alexa News - Page 3 of 6 - CNX Software

May 5, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Sonoff 4CHR3 is a 4-gang Wi-Fi Smart Switch with optional RF433 Connectivity

ITEAD Studio introduced Sonoff 4CH 4-gang WiFi + RF switch in 2017 with a DIN rail enclosure, compatible with eWelink Android/iOS app, and offering three modes of operations selectable from physical switches on the unit: Self-locking mode – Each relay can be turn on and off independently. Interlock mode – Only one of the relay can be turned on at a given time. For example if R1 is on, and your press R2 to turn it on, R1 will automatically turn off Inching mode – A button press on the unit, mobile app, or RF/WiFi remote control will turn on the relay for X seconds as defined by K6 “delay” switch within a 0.5 to 3600 seconds range. The company has now launched the similar SONOFF 4CHR3 4-gang WiFi switch and 4CHPROR3 model that adds 433MHz connectivity, with the main difference again the previous generation being the ability to select […]

April 6, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

ESP32-Vaquita-DSPG Board and SDK Support Alexa Integration and AWS IoT Core Cloud Service

Espressif Systems has just announced another ESP32 board, namely ESP32-Vaquita-DSPG development kit together with an SDK that supports AVS (Alexa Voice Service) integration with AWS IoT cloud connectivity. ESP32-Vaquita-DSPG specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-WROVER-E with ESP32-D0WD-V3 WiFi + Bluetooth SoC , 64 Mbit SPI flash and 64 Mbit PSRAM Audio DSP – DSPG DBMD5P Audio SoC with far-field voice recognition using the company’s HDClear algorithms. Power Amplifier for external speakers up to 8W Codec – ES8311 I2S audio codec Speaker connector 3.5mm audio jack 2-mic array on MIC board Debugging – USB-UART port Misc- Mainboard – Power LED, boot & reset buttons MIC board – 5x RGB LEDs, 2x function buttons Power Supply 5V input via USB Power Port 5V-to-3.3V regulator. ESP32-Vaquita-DSPG board needs an external 4-ohm speaker or a pair of headphones for audio output, two USB cables for power and debugging, and a computer running Windows, Linux, or […]

December 6, 2019December 6, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

$7 Sonoff D1 Smart Dimmer Switch Supports Mobile App, RF433 Remote, and Voice Assistants

Sonoff D1 Smart Dimmer Switch & RF433 Remote

ITEAD Studio Sonoff is a family of WiFi or/and 433 MHz RF connected smart home switches, sockets, light bulbs or other products for home automation. They are usually based on ESP8266 WiSoC and while the pre-loaded firmware works with eWelink Android/iOS app and popular voice assistant, it’s also possible to load open-source firmware such as Sonoff-Tasmota or ESPurna to add MQTT and other protocols in order to integrate those with home automation solution such as Domoticz, or something control those from your web browser. The company has now launched another Sonoff device, namely Sonoff D1 smart dimmer switch which – as its name implies – will allow you to dim incandescent and dimmable LED lights. Sonoff D1 smart dimmer switch specifications: Connectivity – RF433 and 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 Max Current – 1A Max Power – 400W for Incandescent lamp, and 150W for LED light Power Supply – 110V-230V AC input […]

September 6, 2019September 6, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

MediaTek MT8516 2-Mic Development Kit is Designed for Alexa Voice Service (AVS)

MediaTek has just announced the MT8516 2-mic development kit for Alexa Voice Service (AVS) that aims to help developers build voice-assistant products faster, at reduced costs, and with advanced features such as multi-room music (MRM). The kit is based on MT8516 quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 application processor, which integrates audio front-end and post-processing technologies, as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. MediaTek MT8516 2-mic development kit specifications: SoC – MediaTek MT8516 quad core Cortex-A35 processor @ 1.3 GHz System Memory I/F – LPDDR2, DDR3, LPDDR3, DDR3L Video Output – HDMI 1.4 with ARC Audio 2x DMIC Amazon Alexa support MediaTek PowerAQ Multi-Room Audio 2x 4-channel I2S S/PDIF TDM in/out up to 8 channels 2-channel PDM inputs 2-channel audio DAC and DAC Connectivity – Fast Ethernet, WiFi 4, Bluetooth 4.2 LE USB – 1x micro USB 2.0 OTG port MediaTek MT8516 supports the following technology components, although note that a license […]

August 20, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

Sonoff S55 Waterproof WiFi Smart Sockets are Offered in Six Regional Variants

When WiFi smart sockets (aka smart plugs) started to appear a few years ago, they were often only available with either US or China plugs, and users from Europe, UK or other locales may have had to use an adapter instead. Since then, products that ship with multiple versions such as Sonoff S26 or Orvibo Wiwo S20 have launched in order to cater to more people around the world. ITEAD has now launched another WiFi smart socket, namely Sonoff S55, that’s designed to work outdoors thanks to IP55 ingress protection rating, and is offered in six different variants for Australia, Germany, France, the United States, South Africa, and the United Kingdom. Sonoff S55 specifications: Input/Output S55TPI(AU) – AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 10A Max S55TPF(DE) – AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 16A Max S55TPE(FR) – AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 16A Max S55TPB(US) – AC 125V 50/60Hz 10A Max S55TPD(ZA)- AC 100-240V 50/60Hz 10A Max S55TPG(UK) […]

April 19, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit Supports Amazon AVS

Qualcomm Mesh Networking Devkit for Amazon AVS

The Qualcomm Mesh Networking Development Kit for Amazon AVS enables integration of Amazon Alexa Voice Services into mesh Wi-Fi systems. A somewhat recent blog post on Amazon Developer website explains the devkit is the first ever Amazon-qualified reference design for a mesh WiFi system with Alexa built-in. The reference platform is based on the Qualcomm IPQ4019 SoC, includes a rectangular 4-microphone array, far-field audio processing algorithms for noise suppression, acoustic echo cancellation, wake word engine, and the AVS Device SDK. Qualcomm Mesh Networking DevKit specifications: WiSoC – Qualcomm IPQ4019 quad core Arm Cortex-A7 processor @ 717 MHz with SIMD DSP, WiFi 5; 40 nm process technology System Memory – 1GB DDR3L RAM Storage – eMMC flash and microSD card Display I/F – LCD interface Connectivity WiFi Standards: 802.11ac Wave 2, 802.11ac, 802.11p, 802.11n Bands: 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Peak speed: 1.733 Gbps Channel Utilization: 20/40/80 MHz, 5/10/20/40 MHz MIMO Configuration: […]

February 17, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Pico-ITX i.MX8M Board Enables Offline Voice Control with Snips

A few days ago, we covered Estone Technology’s MJ-100 RK3399 rugged tablet. I’ve just realized Estone Technology used to promote their embedded product under the Habey USA brand, which we covered a few times here, and the company has also announced another new product ahead of Embedded World 2019 with their EMB-2238 Pico-ITX i.MX8M board specifically designed for voice control applications. The company setup two voice control demos with the board: one with Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) and another with Snips that works locally without any Internet connection. We actually came across Snips previously for an article comparing microphone arrays, but I never looked into Snips into details or saw an actual demo. Let’s have a quick look at EMB-2238 board specifications first: SoC – NXP i.MX 8MQuad with 4x Arm Cortex-A53 cores @ 1.5GHz, 1x Arm Cortex-M4 realtime-core @ 266MHz, Vivante GC7000L/GC7000LVX with support for OpenGL/ES 3.1, OpenGL […]

January 25, 2019January 25, 2019 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

96Boards HiChips Parrot Board and 3-Mic Array Work with Amazon Alexa

96boards Parrot Board Amazon-AVS 3-Mic far field board

Early last year, Banana Pi unveiled Allwinner SoC-Only 3-Mic Far-Field Development Kit for Amazon AVS, a board powered by Allwinner R18 processor extended with an external 3-mic array board, officially supported by Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS), and sold for $129 plus shipping. There’s now a compatible board following 96Boards CE Extended form factor, and selling for just $79.99 plus shipping on Alibaba or 555.99 CNY on 1688.com. The board looks almost the same as the original 3-Mic far-field development kit, apart from the LS and HS connectors found in the 96Boards hardware platforms. Hichips Parrot board should not be confused with Allwinner R16 based Parrot board that was used by Allwinner internally, and never made available to the general public. Hichips Parrot board specifications: SoC – Allwinner R18 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.15GHz with Mali400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, micro SD card […]