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August 27, 2024August 27, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Raspberry Pi Pico Arduino core 4.0 adds support for RP2350 boards

Earle F. Philhower, III has just released the Raspberry Pi Pico Arduino core 4.0 with support for a range of Raspberry Pi RP2350 boards beside the official Raspberry Pi Pico 2. Shortly after the RP2040-based Raspberry Pi Pico board was released, we got two Arduino SDKs, the first being the community-supported Raspberry Pi Pico Arduino core maintained by Earle, and the second being the official Arduino Core Mbed 2.0 for boards as such as Arduino Nano Connect RP2040. We are again likely to have two Arduino SDKs for the RP2350 starting with the Raspberry Pi Pico Arduino core. Key changes in Raspberry Pi Pico Arduino core 4.0: Adds Raspberry Pi RP2350 support (Arm only; RISC-V cores are not supported at this stage) Migrates to Pico SDK 2.0 since it is required for RP2350 support and includes a new OpenOCD and Picotool. Tested features: SPI, I2C, LittleFS, EEPROM, PWMAudio, LWIP-based networking, […]

August 13, 2024August 19, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 3 Comments

SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 development board comes with 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM

The SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 is a compact and powerful development board built around the RP2350 chip from Raspberry Pi and equipped with 16MB flash and 8MB PSRAM. It follows the updated Pro Micro design and includes a USB-C connector, Qwiic connector, WS2812B RGB LED, Boot and Reset buttons, resettable PTC fuse, and both PTH and castellated solder pads. Last week, besides the Raspberry Pi Pico 2, we wrote about more boards with the Raspberry Pi RP2350, like the XIAO RP2350, Solder Party’s RP2350 Stamp, and Cytron MOTION 2350 Pro. Feel free to check them out if you are interested in these boards. SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 specification Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @150MHz with Arm Trustzone for secure boot Dual-core 32-bit Hazard3 RISC-V @ 150MHz Up to two cores can be used at the same time Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM […]

August 6, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

SparkFun Thing Plus – NORA-W306 – A dual-band Wi-Fi 4 and BLE 5.3 IoT board

SparkFun Thing Plus – NORA-W306, is a dual-core, dual-band WiFi 4 and BLE 5.3 microcontroller board in the AdaFruit Feather form factor based on the u-box NORA-W306 module and targeted at low-power wireless applications. The u-blox module integrates the Realtek RTL8720DF chip, a dual-core ARM Cortex-M33 and Cortex-M23 microcontroller with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy. It offers up to 4MB of encrypted flash and has an onboard PCB antenna. It’s very similar to the RealTek RTL8720DN we covered a few times in the past, but comes with embedded flash. The SparkFun Thing Plus – NORA-W306 board features a USB-C connector for programming, data, and power. The USB data lines are protected against electrostatic discharge and are connected to a CP2102N USB-to-serial converter for uploading code or serial. This board includes a 2-pin JST-style connector for a LiPo battery, a single-cell charger, and a LiPo fuel […]

July 16, 2024July 15, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

SparkFun RTK EVK offers GNSS with centimeter accuracy, WiFi, Bluetooth, 4G LTE Cat 1, and Ethernet connectivity

SparkFun RTK EVK is a fully-enclosed GNSS platform designed for fixed or mobile high-precision positioning and navigation applications with centimeter accuracy thanks to RTK (real-time kinematic) technology implemented with modules from u-blox. About two months ago, Sparkfun introduced the RTK Torch waterproof GNSS surveyor with Unicore UM980 GNSS module with RTK support, ESP32 for WiFi/Bluetooth, and an STM32WLE5C LoRa SoC. The SparkFun RTK EVK (evaluation kit) may drop LoRa connectivity, but it’s a more versatile platform with WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, and LTE Cat 1 cellular connectivity, besides support for L1 + L2 RTK GNSS with L-Band correction. Sparkfun RTK EVK specifications: GNSS Receiver – u-blox ZED-F9P Concurrent reception of GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and BeiDou Receives both L1C/A and L2C bands 184-channel u-blox F9 engine Time to First Fix: 25s (cold), 2s (hot) Max Navigation Rate: 20Hz / 25Hz depending on mode Horizontal Position Accuracy: 2.5m without RTK; 0.010m with RTK […]

July 2, 2024July 2, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor Wireless Kit targets electromyography (EMG) applications

MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor with ESP32 Arduino board

The MyoWare 2.0 Muscle Sensor Wireless Kit is an Arduino-compatible electromyography (EMG) sensor kit capable of detecting and measuring the electrical signals generated by muscle fibers in the body. The MyoWare 2.0 kit is a collaborative product by SparkFun and Advancer Technologies. The MyoWare 2.0 ecosystem brings several improvements over the previous generation, including a compact design, solderless snap connectors, and an upgraded chipset for improved reliability and performance. It includes shields designed to seamlessly interface with the MyoWare 2.0 Muscle sensor, a wearable, Arduino-compatible EMG sensor. The Muscle Sensor’s wearable design makes it possible to directly attach biomedical sensor pads and add-on shields to the board. It operates on a single-supply voltage between +3.3V to +5V and supports three separate output modes. It analyzes filtered and rectified activity from muscle movement and outputs a signal from 0 to the power source voltage (VIN) that represents the intensity of flex. […]

June 16, 2024June 16, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 17 Comments

ESP32-S3-based kit allows you to build an Internet Radio with a touchscreen display

The ESP32 Internet Radio from Poland-based maker, The MicroMaker, is a simple hardware kit that combines the LilyGo T-Display S3 Development board with an I2S audio breakout module and other components to form a radio that can access and stream from online radio stations. With the ESP32 Internet Radio, you are not limited to the radio stations available in your immediate vicinity. It is powered by the LilyGo T-Display S3 which integrates the network-capable ESP32-S3 microcontroller (Wi-Fi + BLE 5), a 1.9” full-color capacitive touchscreen display, and two programmable buttons. The ESP32-S3’s integrated Wi-Fi capability allows the radio to connect to the Internet, and the touchscreen brings an intuitive and easy-to-use interface to the device. It supports up to 512 stored radio stations, and you can manage these stations from a web browser on your PC or mobile phone. The Internet Radio can be powered by an 18650 Lithium-ion battery […]

May 14, 2024May 14, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 2 Comments

SparkFun M7E Hecto is a simultaneous RFID Reader with USB-C connectivity and a range of up to 5m

SparkFun M7E Hecto Simultaneous RFID Reader

SparkFun has announced the M7E Hecto, a ‘simultaneous’ RFID reader in a compact form factor and high-performance capabilities. The RFID reader is powered by Jadak’s Hecto module (M7E-HECTO) from the ThingMagic series which offers a wide RF output range from 0 dBm to +27 dBm and reads up to 300 tags/second. SparkFun M7E Hecto builds on the much older M6E Nano RFID reader, adding a USB-C port, increasing the read rate from 150 tags/second, and reducing power consumption. It supports an external antenna (sold separately) which extends the scanning distance up to 16 ft (4.8m) from the 1 to 2 ft (0.3m – 0.6m) range supported by the onboard antenna. It does come with a warning to ensure that personnel are not directly in the radiation beam of the antenna while they are within 21cm of the antenna (to adhere to FCC limits for long-term exposure to RF emissions). The […]

April 11, 2024April 11, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 board supports Bluetooth 5.1 LE through Renesas DA14531MOD module

SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 is a small MCU board based on a 200 MHz Renesas RA6M5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller and a Renesas DA14531MOD Bluetooth 5.1 LE module that follows Adafruit Feather/Sparkfun Thing Plus form factor. The module can transmit data over BLE with just 4mA (at 3.3V) power consumption and the company claims the board to be powered by a coin-cell battery. A LiPo battery can also be connected to the board through a 2-pin JST battery connector, and the Things Plus – RA6M5 board also features a single-cell charger and LiPo fuel gauge. Sparkfun Thing Plus – RA6M5 specifications: Microcontroller – Renesas R7FA6M5AH3CFP Core – Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller @ up to 200 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM Storage – 2MB Flash Security – Arm TrustZone, and Secure Crypto Engine 9 Wireless – Renesas DA14531MOD module for Bluetooth 5.1 LE connectivity with support for CodeLess AT command Datapump Radio Transmit […]