One of the new feature of Espressif ESP32 SoC over ESP8266 is the inclusion of an Ethernet MAC interface, but so far few boards come with an RJ45 jacks. ESP32 Monster board is an option, also including an OLED Display and CAN Bus, and sold on Tindie for $35, but Olimex has now stocked their ESP32-EVB board with Ethernet, CAN Bus, and two relays, and you can purchase it for 26 Euros per unit, and less in larger quantities. Olimex ESP32-EVB Rev. B specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-WROOM32 module with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE Wired Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet with RJ45 jack (via LAN8710A) External Storage – micro SD slot Relays – 2x 10A/250VAC relays with LED status Expansion 40-pin GPIO female header (2.54mm pitch) UEXT connector for sensors and modules CAN Bus USB – 1x micro USB port for debugging (CH340T) and power Misc – Reset and […]
Yundoo Y8 Rockchip RK3399 mini PC Review – Part 2: Android Firmware, Audio & Video Playback in Kodi
Yundoo Y8 is one of the first Android TV boxes / mini PCs powered by Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor to be launched. GearBest sent me a review sample, and since I’ve already taken it apart in the first part of the review, I’ll report my experience with the firmware in terms of stability and performance, as well as audio & video capabilities with TVMC (Kodi fork), and more. First Boot, Setup, and First Impressions I’ve first connected a few peripherals Seagate USB 3.0 drive to the USB port, a USB keyboard to one of the USB 2.0 port, and a USB hub to the other one with two USB RF dongles for MINIX NEO A2 Lite air mouse, and Tronsmart Mars G01 gamepad. After adding Ethernet and HDMI cable, I pressed the power button on the unit to start it up. Please note that the remote control cannot turn on […]
Macchina M2 is an Open Source Hardware OBD-II Development Platform for Your Car (Crowdfunding)
ODB-II Bluetooth adapter and head-up displays to monitor and diagnose your car have been around for a while. I actually got two models to use with a Toyota Avanza and Torque Lite app, but never managed to make it work with my phone. Macchina M2 board is doing much of the same thing and more, as it is open source hardware, and supports more communications protocols including GPS, WiFi, 3G/LTE, BLE, and Ethernet using XBEE boards. Macchina M2 specifications: MCU – Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex M3 processor @ 84 MHz (also used on Arduino DUE) with 96 KB SRAM, 512KB flash Storage – micro SD card socket, 32KB EEPROM via I2C USB – 1x micro USB port (USB device or host mode) Wireless XBee Socket – For Bluetooth LE, WiFi, GSM, 3G, LTE, I/Os 6x automotive level I/O pins to control 12V devices (Examples: relays, fans, lights, etc) OR act […]
RJCLIP Repairs Ethernet RJ45 Clips in Seconds
Ethernet cables are normally made of RJ45 (8P8C) connectors that come with a clip that helps keeping the cables in place. However, over the years, I’ve broken a few of those, and the solution is normally to cut the cable, and replacing the broken RJ45 connector with a new one using a crimping tool and a cable tester (or multimeter). This does the job put normally takes a few minutes of your time, or more if you’ve messed up the connection the first time. I’ve just come accross an alternative solution with RJCLIP. It’s just a small plastic bit that simply fits on top of the broken RJ45 connector, and acts like if something ever happens. It just take a few seconds to put it on. Youtube user Vince tried it out, and it does seem to work pretty well, but also has some caveats with some type of connectors, […]
Dragino OLG01 Outdoor Single Channel LoRa Gateway Runs OpenWrt, Supports Passive PoE
Dragino Technology, a Shenzhen based startup focusing on the Internet of Things, had already designed LoRa shields & Hats for Arduino & Raspberry Pi boards which can be useful for LoRa nodes, but the company has now launched Dragino OLG01 LoRa gateway running OpenWrt that communicates with nodes over LoRa, and to the cloud using WiFi, Ethernet, or 3G/4G. Dragino OLG01 specifications: WiSoC – Atheros AR9331 MIPS processor @ 400MHz System Memory – 64MB RAM Storage – 16MB flash MCU – Atmel ATMega328P AVR MCU with 32KB flash, 2KB SRAM Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n WiFi with antenna 2x 10/100M Ethernet with support for passive PoE Optional 3G/4G module connected to internal USB socket (TBC) Semtech SX1276/78 LoRa wireless module + SMA connector (antenna not provided) up to 5~10 km range USB – 1x USB 2.0 host port Power Supply – 12V DC power jack or PoE Three models are offered with […]
22€ Olimex ESP32-EVB ESP32 Development Board Features an Ethernet Port and Relays
We already have a good choice of ESP32 development boards, but none of the ones I’ve seen make use of the Ethernet MAC interface found in Espressif ESP32 SoC. Olimex has changed that with their ESP32-EVB featuring ESP32-WROOM32 module as well as one Fast Ethernet port and two relays. Olimex ESP32-EVB specifications: Wireless Module – ESP32-WROOM32 module with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE Wired Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port External Storage – micro SD slot Relays – 2x 10A/250VAC relays Expansion 40-pin GPIO female header (2.54mm pitch) UEXT connector for sensors and modules Misc – 2x user buttons Power Supply 5V power jack LiPo charger and step up converter allowing ESP32-EVB to run from LiPo battery The company still have to write software samples, and do some testing to make sure the board work before going into mass production. Once everything is cleared, the board will be sold […]
Targus Universal DisplayLink Docking Stations Support Up to Six 4K Monitors via a Single USB Cable
USB type C connectors are becoming more and more common and beside transmitting data and power, some devices also support video over USB which requires a dock, and if you have some serious display requirements, Targus docking stations over USB-C or USB 3.0 might be what you are looking for, as they support two 4K monitors at the same time thanks to their multiple HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2a and DVI outputs, and you can even daisy-chain three docking stations over USB 3.0 type A cables in order to control six 4K monitors from one USB port. Targus has several models, but let’s check out the specifications of their “USB 3.0 DV4K DOCK160USZ dock station” pictured above: Chipset – DisplayLink DL-6950 Video Output Ports – 2x HDMI 2.0 ports, 2x DisplayPort 1.2a ports supporting up to dual 4K Ultra HD video @ 4096×2160 60Hz 24 bpp Audio – 1x 3.5 mm […]
AndromedaBox Networking Edge Board Includes a Dual Core Marvell Processor, SATA, Gigabit Ethernet, and More
Last year, Marvell introduced AndroMeda Box Edge IoT board using 96Boards form factor and running Brillo (now Android Things), but the company has been working on the similarly named AndromedaBox Networking Edge (ANE) board with a tweaked version of 96Boards form factor including Gigabit Ethernet and SATA, and powered by a dual core ARMADA 3700 processor. AndromedaBox Networking Edge specifications: SoC – Marvell ARMADA LP 3700 dual-core ARM Cortex 53 processor @ up to 1.2 GHz System Memory – 512MB LPDDR4 Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, 1x SATA 3.0 port Connectivity – 1x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, 1×1 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2 USB – 2x micro USB 2.0 port, 1x USB 3.0 port Expansion – 1x PCIe 2.0 (maybe via a slot on the back of the board), 40-pin LS (Low Speed) Expansion connector Power Supply – Likely 8 to 18V input as per 96Boards specs Dimensions – 85 […]