Mekotronics R58-4×4 3U is yet another device based on Rockchip RK3588 from the company, but this product is a 4K video encoder with four SDI inputs, and four SDI loop outputs mirroring the SDI inputs. SDI (Serial Digital Interface) inputs are used for transmitting uncompressed, unencrypted digital video signals and typically found in professional video production and broadcasting environments. The SDI interface can also be found in security cameras like the MOKOSE SHD50-2.8-12MM and I can also see it used in cameras designed for live streaming on YouTube, or other services. The main advantages of SDI over interfaces like USB, HDMI, or Ethernet, are that it can use longer cables up to 300 meters, offers better signal integrity, and has near zero latency. Compatibility for professional camera equipment is another advantage. Let’s look at the Mekotronics R58-4×4 3U specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588 octa-core processor with CPU – 4x CortexA76 […]
Software progress and source code release for CIX P1 Armv9 SoC and Orion O6 motherboard
When the Orion O6 mini-ITX motherboard with a CIX P1 12-core Armv9 SoC was announced in December 2024, we were told binary releases would start on January 15, 2025, and the source code would be released later in Q1 2025. Tom Cubie further explained that upstreaming of the CIX kernel would start in Q2 of 2025, and Linux 6.1 with Device Tree plus Linux 6.6 with ACPI would be supported in the meantime. I’ve been able to quickly check the Debian 12 binary release on the Orion O6 motherboard at the end of January, but as I was looking for an updated image for the second part of the review, I noticed there weren’t any new Debian 12 images so far. That does not mean there haven’t been any work done, as the forums are somewhat active and I’ve been told Radxa is even more active on Discord, although I […]
Citronics built a router based on the Fairphone 2 mainboard
Belgium-company Citronics has designed a router based on the mainboard of the Fairphone 2 smartphone, connecting the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 “system-on-module” to a carrier board with Ethernet, USB ports, and other connectors, while leveraging 4G LTE, WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity from the phone’s core board. Citronics calls this type of hardware “Circular Microcomputers,” which refers to small computers focusing on sustainability and circular economy principles using parts from discarded devices like old smartphones. There’s actually more than one router, as Citronics designed its own development kit, and also partnered with other companies to design custom gateways based on the Fairphone 2 mainboard. Let’s have a look at the devkit first. Citronics devkit: Fairphone 2 mainboard SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) quad core Krait 400 processor @ up to 2.26 GHz with Adreno 330 GPU System Memory – 2 GB LPDDR3 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash Connectivity – 2G/3G/4G LTE, […]
Armbian v25.2 and DietPi v9.11 released with updated Ubuntu and Debian-based Linux images for single board computers
Vendor-provided Linux images for single board computers are not always working optimally, so this post is a regular reminder that users may want to check out Armbian and DietPi projects mostly supported by the community but also backed by some of the vendors who offload some (repackaging) software work to them. Armbian and DietPi are separate projects, but this month, Armbian v25.2 and DietPi v9.11 were almost released simultaneously. I don’t report on each release (should I?), but they release an update every few months. The last time we had a look at both projects was in September 2024 for the releases of DietPi 9.7 and Armbian 24.8. Let’s see what the new releases have to bring. Armbian v25.2 Main changes: New Boards – Rock 2A and 2F, NanoPi R3S, Retroid Pocket RP5, RPMini, Rock 5T, GenBook, MKS-PI, SKIPR, Armsom CM5, NextThing C.H.I.P, Magicsee C400 Plus Rockchip 3588 Improvements – […]
Vaaman reconfigurable edge computer features Rockchip RK3399 SoC and Efinix Trion T120 FPGA (Crowdfunding)
Vaaman is a reconfigurable single-board edge computer that integrates a Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core ARM processor with an Efinix Trion T120 FPGA, offering a reconfigurable platform for edge computing applications. The board combines the flexibility of an FPGA with the raw power of a hard processor to create a system capable of adapting to varying computational demands in real time. The compact SBC features the Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with two Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex-A53 cores, as well as an Efinix Trion T120 FPGA with 112,128 logic elements, interlinked with RK3399 via a high-speed 300Mbps bridge (but it’s unclear how this is implemented). It is billed as a “Raspberry Pi-style board for the FPGA world” that can be used for cryptographic acceleration, software-defined radio (SDR), digital signal processing, real-time robotics, real-time video processing, edge AI deployments, industrial automation, and hardware prototyping. It features a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-compatible GPIO header and […]
PocketBeagle 2 SBC combines TI AM6232 dual-core Cortex-A53 SoC with MSPM0 MCU
Beagleboard has recently announced the PocketBeagle 2, a single board computer (SBC) built around TI’s AM6232 dual-core Cortex-A53 and Cortex-M7 SoC and an additional MSPM0L1105 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller for ADC pins and board ID storage. Designed for developers, students, and hobbyists, it’s a direct upgrade from the previous generation PocketBeagle which the company released in 2017. The new board comes with a faster dual-core 64-bit CPU (compared to a single-core CPU), faster memory (DDR4), improved power management (USB-C + LiPo charger), and easier debugging (UART + JTAG) for faster development. Additionally, it comes with four user-controllable LEDs, a power LED, and a battery-charging LED for better status indication. Unlike the first generation, this new version comes with pre-soldered GPIO headers with the same compact (55 x 35mm) form factor making it suitable for embedded applications and IoT projects. PocketBeagle 2 single-board computer specifications Main SoC – Texas Instruments AM6232 CPU […]
Boardcon SBC3576 – A feature-rich Rockchip RK3576 SBC with HDMI, mini DP, dual GbE, WiFi 6, optional 5G/4G LTE module, and more
Boardcon SBC3576 is a feature-rich single board computer (SBC) based on the MINI3576 system-on-module powered by a Rockchip RK3576 AI SoC and equipped with two 100-pin and one 44-pin board-to-board connectors for interfacing with the carrier board. The carrier board is equipped with up to 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC flash, two gigabit Ethernet ports, a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 module, 4K-capable HDMI 2.1 and mini DP video outputs, a mini HDMI input port, a USB 3.0 Type-A port, RS485 and CAN Bus terminal block, and more. The Rockchip RK3576 SoC comes with the same 6 TOPS NPU found in the Rockchip RK3588/RK3588S SoC and can be used as a lower-cost alternative with less performance. Boardcon SBC3576 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3576 CPU 4x Cortex-A72 cores at 2.2GHz, four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.8GHz Arm Cortex-M0 MCU at 400MHz GPU – ARM Mali-G52 MC3 GPU clocked at 1GHz with support for OpenGL […]
Mekotronics R58-PTZ video surveillance/live streaming embedded computer features a PTZ camera, two HDMI input ports
I swear it’s not an AI-generated picture of a device, but the Mekotronics R58-PTZ is real and just another unusual Rockchip RK3588 hardware platform from the company that’s an embedded computer with a 3-inch display on the front panel and a PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera placed on top. Mekotronics describes it as a live-streaming box designed for video surveillance, so I assume its main use case is to leverage to built-in 6 TOPS NPU for live streaming with some real-time effect and/or surveillance applications detecting persons, masks, etc… especially it also offers two HDMI inputs for extra cameras. Mekotronics R58-PTZ specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588 octa-core processor with CPU – 4x CortexA76 cores @ up to 2.4 GHz, 4x CortexA55 core @ 1.8 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G610 MP4 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.2, Vulkan 1.2 Video decoder – 8Kp60 H.265, VP9, AVS2, 8Kp30 H.264 AVC/MVC, 4Kp60 […]