Earlier this month, I received a Sonoff ZBBridge Zigbee gateway, a motion sensor, and a Sonoff T2 wireless switch in order to set up everything to work as a motion activated light using Zigbee and WiFi through the eWelink Android app and cloud service. You can check out the first post to have a closer look at the hardware and accessories. We’ve now had time to configure everything and will report the results of the project in this post. The idea is basically to detect motion with the Zigbee sensor, which then transmits the info through the gateway, and the T2 switch is controlled by the eWelink cloud. Last time around, I thought I had a switch with a neutral wire at home, but I did not check in detail enough, and I’ve been unable to use it. Without suitable switches in my home, it was not practical to rewire […]
Using MangoHud to check FPS, CPU & GPU usage on a ‘hackendeck’
Previously I followed Valve’s documentation to build a ‘hackendeck’ using a mini PC to emulate their highly anticipated Steam Deck. Interestingly the ‘hackendeck’ uses a Linux OS, specifically Manjaro, as whilst Valve based their earlier version of Steam OS on Debian, they have now switched to being based on Arch. If the ‘hackendeck’ had just been Steam on Windows then to review gaming performance I’d just use MSI Afterburner. Until now, however, for Linux, I’ve always had to estimate the average FPS as I’ve not been aware of a good reliable equivalent. Fortunately several ‘commenters’ recommended using MangoHud, a Linux open-source Vulkan/OpenGL overlay for monitoring FPS, CPU/GPU usage, and temperatures similar to MSI Afterburner. So now I’ve been able to capture the average frame rate for the games I previously tested and I’ll present them below. MangoHud Installation and configuration The installation of MangoHud was extremely simple. First I installed […]
COM Express Type 6 module supports up to 64GB ECC RAM, 2.5GbE, 4 displays, and more
Here’s another Tiger Lake UP3 COM Express module courtesy of AAEON with the COM-TGUC6 COM Express Compact Type 6 modules equipped with a choice of Celeron. Core i3/i5/i7 embedded processors from the 11th generation Tiger Lake family. The module supports up to 64 GB ECC RAM via two SO-DIMM sockets, 2.5 Gpbs Ethernet, up to four independent displays via LVDS, VGA, and 4K DDI interfaces, SATA storage, PCIe Gen 3 & Gen4, and more for industrial. medical, and military applications. COM-TGUC6 specifications: Tiger Lake UP3 SoC (one or the other) Intel Core i7-1185G7E/GRE quad-core/octa-thread processor @ 1.8/4.4 GHz with 12 MB cache, 96 EU Intel Iris Xe graphics; TDP: 15W (Up to 28W) Intel Core i7-1145G7E/GRE quad-core/octa-thread processor @ 1.5/4.1 GHz with 8 MB cache, 80 EU Intel Iris Xe graphics; TDP: 15W (Up to 28W) Intel Core i3-1115G4E/GRE dual-core/quad-thread processor @ 2.2/3.9 GHz with 6 MB cache, 48 EU […]
Experiences of configuring and using a ‘hackendeck’ homemade Steam Deck
Valve recently released information about developing for the Steam Deck if you didn’t have a Dev-Kit which is an engineering verification test build (EV2) version of their device. Included in the documentation is a suggestion to build your own Steam Deck, or ‘hackendeck’ using a mini PC. Whilst I didn’t have the exact brand they picture in the article I did have a mini PC with the required specifications so I set about following the instructions to see how it performed. Hardware Overview Valve’s documentation under ‘Performance’ states that ‘if you are really interested in finding a PC for testing that will perform similarly to a Steam Deck … there are a few options out there and then goes on to suggest a mini PC with the following ‘roughly similar specifications to a Steam Deck’: AMD Ryzen 7 3750H Radeon RX Vega 10 Graphics 16GB of DDR4 RAM This exactly […]
Goofoo Cube – A $99 easy-to-assemble 3D printer for beginners (Crowdfunding)
The Goofoo Cube is a $99 3D printer that aims to be as easy to assemble as a LEGO kit, and designed for beginners who can print directly from their phone from a library of over 1000 pieces. The compact 3D printer ships in a package barely larger than a shoebox, meaning it does not take much space on your desk but the build volume is rather small (80x80x80mm), supports PLA and PCL filaments, and can print small parts in about 30 minutes with a 0.7mm nozzle. Goofoo Cube specifications: Nozzle diameter – 0.7mm Building volume – 80 x 80 x 80 mm Print speed – 10 to 20 mm/s Non-heated printing bed Supported materials – PLA and PCL Host interface – USB or Mobile phone (WiFi) Power Supply – 24V/2A Dimensions – 255 x 255 x 208 mm Weight – 1.96kg The 3D printer is comprised of five parts […]
Meet Dot – A stamp sized 2-wheel robot powered by a Raspberry Pi RP2040 board
Kaisar (aka Roboticbits) has developed a tiny robot based on Pironomi Tiny 2040 Raspberry Pi RP2040 development board, which he/she claims is the smallest in the world, but it might not be depending on how one measures it. Nevertheless, the Dot is a cool project with two wheels with a 3V DC motor attached to the 22.9 x 18.2 mm board, and a 70mA battery to power the mini robot. Here’s what it looks like in action. Introducing Dot.. a stamp size @Raspberry_Pi #RP2040 robot.. the smallest in the world! Makes a proper use of the @pimoroni #Tiny2040!#raspberrypi #robot #robotics #make pic.twitter.com/rnYghWY6NJ — RoboticBits (@roboticbits) November 11, 2021 Eventually, the robot should be documented on Github, but at this time we have limited information with a photo accompanying the video demo above. Tom’s Hardware got more details about the software as well, with Kaisar saying the firmware was developed with […]
DockCase Smart Hub multifunction USB-C dock includes an information display (Crowdfunding)
DockCase Smart Hub is an 8-in-1 multifunction USB-C dock with HDMI 2.0, up to 10Gbps USB ports, Gigabit Ethernet, and a feature that makes it unique: an information display. At first, a color display on a USB-C hub/dock may feel like a gimmick, but the information displayed may help you troubleshoot issues with USB & Ethernet speeds, video modes up to 4Kp60 HDR, power usage, and more… DockCase Smart Hub specifications: Display – 1.54-inch color HD screen Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60 with HDR10, 2/4 lane switchable, 4Kp30 to 4Kp60 upscaling Networking – Gigabit Ethernet USB Input – USB 3.2 Gen 2 up to 10 Gbps supporting up to 100W Output 2x USB 3.2 (10 Gbps) Type-A ports 2x USB 2.0 ports 1x USB 3.2 (10 Gbps) USB-C port Misc – Adjustable cooling fan, button for mode selection. Power Input – Up to 100W via USB-C with […]
Raspberry Pi inspired Intel SBC supports Myriad X AI accelerator, 5G connectivity
Axiomtek KIWI310 may look like a Raspberry Pi SBC but it packs an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, an M.2 slot with support for Myriad X AI accelerator, and the company also offer a HAT with 5G cellular connectivity. The single board computer also comes with up to 4GB LPDDR4 memory, up to 64GB eMMC flash, a Micro HDMI port, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, as well as the ubiquitous 40-pin GPIO header. Power options are also an improvement over your typical Raspberry Pi board with USB-C PD as well as LiPo battery support. Axiomtek KIWI310 specifications: SoC – Intel Celeron N3350 dual-core Apollo Lake processor @ 1.1 GHz / 2.4 GHz (Turbo) with Intel HD Graphics 500; 6W TDP System Memory – Up to 4GB (specs) or 8GB (YouTube video) LPDDR4 Storage – Up to 64GB eMMC flash, SPI flash for AMI BIOS Video & audio output […]