The S5 Trekker is a compact Meshtastic communication device for hikers and preppers

s5 minitrekker trekker

The S5 Trekker Bravo and the S5 Trekker Mini are two Meshtastic-enabled radios designed by SpecFive LLC, a team of engineers based in the United States. Both devices are based on the Heltec Wireless Tracker from Heltec Automation. The Wireless Tracker integrates Espressif’s ESP32-S3 system-on-a-chip, a 160 x 80 TFT LCD, a SemTech SX1262 LoRa chip, and a Unicore UC6580 GNSS chip. The MiniTrekker is much lighter than the Trekker Bravo and features a built-in attachment hook for connecting it with other gear. Both radios are built to be durable enough to resist the rigors of outdoor exploration. They come pre-flashed with the open-source Meshtastic software and are ready to be used out of the box. The S5 Trekkers are intended to be used when hiking, trekking, and partaking in other outdoor activities that take one away off the well-trodden path. It is also useful for setting up a reliable […]

Conexio Stratus Pro – A battery-powered nRF9161 development kit with LTE IoT, DECT NR+, GNSS connectivity (Crowdfunding)

Conexio Stratus Pro nRF9161 IoT prototyping kit

Conexio Stratus Pro is a tiny IoT development kit based on Nordic Semi nRF9161 system-in-package (SiP) with LTE-M/NB-IoT, DECT NR+, and GNSS connectivity and designed to create battery-powered cellular-connected electronic projects and products such as asset trackers, environmental monitors, smart meters, and industrial automation devices. Just like the previous generation Conexio Startus board based on the Nordic Semi nRF9160 cellular IoT SiP, the new Conexio Stratus Pro board supports solar energy harvesting and comes with a Feather form factor and Qwiic connector for each expansion. Conexio Stratus Pro specifications: System-in-package – Nordic Semi nRF9161 SiP MCU – Arm Cortex-M33 clocked at 64 MHz with 1 MB Flash pre-programmed MCUBoot bootloader, 256 KB RAM Modem Transceiver and baseband 3GPP LTE release 14 LTE-M/NB-IoT support DECT NR+ ready GPS/GNSS receiver RF Transceiver for global coverage supporting bands: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B8, B12, B13, B17, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28, […]

Quectel SG368Z WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 smart module is built around Rockchip RK3568 SoC

Quectel SG368Z Smart Module

The Quectel SG368Z Smart Module is an all-in-one hardware package built around a Rockchip RK3568 AI SoC that combines computing, graphics, storage, and connectivity in a compact form factor. The  LGA module offers WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, dual gigabit Ethernet networking, various video output options (HDMI, LVDS, RGB, MIPI, eDP), USB, PCIe, and many other features making it suitable for applications like smart homes, wearables, and industrial automation. Previously we have seen Quectel introduce various communication modules like the Quectel BG95-S5 5G, the  Quectel KG200Z LoRa the Quectel RG255G RedCap IoT Module, and the Quectel CC660D-LS IoT-NTN module, but this is the first time we have seen Quectel release a Smart Module which can be certainly be considered as a SoM in a LGA package. Quectel SG368Z Smart Module specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3568 CPU – Quad-core Cortex A55 processor at up to 2.0 GHz GPU – Mali G52 […]

SparkFun RTK Torch is a compact and waterproof GNSS surveyor with RTK functionality

GPS 24672 RTK Torch

SparkFun’s RTK Torch is a real-time kinematic (RTK) surveying device that offers tri-band reception, tilt compensation, and millimeter accuracy in a portable, waterproof enclosure. It features an ESP32-WROOM module with 16MB flash and 2MB PSRAM, providing Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality. The onboard RTK-capable Unicore UM980 module receives various GNSS frequencies with high accuracy and supports all available constellations and frequencies. Also included is an STMicroelectronics STM32WLE5CCU6 MCU for obtaining corrections via LoRa radio. The RTK Torch builds on the earlier RTK Facet, adding improvements such as wider reception, higher precision, and a more portable form factor. Like the Facet, the RTK Torch comes in a bundle that includes a carrying case, a 3m USB C-to-C charging cable, a 65W PD wall adapter, and a 1/4in. to 5/8in. antenna thread adapter. It supports several operating modes including GNSS Positioning (~800mm accuracy) – also known as ‘Rover’ GNSS Positioning with RTK (8mm […]

AAEON RTC-1010RK – An RK3399 powered rugged Android 11 tablet with hot-swap battery and IP65 rating

AAEON RTC 1010RK Rockchip RK3399 Powred Rugged Mobile Tablet

AAEON’s RTC-1010RK is a 10.1-inch (1280 x 800) rugged tablet powered by a Rockchip RK3399 processor and can be equipped with up to 4GB LPDDR4 memory and 128GB eMMC flash. It offers robust connectivity with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and optional 4G LTE and Ethernet. It also supports GPS + GLONASS (Default), and BeiDou (Optional) for navigation. The RTC-1010RK is an IP65-rated tablet with protection against dust and water splashes. Additionally, it has programmable function keys, NFC/smart card readers, front (8MP) and rear (8MP) cameras, and the option to add a barcode scanner. The hot-swappable battery in the tablet ensures uninterrupted power, making it ideal for demanding field and industrial applications. It’s not the first rugged tablet from AAEON, as previously, we have written about the AAEON RTC-710AP 7-inch rugged tablet and the AAEON RTC-1010M Windows 10-based semi-rugged tablet. We also reviewed the Higole F7G Plus rugged tablet. Feel free to check […]

AAEON BOXER-8645AI Jetson AGX Orin-powered embedded AI system supports up to 8 GMSL2 cameras

AAEON BOXER-8645AI embedded AI system

AAEON BOXER-8645AI is an embedded AI system powered by NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin that features eight GMSL2 connectors working with e-con Systems’ NileCAM25 Full HD global shutter GMSL2 color cameras with up to 15-meter long cables. The BOXER-8645AI is fitted with the Jetson AGX Orin 32GB with 32GB LPDDR5 and 64GB flash and up to 200 TOPS of AI performance. Other features include M.2 NVMe and 2.5-inch SATA storage, 10GbE and GbE networking ports,  HDMI videos, and a few DB9 connectors for RS232, RS485, DIO, and CAN Bus interfaces. The embedded system takes 9V to 36V wide DC input from a 3-pin terminal block. AAEON BOXER-8645AI specifications: AI accelerator module – NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 32GB CPU – 8-core Arm Cortex-A78AE v8.2 64-bit processor with 2MB L2 + 4MB L3 cache GPU / AI accelerators NVIDIA Ampere architecture with 1792 NVIDIA CUDA cores and 56 Tensor Cores @ 1 GHz […]

RAKwireless launches SX1303 based M.2 LoRaWAN concentrator modules and full-duplex gateway

Wislink M.2 2242 2280 LoRaWAN SX1303 concentrator modules

RAKwireless has recently introduced two new LoRaWAN products with the RAK5166/67 WisLink M.2 3042/2280 concentrator module based on the Semtech SX1303 RF transceiver and the RAK7285 WisGate Edge Ultra Full-Duplex gateway for high-density network deployments, particularly for smart city infrastructure, metering applications, and other scenarios requiring reliable two-way communication at scale. RAK5166 and RAK5167 M.2 3042 and 2280 LoRaWAN concentrator modules RAK5166/RAK5167 specifications: Wireless Semtech SX1303 baseband processor with 8 x 8 channels LoRa packet detectors, 8x SF5-SF12 LoRa demodulators, 8x SF5-SF10 LoRa demodulators, one 125/250/500 kHz high-speed LoRa demodulator, and one (G)FSK demodulator Tx power up to 27 dBm Rx sensitivity down to -139 dBm @ SF12, BW 125 kHz Supports global license-free frequency band (EU868, IN865, RU864, US915, AU915, KR920, AS923-1, AS923-2, AS923-3, AS923-4) Listen Before Talk (LBT) support Fine Timestamp Built-in ZOE-M8Q GPS module (optional) 2x MHF4 IPEX connectors for the LoRa and GNSS (optional)  antennas Host […]

Blues launches $19 Notecard XP cellular IoT module and Notecarrier XP series carrier board

Blues $19 Notecard XP

Blues has recently released the latest entry to its Notecard family, the Notecard XP (External Power supply), an updated and more cost-effective version of its existing Notecard Cellular. This new model reduces costs by not including certain components, such as SIM switching hardware, an embedded SIM with a data plan, and conformal coating while retaining all key features and functionalities. These include an Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller, a three-axis accelerometer, a temperature sensor, and a secure element. Additionally, they have also removed the radio power supply to reduce costs further, bringing the price down to just $19. Alongside this release, Blues has also introduced a new “midband” LTE Cat 1 bis Notecard Cellular model, which features a single antenna design making it more compact and economical. In February this year we have seen Blues announced the Blues Starnote IoT Module, along with the Notecarrier A, B, F, and Pi series of […]

EmbeddedTS embedded systems design