So this morning I received an email about some seminar & workshop about LAPIS microcontroller, including a free ML62Q1622 evaluation board. OK, good. But wait. Who is LAPIS? I have certainly never seen any projects with Lapis MCUs, and probably have never heard of them. It turns out OKI SEMICONDUCTOR Co.,Ltd. established in 2008 from a spin-off of Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd, changed the company name in to LAPIS Semiconductor Co.,Ltd in 2011. LAPIS is also part of ROHM Semiconductor group. Anyway, it was a good opportunity to find out more about ML62Q1622 micro-controller, and related evaluation boards & tools. Lapis Semi ML62Q1622 is part of ML62Q1600 group of 16-bit microcontrollers whose block diagram is shown above. ML62Q1622 MCU key features & specifications: CPU – 16-bit RISC CPU (CPU name: nX-U16/100) clocked @ up to 32 MHz Coprocessor for multiplication and division Program Memory – 64Kbyte Data Memory – […]
Espruino Pixl.js is a Bluetooth LE Display Programmable with JavaScript, Compatible with Arduino Shields
Espruino is an open source firmware that allows you to control micro-controllers board with JavaScript, and used in hardware such as Wio LTE GPS tracker, some STM32 Cellular IoT Discovery Kits, and other platforms. I have actually tried Espruino and JavaScript programming in an ESP32 board myself, and it worked reasonably well. But Espruino developers also provide hardware platforms for Espruino, which – as one should expect – are normally better supported than other third-party board. One of their latest platforms is Espruino Pixl.js a Bluetooth smart display powered by Nordic Semi nRF52832 WiSoC. Espruino Pixl.js specifications: WiSoC – Nordic Semi nRF52832 Arm Cortex-M4 @ 64MHz with 64kB RAM, 512kB Flash, Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity (via a Raytac Corportation module) Display – 54mm diagonal, 128 x 64 sunlight readable monochrome display with white backlight Connectivity – Bluetooth LE and NFC tag I/Os 20x GPIO in Arduino footprint with PWM, SPI, […]
DFRobot 7″ HDMI Display with Touchscreen Sells for $69
There are plenty of HDMI displays, but if you want a smaller size it become more complicated although some 7″ HDMI displays are available. However, if you want to add touchscreen support, then the choice becomes even more scarce, especially if you want a neatly packaged solution. That’s why DFRobot’s 7″ HDMI display with a 5-point touchscreen may be interesting, and as a bonus it also features mounting holes for Arduino & Raspberry Pi boards. Specifications: Display – 7″ display with 1024×600 resolution @ 43 Hz (60Hz is possible, but not recommended as it will not be full screen) Interfaces – HDMI input for video, micro USB port for touchscreen Voltage & current – 5V @ 160 mA with HDMI connection (1.2A max) Dimensions – 183 x 100mm; mounting hole size: 3.1 x 6mm Weight – 328g Despite the 1.2A maximum current, the company claims an external power supply is […]
Dual Display Laptop Made Possible with DUO Add-on Display (Crowdfunding)
I’m using a dual monitor setup at home since it’s just more convenient and increases productivity, but when I’m on the go, I have to revert to the single screen on my laptop. The guys at Mobile Pixels decided it was not good enough, and worked on providing a solution that allows you to take that dual display setup on the go. This gave birth to DUO, a screen that attaches to the back of your laptop, and that you can slide to the left or right of your laptop’s screen to add another display whether you may happen to be. DUO display specifications: Display Size & Resolution – 12.5″, 1920×1080 pixels Rotation – 270º full rotation, 180° presentation mode Connection – USB type C for power and video signal Power Consumption – 1.6 Watts; 0.3W in “rest mode”. Dimensions – 32.5 x 21.8 x 1.2 cm (ABS plastic) Weight […]
TTGO T5 is an ESP32 WiFi + Bluetooth Board with ePaper Display and Speaker
Lilygo has made another ESP32 board part of their TTGO family with TTGO T5 board powered by Espressif System ESP32 WiFI & Bluetooth SoC, and offering a choice of ePaper displays from 1.54″ to 2.9″, as well as built-in speaker. TTGO T5 board specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32 dual core Tensilica LX6 processor with WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1 LE Storage – micro SD card slot Display (one of the other) 1.54″ 200×200 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 2 seconds 2.13″ 250×122 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 2 seconds 2.7″ 264×176 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 6 seconds 2.9″ 296×128 black & white ePaper display; Full refresh time – 2 seconds Viewing angle – >170° Power Consumption – Refresh: 26.4mW(typ.); standby: <0.017mW Connected via SPI interface Audio – Mini Speaker Expansion – 24-pin header with GPIO, UART, […]
M1 3D Holographic Display is a Fan Showing Holograms from Videos and Photos
I’ve been watching or reading news about holographic displays recently where you can watch 3D objects into space without 3D glasses. Not the IoT gateway with an holographic maid, but I watched some hologram demos recently, and RED is bringing an (expensive) Android phone – called Hydrgen – to market with an holographic display. Today, I was made aware that you can buy some sort of fan to produce holograms designed in your own computer. It’s referred to “M1 Naked Eye 3D Holographic Advertising” in several shops, and as the name implies it’s likely mostly useful for businesses rather than home users. Hardware specifications: LEDs – 224x RGB0805 LEDs, 100,000 hours life Display – 16.53″ with 450 x 224 pixel resolution; viewing angle: 150° Supported media mp4, avi, rmvb, mkv, gif, jpg, png 3D effect media – MP4 or GIF with black background Storage – micro SD slot for media […]
Review of GOLE 10 Mini PC with 10.1″ Touchscreen Display – Part 2: Windows 10 Pro
Depending on your point of view, GOLE 10 is a mini PC with a touchscreen display, or a really thick tablet with an inclined display. I’ve already received a sample, and had a look at the hardware in the first part of the review, so in the second I tested the performance and stability, and thought about and test some use cases for this type of products. GOLE 10 (aka F6) Setup and System Info There are various way to use the mini PC, either as a standalone screen without any peripheral connected using the touchscreen, or as a mini PC with USB keyboard and mouse and potential other accessories, or in a dual display setup with the device connected to an HDMI TV or monitor. I decided to connect it to my “test” TV, add a USB 3.0 drive, USB keyboard and mouse, Ethernet cable, and of course the […]
This 7″ HDMI Display with Stand Sells for $37 (Promo)
We’ve already seen cheap 7″ displays that connect to development boards via a flat cable, or – more versatile – via a HDMI cable. Those do not always come with a case, so you’d just let them flat on the desk, or create your own enclosure. This morning, I’ve come across a 7″ HDMI display that is limited to 800×480 resolution, but could be useful thanks to its stand if you need something portable, or have limited space on your desk. Specifications: Display – 7″ screen, 800 x480 resolution (RGB); 16:9 aspect ratio Video Input – 1x HDMI 1.2 input, 1x VGA input (up to 640 x 480), 2x video inputs (PAL/NTSC) Audio – Built-in 1.5W Hi-Fi speaker, 1x audio input User Input – 5 touch buttons, remote control Power Input – 12~24V DC Power Consumption – Less than 5W Dimensions – 17.8 cm x 11.9 cm x 2.1 cm […]