arm News - Page 2 of 99 - CNX Software

June 2, 2026June 3, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

ASUS Ascent QN10 mini PC is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite 18-core Armv9 processor

ASUS Ascent QN10 is the first mini PC powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite 18-core Armv9 processor with 80 TOPS of AI performance for Windows CoPilot+ PCs. The powerful Arm computer ships with up to 32GB LPDDR5 memory and a 512GB to 2TB NVMe SSD. It supports up to four video outputs through one HDMI and three USB4 (40 Gbps) ports, and offers 2.5GbE and WiFi 7 networking, an audio jack, and a few extra USB 3.2/2.0 ports. ASUS Ascent QN10 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite (Glymur 8480B / X2E-88-100) CPU – 18x Armv9 cores with 12 Prime cores up to 4.7 GHz (single/dual core) / 4.0 GHz (multicore), and 6 Performance cores up to 3.4 GHz GPU – Adreno X2-90 @ 1.70 GHz with support for DirectX 12.2 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, OpenCL 3.0 VPU Encode: HEVC, AVC: Dual 8K UHD @ 30 FPS, AV1: 8K UHD […]

May 29, 2026May 29, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

AMD launches Versal Prime Gen 2 2VM3454, 2VM3254, and 2VM3104 adaptive SoCs in compact 23x23mm packages

MD Versal Prime Gen 2 Adaptive SoC 2VM3454, 2VM3254, and 2VM3104

AMD has added three new chips to its Versal Prime Series Gen 2 lineup: the Versal 2VM3454, 2VM3254, and 2VM3104. Designed for space-constrained applications like Pro AV, broadcast, and industrial IoT, these new devices deliver up to 100K DMIPS of scalar compute in packages as small as 23 x 23 mm. AMD started shipping the first production units of the Versal Prime Gen2 Series with the 2VM3858 device late last year. The 2VM3558 has since entered full production, while the 2VM3358 is currently sampling. These new devices are designed to provide an optimized footprint and processing subsystem compared to the earlier models. Despite the reduction in core count, AMD claims these devices can deliver up to 5x the scalar compute performance compared to existing AMD adaptive SoCs. AMD Versal Prime Series Gen 2 (2VM3104, 2VM3254, and 2VM3454) specifications: Processor Subsystem (PS) APU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A78AE with 64 KB L1 […]

May 28, 2026May 28, 2026 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Broadcom BCM68850 and BCM55050 SoCs target Wi-Fi 8 and 50G PON fiber gateways

Broadcom BCM68850 and BCM55050 50G ITU PON Gateway SoC

Broadcom has recently introduced two complementary chips for 50G Passive Optical Network (PON) gateways: the BCM68850 gateway SoC and the BCM55050 Optical Network Unit (ONU) SoC. The devices target fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) infrastructure, such as home gateways, ONTs/ONUs, and multi-gigabit CPE, to deliver ultra-fast, low-latency connectivity for AI workloads, UHD streaming, and more. The BCM68850 is a 50G ITU-PON gateway SoC with a multicore Arm CPU, integrated NPU for edge AI, and Wi-Fi 8 support, for high-speed routing, Ethernet switching, VoIP, and AI-driven functions. It also supports multiple PON standards along with LPDDR4/5 memory, PCIe, USB, and various security features. The BCM55050, on the other hand, is an ONU/ONT SoC with a dual-core processor and 50G network processor, supporting multiple PON standards, high-speed interfaces, hardware acceleration, and QoS. Together, they are designed for end-to-end 50G fiber deployments with high throughput, low latency, and scalable broadband infrastructure. Broadcom BCM68850 50G ITU-PON Gateway […]

May 21, 2026May 22, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Flipper One – A Rockchip RK3576-powered portable Arm Linux computer and networking multi-tool

Flipper Devices has officially introduced the Flipper One open-source hardware portable Arm Linux platform and networking and Edge AI multi-tool powered by a Rockchip RK3576 octa-core Arm Cortex-A72/A53 SoC, and featuring a Raspberry Pi RP2350 for low-level control. You may think of it as a successor to the popular STM32-based Flipper Zero hardware and wireless hacking tool, but the company stresses that the Flipper One is NOT a replacement for the Flipper Zero. It is a different product with mainline Linux kernel support, no binary blobs (probably not 100% true), and open-source drivers, and operating at a different level of the networking and wireless stacks with dual Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, and optional 5G or 4G LTE modem. Flipper One specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3576 CPU 4x Cortex-A72 cores @ 2.2GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 cores @ 1.8GHz Arm Cortex-M0 MCU at 400MHz GPU – ARM Mali-G52 MC3 GPU with support for […]

May 13, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Broadcom BCM67142, BCM67192, and BCM68565 chips target low-cost WiFi 8 10 Gbps fiber access points

Broadcom has recently announced the BCM67142 and BCM67192 WiFi 8 (802.11bn) chips for low-cost residential access points, and the BCM68565 PON Gateway SoC with 10 Gbps Fiber support to enable complete broadband access points. The announcement follows the launch of the company’s flagship residential (BCM6718) and enterprise (BCM43840/BCM43820) platforms last year, with the new chips aiming to provide value-focused residential Wi-Fi 8 and 10G PON gateway solutions. Broadcom BCM67142 and BCM67192 WiFi 8 access point chips BCM67142/BCM67192 specifications: Wi-Fi Standards IEEE 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8) compliant IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) compliant IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax Spatial Streams BCM67142 – Dual-Radio: 3×3 (2.4 GHz) + 4×4 (5 GHz). Total 7 streams BCM67192 – Dual-Radio: 4×4 (2.4 GHz) + 4×4 (5 GHz). Total 8 streams Spectral Bands – 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Channel Bandwidths – 20/40 MHz (2.4 GHz), 20/40/80/160 MHz (5 GHz) Highest Modulation Rate – 4096-QAM (for UHR/Wi-Fi 8 operation) Multi-Link Operation […]

May 4, 2026May 4, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

AMD Versal Prime VM2152 mid-range adaptive SoC features 112 Gbps GTM Transceivers, 600Gbps Ethernet, DDR5/LPDDR5

The AMD Versal Prime VM2152 adaptive SoC is designed as a mid-range device for high-speed connectivity, with 112 Gbps transceivers and 600 GbE networking in a power-efficient package. It balances programmable logic with hardened IP blocks to simplify the design of high-throughput systems used in wired communications, aerospace, and test and measurement, without the higher power and complexity of high-end FPGAs. Compared to the AMD Versal Prime VP1902, the VM2152 focuses more on I/O performance rather than raw logic density. While the VP1902 offers more logic cells, the VM2152 adds support for LPDDR5 memory up to 6400 Mb/s and includes a 400 Gbps High-Speed Crypto engine, making it suitable for faster, more secure data processing than Agilex 7. AMD Versal Prime VM2152 specifications: Processor Subsystem APU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 with 48 KB / 32 KB L1 Cache (with parity & ECC) and 1 MB L2 Cache (with ECC) Real-time […]

April 28, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

What a difference two years make? Comparing SBC prices in 2024 and 2026

Looking back, 2024 feels like a golden year for single board computers, as the increasing price of RAM (and storage and other components) since late 2025 due to the AI demand has made those much less attractive, price/performance ratio-wise. We’ve already documented Raspberry Pi SBC price hikes, and after several increases, the Raspberry Pi 5 16GB went from $120 to $305, or a 154% change in price. Yesterday, I noticed the Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero had a new version with 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash, and a reader was quick to point out the $181 price tag to Europe was painful, bearing in mind it also includes VAT and shipping. Looking at the original December 2023 article, the BPI-M4 Zero 2GB/8GB sold for $28.90 plus shipping, and it now shows up at $115 before taxes. That’s a 297% hike, or about four times the price from a little over […]

April 20, 2026April 21, 2026 by Daniel Thompson - 6 Comments

Idle CPU power management: cpuidle

Linux Kernel cpuidle subsystem architecture

Twenty years ago, it was easy for an operating system kernel to go idle: when there were no tasks to run, “the idle loop” would be scheduled. Early idle loops were basically empty infinite loops that did nothing while waiting for the next interrupt to happen. This saved power simply by avoiding running instructions that needed power-hungry components such as the cache or FPU! Over time, changing technology has allowed multiple additional hardware mechanisms to reduce power to be introduced. With these new options available today, the idle loop is responsible for choosing and deploying the “best” way to go idle. As a brief reminder, entering and returning from an idle state has a cost, and that cost can be measured both in time and in energy. Typically, the shallowest idle state is “nearly free” to enter/exit, whilst deeper idle states have increasingly higher costs to enter and exit. If […]