LambdaChip Alonzo STM32 Scheme functional programming
Posted on

Use Scheme functional programming language with LambdaChip Alonzo STM32 board

Most MCU-based embedded systems come with firmware programmed with assembler, C, and/or C++.  But as referenced in a paper published in 2000 entitled ” Point of view: Lisp as an alternative to Java“, functional programming languages like Lisp or Scheme may lead to shorter development times compared to C/C++ or Java. That’s with this idea in mind that LambdaChip was created. It is a lightweight, open-source virtual machine designed to run on embedded systems with limited resources, for instance, an 80MHz microcontroller with 50KB RAM, and programmable with Scheme multi-paradigm programming language, a dialect of Lisp widely used for functional programming research and teaching. The company behind the project, also called LambdaChip, has just created its own hardware with LambdaChip Alonzo, an STM32 Cortex-M4 development board with 512KB flash, 128KB RAM, and that also comes with Bluetooth LE connectivity. LambdaChip Alonzo board specifications: MCU – STMicro STM32F411CEU6 Arm Cortex-M4 MCU […]

LoRa E5 development board
Posted on

STM32WL based LoRa-5E development kits go for $19.90 and up

The LoRa-E5 STM32WL module we covered last month can now be found in two LoRaWAN development kits from Seeed Studio with the ultra-compact LoRa-E5 mini board, and the Arduino UNO shaped LoRa-E5 board with more I/Os. Both boards support the LoRaWAN protocol with global frequencies and can achieve a transmission range of up to 10 km with ultra-low power consumption. LoRa-E5 and LoRa-E5 mini specifications: LoRa connectivity LoRa-E5 modules based on STM32WLE5JC SoC with Arm Cortex-M4 MCU @ 48 MHz with 256 KB flash memory, 64 KB SRAM, SX126x LoRa radio Modulations – LoRa, (G)FSK, (G)MSK, BPSK Operating frequencies – 868/915MHz (EU868, US915, AU915, AS923, KR920, IN865) Output power – up to +20.8 dBm at 3.3V Rx sensitivity – -116.5 dBm to -136 dBm Protocol – LoRaWAN SMA-K and IPEX antenna connectors USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming I/Os LoRa-E5 mini – 2x 12-pin through-hole and […]

Graperain Samsung, Rockchip RK3588, and Qualcomm CPU modules, SBCs, and carrier boards
Raspberry Pi RP2040 HDMI
Posted on

Raspberry Pi RP2040 boards are coming with… HDMI?

We’ve already seen Raspberry Pi RP2040 MCU can support VGA output using the microcontroller’s programmable I/O blocks.  But yesterday, I saw two upcoming RP2040 boards with an HDMI connector. How is that supposed to work? The first one is Olimex RP2040-PICO-PC that’s indeed like a pico PC board with an HDMI connector for video, a micro SD card for storage, a standard 3.5mm audio jack for speaker or headphone, and a USB host for a keyboard. RP2040-PICO-PC teaser small PC with RP2040-PICO module. Video, Audio, SD-card, UEXT, I2C, Lipo battery, Reset, USB pwr, USB host for keyboard, Debug TxRx, SWD for JTAG debug #rp2040 #raspberrypi #circuitpython #retrogames pic.twitter.com/str79xsMkm — OLIMEX Ltd (@Olimex) March 1, 2021 There are some I/O headers for good measure, what looks like a 3-pin UART console header, a 2-pin header for LiPo battery, as well as a reset button. The second board, dcelectr DC2040, follows the […]

tCam mini
Posted on

tCam-Mini IR thermal camera board ships with ESP32 module

While there are plenty of ESP32 camera boards, it’s much harder to find off-the-shelf solutions with ESP32 wireless SoC and an IR thermal camera. That’s likely why Dan Julio decided to design tCam-Mini board combining an ESP32 module with a Flir Lepton 3.5 sensor with 160×120 resolution to capture radiometric data for thermographic analysis. tCam-Mini board hardware specifications: Wireless module – Espressif ESP32-WROVER-E module with dual-core ESP32-D0WD0V3 WiSoC, 8 MB PSRAM, 8 MB Flash, and PCB antenna; Camera – Flir Lepton 3.5: 160×120 pixel radiometric LWIR camera with shutter operating in either Radiometric/TLinear (each pixel contains temperature data) or AGC modes (no temperature data in each pixel but better images). Expansion – 4-pin I2C header Debugging – Micro USB port with CP2102N-A02 USB to UART bridge for ESP32 boot loader control Misc – Dual color (Red/Green) status LED, Factory/Wifi Reset button Power supply – 5V input via micro USB port […]

CM Hunter
Posted on

Raspberry Pi CM4 Carrier Board comes with RS485/Modbus, CAN, 1-wire interfaces (Crowdfunding)

Another day, another Raspberry Pi CM4 carrier board. Just like the TOFU carrier board, CM Hunter carrier board for Raspberry Pi CM4 targets industrial applications, but in a different way, as it focuses on industrial communication protocols with Galvanically-Isolated RS485/Modbus, 1-Wire, CAN 2.0B, and together with more common interfaces like Ethernet, HDMI, USB, etc… CM Hunter specifications: Supported systems-on-module – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 / 4 Lite Industrial communication Interfaces  Isolated RS485/Modbus (Profibus compatible) based on Texas Instruments ISO1410 controller Isolated CAN 2.0B based on Microchip MCP2515 controller and MAX14879 CAN transceiver Isolated 1-Wire via Maxim DS2482 I2C bridge Storage – MicroSD card slot Video  Output – HDMI 2.0, optional 3.5-inch or 4-inch 480×320 LCD display with resistive touch connected over SPI Networking – Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port and optional 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 plus Bluetooth 5.0 LE USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports, 1x micro USB 2.0 OTG port […]

Kiwikit Raspberry Pi Pico Baseboard
Posted on

Kiwikit Raspberry Pi Pico baseboard takes off-the-shelf modules

While it’s possible to use Raspberry Pi Pico with a breadboard or Veroboard, we’ve seen the benefits of inserting the board into a baseboard such as Maker Pi Pico providing LEDs, a MicroSD card, audio output, and the ability to add ESP-01 WiFi module or well as up to two Grove expansion modules. Hammond Pearce decided to design his own Raspberry Pi Pico baseboard with Kiwikit board supporting some of the off-the-shelf modules and interfaces he commonly uses. Kiwikit key features and specifications Supported module – Raspberry Pi Pico Storage – 8-pin header for AT24C08 EEPROM up to 1KB Display – Connector for I2C SSD1306 OLED display On-board sensor – LDR (light-dependent resistor aka photoresistor) connected over analog input I/Os SPI header working for instance, with SD card modules as shown in the photo above. I2C header compatible with MP-6050 accelerometer/gyroscope modules Header with 2x ADCs with optional pull-ups that […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
STM32MP1 Pico-ITX SBC
Posted on

STM32MP1 Linux SoM fits into Pico-ITX carrier board

DH electronics DHCOM STM32MP1 is an STMicro STM32MP1 Cortex-A7/M4  system-on-module (SoM) following the company’s SO-DIMM-based DHCOM standard, and capable of running Linux with Etnaviv GPU drivers. The SoM is compatible with two DHCOM carrier boards from the company, namely DH PDK (Premium Developer Kit) for development, and DH PicoITX2 Pico-ITX board for direct integration into products. DHCOM STM32MP1 SoM DHCOM STM32MP1 specifications: SoC – STMicro STM32MP15x with up to two Arm Cortex-A7 core up to 650 MHz, one Arm Cortex-M4 up to 209 MHz, Vivante 3D GPU @ up to 533 MHz with OpenGL ES 2.0 support System Memory – 256, 512, or 1024 MB 32-bit DDR3 DRAM Storage 4, 8, or 16 GB eMMC flash 2 MB boot flash 256 bytes EEPROM MicroSD card socket on module Connectivity – WiFi 4 IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n, 802.11j (hosted mode) with dual band, Bluetooth 5.0 (BR/EDR/BLE), PCB antenna and U.FL antenna connector […]

Cherry Pi PC SBC
Posted on

Cherry Pi PC SBC is an Orange Pi PC clone selling for $16.5 and up

Orange Pi PC is an Allwinner H3 SBC that was launched in 2015 for as little as $15 plus shipping (now $17.42 with 1 GB RAM), and made by a company called Shenzhen Xunlong Software. The next year, the company launched Orange Pi PC Plus with 8GB eMMC flash and WiFI connectivity for $20 (now $25.54). It appears another company named “Shenzhen LC Technology” has designed a board with similar specifications & layout, so not technically a clone, but close enough. Meet Cherry Pi SBC. Cherry Pi PC V7 SBC specifications with highlights in bold or strikethrough showing the differences with Orange Pi PC: SoC – Allwinner H3 quad-core Cortex A7 processor with an Arm Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 512MB or 1GB DDR3 Storage – MicroSD card slot up to 64GB, optional 8GB eMMC flash, Video Output – HDMI 1.4 and AV ports Audio I/O – HDMI, AV port, […]

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