ble News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

ble

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on SiFli SF32LB52J big.LITTLE Arm Cortex-M33 Bluetooth MCU powers the Core Time 2 smartwatch

SiFli SF32LB52J big.LITTLE Arm Cortex-M33 Bluetooth MCU powers the Core Time 2 smartwatch

SiFli SF32LB52J block diagram

SiFli SF23LB52J is a Bluetooth 5.3 microcontroller part of the SF32LB52x family with two Cortex-M33 in big.LITTLE configuration with a 240 MHz high-performance core for user application/GUI and a 24 MHz low-power core to manage the Bluetooth part. A few months ago, Eric Migicovsky, the founder of the smartwatch company Pebble, and now Core Devices, introduced the Core 2 Duo and Core Time 2 smartwatches running PebbleOS open-source firmware that were mostly relaunches of the never-released Pebble 2 and Pebble Time 2 with some tweaks. We already knew the Core 2 Duo would be based on a Nordic nRF52840 Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller, however, the one for the Core Time 2 was kept secret. That’s until today, as Eric has just announced that the Core Time 2 would be based on the SiFli SF23LB52J MCU, since the smartwatch required an MCU with more RAM and processing power, and SiFli also offers […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on ThinkNode M2 ESP32-S3-based Meshtastic handset features 1.3-inch OLED display, 1,000 mAh battery

ThinkNode M2 ESP32-S3-based Meshtastic handset features 1.3-inch OLED display, 1,000 mAh battery

ThinkNode-M2 Meshtastic Messenger

Elecrow ThinkNode M2 is yet another Meshtastic handset for off-grid messaging and GPS coordinate sharing based on an ESP32-S3 module providing Bluetooth connectivity to a smartphone, and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver for low-power long-range wireless connectivity. It’s an evolution of the ThinkNode-M1, itself similar to the LILYGO T-Echo, based on a Nordic Semi nRF52840 Bluetooth module and SX1262 LoRa transceiver with an external antenna housed in a 3D printed enclosure. The new ThinkNode M2 is very similar but features a more powerful ESP32-S3 module instead, relies on a 1.3-inch OLED display instead of a 1.54-inch e-paper display, and is housed in an ABS plastic case. ThinkNode M2 specifications: Core module – ESP32-S3 module (looks to be ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 on the photo below) SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – dual-core 32-bit microcontroller @ 240MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 384KB ROM 4MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Compulab IOT-LINK – An ultra-compact NXP i.MX 9352 IoT gateway with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, 4G LTE Cat 1-bis, and GbE connectivity

Compulab IOT-LINK – An ultra-compact NXP i.MX 9352 IoT gateway with WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, 4G LTE Cat 1-bis, and GbE connectivity

Compulab IOT-LINK

Compulab IOT-LINK is a low-cost, tiny industrial IoT gateway based on NXP i.MX 9352 Arm Cortex-A55/M33 AI SoC with support for Gigabit Ethernet, 4G LTE Cat 1-bis, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and Wireless Mesh connectivity. The fanless gateway also features two RS485 or CAN-FD interfaces and three DI / DO, and as an industrial-grade hardware platform, it takes 12V to 24V DC input, and can operate 24/7 in the -40°C to 80°C temperature range. Target applications include HVAC monitoring, industrial predictive maintenance, energy storage, EV charging, vehicle telematics and fleet management, and lighting control. IOT-LINK specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 9352 CPU 2x Arm Cortex-A55 cores @ up to 1.7GHz Arm Cortex-M33 real-time core @ 250 MHz NPU – 0.5 TOPS Arm Ethos U65 microNPU System Memory – Up to 2GB LPDDR4 Storage – Up to 64GB eMMC flash Networking Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port 4G/LTE Cat 1-bis cellular modem with […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 2 Comments on Adafruit Sparkle Motion – An ESP32-based addressable LED controller with four outputs, 100W USB-C power, and WLED/xLights support

Adafruit Sparkle Motion – An ESP32-based addressable LED controller with four outputs, 100W USB-C power, and WLED/xLights support

Adafruit Sparkle Motion

The Adafruit Sparkle Motion is an ESP32-based LED controller board designed to drive addressable LEDs, including WS2812B, APA102, SK6812, LPD8806, UCS2904, and SM16704. It supports both WLED and xLights projects and features an onboard 100W USB-C PD port to drive even high-voltage LED setups. The board includes dual power input options (USB-C PD with 5/12/20V selection and 2.1mm DC jack), a 5A fuse, and level-shifted output terminals for controlling addressable LEDs. The board also features a built-in I2S digital microphone, IR receiver, Stemma QT I2C port, USB-serial with auto-reset, GPIO breakout pads, onboard NeoPixel and status LED, and multiple JST and terminal connectors for sensor and control integration. It comes pre-assembled with terminal blocks for easy wiring, making it suitable for applications such as wearable electronics, home decor lighting, audio-reactive displays, and remote-controlled installations. Adafruit Sparkle Motion Specifications: SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 MCU @ 240MHz with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 SoC enters mass production, ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 board launched for $15

ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 SoC enters mass production, ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 board launched for $15

ESP32-C5 development board

Espressif Systems has just started mass production of the ESP32-C5 RISC-V wireless microcontroller with dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE, and 802.15.4 (Zigbee, Thread) connectivity. The ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 development is now available for about $15 on AliExpress, and should soon show up on the company’s Amazon store. So far, WiFi-capable Espressif microcontrollers have only supported 2.4 GHz WiFi since it’s cheaper and offers better range for IoT applications, but some applications may benefit from 5 GHz WiFi, so the company unveiled the ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 and BLE RISC-V MCU in June 2022. Design probably took longer than expected, but we noted documentation for an ESP32-C5 beta board in March 2024, and finally, the company has just announced that mass production has started. We’ll have a closer look at the ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 board in this article, since it is different from the beta board. ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 specifications: Wireless module –  ESP32-C5-WROOM-1 SoC […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Air Lab is a portable Wi-Fi & Bluetooth LE air quality monitor with an e-paper touchscreen display (Crowdfunding)

Air Lab is a portable Wi-Fi & Bluetooth LE air quality monitor with an e-paper touchscreen display (Crowdfunding)

Air Lab ESP32-S3 air quality monitor

Networked Artifacts’ Air Lab is a portable air quality monitor based on ESP32-S3 Wi-Fi & Bluetooth LE wireless SoC, equipped with an e-paper touchscreen display, and plenty of sensors to measure CO2, temperature, relative humidity, air pollutants (VOC, NOx), and atmospheric pressure. The Air Lab ships with a rechargeable 1,500 mAh battery that will be good for about 21 days on a charge in passive mode (taking measurements every minute), and you can also power it over its USB-C ports. It includes a debug port for people wanting to change the firmware, and a GPIO header to connect additional sensors if required. Data can be visualized on the e-paper display or transmitted over BLE or MQTT for integration with Home Assistant. The company also provides a CSV export function and a web-based dashboard for data visualization. Air Lab specifications: Main module – ESP32-S3 module with PCB antenna for 2.4GHz WiFi […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Espressif Systems ESP32-P4-EYE development kit looks like a camera

Espressif Systems ESP32-P4-EYE development kit looks like a camera

ESP32-P4-EYE

Espressif Systems’ ESP32-P4-EYE is a development kit designed for AI vision applications that looks like a standard camera. It combines an ESP32-P4 RISC-V microcontroller with an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 SoC, and is equipped with a MIPI-CSI camera, a 2MP display, a microphone, and a MicroSD card to store photos or videos. There’s also a rotatory encoder to control the menu on the LCD or adjust the zoom, a fill/flash light, a few buttons, an LED, and support for either USB or battery power. The company says the ESP32-P4 camera devkit targets smart surveillance, vision-based edge AI, real-time image detection, and audio-visual IoT interfaces. ESP32-P4-EYE specifications: Microcontroller – ESP32-P4 MCU Dual-core RISC-V microcontroller @ 400 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU Single-RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core @ up to 40 MHz GPU – 2D Pixel Processing Accelerator (PPA) VPU – H.264 and JPEG codecs support Memory […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on ESPuno Pi Zero ESP32-C6 board takes up to 60V DC input, offers RS-485 interface (Crowdfunding)

ESPuno Pi Zero ESP32-C6 board takes up to 60V DC input, offers RS-485 interface (Crowdfunding)

ESPuno Pi Zero

ESPuno Pi Zero is a Raspberry Pi Zero-sized board based on an ESP32-C6-MINI-1 WiFI 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 wireless module and an SMPS that allows up to 60V DC input via a 2-pin terminal block. The board also features two USB-C ports, one connected to the ESP32-C6 and the other to a CH343P USB-to-serial chip, a 40-pin GPIO header, a Grove connector, a 3-pin terminal block for RS-485, DMX, Profibus, and a few buttons and LEDs. ESPuno Pi Zero specifications: ESP32-C6-MINI-1-N4 or ESP32-C6-MINI-1U-N4 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz 320KB ROM, 512KB SRAM, low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory/Storage – 320KB ROM, 512KB SRAM Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and 802.15.4 radio (for Thread/Zigbee) Storage – 4MB flash Antenna ESP32-C6-MINI-1-N4 […]

Firefly NVIDIA Jetson products