open source News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 18, 2025November 18, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

The Librephone project aims to remove proprietary blobs from smartphones running an open-source OS

Some of you may already be running an open-source operating system on your smartphone, which could be Android-based, such as LineageOS, GrapheneOS, and e/OS, or Linux-based like postmarketOS and Ubuntu Touch. However, due to closed-source firmware files/proprietary blobs, you’re only running a partially open-source OS. The Free Software Foundation aims to change that with the Librephone project, whose goal is to reverse-engineer nonfree blobs and provide open-source alternatives. Some proprietary blobs are used to run WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE/5G modems, touchscreen, fingerprint sensor, and other hardware. So it won’t be a trivial task, as serious reverse-engineering work is needed and done in a clean-room way to prevent copyright lawsuits, plus there may be regulatory issues with the code handling the radios\ frequency and power from the FTC and other governmental agencies around the world. To be clear, the Librephone project won’t be another operating system, and the only goal is […]

November 17, 2025November 17, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

pdsink – An open-source USB PD 3.2 sink stack for embedded devices

open-source USB PD Sink implementation for embedded devices

pdsink is an open-source USB Power Delivery (PD) 3.2 sink implementation for embedded devices released under an MIT license. Vitaly Puzrin noticed that most available USB PD stacks come with at least one hard constraint: vendor lock-in, NDA, no public sources, coupling to a specific OS or framework, incomplete sink feature set (e.g., no EPR), or difficulty extending to new Type-C Port Controller (TCPC)/MCU combinations. So he created pdsink is an attempt to provide a small, platform-agnostic, readable sink-only stack that’s easy to adapt to different controllers. pdsink highlights: USB PD 3.2, SPR (Extended Power Range), and EPR (Extended Power Range for 28V and up) support on the sink side. Platform-agnostic C++ core that does not depend on a specific HAL or RTOS. Reference implementation using OnSemi FUSB302B + FreeRTOS (ESP32-C3). MIT license enabling the project to be used in commercial products without conditions. pdsink can be found on any […]

November 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Olimex ESP32-C5-Devkit-Lipo – A dual-band WiFi 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 IoT board with battery support, UEXT connector

Olimex ESP32-C5-Devkit-Lipo is a compact ESP32-C5 board with dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE, and a 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee, Thread, and Matter connectivity with support for LiPo battery for a charging circuit. It follows the company’s ESP32-C5-EVB board with isolated inputs and relays launched in September 2025, and offers a minimal design with two USB-C ports, a UEXT connector for expansion module, the usual breadboard-compatible GPIO headers, and not much else, which makes it ideal for space-constrained applications and prototyping. Olimex ESP32-C5-Devkit-Lipo specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-C5-WROOM-N8R4 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C5 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ 40 MHz acting as the main processor for power-sensitive applications Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip, support for external PSRAM Storage – 320 KB ROM, support for external flash Connectivity Dual-band 802.11ax WiFi 6 in the 2.4GHz and 5 GHz bands, with 802.11b/g/n WiFi […]

November 12, 2025 by Debashis Das - 13 Comments

$69 Sipeed SLogic16U3 low-cost logic analyzer supports 3.2 Gbps bandwidth, 150+ protocols

The SLogic16U3 is a compact, low-cost USB 3.0 logic analyzer with up to 3.2 Gbps bandwidth and 16 input channels, designed for debugging, reverse-engineering, and verifying digital circuits and embedded systems. The device supports sampling rates up to 800MS/s with four channels, 400MS/s with eight channels, and 200MS/s with sixteen channels via a 5 Gbps USB 3.0 interface. On top of that, it supports 0–10V inputs and features adjustable trigger thresholds (0–6V). Housed in a 40×40×10 mm compact aluminum case, it supports over 150 protocols like SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, and JTAG, and provides edge-based triggering with real-time streaming over USB. The device can be extended as an oscilloscope via an optional ADC module and integrates seamlessly with Sigrok and PulseView software for waveform visualization. SLogic16U3 specifications: MCU – TBD Input channels – 16 digital channels Sampling rates 800MS/s @ 4 channels 400MS/s @ 8 channels 200MS/s @ 16 channels […]

November 4, 2025November 4, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Progress on upstream Linux for MediaTek Genio IoT SoCs and boards

upstream Linux Mediatek Genio 1200 Radxa NIO 12L SBC

Collabora announced a partnership with MediaTek to bring upstream support to the Genio IoT SoCs and boards in November 2024, but since the announcement was new at the time, no work had been done, and I didn’t write about it. However, almost one year later, Collabora can now report very good progress, especially for MediaTek MT8395 boards like Genio 1200 EVK and Radxa NIO 12L, which are now usable with mainline/upstream Linux since most features are implemented. But improvements also extend to MediaTek Genio 510 and Genio 700 EVKs, and the collaboration will continue with work on newer MediaTek Genio and Kompanio processors for IoT solutions and Chromebooks. The two MediaTek Genio 1200 boards can now boot mainline Linux without any out-of-tree patches while providing support for the Audio DSP, JPEG, video hardware encoders and decoders, the Arm Mali-G57 MC5 GPU (via the open source Panfrost driver), as well as […]

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 30, 2025October 29, 2025 by Debashis Das - 10 Comments

Palm-sized PocketPD USB-C programmable power supply delivers up to 21V/5A output (Crowdfunding)

PocketPD USB PD Programmable Power Supply (PPS)

PocketPD is a compact USB PD programmable power supply developed by CentyLab in Salem, Oregon. Designed to fit in your pocket, it provides precise, programmable voltage and current control using the USB Power Delivery 3.0 PPS mode. The device outputs 3.3V to 21V at up to 5A, features constant voltage/current modes, and includes a 0.96-inch OLED display for real-time monitoring. Powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 MCU and AP33772 PD controller, it supports fine adjustment in 20mV/50mA steps, with built-in protections against short circuits and reverse current. Weighing just 63g, PocketPD also offers magnetic mounting, open-source firmware, and KiCad hardware files for customization. The company offers two versions, featuring either a detachable screw terminal or Anderson Powerpole/XT60 connector options. PocketPD specifications: MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ 125 MHz with 264 KB SRAM Storage – Non-volatile storage for user profiles (voltage/current settings) Display – 0.96-inch OLED display […]

October 29, 2025October 29, 2025 by Debashis Das - 8 Comments

Waveshare MK20 macro keyboard features twenty mechanical keys with 0.85-inch color LCD keycaps

Waveshare MK20 Multi Functional AI Voice Control Panel

Waveshare MK20 is a multifunctional macro keyboard with twenty mechanical keys featuring 0.85-inch LCD keycaps. As an upgrade to the earlier MK10 model, it adds a 2.8-inch secondary display along with two control knobs. The device supports AI voice interaction, real-time data display, and smart home integration with Home Assistant. Like its predecessor, the MK20 relies on a dual-system architecture: an Allwinner T113-S3 dual-core Cortex-A7 processor runs Linux to drive the displays, and a GD32 microcontroller runs QMK for low-latency keyboard and knob input. Each LCD key offers 128×128 resolution and supports dynamic images, videos, and multi-layer overlays, while the 2.8-inch secondary display (428 × 142 resolution) provides status or customization information. The keyboard also includes two rotary encoders with aluminum caps for volume, playback, or timeline control. The device is built with an aluminum alloy top case and a 2.5D acrylic lens for durability. Waveshare MK20 specifications: Main Controller – Allwinner […]