M5Stack PoE Camera with Wi Fi
Posted on

M5Stack M5PoECAM-W V1.1 – A ESP32-powered PoE camera module with 3MP OV3660 sensor

M5Stack M5PoECAM-W V1.1 is a PoE camera module built around the Espressif ESP32 MCU and WIZnet W5500 Hardwired TCP/IP embedded Ethernet controller. The W5500 along with a PoE controller takes care of ethernet and PoE power whereas the 3MP OV3660 sensor is responsible for video and photos. The camera features a wide 65° field of view which makes it suitable for applications like image monitoring and remote data acquisition. Previously we have covered similar camera modules like the LILYGO T-Camera-Plus-S3, Sipeed MaixCAM, and Luxonis OAK-D Series 2 cameras with the latter also having a PoE option. Feel free to check those out if you are interested in the topic. M5Stack M5PoECAM-W V1.1 specifications ESP32-D0WDQ6-V3 wireless module SoC – Espressif ESP32-D0WDQ6-V3 CPU – dual-core Xtensa LX6 processor clocked at up to 240MHz Memory – 520KB SRAM Connectivity – 2.4 GHz 802.11n WiFi 4 and Bluetooth v4.2 BR/EDR and BLE Memory – […]

ESP32-CAN-X2
Posted on

Autosport Labs ESP32-CAN-X2 board combines two CAN bus transceivers with automotive-grade power supply

Autosport Labs, a company that makes products for motorsport acquisition and real-time telemetry, has launched the ESP32-CAN-X2 board with an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, two CAN bus interfaces, and an automotive-grade power supply with a 6V to 20V DC input range. ESP32 boards with CAN Bus have been around for years starting with the Olimex ESP32-EVB Board which we covered in 2017, and followed by boards such as the CAN32 board, CanLite ESP32, or RejsaCAN-ESP32-S3. The ESP32-CAN-X2 adds another option with ESP32-S3 and two CAN Bus interfaces. ESP32-CAN-X2 board specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R8 MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with 384KB ROM,  512KB SRAM, 16 KB SRAM in RTC Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5 PCB antenna USB – USB Type-C port for flashing and power CAN Bus 6-pin header for 2x CAN V2.0B communication 1x […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
FuildNC ESP32 CNC controller
Posted on

ESP32-based CNC controller board targets pen plotters and lasers, runs FluidNC open-source firmware

FluidNC “TMC2209 Pen/Laser CNC Controller” is an ESP32-based 2-axis CNC controller that runs FluidNC open-source firmware and takes up to two TMC2209 stepper drivers to drive pen plotters and laser engravers ESP32 wireless modules have been used in a range of 3D printer and CNC controllers for years with boards such as Grbl_ESP32 CNC breakout board, Phi MainBoard 5LC 3D printer controller, and the Makerbase MKS DLC32 board we found in TwoTrees TS2 laser engraver and TTC 450 CNC router running MKS-DLC32-FIRMWARE open-source firmware.  The FluidNC TMC2209 Pen/Laser CNC Controller offers yet another option and a different open-source FluidNC firmware that is an evolution of the firmware for the aforementioned Grbl_ESP32 that also happens to work on the MKS DLC32 board… FluidNC “TMC2209 Pen/Laser CNC Controller” specifications: Wireless module – Espressif Systems ESP32-WROOM-32E ESP32 dual-core microcontroller 4MB flash 2.4 GHz WiFi and Bluetooth LE connectivity, built-in PCB antenna Storage – MicroSD […]

s5 minitrekker trekker
Posted on

The S5 Trekker is a compact Meshtastic communication device for hikers and preppers

The S5 Trekker Bravo and the S5 Trekker Mini are two Meshtastic-enabled radios designed by SpecFive LLC, a team of engineers based in the United States. Both devices are based on the Heltec Wireless Tracker from Heltec Automation. The Wireless Tracker integrates Espressif’s ESP32-S3 system-on-a-chip, a 160 x 80 TFT LCD, a SemTech SX1262 LoRa chip, and a Unicore UC6580 GNSS chip. The MiniTrekker is much lighter than the Trekker Bravo and features a built-in attachment hook for connecting it with other gear. Both radios are built to be durable enough to resist the rigors of outdoor exploration. They come pre-flashed with the open-source Meshtastic software and are ready to be used out of the box. The S5 Trekkers are intended to be used when hiking, trekking, and partaking in other outdoor activities that take one away off the well-trodden path. It is also useful for setting up a reliable […]

Stefano Viola's NiCE5340 SoM
Posted on

NiCE5340 SoM packs Nordic nRF5340 MCU, Lattice iCE40 FPGA, and 11 sensors into a tiny 29x16mm form factor

Stefano Viola’s NiCE5340 SoM is built around a Nordic Semi nRF5340 Bluetooth SoC, an iCE40 FPGA, 11 sensors, a battery charger, and various other peripherals in a 29×16 mm form factor. The nRF5340 used in the SoM is a low-power, dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 SoC with Bluetooth 5.4, Bluetooth LE (BLE), Thread, Zigbee, and other proprietary protocols. Meanwhile, the Lattice iCE40 FPGA features 3520 logic cells, 80 Kbits of embedded Block RAM, I2C, and SPI blocks, and many other features that make it suitable for applications like environmental monitoring, health tracking, and others. Previously, we have written about Unexpected Maker NANOS3, TinyS3, FeatherS3, and ProS3 boards, and ESP32-S3 4G dev board which all fall under the tiny and compact board category but this is the first time we have seen an MCU board with so many features built into a module of that size. Stefano Viola’s NiCE5340 SoM Specification ICs Nordic […]

picoquake usb vibration sensor
Posted on

PicoQuake USB vibration sensor is based on the RP2040 MCU and the ICM-42688-P vibration sensor

The PicoQuake is a USB vibration sensor with a MEMS accelerometer covering a wide range of vibrations. It is capable of capturing vibrations in the low-frequency range (tall buildings, bridges) to the high-frequency range (motors, industrial machinery). It can operate as a standalone device and connect to a computer via a USB cable. Furthermore, it is based on the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller and uses a low-noise MEMS inertial measurement unit, the TDK InvenSense ICM-42688-P, which combines a 3-axis gyroscope and a 3-axis accelerometer. The low-noise IMU sensor used enables the PicoQuake to profile vibrations of very low magnitude. The PicoQuake sensor is a product from Slovenian maker, PLab, just like the FOCn driver module we took a look at recently. Potential use cases for the PicoQuake include optimizing brushless DC motor vibrations (important in small mobility products such as electric bikes and scooters), tracking trackpad clicks, smart home automation, […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
XIAO ESP32C6 board
Posted on

Tiny XIAO ESP32C6 WiFi, BLE, and 802.15.4 IoT board offers up to 16 GPIO pins

Seeed Studio has added yet another member to their XIAO board family with the XIAO ESP32C6 powered by an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE 5, and 802.15.4 (Thread/Zigbee) RISC-V microcontroller and offering up to 16 GPIOs (headers + pads) in a tiny 21 x 17.5 mm form factor that’s smaller than a typical stamp and makes it one of the smallest ESP32-C6 boards around. The company started the XIAO family with the Seeeduino XIAO (Microchip SAMD21G18) in 2020, and since then they’ve made several other variants with different processors including the XIAO RP2040, XIAO ESP32C3, and XIAO ESP32S3. The XIAO ESP32C6 is the latest (10th) iteration of the board and the first to support WiFi 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 wireless connectivity. XIAO ESP32C6 specifications: Wireless MCU –  Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory – 512KB […]

Arduino Alvik
Posted on

Arduino Alvik is a 3-wheel robot designed for STEAM education

Arduino Education’s Arduino Alvik is a 3-wheel educational robot that was initially unveiled at the Bett 2024 show in London and designed to teach robotics, programming, and other STEAM subjects. The robot is based on an Arduino Nano ESP32 board and comes with a set of nineteen lessons designed by Arduino Education’s team in collaboration with teachers so that students can learn the basics of IoT, get started with MicroPython, and get themselves familiar with various physics and engineering concepts. The company has yet to provide the full specifications for the Alvik robot, but here’s what we know at this stage: Mainboard – Arduino Nano ESP32 2x wheels plus 1x ball wheel Sensors – “High-quality sensors” that include a ToF ranging sensor, line-following sensors, a 6-axis accelerometer & gyroscope, a proximity sensor, and color sensors. Expansion 2x Grove I2C connectors 2x Qwiic connectors 6-pin servo motor header for up to […]

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