CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

October 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

MUSES-α & MUSES-β DVB-T/C, ISDB-T, DTMB & ATSC Modulator Boards Review – Part 1: The Hardware

V-Bridge Muses digital TV modulator boards launched on Kickstarter earlier this month, with the cheaper $200 MUSES-α board modulating video from a PC, and $600 MUSES-β turnkey solution capable of broadcasting HDMI or AV + stereo input to various digital TV standards including DVB-T/C, ATSC/QAM, DTMB, and ISDB-T/TB without the help of a computer. The company sent me the two hardware kits for evaluation and review on CNX Software, and today I’ll start by showing off the hardware I received. I got 3 packages and a F-female to F-female cable, which means you can connect the board directly to your TV tuner without having to rely on actual RF signals, and potential legal issues that goes with it. The first package I open if for the PC modulator kit that include MUSES-α board, an “RF” board, as a USB cable to connect to your computer. MUSES-α board features Vatek A1 […]

October 19, 2016October 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments

Ferguson Ariva 4K Android STBs Come with Digital TV Tuners, a Pay TV Card Reader, and a SATA Bay

We already have a choice of Android TV boxes with digital TV tuners (DVB-T2, DVB-S2, ATSC…) with devices like K1 Plus T2 S2, U4 Quad Hybrid, and Wetek Play 2, but Ferguson, a company based in Poland, has two other options based on Amlogic S905 processors with their Ariva 4K and Ariva 4K Combo with one or two tuners, a Pay TV card reader which is not available on competitors’ models, and 2.5″ HDD bay in the bottom of the case implemented via a USB 2.0 to SATA bridge. Ariva 4K & 4K Combo specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905-B quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5 GHz with Mali-450MP GPU System Memory – 1 GB DDR3 Storage – 8 GB eMMC flash + slot for HDD mounting (on the bottom) + micro SD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60Hz and AV port Audio […]

October 19, 2016October 19, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Vocore2 Lite is a $4 Linux MIPS WiFi Module based on Mediatek MT7688AN SoC (Crowdfunding)

I’ve already written about Vocore v2 Crowdfunding campaign, where the second generation Vocore WiFi module supports audio, PoE, and ultimate dock, and price starting at $12. But there has been some development since the launch of the campaign, as the developer received request for a cheaper board, and after looking into it, has now added Vocore2 Lite WiFi module reward for only $4, or $7 once shipping included. He obviously had to make some trade-offs to bring the cost down, but the Lite board impressively still keep many of the same features. VoCore (2014) VoCore2 Lite (2016) VoCore2 (2016) Price 19.99 USD 3.99 USD 11.99 USD CPU RT5350, 360MHz MT7688AN MIPS24KEc @ 580MHz MT7628AN, 580MHz Memory 32MB SDRAM 64MB DDR2 128MB DDR2 Storage 16MB NOR 8MB NOR 16MB NOR Antenna Slot x1 x1 x2 On-Board ANTENNA √ × √ Wireless Speed ~75Mbps ~150Mbps ~300Mbps Ethernet Port x5 x1 / x5 […]

October 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

PiPo V5 Android Virtual Reality Headset Powered by Rockchip RK3399 SoC to Sell for $200

Las month I reviewed VR SKY CX-V3 Android virtual reality headset based on Allwinner H8vr octa-core SoC, and based on a report from Netbook Italia at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair, PiPo will launch a device looking exactly the same but featuring a much more powerful Rockchip RK3399 processor, next month for about $200. Beside Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core SoC with two cores ARM Cortex-A72 cores and four Cortex-A53, and a Mali-T864MP4 graphics, Pipo V5 VR headset will support 4K video with HEVC/H.265, H.264 and VP9 video codec support, features 2GB RAM, 32GB storage, one USB type C port, one USB 2.0 host port, a microSD slot, an audio jack, and a 5.5″ Full HD (1920×1080) IPS display. The headset will also include sensors such as an accelerometer and s gyroscope. Just like VR SKY CX-V3, it will include power, back and Nibiru buttons, and a touchpad. One important features missing from […]

October 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Qualcomm Introduces Three New LTE Cat. 7 SoCs with QC 3.0 and Dual Camera Support: Snapdragon 427, 626, and 653

Qualcomm has announced three new Snapdragon 400 & 600 SoCs for entry-level and mid-range LTE smartphones that share Quick Charge 3.0 and dual camera support, as well as an a Snapdragon X9 LTE CAT 7 modem capable of 300Mbps downlink, 150Mbps uplink. Snapdragon 427 Snapdargon 427 quad core Cortex A53 processor is a pin-to-pin compatible update to Snapdragon 425 processor with a faster Cat 7 modem. The Snapdragon 427 is also the first in the Snapdragon 400 family to offer TruSignal antenna tuning for 802.11ac WiFi, includes a 16MP dual ISP, and supports displays up to 1280×800 resolution. You’ll find more details on the product page. Snapdragon 626 Snapdragon 626 octo-core ARM Cortex A53 processor up to 2.2 GHz features a “PC-class” Adreno Adreno 506 GPU, a 24MP dual ISP, also supports TruSignal, 4K @ 30 fps video recording, and displays up to 1920×1200 resolution. It’s a pin-to-pin compatible upgrade […]

October 18, 2016October 18, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

NETGEAR Gigabit Class LTE Mobile Router MR1100 is Powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE Modem

Qualcomm, NETGEAR, Telstra and Ericsson have jointly announced the very first commercial Gigabit LTE modem router with NETGEAR Mobile Router MR1100 based on Qualcomm Snapdragon X16 LTE modem. The NETGEAR Mobile Router MR1100 leverages 3x carrier aggregation, 4×4 MIMO, and 256-QAM, to achieve download speeds up to a peak of 979 Mbps. The device also integrates Qualcomm 802.11ac solution with 2×2 MIMO and dual-band support for overall Wi-Fi throughput of up to 1Gbps. Qualcomm Technologies has recently conducted a simulation of a Gigabit Class LTE network, using a mix of LTE devices (LTE Category 4 to 16), and found average throughput to be between 112 Mbps and 307 Mbps for Cat.16 devices depending on traffic type, but speeds up to 533 Mbps should be possible for 90th percentile users. Beside shortening download speeds, this kind of performance will enable new applications such as 4K 360 degrees VR videos up to […]

October 17, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

ZTE ZXV10 B860H is an Another Android TV Media Player based on Amlogic S905X Processor

It looks like Xiaomi Mi Box (US) will have some competition, as ZTE is about to introduce their ZXV10 B860H TV box at Broadband World Forum 2016 in London. The device will run Android TV on a quad core Amlogic processor, which can only be Amlogic S905X, the same processor used in the Xiaomi box, since VP9 is now a requirement for Android TV operating system, and HDR is part of the specifications. ZTE ZXV10 B860H “Android TV” box specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X (-H?) quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5 GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750 MHz System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 8GB flash Video Output – HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz with HDCP 2.2, CEC, HDR10 and HLG HDR Video Codecs – VP9 Profile-2 & H.265 MP-10 up to 4K @ 60 fps, H.264 AVC up to 4K @ 30 fps, […]

October 17, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Ockel Sirius A is a Faster (and Pricier) GOLE1 like Mini PC based on Intel Atom x7-Z8750 Processor (Crowdfunding)

GOLE1 is a Windows 10 + Android mini PC powered by Intel Atom x5-Z8300 processor that also happens to come with a 5″ 720p display and a battery with the 4GB RAM/64GB storage version selling for $155 shipped. A company called Ockel Computers, who had a surprisingly successful crowdfunding campaign last year for their Sirius B Cherry Trail mini PC having raised close to $500,000, has designed a new mini PC similar to GOLE1, but with better specs including a slightly faster Intel Atom x7-Z8750 processor, a higher resolution 6″ display, and HDMI & DisplayPort video output ports among other improvements. Ockel Sirius A specifications with bold highlights showing improvements over GOLE1 mini PC: SoC – Intel Atom x7-Z8750 “Cherry Trail” quad core processor @ 1.60 GHz / 2.56 GHz with Intel Gen8 HD graphics (2W SDP) System Memory – 4 GB LPDDR3L-1600 Storage – 64 GB eMMC flash + […]