Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft), Author at CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

September 29, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

$27 TP-LINK TL-MR10U is an Hackable OpenWRT Wi-Fi Router with a Power Bank

TP-Link WR703N is a cheap 802.11 b/g/n router (you can now get it for about $20) that can easily be hacked to run openWRT and for example, act as an home automation gateway, printer server and more. But if you need a battery powered router for your application, TP-Link TL-MR10U, based on similar hardware as TL-703WR, should be a better match as it comes with a 2600 mAh battery, and costs just about $27 on DealExtreme. Here are the specifications of the device: CPU – Atheros AR9331 CPU @ 400Mhz System Memory – 32MB RAM Storage – 4 MB Flash Connectivity: 10/100 Mbit Ethernet port 802.11 b/g/n 150Mbps 3G support via external USB dongle USB – USB 2.0 port + micro-USB port for power Misc – Serial port access Dimensions – 91mm x 43mm x 25.85mm（L x W x H） The device comes with a microUSB cable and a user’s […]

September 27, 2013September 27, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

How to Root Rockchip Devices in Linux

Rooting methods for devices based on Rockchip RK3066 and Rk3188 are usually only provided for Windows, so if you run Linux as your main operating system, you would either need to find a Windows based devices, or run Windows in a virtual machine. Luckily, Linux users may not have to switch to Windows anymore thanks to the instructions provided in one article that I’ll summarize below. The steps below are for Ubuntu / Debian based systems, but should be easily adaptable to other distributions. Set up ADB access to the device Install adb:

sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

1	sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb

Edit/create /etc/udev/rules.d/51-android.rules with the following line in order to let standard users connect to the device:

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2207", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

1	SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="2207", MODE="0666", GROUP="plugdev"

Make sure that the Linux user is part of group “plugdev”:

groups user

1	groups user

Reload of the USB access rules to get the latest one on:

sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

1	sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

Add your device USB Vendor ID to adb list. e.g.:

echo "0x2207" &gt;&gt; ~/.android/adb_usb.ini

1	echo "0x2207" >> ~/.android/adb_usb.ini

Restart the adb […]

September 23, 2013September 23, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Microduino Is a Tiny Arduino Compatible Board with Stackable Shields

Microduino is a small board based on Atmel AVR or ATMega MCU which is software compatible with Arduino boards. The core board features the Atmel MCU, and Microduino shields can be stacked on the core board to add functionalities. There are actually 2 core boards: Microduino core and Microduino core+ with more performance. They share the following specifications: MCU: Core – Atmel ATmega328P or ATmega168PA, equivalent to Arduino UNO Core+ – Atmel ATmega644PA or ATmega1284P, with performance matching that of the Arduino Mega2560. System Memory – 1K to 16K SRAM on-chip Storage – 16K to 128K flash + 512 bytes to 4KB EEPROM on-chip Operating Voltage: 5V/3.3V Input Voltage (limits): 6-20V Digital I/O Pins: 14, including 6 capable of PMW output, plus serial, SPI, TWI, Analog Input Pins: 8 (2 more compared to Arduino Uno) DC Current per I/O Pin: 40 mA DC Current: 50 mA Dimensions – 25.40mm X […]

September 22, 2013September 28, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

ISEE IGEP COM AQUILA Powered by TI Sitara AM3354 Processor is now available for 79 Euros

Back in February, ISEE announced 2 new computers-on-module based on TI AM335x at Embedded World 2013. IGEP COM AQUILA, one of those 2 modules based on AM3354, is now available and we have a more information about software support, and baseboard availability. AQUILA specifications do not appear to have changed since the earlier announcement: Processor – Texas instruments Sitara AM3354 Cortex A8 @ 720 Mhz + PowerVR SGX GPU System memory – 256 MB DDR3 SDRAM, 303 MHz, 16-bit Storage – 128 MB SLC NAND FLASH + on-board micro-SD socket Networking – 1x Ethernet PHY Debug Interface – JTAG Sitara AM335x interfaces – USB Host/OTG, I2C, SPI, CAN, UART, LCD controller, GPIOs, etc… Power – 4V to 5,5V DC via SODIMM connector. 1x Linear 3V3@1A regulator Dimensions – 67,6mm x 26 mm (SODIMM form factor) Temperature Range – Industrial: -40 to +85 C What’s new to me, is the tiny […]

September 16, 2013May 29, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

GOsingGO GSG-TB06 Android TV Stick Features an Ethernet Port

There’s a plethora of Android HDMI TV dongles, but all of them only provide Wi-Fi connectivity, and if you need better network performance you need to add Ethernet via an USB to Ethernet dongle. There’s now another solution, that may not be very new, with GOsingGO GSG-TB06 a mini PC based on AllWinner A10 that includes an Ethernet Port. Here are the specifications of the device: SoC – Allwinners A10 @ 1.0GHz System Memory – 1GB RAM Storage -4 to 32 GB flash + micro SD card slot Video output – HDMI & AV USB – 1x USB 2.0, 1x micro USB for power Connectivity – Ethernet (RJ45) + Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (AR6103) Dimensions – 105L x 37W x 15.6Hmm The device comes with a USB power adapter, an RCA (AV) cable, and a user’s manual. The manufacturer says it’s running Android 4.1. The specs are not that great, but […]

September 13, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Tessel ARM Cortex-M3 MCU Board Brings Hardware Hacking to Web Developers with JavaScript and Node.js

People who are proficient with JavaScript or web technologies may not be completely comfortable with programming MCU in assembler and/or C programming language. Node.js, written in JavaScript, seems to be quite popular this days for diverse projects, but technical.io has decided to design a board called Tessel, powered by a Cortex M3 MCU. that can be fully programmed with JavaScript/Node.js. Tessel hardware specifications: MCU – NXP LPC1830 ARM Cortex-M3 @ 180mhz System Memory – 32MB SDRAM Storage – 32MB Flash Connectivity – Wi-Fi via TI CC3000 Expansion – 16-pin GPIO bank for prototyping Power – Micro USB or battery The board is said to be compatible with 1000’s of Node.js modules from NPM, can be programmed via USB or Wi-Fi using your own IDE, and support Tessel modules, as well as Arduino Shields. There are two (price) classes for Tessel modules: Class A: Relay — turn devices on and off (up […]

September 9, 2013September 9, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

Free Shenzhen Map to Shop for Electronics in Huaqiangbei

Huaqiangbei is the place in Shenzhen, China, to shop for electronics components and devices. There are several multi-story buildings with lots of different electronics fares, and if you look for some specific components it’s more than likely to be found there. However it may take some time to find what you need there, but it may just have become a little easier, as Seeed Studio has published a map that you can buy for $5, or simply download for free (PDF). The map has 2 main sections: Some general information about Shenzhen such as transportation (border crossing, station), leisure, main locations of factories, and a bit more. Huaqiangbei map with short descriptions of what you can buy in the different buildings, as well as places to eat, and stay. Seeed Studio will also setup a wiki, so that makers can add interesting places they went shopping in Shenzhen. Jean-Luc Aufranc […]

September 7, 2013September 8, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 36 Comments

Radxa Rock Development Boards with Rockchip RK3188 Are Available for Developers Now

As previously mentioned, work was in progress to design development boards based on Rockchip processors. Radxa Rock and Radxa Rock Lite, 2 boards powered by Rockchip RK3188, are now available to early developers, and the final versions will soon be broadly available. Here are the boards specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3188 ARM Cortex-A9 quad core @ 1.6Ghz + Mali-400 MP4 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 @ 800Mhz (1GB DDR3 @ 800Mhz for Lite version) Storage – 8GB Nand Flash (4GB Nand Flash for Lite version) + micro-SD SDXC up to 128GB Video Output – HDMI 1.4 up to 1080p@60hz, andAV output Connectivity: 10/100M Ethernet port WIFI 150Mbps 802.11b/g/n with antenna Bluetooth – Bluetooth 4.0 (Not in Lite version) Audio I/O – Audio S/PDIF, headphone jack USB – 2x USB 2.0 host port, micro USB OTG Debugging – Serial Console Misc – IR sensor, power key, recovery key, reset key, […]