CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 16, 2016June 16, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

ARM Announces Mali Egil Video Processor with VP9 Decode, VP9 & HEVC Encode, and 4K @ 120 Hz Support

ARM has recently introduced Mali “Egil” video processor with support for VP9 Profile 0 (8-bit) and 10-bit Profile 2decoding, as well as VP9 8-/10-bit, and HEVC Main 10 encoding, on top of the currently supported codecs in Mali V550 VPU unveiled in 2014. The new VPU can also support displays ranging from 1080p60 up to 4K @ 120 Hz depending on the number of cores chosen in the VPU, clocked at 800 Mhz, and manufacturing using 16 nm FinFET technology. Mali Egil also brings some other improvements such as a redesign of the motion estimation engine, and finer granularity. From a user’s perspective, that means that 4K YouTube videos should be available in premium mobile devices soon, as well as higher quality video conference thanks to H.265 encode and decode. You can find some more information in the “Introduction to the Mali Egil Video Processor” presentation slides.

June 16, 2016June 17, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments

Vensmile U1 Quad Core Remix OS mini PC Comes with 2GB RAM, 32GB Storage

I see more and more devices based on Remix OS, an operating system based on Android with desktop improvements, and the latest is Vensmile U1 powered by Amlogic S905 processor with 2GB RAM, and 32GB storage, and which strongly looks like Unuiga S905+ TV box, also running Remix OS, and launched via an ultimately unsuccessful crowdfunding campaign. Vensmile U1 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905 quad core ARM Cortex-A53 @ up to 2.0GHz with penta-core Mali-450MP GPU System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 32GB flash + micro SD slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0, AV Audio – HDMI, AV, optical S/PDIF Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, dual band 802.11 b/g/n (ac?) WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Misc – IR receiver, touch button for power on/off and standby Power Supply – 5V/2A Dimensions – 11.2 x 11.2 x 2 cm So the specs are indeed exactly the […]

June 16, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Monohm Runcible is Some Sort of Huge Round Watch Usable as a Phone or Tablet (Crowdfunding)

I like to write about innovative products here on CNX Software, but it’s not easy to understand why Monohm Runcible, that can be seen as a round phone/table or a huge watch, ever came to existence. But who knows maybe people will find uses, and it’s rather cool looking with its round display and nature themed wooden or stone back covers. Runcible thing specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.2GHz, with Adreno 306 GPU and Hexagon v5 DSP System Memory — 1GB LPDDR3 RAM @ 533MHz Storage – 8GB eMMC 5.0 flash Display — 2.5″ circular 640 x 640 display (256dpi) Audio – 1x analog in/out jack with other I/O audio interfaces on main board Connectivity – 802.11b/g/n WiFi,Bluetooth 4.1, Qualcomm IZat Gen 8C GPS/GLONASS, and “hopefully” 4G/LTE data Camera – 7 MP rear camera (up to 13-megapixels for hackers) USB – USB 2.0 client/host […]

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

OnePlus 3 Smartphone Launched Together With Source Code

Most smartphone manufacturers will drag their feet to release GPL source code, unless you go with Google Nexus or Android One smartphones. OnePlus is another exception as they have just launched OnePlus 3 smartphone, and released the source code the very same day as the hardware launch. OnePlus 3 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 quad core ARMv8 processor with two “Gold” cores up to 2.2 GHz, two “Silver” cores up to 1.6 GHz, Adreno 530 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, OpenCL 2.0, and Vulkan, and Hexagon 680 DSP @ up to 825 MHz System Memory – 6GB LPDDR4 Storage – 64GB UFS 2.0 flash Display – 5.5″ 1920 x 1080 optic AMOLED touchscreen display; Corning Gorilla Glass 4 Audio – 3.5mm audio jack; bottom facing speaker; dual microphone with noise cancellation; Dirac HD sound technology Cellular Networks GSM: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz North America model: WCDMA: Bands […]

June 15, 2016August 3, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 26 Comments

H.265, H.264 and VP9 4K Video Playback with Hisilicon Hi3798C V200 TV Box (Video)

VP9 is starting to become a first class citizen as more and more ARM SoC, such as Amlogic S905X and Hisilicon Hi3798C V200, are getting 4K VP9 hardware video decoding support. I’ve already tested 4K VP9 in Amlogic S905X based NEXBOX A5, and today I’ll report my results with Sunhed S3 TV box based on the new Hisilicon processor. I won’t do a full review yet, as just like NEXBOX A5, it’s still an engineering sample, and the firmware is not quite ready for public release. For example, Google Play is working, but I could not install YouTube, and Kodi 16.0 (likely a custom version) would not start, even after clearing the cache and data. Anyway, I tested 4K VP9, as well as 4K H.265 and H.264 since the last two codec are also here to stay. I first tried to play over SAMBA through the Gigabit Ethernet connection, but […]

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Apache Mynewt RTOS for IoT Includes an Open Source Bluetooth 4.2 LE Stack for MCUs

The Apache Software Foundation has recently released version 0.9 Apache Mynewt open source real-time operating systems for micro-controllers under… an Apache 2.0 license. The RTOS works on STMicro STM32 Cortex-M4, and Arduino Zero / M0 Cortex-M0 boards, but they’ve also implemented the first open source Bluetooth Low Energy stack for MCUs, starting with support for Nordic Semi nRF52 Cortex-M4 and nRF51 Cortex-M1 evaluation boards, and acting as a replacement for Nordic SoftDevice Bluetooth Smart / LE solution. The operating system competes with ARM mbed, the Zephyr Project, and RIoT, but the foundation claims it is the only one that’s both community driven and permissively licensed (Apache 2.0) project in the embedded space. The OS is modular and can be configured with a Go-like build and package management tool with components such as secure boot loader, flash file system and TLV storage mechanism, rich logging infrastructure, circular buffering schemes, and Bluetooth […]

June 15, 2016June 15, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Aeroscope is a Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless Oscilloscope Probe Using your Android Tablet or iPad for Display (Crowdfunding)

Oscilloscopes used to be rather bulky equipment, but recent full featured oscilloscopes have come down in size, and even become portable and battery operated with products such as DSO Quad. But since many of us already own Android tablets or iPads, Aeroscope wireless oscilloscope probe is quite a neat solution as it transmits images of the waveform over Bluetooth 4.1 to your tablet. Aeroscope specifications: Analog Bandwidth – 100 MHz Sample Rate – 500 M samples/second Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.1 with 200-ft range Input Range – +/-40 V DC Accuracy – +/- 3% Offset Range – +/- 40V or +/- 20V offset for 20mV/div setting Sample Memory Depth – 10k Input Impedance – 10MΩ || 12pF Resolution – 20 mV/division to 10 V/division Battery – 950 mAh battery good for 4 to 8 hours of use depending on settings Activity sensor – (for extended use) Dimensions – 118 x 30 […]

June 14, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

$40 Weeview Eye-Plug USB Dongle Allows You to Record 3D Videos and Photos with Your Smartphone

3D Televisions have not been very successful since their market launch, but with the advance of virtual reality kits, 3D video could make a comeback. If you want to record your own 3D videos, you’d need a 3D camcorder with most models now discontinued. A cheaper and possibly more convenient solution would be to use your smartphone with an extra camera connected to your smartphone’s USB OTG or USB C port, and that’s exactly what Weeview Eye-Plug W9 is doing for around $40 in Taiwan. The app then leverages the rear or front-facing camera (the thing can rotate) of your smartphone, and create a 3D video by combining the two videos from the phone’s camera, and Eye-Plug into a single video. The downside is that resolution is limited to 0.3 MP (VGA) because of the USB 2.0 interface, but an upcoming version with USB type C support will be able […]