mcu News - Page 3 of 65 - CNX Software

November 18, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Brainchip AKD1500 PCIe/SPI Edge AI co-processor to power battery-operated wearables and IoT devices

BrainChip AKD1500 Edge AI co-processor with PCIe and SPI host interfaces

BrainChip AKD1500 is an ultra-efficient Edge AI co-processor delivering up to 800 GOPS while consuming just 300 mW of power, making it suitable for battery-powered wearables and IoT sensors. It’s based on the same event-based neuromorphic technology found on the earlier AKD1000, relying on spiking neural networks (SNN) to deliver real-time inference in a way that is much more efficient than traditional AI chips. What’s new here is that thanks to PCIe and SPI interfaces, the new ADK1500 co-processor can be paired to a wide range of hosts, ranging from Linux-capable application processors to resource-constrained microcontrollers with x86, Arm, or RISC-V architectures. BrainChip AKD1500 key features and specifications: Akida Neuron Fabric Clocked at 5 to 400 MHz Delivering up to 800 effective GOPS at <1mW/GOPS On-device learning capabilities to enable “secure application personalization, without the need for a Cloud connection or retraining” On-Chip Conversion Complex Memory/Storage 1MB on-chip local memory […]

November 17, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Nuvoton NuMicro M55M1 low-power Arm Cortex-M55 MCU enables on-device AI with Ethos-U55 NPU

Nuvoton’s NuMicro M55M1 is a low-power AI MCU that combines a 220 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 CPU with a 111 GOPS Ethos-U55 NPU to run basic AI tasks on-device. It specifically targets small IoT and embedded devices that need low-power voice, audio, or simple image processing. The chip embeds 1.5 MB RAM, 2 MB flash, and supports external OctoSPI/HyperRAM memory. Connectivity options include Ethernet, USB-OTG, CAN-FD, I3C/I2C/SPI, SDIO, and an 8-bit camera interface, along with ADCs, DACs, comparators, PWM, and multiple low-power modes. It’s built for secure IoT applications with Arm TrustZone, secure boot, AES, and PSA Level 2 certification. Typical uses include voice triggers, smart sensors, simple vision nodes, small appliances, and industrial monitoring devices. Nuvoton NuMicro M55M1 specifications: CPU Core – 220 MHz Arm Cortex-M55 core Architecture – Armv8.1-M with Helium M-Profile Vector Extension (MVE) Arm TrustZone Technology DSP extensions Hardware Floating-point Unit (FPU), double-precision Cache – 16KB I-Cache […]

October 31, 2025November 20, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

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 […]