Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on ESP32-H2 RISC-V WiSoC announced with Zigbee 3, Thread, and Bluetooth LE 5.2

ESP32-H2 RISC-V WiSoC announced with Zigbee 3, Thread, and Bluetooth LE 5.2

ESP32-H2 with Thread, Zigbee 3, BLE 5.2

Just a few days ago, we noted ESP32-H2 802.15.4 & BLE RISC-V SoC had shown up in the source code, and tried to derive specs and a block diagram from the info seeing it was similar to ESP32-C3, but swapping the WiFi radio for an 802.15.4 radio. We don’t need to guess anymore, as Espressif Systems has just announced ESP32-H2 RISC-V WiSoC with support for Zigbee 3.x, Thread 1.x through the 802.15.4 radio, as well as Bluetooth LE 5.2. So overall it’s very close to what we discussed from the information in the source code with ESP32-H2 highlights including: CPU – 32-bit RISC-V core (at up to 96 MHz) RAM – 256 KB SRAM Storage – External flash support Wireless connectivity IEEE 802.15.4 radio with Zigbee 3.x and Thread 1.x support, Matter protocol Bluetooth 5.2 (LE) radio designed in-house, with support for direct connection, Bluetooth Mesh, Bluetooth LE Audio Future […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on ESP32-H2 Bluetooth LE & 802.15.4 RISC-V SoC shows up in ESP-IDF source code

ESP32-H2 Bluetooth LE & 802.15.4 RISC-V SoC shows up in ESP-IDF source code

ESP32-H2

Espressif Systems is working on yet another RISC-V chip with ESP32-H2 SoC offering Bluetooth LE and 802.15.4 connectivity showing up in the ESP-IDF framework source code. A code comparison shows ESP32-H2 is very similar to ESP32-C3 with a single RISC-V core, albeit clocked at up to 96 MHz, and the first Espressif SoC without WiFi, as the WiFi radio is replaced with an 802.15.4 radio for Thread, Zigbee, etc… that can be used for the development of Home Automation, Smart Lighting, and wireless sensor network applications. While looking at the source code differences between ESP32-C3 and ESP32-H2, the really only major differences were the 802.15.4 radio and lower maximum frequency, and at the current time, it looks like most of the rest is unchanged, so it’s possible they kept the same amount of RAM (400KB), storage, and most of the same peripherals, but it could just well be the code […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on $2 MXCHIP EMC3080 WiFi and Bluetooth LE IoT module integrates Cortex-M33 MCU

$2 MXCHIP EMC3080 WiFi and Bluetooth LE IoT module integrates Cortex-M33 MCU

MXCHIP EMC3080 Cortex-M33 WiFi & Bluetooth-IoT module

While nowadays most people from the maker community are working with ESP8266 or ESP32 modules or boards for IoT projects requiring Bluetooth LE and/or WiFi connectivity, we’ve also covered some low-cost alternatives such as Bouffalo Labs BL602 or Realtek RTL8710. MXCHIP EMC3080 module offers yet an alternative with 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE 4.2/5.0. Where it differentiates against other solutions is that it features a more secure Cortex-M33 core clocked at 100 MHz, as found in UNISOC V5663 and Ameba RTL8722DM wireless SoCs, but still getting a fairly low price tag of $2.35 on Seeed Studio, which drops to $2.10 per pieces for orders of 10 or more units. MXCHIP EMC3080 module specifications: MCU – MX1300CF Cortex-M33 processor at up to 100 MHz with 256KB SRAM, 2MB XIP flash, 384 or 512 bytes OTP memory Connectivity WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 1T1R WiFi @ 2.4GHz Single Frequency HT20 support […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on TurboX C865 CPU module and 96Boards devkit feature Qualcomm QCS8250 IoT processor

TurboX C865 CPU module and 96Boards devkit feature Qualcomm QCS8250 IoT processor

TurboX C865 96Boards development kit

Thundercomm has unveiled another Qualcomm IoT module and development kit with the TurboX C865 SOM and development kit based on Qualcomm QCS8250, based on Snapdragon 865 but for IoT applications, which follows our coverage of the company’s TurboX CM2290 and C2290 SoM & devkit based on Qualcomm QCM2290/QCS2290 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor several days ago. The new TurboX C865 system-on-module is for higher-end IoT applications with a faster processor combines with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM, and 128G UFS storage, WiFI 6 & Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and the company also offers a 96Boards compliant development kit to help with the development of more advanced IoT products running Android 10. TurboX C865 SoM Specifications: SoC – Qualcomm QCS8250 octa-core Kryo 585 processor with Adreno 650 GPU, Adreno 665 VPU, Adreno 995 DPU, Hexagon DSP with quad HVX, Spectra 480 ISP; 15 TOPS AI processing power System Memory – 8GB LPDDR5 (PoP) Storage – 128G […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Pico 2G Expansion adds GSM/GPRS & GNSS to Raspberry Pi Pico (Crowdfunding)

Pico 2G Expansion adds GSM/GPRS & GNSS to Raspberry Pi Pico (Crowdfunding)

Raspberry Pi Pico 2G Expansion Board

You may have heard about the 2G/3G sunset with the older cellular networks being phased out in many countries. But it’s not always straightforward, as telecom operators may have to obtain regulators’ permission for the shutdown notably because of the eCall emergency services integrated into cars in Europe. Eventually, eCall will be migrated toward IMS Voice and 2G M2M services to 4G LTE IoT and 5G LPWA, but in the meantime, 2G networks are still operating in parts of the world, and UK-based SB Components has just introduced the Pico 2G Expansion board for Raspberry Pi Pico based on the SIM868 module. Raspberry Pi Pico 2G Expansion specifications: Compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico board Display – 1.14-inch LCD Cellular & GNSS Connectivity SIM868 module with GPRS multi-slot class 12/10, mobile station class B GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GNSS – GPS/GLONASS/BDS Bluetooth 3.0 with audio support SIM card holder 2x SMA antenna […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Zidoo M6 RK3566 mini PC & SBC supports GbE, WiFi 6, 5G connectivity

Zidoo M6 RK3566 mini PC & SBC supports GbE, WiFi 6, 5G connectivity

Zidoo M6 mini PC & SBC

Zidoo M6 is both a complete mini PC and a single board computer based on Rockchip RK3566 processor with up to 8GB RAM with plenty of peripherals connectivity options including built-in Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5, and support for 5G modems. Several years ago, Zidoo used to serve the TV box market, but they’ve now veered towards higher-end media players, digital signage players, and industrial applications. While we’ve already seen some RK3566 TV boxes on the market, using the AIoT processor does not make much sense in this type of product, and instead, Zidoo M6 targets AI Edge gateways, digital signage, and other AIoT products. Zidoo M6 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3566 with a quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.8GHz, Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2. OpenCL 2.0. Vulkan 1.1, 0.8 TOPS AI accelerator, 4K H.265/H.265/VP9 video decoder, 1080p100 H.265/H.264 video encoder. System Memory […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on The first Arm SystemReady IR certified platforms – NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK & Compulab IOT-GATE-IMX8 gateway

The first Arm SystemReady IR certified platforms – NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK & Compulab IOT-GATE-IMX8 gateway

NXP EVK Arm SystemReady IR

A few months ago, we noted SolidRun HoneyComb LX2K became a certified Arm SystemReady ES platform. SystemReady is a certification program by Arm that ensures systems just work with generic operating systems like in the x86 world. When we looked at the details of the program in the article, we noted there were different categories including SystemReady ES for embedded servers and SystemReady IR for IoT Edge applications. The first SystemReady IR platform – NXP i.MX 8 Mini evaluation kit Arm has just announced the first SystemReady IR platform had just been certified. That device is the NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK, and that means that anyone that uses the i.MX 8M family of devices with the associated Board Support Package (BSP) can build platforms that will pass the same certification process and boot compliant Linux distributions with minimal integration effort. We can see more details about the certifications on Arm developer’s website. NXP i.MX 8M Mini EVK achieved certification with NXP 2021 Q2 pre-release firmware, version LF […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on $6 RAK3172 WisDuo LoRaWAN module features STMicro STM32WL LoRa SoC

$6 RAK3172 WisDuo LoRaWAN module features STMicro STM32WL LoRa SoC

RAK3172 WisDuo

RAK3172 WisDuo is a LoRaWAN module smaller than most coins with 15.5×15 mm dimensions made possible thanks to STMicro STM32WL Cortex-M4 LoRa SoC, which we previously found in Seeed Studio’s $10 LoRa-E5 module and corresponding development boards. But while Seeed Studio relies on STM32WLE5JC SoC with 256KB flash and 64KB RAM in a 73-pin UFBGA package, RAKwireless RAK3172 Wisduo is powered by STM32WLE5CC with the same amount of memory or storage, but in a  48-pin UFQFPN package, and an even lower price at just $5.99 in single units. RAK3172 Wisduo specifications: SoC – STMicro STM32WLE5CC55 Arm Cortex‐M4 MCU @ 48 MHz with 256 KB flash memory with ECC, 64 KB RAM, and a sub-GHz radio based on Semtech SX126x LoRaWAN 1.0.3 specification compliant Supported bands – EU433, CN470, IN865, EU868, AU915, US915, KR920, RU864, and AS923 LoRaWAN Activation by OTAA/ABP LoRa Point to Point (P2P) communication Range – Greater than […]