Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 68 Comments on Linux Benchmarks – Intel J3455 Apollo Lake vs Z3735F Bay Trail vs RK3399 and Other ARM Platforms

Linux Benchmarks – Intel J3455 Apollo Lake vs Z3735F Bay Trail vs RK3399 and Other ARM Platforms

Since I’ve just installed Ubuntu 17.10 on MeLE PCG35 Apo, I decided I should also run some benchmarks comparing with other ARM and x86 Linux platforms I’ve tested in the past.I was particularly interested to compare the performance of Intel Apollo Lake processors (Celeron J3455 in this case) against higher end ARM processors like Rockchip RK3399 (2x A72, 4x A53) since systems have a similar price (~$150+), as well as against the older Bay Trail processor to see the progress achieved over the last 2 to 3 years. To do so, I used Phoronix Benchmark Suite against Videostrong VS-RK3399 results (RK3399 development board):

The benchmark first issued a warning about “powersave” governor, but I still went ahead, and once completed I change it to “performance” governor:

…and ran the tests again. All results are available on OpenBenchmarking. Let’s address the governor results first. cpufreq-info reports that powersave governor […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on MeLE PCG35 Apo Apollo Lake Mini PC Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 17.10

MeLE PCG35 Apo Apollo Lake Mini PC Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 17.10

I completed the review of MeLE PCG35 Apo with Windows 10 Home a few days ago, and as promised, I’ve now installed the freshly released Ubuntu 17.10 in the Intel Celeron J3455 “Apollo Lake” mini PC. I’ll start by shortly explaining the step to install Ubuntu 17.10 in the M.2 slot, although you could also install it to the internal eMMC flash replacing Windows 10, then show what works and what does, and finally include a video reproducing the tests I usually do in Windows 10. How to Install Linux in MeLE PCG35 Apo This partially follows the procedure I used to run (not install) Ubuntu 16.04 on MeLE PCG03 Apo mini PC. First you’ll need to download the ISO of your choice (ubuntu-17.10-desktop-am64.iso in my case), and prepare a bootable USB flash drive with the software of your choice be it Rufus, Startup Disk Creator or others. I did […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on RedRat-X IR, Bluetooth & RF4CE Box Can Control Multiple TVs and Set-top Boxes

RedRat-X IR, Bluetooth & RF4CE Box Can Control Multiple TVs and Set-top Boxes

IR blasters can be used to control multiple IR devices through infrared, or other interfaces, for example DVR can use such device to change the channel of a set-top box just before recording. RedRat-X is one of those devices for automating control of TVs, STBs and other infrared equipment, but it’s quite more versatile, as beside its built-in IR blaster, it adds 3 IR outputs were you can connect your own IR transmitters, as well as USB and Ethernet for remote controls. Furthermore, it can also take add-on modules to emulate  Bluetooth and RF4CE remote controls. RedRat-X specifications: IR blaster via the front of the unit. 0 mA to 250 mA in 100 steps. 3x plug-in IR jack sockets which can be used in two modes: Current mode (default): For use with plug-in IR flashers – 0mA to 100mA in 100 steps. Voltage mode: To interface to IR distributions systems, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments on Amlogic T962E SoC Powers $55 Alfawise H96 Mini TV Box with HDMI Input, HDMI Output

Amlogic T962E SoC Powers $55 Alfawise H96 Mini TV Box with HDMI Input, HDMI Output

Amlogic-T962E-TV-Box

HDMI input can be a useful addition to Android TV boxes, or media centers, as they allow for functions such as PiP (Picture in Picture), PVR/DVR  (Personal / Digital Video Recording), and potentially video broadcasting with the box taking input from your set-top box (or other HDMI device), and broadcasting the video over your network in order to make it accessible to other computer or mobile devices on your home network, or the Internet. We started to see HDMI input on devices powered by Mstar MSO9810 processor a few years, and more recently Realtek RTD1295 processor has become more popular with products such as Zidoo X9S, Beelink SEA I, or EWEAT R9 Plus. Amlogic appears to have joined the fray with Amlogic T962E processor, a family normally used for TVs instead of TV boxes, found in Alfawise H96 mini 4K TV box with HDMI In and Out, 2GB RAM, and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Arm’s Platform Security Architecture Aims to Secure the Internet of Things (IoT)

Arm’s Platform Security Architecture Aims to Secure the Internet of Things (IoT)

News are published nearly everyday about a security breach or flaw in IoT devices, and last year, Softbank CEO, and new Arm owner, Masayoshi Son explained that to reach his goal of one trillion IoT devices and singularity, security had to be addressed, as everything was currently too easily hackable, including cars equipped with lots of electronics but very weak security. As Arm Techcon 2017  is underway, the company has been working on improving IoT security and announced the Platform Security Architecture (PSA) designed for low cost IoT devices. PSA has three major components: Threat Models and Security Analyses derived from a range of typical IoT use cases. Architecture specifications for firmware and hardware. An open source project, similar to Arm Trusted Firmware for mobile clients. PSA is designed for low cost IoT devices, which would have not the resources (processing power, memory, battery power…) to run a full Trusted […]

Posted on by Karl Johnson - 7 Comments on Tronxy X3S 3D Printer Review – Part 2: Upgraded Heatbed and RAMPS Board

Tronxy X3S 3D Printer Review – Part 2: Upgraded Heatbed and RAMPS Board

Karl here. So the bed I mentioned in the first part of Tronxy X3S review is not very good. It took about 10-11 minutes to heat up to 60 deg Celsius. I also mentioned I was going to upgrade the board to a RAMPS board. Today we are going to look at both these upgrades. New Heated Bed I can take no credit for this one but I wanted to pass this along. Folger tech sells a 12v 280w heated bed stick on pad. I picked this up for $20, but is now $22. In order to do this upgrade you will need a MOSFET, 12V/30A power supply, and of course the pad above. Super easy installation. Remove the bed and stick on the self adhesive pad centered. Replace the power supply with new one. Should be self explanatory. In order to power this bed a MOSFET is needed. A […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on Nerdonic Exen Mini is the World’s Smallest 32-bit Arduino Compatible Board (Crowdfunding)

Nerdonic Exen Mini is the World’s Smallest 32-bit Arduino Compatible Board (Crowdfunding)

Back in June, we reported about μduino board, which at 12×12 mm may well be the world’s smallest Arduino compatible board. It is based on Microchip Atmel ATMEGA32U4 8-bit AVR microcontroller. But there’s now a new board in town which claims to be the world’s smallest 32-bit Arduino board: Exen Mini measuring 14.9×14.9 mm. While I’m patiently waiting for an Intel’s DMCA request, or more likely an email requesting an update once the name has changed, like I had to do for Atomwear Vigekwear, let’s have a look at what the board has to offer. Exen Mini specifications: MCU – Microchip Atmel  SAMD21 Cortex M0+ MCU @ 48 MHz with 256KB flash, 32KB SRAM I/Os via 2x 5-pin 2.54mm pitch headers Up to 8x digital I/O Up to 8x PWM Up to 6x analog (ADC) 1x UART 1x I2C 1x reset Limits – 3.7V, 7mA USB – 1x micro USB […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on JeVois Smart Machine Vision Camera Review – Part 1: Developer / Robotics Kit Unboxing

JeVois Smart Machine Vision Camera Review – Part 1: Developer / Robotics Kit Unboxing

JeVois-A33 computer vision camera was unveiled at the end of last year through a Kickstarter campaign. Powered by an Allwinner A33 quad core Cortex A7 processor, and a 1.3MP camera sensor, the system could detect motion, track faces and eyes, detect & decode ArUco makers & QR codes, follow lines for autonomous cars, etc.. thanks to JeVois framework. Most rewards from KickStarter shipped in April of this year, so it’s quite possible some of the regular readers of this blog are already familiar the camera. But the developer (Laurent Itti) re-contacted me recently, explaining they add improves the software with Python support, and new features such as the capability of running deep neural networks directly on the processor inside the smart camera. He also wanted to send a review sample, which I received today, but I got a bit more than I expected, so I’ll start the review with an […]

Boardcon CM3588 Rockchip RK3588 System-on-Module designed for AI and IoT applications