MIPI I3C Sensor Interface is a Faster, Better, Backward Compatible Update to I2C Protocol

I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit) is one of the most commonly used serial bus for interfacing sensors and other chips, and use two signals (Clock and Data) to control up to 128 chips thanks to its 7-bi address scheme [Update: That’s the theory, as in practice it’s limited to a dozen devices max. due to capacitive load, see comments]. After announcing it was working of a new I3C standard in 2014, the MIPI Alliance has now formally introduced the MIPI I3C (Improved Inter Integrated Circuit) Standardized Sensor Interface, a backward compatible update to I2C with lower power consumption, and higher bitrate allowing it to be used for applications typically relying on SPI too. I3C offers four data transfer modes that, on maximum base clock of 12.5MHz, provide a raw bitrate of 12.5 Mbps in the baseline SDR default mode, and 25, 27.5 and 39.5 Mbps, respectively in the HDR modes. After excluding […]

Firefly-RK3399 Rockchip RK3399 Development Board Launched on Kickstarter for $139 and Up

Firefly-RK3399 is the first, and for now the only one, development board equipped with the latest Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core Cortex A72 & A53 processor. It’s just not available yet, but the board has now been launched on Kickstarter where it is offered for $139 to $199 depending on options. Firefly-RK3399 board specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core big.LITTLE processor with dual core ARM Cortex A72 up to 2.0 GHz and quad core Cortex A53 processor with ARM Mali-T860 MP4 GPU with OpenGL 1.1 to 3.1 support, OpenVG1.1, OpenCL and DX 11 support System Memory Standard – 2 GB DDR3 Plus devkit – 4 GB DDR3 Storage Standard – 16 GB eMMC flash, micro SD card, M.2 socket Plus devkit – 32 GB eMMC flash, micro SD card, M.2 socket Video Output & Display Interfaces 1x HDMI 2.0 up to 4K @ 60 Hz 1x DisplayPort (DP) 1.2 interface up to […]

NanoPC-T3 Octa-core Cortex A53 Single Board Computer Sells for $60

FriendlyARM launched NanoPC-T2 single board computer based on Samsung 5P4418 quad core Cortex A9 processor about 3 months ago, and the company has now an update based on Samsung S5P6818 Octa-Core A53 processor with the exact same interfaces and features including Gigabit Ethernet, WiFI, and Bluetooth, HDMI 1.4a, 30-pin expansion headers, etc… NanoPC-T3 specifications: SoC – Samsung S5P6818 octa core Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.4GHz with Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1 or 2GB 32bit DDR3 RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, and 1x SD card slot Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet (RTL8211E), 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE 4.0 (Ampak AP6212) with on-board chip antenna and IPX antenna connector Video Output / Display I/F- 1x HDMI 1.4a, LVDS, MIPI DSI, parallel RGB LCD Audio I/O – HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, on-board microphone Camera – 1x DVP interface, 1x MIPI CSI interface USB – 2x USB 2.0 type A host […]

FriendlyARM NanoPC-T2 Board Gets More Storage, WiFi & Bluetooth, Stays Cool, and Costs Less

FriendlyARM NanoPC-T1 board powered by Samsung Exynos 4412 processor with 1GB RAM and 4GB eMMC flash was unveiled at the start of 2014 for $69. The company has now announced NanoPC-T2 with Samsung S5P4418 processor with 1GB RAM, and 8GB Flash, as well as WiFi and Bluetooth, as Gigabit Ethernet all of which were missing in the first version. NanoPC-T2 also has a power management chip, and a larger heatsink, meaning that it does not suffer from overheating like NanoPi2 according to FriendlyARM. NanoPC-T2 specifications: SoC – Samsung S5P4418 quad core Cortex A9 processor @ up to 1.4GHz with Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1GB 32bit DDR3 RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, and 1x SD card slot (on the bottom of the board) Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE 4.0 (Ampak AP6212) with on-board chip antenna and 1x IPX antenna connector Video Output / Display […]

HummingBoard Edge SBC Gets an mSATA/M.2 Connector, an eMMC Flash, and More I/Os

SolidRun launched its HummingBoard family last year with a board with a form factor similar to the Raspberry Pi, but instead of using a Broadcom processor, the boards were based on Freescale i.MX6 single, dual or quad core processors. The company has recently introduce a higher end board with Hummingboard Edge that adds an M.2 connector, eMMC flash, 7 to 36V DC power input, more camera interfaces, a DSI interface, and more GPIOs. The following comparison table shows the differences between the new Hummingboard Edge, and the older HummingBoard Pro and Base boards. HummingBoard-Edge HummingBoard-Pro HummingBoard-Base uSOM model i.MX6 based Solo to Quad Core uSOM Memory Up to 4GB DDR3 Storage uSD, eMMC, M.2/mSATA uSD, mSATA uSD Connectivity 1x RJ45*, 4x USB 2.0, mPCIE with SIM card holder 1x RJ-45*, 2x USB 2.0 Hosts, 2x USB 2.0 header, mPCIE half-size 1x RJ-45*, 2x USB 2.0 Hosts Media HDMI-out, LVDS, analog […]

e-con Systems 13MP MIPI CSI-2 Camera Designed for Nvidia Jetson TK1 Board

e-con Systems has just introduced e-CAM130_CUTK1, a 13 MP MIPI CSI-2 camera board specifically designed for Nvidia Jetson TK1 development board powered by Nvidia Tegra K1 quad core Cortex A15 processor supporting up to Ultra HD (3840×2160) resolution @ 22 fps, or 1080p @ 30+ fps with MJPEG or YUV422 output. e-CAM130_CUTK1 camera board is comprised of a camera module and an adapter board that can be directly plug into Jetson TK1 board. Camera board key features and specifications: Camera Module e-CAM130_CUMI1820_MOD with S-mount lens holder based on Aptina AR1820HS sensor. Max S/N ratio: – 36.3 dB;  Dynamic Range: – 65.8 dB Interface – 4-lane MIPI CSI-2 interface Resolution / Frame rate – VGA @ 90 fps, 720p @ 60 fps, 1080p @ 30 fps, UltraHD (3840×2160) @ 22 fps, 13MP (4224×3156) @ 14 fps. Values are the same for MJPEG or YUV422. Connector – 125-pin connector for Jetson TK1 […]

MIPI Introduces SoundWire Audio Interface for Mobile Devices

MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) Alliance is a non-profit corporation that establishes standards for hardware and software interfaces in mobile devices. MIPI is better known for its MIPI DSI (Display Serial Interface) and CSI (Camera Serial Interface), but as you can see from the diagram below, they’ve been busy publishing a lot more interface specifications. The latest being MIPI SoundWire, a new audio interface for amplifiers, microphones and audio codecs used in smartphones, tablets, mobile PCs and other devices. The consortium only released a “MIPI SoundWire Specification Brief” so there aren’t that many details. SoundWire is not the first audio interface from MIPI, with SLIMbus having been first introduced in 2007, and later updated in 2013 with SLIMBus 1.1. SLIMbus must not have been that widely used, as only Intrinsyc OPEN-Q 8084 Development Kit appears to feature the interface among all the board listed on CNX Software. Nevertheless SLIMBus and […]

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