Processors Category - Page 12 of 1181 - CNX Software

March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

Texas Instruments MSPM0C1104 is the world’s smallest microcontroller with a size of 1.38mm2

Texas Instruments (TI) has expanded the MSPM0 Arm Cortex-M0+ MCU family with the MSPM0C1104 which is the world’s smallest microcontroller measuring just 1.38mm2 in its WCSP package, or about the size of a black pepper flake. Equipped with up to 16KB flash, 1KB SRAM, I/Os such as GPIO, I2C, UART, SPI, and a 12-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC), the MSPM0C1104 is optimized for space-constrained applications such as medical wearables and personal electronics. TI MSPM0C1104 specifications: MCU Core – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0+ CPU clocked at up to 24MHz Memory – 1KB of SRAM Storage – Up to 16KB of flash Peripherals Up to 18x GPIO (5V tolerant) 1x UART, 1 I2C, 1x SPI Analog 1x Analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with up to 10 total external channels, 1.7Msps at 10 bit or 1.5Msps at 12 bit with VDD as the voltage reference Configurable 1.4V or 2.5V internal ADC voltage reference (VREF) Integrated temperature sensor […]

March 12, 2025March 12, 2025 by Samrudhi Jagdale - No Comments

Synaptics Astra SR series Arm Cortex-M55 MCUs feature Arm Ethos-U55 NPU, low-power Cortex-M4 core with microNPU

Synaptics unveiled an extension to its Astra Native AI platform with the new SR series of MCUs. This new product family, unlike the Astra SL series released last year, isn’t comprised of Linux-capable application processors. Instead, the Arm Cortex-M55 microcontrollers focus on providing high-performance, AI-native processing for Edge AI applications leveraging a built-in Arm Ethos-U55 NPU. Built on the Arm Cortex-M55 core and the Arm Ethos-U55 neural processing unit (NPU), these MCUs are optimized for multimodal applications, including vision, audio, and voice processing. As indicated in the MCU’s block diagram (see below), the SR series also features an optional low processing SoC unit featuring an Arm Cortex-M4 @ 100MHz and a Synaptics micro NPU engine. Such a provision in this MCU is what allows the three operation tiers the company offers with the MCU series: performance, efficiency, and ultra-low-power modes, allowing intelligence across various power levels. The MCU can switch […]

March 11, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Infineon PSoC 4000T multi-sense low-power MCU features capacitive, inductive, hover, and non-contact liquid sensing

Infineon 4000T multi sense low power MCU

Infineon Technologies has introduced the PSoC 4000T Multi-Sense low-power MCU, along with the upcoming PSoC 4100T Plus which will feature higher memory and more I/Os. These MCUs integrate fifth-generation CAPSENSE technology along with Multi-Sense capabilities, including proprietary inductive sensing, and non-contact liquid sensing solutions. This combination makes it easy to develop advanced HMI applications, such as touch-over-metal, hover touch, and accurate liquid-level detection. The MCU also supports SmartSense auto-tuning which eliminates manual calibration. It supports Always-On sensing with 10x lower power consumption and 10x higher SNR than previous generations. Additionally, the MCU enables hover touch detection through 2 cm air gaps and supports capacitive, inductive, and liquid sensing in a single device. The device also supports waterproofing for harsh environments and reduces system complexity and cost by integrating multiple sensing technologies into a single chip. Infineon PSoC 4000T specifications: MCU Core – 48 MHz Arm Cortex-M0+ CPU Memory – Up […]

March 11, 2025March 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Sapphire Edge+ VPR-5050 “AMD Embedded+” mini-ITX motherboard combines AMD Ryzen V2748 CPU and Versal AI Edge VE2302 SoC FPGA

Right in time for Embedded World 2025, Sapphire Technology has introduced the Edge+ VPR-5050 “AMD Embedded+” mini-ITX motherboard with AMD Ryzen V2748 octa-core CPU, and AMD Versal AI Edge VE2302 adaptive SoC that combines Cortex-A72 hard core with FPGA fabric. It’s an update to last year’s VPR-4616-MB mini-ITX motherboard with the same Versal VE2302 adaptive SoC, but a lower end AMD Ryzen R2314 quad-core processor. Two versions of the Edge+ VPR-5050 are available: the VPR-5050-MB and VPR-5050A-MB with the only obvious difference from the specifications being a 64GB eMMC flash on the “A” model, and the different RAM capacities (2x 4GB LPDDR4 vs 2x 8GB LPDDR4). Sapphire Edge+ VPR-5050 specifications: AMD Embedded+ Architecture Adaptive SoC Subsystem Main IC – AMD Versal AI Edge VE2302 with dual Arm Cortex-A72 core processor @ up to 1.6 GHz, dual-core Arm Cortex-R5F, 23 TOPS AI engine, FPGA fabric, etc… System Memory VPR-5050-MB – 2x […]

March 11, 2025March 12, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Review of SunFounder 10.1-inch touchscreen display for SBCs using Raspberry Pi 5 and Radxa ROCK 5B

SunFounder 10.1-inch RPI Touchscreen Display Review

SunFounder has just sent us one of their 10.1-inch touchscreen display designed for single board computers (SBCs) for review. It supports the Raspberry Pi family, but not only, thanks to a flexible design that allows mounting all sorts of boards with mounting holes that fit within an 85x70mm area. All you need is a board with HDMI output, a spare USB port for the touchscreen, and 5V USB-C input (up to 5A). So I’ll first test the SunFounder 10.1-inch touchscreen display with a Raspberry Pi 5 (85x56mm), then a larger Radxa ROCK 5 Model B Pico-ITX SBC (100 x 72mm). Since the display can also be used as an external touchscreen monitor, I’ll also try it with my laptop in Ubuntu 24.04 and Windows 11. SunFounder 10.1-inch touchscreen display specifications Key features and specifications: Display Type – IPS LCD Resolution – 1280×800 (16:10 aspect ratio) Touchscreen – 10-point capacitive Viewing […]

March 10, 2025March 10, 2025 by Debashis Das - 6 Comments

ESP32-S3 based AC voltage controller/dimmer features a knob with integrated display

Makerfabs has recently introduced Matouch 1.28-inch ToolSet_AC Dimmer an open-source ESP32-based AC voltage controller for dimming lights or adjusting motor speeds using phase-cut dimming. Built around an ESP32-S3 wireless MCU, it features a 1.28” capacitive touch display (240×240), and a UI designed with LVGL/Squareline and the Arduino V2.3.4 IDE. The device relies on a BT139 Triac and a zero-cross detection circuit for precise AC voltage control, along with an onboard relay to enable a full AC on/off switch. With an integrated AC-DC module providing 5V @ 0.6A, it can operate within an input range of AC 100-240V, 50Hz-60Hz, with a maximum load of 10A at 240VAC. Designed for home and industrial applications, it can control lighting environments and electrical appliances while being open-source for customization and integration into various automation projects. Matouch 1.28-inch ToolSet_AC Dimmer specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU – Xtensa® Dual-core 32-bit LX7 Microprocessor with up to 240MHz […]

March 10, 2025March 13, 2025 by Sponsored Post - No Comments

NextPCB offers free ESP32-S3 PCBA prototypes for original designs (Sponsored)

NextPCB has started offering free PCBA prototypes for PCB designs based on the ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller following a similar offer for free Raspberry Pi RP2040/RP2350 PCBAs launched in January 2025. The Chinese PCB/PCBA manufacturer’s new “accelerator campaign” targets developers, makers, and researchers who developed their own PCB based on the ESP32-S3 microcontroller. They can get two free PCBA prototypes for the original design. Slots are however limited, and NextPCB will select 20 projects for sponsorship. If selected, you’ll get the following: Free Prototyping – Get 2 free PCBA units, including PCB fabrication, components, assembly, and worldwide shipping (valued up to $500 US). Technical Support – Get expert assistance with manufacturing engineering, design guidance, certification, and production. Personalized Assistance – Receive dedicated one-on-one support throughout your manufacturing journey. The company will prioritize business projects, but hobbyist designs that contribute to the open-source community and showcase interesting applications using ESP32-S3 will also […]

March 10, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Hidden proprietary Bluetooth HCI commands in ESP32 microcontroller could pose a security risk

Security is hard. Just as Espressif Systems announced PSA Level 2 for the ESP32-C6 microcontroller, Spain-based cybersecurity company Tarlogic published their findings about a hidden Bluetooth functionality that can be used as a backdoor in the previous generation ESP32, and gave a presentation in Spanish at Rootedcon 2025. Specifically, they found hidden proprietary Bluetooth HCI (Host Controller Interface) commands used to read & write controller memory, and typically used for debugging. However, they could also facilitate supply chain attacks, the concealment of backdoors in the chipset, or the execution of more sophisticated attacks. Tarlogic initially called it a “backdoor”, but some disputed the claim (more on that later), and the company eventually issued an update downgrading it to a “hidden” feature: We would like to clarify that it is more appropriate to refer to the presence of proprietary HCI commands—which allow operations such as reading and modifying memory in the […]