core ARM Cortex A7 processor @ 1.5 GHz with  ARM Mali-400MP2 System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB flash + micro SD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60 fps, and 3.5mm AV output (composite) Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and coaxial S/PDIF Connectivity – 100Mbps Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi (RTL8189) USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Power Supply – 5V Dimensions – 9.3 x 9.3 x 1.5 cm Weight […]

Sonoff Wireless Switch Family Gets a $3 IP66 Waterproof Enclosure

ESP8266 powered ITEAD Studio Sonoff wireless switches have been popular because they are inexpensive, highly customizable thanks to work from the community leading to open source projects such as ESPurna and Sonoff-Tasmota, and come fully packaged so you don’t need to make your own case for it. That works well for indoor projects, but if you needed to control outdoors lights, gate, water pump, etc… you had to protect the device from humidity/rain. That may not be necessary anymore as the company is now selling Sonoff Basic with an IP66 waterproof enclosure for $7.75, or the case only for $2.90.Sonoff waterproof case: Ingress Protection Rating – IP66 Material – PC V0 Dimensions – 132.2 x 68.7 x 50.1mm (See details) Weight – 145.0g IP66 rating is not suitable for prolonged immersion, but it should be good to protect against rain or high humidity. The box ships with two standardized PG7 […]

MeLE PCG35 Apo Apollo Lake Mini PC Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 17.10

I completed the review of MeLE PCG35 Apo with Windows 10 Home a few days ago, and as promised, I’ve now installed the freshly released Ubuntu 17.10 in the Intel Celeron J3455 “Apollo Lake” mini PC. I’ll start by shortly explaining the step to install Ubuntu 17.10 in the M.2 slot, although you could also install it to the internal eMMC flash replacing Windows 10, then show what works and what does, and finally include a video reproducing the tests I usually do in Windows 10. How to Install Linux in MeLE PCG35 Apo This partially follows the procedure I used to run (not install) Ubuntu 16.04 on MeLE PCG03 Apo mini PC. First you’ll need to download the ISO of your choice (ubuntu-17.10-desktop-am64.iso in my case), and prepare a bootable USB flash drive with the software of your choice be it Rufus, Startup Disk Creator or others. I did […]

Nerdonic Exen Mini is the World’s Smallest 32-bit Arduino Compatible Board (Crowdfunding)

Back in June, we reported about μduino board, which at 12×12 mm may well be the world’s smallest Arduino compatible board. It is based on Microchip Atmel ATMEGA32U4 8-bit AVR microcontroller. But there’s now a new board in town which claims to be the world’s smallest 32-bit Arduino board: Exen Mini measuring 14.9×14.9 mm. While I’m patiently waiting for an Intel’s DMCA request, or more likely an email requesting an update once the name has changed, like I had to do for Atomwear Vigekwear, let’s have a look at what the board has to offer. Exen Mini specifications: MCU – Microchip Atmel  SAMD21 Cortex M0+ MCU @ 48 MHz with 256KB flash, 32KB SRAM I/Os via 2x 5-pin 2.54mm pitch headers Up to 8x digital I/O Up to 8x PWM Up to 6x analog (ADC) 1x UART 1x I2C 1x reset Limits – 3.7V, 7mA USB – 1x micro USB […]

Voladd Cloud-Connected Linux 3D Printer is Powered by BeagleBone Black Board (Crowdfunding)

So far, all of the 3D printers that have been reviewed on this blog require you to design or download a 3D object on your computer, and print it from an SD card. But thanks to OctoPrint software and cheap ARM Linux developments boards, it has become possible to add a Linux computer with webcam to remotely start and control the 3D printer for a few dozens dollars. Karl has even released an OctoPrint image for Orange Pi Lite board. Voladd 3D printer already embeds a Linux board, namely the BeagleBone Black running Debian, which allows the 3D printer to be easy to use since no software  installation is required. You can start printing by selecting an object in a web browser or an app in your smartphone, and they’ve also taken steps to eliminate/reduce maintenance tasks, such as the inclusion of a filament cartridge. Voladd 3D printer specifications: Internal […]

XYZPrinting da Vinci Color Low Cost Full Color 3D Printer Combines Filament with Inkjet Technology

3D printing has become even more affordable this year. If you are on a budget, Anet A8 3D printer going for under $150 is often recommended on the web, but if you have a bigger budget, you’d get printer with a metal extrusion frame, larger build volume, and overall better quality, and Creality CR-10 3D printer is often recommended by reviewers for people with a $300-$400 budget. All those printers print with a single color, which depends on the color of the filament used. The cheapest way to get a colored sample is to paint it yourself after printing. There are printers with dual extruder allowing to use two filament rolls with different colors, but when Karl reviewed Tevo Tarantula 3D printer with dual extruder, he found it was hard to print, was unconvinced with the results, and found it to be an unnecessary upgrade, preferring painting instead. At the […]

ZTE Axon M is a Dual Display Foldable Smartphone

We’ve seen smartphone in the past with two displays, such has Yotaphone 2 with a color front display, coupled with an e-Paper rear display that’s always on and consumes less power. ZTE Axon M also comes with two displays, but it’s a completely different beast, as both are color displays, and foldable to create an extended display when needed, somewhat like a foldable tablet. ZTE Axon M (partial) specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad core processor up to 2.15 GHz with Adreno 530 GPU System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 64GB eMMC 5.1 flash + micro SD slot up to 256 GB Display – 2x 5.2″ @ 1920×1080 displays making a single 1920×2160 screen when opened Audio – 3.5mm audio jack, microphone, dual speaker, Dolby Atmos support, AKM 4962 HiFi chipset Camera 20MP rear camera with f/1.8 aperture, PDAF, dual-image stabilization, dual LED flash Up to 4K @ […]

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