CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 8, 2020June 13, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Raspberry Pi Zero Sized Kimχ Micro SBC is Equipped with a Quad-Core Processor, an mPCIe Slot

Kimx Micro Raspberry Pi Zero Alternative

The Raspberry Pi Zero (W/WH) board is great because of its size, price tag, and software support, but processing power is limited with Broadcom BCM2735 SoC only offering a single ARM11 core clocked at 1 GHz. There are already some more powerful boards in a similar form factor include Banana Pi M2 Zero or FriendlyELEC NanoPi Duo2 both equipped with an Allwinner quad-core Cortex-A7 processor, but there’s another upcoming board with NXP i.MX 8M Mini quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A53 processor. Meet Kimχ Micro (pronounced Kimchi Micro). Kimχ Micro (preliminary) specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 8M Mini single to quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.8 GHz, Cortex-M4F real-time core @ up to 400 MHz, Vivante GC NanoUltra 3D GPU + GC320 2D GPU, VPU for 1080p60 video decoding and encoding; (Single and dual-core version of NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor are also compatible) System Memory – 2GB LPDDR4 Storage – 8GB […]

June 7, 2020June 6, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

STM32 based Indoor Air Quality Sensor Connects to Raspberry Pi or Arduino (Crowdfunding)

Indoor Air Quality Sensor Raspberry Pi Arduino

Even before the COVID-19 lockdown, people spent most of their time indoors (around 90% according to some studies), so it’s important to monitor air quality and other metrics like light and sound levels in our homes, workplaces, schools, cars, etc… Metriful Sense indoor environment monitor does just that by reporting multiple metrics such as temperature, humidity, particle concentration, etc… over I2C to microcontroller or processor boards such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi. Sense hardware specifications: MCU – STMicro STM32G071KB Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ 64 MHz with 128 KB Flash, 36 KB SRAM Sensors Bosch Sensortec BME680 4-in-1 air quality sensor with relative humidity, barometric pressure, ambient temperature, and gas (VOC). Vishay VEML6030 ambient light sensor Knowles SPH0645LM4H-B MEMS microphone Optional – Shinyei PPD42 particle sensor unit I/Os – 10-pin unpopulated header with air particles sensor input, light and sound interrupt outputs, I2C, VPU pin for 3.3V/5V selection, GND, VDD, VIN […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

June 6, 2020June 6, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Efinix Releases Three RISC-V Software-Defined SoC’s Optimized for Trion FPGA’s

Efinix has announced three RISC-V Software-defined SoC’s based on Charles Papon’s VexRiscv core and optimized for the company’s Trion T8 to T120 FPGA’s. VexRiscv is a 32-bit RISC-V CPU using RISCV32I ISA with M and C extensions, has five pipeline stages (fetch, decode, execute, memory, and writeback), and a configurable feature set. Each SoC includes a RISC-V core, memory, as well as various I/O and interfaces. Key features for each of three RISC-V SoC’s: Ruby SoC FPGA footprint – ~12K LEs/78 RAM blocks Performance – 50 MHz (1.16 DMIPS/MHz) Memory – 4 KB on-chip RAM, up to 3.5 GB DDR DRAM Peripherals – 16x GPIO, Timer, PLIC, 3x SPI masters, 3x I2C masters/slaves, 2x UARTs 1x AXI4, 2x APB3 user peripherals Target applications – real-time system controls and image signal processing. Jade SoC FPGA footprint – ~7K LEs/93 RAM blocks Performance – 50 MHz (1.2 DMIPS/MHz) Memory – 32 KB […]

June 5, 2020November 3, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

M5Stack Atom Echo Coin-Sized Bluetooth Speaker is Powered by ESP32-PICO-D4 SiP

M5Stack has just launched Atom Echo, a coin-sized programmable Bluetooth speaker based on Espressif Systems ESP32-PICO-D4 system-on-package. The company sent me an early sample to play with before launch… but let’s have a look at the specification before checking the device further. Specifications: SiP – Espressif Systems ESP32-PICO-D4 system-in-package with ESP32 dual-core processor @ 240MHz Wi-Fi, BLE 4.0 and 4MB flash Audio 0.5W/NS4168 I2S speaker SPM1423 PDM microphone Expansion 5-pin + 4-pin headers with 6x GPIOs, UART, 5V, 3.3V, GND 4-pin digital Grove header with 2 I/Os, 5V and GND Misc – RGB LED (SK6812), Function (Top – G39 pin) and reset buttons (side), IR LED Power Supply – 5V/500mA via USB-C port Dimensions – 24 x 24 x 17mm (plastic material) Weight – 10 grams The Bluetooth speaker is really small, but you may think CNXSoft has big hands and fat fingers so it makes the speaker smaller than […]

June 5, 2020June 5, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

$11 HDMI to USB 2.0 Video Capture Dongle Supports up to 1080p30 Resolution

Over the years we’ve covered several HDMI input solutions for PiP, video capture, and/or RTSP streaming and some of the most popular options where Realtek RTD1295 based TV boxes such as Zidoo X9S or LAKE I Home Cloud. But there’s now a more cost-effective option with “Camlink” HDMI to USB 2.0 converter which you can connect to your PC or single board computer. It’s compatible with UVC video class, supports up to 1080p30, and offers HDCP compatibility. Best of all it’s really cheap with pricing starting at around $11 on Aliexpress including free shipping and also available on eBay. Key features and specifications: HDMI input up to 4K resolution (3840×2160 @ 30 Hz) with 8/10/12 bit color depth support; Up to 15-meter cable (AWG26) Video Output up to 1080p30 using YUV or JPEG modes Audio – L-PCM Compatible with common video software such as VLC, OBS, Amcap, etc … Compliant […]

June 5, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Fingernail-sized BLYST840 nRF52840 Module Features Bluetooth 5.2, Thread, Zigbee and 46 I/O (Crowdfunding)

Canada based I-SYST inc has designed a tiny nRF52840 module about the size of a fingernail. BLYST840 module fully leverages the capability of Nordic Semi’s wireless microcontroller with Bluetooth 5.2, Thread, and Zigbee connectivity, and exposes 46 I/Os. BLYST840 specifications: Wireless MCU – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller @ 64 MHz with 1 MB flash, 256 KB RAM Connectivity Bluetooth 5.2 up to 2 Mbps, -96 dBm sensitivity for long-range; Up to 111 dB link budget; Bluetooth Mesh IEEE 802.15.4 radio support for Thread & Zigbee NFC-A Built-in ceramic antenna Output power – Adjustable from +8 dBm to -20 dBm 46 I/O pins exposed via pads around the edges of the module including QSPI/SPI/2-wire/I2S/PDM/QDEC Programmable Peripheral Interface (PPI) SPI interface @ 32 MHz Quad SPI interface @ 32 MHz EasyDMA for all digital interfaces USB 2.0 (12 Mbits) 12-bit/200K SPS ADC Security Arm TrustZone Cryptocell 310 128-bit AES/ECB/CCM/AAR co-processor […]

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

June 4, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Linux Powered Industrial IoT Gateway Offers WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, 4G LTE Connectivity

Compulab IOT-GATE-IMX8 is a Debian Linux powered fanless Industrial IoT gateway powered by NXP i.MX 8M Mini processor and specially designed for industrial control and monitoring with optional support for WiFI 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1, 4G LTE, and GNSS connectivity. The gateway is equipped with up to 4GB RAM and 128GB eMMC flash, takes variable DC input from 8V to 36V, and operates in a wide temperature range of -40C to 80°C with the company providing a 5-year warranty and 15-year availability. Compulab IOT-GATE-IMX8 specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX8M Mini quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.8GHz with Arm Cortex-M4 real-time core, Vivante 3G and 2D GPU System Memory – 1GB – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 4GB – 64GB eMMC flash (soldered on-board), plus secondary storage with optional 16GB – 64GB eMMC flash module Networking & Wireless Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet port, RJ45 connector Fast Ethernet port, RJ45 connector Optional 802.11ax WiFi […]

June 4, 2020June 4, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

NexDock Touch Laptop Shell Features a Touchscreen Display, an Optional Magnetic Mount for Your Phone

NexDock is a Motorola Lapdock alternative launched in 2016 with a 14.1″ non-touch display, a built-in battery, and a Bluetooth keyboard. It was followed by NexDock 2 last year with a Full HD display and a USB-C port. The company has now announced they had started manufacturing NexDock Touch based on NexDock 2 but adding a touchscreen display and some other features, and the company has also developed a magnetic mount – compatible with all NexDock models – to conveniently attach your phone to the side of the display. NexDock Touch specifications: Display – 13.3” IPS LCD display with 1920×1080 resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, touch-screen display Video Output – Full-size HDMI input port Storage – MicroSD card slot User Inputs Edge to edge full-sized keyboard (QWERTY and other country/language layouts are offered) Multi-touch trackpad Audio – 4x 1W speakers, 3.5mm audio jack USB – 1x USB type-C port for smartphones, […]