CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

August 22, 2019October 2, 2019 by Stephen Vicinanza - 3 Comments

Gemini Dual Screen Laptop is Made of Two Kay Lake-R Tablets (Crowdfunding)

[Update August 24, 2019: CNX Software has received a message claiming the project is a scam (identity theft): This is Li Yunjian, the Owner of following company : GST Communication Co., Ltd (Hongkong) 深圳市杰仕特通讯有限公司（China Mainland） Our Website on Alibaba: https://chinagstgroup.en.alibaba.com/ This is a fraudster illegally using our company information to scam ] [Update October 2, 2019: Gemini Dual Screen Laptop crowdfunding campaign is up again, but references to “GST Communication” are gone] Note by CNXSoft: The campaign is under review and they have stopped taking contributions. I can only assume it’s a trademark issue because Intel did not like them to use the name “Gemini”. If it’s indeed the case, It should be resolved with a new name. We’ll remove this notice when/if the campaign comes back online. The Chinese company GST has been running a crowdfunding campaign for the Gemini, a dual-screen laptop, with the ability to be […]

August 21, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Getting Started with Sipeed M1 based Maixduino Board & Grove AI HAT for Raspberry Pi

Last year we discovered Kendryte K210 processor with a RISC-V core and featuring AI accelerators for machine vision and machine hearing. Soon after, Sipeed M1 module was launched with the processor for aroud $10. Then this year we started to get more convenient development board featuring Sipeed M1 module such as Maixduino or Grove AI Hat. Seeed Studio sent me the last two boards for review. So I’ll start by showing the items I received, before showing how to get started with MicroPython and Arduino code. Note that I’ll be using Ubuntu 18.04, but development in Windows is also possible. Unboxing I received two packages with a Maixduino kit, and the other “Grove AI HAT for Edge Computing”. Grove AI HAT for Edge Computing Let’s start with the second. The board is a Raspberry Pi HAT with Sipeed M1 module, a 40-pin Raspberry Pi header, 6 grove connectors, as well […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

August 21, 2019 by Ayo Ayibiowu - 15 Comments

Pitaya Go is an IoT development board with multi-protocol wireless connectivity

One of the challenges in starting a new IoT project is the question of what connectivity to use. Depending on the nature of a project, there are several wired and wireless connectivity options that can be used to power a project and ensure it’s a success. We have WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, Zwave, LoRa, ZigFox, Thread, NB-IoT, 3G/4G, and others. You can use from anyone, but which one to use is another thing because most development board only support 1 or 2 of those. Well, with the introduction of the Pitaya Go, you don’t have to worry so much about that decision. The Pitaya Go is an IoT development platform with multiprotocol wireless connectivity built-in. The Pitaya Go is based on the Nordic’s high-end multiprotocol SoC nRF52840 and the Microchip’s extremely low power Wi-Fi network controller ATWINC1500B. The nRF52840 SoC is the most advanced member of the nRF52 Series SoC family, and it […]

August 21, 2019August 21, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 35 Comments

Khadas VIM3L Amlogic S905D3 SBC Targets HTPC Enthusiasts

Khadas recently launched VIM3 single board computer powered by Amlogic A311D that delivers the best performance among Arm-based SBC’s I have tested myself, and for instance, Amlogic A311D is significantly faster than Rockchip RK3399, and the platform is quite suitable for Android gaming. All that power comes at a price however, as Khadas VIM3 starts at $99.99 with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. That’s fine if you’re going to leverage the features and power of the board, but for some applications, it’s quite expensive. One of those applications is HTPC, as in a world of sub-$50 TV boxes, $100 is a bit too much for watching video content. So the Khadas team is currently developing Khadas VIM3L based on Amlogic S905D3 processor that should provide an excellent platform for HTPC. Khadas VIM3L specifications known so far: SoC – Amlogic S905D3-N0N quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ 1.9GHz with Arm Mali-G31MP2 GPU up […]

August 20, 2019July 27, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Toybrick TB-RK1808 AI Compute Stick is now Available for $86

Last May, we wrote about RK1808 AI Compute Stick, a USB stick with Rockchip RK1808 dual-core Cortex-A35 processor also featuring a 3.0 TOPS neural processing unit to accelerate AI workloads at low power. As I understood it, it was available for purchase, but you had to contact a Rockchip FAE by email in order to get one. Now, you can easily buy one online by getting the Toybrick TB-RK1808 AI Compute Stick on Seeed Studio for $86. Just ignore the “Core i3” in the title, we’ll see why it’s there further below. TB-RK1808 AI Compute Stick specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK1808 dual-core Cortex-A35 processor with NPU AI inference performance – 3 TOPS for INT8, 300 GOPS for INT16, 100 GOPS for FP16 System Memory – 1GB LPDDR Storage – 8GB eMMC flash Host Interface – USB 3.0 type-A port Power Supply – Via USB port Dimensions – 82 x 31 […]

August 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Sonoff S55 Waterproof WiFi Smart Sockets are Offered in Six Regional Variants

When WiFi smart sockets (aka smart plugs) started to appear a few years ago, they were often only available with either US or China plugs, and users from Europe, UK or other locales may have had to use an adapter instead. Since then, products that ship with multiple versions such as Sonoff S26 or Orvibo Wiwo S20 have launched in order to cater to more people around the world. ITEAD has now launched another WiFi smart socket, namely Sonoff S55, that’s designed to work outdoors thanks to IP55 ingress protection rating, and is offered in six different variants for Australia, Germany, France, the United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Sonoff S55 specifications: Input/Output S55TPI(AU) – AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 10A Max S55TPF(DE) – AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 16A Max S55TPE(FR) – AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 16A Max S55TPB(US) – AC 125V 50/60Hz 10A Max S55TPD(ZA)- AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 10A Max S55TPG(UK) […]

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

August 20, 2019August 20, 2019 by Siji Sunny - 5 Comments

mDash Cloud platform for IoT Devices Targets ESP8266/ESP32, STM32, and TI CC3220 Wireless MCUs

Cesanta (a company based in Dublin, Ireland) recently launched mDash – an IoT cloud platform for administration of various IoT modules. This platform supports Espressif’s modules ESP32 & ESP8266, STM32 (L4,M4) and TI CC3220, and offers a bunch of features which are known to be challenging tasks in the IoT world. This includes OTA (Over-The-Air) firmware updates, remote configuration and administration, alerts and notifications, remote device control and file management. This can be achieved through 3 programming platforms – Arduino IDE, ESP-IDF and through Mongoose OS. For evaluation and testing purpose mDash offers a simulator that run as a docker container. Refer our previous post, to understand how to get started with Cesanta’s Moongoose OS for ESP8266. Basic WorkFlow mDash Library The company offers reference firmware/library for the defined hardware platforms. This been implements by using secure MQTT for communication, re-connection and initial provisioning with mDash cloud. You can find […]

August 19, 2019August 19, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Socionext 24 GHz Radar Sensor for IoT Measures Distance and Angle (Video)

Last year, we wrote about Socionext MN87900 24 GHz radio wave radar module for IoT with Rx & Tx antennas and a crytal unit that measured just 12×7 mm. The module is made for IoT equipments, security systems, smart home appliances, autonomous vehicles and drones, medical devices, and more. Basically any application that requires distance measurement up to 8 meters (expandable to 30 meters with a radome horn), rough location, or motion detection may leverage the technology. The company has now uploaded a video showing a demo of their 24 GHz radar sensor. Socionext did not explain which exact solution they used, and it’s probably not the full module above, but either one of their sensors based on the link provided in the video description: SC1232AR3 – All-in-one RADAR sensor for Entry Motion & Distance Detection SC1233AR3 – All-in-one RADAR sensor for Entry Motion & 2D Detection I suspect SC1232AR3 […]