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July 7, 2026July 7, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ESP32-C5 devkit offers 2.8-inch capacitive touch display, dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, LiPo battery support

Last week, I wrote about the ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 as one of the first ESP32-C5 devkits with a built-in display enabling dual-band WiFi 6 connectivity for IoT and HMI projects. However, one reader lamented the lack of touch-capable screens, at which point kwchow pointed to the ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8 model offering just that by pairing an ESP32-C5 with a 2.8-inch IPS display with capacitive touch and 320×480 resolution. The new board also features a microSD card slot, a USB-C port for power and programming, a built-in microphone and a speaker connector, a few sensors, and various I/Os connectors for expansion. Let’s have a closer look. ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8 specifications: Wireless module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C5-WROOM-1-N32R8 SoC – ESP32-C5HR8 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, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 320 KB ROM Wireless […]

June 30, 2026June 30, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

XIAO nRF54LM20A (Sense) board enables ultra-low-power Bluetooth 6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, or 2.4 GHz proprietary applications

Seeed Studio XIAO nRF54LM20A and XIAO nRF54LM20A Sense are tiny USB-C IoT boards based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LM20A wireless SoC offering Bluetooth 6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, NFC, Amazon Sidewalk, and 2.4 GHz proprietary connectivity. Both variants come with on-chip 2 MB flash and 512 KB RAM, as well as an 8 MB flash, an nPM1300 PMIC for power management, up to 28 GPIOs, and an RGB LED. The Sense model adds a digital microphone and 6-axis IMU with motion-triggered wake-up for ultra-low power applications. XIAO nRF54LM20A (Sense) specifications: Wireless SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF54LM20A CPU Arm Cortex-M33 application processor clocked at up to 128 MHz RISC-V coprocessor running at 128 MHz Memory – 512 kB of RAM Storage – 2 MB of Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) Wireless Bluetooth LE 6.0 with PHY rates of 125 kbit/s, 500 kbit/s, 1 Mbit/s, and 2 Mbit/s Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Bluetooth LE long range (coded PHY), […]

June 29, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Waveshare ESP32-C6-Zero-B – A tiny ESP32-C6 USB-C board with 5V-36V wide supply voltage

ESP32-C6 board 5-36V wide supply voltage

Waveshare ESP32-C6-Zero-B is a variant of the company’s ESP32-C6-Zero USB-C board that adds 5V-36V wide supply voltage support for industrial applications It’s based on the ESP32-C6FH8 wireless RISC-V SoC with 8MB flash, 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.x LE, and an 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee and Thread. It also exposes up to 20 GPIOs via headers and pads, and features an RGB LED, as well as Boot and Reset buttons. Waveshare ESP32-C6-Zero-B specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6FH8 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM Storage – 320KB ROM, 8MB flash Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and 802.15.4 radio for Thread/Zigbee USB – USB Type-C port for program download and debugging Expansion 2x 9-pin headers with up to 13x GPIOs, UART, I2C, SPI, 6x ADC, I2S, PWM, Vin, 3.3V out, GND 7x solder pads […]

June 29, 2026June 29, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Simplia CONNECT RW612 6-in-1 M.2 2230 module offers WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, 802.15.4, LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS connectivity

Simplia CONNECT RW612 6-in-1 M.2 wireless module

Simplia CONNECT RW612 is a 6-in-1 M.2 2230 wireless module that offers dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, an 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee or Thread, LTE Cat-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS connectivity. It’s the first module I’ve seen that implements so many wireless standards into a tiny M.2 2230 module. It’s made possible by combining an NXP RW612 WiFi, BLE, and 802.15.4 module with an optional Quectel BC77 LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS module. Simplia CONNECT RW612 specifications: Wireless modules Murata Type 2FR (LBESOZZ2FR) SoC – NXP RW612 CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 260 MHz Memory – 1.2 MB SRAM Wireless Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 1×1 SISO Bluetooth LE 5.4 802.15.4 radio for Thread and Zigbee Storage – 16MB or 32MB integrated flash memory via FlexSPI Security – NXP EdgeLock Package – 12.0 x 11.0 x 1.5 mm (BGA) Optional Quectel BG77 (BG77LA, similar to the BG770A minus 5G NTN support) LTE […]

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Quectel FCM365X dual-band WiFi 6, BLE 5.4, 802.15.4 IoT module features NXP RW612 MCU, optional PSRAM

NXP RW612 WiFi 6 BLE 5.4 802.15.4 Quectel IoT module

Quectel FCM365X is a short-range IoT module based on NXP RW612 wireless MCU with support for dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.4, and 802.15.4 (Zigbee and Thread) connectivity. The compact 25.5 x 18.0mm RW612 module features 8MB flash and optional PSRAM, and operates in the -40 °C to +85 °C temperature range for demanding Smart Home and industrial IoT (IIoT) applications. The FCM365X module exposes GPIO, SDIO, UART, USB, JTAG, I2C, I2S, ADC, LCD, and PWM interfaces through its LCC+LGA package. Quectel FCM365X specifications: SoC – NXP RW612 CPU Core – Arm Cortex-M33 core @ 260 MHz with Arm TrustZone-M Memory – On-chip 1.2 MB SRAM Wireless Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 Target wake time (TWT) support Integrated Wi-Fi PA/LNA, and T/R switch Tx power – Up to 19 dBm ±2 dB Rx sensitivity – Down to -96 dBm ±2 dB AP/STA modes Security – WPA-PSK/ WPA2-PSK/ WPA3-SAE/ AES-128 Bluetooth 5.4 […]

June 23, 2026June 23, 2026 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Coin-cell powered Nordic nRF54L15 Tag prototyping platform supports Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Matter, Edge AI

Nordic Semiconductor has launched the nRF54L15 Tag, a tiny coin-cell-powered prototyping platform designed to accelerate the development of ultra-low-power wireless IoT devices, including asset trackers compatible with the Apple Find My and Google Find Hub ecosystems. Built around the company’s nRF54L15 wireless SoC, the 33 mm-diameter tag uses a 2.4 GHz radio and includes two on-board antennas to improve distance-measurement reliability with Bluetooth Channel Sounding. The platform also integrates a 6-axis IMU and an environmental sensor, which can be used in tracking, sensing, and basic edge processing applications. Nordic nRF54L15 Tag specifications: Wireless MCU – Nordic Semi nRF54L15 wireless SoC CPU Arm Cortex-M33 @ up to 128 MHz RISC-V coprocessor for “software-defined peripheral” Memory – 256 KB SRAM Storage – 1.5MB Non-volatile Memory (NVM) Wireless Bluetooth LE 6.0 (includes Channel Sounding) Thread, Zigbee (IEEE 802.15.4-2020) Matter Amazon Sidewalk Proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols with a new 4 Mbps mode NFC support Aliro (a […]

June 10, 2026 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Synaptics Astra SRW1500 Cortex-M52 Edge AI MCU features Ethos-U55 NPU, Wi-Fi 6/7, Bluetooth 6.0, 802.15.4 connectivity

Synaptics has introduced the Astra SRW1500 Series of AI-native Edge AI MCUs designed for smart IoT edge devices. The family features an Arm Cortex-M52 core, an optional Arm Ethos-U55 Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and tri-band Wi-Fi 7 or Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 6.0 LE, and 802.15.4 connectivity, in a single package. It targets low-latency on-device AI workloads such as voice-trigger detection, sound-event classification, and AI-enhanced Wi-Fi sensing. The series currently comes in four variants offering different wireless and USB options. Since sensing, AI processing, and wireless connectivity are integrated into a single chip, this approach helps reduce system costs, simplify PCB design, and lower power consumption in devices such as smart home hubs, building automation systems, and home appliances. Synaptics SRW1500 Series specifications: CPU Arm Cortex-M52 application core up to 200 MHz with Arm Helium (MVE) vector extensions for DSP and ML Arm Cortex-R4 WiFi core with 960 KB SRAM and 1408 […]

May 29, 2026 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

u-blox ALMA-B2 Bluetooth 6.0 and 802.15.4 module features Nordic nRF54LM20 Edge AI wireless MCU

ALMA B2 series (Open CPU) Stand alone Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) modules

u-blox has recently announced the ALMA-B2 standalone BLE 6.0 and 802.15.4 module family built around the Nordic Semi nRF54LM20 Cortex-M33 wireless microcontroller with a dedicated NPU for low-latency Edge AI applications. There are four specific product variants in the u-blox ALMA-B2 series: ALMA-B201, ALMA-B206, ALMA-B211, and ALMA-B216, all of which support Bluetooth 6.0 and Bluetooth Channel Sounding for distance measurement. They also support IEEE 802.15.4, including Thread, Zigbee, and Matter, as well as Nordic’s proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol and NFC. The company also mentions that the nRF54LM20B-based ALMA-B211 and ALMA-B216 variants include an Axon NPU that performs machine learning tasks up to 15 times faster and with greater energy efficiency than running the same tasks on the main processor alone. u-blox ALMA-B2 Series Specifications: Wireless SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF54LM20A (for ALMA-B201 and B206) or nRF54LM20B (for ALMA-B211 and B216) CPU Arm Cortex-M33 application processor clocked at up to 128 MHz RISC-V […]