Posted on by Ayo Ayibiowu - 8 Comments on PiVoyager is a UPS for the Raspberry Pi With a Real-Time Calendar Clock

PiVoyager is a UPS for the Raspberry Pi With a Real-Time Calendar Clock

PiVoyager: the smart UPS for the Raspberry Pi.

The Raspberry Pi is a powerful SBC (Single Board Computer), and aside from being used for everyday computing stuff, the Raspberry Pi can be embedded as the brain of various projects. Using the Raspberry Pi for standalone projects do create some concerns about power. How do I power the Pi? Should I get a power bank? Or maybe I need a longer wired connector. If powering your Raspberry Pi based project has always being a concern to you, then you don’t have to worry about it again with the introduction of the PiVoyager. The PiVoyager is an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for the Raspberry Pi specially designed to work with standard Li-Ion or LiPo batteries. It is shaped in the form a Pi Zero HaT making it fully compatible with PiZero form factor, but nevertheless, it will still work with any Raspberry-PI having the conventional 40-pin header found in the Pi 2,3, B+, and 4. The PiVoyager was made by Omzlo, …

Continue reading… “PiVoyager is a UPS for the Raspberry Pi With a Real-Time Calendar Clock”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Stephen Vicinanza - 12 Comments on MakerPower Solar Power Supply/Charger for IoT & Embedded Systems Supports Lead-acid Batteries (Crowdfunding)

MakerPower Solar Power Supply/Charger for IoT & Embedded Systems Supports Lead-acid Batteries (Crowdfunding)

Danjuliodesigns llc. A boutique embedded systems design firm run by engineer and inventor Dan Julio has set up crowdfunding for the makerPower Solar power supply/charger for intelligent power supply just about anywhere and in any climate. A comprehensive device structured to IoT and embedded systems, where sometimes a remote camera or other device needs power all the time. The power source is a solar panel which can charge a standard lead-acid battery (USA availability only) We reported on a solar input board PiJuice battery HAT and although there are other solar input devices on the market, such as the PiJuice, for use with SBC’s such as Raspberry Pi, the makerPower Solar functions at a higher level, incorporating intelligent power control and functioning. The board can be source powered by solar panel through a standard lead-acid battery, rather than a Li-Po or Li-Ion. The inventor felt a source should carry as much power as possible and the Li-Po or Li-Ion battery …

Continue reading… “MakerPower Solar Power Supply/Charger for IoT & Embedded Systems Supports Lead-acid Batteries (Crowdfunding)”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Lenovo Project Limitless 5G Laptop and Snapdragon 8cx Benchmarks

Lenovo Project Limitless 5G Laptop and Snapdragon 8cx Benchmarks

Snapdragon 8cx PCMark 10 Application benchmark

Last December, Qualcomm unveiled Snapdragon 8cx processor for laptops, or as the company calls them “always-on always connected mobile PCs”. Only 4G LTE was mentioned at the time, but a few months later it was confirmed that the processor would find its way into 5G always-connected mobile PCs. Qualcomm made two main announcements at Computex 2019 about their new Arm processor for laptops. First, they announced a partnership with Lenovo for Project Limitless, the first 5G PC powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G compute platform, and the company released some benchmarks to demonstrate the high performance and long battery life of their solution. Lenovo Project Limitless 5G Laptop The press release did not reveal that much information, but we do know Project Limitless features Qualcomm Snapdragon 8C 5G compute platform with Snapdragon X55 5G modem enabling download speed of up to 2.5 Gbps, and it will be the first 5G laptop available once it becomes available in early 2020. …

Continue reading… “Lenovo Project Limitless 5G Laptop and Snapdragon 8cx Benchmarks”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments on Low Power TinyPICO ESP32 Board Ships with Micropython (Crowdfunding)

Low Power TinyPICO ESP32 Board Ships with Micropython (Crowdfunding)

TinyPICO ESP32 Micropython

There are so many ESP32 boards available now, so why bother with another ones. Some of the key selling points of TinyPICO are that it is really small at 32 x 18 mm, it’s easy to use out of the box with MicroPython firmware pre-loaded, and supports LiPo batteries with an optimized power path for low-power battery usage. The developer, named Unexpected Maker, also provides various shields for TinyPICO adding a display, sensors, an audio amplifier, an RTC, Grove headers, and more. TinyPICO board specifications: System-in-Package – Espressif Systems ESP32-PICO-D4 SiP with ESP32 dual-core processor operating at 240 MHz, 4 MB SPI flash External System Memory – 4 MB PSRAM Connectivity – 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, 3D antenna Expansion – 14x GPIO broken out to standard pitch headers Debugging / Programming – USB + serial/UART for programming Misc – Power (red) & charge (orange) LED’s, APA102 RGB LED Power Supply 5V via micro USB port 700 …

Continue reading… “Low Power TinyPICO ESP32 Board Ships with Micropython (Crowdfunding)”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments on PGCPSU is a Tiny LiPo PSU Module (Crowdfunding)

PGCPSU is a Tiny LiPo PSU Module (Crowdfunding)

PGCPSU

Last year we wrote about a two dollars USB 18650 battery shield that allows you to easily power your board over USB using a 18650 LiPo battery. But if you need some more flexibility, and extra features such as reverse polarity protection, PGCPSU, which stands for “Pretty Good Cheap Power Supply Unit”, may be worth looking into. PGCPSU key features & specifications: Power Input – micro USB input or pin header for charging (4.7V to 6V max.) Power Output 5V rail providing at least 350mA, and up to 650mA 3.3V rail providing at least 400mA, and up to 800mA Safety Integrated battery protection including reverse polarity protection Over-discharge, short circuit/over-current protection Power Efficiency High efficiency even at low load, important for long battery life Low quiescent current (49uA for the 5V rail + 57uA for the 3.3V rail) Enable/disable pin for the 3.3V rail with selectable default state solder jumper Charging –  Quick charging at up to 1.9A (fully charges …

Continue reading… “PGCPSU is a Tiny LiPo PSU Module (Crowdfunding)”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on $100 Reolink Argus 2 is a Wire-Free IP Camera with Optional Solar Panel

$100 Reolink Argus 2 is a Wire-Free IP Camera with Optional Solar Panel

Reolink Argus 2 Security IP Cam

This morning I had a look at battery-powered IP cameras since they avoid the hassle of wiring power and/or Ethernet around the house. I could remember I covered Immedia Blink IP camera with up to 2-year battery life back in 2014, and the company did very well since it got acquired by Amazon, and Blink IP security camera is now sold on Amazon US for $99.99 and up. It’s probably one of the best, if not the best options, for low-cost battery-powered cameras but the problem is that they only ship to a limited number of countries. Last year, there was a new entrant with Eufy Evercam outdoor IP camera with up to one year of battery life, but again it’s not easy to purchase from overseas, and the price starts at $279.99 for a single camera system. I also covered a solar and battery powered IP camera made by Wanscam a few years ago, and it could do the …

Continue reading… “$100 Reolink Argus 2 is a Wire-Free IP Camera with Optional Solar Panel”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on ESP32 CoinCell is a Tiny, Coin Cell Powered ESP32 Pico D4 Board

ESP32 CoinCell is a Tiny, Coin Cell Powered ESP32 Pico D4 Board

ESP32 CoinCell

ESP32 boards can easily be powered by batteries, either through an external USB battery shield, or direct connection to an ESP32 board fitted with battery charger circuitry. But Miek Rankin has done something a bit different, as he designed ESP32 Coincell board based on an ESP32 Pico D4 SiP (System-in-Package) powered by a rechargeable LIR2450 coin cell battery with 100mAh capacity. ESP32 CoinCell board specifications: SiP – Espressif Systems ESP32 Pico D4 Wifi/Bluetooth processor Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n WiFi up to 150 Mbps Bluetooth 4.1 LE On-board antenna Display – 0.69″ OLED display with 96×16 resolution USB – 1x micro USB port for charging and debugging (via CP2102N USB to TTL chip) Sensor – LIS3DHTR accelerometer Battery / Power Supply SE5218ALG-LF 500mA LDO power supply SL4054ST25P LiPo battery charger Socket for  for LIR2450 (3.7V/100Mah battery) Consumption – 0.45mA in sleep mode Dimensions – Small If you don’t connect the battery, the board can still be powered through the USB port. No battery …

Continue reading… “ESP32 CoinCell is a Tiny, Coin Cell Powered ESP32 Pico D4 Board”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 26 Comments on iMortor 36V-X Wheel Converts your Bike into an Electric Bicycle for $200

iMortor 36V-X Wheel Converts your Bike into an Electric Bicycle for $200

Electric bicycle wheel

This post will be a little off-topic, but I’ve just found out an interesting product I did not know existed. You’ve probably all seen electric bicycles, but YUNZHILUN iMortor 36V-X wheel allows you to convert your existing bicycle into an electric bicycle with up to 50 kilometers range by simply replacing the front wheel. The electric motor and battery are all built into the wheel, and GearBest sells for $199.99 plus shipping to customers based in Europe. iMortor 36V-X specifications: Wheel Size – 26″ Range – 25km mileage in pure electric power mode. 40 – 50km in “moped power mode” Motor – 30V 240W permanent magnet brushless DC motor Control driver – FOC (field-oriented control) intelligent drive controller Thumb gear shifter with 5 gears Smartphone Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 and USB for charging. Battery – 36V 115.2Wh lithium-ion battery Dimensions – 66.00 cm ∅ x 10.00 cm Weight – 11.57 kg Materials – rubber tire, aluminum alloy hub, ABS motor shell, …

Continue reading… “iMortor 36V-X Wheel Converts your Bike into an Electric Bicycle for $200”

Support CNX Software – Donate via PayPal or become a Patron on Patreon