CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

April 28, 2019May 5, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 16 Comments

Allwinner Tablet SoC Roadmap 2019 – 2020

Both Rockchip and Amlogic have some pretty interesting processors coming down the pipe with for example Rockchip RK3588 Cortex A76/A55 or Amlogic S922D Cortex A73/A53 SoCs both featuring an neural processing unit (NPU) for AI workloads acceleration at low power. The companies also have updated entry-level quad Arm Cortex-A55 processors with RK3530 and S905X3 models which are planned to launch later this year. But this made me wonder what was going with Allwinner since the company got really quiet, except for the “launch” of renamed processors for a specific business unit. That’s the only company among the three to have yet to announce a Cortex-A7X 64-bit Arm processor. The good news is that the company has released a roadmap of sort for their A-Series processors for tablets. The less good news is that very few details are available for the processors except for one: Allwinner A50 – Quad core Cortex-A7 […]

April 27, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Seeed Studio W600 Certified WiFi Module to Support Arduino, Micropython

Last year, Seeed Studio introduced Air602 WiFi module, a competitor to ESP8266 based on Winner Micro W600 Arm Cortex-M3 microcontroller and selling for $1.90. The module was clearly optimized for cost and size since it offered only a few I/Os, and there was absolutely no mention about FCC or CE certifications. The company has now launched another W600 module, slightly larger to expose more I/Os, and pre-certified to comply with FCC and CE requirements. W600 certified WiFi module is offered standalone, or fitted to “Grove – W600” module for easy connection to Arduino boards. W600 Module Specifications: WiSoC – Winner Micro W600 Arm Cortex-M3 microcontroller with 1MB Flash, RF Transceiver, CMOS PA, BaseBand WiFi Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n up to 150 Mbps Frequency – 2.4~2.4835 GHz Features – Wi-Fi WMM, WMM-PS, WPA/WPA2, WPS Protocols – TCP, UDP, ICMP, DHCP, DNS, HTTP Access Point and Station modes PCB antenna Expansion – […]

Graperain Samsung, Rockchip, and Qualcomm CPU modules, SBCs, and carrier boards

April 26, 2019April 26, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Mediatek MT7629 Dual Core Arm Processor to Power AC1900 Routers

MediaTek is working on a new dual core Cortex A7 processor that supports OpenWrt and targets AC1900 WiFi routers. That’s what I learned from a tweet by WidoraIoT detailing the main features of MediaTek MT7629 SoC as shown in the table below. So basically we have two Arm Cortex-A7 cores clocked @ up to 1.25 GHz, 8MB built-in? flash, HW accelerators and security/crypto engines, multiple Gigabit and Fast Ethernet interfaces, built-in support for 802.11n (WiFi 4) 3×3 MIMO and 802.11ac (WiFi 5) 3×3 MIMO, as well as various interfaces such as PCIe, USB 2.0, USB 3.0, and the usual slower I/Os like I2C, PWM and UART. A web search mostly shows code commits to Linux and U-boot, and we learn a few extra details such as MT7629 shares the same PCIe IP block as MT7622 dual core Cortex-A53 processor. It also reveals a forum post on Widora website with a […]

April 26, 2019June 25, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Wireless Gecko Series 2 MCU Delivers Extended Range, HW Security

Silicon Labs are recently introduced their Wireless Gecko Series 2 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU family that offers Bluetooth, Zigbee, and Thread connectivity for smart home, commercial and industrial IoT applications. The new family includes a dedicated security core as well as an on-chip radio which according to the company delivers 2.5 times the wireless range of competing solutions. Some of the highlights of the new wireless microcontroller includes: 80 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 core with TrustZone technology High RF performance with +20 dBm output power and up to +124.5 dB link budget Low active current (50.9 µA/MHz) Security Dedicated security core for faster, lower-power encryption Built-in true random number generator (TRNG) Secure boot loading Secure debug access control Tiny 4×4 mm QFN package Lower BOM count and system cost with fewer matching components and no need for external inductors or power amplifiers Flexible pre-certified modules based on EFR32xG21 SoCs planned for Q3 […]

April 26, 2019April 26, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 60 Comments

$35 Atomic Pi Cherry Trail Linux SBC is now available worldwide

At the very end of last year, I covered Atomic Pi single board computer powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor which was mostly interesting because of its incredibly low price: $34 and up. Getting an Intel board fof the price of a Raspberry Pi looked too good to be true, and being launched via a Kickstarter, the crowdfunding campaign raised suspicions. The board would also only ship to the US. Shipping was scheduled for January 2019, backers received their board around two months ago, and most people appear to be satisfied with the main struggle being powering the board since it requires some manual wiring for people who did not purchase the breakout board. So it’s real, it works, and the good news is that the board now sells on Amazon US for $34.50 with the company (DLI – Digital Logger Inc.) shipping worldwide. Here’s a reminder of the […]

April 25, 2019April 25, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

GPD Pocket 2 Max mini Laptop Combines 8.9″ Display with Core m3-8100Y Amber Lake Processor

In recent years, companies like GPD and One Mix have launched tiny laptops with 6″ to 7″ displays. Those have the advantages of being ultra-portable, yet delivering pretty good performance thanks to Intel Kaby Lake-Y, Gemini Lake, and Amber Lake processors. Size can also be an inconvenient, even if your eyes are good enough for the tiny screens, the keyboard does not allow maximum productivity for most people. GPD Pocket 2 Max mini laptop should improve on this as its 8.9″ display is still small by laptop standards, but it should be more readable, and the keyboard will also be larger. Pocket 2 Max specifications: SoC – Intel Core m3-8100Y dual-core/quad-thread Amber Lake processor @ 1.1 / 3.4 (Turbo) GHz with Intel UHD Graphics 615; 5W TDP System Memory – 8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 RAM Storage – 256GB to 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD Display – 8.9″ display with 2560×1600 resolution […]

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

April 25, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Mecool K6 Dual DVB-T2/T/C + DVB-S2 Tuner TV box is Powered by HiSilicon Hi3798M Processor

VideoStrong has launched many Amlogic based Android TV boxes with one or two digital TV tuners, often under the Mecool brand, over the years. But their latest Mecool K6 set-top box features instead an HiSilicon Hi3798M processor with GB RAM, 16GB storage, and two independent tuners supporting DVB-T2/T/C and DVB-S2 standards for respectively terrestrial & cable TV, and satellite. Meecool K6 set-top box specifications: SoC – Hisilicon Hi3798M quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor, Arm Mali 450MP GPU System memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB eMMC Flash, microSD card slot up to 32GB Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K/2K with HDCP2.2, HDR; AV port (composite) Video Decoder HiVXE 2.0 Processing Engine 10-bit H.265/HEVC, H.264 AVC, 10-bit VP9 up to 4Kx2K @ 60 fps Encode – H.265 up to 1080p30 or 2x 720p30 fps HDR – HDR10 & HLG Audio Output – HDMI digital audio, stereo audio via AV port, optical S/PDIF […]

April 25, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Gateworks GW16130 Mini PCIe Satellite Modem Targets IoT Applications

Some IoT applications may require 24/7 worldwide coverage, and cellular networks are suitable since they may not provide coverage in remote locations, at sea, or at altitude. The only solution in that case is to go with satellite communication through thank to networks such as the ones provided by Iridium Communications. Gateworks GW16130 makes it easy to add a satellite modem card to your projects thanks to it’s mini PCIe form factor and USB 2.0 interface. Gateworks GW16130 mini PCIe card key features & specifications: Iridium 9603N SBD (Short Burst Data) Satellite Transceiver Max Message payload – 340 bytes upload, 270 bytes download Automatic message notification on incomming messages Operates anywhere on earth including North & South Poles Supports E-mail messages or HTTP POST UART AT command interface Operating frequency – 1616MHz to 1626.5MHz 1.6W Average transmit power -117dBm Receiver sensitivity Onboard u.Fl antenna port for antenna connection Host Interface […]