Author: Tomisin Olujinmi

Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.
Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment on SparkFun’s $125 “Indoor Air Quality Combo Sensor” combines the SCD41 and SEN55 environmental sensors

SparkFun’s $125 “Indoor Air Quality Combo Sensor” combines the SCD41 and SEN55 environmental sensors

SparkFun Indoor Air Quality Sensor

SparkFun has released a new air quality multi-sensor board, the Indoor Air Quality Combo Sensor, which integrates the SCD41 and SEN55 sensors from Sensirion for measuring carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particulate matter, relative humidity, and temperature. The air quality multi-sensor board simplifies power management for the two sensors via onboard DC voltage conversion and allows a single Qwiic connection for power and communication. It features two Qwiic connectors and a 0.1”-space through-hole header for I2C and power. The board is not a complete solution for indoor air quality monitoring. It has to be connected to a Qwiic-enabled microcontroller such as SparkFun Thing Plus Matter, DataLogger IoT, and the ESP32 Qwiic Pro Mini. Users can install the required Arduino libraries — the Arduino Core library, Sensirion I2C SEN5x, and SparkFun SCD4x — either via the Arduino library manager or directly from SparkFun. The device is open-source, with hardware files, […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 2 Comments on The SenseCAP Watcher is a voice-controlled, physical AI agent for LLM-based space monitoring (Crowdfunding)

The SenseCAP Watcher is a voice-controlled, physical AI agent for LLM-based space monitoring (Crowdfunding)

SenseCAP Watcher

Seeed Studio has launched a Kickstarter campaign for the SenseCAP Watcher, a physical AI agent capable of monitoring a space and taking actions based on events within that area. Described as the “world’s first Physical LLM Agent for Smarter Spaces,” the SenseCAP Watcher leverages onboard and cloud-based technologies to “bridge the gap between digital intelligence and physical applications.” The SenseCAP Watcher is powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller coupled with a Himax WiseEye2 HX6538 chip (Cortex-M55 and Ethos-U55 microNPU) for image and vector data processing. It builds on the Grove Vision AI V2 module and comes in a form factor about one-third the size of an iPhone. Onboard features include a camera, touchscreen, microphone, and speaker, supporting voice command recognition and multimodal sensor expansion. It runs the SenseCraft software suite which integrates on-device tinyML models with powerful large language models, either running on a remote cloud server or a local computer […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 8 Comments on Zerowriter Ink is an open-source, ESP32-S3-based e-paper word processor (Crowdfunding)

Zerowriter Ink is an open-source, ESP32-S3-based e-paper word processor (Crowdfunding)

Zerowriter Ink e-paper word processor

Zerowriter Ink is an e-paper word processor for writers interested in an open-source, distraction-free writing tool built around the ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller. It features a customizable, mechanical keyboard with low-profile Kailh Choc switches and a second-edition Inkplate 5 e-paper display from Soldered Electronics. The Zerowriter Ink is a compact, dedicated writing tool that can be tossed in a backpack and taken on the road. It is designed as an open-source, customizable alternative to other portable word processors like the Alphasmart Neo and the Pomera DM30. It builds on the first ZeroWriter project but comes fully assembled. The keyboard is hot-swappable, with a US-English layout and printed legends. The onboard Inkplate 5 e-paper display is powered by an ESP32-S3 microcontroller with support for Wi-Fi 4 and BLE 4. It also comes with a 5,000mAh LiPo battery that can last for several weeks of daily use or a month of standby on […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 6 Comments on Teledatics HaloMax Wi-Fi HaLow LGA or M.2 module supports over 1000 clients, have been tested at a 100+km range (Crowdfunding)

Teledatics HaloMax Wi-Fi HaLow LGA or M.2 module supports over 1000 clients, have been tested at a 100+km range (Crowdfunding)

TD-WRLS development board

Teledatics has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the TD-HALOM HaloMax Wi-Fi HaLow module available in LGA and M.2 form factors for long-range and low-power connectivity, as well as HaLow development boards based on the module and various daughterboards for expansion. The wireless module, powered by Newracom’s NRC7394 SoC, is the product of a collaboration between Newracom and Teledatics. According to Zac Freeman, VP of Marketing & Sales at Newracom, the HaloMax module is “the highest output power Wi-Fi HaLow module available on the market. The Teledatics TD-HALOM module transmits at the highest allowable FCC power output and offers a Maximum Range HaLow solution.” Earlier this year, Teledatics broke the record for the longest distance for a Wi-Fi HaLow connection using the HaloMax wireless module and TE Connectivity Yagi antennas. Two Raspberry Pi 4 Model B units were able to communicate over a distance of 106km between Mount Greylock and Mount […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 4 Comments on DeepRad is a cheap, modular SDR receiver based on the RTL-SDR (Crowdfunding)

DeepRad is a cheap, modular SDR receiver based on the RTL-SDR (Crowdfunding)

Deeprad Single modular SDR receiver

DeepRad is a software-defined radio (SDR) receiver built in the RTL-SDR form factor. The modular SDR receiver offers advantages over other RTL-SDR-based devices which make it easier to integrate with other components and build custom solutions for your specific applications. The DeepRad SDR receiver is based on the RTL-SDR dongle and features the same Realtek RTL2832U demodulator chip with an R860T tuner. The module features D+ and D- pins for USB connection, V+ for 5 V power supply, solderable jumpers for oscillator selection, an RF pin for antenna connection, and 8 shield pin connectors for shielding and support. The module is targeted at custom designs, with the user free to choose the best components for their application. It is as versatile as a typical SDR receiver, with applications ranging from FM radio listening to aircraft tracking. We have previously covered other RTL-SDR receivers, such as the KrakenSDR and the RTL-SDR […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 7 Comments on The Epi C3 is a tiny ESP32-C3 development board with USB-C and an onboard antenna

The Epi C3 is a tiny ESP32-C3 development board with USB-C and an onboard antenna

Epi C3 ESP32-C3 development board

The Epi C3 is a small development board based on the Espressif ESP32-C3 microcontroller with a USB-C connector for power and programming and an onboard ceramic antenna for wireless applications. We have previously covered several tiny ESP32-C3 development boards such as the Microflex series, ESP32-C3-0.42LCD, the XIAO ESP32C3, and LOLIN’s C3 Mini and C3 Pico. The Epi C3 claims the title of the “smallest ESP32 dev board with USB-C and an onboard antenna.”  It uses a Johanson ceramic antenna with a “surprising range for its size” and the USB-C port is sunk into the board to reduce footprint. The ESP32-C3 microcontroller on the Epi C3 board is much more powerful than the 8-bit AVR chip on its predecessor, the Epi 32U4. The Epi C3, however, retains many of the older board’s protective features, including TVS diodes on the USB data lines and power input, a 500mA on the USB power […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on MIKRIK V2 Robot Car is an entry-level, open-source robotics kit built for ROS and 3D computer vision

MIKRIK V2 Robot Car is an entry-level, open-source robotics kit built for ROS and 3D computer vision

MIKRIK V2 open source robotics kit

The MIKRIK V2 Robot Car is an open-source robotics kit for studying 3D computer vision and is compatible with both ROS1 and ROS2 software suites. The two-wheel-drive robot is powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (as a ROS1 differential drive controller) and a more powerful x86 or ARM single-board computer that can support ROS2 applications like the LattePanda Delta 3, Intel NUC, or NVIDIA Jetson Nano. The robot car uses the Intel Realsense D435i camera for 3D depth vision. It is a less expensive alternative to the iRobot Create, Husarion, and TurtleBot, and compares favorably with NVIDIA’s open-source JetBot AI robot platform. The robot car’s chassis is squared-off and made from shatterproof flex plastic. The CAD files are available on GitHub for self-assembly using a laser cutter and a 3D printer. The assembly and setup process is documented on the Hackster project page. On the software end, it […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on Edgeberry allows you to build and manage Raspberry Pi IoT Edge devices

Edgeberry allows you to build and manage Raspberry Pi IoT Edge devices

Edgeberry fully assembled

The EdgeBerry is an open-source platform that comprises a base board, hardware cartridges, and software for building Raspberry Pi IoT Edge solutions designed by Belgium-based maker, Sanne Santens. The Edgeberry Base Board is the primary printed circuit board that connects all the other components to the Raspberry Pi. While it is not a HAT (Hardware Attached on Top), it plugs into the GPIO header on the Pi and provides certain interfaces and features that make it easier to use your Raspberry Pi as an IoT Edge device and deploy it in the real world. Unused GPIO pins are exposed on the expansion slot for Edgeberry Hardware Cartridges. Edgeberry Base Board specifications: 40-pin GPIO connector for interfacing with the Raspberry Pi Expansion slot for connecting Edgeberry Hardware Cartridges Misc – Buzzer, Bi-color LED, Button 3A step-down converter 12V DC power jack A unique advantage of the Edgeberry platform is the ability […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC