Debian 11 “Bullseye” was released in August 2021, and I was expecting Raspberry Pi OS to soon get upgraded to the latest version, especially the last time around, in 2019, Raspian Buster was released even before the official Debian 10 “Buster” release, although the reason was Raspberry Pi 4 launch. This time around it took longer, but the good news is that Raspberry Pi OS has just been upgraded to Debian 11, meaning it benefits from the new features such as driverless printing, in-kernel exFAT module, “yescrypt” password hashing, and packages upgraded to more recent versions. The Raspberry Pi Foundation goes into more details about what changed in the new Raspberry Pi OS release with GTK+3 user interface toolkit, Mutter window manager replacing OpenBox in boards with 2GB RAM or more, new KMS video and camera drivers, and more. Raspberry Pi OS “BullsEye” can be downloaded from the usual place, […]
Radxa CM3 – A drop-in Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative
Radxa CM3 is a system-on-module that offers an alternative to the Raspberry Pi CM4, with the same form factor allowing it to become a drop-in replacement, but switching from a Broadcom BCM2711 processor to a Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 SoC. Radxa CM3 will work with existing carrier boards for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4, albeit some features such as dual HDMI are not available, instead, providing a single HDMI, but the module also offers extra features through an additional 100-pin board-to-board with interfaces such as SATA III and USB 3.0. Let’s compare Radxa CM3 specifications to the ones of Raspberry Pi CM4. Comparing Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core processor and Rockchip RK3566, as the Cortex-A72 may still be faster on some workloads despite the lower frequency, and some other workloads may be dramatically faster on RK3566, for example for those using Armv8 Crypto extensions missing on all Raspberry Pi, which we […]
CompuLab IOT-GATE-RPI4 gateway targets industrial control and monitoring
Compulab IOT-GATE-RPI4 is another industrial gateway based on the Raspberry Pi CM4 module that offers a different feature set and form factor compared to solutions like TECHBASE iModGATE-AI gateway or QWave Systems CatsPi Industrial carrier board. Designed with industrial control and monitoring in mind, the IOT-GATE-RPI4 gateway offers multiple RS485, RS232 and CAN FD ports, Ethernet, 4G LTE/4G, WiFi 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity, as well as a wide -40°C to 80°C operating temperature range, plus a wide input voltage from 8V to 36V as well as PoE support. Compulab IOT-GATE-RPI4 specifications: SoM – Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 (CM4) with SoC – Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 @ 1.5GHz plus VideoCore IV GPU with H.265 (4Kp60 decode), H.264 (1080p60 decode, 1080p30 encode) System Memory – 1GB to 8GB LPDDR4 Storage – 16GB to 128GB eMMC flash soldered on-board Secondary Storage – 64GB – 256GB NVMe flash via optional module […]
Raspberry Pi 4, Rockchip RK3399 SBC’s get Arm SystemReady IR certification
The first hardware platforms getting Arm SystemReady IR certification for IoT Edge applications were announced a few months ago with namely NXP i.MX 8 Mini evaluation kit and Compulab IOT-GATE-IMX8 gateway being able to run off-the-shelf operating system images such as Fedora IoT, OpenSuSE Leap 15.3, and Debian 11 thanks to UEFI firmware. But following PinePhone Pro Linux smartphone announcement, and Pine64 October update, we also learned that Rockchip RK3399 based RockPro64 was also Arm SystemReady IR certified, and check Arm’s website directly revealed it was joined by Lenovo Leez P710 “Gateway” SBC, as well as Raspberry Pi 4 and Pi 400 platforms. Let’s check the details and see what off-the-shelf images each board has been tested with. Pine64 RockPro64 RK3399 SBC achieved SystemReady IR v1.0 Level 1 certification meaning it complies with some waivers and workarounds found in the errata document. The board has been successfully tested with Fedora […]
Alibaba T-head RVB-ICE dual-core RISC-V SBC supports Android 10, Debian 11
The very first RISC-V single board computer with a 3D GPU reveals itself with “Alibaba T-head RVB-ICE” SBC available for pre-order for $399 together with a 7-inch display. The board is based on Alibaba T-Head “ICE” dual-core XuanTie C910 RISC-V processor with a Vivante GC8000UL GPU, and follows the announcement of Android 10 being ported to a RISC-V board earlier this year. Besides the dual-core RISC-V processor clocked at 1.2 GHz, the board is equipped with 4GB LPDDR4, 16GB eMMC flash, and offers Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a 48-pin GPIO header. But it lacks HDMI output, relying on an LCD interface instead, as well as full-size (Type-A) USB ports with only one micro USB 3.0 OTG port, and a USB-C port for serial console. Alibaba RVB-ICE specifications: SoC – Alibaba T-Head ICE with dual-core XuanTie C910 RISC-V processor @ 1.2 GHz, Vivante GC8000UL GPU, NPU […]
Geniatech GTW410 – An ultra compact IoT gateway based on Snapdragon 410E SoC
After writing about Azulle Ally Snapdragon 450 mini PC, I was reminded there are other small form factor Snapdragon devices such as Geniatech GTW410 based on the earlier Snapdragon 410E quad-core processor. While the GTW410 is marketed as an “Embedded IoT Gateway”, it could also serve as an entry-level industrial mini PC with up to 2GB RAM, 16GB eMMC flash, as well as HDMI, Ethernet, and USB ports. Geniatech GTW410 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 410E (APQ8016) quad-core ARM Cortex A53 processor @ 1.2 GHz with Adreno 306 GPU System Memory – 1 or 2 GB LPDDR3 @ 533MHz Storage – 8 or 16 GB eMMC 5.0 flash + micro SD 3.0 (UHS-I) slot Video Output – HDMI 1.3 up to 1080p @ 30 Hz Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, Integrated 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS with on-board antenna, optional Zigbee USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports, 1x micro USB […]
SolidSense N8 IoT Compact gateway supports Wirepas Massive
SolidRun “SolidSense N8 IoT Compact” is a Linux Edge gateway based on NXP i.MX 8M Nano Solo processor that offers Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, and optional 4G LTE Cat 4 & GPS connectivity, plus Wirepas Massive (previously Wirepas Mesh networking) via a module based on Nordic Semi nRF52832 wireless Cortex-M4 microcontroller. The gateway comes with 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, offers optional RS485 and CAN interfaces, and targets IoT applications such as smart metering, automation, asset tracking, safety & security, and smart buildings. SolidSense N8 IoT Compact gateway SolidSense N8 IoT Compact specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX8M Nano single core Arm Cortex A53 @ 1500MHz + Cortex M7 @ 650MHz System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, MIcroSD card slot Connectivity Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port with optional PoE support 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 Optional 4G LTE Cat 4 (Global) + GPS with fallback […]
ASUS Tinker Board 2S SBC launched for $120 and up
ASUS unveiled the Tinker Board 2 SBC with faster a Rockchip RK3399/OP1 processor together with the ASUS Tinker Board 2S board that adds a 16GB eMMC flash last October without pricing information. The good news is that the 2GB RAM version of Tinker Board 2S is now available on Amazon and Aliexpress for $120 and up. Note you’ll get a 5% discount if you are a follower on Aliexpress for a total of $132.99 including shipping. Compared to the first Tinker Board, the new boards are also offered with up to 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, an additional video output option with USB-C DisplayPort Alt mode, an upgrade to USB 3.0 ports and WiFi 5, RTC battery support, and a more stable 12V to 19V DC input. Here’s a reminder of Tinker Board 2S specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 (OP1) hexa-core processor with 2x Arm Cortex-A72 cores up to 2.0 GHz, four […]