Author: Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on IAR Systems Releases Embedded Workbench for ARM Version 6.40

IAR Systems Releases Embedded Workbench for ARM Version 6.40

Earlier today, IAR Systems has announced the release of version 6.40 of Embedded Workbench for ARM. This new version introduces several new features, enhancements and optimizations. The enhancements include a new source browser and text editor, with functionality such as auto-completion, code folding, block selection, block indentation, bracket matching, and zooming. Word/paragraph navigation have also been improved. IAR Systems also enhanced the compiler with improvements to the stack usage analysis functionality that provides calculations of the maximum stack depth for each call graph root and new features such as support for C++ source code and  recursion. A new linker directive check can be used to calculate the stack usage at link time to verify that the used stack space does not exceed the allocated memory. The inline assembler has also been improved and expanded with a large number of new operand constraints and modifiers. In a previous post “Green Hills […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Freescale 12-axis Xtrinsic Sensor Platform Technology for Windows 8 / RT

Freescale 12-axis Xtrinsic Sensor Platform Technology for Windows 8 / RT

Freescale announced the Xtrinsic Sensor Platform, a 12-axis sensor development reference platform for Windows 8. This 12-axis sensor platform includes several sensors by Freescale and other companies: Xtrinsic MMA8451Q 3-axis accelerometer Xtrinsic MAG3110 3-axis magnetometer Xtrinsic MPL3115A2 precision altimeter, pressure, and temperature sensor An analog ambient light sensor A selection of 3D gyroscopes are also supported This platform is powered by Freescale ColdFire+ MCF51JU128VHS MCU which combines, configures and processes sensor data with Freescale sensor fusion software to match the requirements of Windows 8/RT. Xtrinic sensor platform communicates with the host device via USB. It does not requires extra drivers as it uses standard HID drivers. You can watch the video below which is an introduction (including some technical details) and demo of the system. Strangely, I could not find a similar Freescale 12-axis reference design for Android or Linux, and I’m not sure why they would limit this hardware […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Make Your Own Raspberry Pi Laptop With a Motorola Lapdock

Make Your Own Raspberry Pi Laptop With a Motorola Lapdock

There is a very interested thread over the Raspberry Pi forums started by user veryevil where he explains how he built a Raspberry Pi laptop based on Motorola Lapdock (normally used with Motorola Atrix smartphone). This is actually a real hack, because the Raspberry Pi still have to sit outside and you need to make custom cables. But the result still looks great, and veryevil claims the system runs Linux smoothly with a resolution of 1366×768 and the battery can last for hours. Some other users have joined the party, and improved on the design with shorter cables. You can check that forum post for detailed pictures of each cables. Motorola Lapdock used to be an expensive piece of equipment, but Raspberry Pi users indicated it’s currently discounted to 69.98 GBP on Amazon UK and I found it for 81 USD on Amazon US (AT&T Version) which makes it somewhat […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Mitac Unveils ARM Based GFX Server at Computex 2012

Mitac Unveils ARM Based GFX Server at Computex 2012

MiTAC International announced their first ARM server (MiTAC GFX) based on Marvell ARMADA XP SoC and running Ubuntu 12.04 LTS at Computex 2012, in Taipei. This solution appears to be similar to Dell “Copper” ARM server announced last week, which also uses Marvel ARMADA XP and runs Ubuntu 12.04, except its intended to be a real product rather than just a prototype. The MiTAC GFX with ASX-1 module is intended for deployment as a general purpose server where real estate, efficiency and throughput at a realistic price are key factors and typical applications include web hosting, web browsing, email, chat, social media and networking, etc. Later,  MiTAC will introduce an ASX-HP (High Performance) module for compute intensive workloads that can be add to GFX system, and ASX modules featuring 64-bit SoC are under development. MiTAC showcased a GFX System with 64 nodes (that’s 256 Cortex A9 cores) at Computex 2012, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on How To Let Sudo Insult You When You Type the Wrong Password

How To Let Sudo Insult You When You Type the Wrong Password

This is a completely useless post, but it’s possible to configure sudo to return insults instead of the default error message when you type the wrong password. To enable this feature, edit /etc/sudoers (with visudo for example) and change the line:

to :

Open a terminal windows as a normal user, type a command with sudo and input the wrong password. Here are a few examples: $ sudo bash [sudo] password for testman: xxx Are you on drugs? [sudo] password for testman: xxx Maybe if you used more than just two fingers… [sudo] password for testman: xxx Listen, burrito brains, I don’t have time to listen to this trash. [sudo] password for testman: xxx You silly, twisted boy you. [sudo] password for testman: xxx What, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what, what? [sudo] password for testman: xxx You do that again and see what happens… [sudo] […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Freescale Announces Kinetis KW20 Cortex M4 MCU with Built-in Zigbee Transceiver

Freescale Announces Kinetis KW20 Cortex M4 MCU with Built-in Zigbee Transceiver

Freescale announced the addition of the Kinetis KW20 to its Kinetis microcontroller portfolio. The Kinetis KW20 is based on ARMCortex-M4 core and MC13242 RF transceiver to deliver a single chip Zigbee solution for the Internet of Things and power applications such as smart energy, smart metering and building control. The company explains that their new wireless MCU family aims to “address the increased processing and memory requirements associated with future ZigBee Smart Energy 2.0 and Internet Protocol specifications”. The KW20 supports dual personal area network (PAN) to enable a single device to communicate wirelessly on two ZigBee networks. This feature eliminates the need for multiple radios required to connect different home automation and smart energy networks. Kinetis KW20 wireless MCU features: ARM Cortex-M4 processor core Up to 512 KB of flash memory and 64 KB of RAM Cryptology accelerator and sophisticated tamper detect Integrated IEEE 802.15.4-compliant radio (MC13242 RF transceiver) Low […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Advantech RSB-4210: Freescale i.MX53 Single Board Computer

Advantech RSB-4210: Freescale i.MX53 Single Board Computer

Advantech has just launched the RSB-4210, a fanless and heatsink-less RISC Single Board (RSB) powered by Freescale i.MX53 (Cortex A8) with 512 MB DDR3 and 2 GB NAND Flash. This board can operate in industrial temperature range (-40 to 85° C) and targets industrial control, digital signage, HMI/kiosk, medical, and portable applications. Here are the key features of this board: Freescale ARMCortex-A8 i.MX536 @ 800MHz Supports OpenGL ES 2.0 and OpenVG 1.1 hardware accelerators Supports full HD 1080p video decode and HD 720p hardware video encode Video Output LCD support with resolution up to 1920×1080 (default 800×480) via LVDS connector HDMI VGA Touch, UART, I2C, I2S, SPI, GPIO, USB Supports SATA storage interface and CAN-bus for vehicle applications Dimensions – 146 x 102 x 20 mm Power – 9 ~ 24 V DC with 3-watt power consumption Operating temperature – -40 ~ 85° C If you don’t mind about the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Texas Instruments Unveils Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast Video Streaming Solution Based on OMAP 4

Texas Instruments Unveils Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast Video Streaming Solution Based on OMAP 4

In my previous post, I wrote about Marvell announcement of its new 802.11ac chipset (Avastar 88W8897) that will be Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast.  But it’s not the only company for such solution, as Texas Instruments has also announced the availability of a complete solution for mobile devices designed to support Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Miracast, based on the Wi-Fi Alliance Wi-Fi Display Specification that enables users to reliably display high definition content from a mobile device onto a larger screen over a secure, low-latency, wireless network connection. The Miracast certification program defines a standards-based solution for streaming video and audio content over a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct wireless network. TI solutions will leverage OMAP processors and its WiLink connectivity solutions to provide a Miracast platform. This new solution will be available later this year to power mobile phones, tablets, HDTVs, projectors and audio receivers. Texas Instruments solution will provide the hardware and software resources […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC