Mecha Comet open-source hardware modular Linux handheld computer can be used as a gaming console, a Linux terminal, an electronic measurement tool, and more, thanks to a 40-pin magnetic expansion connector for modules such as a gamepad, a QWERTY keyboard, a 40-pin GPIO header, and more. The Mecha Comet is powered by an NXP i.MX 8M Plus or i.MX 95 Arm SoC, ships with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB flash, but also supports MicroSD and NVMe storage. It also features a 3.91-inch touchscreen display, a mini HDMI 2.1 port, an 8MP camera, a dual-mic array and a speaker, a 3.5mm audio jack, WiFi 5 and optional 4G LTE/5G cellular connectivity, as well as a few USB-C ports and built-in sensors. Mecha Comet specifications: SoC (one or the other) NXP i.MX8M Plus CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.8 GHz Real-time MCU – Arm Cortex-M7 @ up to […]
FOSDEM 2026 schedule – Embedded, RISC-V, Robotics, Rust, Open Hardware, and more
FOSDEM 2026 will take place on January 31-February 1, with thousands of developers meeting in Brussels to discuss open-source software & hardware projects. The free-to-attend “Free and Open Source Software Developers’ European Meeting” gets more traction every year, and in 2026, there will be at least 1,113 speakers, 1,016 events, 70 tracks, and potentially close to 10,000 attendees. As usual, I’ll create a virtual schedule with sessions most relevant to the topics covered on CNX Software from the “Embedded, Mobile and Automotive” and “Open Hardware and CAD/CAM” devrooms, but also other devrooms, including “RISC-V”, “Robotics and simulation”, and “FOSS on Mobile”, among others. I’m aware some of the talks overlap by a couple of minutes or so… FOSDEM 2026 Day 1 – Saturday, January 31 10:40 – 11:15 – RISC-V Vector optimisations in FFmpeg by Rémi Denis-Courmont FFmpeg is the most versatile multimedia codec and format support library, and was […]
SpacemiT K3 16-core RISC-V SoC system information and (early) benchmarks
SpacemiT K3 is an upcoming RVA23-compliant 64-bit RISC-V processor based on X100 cores clocked at up to 2.5 GHz. So far, we had limited information, but SpacemiT gave remote access to one SpacemiT K3-powered server to Sander, and he was kind enough to share some system information and early benchmarks.
Let’s start with system information reported by inxi utility:
Raspberry Pi OS adds easier USB gadget mode support
Raspberry Pi OS Trixie now supports USB gadget mode out of the box, allowing users to connect to their Raspberry Pi boards over IP through USB without the need for a router. My first experience with USB gadget functionality was when I reviewed the Beaglebone Green Wireless SBC in 2016, but for some reason, official support for the Raspberry Pi ecosystem took a lot longer, and it was only officially implemented in Raspberry Pi OS Trixie images dated 20.10.2025 and later through the rpi-usb-gadget package. It’s been possible to use the USB gadget mode on Raspberry Pi OS for a while, but it was rather convoluted with outdated scripts, manual configuration steps, and platform-specific instructions. The new rpi-usb-gadget package streamlines the process and makes things much easier: The Raspberry Pi SBC will present itself as a USB Ethernet device when connected to a PC Users can SSH directly using the […]
Advantech MIO-5355 3.5-inch SBC features Qualcomm QCS6490 or QCS5430 SoC for industrial edge AI
Advantech MIO-5355 is a 3.5-inch SBC based on Qualcomm QCS6490 or QCS5430 Edge AI processor. The board features up to 8GB of LPDDR5 memory, 128GB of UFS storage, and supports various operating systems, including Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and Yocto Linux. We have seen other QCS6490-based hardware in the past, such as the Radxa Dragon Q6A, the Quectel QSM560DR SBC, or the Rubik Pi 3, most of which come in compact form factors. The Advantech MIO-5355 takes a different approach, using a standard industrial 3.5-inch form factor (146 × 102 mm) and targeting industrial deployments with support for –20°C to 70°C operation and long-term availability. Advantech MIO-5355 specifications: SoC (one or the other) Qualcomm DragonWing QCS6490 CPU – Octa-core Kryo 670 with 1x Gold Plus core (Cortex-A78) @ 2.7 GHz, 3x Gold cores (Cortex-A78) @ 2.4 GHz, 4x Silver cores (Cortex-A55) @ up to 1.9 GHz GPU […]
TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro – A Thunderbolt 5 fanless SSD enclosure with 80Gbps bandwidth, 7GB/s practical performance
TerraMaster has recently launched the D1 SSD Pro Thunderbolt 5 fanless enclosure, an update to the previous Thunderbolt 4-based TerraMaster D1 SSD Plus. The new version features an 80Gbps Thunderbolt 5 port, supports M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs with up to 8TB capacity, and has been tested at up to 7,061MB/s read and 6,816MB/s write speeds, nearly doubling Thunderbolt 4 performance. The enclosure uses a fanless, CNC-machined aluminum design that enables silent operation through passive heat dissipation. It also features smart LED indicators for connection speed, and offers compatibility with Thunderbolt 5/4/3, USB4, and USB 3.2 across Windows, macOS, and Linux, including boot support on macOS. With various protection features (short-circuit, surge, ESD) and a compact, rugged design, it is suited for 8K/4K video editors, power MacBook users, gamers who need real-time editing, ultra-fast transfers, and reliable external boot or workspace storage. TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro specifications Performance (claimed) – Up […]
OnLogic CL260 fanless Intel N150/N250 industrial mini PC offers RS232/RS485 terminal block, 12-24V DC input
OnLogic CL260 is an ultra-compact, fanless industrial mini PC powered by an Intel Processor N150 or N250 Twin Lake SoC with features such as an RS232/RS485 terminal block and 12-24V wide DC input. The mini PC ships with up to 8GB LPDDR5 memory and 128GB to 2TB M.2 SSD. It also features two Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports, an M.2 Key-E socket for an optional WiFi 6E module, four USB 3.2 ports, and two USB-C ports with DisplayPort Alt mode for dual display setups. The CL260 is suitable for data collection, gateway applications, and edge computing deployments. OnLogic CL260 mini PC specifications: Twin Lake SoC (one of the other) Intel Processor N150 quad-core processor @ 800 MHz / 3.6 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics @ 1.0 GHz; TDP: 6W Intel Processor N250 quad-core processor @ 1.3 GHz / 3.8 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD […]
Arduino UNO Q 4GB board with 4GB RAM, 32GB storage is now available for $59
When the Arduino UNO Q was first unveiled in October 2025, the specifications of the Qualcomm DragonWing SBC listed the ABX00162 SKU with 2GB RAM and 16GB eMMC flash, and the ABX00173 SKU with 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash. So far, only the 2GB variant was available, and Arduino has now announced the availability of the Arduino UNO Q 4GB with 4GB of RAM and 32GB eMMC storage for more complex projects. Arduino UNO Q 4GB (ABX00173) specifications: Application SoC/MPU – Qualcomm QRB2210 CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A53 processor at up to 2.0 GHz GPU – Adreno 702 GPU at 845 MHz with support for OpenGL ES 3.1, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 2.0 DSP – Hexagon QDSP6 v66 VPU – 1080p 30 fps encode / 1080p 30fps decode ISP – 2x Image Signal Processor (13 MP + 13 MP or 25 MP) @ 30 fps Real-time MCU – STMicro STM32U585 Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller […]

