Reviews - Page 22 of 119 - CNX Software

November 1, 2022January 17, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Review of myCobot 280 Pi robotic arm with Python and visual programming

myCobot 280 Pi is a versatile robotic arm with a 6 degree of freedom design. It was developed by Elephant Robotics using the Raspberry Pi 4 board as the main controller. The robot is compact and delivers stable operation making it ideal for confined spaces. It can also be programmed in a variety of languages, is easy to use, and offers a lot of features. It is suitable for those who are interested in learning how to program a robotic arm controller and for engineering projects. Unboxing myCobot 280 Pi The myCobot 280 Pi arm has a working range of 280 mm, weighs 850 grams, and can handle a payload of up to 250 grams. It is powered by 6 servo motors, one for each degree of freedom, and comes with a 5×5 matrix LED display, and supports LEGO parts as well. Controlled by a Raspberry Pi 4 single board […]

October 30, 2022October 30, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

SONOFF NSPanel Pro control panel review with Zigbee modules, CAM Slim WiFi camera

ITEAD has sent us a Smart Home kit for review including the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Android control panel and Zigbee gateway, an enclosure stand, the CAM Slim WiFi camera, and four Zigbee modules, namely the SNZB-01 wireless switch, the SNZB-02 temperature & humidity sensor, the SNZB-03 motion sensor, and the SNZB-04 door/window sensor. In this review, we’ll configure the NSPanel Pro controller with the eWelink app in Android, show how to add the WiFi camera and Zigbee devices directly to NSPanel Pro, and go back to the eWelink app for more advanced features such as scenes with triggers and actions. Sonoff NSPanel Pro kit unboxing Let’s get started by having a closer look at the SONOFF NSPanel Pro controller. As previously noted, the device is based on Rockchip PX30 quad-core Cortex-A35 processor and runs Android 8.1. It acts both as a control panel and a WiFi to Zigbee 3.0 gateway. The […]

October 18, 2022December 9, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

UP 4000 x86 SBC review with Ubuntu 22.04

The UP 4000 is a credit-card / Raspberry Pi-sized single board computer based on an Intel Apollo Lake processor. AAEON sent me the model with an Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad-core processor, 4GB RAM, and a 64GB eMMC flash, and in the first part of the review, I installed Ubuntu 22.04 since the board would initially only boot to the UEFI shell out of the box. I’ve now spent more time with the board, and in this article, I will report my experience with the UP 4000 SBC running Ubuntu 22.04 checking out features, performance, video playback, power consumption, and so on. Ubuntu 22.04 System info Let’s check out some information after I’ve upgraded the system to the latest packages:

jaufranc@UP-4000-CNX:~$ lsb_release -a
No LSB modules are available.
Distributor ID:	Ubuntu
Description:	Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS
Release:	22.04
Codename:	jammy
jaufranc@UP-4000-CNX:~$ uname -a
Linux UP-4000-CNX 5.15.0-48-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 26 13:26:29 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
jaufranc@UP-4000-CNX:~$ inxi -Fc0
System:
  Host: UP-4000-CNX Kernel: 5.15.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64
    Console: pty pts/1 Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop Mobo: AAEON model: UP-APL03 v: V1.0
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: UPAPBM11
    date: 07/01/2022
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: Intel Atom E3950 bits: 64 type: MCP cache: L2: 2 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1099 min/max: 800/2000 cores: 1: 1109 2: 1009 3: 1114
    4: 1165
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel Celeron N3350/Pentium N4200/Atom E3900 Series Integrated
  Graphics
    driver: i915 v: kernel
  Display: server: X.org v: 1.21.1.3 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.1 driver: X:
    loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: i915 tty: 80x24
    resolution: 1280x800
  Message: GL data unavailable in console. Try -G --display
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Celeron N3350/Pentium N4200/Atom E3900 Series Audio Cluster
    driver: snd_hda_intel
  Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-48-generic running: yes
  Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes
  Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes
Network:
  Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet
    driver: r8169
  IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:07:32:a2:cd:17
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 58.24 GiB used: 12.69 GiB (21.8%)
  ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 vendor: SanDisk model: DA4064 size: 58.24 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 56.53 GiB used: 12.68 GiB (22.4%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2
  ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 5.2 MiB (1.0%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/mmcblk0p1
Swap:
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 3.96 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) file: /swapfile
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 6280.4 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 6553500
Info:
  Processes: 215 Uptime: 2h 20m Memory: 3.68 GiB used: 1.09 GiB (29.5%)
  Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.13

jaufranc@UP-4000-CNX:~$ lsb_release -a

No LSB modules are available.

Distributor ID: Ubuntu

Description: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS

Release: 22.04

Codename: jammy

jaufranc@UP-4000-CNX:~$ uname -a

Linux UP-4000-CNX 5.15.0-48-generic #54-Ubuntu SMP Fri Aug 26 13:26:29 UTC 2022 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

jaufranc@UP-4000-CNX:~$ inxi -Fc0

System:

Host: UP-4000-CNX Kernel: 5.15.0-48-generic x86_64 bits: 64

Console: pty pts/1 Distro: Ubuntu 22.04.1 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish)

Machine:

Type: Desktop Mobo: AAEON model: UP-APL03 v: V1.0

serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: UPAPBM11

date: 07/01/2022

CPU:

Info: quad core model: Intel Atom E3950 bits: 64 type: MCP cache: L2: 2 MiB

Speed (MHz): avg: 1099 min/max: 800/2000 cores: 1: 1109 2: 1009 3: 1114

4: 1165

Graphics:

Device-1: Intel Celeron N3350/Pentium N4200/Atom E3900 Series Integrated

Graphics

driver: i915 v: kernel

Display: server: X.org v: 1.21.1.3 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.1 driver: X:

loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa gpu: i915 tty: 80x24

resolution: 1280x800

Message: GL data unavailable in console. Try -G --display

Audio:

Device-1: Intel Celeron N3350/Pentium N4200/Atom E3900 Series Audio Cluster

driver: snd_hda_intel

Sound Server-1: ALSA v: k5.15.0-48-generic running: yes

Sound Server-2: PulseAudio v: 15.99.1 running: yes

Sound Server-3: PipeWire v: 0.3.48 running: yes

Network:

Device-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet

driver: r8169

IF: enp2s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:07:32:a2:cd:17

Drives:

Local Storage: total: 58.24 GiB used: 12.69 GiB (21.8%)

ID-1: /dev/mmcblk0 vendor: SanDisk model: DA4064 size: 58.24 GiB

Partition:

ID-1: / size: 56.53 GiB used: 12.68 GiB (22.4%) fs: ext4

dev: /dev/mmcblk0p2

ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511 MiB used: 5.2 MiB (1.0%) fs: vfat

dev: /dev/mmcblk0p1

Swap:

ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 3.96 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) file: /swapfile

Sensors:

System Temperatures: cpu: 6280.4 C mobo: N/A

Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 6553500

Info:

Processes: 215 Uptime: 2h 20m Memory: 3.68 GiB used: 1.09 GiB (29.5%)

Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.13

Everything looks good with an Intel Atom E3950 processor detected together with 3.68GB RAM and a 56.53GB rootfs EXT-4 partition. UP 4000 features testing There may also be some issues […]

October 15, 2022October 15, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Reolink TrackMix PoE review – A smart 4K PTZ security camera with two lenses, auto-tracking

Reolink has launched another 4K PTZ smart security with human and vehicle detection, plus pet detection (Beta). The Reolink TrackMix PoE comes with two lenses, one with a wide-angle, and the other telephoto lens to zoom on a specific zone, and supports auto-tracking. I’ve had the camera for a few months so I’ll report on my experience with the device. Reolink TrackMix PoE specifications Storage – MicroSD card slot Camera Image sensors – 1/3″ CMOS sensor + 1/2.8″ CMOS Sensor Video Resolution – Up to: 3840 x 2160 (8.0 megapixels) at 25 frames/sec Lenses – f=2.8mm@F=1.6 and f=8mm@F=1.6 Video Format – H.264, H.265 Field of View – Horizontal: 104°-38°; vertical: 60°-21° Zoom Mode – 6x hybrid zoom Day & Night – IR-cut filter with auto-switching Infrared Night Vision – Up to 15 via 2x 850nm LEDs Color Night Vision – 2x spolights at 6500K/450 lumens Pan &Tilt Range – Pan: […]

October 4, 2022October 11, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Khadas Edge2 review with Android 12

We’ve already reviewed Khadas Edge2 Pro with Ubuntu 22.04, and I’ve now had time to test the ultra-thin Rockchip RK3588S SBC with Android 12, so I’ll report my experience checking out the features, running some benchmarks, playing videos and games, etc… Flashing Android 12 to Khadas Edge2 board Our board was running Ubuntu 22.04, so in order to enter OOWOW firmware system, I had to keep pressing the function key (middle), then shortly press the reset button, before releasing the function key and entering the OOWOW interface. We can see the Android 11 image from the list we saw last month is gone for good, and a new Android 12 image dated September 20, 2022 is available. I selected that one, and OOWOW downloaded the files and flashed it to the board. Within five minutes, Android 12 was up and running on the board. As somebody who had spent several […]

October 1, 2022December 4, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Using SenseCraft firmware for no-code programming on Wio Terminal

In the conclusion of our SenseCAP K1100 Sensor Prototype kit review with LoRaWAN and Vision AI, the author suggested that it would be great if SeeedStudio could develop a new firmware that can connect without coding instead of using Arduino programming: I had to rely on my knowledge and experience with LoRaWAN to transmit data wirelessly over long distances. That’s because LoRaWAN has a more complicated connection process than Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It would be great if Seeed Studio could develop a new firmware that can connect without any coding It did not take long, as SeeedStudio very recently released the first version of SenseCraft open source smart sensor software for no-code sense, process, and uplink that happens to be compatible with the Wio Terminal part of the SenseCAP K1100 development kit. So let’s test the new SenseCraft firmware together. SenseCraft navigation keys We can use Wio Terminal’s joystick as follows: […]

September 26, 2022December 4, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Arylic A50+ review – An entry-level wireless stereo amplifier

The Arylic A50+ is a stereo audio streamer with a built-in power amplifier and support for wireless networks such as WiFi and Bluetooth as well as wired connections such as Ethernet, Analog RCA Line In, optical S/PDIF input, Subwoofer Out, and USB host port. All you need to do is connect the Arylic A50+ amplifier to passive speakers, and you can then easily stream music from streaming services such as Spotify, Tidal, or Qobuz in high-definition audio with the company’s 4STREAM app or another compatible app. Multiple A50+ wireless amplifiers can also be connected through your house to enable multiple rooms and/or zones support. Arylic A50+ unboxing Arylic A50+ wireless amplifier teardown We can open the device after loosening four screws and have a look at the various electronic components used in the design. The main board, named Up2Stream A50Pro, consists of 5 important integrated ICs: Those include: […]

September 24, 2022January 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments

UP 4000 x86 SBC review – Part 1: Unboxing and first boot

AAEON UP 4000 is a compact Apollo Lake single board computer that’s about the size of a business card or a Raspberry Pi designed for automation, robotics, digital signage, and other space-constrained applications that may benefit from an x86 processor. The company already published some Phoronix benchmarks comparing the UP 4000 SBC against Raspberry Pi 4, NVIDIA Jetson Nano, and the original UP board, but since nothing beats third-party evaluation, AAEON sent a review sample to CNX Software for additional testing. UP 4000 SBC unboxing There are several variants of the board, and I received the UP-APL03X7F-A10-0464 SKU with 4GB RAM, 64GB eMMC flash, and an Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad-core processor. The package includes the board together with a multilingual safety manual that explains you should not immerse the board underwater and should avoid walking on it :). A 12V/5A power supply was also included separately. The power cord was […]