Category: Broadcom BCMxxxx

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments on Comparison of Raspberry Pi 5 with 2GB and 8GB RAM – Hardware, benchmarks, and power consumption

Comparison of Raspberry Pi 5 with 2GB and 8GB RAM – Hardware, benchmarks, and power consumption

Raspberry Pi 5 2GB vs 8GB RAM

The Raspberry Pi 5 with 2GB RAM was launched last week, and since I got a sample for review, I decided to compare it to the Raspberry Pi 5 with 8GB RAM to see if I could find any noticeable differences between the two boards. I’ll start with a visual inspection to show differences on the PCBA, then check system information, run some benchmarks, check power consumption, and finally try to open as many tabs in Firefox until the 2GB RAM is filled and the system becomes unusable. Raspberry Pi 5 2GB vs Raspberry Pi 8GB – visual inspection We should first have a quick look at the boards and packages there’s no obvious difference apart from seeing 2GB RAM and 8GB RAM on the respective packages. But if we look closer, we can see the resistors for memory capacity detection are in different locations for “2G” and “8G”, and […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe HAT+ board features gigabit Ethernet, 4G LTE (mini PCIe), two USB 3.2 ports

Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe HAT+ board features gigabit Ethernet, 4G LTE (mini PCIe), two USB 3.2 ports

Waveshare PCIe TO MiniPCIe GbE USB3.2 HAT+

Waveshare has recently introduced the PCIe to MiniPCIe GbE USB3.2 HAT+ for Raspberry Pi 5 adding gigabit Ethernet, a mini PCIe socket for 4G LTE, and two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports to the popular Arm single board computer. The HAT+ is compatible with IM7600G-H-PCIE/EG25-G-mPCIe series 4G LTE modules with 4G/3G/2G global band and GNSS positioning. Additionally, it has a gigabit Ethernet with an onboard RJ45 port, two USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, an onboard power monitoring chip, and EEPROM. All these features make this HAT useful for applications such as industrial routers, home gateways, set-top boxes, industrial laptops, industrial PDAs, and much more. We have previously written about many different types of HATs for the Raspberry Pi 5 designed by Waveshare including the Waveshare UPS HAT (E), the Waveshare PoE HAT (G), the Waveshare PCIe to USB 3.2 HAT+, and many other products. Feel free to check those out if you […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on The Raspberry Pi 5 SBC is now available with 2GB RAM for just $50

The Raspberry Pi 5 SBC is now available with 2GB RAM for just $50

Rasberry Pi 5 Memory Options

The Raspberry Pi 5 has now a cheaper variant with 2GB of RAM going for just $50 following the launch of the Broadcom BCM2712 SBC in October 2023 with either 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM for respectively $60 and $80. At the time of the release, we also noted that cheaper variants with 1GB and 2GB RAM should become available later on simply because of the options on the silkscreen. When Eben Upton contacted CNX Software about the release of the Raspberry Pi 5 2GB RAM he explained that Raspberry Pi was “bringing the power of our most modern platform, and all of the optimisations we’ve developed since the launch of the larger memory SKUs last autumn, to a new lower price point”. Raspberry Pi 5 2GB RAM specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2712 (cost-optimised D0 stepping) CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor @ 2.4 GHz with crypto extensions, 512KB per-core […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Linamp – A Raspberry Pi 4-based audio box with Winamp look and feel

Linamp – A Raspberry Pi 4-based audio box with Winamp look and feel

Linamp audio player

Linamp is a media player box based on Raspberry Pi 4 SBC and a touchscreen display with a GUI that replicates the popular Winamp media player’s GUI that older readers may remember from the late 90s and early 2000s when it was one of the most popular music players for Windows. Rodmg found some renders of what a real Winamp player could look like online, and it inspired him to create his own. As its name implies Linamp runs on Linux (DietPi) instead of Windows, and the hardware is based on a Raspberry Pi 4, a 7.9-inch touchscreen display, a USB DAC, and various connectors and cables, all housed in a custom-designed metal enclosure and a 3D-printed front cover both designed with Onshape. Here’s the complete list of off-the-shelf items used for the build: SBC – Raspberry Pi 4 with a 32 GB microSD card, a set of passive heat […]

Posted on by Sayantan Nandy - 4 Comments on Waveshare UPS HAT (E) for Raspberry Pi 5/4/3B+ takes four 21700 Lithium batteries, supports USB PD 3.0

Waveshare UPS HAT (E) for Raspberry Pi 5/4/3B+ takes four 21700 Lithium batteries, supports USB PD 3.0

UPS HAT E

The Waveshare UPS HAT (E) is a UPS expansion board for Raspberry Pi 5/4B/3B+ that supports four 21700 Lithium batteries and includes a battery fuel gauge IC for monitoring voltage, current, and capacity. The USB Type-C port is compliant with the PD 3.0 standard and allows for 40W fast bi-directional charging, and a high-power buck chip provides a 5V/6A output. Additionally, it supports I2C for real-time status updates. Previously, we wrote about the wider SupTronics Raspberry Pi 5 UPS HAT, which supports four 18650 batteries and delivers up to 5V with a higher current output of 5A. This HAT has no Type-C support and uses a DC jack and XH2.54 connector for 6V-18V input. Feel free to check it out if you’re interested in this product. Waveshare UPS HAT (E) specifications: Compatibility – Raspberry Pi 5 / 4B / 3B+ USB Interfaces USB Type-C Input/Output – Supports multiple voltage levels […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Pineboards introduces Ai Bundle (Hailo 8L) Raspberry Pi HAT+ with AI accelerator and NVMe SSD support

Pineboards introduces Ai Bundle (Hailo 8L) Raspberry Pi HAT+ with AI accelerator and NVMe SSD support

Pineboards AI Bundle (Hailo 8L)

Pineboards has launched yet another Raspberry Pi 5 HAT+ expansion board with the Ai Bundle (Hailo 8L) which includes a 13 TOPS Hailo 8L AI accelerator and an M.2 PCIe socket for an NVMe SSD. The latest Raspberry Pi 5 HAT+ from Pineboards combines the capabilities of the official Raspberry Pi AI Kit and Raspberry Pi M.2 HAT+ into a single board, while supporting longer M.2 2280 NVMe SSD drives, besides shorted 2230 and 2242-sized SSDs. Pineboards Ai Bundle (Hailo 8L) specifications: Compatible SBC – Raspberry Pi 5 Storage – M.2 2230/2242/2280 M-Key socket for NVMe SSD AI accelerator – M.2 2230 A/E-Key socket fitted with Hailo 8L AI Accelerator (and thermal pad) PCIe switch – ASMedia ASM1182e PCIe Gen2 x1 to 2x PCIe Gen2 x1 Host interface – 20-pin Raspberry Pi PCIe FFC connector Accessories – FPC cable, metal screws and spacers (no low-quality plastic screws…) Dimensions – About […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Adeept Robot HAT for Raspberry Pi is designed for DIY projects and educational needs

Adeept Robot HAT for Raspberry Pi is designed for DIY projects and educational needs

Adeept PiCar B Mars Rover Smart Car

The Adeept Robot HAT V3.0 is a motor and sensor driver HAT that supports Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4, and Pi 3 models. The board features a bunch of headers that give access to sensor and motor controllers including sixteen servo motor ports, a three-channel line tracking sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, IR receivers, WS2812 RGB LEDs, and more. Additionally, the board features an integrated 8.4V battery charger with a Type-C port for charging. All these features make it easy to build DIY robotics and smart car projects with this HAT. Previously we have written about similar educational robot kits including the Arduino Alvik educational robot, the XGO-Rider self-balancing robot, the Waveshare UGV Rover, SunFounder GalaxyRVR, and much more. Feel free to check that out if you are interested in those topics. Adeept Robot HAT V3.0 specifications HAT Name – Adeept Robot HAT V3.0 Host controller (one or the other) Raspberry Pi […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Review of Pironman 5 mini PC case for the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC

Review of Pironman 5 mini PC case for the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC

Pironman 5 review Raspberry Pi 5 tower case

SunFounder has sent me a review sample of the Pironman 5 tower PC case for the Raspberry Pi 5.  I had already reviewed the Pironman case for Raspberry Pi 4 last year, so I’ll do something similar this time around with the new Pironman 5 case adding support for NVMe SSD using the PCIe interface from the Pi 5 SBC. The Pironman 5 review will include unboxing and an assembly guide, followed by software installation and features testing (e.g. OLED display, RGB LED control, remote control. soft power off, etc…), before testing the cooling efficiency of the device with some benchmarks. Pironman 5 unboxing The Pironman 5 comes in a package that will be smaller than most people expect. The main features are listed on the side with 5V/5A power input, a 0.96-inch OLED, a tower cooler, M.2 NVMe SSD support, an IR receiver, a CR1220 battery (included), four RGB […]

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