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October 31, 2025October 30, 2025 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

ESP32JTAG – An open-source wireless JTAG and logic analyzer (Crowdfunding)

EZ32 ESP32JTAG is an open-source, wireless JTAG and logic analyzer tool that can debug both MCUs and FPGAs. It features a 16-channel 250 MHz logic analyzer and integrated UART interface, designed to replace tools such as ST-Link or Saleae analyzers in a single compact, wireless solution. The device is built around an ESP32-S3 dual-core SoC and a small FPGA with 5k logic gates and 1 Mbit of internal RAM to handle high-speed signal processing. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi 4, Bluetooth 5.0, and USB Type-C, and a small 1.83-inch LCD displays system information such as IP address and status. The ESP32JTAG is also equipped with four configurable 4-wire ports for JTAG, SWD, UART, and logic analyzer mode, and supports target voltage monitoring. EZ32 ESP32JTAG specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – dual-core Tensilica LX7 @ up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 512KB RAM, 8MB […]

October 28, 2025October 30, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

NXP i.MX 952 processor supports local dimming for AI-enhanced automotive and industrial HMIs

NXP i.MX 952 automotive industrial AI processor

NXP has recently introduced the i.MX 952 applications processor, a new member of the i.MX 95 series, designed for AI-powered automotive and industrial applications, including driver monitoring, child presence detection, and in-cabin HMIs. The i.MX 952 features up to four Arm Cortex-A55 cores with Cortex-M7 and M33 microcontroller cores, and is compliant with ISO 26262 ASIL B and SIL2/SIL3 standards. It integrates an eIQ Neutron NPU for AI-based sensor fusion, a 500 Mpixel/s ISP with RGB-IR support, and is the first processor with built-in local dimming for better display efficiency. Security features include EdgeLock Secure Enclave with post-quantum cryptography, meeting ISO 21434 and IEC 62443 standards. It can be interfaced with NXP’s PF09 PMIC, PF53 regulator, Trimension UWB, and IW693/AW693 Wi-Fi 6/6E SoCs, and is pin-to-pin compatible with other members of the i.MX 95 family. NXP i.MX 952 specifications: CPU Up to 4 Arm Cortex-A55 cores with 32KB + 32KB L1-cache, 64KB L2 […]

October 27, 2025October 26, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

1GHz Renesas RA8D2 and RA8M2 Cortex-M85 MCUs feature up to 1MB MRAM, 2MB SRAM

Renesas RA8M2 and RA8D2 dual core Cortex M85, M33 MCU with MRAM storage

After introducing the 1 GHz RA8T2 MCU earlier this month, Renesas has recently expanded its RA8 lineup with the RA8D2 and RA8M2 groups of MCUs, where the RA8D2 is designed for graphics, HMI, and AI applications with support for display, camera, and audio interfaces, while the RA8M2 targets general-purpose, high-performance IoT and industrial control systems with networking and compute capabilities. Both MCU groups deliver a performance of up to 7,300 Coremarks, offer up to 1MB of MRAM and 2MB of SRAM, and support SiP options with up to 8MB flash. The RA8D2 adds HMI capabilities, including a 1280×800 graphics LCD controller, a 2D drawing engine, MIPI DSI and CSI-2 interfaces, and audio input support for voice and vision AI. Common features include dual Gigabit Ethernet with TSN, USB 2.0, CAN FD, I3C, and various analog peripherals. Integrated RSIP-E50D security, Helium acceleration for DSP/ML with various software support. Renesas RA8D2 and […]

August 21, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Snapdragon W5+ and W5 Gen 2 wearable platforms gain NB-NTN satellite support

Snapdragon W5 Gen2 features NB-NTN satellite

Qualcomm Snapdragon W5+ and W5 Gen 2 are new wearable platforms adding NB-NTN satellite support for emergencies to the Snapdragon W5+/W5 wearable platforms introduced in 2022, and found in various WearOS smartwatches and the Beacon W5 SoM. The W5+/W5 Gen 2 platforms still feature a 1.7 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 processor, an Adreno A702 GPU, an AON QCC5100 ML co-processor (W5+ Gen 2 only), MIPI DSI and MIPI CSI interfaces, cellular connectivity, dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 5.3, GNSS, and optional NFC support. The main changes are NB-NTN support, an upgrade to 3GPP Rel 17 with Cat 1Bis, a 20% (or 30% depending on where you read) smaller RF frontend, and 50% more accurate GPS in urban or deep canyon areas. Snapdragon W5+/W5 Gen 2 specifications: SWS5100 SoC CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.7 GHz GPU – Qualcomm Adreno A702 @ up to 1 GHz with OpenGL ES 3.1 API […]

August 13, 2025August 14, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Alif Ensemble E4, E6, and E8 Cortex-M55/A32 MCUs and MPUs feature Ethos-U85 NPU for small language models (SLM)

Alif Ensemble E4 E6 E8 Ethos U85 MCU small language models

Alif Semiconductor unveiled the Ensemble E4, E6, and E8 dual-core Cortex-M55 Edge AI microcontrollers and fusion processors, all equipped with Arm Ethos-U85 with the ability to run small language models (SLM) on-device while consuming just 36mW of power on the E4 SKU. Besides the ability to handle generative AI workloads, the new microcontrollers also integrate two power-efficient Ethos-U55 NPUs for AI vision. They can perform power-efficient object detection in less than 2ms and image classification in less than 8ms. Other highlights include support for up to two MIPI CSI image sensors, a fully hardware-accelerated image signal processor (ISP) pipeline operating at up to 60 FPS at 2MP resolution, and a new wide memory subsystem to enable an inferencing speed of well under a millisecond. Alif Ensemble E4 Ensemble E4 specifications: CPU High-Performance Arm Cortex-M55 core @ up to 400 MHz High-Efficiency Arm Cortex-M55 core @ up to 160 MHz GPU […]

July 2, 2025July 3, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Renesas R8P1 – A 1 GHz Arm Cortex-M85 microcontroller with Ethos-U55 NPU for Audio and Vision AI applications

Renesas has introduced its most powerful Cortex-A85 microcontroller to date: the R8P1, clocked at 1 GHz and equipped with a 500 MHz Arm Ethos-U55 NPU for edge AI applications, as well as an Arm Cortex-M33 real-time core clocked at 250 MHz. With a 2D GPU, MIPI DSI and parallel RGB display interfaces, MIPI CSI and parallel camera interfaces, and I2S and PDM audio interface, the Renesas RA8P1 is mainly designed to address Voice AI and Vision AI applications requiring real-time analytics. The 1 GHz microcontroller also has plenty of other peripherals and security features, as we can see from the specifications and block diagram below. Renesas RA8P1 specifications: MCU core Arm Cortex-M85 clocked at 1 GHz with Helium MVE (M-Profile Vector Extension) with 32KB I/D caches; 7300+ CoreMarks Arm Cortex-M33 clocked at 250 MHz with 32KB I/D caches GPU – 2D drawing engine NPU – Arm Ethos-U55 NPU delivering 256 […]

June 16, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ALIENTEK DNESP32P4M – An ESP32-P4 board without network connectivity

Most ESP32-P4 boards and development platforms we’ve covered so far include an ESP32-C6 or ESP32-C5 wireless module, and in case you don’t want any WiFi and Bluetooth module, the Olimex ESP32-P4-DevKit is one option that comes with Ethernet instead. The ALIENTEK DNESP32P4M board, also called ESP32P4M MINI, adds another option with a form factor similar to Espressif Systems Devkit-C boards. The board does not have network connectivity at all, and exposes all I/Os from the ESP32-P4 through headers, MIPI DSI and MIPI CSI connectors, and two USB-C ports. ALIENTEK DNESP32P4M specifications: Microcontroller – ESP32-P4 (ESP32-P4NRW32) 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 – 768 KB HP L2MEM, 32 KB LP SRAM, 8 KB TCM, 32MB PSRAM Storage – […]

May 19, 2025May 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

1GHz Renesas RZ/A3M Cortex-A55 MPU embeds 128MB on-chip DDR3L for HMI applications

Renesas RZ/A3M is an Arm Cortex-A55 microprocessor (MPU) clocked at up to 1.0 GHz with 128MB on-chip DDR3L for cost-effective, yet advanced HMI applications with up to 1280×800 resolution. The RZ/A3M is similar to its predecessor, the Renesas RZ-A3UL, but it integrates 128MB on-chip RAM in a single System-in-Package (SiP), supports both MIPI DSI and parallel display interfaces, and adds a 2D graphics accelerator for smoother user interfaces. Renesas RZ/A3M specifications: CPU – Single-core Arm Cortex-A55 @ up to 1.0 GHz GPU – 2D drawing engine Memory 128KB on-chip SRAM with ECC Built-in 128MB DDR3L-1600 SDRAM (16-bit bus width) Storage SPI Multi I/O Bus Controller× 1 channel (4-bit Double data rate) Boot from Serial NAND or Serial NOR flash SD card host interface Display I/F – 4-lane MIPI DSI or Digital parallel output up to 1280×800 resolution @ 60 Hz Audio – Serial sound interface (SSI/I2S) USB – 1x USB […]