CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

AMD Ryzen Embedded based SBC-VR1000 SBC to Power Edge Computing & Graphics Applications

We just wrote about a 3.5″ Ryzen Embedded SBC a few days ago, namely SECO SBC-C90 single board computer, after mentioning there were few such AMD options in the 3.5-inch form factor with the only other board we covered so far being IBase IB918. But there’s now at least a third option with Kontron introducing SBC-VR1000 3.5-inch board powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded V1000-series or R1000-series processor, and designed for “intensive edge computing and graphics applications” including digital signage, digital casino gaming, kiosk, retail, banking, education, medical imaging, as well as industrial control and automation. Kontron SBC-VR1000 specifications: SoC (one or the other) AMD Ryzen V1605B quad-core processor @ up to 3.60 GHz with 4M cache, AMD Radeon Vega 8 GPU; 15 W TDP AMD Ryzen V1202B dual-core processor @ up to 3.20 GHz with 4MB cache, AMD Radeon Vega 3 GPU; 15 W TDP AMD Ryzen R1606G dual-core processor […]

March 12, 2020July 31, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

$5 Sinilink WiFI USB Power Switch Works with Tasmota Firmware, Supports up to 20V/5A

Late last year, ITEAD launched Sonoff Micro WiFi USB switch that allows you to turn on and off USB powered devices over WiFi using eWelink app for Android or iOS. It integrates with Amazon Alexas and Google Home, and does the job, but people who like to use the open-source Tasmota firmware will be disappointed to learn it’s not based on ESP8266 processor hence not compatible. Luckily, there’s another option: Sinilink WiFi USB switch (aka XY-WFUSB) based on ESP8266 WiFi SoC, and supporting up to 20V/5A according to the manufacturer. It is currently sold for under $5 including shipping on Aliexpress. Sinilink XY-WFUSB specifications: WiSoC – Espressif ESP8266 processor with 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 USB Input – USB type-A female port supporting 3.5V to 20V up to 5A (100 Watts max) USB Output – USB type-A male port up to 100W Misc On/off button – Pressing 5 seconds also change the […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

March 11, 2020September 2, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Meshtastic Mesh Networking Project Combines ESP32, LoRa and GPS Radio

Meshtastic is a project using off-the-shelf, inexpensive ESP32-based hardware with GPS & LoRa connectivity to create mesh networks helping hikers. skiers, paragliders, or people exercising other outdoor activities communicate short messages such as their GPS location. This allows each member of a private mesh network to see the location and distance of all other members and read/or any text messages sent to a group chat. No phone is required unless you have an ESP32 LoRa board without GPS in which case it would get the GPS coordinates from your phone over Bluetooth. A phone is also needed to send a message. The project currently works on three different boards TTGO T-Beam, TTGO LORA32 and Heltec LoRa 32. The T-Beam is recommended as it sells for around $26 plus shipping and features a 18650 battery holder so you can source the battery easily locally. Just make sure to purchase the right […]

March 11, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

Electrolama to Launch 802.15.4/Zigbee USB Dongle and Raspberry Pi “HAT”

Electrolama (@omerk and friends) has been working on two open-source hardware 802.15.4/Zigbee projects with “zig-a-zig-ah” (aka “zzh”) USB stick based on Texas Instruments CC2652R SimpleLink multi-standard wireless MCU and Zoe (Zigbee + Poe) development board based on Raspberry Pi HAT form factor and powered by TI CC2530 SimpleLink 2.4 GHz SoC alongside CC2592 range extender. Both boards are released under an Apache-based Solderpad Hardware License 2.0, and target users of the Zigbee2MQTT project. The boards could soon also get native support in Home Assistant via the “zigpy-cc” library which adds support in ZHA (Zigbee Home Automation) integration component. Zig-a-zig-ah USB Stick Preliminary specifications: WiSoC – Texas Instruments CC2652R SimpleLink multi-standard wireless MCU with support for Thread, Zigbee, Bluetooth 5 Low Energy, IEEE 802.15.4g, 6LoWPAN, and proprietary systems. (Note: CC2652RB is also considered as it does not require an external crystal oscillator) Host Interface – USB via CH340 USB-UART bridge Misc […]

March 10, 2020March 10, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

AirView Wireless Touchscreen Display Works with Phones, Laptops, Raspberry Pi, Etc. (Crowdfunding)

We’ve already written about several displays that take USB-C, HDMI or/and WiFi inputs to add a monitor to phones or computers including DUO add-on display and LAPSCREEN. AirView is another one of those and has launched on Kickstarter with a 13.3″ and 15.6″ Full HD versions featuring a touchscreen, built-in Miracast & AirPlay support, as well as HDMI and USB-C ports. It works with Android/iOS phones, traditional laptops & computers, SBC’s such as Raspberry Pi, and even game consoles. Two Airview models are available with the following hardware specifications: 15.6-inch model 1920×1080 resolution @ 60 Hz (4K model planned, but not available in KS) IPS display Multi-touch support Brightness – 250cd/m2 SRGB gamut – 98% Dimensions – 352 x 228 x 9.4 mm Weight – 1080 grams 13.3-inch model 1920×1080 resolution @ 60 Hz IPS display Multi-touch support Brightness – 300cd/m2 SRGB gamut – 100% Dimensions – 310 x 200 […]

March 10, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

FWS-2275 3 LAN Ports Rugged Network Appliance is Designed for Secure Industrial IoT Networks

AAEON FWS-2275 is a rugged network appliance powered by an Intel Celeron N3350 processor and equipped with 3 LAN ports to bring vital functions and security to industrial networks. Specifically, the device is designed for network solutions such as UTM (Unified Threat Management) systems, firewalls, and SD-WAN (Software-defined WAN) appliances. FWS-2275 specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3350 dual-core Apollo Lake processor @ 1.10 / 2.40 GHz with Intel HD graphics, built-in Intel AES-NI; 6W TDP System Memory – 2GB LPDDR4 (soldered) Storage – 16GB eMMC flash (32GB optional) Video Output – Optional HDMI connector Networking 3x Gigabit Ethernet ports (1x WAN + 2x LAN) via Intel i211 Optional WiFi or 4G LTE via mini Card (see expansion section) USB – 2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports; 1x micro USB port for console Serial – 1x RS-232/422/485 Expansion Full-size mini PCIe slot with SIM Socket 8-pin external header with 4x digital […]

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

March 10, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Android 10 on Xiaomi Mi A2 (Lite) or When Firmware Updates Go Wrong

I’ve been using Xiaomi Mi A2 smartphone since December 2018. At the time, it shipped with Android 8.0, but I soon got an update to Android 8.1, and later to Android 9.0. I’m quite satisfied with the phone as it receives (almost) monthly security updates, works reasonably faster, features a decent camera, and overall does the job. The biggest complaint I have so far is about storage. It comes with 32GB eMMC flash and no MicroSD card slot, and it’s constantly full, so I have to clear the cache often, and sometimes I need to uninstall an app and reinstall it in order to install an update. Sometimes in January, I got a notification about Android 10 updates, but since I was out of space, I only installed it late February after some serious storage cleaning… The update went smoothly, and after some adjustment to the settings I was back […]

March 9, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Thundercomm Announces Qualcomm based Modules for Smart Speakers, LTE IoT, Smart Retail, and 5G Applications

Based in California in the US, Thundercomm Technology Co., Ltd. (aka Thundercomm) is a provider of IoT products & technologies for OEM/ODMs, enterprises and developers. The company introduced several Qualcomm based “TurboX Systems-on-Module” for smart speakers, LPWAN IoT devices with NB-IoT and LTE Cat M1 connectivity, smart retail applications, and 5G powered devices. TurboX C404 and C405 SOMs for Smart Speakers and Soundbars Key features and specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon C404 / C405 with CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 @, 1.4 GHz GPU (C405 Only) – Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU @ 600 MHz DSP -2x Hexagon QDSP6 v66 – Low Power Audio Subsystem & Audio Compute DSP System Memory & Storage – 1GB LPDDR3 + 8GB eMMC flash in eMCP package; SD card signals Connectivity 2×2 MIMO WiFI 5 802.11 a/b/g/ac + Bluetooth 5.0 + FM via WCN3999 Gigabit Ethernet (RGMII) Display Interfaces (C405 Only) 4-lane MIPI DSI port […]