Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Cellular gateway board takes up to five 4G mini PCIe cards, one 5G M.2 module, seven SIM cards

Cellular gateway board takes up to five 4G mini PCIe cards, one 5G M.2 module, seven SIM cards

One Banana Pi customer asked them to customize Banana Pi BPI-R64 Linux router board based on MediaTek MT7622 WiFi processor as part of their “BPI 4.0 server” OEM/ODM customization service. Specifically, they were asked to design a cellular gateway board with the same five Gigabit Ethernet ports as on the original board, but adding five mini PCIe sockets and SIM card slots for 3G/4G cards, and one M.2 socket plus two SIM cards for a 5G module. Here’s the result! Banana Pi “GrassRouter” cellular gateway board specifications: SoC – MediaTek MT7622E dual-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.35GHz System Memory – 1 or 2GB RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card slot Connectivity Cellular 1x 5G via M.2 Key-B module (USB 3.0 or PCIe bus), 2x SIM card slots. Up to 5x 3G/4G LTE via  mPCIe expansion socket, 5x SIM card slots Ethernet – 5x Gigabit Ethernet ports (4x LAN + 1x WAN) WiFi – Optional 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFI 5 […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Sponsored Post - 2 Comments on Wallys WiFi 5 (802.11ac) mini PCIe cards deliver higher Tx power and performance (Sponsored)

Wallys WiFi 5 (802.11ac) mini PCIe cards deliver higher Tx power and performance (Sponsored)

Wallys is offering two mini PCIe cards to add WiFI 5 (802.11ac) to existing gateways, computers, or boards. Both 802.11ac modules are powered by Qualcomm Atheros QCA9880 chipset, with DR600VX mPCIe module delivering up to up to 867Mbps thanks to 2×2 MIMO, and DR900VX mPCIe module up to 1.3 Gbps using 3×3 MIMO technology. Both modules share most of the same key features & specifications: Chipset – Qualcomm Atheros QCA9880 wireless local area network (WLAN) system-on-chip (SoC) for 5 GHz 802.11ac or 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n WLAN WiFi 2.4GHz max 26dBm & 5GHz max 25dBm output power IEEE 802.11ac compliant & backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n IEEE 802.11d, e, h, i, k, r, v time stamp, and w standards DR600VX – 2×2 MIMO technology up to 867 Mbps DR900VX – 3×3 MIMO technology up to 1.3 Gbps Supports Spatial Multiplexing, Cyclic-Delay Diversity (CDD), Low-Density Parity Check (LDPC) Codes, Maximal Ratio Support for Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC), Space-Time Block Code (STBC), and Dynamic […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Geniatech XPI 3128 RK3128 SBC is Equipped with an NXP WIFi 5 Module

Geniatech XPI 3128 RK3128 SBC is Equipped with an NXP WIFi 5 Module

Geniatech XPI family of single board computers was first introduced in 2018 with the launch of the XPI-S905X development board following many of Raspberry Pi 3 Model B features and form factor. The company has now added another board to the family with XPI 3128 single board computer powered by a Rockchip RK3128 quad-core Cortex-A7 processor coupled with up to  2 GB RAM and 64 GB flash, as well as an NXP WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 module. Geniatech XPI 3128 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3128 quad-core Cortex-A7 processor @ up to 1.2GHz GPU with Arm Mali 400 MP2 GPU (See datasheet) System Memory – 512MB DDR3L (1GB, 2GB optional） Storage – 8GB flash (16GB, 32GB, 64GB optional), and MicroSD card slot Video Output – HDMI up to 1080p60 Video – 1080p60 H.264/H.265 video decoding Connectivity 10/100M Ethernet port Dual-band 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 via Marvell/NXP 88W8897 module, IPEX antenna connector USB – 4x USB 2.0 ports including […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on GL.iNet Slate OpenWrt Travel Router Supports Tor, Wireguard VPN, and Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS/TLS

GL.iNet Slate OpenWrt Travel Router Supports Tor, Wireguard VPN, and Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS/TLS

A couple of months ago, we wrote about GL.iNet Mudi portable WiFi router with built-in 4G LTE connectivity and supporting features such as the Tor Project, up to 25 VPN providers, and Cloudflare DNS over HTTPS or TLS. Mudi was launched on Kickstarter and should start shipping very soon, but I was informed about another OpenWrt travel router from the company with GL.iNet Slate also supporting many of the same features, but doing away with built-in cellular connectivity and battery. GL.iNet Slate (GL-AR750S-Ext) router specifications: SoC – Qualcomm QCA9563 MIPS 74Kc processor @ 775MHz System Memory – 128MB DDR2 Storage – Dual Flash 16MB NOR + 128MB NAND, MicroSD card slot up to 128GB Networking Ethernet 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN 2x Gigabit Ethernet LAN WiFi Dual-band 802.11 b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 with transmission rates up to 300Mbps (2.4GHz) + 433Mbps (5GHz) 2x 2dBi external antennas 3G/4G – Optional via cellular USB dongle USB – 1x USB2.0 port, 1x Micro USB port […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on MINIX NEO J50C-4 (2019) Mini PC Review – Part 2: Windows 10 Pro

MINIX NEO J50C-4 (2019) Mini PC Review – Part 2: Windows 10 Pro

MINIX NEO J50C-4 (2019) Review

Last week, I received the latest MINIX NEO J50C-4 (64GB) mini PC that hardware-wise is very much like last year, never released, MINIX NEO J50C-4 mini PC, except it comes with a 64GB eMMC flash instead of just 32GB. I’m now spent time testing the updated version, with a focus on the potential performance benefit of the new storage device, as well as features I was unable to test last year, such as USB-C DisplayPort output, or WiFi AC, and check out if some of the issues I encountered last year are now solved. System Info We’ve got basically the same info as last year with J50C-4 mini PC powered by an Intel Pentium Silver J5005 CPU coupled with 4.00 GB memory and running an activated (i.e. properly licensed) version of Windows 10 Pro 64-bit. We’ve now got more space to play with thanks to a 57GB Windows partition, which should make the computer easier to use than with just […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Habanero Qualcomm IPQ4019/IPQ4029 SoM Brings 802.11ac Wave2 WiFi to Linux Gateways and Routers

Habanero Qualcomm IPQ4019/IPQ4029 SoM Brings 802.11ac Wave2 WiFi to Linux Gateways and Routers

IPQ4019 Development Kit

Last April, we first wrote about Qualcomm IPQ4019 quad-core Cortex-A7 processor with built-in 802.11ac Wave 2 WiFi, as it was found in Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit with support for Amazon Alexa. A few months later, we discovered router boards powered by either IPQ4019 or IPQ4029 processor such as Dakota DR40X9 or MikroTik RB450Gx4. The latter does not come with WiFi at all and instead leverages the hardware IPSec encryption built-into the processor. Habanero System-on-Module Today, we’ve come across the first IPQ4019 / IPQ4029 system-on-module we’ve countered so far, courtesy of 8devices with their Habanero and Habanero-I 802.11ac Wave 2 modules based on the respective processors. Habanero(-I) specifications: SoC – Qualcomm IPQ4019/IPQ4029 quad-core Arm Cortex-A7 processor @ 717 MHz with NEON, FPU, hardware-based NAT engine, and crypto accelerator System Memory – 512 MB DDR3L RAM Storage – 32MB NOR flash; up to 1 GB NAND flash on baseboard Connectivity QCA8075C 5-port Gigabit Ethernet transceiver Dual-band 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wave2 Wi-Fi 5 2×2 MiMo […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on Banana Pi BPI-R64 Linux Router Board Launched for $68

Banana Pi BPI-R64 Linux Router Board Launched for $68

Banana Pi BPI-R64 Specifications

SinoVoIP introduced Banana Pi BPI-R64 router board in the summer of 2018. The Linux router board is powered by MediaTek MT7622 dual-core Cortex-A53 WiFi processor with 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 built-in, and offers more connectivity options namely 802.11ac WiFi 5 via MT7615 chip, as well as  Gigabit Ethernet ports. 4G LTE is optional via a mini PCIe socket, and a SATA port is included for storage. At the time, I envisioned an official launch in Q1 2019, but I was off by a few quarters, as the company has only just launched Banana Pi BPI-R64 on Aliexpress for $68 plus shipping. The specifications of the Banana Pi BPI-R64 board have slightly changed since last year announcement, and we’ve got a few more details: SoC – MediaTek MT7622 dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ 1.35GHz with dedicated network accelerator, 4×4 802.11n and Bluetooth 5 connectivity System Memory – 1GB DDR3 SDRAM Storage 8GB eMMC flash MicroSD slot up to 256GB 1x SATA […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 140 Comments on Raspberry Pi 4 Features Broadcom BCM2711 Processor, Up to 4GB RAM

Raspberry Pi 4 Features Broadcom BCM2711 Processor, Up to 4GB RAM

Raspberry Pi 4 SBC

Long expected, the Raspberry Pi 4 model B has finally launched, and it should not disappoint with a much more powerful Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 processor clocked at up to 1.5 GHz, 1 to 4GB LPDDR4, 4K H.265 video decoding and output support, a proper Gigabit Ethernet port, as well as USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. Raspberry Pi 4 comes with all those extra features, but the form factor remains the same, and importantly the price is still $35 for the version with 1GB RAM, making Raspberry Pi alternatives suddenly much less interesting. Raspberry Pi 4 specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 (ARMv8) @  1.5GHz with VideoCore VI GPU supporting OpenGL ES 3.0 graphics System Memory – 1GB, 2GB or 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – microSD card slot Video Output  & Display I/F 2x micro HDMI ports up to 4Kp60 (Currently 1080p60 max. in dual-display configuration, although 2x 4Kp30 is being worked on) 3.5mm AV port with composite video (and […]

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or cryptocurrencies, become a Patron on Patreon, or buy review samples