The PD Stepper is a NEMA 17 integrated stepper motor driver and controller board powered by USB power delivery that combines an ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller, the Trinamic TMC2209 ultra-silent motor driver, and other components onto a single board for Smart Home and automation applications. The maker, Josh R., states that the PD Stepper isn’t another “just because we can” project. It addresses the need for an integrated motor driver and controller module that can used in compact or space-constrained designs. The ESP32-S3 SoC controls the other components on the board and provides wireless connectivity as well as access to development tools and libraries such as ESPHome and ESP-Now. The motor driver IC, Analog Devices’s Trinamic TMC2209, offers efficient, noiseless control of two-phase stepper motors. Other onboard components and connectors include an AS5600 magnetic rotary position sensor, a 3.3V buck converter, a Qwiic/Stemma QT connector, a motor connector, and an AUX […]
Nuvoton NuMicro MA35D1-powered industrial SoM and dev board features dual GbE ports, cellular connectivity, and more
MYIR has recently introduced MYC-LMA35 industrial SoM and its associated development board built around the Nuvoton NuMicro MA35D1 microprocessor with two Arm Cortex-A35 cores and one Arm Cortex-M4 real-time core for processing. The SoM comes in a BGA package with connectivity options such as dual Gigabit Ethernet, cellular connectivity, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, and various other interfaces like RS232, RS485, USB, CAN, ADC, GPIO, and more. All these features make this SoM and its associated dev board useful for demanding edge IIoT applications like industrial automation, energy management systems, smart city infrastructure, and remote monitoring solutions. Previously we have seen MYIR introduce various SoM and development boards like the MYC-LR3568 Edge AI SoM, and the MYC-YF13X SoM and we have also written about similar industrial dev boards such as the Firefly ROC-RK3576-PC, the Nuvoton NuMicro M2L31 development board, and many more. Feel free to check those out if you are interested in the topic. […]
Raspberry Pi 5 PCIe HAT+ board features gigabit Ethernet, 4G LTE (mini PCIe), two USB 3.2 ports
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 […]
Mixtile Edge 2 Kit review with Home Assistant, 2-in-1 Zigbee & Z-Wave mPCIe module
We received the Edge 2 Kit IoT gateway on the Rockchip RK3568-powered Edge2 single board computer (SBC) and a 2-in-1 Zigbee and Z-Wave mPCIe card from Mixtile which we will be reviewing from the perspective of smart home applications using Home Assistant open-source home automation framework. Let’s dive into the details. Unboxing Mixtile Edge 2 Kit CNX Software previously reported on the Mixtile Edge 2 Kit in 2022 and you can check the detailed specifications and block diagram in that earlier article. Since then, Mixtile has found a wider range of applications for the device and is also promoting it as an Edge AI Box that performs AI object detection using the Edge 2 Kit (or the more powerful Mixtile Blade 3) using the built-in NPU (Neural Processing Unit) with up to 1 TOPS of AI performance for tasks such as object detection. Let’s unbox it and take a closer […]
LILYGO T-TWR REV2.1 is an ESP32 walkie-talkie board with display, GNSS, and SA868 module
LILYGO has recently introduced an updated version of their T-TWR ESP32 walkie-talkie development board, the T-TWR REV2.1. This new board not only features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but also has a GPS module for added functionality. Additionally, it has a new RF front-end matching circuit that can be configured to work with both VHF and UHF frequencies. The board is very versatile and can be programmed with Arduino IDE for various applications. The main difference between the older T-TWR and the newer T-TWR REV2.1 is that the new module has better power management with the AXP2102 single-cell Li-battery PWM charger, allowing it to use USB, a 21700 battery, or an 18650 battery, while the original T-TWR only supports USB and an 18650 battery. The new version also includes a GNSS module along with a microphone-switching matrix and a speaker-switching matrix for better sound quality. Additionally, the REV2.1 has the Push-To-Talk button […]
LILYGO T-QTC6 – An ESP32-C6 IoT controller with a 0.85-inch touchscreen LCD
LILYGO T-QTC6 is a cute little IoT controller based on an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, and 802.15.4 wireless microcontroller and a 0.85-inch touchscreen color LCD that can be powered via USB-C or a LiPo battery with the board also supporting charging. The device, sometimes called “T-QT C6” (with a space), also comes with an 8-pin female connector with five GPIOs and a Qwiic connector for UART modules. It’s another addition to the T-QT family with ESP32 wireless microcontrollers and a tiny 0.85-inch display such as the T-QT Pro or the T-QT V1.1. But note that those are development boards, while the T-QTC6 feels more like a complete device. LILYGO T-QTC6 specifications: Wireless Module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6-MINI-1U SoC – ESP32-C6-FH4 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor up to 160 MHz with 320KB ROM, 512KB HP SRAM, 16KB LP SRAM, 4MB flash Memory – 4MB PSRAM (TBC) Wireless 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 […]
Makerfabs SenseLora 4G gateway supports LTE Cat 1 and WiFi 4 connectivity, features solar battery charger
The Makerfabs SenseLora 4G Gateway is a device that collects data from LoRa sensors (like temperature and humidity sensors) and sends that data over a 4G network to a cloud service or directly to your phone via SMS, this is ideal for applications where installing a LoRaWAN device is unnecessary or expensive. The application for this gateway includes monitoring soil humidity in your backyard or greenhouse conditions on your farm. Previously we have written about similar smart agriculture sensors including AgroSense LoRaWAN sensors and WisGate Soho Pro RAK7267 LoRaWAN gateway feel free to check those out if you are looking for LoRa-based agricultural products. Makerfabs SenseLora 4G gateway specifications SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh connectivity LPWAN connectivity LoRaWAN SX1276 LoRa module Frequencies 868 […]
Waveshare ESP32-S3-Zero is a tiny WiFi and BLE IoT module with a USB-C port, up to 32 GPIOs
Waveshare ESP32-S3-Zero is a tiny (23.5×18 mm) module based on Espressif ESP32-S3 WiFi 4 and BLE microcontroller with two rows of nine through holes plus 16 pads for GPIOs, a USB-C port for power and programming, Boot and Reset buttons, and a ceramic antenna. It reminds me of the Seeed Studio’s XIAO ESP32S3 module with an even smaller 21 x 17.5mm design, but the ESP32-S3-Zero offers more GPIOs, an RGB LED, and a built-in ceramic antenna instead of a u.FL connector for an external antenna. Waveshare ESP32-S3-Zero specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-FH4R2 CPU – dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ 240 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM, 2MB PSRAM Storage – 4MB flash Wireless – Wi-Fi 4 & Bluetooth 5.0 dual-mode (classic + BLE) connectivity Antenna – 2.4 GHz ceramic antenna USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming Expansion I/Os 2x 9-pin 2.54mm pitch headers and castellated holes […]