CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Boardcon EM-IMX8M-MINI SBC Drives a MIPI DSI Display via NXP i.MX 8M Mini Processor

We’ve been covered SBC’s and SoM’s from Boardcon for at least 5 years, with our latest article detailing Boardcon Idea3399 SBC powered by Rockchip RK3399 processor, and launched this September. The company has now launched another single board computer with EM-IMX8M-MINI featuring an NXP i.MX 8M Mini system-on-module (SoM) with 2GB LPDDR4, 8GB eMMC flash, and wireless connectivity. The board is designed for a “wide range of multimedia applications” and offers a MIPI DSI interface for LCDs up to 1920×1080 resolution. Boardcon EM-IMX8M-MINI specifications: SOM-IMX8M-MINI SoM (aka PICO-IMX8MM-V1) SoC – NXP i.MX8M Mini Quad with 4x Arm Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.8GHz, Arm an Arm Cortex-M4F real-time microcontroller @ 400MHz, Vivante GCNanoUltra 3D GPU, and Vivante GC320 2D GPU System Memory – 2GB LPDDR4 RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC 5.1 flash, QSPI NOR flash Connectivity – 802.11n WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.0 via an Ampak AP6236 module I/Os via 200-pin […]

November 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Centaur Unveils an x86 SoC with Integrated AI Coprocessor

Artificial intelligence is handled at different levels in the ecosystem with ultra-powerful systems in the cloud equipped with dedicated hardware such as FPGA or GPU cards, while on the other side of the spectrum we have Arm or RISC-V based processor with AI accelerator for low power systems like smartphones or battery-powered smart cameras. Centaur Technology aims to provide a solution catering to the middle segment of devices that don’t need ultra-low power consumption, nor the highest possible peak performance, but still require a relatively compact form factor and low costs. Their solution is a still-unnamed octa-core x86 processor featuring Centaur NCORE AI coprocessor. SoC with built-in NPU (Neural-network Processing Unit) is pretty common in the Arm and RISC-V world, but it’s apparently a world’s first in the x86 space since existing solutions are all based on external accelerators. Key features of the Centaur x86 AI processor: x86 microprocessor with […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

November 20, 2019November 20, 2019 by Stephen Vicinanza - 6 Comments

BlitzWolf BW-PCM1 is an Inexpensive 11.6″ Portable Display

The BlitzWolf Portable Display The BlitzWolf BW-PCM1 is an 11.6″ portable monitor designed for function and performance. The versatile screen has a number of features that other portable monitors, don’t have. This expanded ability seems to usher in a new era of portable monitors. The Idea Behind the Portable Display The BW-PCM1 was designed to a greater extent to use a gamer’s model for resolution at Full HD for 1920 x 1080 and auto-refresh at a range of 24 – 60 Hz. It is inexpensive and has a number of positive features and some negatives as well. Power Access The screen needs to be plugged into a power source and there is no indication that there will be a battery option. That is not to say never, just at this time there is no battery available for the unit. The BW-PCM1 Cons The display is designed to […]

November 19, 2019 by Ayo Ayibiowu - 8 Comments

Bangle.js is an Hackable, Open Source JavaScript and TensorFlow-driven Smartwatch (Crowdfunding)

Espruino brought JavasScript to the Microcontroller, now Bangle.js is bringing Javascript plus TensorFlow Lite to your smartwatch. There has been some movement by some developers that says that JavaScript should be used for everything, even though I find that idea ridiculous, I still find JavaScript a fascinating language. The NeaForm Research team and Gordon Williams (the brain behind Espruino) have all teamed up in launching Bangle.js Smartwatch. Bangle.js isn’t your ordinary smartwatch, at the heart of it is the open-source ecosystem. JavaScript plus TensorFlow Lite and of course, a cool looking Smartwatch is what Bangle.js is offering. Bangle.js was launched at the recently concluded NodeConf EU conference, and the goal is to bootstrap an Open Health Platform hopefully. NodeWatch is the specific implementation of Bangle.js for NodeConf EU 2019, co-developed by Espruino and NearForm Research. This project has the potential to bootstrap a community-driven open health platform where anyone can […]

November 19, 2019November 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 33 Comments

Orange Pi 4/4B SBC Comes with Rockchip RK3399 SoC, Gyrfalcon 2801S NPU

Shenzhen Xunlong Software’s Orange Pi RK3399 single board computer launched in early 2018 with 2GB RAM for $109, and earlier this year, the company launched an updated version with 4GB RAM and a lower $99.96 price tag. But there are plenty Rockchip RK3399 SBC’s on the market, including FrienglyELEC NanoPi M4 going for $50 and up ($75 with 4GB RAM), and Pine64 RockPro64 board starting at $59.99 with 2GB RAM, and $79.99 with 4GB. So unless you need the extra features (HDMI Input, SATA port, mPCIe socket…) offered by Orange Pi RK3399, other boards may be more competitive. So the company has been working on lowering the cost with a smaller board. Meet Orange Pi 4. They’ve also provided some extra features with a variant of the board called Orange Pi 4B that adds a Gyrfalcon Lightspeeur 2801S AI accelerator chip/NPU. That says a lot that neither Rockchip RK3399Pro SoC […]

November 19, 2019December 3, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 43 Comments

Black Friday & Cyber Monday 2019 – International Deals

As every year, November is the month of deals. With Single’s Day 2019 behind us, it’s time to look ahead for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. There will be plenty of deals in the US, but in this post, I’ll focus on international Black Friday 2019 deals available mostly from Chinese online shops like I did in previous years. Aliexpress Black Friday will start in about 10 days on Nov 29, 2019 ,12:00 AM PT and last until Dec 3, 2019 ,11:59 PM PT. But the site will start to show discounted prices on November 22, and you’ll be able to collect coins and coupons from that date, as well as add items to your cart before making the order during the 6-day promotion. Banggood Black Friday promotions have already started and will last until November 30 16:00 UTC+8. The easiest and most flexible way to get a discount is […]

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

November 18, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Some FUJITSU FUTRO Thin Clients are Powered by Intel Gemini Lake Refresh SoC’s

Fujitsu FUTRO-Gemini Lake Refresh Thin -Client

Six new Intel Gemini Lake Refresh processors were just announced a couple of weeks ago, and some of the first systems to feature the processor are part of FUJTISU Thin Client FUTRO family. Three models based on the new processors have been introduced with namely FUTRO S9010, S7010, and S5010 thin clients, all passively-cooled, running either eLux RP or Windows 10 IoT Entreprise, and equipped with SO-DIMM slots, M.2 SSD storage, six USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and two DisplayPort outputs. Beside the processor, the three thin clients share mostly share the same specifications, especially S5010 and S7010, and S9010 does add a few features: SoC FUTRO S9010 – Intel Pentium Silver J5040 quad-core GLK Refresh processor @ 2.0 GHz (up to 3.2 GHz) with Intel UHD Graphics 605; 10W TDP FUTRO S7010 – Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core GLK Refresh processor @ 2.0 GHz (up to 2.7 GHz) with Intel UHD […]

November 18, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Lightspeeur 5801 AI Accelerator Delivers 2.8 TOPS at 224 mW of Power

Announced in 2017, Gyrflacon LightSpeeur 2801 AI Accelerator could deliver 2.8 TOPS at 0.3 Watts of power. It’s now found in Orange Pi AI Stick Lite computer stick selling for around $20. Since then the company released 2802 chip for IoT applications, and earlier this year, the company introduced Gyrfalcon 2803 yielding up to 16.8TOPS @ 700 mW for “advanced edge” applications, and they’ve now announced Lightspeeur 5801 chip delivering 2.8 TOPS at 224 mW of power, or 12.6 TOPS/W. That does not seem much of any improvement of Lightspeeur 2801 since peak performance is the same, and power only slightly lower, but let’s check out more details to find out if there’s more to it. Key features: Based on the Gyrfalcon Matrix Processing Engine Performance – Up to 12.6 TOPs/Watt, peak: 2.8 TOPS @ 200 MHz Power Consumption – 224 mW @ 2.8 TOPs Latency – < 4 ms […]

Boardcon LGA3576 Rockchip RK3576 System-on-Module designed for AI and IoT applications