Category: Broadcom BCMxxxx

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Seeed Studio launches Wi-Fi HaLow mini PCIe module for Raspberry Pi, add-on board for XIAO boards

Seeed Studio launches Wi-Fi HaLow mini PCIe module for Raspberry Pi, add-on board for XIAO boards

Wio-WM6108 Wi-Fi HaLow mini PCIe module

Seeed Studio has launched two 900 MHz WiFi HaLow modules for long-range, low-power communication based on Quectel FGH100M-H: the Wio-WM6180 Wi-Fi HaLow mini-PCIe module designed to be installed in hardware such as OpenWrt routers or even Raspberry Pi SBCs, and the Wi-Fi HaLow module for Seeed Studio XIAO designed to take XIAO boards with Espressif, Raspberry Pi, or Nordic Semi microcontrollers. These solutions can be useful for Smart Home devices, industrial automation, Smart City infrastructure, Smart Agriculture, and environmental monitoring systems. The most typical use cases are WiFi HaLow cameras with up to one kilometer range. Wio-WM6180 Wi-Fi HaLow mini-PCIe Module Specifications: Quectel FGH100M-H Wi-Fi HaLow module compliant with IEEE 802.11ah standard. Chipset – Morse Micro MM6108 Wi-Fi Frequency Band – 902–928 MHz Operating mode – Access Point (AP) or Station (STA) Modulation – OFDM, BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM Data Rate – Up to 32.5Mbps link rate Range – Up […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 adds industrial/extended temperature range from -40°C to +85°C

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 adds industrial/extended temperature range from -40°C to +85°C

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 industrial temperature range

Some Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 are now available in the industrial/extended temperature operating from -40°C to +85°C, suitable for outdoor applications in cold climates and (some) cold storage solutions that require sub -20°C temperature. When the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 was launched in 2020, Raspberry Pi did not provide an operating temperature range. Since then, the Raspberry CM4 has been qualified to operate in the -20°C to +85°C range, which is suitable for most applications but not all. Eben Upton has now announced the availability of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 variants with extended temperature range. Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 specifications (as of March 2025): SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 processor @ 1.5 GHz with VideoCore VI GPU System Memory – 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4-3200 SDRAM Storage – CM4: 4, 8, 16, or 32GB eMMC flash up to 100MB/s; CM4 Lite: No storage device […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Giada DN25 fanless 4K digital signage player features Raspberry Pi CM5 Lite module and eMMC flash

Giada DN25 fanless 4K digital signage player features Raspberry Pi CM5 Lite module and eMMC flash

Giada DN25

Most products based on Raspberry Pi CM5 make use of the eMMC flash version, but Giada DN25 fanless 4K digital signage player relies on the Raspberry Pi CM5 Lite module instead, but still uses 32GB or 64GB flash. This looks like a contradiction at first since the CM5 Lite module has no eMMC flash, but more on that later. The media player uses a CM5 Lite module with 2GB RAM and a wireless module, and features two full HDMI ports to drive up to two 4K displays, a 3.5mm audio jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB ports, and an RS232 port for peripheral connection (e.g. barcode scanner). Giada DN25 specifications: Compute Module – Raspberry Pi CM5 Lite Module SoC –  Broadcom BCM2712 CPU  – Quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 processor @ 2.4GHz GPU – VideoCore VII GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.1 graphics, Vulkan 1.3 VPU – 4Kp60 HEVC decoder […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on NComputing RX540 Raspberry Pi CM5-powered thin client supports Citrix, Microsoft AVD, WIndows 365, RDS, and more

NComputing RX540 Raspberry Pi CM5-powered thin client supports Citrix, Microsoft AVD, WIndows 365, RDS, and more

NComputing RX540 thin client

NComputing RX540 is a thin client powered by the Raspberry Pi CM5 that works with Citrix, Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), Windows 365, Remote Desktop Services (RDS), and NComputing’s own vSpace Pro and VERDE VDI platforms. Omnissa Horizon integration is expected in March 2025. We first covered NComputing when the company released the RX300 Raspberry Pi 3-based Thin Client in 2017, which we reviewed with Windows Server 2016 the same year. Since then, the company introduced the RX420(HDX) Raspberry Pi 4 Thin Client compatible with Citrix HDX in 2020, and now they’ve introduced their first Raspberry Pi Compute Module-based hardware with the CM5-powered NComputing RX540 thin client, and there’s also an RX580 model with 8GB RAM and internal storage available upon request. Ncomputing RX540 specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5 SoC – Broadcom BCM2712 CPU – Quad-core 64-bit Arm Cortex-A76 processor @ 2.4GHz GPU – VideoCore VII GPU […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 2 Comments on LLMStick – An AI and LLM USB device based on Raspberry Pi Zero W and optimized llama.cpp

LLMStick – An AI and LLM USB device based on Raspberry Pi Zero W and optimized llama.cpp

LLMStick

Youtuber and tech enthusiast Binh Pham has recently built a portable plug-and-play AI and LLM device housed in a USB stick called the LLMStick and built around a Raspberry Pi Zero W. This device portrays the concept of a local plug-and-play LLM which you can use without the internet. After DeepSeek shook the world with its performance and open-source accessibility, we have seen tools like Exo that allow you to run large language models (LLMs) on a cluster of devices, like computers, smartphones, and single-board computers, effectively distributing the processing load. We have also seen Radxa release instructions to run DeepSeek R1 (Qwen2 1.5B) on a Rockchip RK3588-based SBC with 6 TOPS NPU. Pham thought of using the llama.cpp project as it’s specifically designed for devices with limited resources. However, running llama.cpp on the Raspberry Pi Zero W wasn’t straightforward and he had to face architecture incompatibility as the old […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment on Stackable HAT brings high-resolution 24-bit ADC to Raspberry Pi (Crowdfunding)

Stackable HAT brings high-resolution 24-bit ADC to Raspberry Pi (Crowdfunding)

24 bit ADC 8 layer Stackable HAT on Raspberry Pi

Sequent Microsystems’ “Eight 24-bit ADC 8-layer Stackable HAT” is a Raspberry Pi expansion board designed for home automation projects. It is compatible with all Raspberry Pi models with a 40-pin GPIO header and features a stackable design that provides scalability for more complex setups. It includes eight independent 24-bit ADC channels, providing ultra-high resolution for measuring small analog signals accurately. It also features programmable gain amplifiers on each input channel for amplifying weak signals and optimizing the ADC’s input range. It is stackable up to eight layers, allowing for up to 64 differential analog inputs. It provides 4A continuous and 5A peak power to the Raspberry Pi via the GPIO header. It sends data via the I2C lines, leaving all other pins free for use. Also, it supports isolated RS485 communication for long-distance connectivity. The 8-layer Stackable HAT for Raspberry Pi is suitable for precision data acquisition applications, including industrial […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Adafruit’s PioMatter library adds HUB75 RGB LED Matrix support to the Raspberry Pi 5

Adafruit’s PioMatter library adds HUB75 RGB LED Matrix support to the Raspberry Pi 5

HUB75 RGB Matrix Raspberry Pi 5

The Raspberry Pi 5 brought a more powerful CPU and GPU and faster I/Os compared to the Raspberry Pi 4, as well as some incompatibilities. While the transition from a Raspberry Pi 4 to a Raspberry Pi 5 is usually painless for most applications, Adafruit notes that the ability to drive HUB75 RGB LED matrices was lost on the Raspberry Pi 5 which now relies on the Raspberry Pi RP1 peripheral control to drive GPIOs instead of the Broadcom processor directly controlling them. The company has now addressed that by using the PIO (Programmable I/O) block in the RP1 chip, yes that’s the same PIOs as found in the RP2040 or RP2350 microcontroller, to drive HUB75 RGB LED matrices from the Raspberry Pi 5, and their work can be found on the Adafruit-Blinka-Raspberry-Pi5-Piomatter repository on GitHub. The instructions to install the Adafruit Blinka Raspberry Pi 5 PioMatter library (or just […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on FOSSASIA 2025 – Operating systems, open hardware, and firmware sessions

FOSSASIA 2025 – Operating systems, open hardware, and firmware sessions

FOSSASIA Summit 2025

The FOSSASIA Summit is the closest we have to FOSDEM in Asia. It’s a free and open-source event taking place each year in Asia, and FOSSASIA 2025 will take place in Bangkok, Thailand on March 13-15 this year. It won’t have quite as many speakers and sessions as in FOSDEM 2025 (968 speakers, 930 events), but the 3-day event will still have over 170 speakers and more than 200 sessions. Most of the sessions are for high-level software with topics like AI and data science, databases, cloud, and web3, but I also noticed a few sessions related to “Hardware and firmware” and “Operating System” which are closer to what we cover here at CNX Software. So I’ll make a virtual schedule based on those two tracks to check out any potentially interesting talks. None of those sessions take place on March 13, so we’ll only have a schedule for March […]

EmbeddedTS embedded systems design