The “XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa” is an ESP32-S3 LoRa dev kit that combines an XIAO ESP32S3 board with the tiny Wio-SX1262 LoRa module connected through a board-to-board connector. This compact devkit supports LoRa (862-930MHz), Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), and Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE), with a 5km range for LoRa and a 100m+ range for Wi-Fi/BLE. The kit also has a USB Type-C interface, a built-in power management chip, and multiple I/O options such as IIC, UART, and GPIO. It supports external LoRa antennas and can be extended with XIAO expansion boards for more complex setups. These features make this device suitable for projects such as LoRaWAN gateways, IoT sensors, Meshtastic nodes or routers, and applications where space is limited. XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32 with dual-core Xtensa LX7 microcontroller up to 240MHz Wireless Connectivity LoRaWAN via Semtech LX1262 Output Power – Up to +22 […]
$6 Cocket Nova CH552 development board features CH552G 8-bit MCU with an enhanced 8051 core
The Cocket Nova CH552 is a cheap and versatile development board built around the CH552G MCU with an enhanced 8051 core clocked at 24MHz. Designed for beginners and hobbyists, this board features easy USB Type-C programming, onboard LEDs and a Neopixel RGB, reset and boot buttons, and Qwiic/STEMMA QT connectors for easy expansion. Additionally, it gives access to 17 GPIOs, PWM, ADC, and touch button capabilities. These features along with low-cost and standard breadboard compatibility make this development board suitable for learning and experimentation. We have previously written about other products built around the CH552G/T microcontroller, namely a $10 Arduino-programmable keyboard and the Turing Smart Screen 3.5-inch USB Type-C information display. Users interested in inexpensive 8-bit MCU boards may also check out Electrodragon’s CH551 mini development board based on another MCU part of the CH55x family. Cocket Nova CH552 development board specifications: MCU – WCH CH552 8-bit Enhanced USB single-chip MCU […]
Kumquat – An Allwinner V3s embedded system board with isolated CAN, Ethernet and ESP32 for WiFi and Bluetooth
The Kumquat is an Allwinner V3s board designed for industrial automation, home automation, IoT projects, robotics, and embedded system development. The Allwinner V3s features ARM Cortex-A7 cores with 64MB DDR2 RAM and 8MB SPI flash storage. Connectivity options include Ethernet, USB-C, isolated CAN-FD, and WiFi/Bluetooth via an ESP32 module. Additionally, it has eight auto-detecting 12/24V IOs, four relays for controlling external devices, and a real-time clock with battery backup. The Kumquat runs on Buildroot Linux with a mainline kernel and can be programmed with various programming languages making it a great alternative to traditional PLCs. Kumquat board specification SoC – Allwinner V3s CPU – ARM Cortex-A7 @ up to 1.2 GHz Memory – Integrated 64MB DDR2 DRAM clocked at 400MHz @ 1.5 V Video engine Storage 8MB SPI Flash for bootloader and user code I2C EEPROM for MAC addresses and user data SDIO Connector for eMMC or SD card Connectivity […]
Trenz Electronic AXE5-EAGLE-ES devkit features Intel Agilex 5 E-Series SoC FPGA
The Trenz Electronic AXE5-EAGLE-ES devkit (development kit) is powered by an Intel Agilex 5 E-series SoC FPGA, codenamed Sundance Mesa. It is designed for FPGA applications in sectors such as wireless communication, video broadcast, and defense. The kit provides 656k logic elements and a quad-core processing system featuring dual-core Arm Cortex-A76 and Cortex-A55 clusters. It supports high-speed transceivers up to 17 Gbps, PCIe 4.0 connectivity, and integrated memory interfaces like DDR4 and LPDDR4/5. Built on Intel’s 7 technology, the Agilex 5 architecture is optimized for midrange FPGA applications, offering a compact design with efficient performance-per-watt. The FPGA includes enhanced DSP blocks with AI Tensor capabilities for AI and digital signal processing tasks. Additionally, it incorporates Intel’s second-generation Hyperflex Architecture, enabling greater flexibility for handling dynamic workloads. Previously, we covered the iW-RainboW-G58M system-on-module, which features Intel’s Agilex 5 SoC FPGA E-series, a cost-effective, midrange solution for intelligent edge and embedded applications. […]
DFI RPS101/RPS103 mini-ITX motherboards support 12th-14th Gen Intel processors, quad 4K displays, dual 2.5GbE
DFI has recently launched the RPS101/RPS103 industrial mini-ITX motherboards compatible with 14th/13th/12th Gen Intel Core processors and equipped with R680E, Q670E, or H610E chipset. They also support up to 64GB of DDR5 memory and offer various connectivity and management features including support for up to four independent 4K displays, two Intel 2.5GbE ports, and an integrated DFI M2-OOB module. These features are designed to meet the demands of factory automation and kiosk applications, and the company claims its latest mini-ITX motherboards are ideal for businesses that need to reduce TCO and accelerate AI adoption. RPS101/RPS103 mini-ITX motherboards’ specifications CPU options LGA 1700 Socket (one or the other) 14th Gen Raptor Lake-S Refresh – Intel 300T dual-core to Intel Core i9-14900 24-core 13th Gen Raptor Lake-S – Intel G6900TE dual-core to Intel Core i9-13900 24-core 12th Gen Alder Lake-S – Intel G6900TE dual-core to Intel Core i9-12900 16-core Graphics Intel HD […]
MSI MS-CF17 is a 3.5-inch fanless single board computer with Intel Raptor Lake-P SoC
The MSI MS-CF17 is a fanless 3.5-inch single board computer powered by the Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake-P series with options for embedded and industrial SKUs. It comes with up to 32GB of DDR5 SODIMM memory and features an M.2 M key (PCIe Gen4) socket and a SATA III storage slot. It also supports four 2.5GbE ports, four internal COM ports, eight USB interfaces, and M.2 Key-B and Key-E sockets for wireless expansion. It supports four independent displays via four HDMI 2.0 ports and an eDP/LDVS display interface. Potential applications for the fanless single board computer include industrial automation, digital signage, edge computing, transportation, and imaging systems MSI MS-CF17 specifications: SoC – Intel 13th Gen Raptor Lake-P Embedded/Industrial SKU Series; P-core: 4.3GHz ~ 4.9GHz; E-core: 3.2GHz ~ 3.7GHz; Intel Iris Xe Graphics (Core i5/i7) or Intel UHD Graphics (Core i3) Core i7-1365UE / i5-1345UE / i5-1335UE / i3-1315UE / U300E, […]
LumenRadio’s nRF52840 based Wireless Modbus module aims to simplify Modbus RTU installations
LumenRadio has recently introduced a Wireless Modbus (W-Modbus) module built around Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF52840 SoC. The module can connect up to 100 nodes, integrates a power amplifier with 100mW transmission power, and supports Bluetooth LE for smartphone connectivity. These features simplify Modbus RTU installations by eliminating traditional control cables, making them ideal for building and industrial automation applications. The company mentions two variants available for this module the ‘W-Modbus OEM Module’ which supports one Modbus client, and the ‘W-Modbus PRO OEM Module’ supporting up to sixteen Modbus clients. Both modules support self-healing, self-organizing mesh protocols that address the issues of network reliability and scalability in industrial environments. The module can also be used for remote monitoring and troubleshooting via smartphones. LumenRadio’s Wireless Modbus module specification Module – LumenRadio W-Modbus module SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF52840 CPU – 32-bit Cortex-M4 core with FPU @ 64 MHz Connectivity Bluetooth 5.4 (BLE, Bluetooth mesh, […]
iKOOLCORE R2 Max Alder Lake-N mini PC/server features two 10GbE and two 2.5GbE ports
The iKOOLCORE R2 Max is an Alder Lake-N-powered firewall/gateway/server/mini PC that is offered with either an Intel Processor N100 or Core i3-N305 CPU, and equipped with two 10GbE ports and two 2.5GbE ports. It builds upon the iKOOLCORE R2 mini PC and router which we reviewed with Promox VE, Ubuntu 22.04, and pfSense and features four 2.5GbE ports in a smaller form factor. The new R2 Max model uses the N100/Core i3-N305 CPU instead of the N95/Core i3-N300, supports up to 48GB SO-DIMM memory, features a wider yet thinner design, and provides support for both 10GbE and 2.5GbE networking. iKOOCORE R2 Max specifications: Alder Lake-N SoC Intel Processor N100 quad-core processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics; TDP: 6W Intel Core i3-N305 octa-core processor @ up to 3.8 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD Graphics; TDP: 15W System Memory – 8GB, […]