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May 21, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Adafruit Sparkle Motion Stick – A compact ESP32-S3 USB WLED controller board with dual 5V LED outputs, an I2S Mic, and a snap-fit enclosure

Adafruit Sparkle Motion Stick + Enclosure Kit

Adafruit has recently released the Adafruit Sparkle Motion Stick, a compact, WLED-friendly Neopixel USB controller board built around an ESP32-S3 Module designed for audio-reactive LED projects, cosplay props, holiday lighting, and more. The module comes with a USB Type-A port for programming and power input (5V, 2A max), and a simple enclosure for protection (not weatherproof). It includes a built-in I2S microphone for audio-reactive effects, an IR receiver for remote control. Other than that it has a user-programmable button, an onboard NeoPixel LED, and a red status LED with two 5V-level shifted signal outputs with power and to connect the LEDs a screw terminal blocks. Adafruit Sparkle Motion Stick specifications SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Xtensa LX7 MCU @ 240MHz with 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and BLE 5 LED Control – 2x level-shifted output channels (5V logic) with terminal blocks (26–20AWG support) Audio Input – Built-in I2S MEMS digital microphone for audio-reactive lighting Infrared […]

May 18, 2025May 19, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

M5Stack Tab5 Review – Part 2: Getting started with ESP32-P4 firmware development using the ESP-IDF Framework and Arduino IDE

In the first part of the review, we checked out the hardware of the M5Stack Tab5 ESP32-P4 IoT development kit and tried the demo firmware, whose user interface allows the user to quickly experiment with the camera, microphone, speaker, WiFi, power consumption, GPIOs, RS485, and more. Since there’s no user application for the Tab5 at this stage, I decided to look into software development resources for the ESP32-P4 devkit in the second part of the review. I’ll first follow the instructions to build the demo firmware from source using the ESP-IDF framework, then analyze key aspects of the source and make some small modifications. After that, I’ll have a look at ESP32-P4 Arduino support via M5Unified and M5GFX library. ESP-IDF 5.4.1 installation and ESP32-P4 Hello World program The first step is to get the ESP-IDF 5.4.1 and configure ESP32-P4 following the instructions on the Espressif website, before testing it with […]

May 16, 2025May 16, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Satellite1 Dev Kit is an Home Assistant-compatible DIY voice assistant with ESP32-S3 module, XMOS XU316 audio processor

DIY Voice Assistant in 3D printed enclosure

FutureProofHomes’ Satellite1 Dev Kit is a DIY voice assistant comprised of an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth board running ESPHome and an audio “HAT” based on XMOS XU316 audio processor designed for Home Assistant compatibility. It can be used as a smart speaker with a 25W amplifier, a headphone jack, and a built-in 4-microphone array, a music player, and an environmental monitoring system with temperature, humidity, luminosity, and presence sensors. The HAT can also be used with a Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin GPIO header, and two extra 40-pin connectors are reserved for future accessories. Satellite1 Dev Kit specifications: Wireless SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Dual-core 32-bit LX7 processor running at 240 MHz Memory – 512 KB SRAM, 8 MB PSRAM. Storage – 16 MB Flash Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.x Audio Processor – XMOS XU316 (XU316-1024-QF60V-I32) 16-core 32-bit RISC processor running at 800 MHz with […]

May 14, 2025May 21, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

M5Stack Tab5 Review – Part 1: Unboxing, teardown, and first try of the ESP32-P4 and ESP32-C6 5-inch IoT devkit

I’ve just received a review sample of the M5Stack Tab5 ESP32-P4 IoT development kit, which looks like a small tablet with a 5-inch touchscreen display, a 2MP front-facing camera, an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 wireless module, and various expansion interfaces. Today, I’ll go through an unboxing, a (partial) teardown, and have a quick try with the default firmware and GUI, before checking out how to program the device in the second part of the review. M5Stack Tab5 unboxing I received the Tab5 in its retail package along with an M5Stack-branded transparent sticky tape roll. Not sure why, but thanks M5Stack, sticky tape is always useful, so appreciated! The bottom side of the package has all the key features and specifications that we already covered in our article about the Tab5. The package contains the Tab5 itself, a 2,000mAh/14.8Wh battery, and a cable with six wires for the ExtPort2 […]

May 12, 2025May 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

$24 Lucky Miner SOLO-LV02 is the equivalent a lottery ticket for Bitcoin mining

Bitcoin mining now requires expensive machines, so I was surprised when I saw the Lucky Miner SOLO-LV02 cryptocurrency mining “machine” going for about $24 on AliExpress (link at the end of this post). The USB-powered box is capable of mining coins with the SHA-256 algorithm, and features a 1.9-inch display, WiFi connectivity, and two buttons. In theory, we’re told the device can mine BTC, BCH, BSV, DGB… Considering the really low hashrate, it’s the equivalent of a lottery ticket for Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies, and the luckiest ones may get one Bitcoin block (3.125 BTC). SOLO-LV02 specifications: SoC – Unnamed Hashrate – 72kH/s ±10% Algorithm SHA-256 Display – 1.9-inch color TFT display Connectivity – WiFi USB – 1x USB Type-C port for button Misc Top button for menu selection, factory reset, and configuration mode activation Bottom button for screen on/off and orientation Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port Power Consumption […]

May 11, 2025May 11, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

ThinkNode M2 ESP32-S3-based Meshtastic handset features 1.3-inch OLED display, 1,000 mAh battery

Elecrow ThinkNode M2 is yet another Meshtastic handset for off-grid messaging and GPS coordinate sharing based on an ESP32-S3 module providing Bluetooth connectivity to a smartphone, and a Semtech SX1262 LoRa transceiver for low-power long-range wireless connectivity. It’s an evolution of the ThinkNode-M1, itself similar to the LILYGO T-Echo, based on a Nordic Semi nRF52840 Bluetooth module and SX1262 LoRa transceiver with an external antenna housed in a 3D printed enclosure. The new ThinkNode M2 is very similar but features a more powerful ESP32-S3 module instead, relies on a 1.3-inch OLED display instead of a 1.54-inch e-paper display, and is housed in an ABS plastic case. ThinkNode M2 specifications: Core module – ESP32-S3 module (looks to be ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 on the photo below) SoC – ESP32-S3 CPU – dual-core 32-bit microcontroller @ 240MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 8MB PSRAM Storage – 384KB ROM 4MB flash Wireless – 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth […]

May 9, 2025May 9, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

M5Stack Tab5 is a tablet-like ESP32-P4 IoT development kit with a 5-inch touchscreen display and front-facing camera

The M5Stack Tab5 may look like a small tablet, but it’s an ESP32-P4 IoT development kit with a 5-inch touchscreen display, a 2MP front-facing camera, an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth, and 802.15.4 wireless module, and a range of interfaces. Those include USB Type-A and Type-C ports, an RS485 interface, a STAMP pad to connect an LTE Cat M/NB-IoT or LoRaWAN module, and expansion connectors including a Grove module, a 30-pin M5Bus header, and a GPIO_EXT connector. The Tab5 is also equipped with a built-in speaker and dual-microphone array, and the ESP32-P4 development kit is powered by a removable battery with charging support. M5Stack Tab5 specifications: Microcontroller – Espressif Systems ESP32-P4NRW32 CPU Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V HP (High-performance) CPU @ up to 400 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU Single-RISC-V LP (Low-power) MCU core @ up to 40 MHz with 8KB of zero-wait TCM RAM Memory 768 KB HP L2MEM […]

May 8, 2025 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Everything Presence Lite ESP32-based mmWave presence sensor tracks up to three targets simultaneously

Designed by Everything Smart Home, the Everything Presence Lite is a compact, ESP32-based mmWave presence sensor designed to be easily integrated with Home Assistant open-source home automation framework via ESPHome firmware. This sensor features a 24GHz mmWave sensor designed to track up to three targets simultaneously with real-time distance, speed, and positional data (X, Y coordinates). It supports dynamic zone customization, ambient light sensing using a BH1750 sensor, and acts as a Bluetooth proxy to extend Home Assistant’s Bluetooth range. The sensor comes in an injection-molded case, and the company also provides 3D-printable STL files, which you can customize according to your needs. Key applications include human presence detection, smart lighting automation, home security zone monitoring, HVAC efficiency control, fall detection for the elderly, and much more. Everything Presence Lite specifications: Wireless controller – ESP32-WROOM-32E WiFi and Bluetooth module with 4MB Flash mmWave Sensor Built-in Hi-Link HLK-LD2450 24 GHz ISM […]