Raspberry Pi Category - Page 4 of 30 - CNX Software

January 17, 2025January 19, 2025 by Debashis Das - 4 Comments

Open hardware RP2350B boards offer up to 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, microSD card slot, 48x GPIOs

Olimex PICO2 XL and PICO2 XXL RP2350B Dev board

Olimex has recently released the PICO2-XL and PICO2-XXL open-source hardware RP2350B development boards with up to 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, 48 GPIOs, a microSD card slot, and more. The main difference between the two boards is that the PICO2-XL includes 2MB of external QSPI Flash and a compact flat-bottom design, making it ideal for simpler, space-constrained projects. In contrast, the PICO2-XXL offers 16MB of QSPI Flash, 8MB of PSRAM, and a microSD card slot for expanded storage and performance, catering to more demanding applications like IoT and edge computing. Olimex PICO2-XL and PICO2-XXL specifications SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350B MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @150MHz with Arm Trustzone Dual-core 32-bit Hazard3 RISC-V @ 150MHz Up to two cores can be used at the same time Memory – 520KB SRAM 8kB OTP storage Security – Secure boot Package – QFN-80; 10×10 mm Memory – 8MB PSRAM (PICO2-XXL only) Storage PICO2-XL – […]

January 6, 2025January 5, 2025 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

PicoPD Pro – An open-source RP2040 development board with USB PD support up to 30V

The PicoPD Pro is an open-source Raspberry Pi RP2040 development board that integrates USB PD support up to 30V, and features like voltage negotiation and power delivery while still retaining the Raspberry Pi Pico functionality. It features the AP33772S USB-C PD3.1 sink controller from Diodes Incorporated. The AP33772S supports the full USB-C PD 3.1 specification, including Extended Power Range (EPR) / Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS) up to 28V and Programmable Power Supply (PPS) up to 21V. The PicoPD Pro USB PPS/AVS development board is ideal for powering devices with specific requirements, such as motor control boards, LED drivers, custom battery chargers, and other high-power applications. It also features a 5V rail output for less demanding applications. It can also be used as an AP33772S evaluation board. We have previously seen other USB-C PD solutions like the Spark Analyzer, YULC LED Controller, and USB Insight Hub which may serve a similar […]

December 31, 2024January 2, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

CNX Software’s 2024 Year in review, website statistics, and what to expect in 2025

That’s it! 2024 is almost over, and it’s time to reflect on what happened during the year. So I’ll look at the highlights of 2024, share some CNX Software website traffic statistics, and speculate on what may be ahead of us in 2025. Looking back at 2024 Raspberry Pi was super active this year with 22 product launches that included boards and modules like the Raspberry Pi 5 with 2GB RAM, Raspberry Pi Pico 2 and Pico 2 W, Raspberry Pi CM5, expansion modules like the Raspberry Pi AI camera, AI HAT+, and M.2 HAT+, new accessories such as the Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2 and the Raspberry Pi Monitor, and the new Raspberry Pi 500 keyboard PC among others. As usual, there was also plenty of announcement of accessories from third parties, and some boards with the new Raspberry Pi RP2350 Arm/RISC-V microcontroller. There weren’t any ground-breaking Arm processors […]

December 26, 2024December 26, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 8 Comments

Inky Frame 7.3″ is a 7-color ePaper display powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W

The Inky Frame 7.3″ is a Pico 2 W ePaper display featuring a 7.3-inch E Ink screen with 800 x 480 resolution and 7-color support. Other features include five LED-equipped buttons, two Qwiic/STEMMA QT connectors, a microSD card slot, and a battery connector with power-saving functionality. This Pico 2 W ePaper display is ideal for low-power applications such as home automation dashboards, sensor data visualization, and static image displays. E Ink technology ensures energy efficiency by consuming power only during screen refreshes while retaining images when unpowered. Flexible mounting options and included metal legs make it suitable for various setups. Previously, we covered the Waveshare 4-inch Spectra, a six-color ePaper display, along with other modules like the Inkycal v3, Inkplate 4, EnkPi, Inkplate 2, and more. Check them out if you’re interested in exploring these products. The Inky Frame 7.3″ specifications: Wireless module – Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W SoC […]

December 26, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - No Comments

Sonata v1.0 RISC-V platform combines AMD Artix-7 FPGA and Raspberry Pi RP2040 MCU, features CHERIoT technology for secure embedded systems

lowRISC has released Sonata v1.0, a stable platform developed under the Sunburst project. Designed for embedded systems engineers, Sonata supports CHERIoT technology, enabling features like compartmentalization and enhanced memory safety. It provides a reliable foundation for building secure embedded systems. CHERIoT is a security-focused technology built on lowRISC’s RISC-V Ibex core, based on CHERI research from the University of Cambridge and SRI International. It addresses memory safety issues like buffer overflows and use-after-free errors using CHERI’s capability-based architecture. The CHERIoT capability format includes permissions for memory access, object types for compartmentalization, and bounds to restrict accessible memory regions. These features enable scalable and efficient compartmentalization, making it suitable for securely running untrusted software in embedded systems. Sonata v1.0 leverages this architecture to isolate components like network stacks and kernels within the CHERIoT RTOS. The lowRISC Sonata v1.0 specifications: FPGA – AMD Xilinx Artix-7 (XC7A35T-1CSG324C) CPU – AMD MicroBlaze soft-core based on […]

December 20, 2024December 20, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

WeAct RP2350A_V20 is a cheap Raspberry Pi RP2350 board with up to 16MB flash

WeAct RP2350A_V20 may be the world’s cheapest Raspberry Pi RP2350 board around with a design similar to the official Raspberry Pi Pico 2, but featuring a black PCB, a Reset button, a USB-C port and offered with either 4MB or 16MB flash. WeAct is selling its RP2350 board for $3.47 (4MB) and $4.46 (16MB) respectively before shipping and potential taxes are taken into account. WeAct RP2350A_V20 specifications: SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350A CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz with Arm Trustzone, Secure boot OR Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz Up to two cores can be used in any combination Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM Package – QFN-60 Storage – 4 MB or 16MB on-board QSPI flash USB – USB Type-C 1.1 host/device connector for power and programming Expansion – 2x 20-pin headers 26x GPIO 2x UART 2x SPI controllers 2x I2C controllers 16x PWM channels 3x ADC […]

December 16, 2024December 16, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Pico W5 is a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W alternative with RP2350 MCU, dual-band WiFi 4, 8MB flash

The Pico W5 is a Raspberry Pi RP2350 development board providing an alternative to the official Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity through a B&T BW16 wireless module. Besides dual-band WiFi, there are a few other small changes compared to the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, including a USB Type-C connector, a larger 8MB flash, and a Reset button. As far as I know, it’s the first RP2350 board with 5GHz WiFi, as other RP2350 boards with WiFi, such as the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 and Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W, only support 2.4GHz WiFi. Pico W5 specifications: SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350 CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz with Arm Trustzone, Secure boot and Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz Only two cores can be used at any given time Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM Security 8KB of anti-fuse OTP […]

December 14, 2024December 13, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 1 Comment

4D Systems Raspberry Pi RP2350 display modules come in touch and non-touch options for embedded applications

4D Systems, an Australian company specializing in intelligent display solutions, has released Raspberry Pi RP2350-powered display modules with touch and non-touch options. The display modules are available in eight different sizes from 2.4-inch to 9.0-inch and different resolutions from 240×320 up to 800×480 pixels. They are “Powered by Raspberry Pi”-certified and leverage the Raspberry Pi RP2350’s dual-core architecture and security features for “secure, professional-grade applications that require modern UI”. 4D Systems is well-known for its high-quality displays designed for developers looking to create sophisticated user interfaces in embedded systems. There are four touch panel options for each gen4-RP2350 display module: non-touch, resistive touch, capacitive touch, and capacitive touch with a cover lens bezel (CLB). The gen4-RP2350 series also features a 30-pin FPC/ZIF socket to fit a 0.5mm pitch FFC for connecting a motherboard or accessory board. We have already covered Waveshare’s RP2350-LCD-1.28 display module but the gen4-RP2350 display modules are […]