CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Ruuvi Node Open-source Node Solution Combines Nordic Semi nRF9160 Cellular SiP & nRF52840 Bluetooth SoC

Back in 2016, we covered Ruuvi Innovations’ Ruuvitag open source Bluetooth & NFC sensor beacon is based on Nordic Semi nRF52832 Bluetooth SoC. The company has now introduced Ruuvi node, another open source multi-purpose, industrial-grade cellular gateway, environmental sensing, and asset tracking node solution based on not one, but two Nordic Semi chips with nRF91 cellular IoT SiP (System-in-Package) with NB-IoT and LTE M (eMTC) connectivity and nRF52840 multi-protocol Bluetooth 5.0 SoC. It’s an early announcement with the launch of the first pilots of Ruuvi Node planned for Q2/Q3 of this year, so the full specifications are yet to be released. However, thanks to a press release on Nordic Semi website, we do know that Ruuvi Node is meant to be maintenance-free, will include a solar panel for energy harvesting (which mean the included 45Wh battery may never run out depending on the application), several environmental sensors, GPS positioning provided […]

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Qualcomm Centriq ArmServer SoCs Are Truly Dead with the Closure of HuaXinTong

We already knew Qualcomm had given up on their Centriq processor since mid June 2018, but earlier this year, it seemed the solution had found a new life with HuaXinTong StarDragon 4800 Server SoC born out of a joint venture between Qualcomm and Guizhou provincial government. The processor was allegedly a customized version of the original Centriq 2460 48-core Arm SoC. But recent reports point out that 10 employees from HuaXinTong Semiconductor (aka HXT) have claimed the joint venture is closing down with executives at the company said the venture would shut down by April 30 in an internal meeting. HXT representatives declined to comment on the rumor. The Arm server market is really brutal. Qualcomm and Guizhou government had invested a combined $570 million in HXT as of August 2018 according to company’s fillings. Broadcom and AMD gave up one Arm server chips a little while ago. AFAIK, this […]

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

April 23, 2019April 23, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments

AJIT is a Microprocessor Made in India

There are only a few countries with companies that can design and/or manufacture chips. Some of the ones that come to my mind off the bat include: the US, China, Taiwan, Japan, France, and Italy. But India did not… That’s until recently as IIT Bombay conceived AJIT the first Indian microprocessor, which was then manufactured at the Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) in Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab and Haryana states. Details are limited. For example, I’m unable to find out which architecture was used by the processor, but we do know it’s a microcontroller class 32-bit microprocessor clocked at 70 to 120 MHz with an arithmetic logic unit, a memory management unit, a floating point unit, as well as a hardware debugger unit. The sample pictured above has been manufactured with a 180nm process, but they plan to move to a 65nm process eventually. Tools used for development include AHIR-V2 which […]

April 22, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server Launched with Olimex A20-OLinuXino-LIME2 Board

Olimex works on open source hardware boards, while the FreedomBox Foundation has been developing FreedomBox, a free and open source private server system, since 2010 with the goal of empowering regular people to host their own internet services, like a VPN, a personal website, file sharing, encrypted messengers, a VoIP server, a metasearch engine, and more. When you mix open source hardware, open source software, and a bit of Internet freedom it gives birth to a product called “Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server” based on Olimex A20-OLinuXino-LIME2 board and running FreedomBox software. Pioneer Edition FreedomBox Home Server specifications: SoC – Allwinner A20 dual-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU @ 1.0 GHz with dual-core Mali 400 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – microSD slot fitted with 32GB class 10 card loaded with FreedomBox, SATA data and power connectors, 2KB EEPROM for MAC address and custom data Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet Video […]

April 22, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Zonestar Z6 Entry-Level Portable 3D Printer Sells for under $100 (Promo)

From time to time promotions come up for 3D printers, and if your budget is just around $100, Zonestar Z6 3D printer might be an option as it is currently sold on GearBest for $99.99 plus a few dollars for shipping. ZoneStar Z6 3D printer specifications: Display – LCD screen Storage – microSD card slot Nozzle – 0.4mm Printing accuracy – 0.06mm XY-axis positioning accuracy – 0.11 mm Z-axis positioning accuracy – 0.0025mm Build Size – 150 x 150 x 150 mm Print speed – Up to 150mm/s (MAX) Filament Diameter – 1.75mm Supported Materials – ABS, Flexible PLA, HIPS, PETG, PLA, PVC, Wood USB – 1x USB port Power Supply – Input: AC 110/220V, output: 12V, 10A Mechanical info Dimensions – 28.00 x 30.60 x 35.40 cm Weight: 4.0000 kg Frame material – Aluminum Extrusion Platform board – Aluminum Alloy The company recommends Cura, Repetier-Host, or Simplify3D software to […]

April 22, 2019April 22, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Intel adds Three 7W Amber Lake-Y Processors

Intel announced their Amber Lake family of low power high performance processors, officially known as Intel Core Y-Series processor last year with three SKUs: Core m3-8100Y, Core i5-8200Y, Core i7-8500Y which are all dual core/quad thread processor offering different base and boost CPU frequencies, and sporting the same UHD 615 graphics. As I browsed Intel’s Ark “previously Amber Lake Y” page this morning, I found out the company added three more processors to the family in Q1 2019. The new processors also come with two cores and four thread, but at higher frequency, and TDP is fixed to 7W, while the first three model at a 5W TDP configurable up to 7 or 8 Watts or down to 3.5 or 4.5 Watts. They are also equipped with Intel UHD Graphics 617 graphics that appears to only offer a higher boost frequency to 1.05 GHz instead of 900/950 MHz for UHD […]

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

April 20, 2019April 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ASRock IMB-1216 Industrial mini-ITX Motherboard is Powered by Intel Whiskey Lake-U Processor

ASRock has introduced what may be the first mini-ITX motherboard based on Intel Whiskey Lake-U processor. ASRock IMB-1216 motherboard comes with a choice of low power Intel’s 8th Gen Whiskey Lake-U SoCs, supports for up to 32GB DDR4 memory through two SO-DIMM sockets, 2.5″ SATA storage and M.2 SATA or PCIe storage, cam drive up to three independent, and is equipped with plenty of other I/Os. ASRock IMB-1216 specifications: SoC- Intel’s 8th Gen Core “Whiskey Lake-U” SoC (Core i7-8565U / Core i5-8265U / Core i3-8145U) with Intel UHD Graphics 620; 15W TDP System Memory – 2x SO-DIMM DDR4-2400 slots up to 32 GB RAM Storage 1x M.2-2280 Key M SSD with SATA or PCIe 3.0 x4 interface 2x SATA interfaces for 2.5″ HDDs or SSDs Video Output / Display Interface 1x DisplayPort 1.2 up to 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz 1x HDMI 2.0 up to 4096×2160 @ 60 Hz LVDS connector […]

April 19, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit Supports Amazon AVS

Qualcomm Mesh Networking Devkit for Amazon AVS

The Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit for Amazon AVS enables integration of Amazon Alexa Voice Services into mesh Wi-Fi systems. A somewhat recent blog post on Amazon Developer website explains the devkit is the first ever Amazon-qualified reference design for a mesh WiFi system with Alexa built-in. The reference platform is based on the Qualcomm IPQ4019 SoC, includes a rectangular 4-microphone array, far-field audio processing algorithms for noise suppression, acoustic echo cancellation, wake word engine, and the AVS Device SDK. Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit specifications: WiSoC – Qualcomm IPQ4019 quad core Arm Cortex-A7 processor @ 717 MHz with SIMD DSP, WiFi 5; 40 nm process technology System Memory – 1GB DDR3L RAM Storage – eMMC flash and microSD card Display I/F – LCD interface Connectivity WiFi Standards: 802.11ac Wave 2, 802.11ac, 802.11p, 802.11n Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Peak speed: 1.733 Gbps Channel Utilization: 20/40/80 MHz, 5/10/20/40 MHz MIMO Configuration: […]

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