Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on ALPON X4 – A Raspberry Pi CM4 fanless Edge Computer with 4G LTE cellular connectivity

ALPON X4 – A Raspberry Pi CM4 fanless Edge Computer with 4G LTE cellular connectivity

ALPON X4

SixFab ALPON X4 is yet another fanless Raspberry Pi CM4-powered edge computer whose main selling point is built-in 4G LTE cellular connectivity with an eSIM, besides two Ethernet ports, and dual-band WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 on the system-on-module. The edge computer ships with 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash by default, but another Raspberry Pi CM4 can be used upon request. Other ports include HDMI video output,  two USB 2.0 ports, and an RJ11 jack for GPIO expansion. The system supports three power options: USB PD, a 9V to 30V DC input terminal block, or PoE. ALPON X4 specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi CM4 SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A72 SoC @ 1.5GHz GPU – VideoCore VI with support for OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan 1.0 VPU Decode – H.265/HEVC up to 4Kp60, H.264 up to 1080p60 Encode – H.264 up to 1080p30 Memory – 8GB LPDDR4-3200 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on HoneyComb Ryzen V3000 – An AMD Ryzen V3C18I mini-ITX motherboard with dual 10Gbps SFP+, 2.5GbE, dual SATA III

HoneyComb Ryzen V3000 – An AMD Ryzen V3C18I mini-ITX motherboard with dual 10Gbps SFP+, 2.5GbE, dual SATA III

HoneyComb Ryzen V3000

SolidRun HoneyComb Ryzen V3000 is a mini-ITX motherboard powered by an AMD Ryzen Embedded V3C18I processor, supporting up to 64GB of DDR5 memory and M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD storage, and equipped with two 10 Gbps Ethernet SFP+ cages, a 2.5GbE RJ45 jack, and two SATA III ports for advanced networking and storage applications. The solution is comprised of a mini-ITX motherboard and a Ryzen V3000 CX7 COM Express module, which the company introduced in 2022. As an industrial motherboard, it’s designed to operate in the -40°C to +85°C temperature range. HoneyComb Ryzen V3000 specifications: Ryzen V3000 CX7 COM Express module SoC – AMD Ryzen Embedded V3C18I octa-core/16-thread processor clocked at 1.9 GHz / 3.8 GHz (Turbo) with 4 MB L2 cache and 16 MB L3 cache; TDP: 15W System Memory – Up to 64GB (2x 32GB), ECC/Non-ECC DDR5 memory up to 4800 MT/s via two SODIMM sockets. Dimensions – 125 […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on Thin PoE HAT for Raspberry Pi 5 features isolated SMPS, fits inside the official case, works with the active cooler

Thin PoE HAT for Raspberry Pi 5 features isolated SMPS, fits inside the official case, works with the active cooler

Waveshare PoE HAT (H)

Waveshare has launched the PoE HAT (H), a thin Power over Ethernet(PoE) HAT for the Raspberry Pi 5 that easily fits inside the official case and works with the active cooler. The HAT is specially designed for the Raspberry Pi 5 and supports IEEE 802.3af/at PoE standards. It features an isolated switched-mode power supply (SMPS) that delivers a stable 5V/5A output through the GPIO header.  The board includes a standard 40-pin GPIO header and relies on a low-profile PoE IC. Waveshare PoE HAT (H) Specifications: Compatibility – Raspberry Pi 5 Expansion – 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO header Cooling Fits inside the official Raspberry Pi 5 case Compatible with the official active cooler Misc – Onboard original IC for stable PoE performance Power Supply IEEE 802.3af/at compliant Isolated switched-mode power supply (SMPS) PoE power input – 37V to 57V DC Output via GPIO header – 5V, 5A (max) Dimensions – 65 x 56.5 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Avaota F1 – A tiny camera board based on Allwinner V821 RISC-V SoC with built-in WiFi and 64MB DDR2

Avaota F1 – A tiny camera board based on Allwinner V821 RISC-V SoC with built-in WiFi and 64MB DDR2

Avaota F1 devkit

The Avaota F1 is an ultra-small, open-source hardware Linux SBC powered by an Allwinner V821 32-bit RISC-V camera SoC with 64MB on-chip DDR2 and built-in 2.4 GHz WiFi 4, and designed for camera applications with a MIPI CSI connector. The 35×22 mm board also features a 32MB NOR flash, an analog microphone, a USB-C port for power, data, and programming, two 15-pin GPIO headers, a FEL button, and a user LED. It looks like it will be offered as a development kit with a 1080p30 camera and a 3.5-inch or 1.54-inch SPI display. I also think it’s the first time I’ve seen a Linux-capable application processor with built-in WiFi. Avaota F1 specifications SoC – Allwinner V821L2-WXX CPU 32-bit RISC-V CPU @ 1.2GHz with 16KB L1 D/I  cache, 128KB L2 cache 32-bit RISC-V MCU @ 600 MHz with  16KB L1 I-cache, 8KB L1 D-cache Memory – 64MB DDR2 on-chip VPU – […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on LaserPecker LP5 Review – Part 2: A 20W diode & fiber laser engraver tested with LDS software, rotary extension, safety enclosure

LaserPecker LP5 Review – Part 2: A 20W diode & fiber laser engraver tested with LDS software, rotary extension, safety enclosure

LaserPecker LP5 review Rotary Extension Safety Enclosure Featured Image

We have already checked the specifications, done an unboxing, and shown how to assemble the LaserPecker LP5 2-in-1 fiber & diode laser engraver along with its safety enclosure and rotary extension in the first part of the review. In the second part of the review, we will report our experience using the LaserPecker LP5 laser engraver with various materials such as plywood, stainless steel, rubber, and aluminum, as well as a ceramic cup and an insulated tumbler using either the LDS software on Windows or the LDS mobile apps on an iPad. Using the LaserPecker LP5 laser engraver with LDS software LaserPecker Design Space (LDS) is a laser engraving and cutting software designed specifically for the LaserPecker laser engravers. It’s meant to allow users to easily create projects with personalized engraving, complex patterns, and precise cutting of various materials. It can run on Windows and macOS with Intel or Apple […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Boardcon EM1103B AIoT SBC for video surveillance applications features PIR sensor, fingerprint interface, and dual camera support

Boardcon EM1103B AIoT SBC for video surveillance applications features PIR sensor, fingerprint interface, and dual camera support

EM1103B Rockchip RV1103B SBC

Boardcon EM1103B is an AIoT SBC powered by a Rockchip RV1103B SoC designed for surveillance applications with dual camera, fingerprint, and a PIR sensor. This unique combination makes it suitable for vision-based applications such as smart cameras, doorbells, and battery-powered surveillance devices. The SBC consists of a compact core board that mounts to a large baseboard, which gives access to all the necessary I/O modules and also provides power. The SBC together features 100 Mbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 OTG, UART, GPIO, and interfaces for speakers, microphones, fingerprint sensors, and PIR motion sensors. It also features PoE (5V) support and expandable storage via microSD. Additionally, it integrates two MIPI CSI camera interfaces mad the RV1103B’s 8MP hardware ISP with enables advanced image processing features such as HDR, 3A (AE/AF/AWB), and 3DNR. The chip also supports H.264/H.265 video encoding for local and cloud streaming. Boardcon EM1103B specifications: Core Board – Boardcon […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments on Radxa Dragon Q6A – A Qualcomm QCS6490 Edge AI SBC with GbE, WiFi 6, three camera connectors

Radxa Dragon Q6A – A Qualcomm QCS6490 Edge AI SBC with GbE, WiFi 6, three camera connectors

Radxa Dragon Q6A

Radxa Dragon Q6A is an upcoming credit card-sized SBC powered by a Qualcomm QCS6490 octa-core SoC with a 12 TOPS AI accelerator, up to 16GB LPDDR5 memory, and the usual ports found on Raspberry Pi-like single board computers such as gigabit Ethernet, four USB ports, HDMI video output, and a 40-pin GPIO header. The board will also feature an M.2 Key-M socket for SSD storage, a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 wireless module, a MIPI DSI display interface, three MIPI CSI connectors, a connector for an eMMC or UFS flash module, a microphone input connector, and an RTC battery connector. Radxa Dragon Q6A specifications: SoC – Qualcomm QCS6490 CPU – Octa-core Kryo 670 with 1x Gold Plus core (Cortex-A78) @ 2.7 GHz, 3x Gold cores (Cortex-A78) @ 2.4 GHz, 4x Silver cores (Cortex-A55) @ up to 1.9 GHz GPU – Adreno 643L GPU @ 812 MHz with support for Open GL […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Axelera Metis Compute Board pairs Rockchip RK3588 SoC with 214 TOPS Metis AI accelerator

Axelera Metis Compute Board pairs Rockchip RK3588 SoC with 214 TOPS Metis AI accelerator

Metis Compute Board

Axelera Metis Computer Board is a Rockchip RK3588 mini-ITX motherboard equipped with a Metis AIPU (AI Processing Unit) capable of delivering up to 214 TOPS, 16GB LPDDR4 memory for the CPU, and 4GB LPDDR4x RAM for the AI accelerator. I first came across the Axelera Metis AIPU in M.2 and PCIe card in 2023, and I was rather impressed with the advertised 214 TOPS of AI performance promised in this form factor and relatively affordable $149 price tag considering the price-to-performance ratio. At the time, it was still hard to source the chip and module due to limited quantities, and in 2024, it became easier to evaluate the solution with the Axelera Metis PCIe Arm AI evaluation kit based on a Firefly ITX-3588J mini-ITX motherboard equipped with a 214 TOPS Metis AIPU PCIe card. The new Metis Compute Board is similar, but in a more compact form factor since the […]

Boardcon CM3588 Rockchip RK3588 System-on-Module designed for AI and IoT applications