crowd supply News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

October 30, 2025October 29, 2025 by Debashis Das - 10 Comments

Palm-sized PocketPD USB-C programmable power supply delivers up to 21V/5A output (Crowdfunding)

PocketPD USB PD Programmable Power Supply (PPS)

PocketPD is a compact USB PD programmable power supply developed by CentyLab in Salem, Oregon. Designed to fit in your pocket, it provides precise, programmable voltage and current control using the USB Power Delivery 3.0 PPS mode. The device outputs 3.3V to 21V at up to 5A, features constant voltage/current modes, and includes a 0.96-inch OLED display for real-time monitoring. Powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 MCU and AP33772 PD controller, it supports fine adjustment in 20mV/50mA steps, with built-in protections against short circuits and reverse current. Weighing just 63g, PocketPD also offers magnetic mounting, open-source firmware, and KiCad hardware files for customization. The company offers two versions, featuring either a detachable screw terminal or Anderson Powerpole/XT60 connector options. PocketPD specifications: MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ 125 MHz with 264 KB SRAM Storage – Non-volatile storage for user profiles (voltage/current settings) Display – 0.96-inch OLED display […]

October 7, 2025October 6, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

wafer.space lets you design your custom silicon just for $7 per die (Crowdfunding)

wafer.space chip on board (COB) assembly

wafer.space has launched its first pooled silicon fabrication run on Crowd Supply, called the GF180MCU Run 1, which enables designers, engineers, and companies to create 1,000 custom ASICs using GlobalFoundries’ 180 nm mixed-signal process. Each slot provides a fixed 3.88 × 5.07 mm (19.67 mm²) die area replicated 1,000 times, meaning you will receive 1000 chips, with options for bare dies or chip-on-board packaging. The GF180MCU process supports 5 metal layers, MIM capacitors (~2.0 fF/µm²), poly and high-res poly resistors, and standard-Vt MOS devices. Users can handle their own pad ring, ESD, and I/O layout while wafer.space manages fabrication, dicing, and shipping from Singapore. Designs can be open or closed source, and full wafers are also available for advanced testing or collection. Designs are submitted to wafer.space as GDSII files (the standard file format for chip layouts). Wafer.space automatically checks these files to make sure they can be manufactured correctly. […]

August 29, 2025August 29, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Fusion Chime Vision – An ESP32-powered smart doorbell system (Crowdfunding)

Fusion Chime Vision is an open-source smart doorbell system comprised of three items, each powered by an ESP32 WiFi and Bluetooth MCU: a doorbell based on the ESP32-CAM board, a 2.4-inch display, a microphone, and a speaker; a smart chime with a 0.96 OLED and a speaker; and an indoor display with a 3.5-inch IPS LCD, a speaker, and a microphone. Fusion Chime Vision doorbell Specifications: ESP32-CAM board SoC – ESP32 microcontroller CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX6 @ up to 240 MHz Memory – 520 KB SRAM Wireless 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 4, Bluetooth 4.2 Memory – 4MBit PSRAM Storage – 32Mbit SPI flash, microSD card slot Antenna – PCB antenna, u.FL connector Display – 2.4-inch TFT LCD, 240×320 resolution Camera – OV5640 Camera Audio Microphone for visitor voice capture and two-way audio communication (half-duplex) Speaker for two-way communication (half-duplex) Wireless WiFi from ESP32 for web access and connection to the […]

August 27, 2025August 27, 2025 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

FPGA-based Game Bub handheld console supports original Nintendo cartridge, wireless controllers (Crowdfunding)

Game Bub open source hardware FPGA retro emulation handheld

Game Bub is an open-source AMD Artix-7 FPGA and ESP32-S3-based handheld gaming console that supports Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance cartridges. On top of that, it supports TV output via the Game Bub Dock and features Bluetooth for connecting wireless controllers. The device also features cartridge backup and restore functions through FlashGBX, letting users save files, dump ROMs, reflash writable carts, and even extract photos from the Game Boy Camera. The device supports direct ROM loading and the built-in rumble motor, accelerometer, gyroscope, and real-time clock ensure compatibility with games that rely on these peripherals. The device is housed in a transparent 90s-style enclosure, runs on a 3000 mAh battery for over 14 hours of gameplay, and weighs just 250 g, making it portable yet durable. Additionally, it can be used as an FPGA development board with its PMOD expansion slot and plenty of unused […]

August 26, 2025August 26, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Mini review of USB Vsense USB PD voltage indicator

I’ve just received a sample of Meticulous Technologies’ USB VSense USB PD voltage indicator for review. It’s a simple device with two USB-C ports and color-coded LEDs showing the voltage supported from 5V up to 48V as defined in the Extended Power Range (EPR) specs. In this mini review, I’ll go through the specs, a teardown, and test it under various scenarios using a range of USB-C power adapters and devices such as a Raspberry Pi 5 SBC, Radxa Orion O6 mini-ITX motherboard, and ASUS Vivobook 16 laptop. USB Vsense specifications Fully capable of the latest USB PD EPR specifications up to 48V/5A (240 W) 2x USB Type-C ports – Passthrough for USB 2.0 data, CC, and SBUS lines; rated for 48V/5A Operational and measurement range 4.5V to 51V DC ATtiny 406’s 10-bit ADC with 4.3 V internal voltage reference provides stable measurements of up to 22 mV resolution for […]

August 26, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

RCORE V2 RK3588 module launched for MNT Reform laptops (Crowdfunding)

MNT Reform has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the RCORE V2 module powered by a Rockchip RK3588 SoC coupled with up to 32GB RAM, and a 256GB eMMC flash for the company’s open-source hardware laptops, be it the original MNT Reform or the MNT Reform Pocket. It appears to me that it’s the same module as found in the MNT Reform Next 12.5-inch laptop scheduled to ship by the end of December, but it’s sold separately as an upgrade kit for users of previous models of MNT Reform laptops. The company explains that the RCORE V2 brings a third M.2 slot for fast PCIe-based Wi-Fi cards (with USB Bluetooth), and it’s easier to install since it works without an internal HDMI adapter. MNT Reform RCORE V2 specifications: Based on the Firefly iCore-3588Q module as found in the Firefly AIO-3588Q board SoC – Rockchip RK3588 CPU – Octa-core 64-bit Armv8 SoC […]

August 22, 2025August 22, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

ArmSoM RK3588 AI Module7 system-on-module follows NVIDIA Jetson Nano form factor (Crowdfunding)

ArmSoM RK3588 AI Module7 (AIM7) is a Rockchip RK3588 system-on-module compatible with NVIDIA Jetson Nano and other 260-pin SO-DIMM Jetson modules, so you should be able to use it with a wide range of Jetson carrier boards. It is designed for edge computing, AI inference, VR/AR, smart NVR systems, and general-purpose applications. The RK3588 AIM7 ships with 4GB to 32GB RAM, 32GB to 128GB eMMC flash, and integrates a Rockchip RK806-1 PMIC, but no Gigabit Ethernet controller as found on the competing Mixtile Core 3588E. While the RK3588 SoM should work on most Jetson carrier boards, ArmSoM has also designed the AIM-IO carrier board to quickly get started with the module. RK3588 AI Module7 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588 CPU – Octa-core processor with 4x Arm Cortex-A76 cores @ up to 2.4 GHz, 4x Arm Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.8 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G610 MP4 GPU with support for OpenGL […]

August 21, 2025August 28, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Icepi Zero – A Lattice ECP5 FPGA board in Raspberry Pi Zero form factor (Crowdfunding)

Icepi Zero Lattice LFE5U FPGA board Raspberry Pi Zero form factor

The Icepi Zero is a compact Lattice ECP5 FPGA open-source hardware development board following the Raspberry Pi Zero form factor, and equipped with a microSD card slot, three USB-C ports, a GPDI mini connector for video output, and a 40-pin GPIO header. I was confused at first, since Debashis wrote about the Pico2-ice board a few days ago, but it’s a different design with an RP2350B MCU and a Lattice ICE40U5K FPGA with 5.3K LUTs. Made by Icy Electronics, the Icepi Zero is a pure FPGA board with 24K LUTs, 32MB SRAM, and 16MB QSPI flash that can be used for retro gaming/computer and general FPGA gateware experimentation. Icepi Zero specifications: FPGA – Lattice Semi ECP5U 24k LUTs 112 KiB of RAM 28x 18 x 18 Multipliers Memory – 256 Mbit (32 MB) of 166 MHz SDRAM Storage 128 Mbit (16 MB) of QSPI Flash microSD card slot Video Output […]