CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

May 1, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Canonical releases Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop image for the Qualcomm DragonWing QCS6490 and QCS5430 processors

Canonical has just released a publicly available Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop beta image for the Qualcomm DragonWing QCS6490 and QCS5430 processors, and more specifically for the Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 Vision Kit (QCS6490) and Qualcomm RB3 Gen 2 Lite Vision Kit (QCS5430). This adds to the existing Ubuntu 24.04 Server image for the Qualcomm vision kits, and Canonical says the unified image is currently designed for developers, ODMs/OEMs, and customers who want to evaluate the solution, and certified versions of Ubuntu 24.04 Desktop and Server images are coming soon with long term support and maintenance. Canonical explains the image enables the full Ubuntu Desktop experience at the edge with “powerful AI acceleration with high-performance graphics” (so I assume that means GPU and NPU are already supported), enhanced camera and multimedia capabilities, sensor integration, and various performance optimizations of the DragonWing family. So the way I read the announcement is that contrary […]

May 1, 2025May 7, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

XIAO 2-channel Wi-Fi AC Energy Meter runs ESPHome on ESP32-C6 module, comes with two 100A CT clamps

Seeed Studio’s XIAO 2-channel Wi-Fi AC Energy Meter is an ESP32-C6 (XIAO ESP32-C6) powered power meter with two independent CT clamp (Current Transformer clamp) connectors to safely measure power consumption when placed around one of the wires from an AC cable. We reviewed the SONOFF POW Ring single-channel WiFi CT clamp power meter with eWelink and Home Assistant last year, and before that, we also covered models supporting multiple CT clamps, up to 16 clamps with the Emporia Vue Gen 2 energy monitor. The XIAO 2-channel Wi-Fi AC Energy Meter offers a middle ground with support for two CT clamps measuring up to 35A each. XIAO 2-channel Wi-Fi AC Energy Meter specifications: Wireless module – XIAO ESP32C6 board Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 16KB low-power SRAM Storage – […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

May 1, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Adafruit Sparkle Motion – An ESP32-based addressable LED controller with four outputs, 100W USB-C power, and WLED/xLights support

The Adafruit Sparkle Motion is an ESP32-based LED controller board designed to drive addressable LEDs, including WS2812B, APA102, SK6812, LPD8806, UCS2904, and SM16704. It supports both WLED and xLights projects and features an onboard 100W USB-C PD port to drive even high-voltage LED setups. The board includes dual power input options (USB-C PD with 5/12/20V selection and 2.1mm DC jack), a 5A fuse, and level-shifted output terminals for controlling addressable LEDs. The board also features a built-in I2S digital microphone, IR receiver, Stemma QT I2C port, USB-serial with auto-reset, GPIO breakout pads, onboard NeoPixel and status LED, and multiple JST and terminal connectors for sensor and control integration. It comes pre-assembled with terminal blocks for easy wiring, making it suitable for applications such as wearable electronics, home decor lighting, audio-reactive displays, and remote-controlled installations. Adafruit Sparkle Motion Specifications: SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 MCU @ 240MHz with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and […]

May 1, 2025April 30, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Cerebro clusterboard supports up to four NVIDIA Jetson, Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5, or Radxa CM5 modules (Crowdfunding)

Cerebro is a modular board / clusterboard designed to take up to four system-on-modules such as NVIDIA Jetson SO-DIMM modules, Raspberry Pi CM4 or CM5, or Radxa CM5. The board integrated a BMC for intercommunication between the CPU modules. The Cerebro was designed out of frustration as the team at Sparklab Solution could not find a solution where boards would work together seamlessly. While there are other clusterboards for Raspberry Pi Compute modules, the Cerebro motherboard provides more flexibility with three M.2 sockets per node, a built-in BMC and optional expandable BMC, KVM support between each node, dual Ethernet, a 10 Gbps USB 3.2 port, and more. Specifications: Compute Modules 4x SODIMM-260 slots Compatibility Nvidia Jetson Orin NX/Nano Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5 via adapter Radxa CM5 via adapter Supports mix and match of different models Storage 2x M.2 key-M slots per node (8x in total) for NVMe SSD 1x MicroSD card […]

April 30, 2025April 30, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 SoC enters mass production, ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 board launched for $15

Espressif Systems has just started mass production of the ESP32-C5 RISC-V wireless microcontroller with dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE, and 802.15.4 (Zigbee, Thread) connectivity. The ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 development is now available for about $15 on AliExpress, and should soon show up on the company’s Amazon store. So far, WiFi-capable Espressif microcontrollers have only supported 2.4 GHz WiFi since it’s cheaper and offers better range for IoT applications, but some applications may benefit from 5 GHz WiFi, so the company unveiled the ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 and BLE RISC-V MCU in June 2022. Design probably took longer than expected, but we noted documentation for an ESP32-C5 beta board in March 2024, and finally, the company has just announced that mass production has started. We’ll have a closer look at the ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 board in this article, since it is different from the beta board. ESP32-C5-DevKitC-1 specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-C5-WROOM-1 SoC […]

April 30, 2025May 1, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

New color e-paper monitors – 13.3-inch DASUNG Paperlike 13K and 23.5-inch BOOX Mira Pro Color

DASUNG Paperlike 13K ports epaper color monitor

Back in 2023, DASUNG launched its first color E-Ink monitor, quickly followed by BIGME B251 computer and standalone E-Ink monitor. Both were based on the same 23.5-inch E-ink Kaleido 3 color display with 3200×1800 resolution, and were rather pricey at $1,529 (Indiegogo price) and $1,299 (Kickstarter price), respectively. Let’s revisit color e-paper monitors in 2025 with two new models that were just announced: the DASUNG Paperlike 13K 13.3-inch e-ink color monitor and BOOX Mira Pro (Color version) with the same 23.5-inch E-Ink Kaleido as competing monitors launched in 2023. Those monitors are particularly well-suited for people spending long hours in front of the screen, and don’t need to watch video and play games due to the lower refresh and ghosting effect. It’s supposed to be friendlier to eyes, and there’s no blue light. DASUNG PaperLike 13K – 13.3-inch e-ink color monitor Paperlike Paperlike 13K (13KCFT) specifications: Display 13.3-inch Color E-ink […]

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

April 30, 2025April 30, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Radxa Orion O6 mini-ITX motherboard gets Arm SystemReady SR v2.5 certification

Radxa Orion O6 mini-ITX motherboard powered by a CIX P1 12-core Cortex-A720/A520 SoC has just obtained Arm SystemReady SR (ServerReady) v2.5 certification, meaning it’s been shown to run unmodified several OS images such as Windows and Ubuntu. I’ve already tested a Debian 12 image modified by Radxa on the Orion O6, but one of the goals of the platform was to provide a universal UEFI + ACPI firmware to boot any Arm ISO released by OS vendors, for instance, the Ubuntu Desktop ISO for Arm 64-bit architecture downloaded directly from the Ubuntu website. The Arm SystemReady SR certification is a step in the right direction, as it means the Orion O6 has passed a number of tests showing it can boot several off-the-shelf OS images. We’ll find Radxa’s Orion O6 listed on the Arm SystemReady Compliance page among boards from other manufacturers, as well as the Radxa ROCK Pi 4B+, […]

April 29, 2025April 30, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Inventia MT-718 PS battery-powered IP68 industrial telemetry logger integrates environmental sensors, cellular IoT connectivity

Inventia MT 718 PS battery operated telemetry logger with IP68 protection

Inventia MT-718 PS is a compact, battery-powered industrial telemetry logger designed for monitoring, logging, and data transmission in industrial and environmental applications, especially in areas where grid power supply and access to infrastructure are limited. It supports 2G/4G LTE Cat 1 or NB-IoT/LTE Cat M1 (eMTC) connectivity, and comes with an IP68-rated waterproof housing, allowing operation under 2 meters of water for up to 24 hours. Key features include five binary/counter inputs, two analog inputs (0–5V with 4–20mA conversion option), and built-in pressure (0–10 bar), temperature, and humidity sensors, as well as RS-485 with Modbus RTU support. The logger also features two digital outputs, can store up to 60,000 records at 1-second intervals, offers an optional OLED display, and supports OTA firmware updates. It is powered by replaceable alkaline or lithium batteries for long-term, maintenance-free operation and includes tamper detection via a lid sensor. The MT-718 OS can be used […]