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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 27, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

Microchip PIC32-BZ6 BLE 6.0, Thread, and Matter wireless MCU integrates touch and motor control

Microchip IC32 BZ6 single chip wireless MCU

Microchip has recently introduced the PIC32-BZ6 family of single-chip, multiprotocol wireless MCUs, also available as RF-certified modules, and designed for smart home, industrial automation, and automotive applications. The module supports Bluetooth LE 6.0, IEEE 802.15.4-based Thread and Matter, and proprietary mesh protocols. For wired connectivity, there are two CAN-FD ports, a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MAC, and a USB 2.0 full-speed transceiver. Other features include CVD-based touch sensing and motor control interfaces for interactive and real-time applications. As a secure MCU, the PIC32-BZ6 integrates a hardware-based security engine, a secure boot ROM, and encryption accelerators, along with OTA update capability for long-term device management. The microcontroller offers up to 54 GPIO pins, multiple pin and package options (up to 132-pin VQFN), and automotive-grade variants rated for -40°C to +125°C operation. Microchip PIC32-BZ6 specifications: MCU Core – 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M4F with FPU and DSP extensions Memory 512 KB multi-port SRAM (with […]

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 […]

October 27, 2025October 25, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Review of Nextion 4.3-inch Edge Series HMI touch display

Review 4.3-inch NEXTION HMI Edge touch display

Today, we’ll review the Nextion 4.3-inch Edge Series HMI touch display. The company has recently launched the new Edge Series HMI touch displays for IoT applications that require better user interaction. It also supports video and audio playback, and everything can be configured relatively easily by the user using Nextion Editor software, version 1.68.1 or higher. The Edge Series HMI touch displays offer a wide range of screen sizes and formats to choose from, including a 2.1-inch round model (NX4848E021-011C) and a 2.8-inch round model (NX4848E028-011C), both with 480×480 resolution, as well as a 4.3-inch rectangular model (NX4880E043-011C) with 800×480 resolution. We received the NEXTION NX4880E043-011C Edge Series HMI touch display for review, along with accessories, namely an IO board and a speaker, so we can get hands-on and dive deep into the review. It’s versatile for all sorts of applications, from AIoT devices and vehicle control systems to medical […]

October 21, 2025October 20, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

Upbeat introduces UP201 and UP301 ultra-low power RISC-V MCUs with always-on AI processing

Upbeat UP201 and UP301 Series AI MCUs No BG

Upbeat Technology, in collaboration with SiFive, has introduced UP201 and UP301 always-on AI MCUs for ultra-low-power AI and IoT applications such as wearables, drones, and sensor-based systems. The UP201 is designed for compact, battery-driven devices such as smartwatches, hearing aids, and IoT sensor nodes, whereas the UP301 targets AI and vision-based applications for more complex edge systems such as smart glasses, robotics, and industrial AI equipment. Both chips feature a dual-core RISC-V architecture. The SiFive E21 lightweight core is Always-On (AON), managing continuous low-power sensing, whereas the SiFive E34 performance core activates for higher workloads. The MCUs also integrate a 2.5D GPU and various I/O options. UP201 and UP301 MCU specifications: CPU cores (SiFive Essential RISC-V IP cores) E21 core in Always-On (AON) domain for continuous low-power sensing E34 performance core in the Non-AON domain for higher workloads Up to 400 MHz operating frequency Up to 717 DMIPS performance Near-threshold […]

October 9, 2025October 8, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

upyOS modular MicroPython-based OS for microcontrollers works with ESP32, RP2040, etc…

upyOS is a modular, lightweight MicroPython-based operating system (OS) that provides a Unix-like experience on low-resource microcontrollers such as Espressif Systems ESP32/ESP32-C3/ESP32-S3, Raspberry Pi RP2040, and others. Inspired by smolOS, upyOS offers remote development tools, OTA updates, and a built-in web server. Its modular architecture separates system functions into reusable components, instead of large, monolithic programs. Key Features: Modular architecture: Commands and system functionality are broken down into small, independent modules to reduce memory usage. Built-in shell environment: Execute commands and scripts directly, providing a Unix-like CLI experience. Startup and shutdown scripting: Configure boot and shutdown behaviors using /etc/init.sh and /etc/end.sh. Recovery mode: A built-in failsafe mechanism lets users recover the system when booting fails. Background execution: Supports threads and asyncio for background tasks, along with & sufix, hold, resume, kill and killall commands for process control. Remote development support: Telnet and FTP servers allow file transfer and terminal access over […]

October 7, 2025October 7, 2025 by Debashis Das - 5 Comments

Sub $7 CH32V317 board offers 10/100Mbps Ethernet, dual USB 2.0 Type-C, DVP interface

The nanoCH32V317 from MuseLab is a low-cost RISC-V development board designed for prototyping embedded systems and education. Built around the 144MHz WCH CH32V317WCU6 MCU. This development board is suitable for various embedded, IoT, prototyping, and automation projects. Other features of the development board include a USB 2.0 high-speed and full-speed controller, a 10/100Mbps Ethernet MAC with PHY, SDIO, and a DVP interface for digital video input, as well as advanced motor PWM timers for control applications. The board also includes an 8MHz main crystal and a 32.768KHz RTC crystal. For programming, it includes a dual USB Type-C interface, a USB ISP, as well as an SWD port. nanoCH32V317 board specifications: MCU – WCH CH32V317WCU6 32-bit RISC-V core up to 144 MHz clock frequency USB 2.0 High-Speed (HS) and Full-Speed (FS) controllers Integrated Ethernet MAC + 10/100M PHY DVP interface, SDIO, and advanced motor PWM timer support Memory – Up to […]

October 6, 2025October 5, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

1GHz Renesas RA8T2 Cortex-M85 MCUs feature MRAM and EtherCAT for industrial motor control

Renesas has recently introduced the new RA8T2, an AI-powered motor control Cortex-M85 MCU that can be considered a direct upgrade to the RA8T1, which launched last year. The RA8T2 offers higher performance along with networking options for industrial, robotics, and other motor control systems. The RA8T2 features a 1GHz Arm Cortex-M85 core, an optional 250MHz Cortex-M33 core, up to 1MB MRAM and 2MB SRAM, a 300MHz PWM timer, dual 16-bit ADCs with simultaneous sampling, high-speed comparators, fast PWM shutdown, and more. Connectivity options include dual Gigabit Ethernet, EtherCAT slave, USB, CAN FD, I3C, and SPI, while security features include TrustZone and a cryptographic engine. Renesas RA8T2 key features and specifications: MCU core Arm Cortex-M85 up to 1 GHz (Armv8.1-M, TrustZone, FPU, MVE, ETM) Arm Cortex-M33 up to 250 MHz (Armv8-M, DSP, TrustZone, ETM) Memory & Storage Up to 1 MB MRAM 2 MB SRAM (with ECC) 256 KB TCM for […]