CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

May 18, 2014May 18, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments

Linux Kernel 3.10.33 Source Code Released for Amlogic S802 (Part of Tronsmart Vega S89 SDK)

We already had the kernel source for Amlogic S802. The previous code found on Amlogic website, and based on Linux 3.10.10. I’ve been informed there’s a new release based on Linux 3.10.33, and apparently the code based used for Tronsmart Vega S89 (aka Beelink M8, S82), and the new Tronsmart Vega S89-H with proper Dolby & DTS support. Beside a new version, the kernel adds support for a new platform called “meson8 baby” and HDMI IN support, as well a several changes in AMlogic source such as GPU cooling.. All device tree files also seem to have been amended mostly with I2C and thermal settings. It is not a full release, and the hardware directory with GPU, TVIN, Wi-Fi, and NAND drivers is not included. Having said that, it should be possible to use the drivers from the previous release. Meson6 (Amlogic AML8726-MX) source code is also included, and appears […]

May 16, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Hello Klick is a Pressy Android Button Clone that Sells for as low as $2

Last year, Pressy launched a Kickstarter campaign for a physical button that fits into the audio jack of your Android mobile devices, and was sold for $17 in their extra successful campaign. Now you can pre-order a Pressy button for about $27, or a bit less if you order in quantities. Last month, Xiaomi showed a blatant clone of Pressy with their Mi Click that they sell for 4.9 RMB (~0.80 USD) in China. Some sellers are even re-selling the items on Aliexpress for nearly $10. It turns out there appears to be quite a few clones of the Pressy button, including Hello Klick which you can buy for $4 to $5, as even as low as $2 per piece if you order 10 Klicks. And these prices include international shipping. It’s also on Taobao starting at 4.99 RMB. It seems some models come with a stereo jack, whereas others come […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

May 16, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Congatec Unveils conga-IGX Industrial mini-ITX Boards Powered by AMD G-series SoC

Congatec has recently introduced three new industrial Mini-ITX motherboards powered by dual and quad AMD Embedded G-Series SoCs, namely GX-210HA, GX-217GA, and GX-420CA, all integrated Radeon HD graphics. The company’s conga-IGX embedded motherboards are said to be particularly suited for cost-sensitive visualization and control applications. Congatec conga-IGX specifications: SoC AMD Embedded GX-210HA (2 x 1.0 GHz, L2 cache 1MB, 9 W) with AMD Radeon HD 8210E graphics @ 300 MHz AMD Embedded GX-217GA (2 x 1.65 GHz, L2 cache 1MB, 15 W) with with AMD Radeon HD 8280E graphics @ 450 MHz AMD Embedded GX-420CA (4 x 2.0 GHz, L2 cache 2MB, 25 W) with with AMD Radeon HD 8400E graphics @ 600 MHz System Memory – 2x SO DIMM Socket (1.5V / 1.35V), for up to 16GB single Channel DDR3-1333 (CL9) / DDR3-1600 (CL11) SDRAM, unbuffered, no ECC Storage – 1x mSATA (SATA-III), 2x SATA connectors Connectivity – 2x […]

May 15, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Xiaomi MiPad is a 7.9″ Tablet Powered by Nvidia Tegra K1 Quad Core SoC

Xiaomi has just announced the MiPad, with a 7.9″ display using 2048×1536 (same as iPad mini) and an Nvidia Tegra K1 quad core Cortex A15 SoC with a Kepler GPU. There will be two versions one with 16GB flash, and the other with 64GB, which will be sold respectively for 1499 and 1699 CNY (~$240 and $275). Here are the specs for the MiPad: SoC – Nvidia Tegra K1 quad core Cortex A15 processor @ 2.2 GHz with a 192-core Kepler GPU System Memory – 2GB LPDDR3 Storage – 16 or 64GB eMMC, extensible to 128GB via microSD card Display – 7.9” IPS display, 2048×1536 326 PPI Camera – 8MP rear / 5MP front camera Connectivity – 802.11ac 2×2 Wi-Fi Battery – 6700 mAh battery Dimensions – 202.1 x 135.4 x 8.5 mm Weight – 360 grams The first tablet by Xiaomi happens to be the first consumer tablet featuring […]

May 15, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Arduino Unveils Arduino Zero Board Featuring Atmel SAMD21 Cortex M0+ MCU

Arduino and Atmel have jointly announced the latest addition to the Arduino family with Arduino Zero, a development board based on Atmel SAMD21 ARM Cortex M0+ MCU with the same form factor and headers as Arduino UNO / Leonardo. Arduino Zero specifications: Microcontroller – Atmel ATSAMD21G18 32-bit ARM Cortex M0+ MCU @ 48 MHz with 32 KB SRAM, 256 KB flash, up to 16KB EEPROM (By emulation). 48-pin LQFP package. Digital I/O Pins – 14, with 12 PWM and UART Analog Input Pins – 6, including 5 12bits ADC channels and one 10 bits DAC DC Current per I/O Pin – 7 mA USB – 2x micro USB ports Debugging – USB via Atmel’s Embedded Debugger (EDBG) on-board debugger, and JTAG Misc – reset button, 5 LEDs (Tx, Rx, L, On, Debug) Operating Voltage – 3.3V That’s about all we know for now, as tools support (Arduino IDE?), availability and […]

May 15, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Boardcon EM4412 SBC Powered by Exynos 4412 SoC Targets Embedded & Industrial Applications

Boardcon Technology Limited, a Shenzhen based ODM specializing in industrial boards and modules, has announced their EM4412 single board computer featuring MINI4412 core board powered by Samsung Exynos 4412 quad core Cortex A9 SoC a few months ago. The board, with ports such as CAN, RS-485, and a DB9 RS-232 connector, appears to have been designed with industrial applications in mind, such as point-of-sales (PoS), slot machines, car-mounted systems, factory automation, traffic management, and more. Boardcon EM4412 specifications: SoC – Samsung Exynos 4412 quad core Cortex A9 cores @ up to 1.6GHz and ARM Mali-400MP4 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 RAM Storage – 4GB eMMC flash + mini? / micro SD card slot Display HDMI 1.4 – Up to 1080p30 24-bit RGB parallel LCD interface Optional 4.3″, 7″, or 10.1″ch resistive or capacitive touchscreen Camera interfaces: MIPI-CSI slave (mipi2L CH) Optional 2x camera interfaces supporting ITU 601/656 I/F up […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025

May 15, 2014March 6, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 34 Comments

How to Boot a Headless Linux Image on Amlogic S802 TV Boxes (Tronsmart Vega S89 Elite)

As some of you already know, I’ve been playing around with Tronsmart Vega S89 Elite, an Android TV Box powered by Amlogic S802 quad-core ARM Cortex A9r4 processor at 2 GHz. Today, I’ll show how to boot a headless Linux image on any Amlogic-based S802 TV Box from the network. The instructions can mainly be used as a starting point for developers, as it requires access to a serial terminal via UART, but if you’ve never done it before, the instructions should be easy enough to follow. Everything is loaded from the network, the kernel (via boot.img) is loaded via TFTP, and the rootfs (Linaro ALIP image) is mounted via NFS, so it’s nearly impossible to brick your device using the method provided. Linaro ALIP rootfs comes with LXDE, but at this stage, the desktop environment is not showing, even though my HDMI TV is properly detected by the drivers. […]

May 15, 2014 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Olimex Showcases RK3188-SOM Module and RK3188-EVB Evaluation Board

After launching AllWinner and Texas Instruments SoMs earlier this month, Olimex appears to be on a roll, and the company showed some working prototypes of their upcoming Rockchip RK3188 quad core ARM Cortex A9 system-on-module, and corresponding evaluation board called RK3188-SOM-EVB including both a baseboard and a SoM. Preliminary specifications for RK3188-SOM: SoC – Rockchip RK3188 quad core ARM Cortex A9 @ 1.6Ghz with Mali-400 MP4 CPU System memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – micro SD card slot, and optional 4GB NAND flash Power Management IC Debugging – debug UART console Misc – 2x buttons, 3x status LEDs Connectors – 5 GPIO connectors 2×20 pins 0.05″ step There will be two models: RK3188-SOM and RK3188-SOM-4GB, the latter adding 4GB NAND Flash. Both will be available in June for respectively 40 and 45 Euros per piece for 1k orders. For development and evaluation purpose, the company will also provide an open source hardware base board, RK3188-SOM-EVB, […]