Raspberry Pi

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Cytron IRIV PiControl is an Industry 4.0 controller based on Raspberry Pi CM4 module

Cytron IRIV PiControl is an Industry 4.0 controller based on Raspberry Pi CM4 module

IRIV PiControl IR4.0 CM4 Industrial controller

Cytron IRIV PiControl is described as an Industrial Revolution 4.0 (or Industry 4.0) controller that is powered by a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) and joins the likes of OnLogic Factor 201, Modberry 500 CM4, and Pigeon RB700 among others. The DIN Rail mountable Industry 4.0 controller from Cytron currently ships with a Raspberry CM4 Wireless (2GB/16GB or 4GB/32GB) and offers several isolated interfaces such as DI and DO up to 50V, four analog inputs, and RS232 and RS485 serial interfaces via terminal blocks, IRIV PiControl specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 with Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Arm Cortex-A72 processor @ up to 1.5 GHz, up to 8GB LPDDR4 RAM, up to 32GB eMMC flash Additional storage – M.2 socket for NVMe SSD (See Expansion section) Video Output – HDMI port up to 4Kp60 Networking 1x Gigabit Ethernet port 1x 10/100M Ethernet port WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 on Raspberry […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 4 Comments on Raspberry Breadstick – A RP2040-based development board in a quirky form factor

Raspberry Breadstick – A RP2040-based development board in a quirky form factor

Raspberry Breadstick on a breadboard

The Raspberry Breadstick is a breadstick-shaped development board that is designed for ease of use. Unlike other development boards, the Breadstick is built to fit directly on your breadboard and interface with the other electronic components in your project without the need for lengthy jumper wires. It serves to deliver a prototype that is neat, straightforward, and easy to troubleshoot. It is based on Raspberry Pi’s debut microcontroller, the RP2040, which is the same MCU chip that powers the Raspberry Pi Pico and several other boards. We recently covered the Waveshare RP2040-PiZero that comes in the Pi Zero’s form factor. The RP2040 is cheap and supports C/C++, MicroPython, and CircuitPython. The Breadstick has other interesting features such as a lineup of 24 addressable RGB LEDs with fast refresh rates, a 6-axis inertial measurement unit for collecting acceleration and rotation data, as well as 16MB of external flash storage for your […]

Posted on by Supachai Vorapojpisut - 9 Comments on Seeed Studio mmWave sensor kit – Part 1: unboxing and first impression with ESPHome and Home Assistant

Seeed Studio mmWave sensor kit – Part 1: unboxing and first impression with ESPHome and Home Assistant

mmWave Human Detection Sensor Kit Review Home Assistant

Excited to share my first review, written for CNX Software! This time, we’re diving into the Seeed Studio mmWave Human Detection Sensor Kit, which harnesses the power of mmWave radar. The technology I’m particularly interested in for its smart home potential. Therefore, I jumped at the chance when CNX Software offered a product review opportunity. The kit arrived promptly at my doorstep just one week after accepting CNX Software’s offer. Here are my initial findings of the product and its capabilities to replace existing motion detection products.  Unboxing the mmWave sensor kit I opened the DHL box and found the neatly bubble-wrapped mmWave Human Detection Sensor Kit. Alongside the kit, I discovered a bonus: the MR60FDA1 60GHz mmWave Sensor – Fall Detection Module Pro. This higher-frequency module boasts better resolution and even adds a fall detection feature compared to the kit’s included module, the MR24HPC1. However, the MR24HPC1 24GHz mmWave Sensor […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on $14 Pimoroni NVMe Base adds an M.2 PCIe socket underneath the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC

$14 Pimoroni NVMe Base adds an M.2 PCIe socket underneath the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC

Pimoroni NVMe BASE

Pimonori has started to take pre-orders for the NVMe BASE add-on board that adds an M.2 PCIe socket underneath the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC with support for M.2 NVMe SSDs and M.2 AI accelerators with 2230, 2242, 2260, or 2280 sizes. It’s not the first M.2 expansion board for the Raspberry Pi as the PineBerry Pi HatDrive TM1 and BM1 add-on boards launched last month can also do that either on top of on the bottom of the Raspberry Pi, but the NVMe BASE is quite cheaper at just 13.50 GBP inc. VAT or $14.29 ex. VAT at the time of writing. NVMe Base key features and specifications: NVMe Base PCB M.2 M-key slot Holes for 2230, 2242, 2260, and 2280 sized M.2 modules Raspberry Pi FFC PCIe connector ‘PCIe Pipe’ Flat Flex Cable M2 bolt and 2x nuts for SSD mounting 4x 7mm M2.5 standoffs for base mounting 8x […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 9 Comments on Inkycal v3 is a Raspberry Pi-Powered ePaper Dashboard for Your Desk

Inkycal v3 is a Raspberry Pi-Powered ePaper Dashboard for Your Desk

Inkycal v3 is an eco-friendly, customizable e-paper dashboard built with Python 3 and powered by Raspberry Pi Zero W for organizing and displaying information.

Inkycal v3 is an eco-friendly, customizable E-paper dashboard built with Python 3 and powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero W SBC for organizing and displaying information. Previously, we have covered many E-paper display modules like Inkplate 4, EnkPi, Inkplate 2, and other E-paper display modules. But what makes Inkycal v3 different is its open-source software, a 7.5″ E-paper display with a black frame, and its modular approach to home screen settings. Features of Inkycal v3 E-paper Display: Integrated System – Raspberry Pi Zero W with E-Paper display and custom driver board. Design – Slim 13x18cm frame, black with a black-and-white bezel, and concealed components. Software – Inkycal OS, Python 3-based, supports new SPI displays including 12.48″ models. Modularity – Offers calendar, image, slideshow, RSS feeds, stock tickers, weather, and Todoist modules. User-Friendly – Configurable via a web app, no coding needed. Community Support – Active Discord channel for assistance and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero Allwinner H618 SBC follows Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W form factor

Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero Allwinner H618 SBC follows Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W form factor

Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero

Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero is another Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W alternative with an Allwinner H618 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor, 2GB LPDDR4, 8GB eMMC flash, mini HDMI video output, two USB-C ports, WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless connectivity and the usual 40-pin GPIO header as well as a 24-pin “Misc” FPC header. It succeeds the Banana Pi BPI-M2 Zero launched in 2017 with an Allwinner H2+ quad-core Cortex A7 processor with basically the same form factor but a more powerful 64-bit Arm processor, more memory (2GB vs 512MB), built-in eMMC flash, dual-band WiFi 5, and the 24-pin MIPI CSI connector is now a “Misc” connector with USB 2.0, Fast Ethernet, and other I/Os. Banana Pi BPI-M4 Zero specifications: SoC – Allwinner H618 CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.5GHz with 1MB L2 cache GPU – Arm Mali-G31 MP2 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.0/2.0/3.2, OpenCL […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Microflex MCUs – Tiny USB development boards based on ESP32-S3, ESP32-S2, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C6, or Raspberry Pi RP2040 (Crowdfunding)

Microflex MCUs – Tiny USB development boards based on ESP32-S3, ESP32-S2, ESP32-C3, ESP32-C6, or Raspberry Pi RP2040 (Crowdfunding)

Microflex MCU board with ESP32 and RP2040 microcontrollers

SB Components is back with yet another crowdfunding campaign this time with the Microflex MCUs USB development boards all with the same tiny form factor and offered with a choice of five microcontrollers namely Raspberry Pi RP2040, ESP32-S3, ESP32-S2, ESP32-C3, or ESP32-C6. Microflex MCUs share the same layout with a USB-C port for power and programming, a built-in RGB LED, two buttons for Boot and Reset/User, and two rows of 10-pin with through and castellated holes to access the GPIOs and power signals such as 5V, 3.3V, and GND. But they differ in terms of the processor used, wireless features, and available I/Os as shown in the table below which sadly lacks any information about the flash and eventual PSRAM… The illustration below includes some more details for the Micro-C6 with the main components, ports, and a pinout diagram. Programming the firmware for the ESP32-series can be done through the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Raspberry Pi releases PCIe FFC connector specifications, new HAT+ standard

Raspberry Pi releases PCIe FFC connector specifications, new HAT+ standard

Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe pinout and FFC cable

Raspberry Pi has released two new specifications one for the PCIe FFC connector and related cable and the other for the new Raspberry Pi HAT+ (HAT Plus) standard that’s simpler, takes into account new features in Raspberry Pi 4/5, and has fewer rules around mechanical dimensions. PCIe FFC connector specifications The Raspberry Pi 5 was announced over 2 months ago with a new PCIe FFC connector, and people may been playing around with it and even launching products such as an M.2 HAT for the Raspberry Pi 5 since then even though the pinout and specifications were not available. But Raspberry Pi has now released the specifications (PDF) for the PCIe FFC found in the Raspberry Pi 5 and likely future models as well. The 16-pin 0.5mm pitch FFC connector features a single lane PCIe interface, something we knew already, but the pinout diagram and recommendations for the FFC cable […]