MIPS first unveiled the MIPS P8700 series IP along with the I8500 multiprocessor IP cores in 2022, and the company has now announced the general availability of the P8700 64-bit RISC-V core. Built for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), ML, and software-based automotive applications, the MIPS P8700 Multiprocessing System (MPS) scales up to 64 heterogeneous clusters of out-of-order, multi-threaded multi-core MIPS CPUs. P8700 series RISC-V processor’s RISC-V architecture The P8700 is MIPS’ first RISC-V IP. It implements the RISC-V RV64GCZba_Zbb instruction set architecture. It allows the MPS to execute atomic operations, single-precision, and double-precision floating-point operations and incorporates bit manipulation extensions, which streamline data processing tasks. This capability with compressed instructions through the RISC-V C extension (RVC) allows for out-of-order multi-threading. P8700 series’ out-of-order multi-threading and heterogeneous clustering Out-of-order multi-threading simply means that the MPS processes multiple instructions simultaneously without following an order. Hence, the MPS can process even co-dependent […]
GEEKOM GT1 Mega review with Ubuntu 24.10 – Part 3: Linux on an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H “Meteor Lake” mini PC
We’ve already had a look at GEEKOM GT1 Mega’s hardware with an unboxing and a teardown before following up with a thorough review of the Intel Core 9 Ultra 185H mini PC with Windows 11 Pro. After being interrupted by some Raspberry Pi reviews, I finally had the time to test the GEEKOM GT1 Mega with Ubuntu 24.10 to check out how well (or not) it works with a recent Linux distribution. I’ve tested the features of the Meteor Lake mini PC in Linux, ran some benchmarks, evaluated storage and network performance, played 4K and 8K videos on YouTube at various frame rates, went through a stress test to check its thermal design, and finally measured the mini PC’s fan noise and power consumption. Ubuntu 24.10 installation I would usually review mini PCs with the latest Ubuntu LTS version which would currently be Ubuntu 24.04.1. However, since the Intel Core […]
Murata LBWA0ZZ2HK/HL low-power Wi-Fi HaLow modules can communicate over 2km
Murata has recently introduced two new ultra-low power, sub-1 GHz Wi-Fi HaLow modules (LBWA0ZZ2HK and LBWA0ZZ2HL) compliant with Sub-1 GHz (S1G) 802.11ah Wi-Fi standard across key regions. The Type 2HK module operates at frequencies from 902MHz to 928MHz and features a communication range of 2km, whereas the low-power Type 2HL operates at 750MHz to 950MHz and can communicate over 1km. According to Murata, these modules can achieve high-speed communication over 1km and are suitable for applications such as smart devices, smart homes, smart accessories, and others. The modules are based on the NEWRACOM NRC7394 chipset built around an Arm Cortex-M3 with enough processing power for handling the Wi-Fi subsystem and user applications. Both modules feature an SPI host interface with peripherals including SPI, 2x UART, 2x I2C, 2-channel 10-bit ADC, and GPIO. Murata LBWA0ZZ2HK and LBWA0ZZ2HL specifications: HaLow SoC – Newracom NRC7394 SoC Frequency 2HL – Sub-1 GHz (750-950 MHz) […]
u-blox MAYA-W4 tri-radio IoT module features NXP IW610 chipset with Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and 802.15.4 radios
Last year, we covered the u-blox MAYA-W3 module, which was based on the Infineon AIROC CYW5551x chipset and utilized separate chipsets for 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz frequencies. Now, u-blox has introduced the MAYA-W4 series, a host-based Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, and 802.15.4 module built on the NXP IW610 chipset. Designed for industrial and commercial applications such as building automation, energy management, smart homes, and healthcare, the MAYA-W4 series supports SISO Wi-Fi 6 with a 20 MHz channel width, ensuring reliable performance in dense network environments. These modules can function as access points, stations, P2P devices, or in mixed modes. The MAYA-W4 modules are compatible with the Matter protocol over Thread and Wi-Fi, facilitating seamless integration across ecosystems. With a compact size of 10.4 x 14.3 mm, these modules rank among the smallest Wi-Fi 6 SMD modules and are available with integrated antennas or U.FL connectors. Rigorous testing […]
BredOS Arch Linux Arm distribution runs on Rockchip RK3588 single board computers
BredOS is a Linux distribution based on Arch Linux Arm and optimized to run on Rockchip RK3588/RK3588S single board computers (SBCs) with current support for 22 boards from Radxa, Orange Pi, Khadas, and others. Board vendors will usually provide OS images for their SBCs, but the quality and support may be limited, so projects like Armbian and DietPi are maintaining Ubuntu and/or Debian images for popular single board computers. But if you’re an Arch Linux (Arm) fan, there are fewer choices, and you may have to roll your own port for your board. BredOS provides an easy-to-use alternative based on Arch Arm Linux. BredOS highlights (provided by the developers): User-Friendly Interface – A simplified and intuitive user interface for easy navigation and use. Arch-Based – Built on top of Arch Linux, ensuring access to a vast repository of packages and a rolling release model. Arm Support – Optimized for Arm-based […]
SONOFF CAM Slim Gen2 Review – A tiny indoor security camera tested with eWeLink and Home Assistant
We have received the latest tiny indoor security camera from SONOFF: the second generation of the CAM Slim series known as the CAM Slim Gen2 (or CAM S2 for shorts). Some of you might remember the first-generation CAM Slim model reviewed by Jean-Luc about two years ago. The Gen2 version keeps the same 1080p resolution but comes with several upgraded features, including AI algorithms to distinguish living beings, customizable detection zones, customizable privacy zones, sleep mode, enhanced low-light image quality, and flexible storage management. Although it’s packed with several enhancements, its price is lower than the Gen1. Let’s delve into the details! SONOFF CAM Slim Gen2 unboxing Inside the box, you’ll find a compact manual, a USB-C cable, a mounting kit, and a sticker template acting as a drilling guide. The camera is smaller than your palm and comes mounted on a versatile, rotatable base, making installation in various positions […]
Vulkan 1.4 3D graphics and compute API released
The Khronos Group has just announced the release of Vulkan 1.4 cross-platform 3D graphics and compute API. The new release makes some of the optional extensions and features mandatory, adds streaming transfers, and supports 8K rendering on up to eight targets. Minimum hardware limits have also been increased including at least seven maxBoundDescriptorSets and eight maxColorAttachments. Vulkan 1.4 highlights: Streaming Transfers: new implementation requirements to ensure applications can stream large quantities of data to a device while simultaneously rendering at full performance. Previously optional extensions and features critical to emerging high-performance applications are now mandatory in Vulkan 1.4, ensuring availability across multiple platforms. These include push descriptors, dynamic rendering local reads, and scalar block layouts. Maintenance extensions up to and including VK_KHR_maintenance6 are now part of the core Vulkan 1.4 specification. 8K rendering with up to eight separate render targets is now guaranteed to be supported, along with several other […]
Silicon Labs SiWG917Y and SiWN917Y are ultra-low power WiFi 6 and Bluetooth LE 5.4 IoT modules
Silicon Labs SiWG917Y and SiWN917Y are pre-certified, ultra-low power 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 and Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) 5.4 modules made as an extension of the Wireless Gecko Series 2 Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller family and designed for IoT applications such as Smart Home devices, building automation solutions, healthcare devices, industrial sensors, and asset trackers. The SiWG917Y module is used as a standalone solution where all application code runs on an Arm Cortex-M4 core, and the SiWN917Y module is designed as a Network Co-processor so customers can execute their application on a separate MCU while the wireless module manages WiFi 6 and BLE 5.4. Silicon Labs SiWx917Y modules specifications: Microcontroller MCU Arm Cortex-M4F application core up to 180 MHz (225 DMIPS performance) Arm Cortex-M4 network wireless processor running up to 160 MHz, Accelerators – Integrated FPU, MPU, NVIC, Matrix vector processor (MVP) Memory 672 KB embedded SRAM shared by Cortex-M4 and […]