windows News - Page 15 of 20 - CNX Software

October 20, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments

Add GPIOs to Windows, Linux, Android Computers and Devices with FTDI USB Adapters / Breakout Boards

It’s possible to to add GPIOs to your computer, (openWRT) router, or Android tablet using some FTDI USB dongles that expose I/Os. On operating systems based on Linux, including Android, you can use the GPIO sysfs interface (/sys/class/gpio) to easily control GPIOs from the command line, and in some cases Rx, Tx, CTS, .. pins can also be used as GPIOs. Zoobab has tried it with various FTDI USB adapters, and Oneping OP-1010 breakout board based on PL2303 HDX chip, and the results are mixed, but it could worth a try. There are currently patchsets ([1] and [2]) awaiting acceptance to mainline kernel that will enable GPIO support for these USB devices, but in the meantime you need to patch the kernel yourself, and then enable the relevant options in the kernel config for example “USB_SERIAL_PL2303_GPIO” or “USB_SERIAL_FTDI_SIO_GPIO”. The first patch is for PL2303 chips, and the second for FT2xxx/FT4xxx […]

September 17, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

VIA ARTiGO 1300 Quad Core x86 Rugged Digital Signage Player

VIA has recently announced ARTiGO 1300, a rugged digital signage player powered by a VIA quad core E-Series x86 processor with VX11PH media processor, provides two HDMI outputs for independent displays, USB 3.0 ports, Gigabit Ethernet and more. Beside digital signage applications, it can also be used for kiosks, menu boards, HMIs, and other IoT applications. ARTiGO A1300 Specifications: Processor – VIA QuadCore E-Series @ 1.0 GHz Chipset – VIA VX11PH Media System Processor with Chrome 645/640 GPU for 2D/3D, and hardware video decoding support (MPEG-2, WMV9, VC-1 and H.264) System Memory – 1x DDR3 1066/1333 SODIMM socket (up to 8GB) Storage – Support 1x 2.5” SATA SSD/HDD, 1x mSATA SSD. 32Mbit Flash memory for AMI Aptio UEFI BIOS. Video Output – 2x HDMI ports supporting resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 pixels. Dual independent HDMI display support. Audio – VIA VT2021 High Definition Audio Codec, Line-in and Line-out Connectivity […]

September 4, 2014September 4, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

iControlHub is An Upcoming XBMC Media Center Powered by Intel Celeron J1900 Processor

Earlier this week, we’ve seen MINIX NEO Z64 mini PC based on Intel Atom Z3735F that will sell for less than $150 in October. If you’d like a low power low cost Intel based fanless mini PC but with a bit more processing power, iControlHub could be an option with an Intel Celeron J1900 Bay Trail quad core processor. Preliminary specifications for iControlHub: SoC – Intel Celeron J1900 processor @ 2.0 GHz (Burst frequency 2.41 GHz) with Intel HD graphics (Max TDP) System Memory – Up to 8GB DDR3 Storage – HDD / SSD via mSATA connector Video Output – HDMI Audio Output – HDMI, optical S/PDIF Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi with two external antennas USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x USB 3.0 host port Misc – IR in and out Power Supply – 12V Dimensions – 125 x 125 mm (Board) You must be confused with […]

September 3, 2014September 3, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 41 Comments

Quad Core Android Tablet for $47, Wintel Tablet for $65

When I think about $50 tablets, I think about 512MB RAM, 4GB flash, 800×480 resolution display and so on… But there’s currently a 7″ quad core Android tablet (eZee Tab 7Q11-L) that sells for $46.99 on BuyinCoins including shipping, which has some slightly better specs with 1GB RAM, 8GB flash, and a 1024×600 resolution touchscreen display. Here are the specifications listed on Buyincoins: SoC – Action Semi ATM7029B quad core Cortex A5 class processor @ 1.3Ghz with PowerVR SGX540 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB NAND flash and micro SD slot up to 32GB. Display – 7″ multi-touch capacitive touch screen with 1024 x 600 resolution Video Output – micro HDMI Audio Output – 3.5mm audio jack, speaker Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, optional? Bluetooth (RTL8723AS-VT) Camera – 0.3MP front camera Sensors – Accelerometer, “automatic steering display screen”, G-sensor Misc – Volume +/-, power and home buttons […]

August 12, 2014September 23, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

How to Upgrade Firmware in Rockchip RK3288, RK3328, RK3399 Android TV Boxes

For some reasons, Rockchip is extremely fond of Windows based firmware tools, and instead of providing a simple SD card method, they’ve continued to use these awful tools to upgrade firmware for Rockchip RK3288, RK3328, RK3399 devices, and other Rockchip based TV boxes. I don’t mean to say these are useless, but they should not be used by end users, unless their device is bricked. Nevertheless, Rockchip has now release version 2.3 of their Android tools for Windows, and GeekBuying has published a guide showing how to do, which I’ll summarize below. Rockchip has also released an updated version for the Linux Upgrade Tool (upgrade_tool) v1.24 that allows you to do the update in Linux. [Update: The latest versions of DriverAssistant (Step 1) and AndroidTool (Step 2) can be found in Rockchip-Linux account in Github] The first thing to do is to make sure you’ve got the latest Rockchip USB […]

August 5, 2014August 21, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

100KHz-1.7GHz RTL-SDR USB Tuner Receiver DIY Kit Sells for $33

Software-Defined Radios (SDR) are neat little devices that capture radio signals which are then filtered and decoded by software on your PC or embedded system. The currently used radio spectrum is extremely wide from 3 to 30Hz for submarine communication up to 30 to 300+ GHz or more for applications such as amateur radio or radio astronomy. So the price of hardware needed for SDRs varies greatly depending on the frequency range supported, bandwidth, and other technical parameters. Hobbyists can use “low cost” ($300 – $400) FPGA SDR boards such as bladeRF or HackRF, or go ultra-cheap with $20+ RTL-SDR USB TV tuners. I’ve been informed there’s a development kit sold under the name “100KHz-1.7GHz Full Band UV HF RTL-SDR USB Tuner Receiver DIY Kit” based on the latter, but with extra components, on various sites such as Buyincoins, Ebay, Aliexpress, etc.. for just $33 to $45. The problem with […]

July 30, 2014July 30, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Sharks Cove Intel Atom Bay Trail-T Development Board for Windows and Android is Now Available for $299

When Intel announced their Sharks Cove development board, they did not provide that much information, except for the fact that it aimed at Windows development, it would be easy to buy for hobbyist, and provided a picture of the board. The board has now been launched, is available for pre-order for $299, and technical details have been published. Intel Sharks Cove specifications: Soc – Intel ATOM Processor Z3735G, 2M Cache, 4 Core, @ 1.33GHz (Burst frequency: 1.88GHz) with Intel HD Graphics System Memory – 1GB 1×32 DDR3L-RS-1333 Storage – 16GB EMMC 4.5, micro SD Card slot, 2MP SPI NOR Video Output / Display – HDMI connector and MIPI Display Connector Audio – Realtek ALC5640 audio codec, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, header for speaker, and on-board digital mic Connectivity – None. But Ethernet or WiFi can be added through USB. USB – 1x USB 2.0 type A connector, 1x micro USB […]

July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

MPL CEC10 Compact Embedded Computers Feature Bay Trail SoCs, 5 Gigabit Ports, Rugged Enclosures

MPL, a company specializing in industrial PCs based in Switzerland, has recently announced their CEC10 series “Compact Embedded Computer” featuring Intel Bay Trail-I E3800 processors, with 5 Gigabit Ethernet ports using RJ45, M12, or SFP connectors, and supporting industrial and extended temperature ranges, and as well as various rugged housings. Specifications for MPL CEC10: SoC – Intel Atom E3800 series single, dual, or quad processor @ up to 1.91GHz with Intel HD graphics. System Memory – up to 4GB DDR3L ECC-RAM Storage: mSATA interface Optional 2.5-inch SATA HDD/SSD Optional eMMC flash (soldered) Video Output- DisplayPort, optional eDP / VGA Connectivity – 5x gigabit Ethernet ports. RJ45 connectors by default, but the system also supports M12 connectors or SFP cages. USB – 1x USB 3.0 host port, 1x USB 3.0 device port, 2x USB 2.0 ports Serial – 1x RS-232 port, optional RS-232/422/485 or extra RS-232 port Expansion Slots: Mini-PCIe slot […]