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 Twotrees SK1 3D printer review – Part 2: Enclosure kit and AI camera

Twotrees SK1 3D printer review – Part 2: Enclosure kit and AI camera

Twotrees SK1 Enclosure Kit AI camera review

We reviewed the Twotrees SK1 CoreXY 3D printer capable of delivering high printing speeds last March, but here’s a second part of the review as the company sent us additional accessories namely the enclosure kit For SK1 and the AI camera for SK1 which we will report on today. The main structure of the enclosure is made of metal sheets plus a door that opens from the front and a top plate made of tempered glass. The SK1 3D printer enclosure makes the 3D printer more beautiful, protects it from dust, is easy to install, and features a fan and air filter system. It’s also designed to mount the AI Camera for SK1 to help users monitor the SK1 while printing is in progress. TwoTrees Enclosure Case Kit For SK1 The interior of the Twotrees SK1 3D printer enclosure is mostly made of metal and includes a tempered glass door […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on The first Realtek RTL8157 5Gbps Ethernet to USB 3.2 adapters are now available for $35

The first Realtek RTL8157 5Gbps Ethernet to USB 3.2 adapters are now available for $35

RTL8157 USB 3.2 to 5GbE adapter

WisdPi WP-UT5 is the first Realtek RTL8157 5Gbps Ethernet (5GbE) to USB 3.2 adapter to make it to market, following the launch of Realtek RTL8126 5Gbps Ethernet PCIe and M.2 adapters last June, and the announcement for both the RTL8126 and RTL8157 chips at Computer 2023 last year. While the RTL8126 dongles and cards are fairly cheap at around $16 on average and as low as $12, the WisdPi WP-UT5 is sold at a premium for about $35 on AliExpress, but we can expect the price to down come as more companies introduce 5GbE to USB 3.2 adapters. For reference, the 2.5GbE variants based on RTL8156(BG) can be had for about $20 on Amazon. WisdPi WP-UT5 specifications: Chip – Realtek RTL8157 USB USB 3.2 Type-C female port A-C and C-C cables to support hosts with USB Type-C or Type-A ports Ethernet 10/10/100/2500/5000 Mbps Ethernet Supports 5G Lite (2.5Gbps data rate) […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Efinix introduces the low-power Topaz RISC-V SoC FPGA family for “high-volume, mass-market applications”

Efinix introduces the low-power Topaz RISC-V SoC FPGA family for “high-volume, mass-market applications”

Efinix Topaz RISC-V SoC FPGA

Efinix Topaz is a new low-power RISC-V SoC FPGA family manufactured with the same 16nm TSMC process as the Efinix Titanium SoC FPGA, but optimized for high-performance in a low-power footprint, and targetting high-volume, mass-market applications. The Topaz SoC FPGAs provide fewer features than the Titanium family but still offer up to four RISC-V hard cores, PCIe Gen3, MIPI interfaces, LPDDR4, LVDS, and 12.5 Gbps transmitter with most features being optional and depending on the exact SKUs selected. Efinix Topaz key features and specifications: FPGA compute fabric Up to 326,080 logic elements (LEs) Up to 19.22 Mbits embedded memory Up to 1,877 10-Kbit SRAM blocks Up to 1,008 embedded DSP blocks Memory – 10-kbit high-speed, embedded SRAM, configurable as single-port RAM, simple dual-port RAM, true dual-port RAM, or ROM FPGA interface blocks Optional 32-bit quad-core hardened RISC-V block (RISCV32I with M, A, C, F, and D extensions and six pipeline […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on LILYGO T-QTC6 – An ESP32-C6 IoT controller with a 0.85-inch touchscreen LCD

LILYGO T-QTC6 – An ESP32-C6 IoT controller with a 0.85-inch touchscreen LCD

ESP32-C6 IoT controller

LILYGO T-QTC6 is a cute little IoT controller based on an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, and 802.15.4 wireless microcontroller and a 0.85-inch touchscreen color LCD that can be powered via USB-C or a LiPo battery with the board also supporting charging. The device, sometimes called “T-QT C6” (with a space), also comes with an 8-pin female connector with five GPIOs and a Qwiic connector for UART modules. It’s another addition to the T-QT family with ESP32 wireless microcontrollers and a tiny 0.85-inch display such as the T-QT Pro or the T-QT V1.1. But note that those are development boards, while the T-QTC6 feels more like a complete device. LILYGO T-QTC6 specifications: Wireless Module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6-MINI-1U SoC – ESP32-C6-FH4 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor up to 160 MHz with 320KB ROM, 512KB HP SRAM, 16KB LP SRAM, 4MB flash Memory – 4MB PSRAM (TBC) Wireless 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments on Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board combines Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE module

Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board combines Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE module

Raspberry Pi RP2350 board ESP32-C6 WiFi module

You don’t need to wait for the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W to get a Raspberry Pi RP2350 board with WiFi and Bluetooth thanks to the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board that combines an RP2350A microcontroller with an ESP32-C6 module offering 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE connectivity. The board follows the Adafruit Feather form factor with 28-pin through holes for I/Os making it compatible with FeatherWings add-on boards. It comes with a USB-C port for power and programming, and a JST connector plus a charging circuit for people wanting to connect a LiPo battery. Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ 150MHz Only two cores can be used at a given time Memory – 520KB internal RAM 8KB OTP Storage Package – QFN-60; 7×7 mm Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB SPI […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on $49 Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN ships with three DS18B20 temperature sensors

$49 Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN ships with three DS18B20 temperature sensors

Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN

The “Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN” is a LoRaWAN solution for temperature sensing that includes three waterproof DS18B20 temperature sensors that could be useful for cold storage, kitchen, and greenhouse monitoring. The device has a waterproof design that can withstand moisture and wet environments, is equipped with sensors measuring temperature within the -40°C to 125°C range, plus low-power LoRaWAN connectivity and Lithium AA batteries that can last up to five years when sending data every 10 minutes. Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN specifications: Microcontroller – Unnamed Arm Cortex-M MCU; potentially STMicro STM32L151 Cortex M3 @ 32 MHz based on another temperature sensor from Rejeee. LoRaWAN Data Rate – 300 bps ~ 62.5 kbps Transmit Power – 22 dBm Max. Receiver Sensitivity – -140 dBm (BW = 125 kHz, SF12) Operating Frequency – LF: 433 ~ 510 MHz; HF: 863 ~ 928 MHz Bands EU868, IN865, RU864 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments on MILK-V Jupiter review – A RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard and PC tested with Ubuntu-based Bianbu OS

MILK-V Jupiter review – A RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard and PC tested with Ubuntu-based Bianbu OS

Milk-V Jupiter RISC-V computer review

In this review or preview of the the Shenzhen Milk-V Jupiter RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard, I’ll assemble the motherboard into a mini-ITX chassis, before installing the Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic-based Bianbu OS optimized for RISC-V platforms, and testing the device to see how much progress has been done on RISC-V since I tested the StarFive VisionFive 2 SBC with Debian 12 about 18 months ago. In the first part of the review, we checked out the Radxa ROCK 5 ITX (Rockchip RK3588 Arm) and Jupiter (SpacemIT K1 RISC-V) mini-ITX motherboards with specifications and unboxing, and the Auriga 6-Bay NAS mini-ITX chassis used in this review. I planned to start with the Radxa ROCK 5 ITX, but due to logistics and technical issues, I went ahead testing the RISC-V motherboard first. Installing Bianbu OS to the Jupiter RISC-V motherboard The board does not come with storage, so no operating system is installed. So […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Solder Party’s “RP2350 Stamp” modules features Raspberry Pi RP2350A or RP2350B microcontroller

Solder Party’s “RP2350 Stamp” modules features Raspberry Pi RP2350A or RP2350B microcontroller

RP2350 Stamp RP2350 Stamp XL

Solder Party’s RP2350 Stamp is an update to the company’s tiny RP2040 Stamp module based on a Raspberry Pi RP2350A, and they also introduced the RP2350 Stamp XL module that makes use of the extra GPIO pins on the RP2350B, and a “RP2xxx Stamp Carrier XL” carrier board taking either module. RP2350 Stamp and RP2350 Stamp XL The RP2350 Stamp has exactly the same layout as the RP2040 Stamp and mostly benefits from the more powerful Cortex-M33 cores, additional memory, and security features, while the XL variant adds more GPIOs, footprint for a PSRAM chip, as well as UART and SWD connectors. Both come with a 16MB SPI flash for storage. RP2350 Stamp specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz Memory – 520KB internal RAM 8KB OTP Storage Package – QFN-60; 7×7 mm Storage – 16MB flash I/Os – All 30x I/Os […]

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