CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

March 16, 2018September 26, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

How to Run Linux on RISC-V with QEMU Emulator

RISC-V open-source architecture is starting to become more and more interesting thanks to the growing RISC-V hardware & software ecosystem, and with the recent release of HiFive Unleashed, we even have a board capable of running Linux. The only problem: it costs $999. But luckily, it’s possible to experiment with Linux on RISC-V without extra hardware, just using your current PC. Imperas offers a commercial solution working on both Windows and Linux that relies on busybear-linux RISC-V Linux root filesystem comprised of busybox and dropbear SSH server. The rootfs also works with QEMU, so I tried it in Ubuntu 16.04. The instructions on Github are quite easy to follow. My computer is powered by an AMD FX8350 processor coupled with 16GB RAM, and the whole process took around 2 hours, so better use the fastest computer possible. It also requires around 26 GB of storage on your build machine. First, […]

March 15, 2018March 30, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

STMicro VL53L1X Time of Flight (ToF) Sensor Extends Distance Measurement Range up to 4 Meters

STMicroElectronics VL53L0X ToF (Time-of-flight) range sensor is a tiny chip that can accurately and quickly measure distance up to 2 meters using laser light. I had the chance to test the sensor via TinyLIDAR board connected Arduino and Raspberry Pi, and found it was a great little sensor. TinyLIDAR includes an STM32 MCU, but you can also find standalone board for as low as about $4 shipped on Aliexpress. However, if 2 meters is too short a range for your project, the good news is that STMicro has now launched VL53L1X ToF “FlightSense” sensor with a range of up to 4 meters. VL53L1X is pin-to-pin compatible with VL53L0X, so existing PCBs could be re-used with the new sensor. STMicro VL53L1X main specifications: Emitter: 940 nm invisible laser (Class1) SPAD (single photon avalanche diode) receiving array with integrated lens Low-power microcontroller running advanced digital firmware Distance Ranging up to 4 meters […]

March 15, 2018March 16, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ACRN is an Open Source Hypervisor Built for IoT Device Development

ACRN – pronounced “acorn” – is an open source reference hypervisor with a small footprint, real-time capabilities, adaptability with support for Linux, Android, and RTOS guest operating systems, built for safety critical code in mind, and specifically designed for IoT and embedded devices. The project is managed / supported by the Linux Foundation. A few more details about some of the key features of the solution: Two main components: the hypervisor itself, and its device model complete with rich I/O mediators managed by Linux-based Service OS (SOS). Small footprint – Approx. 25K lines of code (LOC) for ACRN hypervisor against 156K LOC for datacenter-centric hypervisors. Real Time – Low latency, enables faster boot time, improves overall responsiveness with hardware communication Adaptability – Multi-OS support for guest operating systems like Linux, Android, RTOSes… Safety Criticality – Safety critical workloads have priority, isolation of safety critical workloads Built for Embedded IoT – Virtualization […]

March 15, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

F&S Elektronik ArmStone MXM8 Pico-ITX Board is Equipped with Up to 8GB RAM, NXP i.MX8M Processor

F&S Elektronik Systeme has been working on a new SBC part of their ArmStone family with ArmStone MXM8 single board computer, featuring NXP i.MX 8M quad core Cortex A53 processor, and supporting up to 8GB LPDDR4 RAM. The Pico-ITX board also comes with up to 32GB eMMC flash, integrate Gigabit Ethernet and wireless connectivity, DVI and dual-channel LVDS outputs, USB 3.0, PCIe and more interfaces. The layout is very similar to the company’s ArmStone A53SD pico-ITX board launched last year with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410E processor. ArmStone MXM8 preliminary specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 8M Dual or Quad Arm Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.5 GHz, Arm Cortex-M4 real-time core, and Vivante GC7000Lite GPU with support for OpenGL/Es 3.1, OpenGL 3.0, Vulkan System Memory – Up to 8GB LPDDR4 Storage – Up to 32GB eMMC flash, up to 1GB SLC NAND flash, optional micro SD slot Video Output – […]

March 14, 2018 by Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium) - 26 Comments

Intel NUC7CJYSAL “June Canyon” Gemini Lake NUC Mini PC Review with Windows 10 and Ubuntu

The hardware specification for mini PCs has recently evolved past the traditional fixed amount of memory and storage. Now mini PCs are shipping with SODIMM slots allowing RAM expansion and a variety of M.2 or SSD combos providing flexible storage options. Recent mini PCs are also coming to market with desktop processors rather than mobile processors because there has been a gradual acceptance of the necessary inclusion of a small internal fan. In doing so not only is this addressing the key limiting factors for mini PCs but it is also redefines the very definition of a mini PC. Until recently Intel NUCs (Next Unit of Computing) were seen as small-form-factor personal computers primarily because they consisted of the traditional motherboard with a processor, included removable RAM and storage and were enclosed in a case with an external power supply. They were also sold as kits meaning they were essentially […]

March 14, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

ESP32-WROOM-32D / ESP32-WROOM-32U WiFi & Bluetooth Modules Deliver Better RF Performance

ESP-WROOM-32 is likely the most popular ESP32 WiFi + Bluetooth module on the market, but a few months ago, Espressif Systems unveiled two variants named ESP32-WROOM-32D / ESP32-WROOM-32U, which are based on ESP32-D0WD (5x5mm package) instead of ESP32-D0WDQ6 (6x6mm package), and are said to offer better RF performance ESP32-WROOM-32D is the most similar to ESP-WROOM-32 since it also comes with a PCB antenna, while ESP32-WROOM-32U is much smaller as it relies on an external WiFi/Bluetooth antenna via a u.FL connector. Both new modules are pin-to-pin compatible with ESP-WROOM-32 Key features: CPU – Espressif ESP32-D0WD dual core Tensilica processor Storage – 32Mbit SPI flash Crystal – 40 MHz Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n up to 150 Mbps, Bluetooth 4.2 LE I/Os – 38- catellagated pin with I/Os + GND plane Antenna ESP32-WROOM-32D – on-board antenna ESP32-WROOM-32U – u.FL connector for external IPEX antenna Dimensions ESP32-WROOM-32D – 18 x 25.5 x 3.1 […]

March 14, 2018March 15, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 81 Comments

$35 Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ Launched with a Faster Processor, 802.11ac WiFi, Gigabit Ethernet, and Optional PoE

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has just introduced a updated version of their popular Raspberry Pi 3 Model B board with a Model B+ that increases the processor clocked up to 1.4 GHz, adds dual-band 802.11ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.2, Gigabit Ethernet (via USB 2.0 to Ethernet bridge), as well as support for PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) via an external HAT add-on board. Raspberry Pi 3B+ specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2837B0 64-bit ARMv8 quad core Cortex A53 processor @ 1.4GHz with dual core VideoCore IV GPU System Memory – 1GB LPDDR2 Storage – micro SD slot Video & Audio Output – HDMI 1.4 and 4-pole stereo audio and composite video port Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet (via Microchip LAN7515 USB 2.0 to GbE bridge), maximum throughput 300 Mbps), WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth 4.2 LE (via Cypress CYW43455 based module) USB – 4x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x micro USB port for power […]

March 14, 2018March 14, 2018 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Status of Embedded GPU Ecosystem – Linux/Mesa Upstream Support (ELC 2018 Video)

The Embedded Linux Confernce is on-going, and the Linux Foundation has been uploading videos about talks in a timely manner on YouTube. I checked out at RISC-V keynote yesterday, but today I’ve watched a talk by Robert Foss (his real name, not related to FOSS) from Collabora entitled “Progress in the Embedded GPU Ecosystem”, where he discusses open source software support in Linux/Mesa from companies and reverse-engineering support. The first part deals with the history of embedded GPU support, especially when it comes to company support. Intel was the first and offers very good support for their drivers, following by AMD who also is a good citizen. NVIDIA has the Nouveau driver but they did not really backed it up, and Tegra support is apparently sponsored by an aircraft supplier. Other companies have been slower to help, but Qualcomm has made progress since 2015 and now support all their hardware, […]