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January 10, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

XIAO ePaper DIY Kit – EE02 – An ESP32-S3 board designed for 13.3-inch Spectra 6 color E-Ink display

XIAO ESP32-S3 13.3-inch E-ink Spectra 6 color display kit

Seeed Studio’s XIAO ePaper DIY Kit EE02 is an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth board designed specifically for the 13.3-inch Spectra 6 color E-Ink display provided by the company. It’s based on a similar design as the XIAO ePaper DIY Kit-EE04 (ESP32-S3) and XIAO ePaper DIY Kit-EN04 (nRF52480) introduced last December, which are suitable for smaller 1.54 to 7.15-inch ePaper displays. Like the previous models, the new EE02 model also includes a battery connector with a power switch, a built-in charging IC, and comes with one reset and three user buttons. With support for a larger 13.3-inch color ePaper display, it’s especially well-suited for digital frames and information boards. XIAO ePart DIY kit – EE02 specifications: Wireless board – XIAO ESP32S3 Plus SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth […]

December 5, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

ExtrudeX machine recycles failed/old 3D prints into new filament (Crowdfunding)

ExtrudeX machine recycle 3d printer filament

When 3D printing, users will always waste filament one way or the other, either due to a failed print or because of the support for the print, and there may also be test/old prints that you don’t need/use anymore, for example, a retraction cube or a benchy. That means all that material usually ends up in the dustbin. Priyank Pal, founder of Creative3dp, did not like all that waste, so he created the ExtrudeX machine to recycle 3D print waste and filament scraps back into usable filament. On top of that, the machine itself is 3D printable and much more affordable than commercial solutions from companies such as Filabot. I’d usually provide the specifications here, but as a crowdfunded project, the ExtrudeX’s full technical details are not fully available. We just know that a single DC gear motor drives the main screw inside a metal barrel, while band heaters and […]

November 25, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Creality Sermoon S1 3D scanner review – Part 2: Using Creality Scan 4 software with Intel Graphics

Creality Scan 4 Sermoon S1 3D scanner review

Earlier this month, we checked the specifications and did an unboxing of the Sermoon S1 high-end 3D scanner with support for blue laser and infrared scanning. I had some concerns about my host machines due to the fairly high minimum requirements: Intel Core i7 Gen7 CPU, NVIDIA GPU (6GB VRAM), 16GB RAM, Windows 10/11 (64-bit). I had planned to use an ASUS Vivobook 16 laptop with a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13500H SoC with a 12-core Raptor Lake processor and integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, as well as 16GB of RAM to run Creality Scan 4 software. After talking with Creality, it was confirmed to me that a “dedicated graphics card” was required. I have some good and bad news. The good news is that I might get a mini PC with an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti (16GB) external GPU for review. The bad news is that I have to […]

November 20, 2025November 26, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 – International deals, coupons, and events

Like every year since 2014, I’ll list a few international deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025, as many CNX Software readers cannot benefit from promotions on Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday events, which will take place from November 20 to December 1. I’ve gathered various deals, discount coupon codes, and events from relevant manufacturers of single board computers, MCU development boards, mini PCs, Smart Home devices, and DIY products, as well as popular online stores, including AliExpress, Banggood, and others. AliExpress Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 event AliExpress sales event for Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2025 has just started and will last until December 3, 2025 (although I can see until November 29 and December 4 in some places). You can use some of the coupons on the screenshot above, or some alternative coupon codes for the US and some other countries (excluding DE, RU, […]

November 2, 2025November 25, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Creality Sermoon S1 high-end 3D scanner review – Part 1: specifications and unboxing

Creality has sent me the Sermoon S1 high-end 3D scanner for review. It supports blue laser line and infrared structured light scanning, offers high accuracy up to 0.02mm, scans objects from 5 x 5 x 5 m3 to 4000 x 4000 x 4000 mm3, and looks like a pretty cool device overall. I’ll start the review by diving into the specifications, before going through an unboxing to check out the 3D scanner and its accessories. I’ll then need to study a bit more before testing out with different objects in the second part of the review. Sermoon S1 3D scanner specifications Scanning Modes Blue laser lines Single Blue Laser Line Scanning rate: 108,000 measurements/s Working distance – 200 to 600mm Outdoor Scanning – Below 100,000 lux Laser Safety – Class II (eye safe) 7 Parallel Blue Laser Lines Scanning rate: 756,000 measurements/s Working distance – 150 to 400mm Outdoor Scanning […]

October 13, 2025October 16, 2025 by Sponsored Post - 4 Comments

Arylic launches Up2Stream.net website for DIY audio enthusiasts (Sponsored)

Arylic has launched Up2Stream.net, a dedicated platform for the company’s DIY audio products, aiming to build a focused hub where makers can discover, innovate, and access tailored audio solutions. To celebrate the launch, Arylic is offering a 15% off welcome discount on all products available on the new Up2Stream.net website. This limited-time offer is the perfect opportunity for DIY audio enthusiasts to explore the platform’s offerings and start their next project with savings. A Hub for DIY Audio Innovation Up2Stream.net is more than just a website—it’s a community-driven space where makers can discover the tools and inspiration needed to bring their audio ideas to life. The platform showcases Arylic’s Up2Stream product line, including WiFi and Bluetooth audio receiver boards, amplifiers, and multiroom streaming solutions. Whether you’re upgrading a vintage stereo system, building a wireless speaker, or creating a multiroom audio setup, Up2Stream.net provides everything you need to innovate with ease. […]

October 11, 2025October 13, 2025 by Debashis Das - 6 Comments

ESP32-based dual-port WLED controller features Ethernet port, 24V DC input

When it comes to ESP32-based WLED controllers, some of the best options are boards like the Adafruit Sparkle Motion, Mini Sparkle Motion, and Sparkle Motion Stick, but most of the time, they are out of stock. Thankfully, there are similar alternatives like the xChroma WLED Type-C and HACK Lab HackLED Pro, with similar features and wider availability. Now adding to that list is the 2-Port ESP32 ETH0 WLED Controller, which not only adds Ethernet connectivity but also supports dual outputs and 5V–24V LEDs, making it an excellent alternative to the Adafruit ones. The board supports both Ethernet and Wi-Fi connectivity and includes an onboard DC-DC converter that delivers a stable 5V supply to the ESP32 and logic circuits. Each output channel is fused with a 6A resettable polyfuse and a status LED that lights up during fault conditions. For added safety, the main power input is protected against reverse polarity, […]

September 28, 2025September 27, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

LUNYEE 4040 PRO CNC router review with Candle software

LUNYEE has sent us a review sample of the 4040 PRO CNC router, featuring a larger work volume than the LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra model we reviewed a few months ago. It is designed for milling and engraving tasks that demand high precision and features a robust structure to support continuous operation. It works with wood, plastic, and acrylic. Its standout feature is the complete set of accessories, such as the Probe system for Z-axis setup and a workpiece clamping kit, allowing users to get started right away. This makes it an ideal CNC Router for beginners in engraving work. We’ve previously reviewed the smaller 3018 Pro Ultra with Easel, but we’ll instead use Candle software on the 4040 PRO machine. LUNYEE 4040 PRO CNC router specifications Controller – 4-axis GRBL 1.1f-compatible controller based on GigaDevice GD32F303CCT6 Arm Cortex-M4 MCU @ 120MHz with 256KB flash, 48KB SRAM. Control Software – […]