Sayantan Nandy, Author at CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

October 5, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 4 Comments

Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W combines RP2350B MCU with Raspberry Pi RM2 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module

Raspberry Pi released the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 a few months ago, featuring the new RP2350 chip. Despite several upgrades, it lacks wireless connectivity like Pico W. While there’s no official Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W yet, Pimoroni has developed an unofficial alternative, the Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W, which integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth using a yet-to-be-formally-announced Raspberry Pi RM2 module and potentially set to appear in a future Pico 2W. The Pimoroni Pico Plus 2W board is powered by the Raspberry Pi RP2350B dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller, features 16MB of QSPI flash with XiP support, 8MB of PSRAM, wireless connectivity, a USB Type-C port for power and data, and a Qwiic/STEMMA QT connector for breakout board integration. A few days ago, we covered the Pimoroni Explorer board, an electronic prototyping board built around the Raspberry Pi RP2350B chip. It features a 2.8-inch LCD screen, a speaker connector, and multiple […]

October 4, 2024October 3, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 3 Comments

Phyx LANA-TNY – A WCH CH32V203 RISC-V development board for embedded applications

The LANA-TNY is a compact development board created by Phyx and built around the CH32V203 RISC-V microcontroller. It offers a low-cost solution for embedded development and features a built-in USB bootloader, eliminating the need for an external programmer to flash the firmware. With a USB-C connector and a minimalist design, the board provides essential components to start development quickly. At its core, the Phyx LANA-TNY is powered by the CH32V203G6U6, a 32-bit RISC-V microcontroller from WCH Electronics, capable of running up to 144MHz with 1-cycle multiply/divide operations. It includes 10KB of SRAM, 32KB of single-cycle Flash, and 224KB of additional external flash for program or data storage, though the external memory operates at a slower speed. The CH32V203 microcontroller supports a range of peripherals, including ADC, timers, USB devices, UART, I2C, and SPI, making it suitable for a wide variety of embedded applications. Designed in the style of Adafruit’s QT […]

October 2, 2024October 2, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 9 Comments

UnifyDrive UT2 – A compact NAS powered by Rockchip RK3588C with NVMe SSD support and AI-driven storage management (Crowdfunding)

The UnifyDrive UT2 is a compact network-attached storage (NAS) device powered by the Rockchip RK3588C processor. It supports WiFi 6, and Bluetooth, and has multiple ports for connectivity. Equipped with two M.2 2280 slots for PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSDs, it offers up to 16 TB of storage. The device can connect to networks via 2.5 GbE or WiFi and also function as a WiFi access point, allowing file transfers even without an internet connection. A built-in battery provides uninterruptible power supply (UPS) functionality, enabling continued operation when unplugged. Designed for both home and mobile use, the UnifyDrive UT2 offers AI-driven storage management in a portable form factor. Its versatile networking options allow remote access, backups, and on-the-go file transfers. Despite its size, it delivers robust functionality, serving as a full-featured NAS solution in a variety of settings. I didn’t find any significant differences between the Rockchip RK3588 and RK3588C. This […]

September 30, 2024September 30, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 6 Comments

The Things Indoor Gateway Pro: A Managed LoRaWAN Solution with ESP32 and Semtech SX1302

The Things Indoor Gateway Pro with dual external antenna

The Things Industries first introduced the Things Indoor Gateway, an affordable multi-channel LoRaWAN gateway designed for IoT networks in 2019. While low-cost single-channel gateways like Dragino OLG01, priced as low as $83.50, were available, they often struggled with connectivity in shared environments. The Things Indoor Gateway, priced around $111, offered a reliable solution for large-scale IoT deployments. Building on this success, the company has now launched the next-generation Things Indoor Gateway Pro. This managed LoRaWAN gateway is designed for seamless IoT network installation, featuring zero-touch provisioning, full cloud management, and flexible connectivity options including LTE, Ethernet, and Wi-Fi with automated failover. With advanced device management tools such as mTLS, FOTA, and secure boot, the Things Indoor Gateway Pro is a future-ready solution tailored for evolving IoT needs. Previously, we explored a variety of LoRaWAN gateways, including the AgroSense LoRaWAN for high-precision agriculture, the WisGate Soho Pro RAK7267 for greenhouse monitoring, […]

September 28, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - No Comments

Raytac AN7002Q – A smaller nRF7002 Wi-Fi 6 module for industrial IoT applications

IoT solutions company Raytac has introduced the AN7002Q Wi-Fi 6 module series, which integrates Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF7002 chipset and is designed for Industrial IoT, smart home, healthcare, consumer electronics, and automotive applications. They can be paired with Raytac’s MDBT53 Bluetooth LE modules based on the nRF5340 multiprotocol SoC, supporting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE solutions. The AN7002Q is a low-power Wi-Fi 6 module supporting dual-band 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz operation with a maximum PHY data rate of 86 Mbps (MCS7). It is compatible with IEEE 802.11ax, a/b/g/n/ac standards, and connects to a host SoC or MCU via SPI or QSPI interfaces. The module also supports coexistence with Bluetooth LE, Thread, and Zigbee systems, making it ideal for IoT applications. Previously, we covered the Abluetech PTR7002, a low-power wireless module based on the Nordic Semiconductor nRF7002. The PTR7002 has a slightly larger size and offers more GPIO options, while the AN7002Q […]

September 27, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - No Comments

AAEON SRG-CM4 IoT gateway features Raspberry Pi CM4 SoM for industrial applications

AAEON SRG-CM4 is an IoT gateway based on the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) with 1GB to 8GB of RAM and 8GB to 32GB of eMMC storage, all powered by the Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 SoC. The gateway features a modular chassis, maintaining the compact size and industrial-grade features typical of AAEON’s edge gateway products, making it ideal for various embedded applications. In terms of connectivity, the SRG-CM4 offers two switchable serial ports supporting RS-232/422/485, with an optional isolated RS-485 port, CAN 2.0 A/B, and two isolated DI/DO. Additional interfaces include two Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and an HDMI 1.4 video output. The device operates within a wide temperature range of -20°C to 70°C and supports a DC 9V to 36V power input, ensuring reliability in industrial environments. We previously covered the reComputer R1025-10, a Raspberry Pi CM4-based DIN Rail industrial gateway with optional wireless […]

September 26, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 12 Comments

MYiR Tech MYC-LD25X – A compact STM32MP25 system-on-module running Debian 12

MYiR Tech’s MYC-LD25X is a compact 39x37mm system-on-module built around the STMicro STM32MP25 dual-core Cortex-A35 SoC running at 1.5GHz with a Cortex-M33 core, and an NPU capable of 1.35 TOPS. The module comes with up to 2GB LPDDR4 RAM, 8GB eMMC storage, and a range of connectivity options, including Gigabit Ethernet, USB, CAN FD, UART, and SPI. Designed for industrial HMI, edge computing, energy systems, and automation, the MYC-LD25X is suitable for high-performance applications in these fields. Previously, we covered other development boards from MYiR, including the MYD-J7A100T, MYD-YG2UL, MYD-YG2LX, and MYD-J1028X. We also wrote about other STM32MP25-based system-in-package and system-on-module namely the Digi ConnectCore MP25 and Octavo OSD32MP2. Feel free to check them out if you’re interested. MYC-LD25X STM32MP25-based System-On-Module MYC-LD25X specifications: SoC – STMicro STM32MP257D processor CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-A35 64-bit RISC core operating at up to 1.5 GHz MPU – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M33 RISC core clocked at […]

September 24, 2024September 24, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 5 Comments

D-Robotics RDK X3 Development Board features Sunrise X3 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 SoC with a 5TOPS “Bernoulli” BPU

The D-Robotics RDK X3 development board is designed for edge AI applications and features a Sunrise X3 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor running at 1.5GHz with a dual-core BPU (Brain Processing Unit) with 5 TOPS of edge inference capability. The board includes a 40-pin GPIO interface, ensuring compatibility with Raspberry Pi 4B accessories for versatile project development. The RDK X3 offers 2GB or 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and includes a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. Designed for real-time applications like robot control and intelligent monitoring, its 5 TOPS inference capability makes it ideal for computer vision workloads such as object detection, body segmentation, scene parsing, etc… Previously, we covered the Horizon X3 AI development board, which uses the same Horizon Robotics Sunrise X3 processor. We’ve also written about several other edge AI development boards, including the Synaptics Astra Platform SL1680, SagireEdge AI 600, and MYiR Tech’s MYC-LR3568. Feel free to […]