Category: Linux

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on BrainChip’s Neuromorphic Akida Edge AI Box is now available for pre-orders at $799

BrainChip’s Neuromorphic Akida Edge AI Box is now available for pre-orders at $799

BrainChip Neuromorphic Akida Edge AI Box

BrainChip has recently opened preorders for their Akida Edge AI Box, built in partnership with VVDN Technologies. This box features an NXP i.MX 8M Plus SoC and two Akida AKD1000 neuromorphic processors for low-latency, high-throughput AI processing at the edge. The system features USB 3.0 and micro-USB ports, HDMI, 4GB LPDDR4 memory, 32GB eMMC with up to 1TB micro-SDXC expansion, dual-band Wi-Fi, and two gigabit Ethernet ports for external camera connections, all within a compact, passively-cooled chassis, powered by 12V DC. BrainChip Akida Edge AI Box Specifications: Host CPU – NXP i.MX 8M Plus Quad SOC with 64-bit Arm Cortex-A53 processor running at up to 1.8GHz AI/ML Accelerator – Dual Brainchip AKD1000 (Akida Chip) over PCIe for efficient AI processing Memory – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage 32GB eMMC flash MicroSD card slot for additional storage options Display Output – HDMI output supporting up to 3840 x 2160p30 resolutions with a pixel clock […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on GEEKOM A7 mini PC review – Part 3: Ubuntu 22.04 (and Ubuntu 24.04)

GEEKOM A7 mini PC review – Part 3: Ubuntu 22.04 (and Ubuntu 24.04)

GEEKOM A7 Ubuntu 22.04 Linux review

After a GEEKOM A7 mini PC unboxing and teardown, I tested the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS mini PC in Windows 11 Pro, but I’ll now report my experience with the GEEKOM A7 running Ubuntu 22.04.4 to see how well the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS system performs in Linux. I also had to install Ubuntu 24.04 to check the wireless module further, so I’ll report on that too. The Ubuntu 22.04 review will include features testing, several benchmarks, storage, 2.5GbE, and WiFi 6 networking performance testing, a stress test to check thermal performance, as well as fan noise and power consumption measurements. Ubuntu 22.04 installation I resized the Windows 11 partition to get an unused 500GB partition to install Ubuntu 22.04 from a USB drive. But the first time, it did not work as I was asked to disable BitLocker disk encryption in Windows 11 just like I did for the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Semtech AirLink XR60 is the world’s smallest rugged 5G router

Semtech AirLink XR60 is the world’s smallest rugged 5G router

Airlink XR60 world smallest rugged 5G router

Semtech AirLink XR60 is a tiny 5G router powered by a quad-core Cortex-A53 processor with up to two Ethernet ports (1Gbps and 5 Gbps), WiFi 6 connectivity, GNSS navigation, and an optional RJ45 serial port. Semtech is better known for its LoRa low-power transceivers, but the company acquired Sierra Wireless last year, so they’ll now have a wider range of wireless products to offer, and the AirLink XR60 5G gateway is the first we cover here on CNX Software since the merger between the two companies. Semtech Airlink XR60 specifications: SoC – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor Memory – 1.2 GB RAM (that should be the free memory) Storage –  1.7 GB (available storage) Networking 5G cellular Sierra Wireless EM9291 5G NR Sub-6 M.2 module Peak downlink – 2800 Mbps Peak uplink – 300 Mbps 4×4 MIMO 4x SMA antenna connectors Dual SIM (Nano-4FF) Carrier – AT&T, FirstNet 4G, T-Mobile, Verizon, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Banana Pi BPI-M6 SBC features SenaryTech SN3680 quad-core Cortex-A73 AI processor

Banana Pi BPI-M6 SBC features SenaryTech SN3680 quad-core Cortex-A73 AI processor

Banana Pi BPI-M6

Banana Pi BPI-M6 is a credit-card single board computer based on SenaryTech SN3680 SoC comprised of a quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 processor, an Arm Cortex-M3 real-time core, an Imagination GE9920 GPU, and an NPU delivering up to 6.75 TOPS. The board ships with 4GB LPDDR4 RAM and 16GB eMMC flash. Its layout is fairly similar to the one of the Raspberry Pi 4 with four USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, a 40-pin GPIO header, a USB Type-C port for power, and two micro HDMI ports. However, only one of those is for HDMI output, as the second is for HDMI input, and there’s also an M.2 Key-E socket for expansion. Banana Pi BPI-M6 specifications: SoC – SenaryTech SN3680 (also known as Synaptics VS680) with CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A73 processor up to 2.1GHz MCU – Arm Cortex-M3 real-time security core @ 250MHz GPU – Imagination PowerVR Series9XE GE9920 GPU VPU – 4Kp60 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Rockchip RK3568-powered ASUS Tinker Board 3N is now available in three variants

Rockchip RK3568-powered ASUS Tinker Board 3N is now available in three variants

ASUS Tinker Board 3N

The ASUS Tinker board 3 was first unveiled in April 2023 before being renamed as Tinker Board 3N later that year, and the three variants of the Rockchip RK3568 single board computer (SBC) are now available. The standard configuration is the Tinker Board 3N in the commercial temperature range, while the Tinker Board 3N Plus has the same features, except it can operate in the industrial temperature range (-40°C to 85°C). The Tinker Board 3N Lite is a cost-down version in the same form factor, but with a single gigabit Ethernet port without PoE support, no M.2 B-key socket for an NVMe SSD or 4G/5G cellular connectivity, no 16MB SPI flash, fewer serial interfaces, and no CAN Bus. You’ll find a comparison of the specifications for the three variants in the table below. Note the prices above are from Amazon with a 10% discount when applicable. ASUS provides support for […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Doly – A cute little autonomous AI-powered robot based on Raspberry Pi CM4 module (Crowdfunding)

Doly – A cute little autonomous AI-powered robot based on Raspberry Pi CM4 module (Crowdfunding)

Doly Raspberry Pi CM4 robot

Limitbit Doly is a cute little autonomous robot with two continuous tracks, two small arms controlled by servos, two round color displays acting as the eyes, and various sensors, all controlled by a Raspberry Pi CM4 system-on-module. The robot can be used for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education or as a developer platform. AI workloads can also run on the Raspberry Pi CM4 module taking sensors, camera, and microphone inputs, with the robot interacting with the user through the built-in stereo speaker and two eyes. In practice, that means Doly supports features such as face recognition and smart audio with the robot capable of recognizing its owner and responding to voice commands. Doly specifications: System-on-Module – Raspberry Pi CM4 Lite model CM4101000 (1GB RAM, Wireless) by default, but also supports other CM4/CM Lite modules with wireless Storage – MicroSD card slot Display – 2x high-resolution color displays (the […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment on Microchip announces the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit, a low-cost devkit for Linux and real-time applications

Microchip announces the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit, a low-cost devkit for Linux and real-time applications

Microchip PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit

The SoC Discovery Kit is the latest addition to Microchip’s list of development kits for the PolarFire series. The series is the first SoC FPGA family powered by a deterministic, coherent RISC-V CPU cluster. They provide low power consumption, thermal efficiency, and defense-grade security for smart, networked systems. They also support a deterministic L2 memory system for Linux and real-time applications. Microchip launched the Icicle Kit for the PolarFire SoC in 2020 and it was followed by the Video and Imaging Kit which was intended for mid-bandwidth imaging and video applications. Now, Microchip has announced the Discovery Kit which is billed as a low-cost alternative to the Icicle. The Discovery Kit retains the full range of features needed for testing concepts quickly, developing firmware applications, and programming/debugging user code. According to Microchip, the kit will bring “a low-cost RISC-V and FPGA development for learning and rapid innovation” to new and […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Avnet MSC C10M-ALN – A COM Express Type 10 Mini Module with Intel Alder Lake-N CPU, LPDDR5 memory

Avnet MSC C10M-ALN – A COM Express Type 10 Mini Module with Intel Alder Lake-N CPU, LPDDR5 memory

MSC C10M ALN COM Express Type 10 Module

Avnet MSC C10M-ALN is a COM Express Type 10 module powered by the Alder Lake-N family of processors including the Intel Core i3, Intel Atom x7000E, and Intel Processor N-Series. The design allows for easy adaptation of applications between various Intel CPU models, ensuring compatibility across different performance and power needs. The module supports up to 16GB LPDDR5 memory with optional In-Band Error Correcting Code(IBECC), eMMC 5.1 storage, and features an Intel i226 2.5GbE controller. It can handle up to two 4K displays through DDI and eDP video outputs, ten USB ports including USB 3.2 Gen 2, and four PCI Express Gen 3 x1 slots for expanded connectivity options. Avnet MSC C10M-ALN Com Express Module Specification: Alder Lake-N SoC (one or the other) Intel Core i3-N305, eight-core, 1.0GHz/1.8GHz, 32EU Intel UHD Graphics, 9/15W, PUC (PC Client Use Conditions) Intel Atom x7425E, four-core, 1.5GHz, 24EU Intel UHD Graphics, TCC, 12W, EUC […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC