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February 17, 2026February 17, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

60W Pocket Cloud is a microSD card reader with USB PD passthrough for your smartphone (Crowdfunding)

60W Pocket Cloud is a microSD card reader with 60W USB PD passthrough for your smartphone that works with Android (USB-C) and iOS (USB-C or Lightning) mobile devices, as well as other hosts with a spare USB port. Once upon a time, smartphone manufacturers would include a microSD card socket in their devices, but those have now become harder to find. If your device’s spare storage is getting dangerously low, you’d need to either purchase cloud storage or connect a microSD card reader to the USB-C port of your phone. The latter works, except you can’t charge your phone when it’s connected. Conner’s 60W Pocket Cloud brings back microSD card storage support to mobile devices, while still allowing USD PD charging during use. 60W Pocket Cloud specifications: Chipset – Vinpower iVP309 flash controller chip with 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps), SD 3.0 UHS-I, SDCX SD card interface, USB […]

January 19, 2026January 19, 2026 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Witty Pi 5 HAT+ – A Raspberry Pi RP2350-based power scheduler with time, temperature, and voltage-based triggers

Designed by UUGear, the Witty Pi 5 HAT+ is a power scheduler board for Raspberry Pi that features an RP2350 MCU for running scheduling logic. It includes a high-precision RTC with voltage and temperature monitoring for automated power on/off, making it suitable for solar-powered projects, environmental monitors, and industrial controllers that require scheduled power on/off control to extend battery life. The board follows the Raspberry Pi HAT+ specification and accepts power from either a 6V–30V DC input through a terminal block or a 5V USB-C supply, while delivering up to 5A to the Raspberry Pi and connected peripherals. It can also work as a simple UPS, thanks to its dual “ideal diode” configuration with an automatic switchover feature in case of power failure. Other hardware features include an onboard DC/DC converter, an ID EEPROM for HAT+ identification, a CR2032 RTC battery, and a wide –30°C to +80°C operating temperature range. […]

January 9, 2026 by Debashis Das - 8 Comments

Home Assistant-compatible Makerfabs ESP32-S3-based energy meter features BL0942 energy metering IC

The Energy Meter for Home Assistant is an ESP32-S3-based single-phase energy monitoring and control module designed to work with Home Assistant via ESPHome. It measures real-time power and energy consumption and also has a remote on/off control. The device is built around the BL0942 calibration-free energy metering IC, which supports voltage, current, power, and energy measurements with less than 1% error. It operates directly from AC 100–240V, includes an onboard 15A relay for switching loads, and provides electrical isolation for safety. Connectivity is done through USB and Wi-Fi using ESPHome for easy firmware flashing, API encryption, and automatic discovery in Home Assistant. These features make it suitable for smart homes, DIY energy monitoring, smart sockets, home energy dashboards, and automation projects. Energy Meter for Home Assistant specifications: Core module – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with vector extension for AI/ML workloads […]

January 5, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

GL.iNet Comet 5G – A KVM over IP solution with 5G RedCap Cellular connectivity, 3.69-inch touchscreen display

GL.inet Comet 5G (GL-RM10RC) is an upcoming KVM over IP solution with a 3.69-inch touchscreen display and 5G RedCap (Reduced Capacity) IoT cellular connectivity, enabling remote access even when your regular Internet connection is down. The design builds upon the GL.iNet Comet Pro introduced last year, featuring a larger design and display, and adding 5G cellular connectivity on top of WiFi 6 and Gigabit Ethernet. It still features HDMI input and output (loop) ports, two USB Type-C ports for power and keyboard/mouse emulation, and a USB 2.0 port for accessories like ATX power control or fingerbot for the control of physical buttons on the target. GL.iNet Comet 5G specifications: SoC – Quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU @ 1.5 GHz; potentially a Rockchip RV1126B SoC System Memory – 1GB DDR3L Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash Video & Audio Input – HDMI port up to 4K @ 30 FPS Output – HDMI loop/passthrough […]

January 3, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

WCH CH32H417 dual-core RISC-V MCU offers USB 3.0, 500MB/s UHSIF, and Fast Ethernet interfaces

WCH CH32H417 is a high-performance dual-core RISC-V microcontroller clocked at up to 400 MHz with up to 960 KB flash, 896KB SRAM, and a range of interfaces, including a 5 Gbps USB 3.0 Host/Device SuperSpeed interface. Other notable features include a 500MB/s UHSIF (Universal High Speed Interface), 10/100Mbps Ethernet MAC and PHY, a SerDes high-speed isolated transceiver, a USB 2.0 High-Speed Host/Device, a USB 2.0 OTG Full Speed, USB PD support, and Display and Camera interfaces. The CH32H417 also offers the usual low-speed I/Os (95x GPIO, SPI…) and analog inputs and outputs (ADC/DAC). WCH CH32H417 CH32H417 specifications: Cores (Coremark: 5.73/MHz) QingKe RISC-V5F up to 400 MHz QinKe RISC-V3F up to 144 MHz GPU – Graphics Processing Hardware Accelerator GPHA Memory – 896KB SRAM Storage 960KB Flash 200MHz dual-edge SD/EMMC controller (SDMMC) SDIO master/slave interface with support for SD/SDIO/MMC Flexible Storage Controller FMC Display – DCT-TFT Display Controller LTDC Camera I/F […]

December 10, 2025December 10, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

52Pi UPS Gen 6 UPS for Raspberry Pi 4/5 supports up to 4x external battery packs, PikaPython scripting

Rapsberry Pi 5 UPS with four external battery packs

The 52Pi UPS Gen 6 is another UPS solution for the Raspberry Pi 5 that supports external battery packs for long-duration projects, and uses I²C plus PikaPython scripting to manage power settings and safe shutdowns. Designed for the Raspberry Pi 5 and 4B, the module mounts on the bottom of the board and delivers power via pogo pins. It also includes an aluminum heatsink with an automatic fan for cooling. It runs on two 18650 batteries, which can be mounted to the Pi with spacers, and there is an option to add three more battery packs in parallel if you need longer runtime. The board also features a physical power button for manual control, a 12V power interface for SATA hard drives, and switching hardware (bumpless power transfer) that instantly falls back to battery power so the system stays on during a power outage. 52Pi UPS Gen 6 specifications: Main […]

December 7, 2025 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

AQEX qUPS-P-BC-2.0 UPS HAT works with large capacity, multi-chemistry batteries (Li-Ion, LiFePO4, Sodium-Ion)

AQEX qUPS P BC 2.0 multi chemistry UPS HAT

Developed by Hungary-based AQEX, qUPS-P-BC-2.0 is a Raspberry Pi-compatible UPS HAT that supports multi-chemistry batteries, including Li-Ion, LiFePO₄, Sodium-Ion, and even supports large, high-capacity packs up to 300Ah. It is designed for applications that require long backup times and reliable 5V power. It features an offline UPS-like architecture with a highly efficient boost converter, adjustable input voltage and energy thresholds, as well as AUTO/ON/OFF operating modes to prevent reboot loops or unsafe restarts. Communication with the Raspberry Pi is handled through three GPIO pins to provide alerts for power loss and low battery. The board supports up to 7.5A discharge, 2A charging, USB-C and auxiliary 6–28V input, reverse-polarity and thermal protection, and external power-control capability. It’s also stackable with other HATs thanks to a robust soldered 40-pin header. AQEX qUPS-P-BC-2.0 specifications: Compatibility – Raspberry Pi 5 / 4B / 3B+ and other boards with compatible form factor and 40-pin PIO header […]

December 4, 2025December 6, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Mini review of JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger with power meter function

JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5 port charger review

I’ve just received a review sample of the JOYROOM PODIX 140W 5-port USB GaN charger, which I found interesting because it integrates a power meter function for the whole charger and for each individual port, which could be useful for reviews of USB-powered boards and devices. In this short review, I’ll go through an unboxing, before testing the features with a smartphone, and trying to stress it a little with five devices, including a laptop, a USB-C powered HDMI display, a wireless display, an Android smartphone, and a Raspberry Pi 5 SBC. JOYROOM PODIX 140W charger unboxing I received the device in its retail package, reading “JOYROOM PODIX” “140W 5-port desktop GaN charger” and listing key features like fast charging, 80cm retractable cables, and a 1.54-inch “ultra large” display, as well as compatibility with standards such as USB PD 3.1, PPS, AFC, SCP, FCP, and QC 3.0. The side of […]