SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 board supports Bluetooth 5.1 LE through Renesas DA14531MOD module

Sparkfun Thing Plus - RA6M5

SparkFun Thing Plus – RA6M5 is a small MCU board based on a 200 MHz Renesas RA6M5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller and a Renesas DA14531MOD Bluetooth 5.1 LE module that follows Adafruit Feather/Sparkfun Thing Plus form factor. The module can transmit data over BLE with just 4mA (at 3.3V) power consumption and the company claims the board to be powered by a coin-cell battery. A LiPo battery can also be connected to the board through a 2-pin JST battery connector, and the Things Plus – RA6M5 board also features a single-cell charger and LiPo fuel gauge. Sparkfun Thing Plus – RA6M5 specifications: Microcontroller – Renesas R7FA6M5AH3CFP Core – Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller @ up to 200 MHz Memory – 512KB SRAM Storage – 2MB Flash Security – Arm TrustZone, and Secure Crypto Engine 9 Wireless – Renesas DA14531MOD module for Bluetooth 5.1 LE connectivity with support for CodeLess AT command Datapump Radio Transmit […]

The New IoT Device Security Specification 1.0 unifies various standards into one

Connectivity Standards Alliance Launches the IoT Device Security Specification 1.0

The Connectivity Standards Alliance has recently introduced its IoT Device Security Specification 1.0, a way to defragment many security standards into one. This common scheme and certification standard will ensure that devices meet local requirements in each country. With this approach, a single test from the alliance ensures that the product can be sold globally without any compliance issues. IoT Device Security Specification 1.0 at a glance: Unified Security Standard – Integrates the major cybersecurity baselines from the United States, Singapore, and Europe into one comprehensive framework. Product Security Verified Mark – A new certification mark that indicates compliance with the IoT Device Security Specification, designed to enhance consumer trust and product marketability. No Hardcoded Default Passwords – Ensures all IoT devices utilize unique authentication credentials out of the box, improving initial security. Unique Identity for Each Device – Assigns a distinct identity to every device, crucial for traceability and secure […]

Imagination launches the APXM-6200 RISC-V “Catapult” CPU for cost-sensitive consumer and industrial applications

APXM-6200 RISC-V CPU

Imagination has expanded its Catapult product portfolio to include a new RISC-V core, the Imagination APXM-6200 CPU. The APXM-6200 is a 64-bit, in-order application processor with an 11-stage, dual-issue pipeline. There isn’t much information on the new Imagination RISC-V core on the product page but we know it offers “best-in-class” performance density, a minimal silicon footprint, and industry-standard security features. The CPU is targeted at intelligent consumer and industrial applications and delivers a 2.5x improvement in performance density and a 65% improvement in normalized performance over comparable Arm Cortex-A53 and other cores on the market. It’s also faster than the Cortex-A510 Armv9 core in SpecINT2k6. Imagination claims that combining the APXM-6200 CPU with their GPUs will ensure a 2x increase in bus utilization and a 2x reduction in memory traffic. It also comes with RISC-V vector extensions, and AI compute libraries and supports fast data coupling with AI accelerators for […]

Arm Ethos-U85 NPU delivers up to 4 TOPS for Edge AI applications in Cortex-M7 to Cortex-A520 SoCs

Arm Ethos-U85 NPU

Arm has just Introduced its third-generation NPU for edge AI with the Arm Ethos-U85 that scales from 256 GOPS to 4 TOPS or up to four times the maximum performance of the previous generation Ethos-U65 microNPU, while also delivering 20% higher power efficiency. While previous Arm microNPUs were paired with Cortex-M microcontroller-class cores potentially embedded into a Cortex-A application processor, the new Ethos-U85 can be married with Cortex-M microcontrollers and Cortex-A application processors up to the Cortex-A510/A520 Armv9 cores. Arm expects the Ethos-U85 to find its way into SoC designed for factory automation and commercial or smart home cameras with support for the new Transformer Networks and the more traditional Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). The Arm Ethos-U85 supports 128 to 2,048 MACs with performance ranging from 256 GOPS to 4 TOPS at 1 GHz, embeds 29 to 267KB RAM, offers SRAM, DRAM, and flash interface for external memory, and up […]

BCM ECM-ADLN-N97 – A 3.5-inch Intel N97 SBC with DDR5 RAM and dual 2.5Gbps Ethernet

BCM ECM ADLN N97 SBC with Intel Alder Lake N Processor

BCM Advanced Research recently introduced the ECM-ADLN-N97, a 3.5-inch SBC built around the Intel Processor N97 Alder Lake-N SoC. This N97 quad-core CPU  can be clocked up to 3.6 GHz and features six MB of cache, Intel UHD Graphics, and 24 Execution Units while maintaining a low power consumption with a TDP of just 12 Watts. Additionally, there is the option to utilize Intel Atom or Pentium processors, which have a TDP of 15 Watts. The BCM ECM-ADLN-N97 SBC also has support for DDR5 memory, M.2 E-Key and B-Key slots, 32GB of onboard eMMC, dual 2.5GbE, and multi-display functionality all while maintaining a slim fanless form factor. In one of our previous posts, we wrote about the Cincoze DA-1200 and we also reviewed the Blackview MP80 mini PC both are based on the Intel Processor N97. BCM’s ECM-ADLN-N97 SBC Specification SoC Intel Alder Lake-N Platform; Intel Processor N97, 6M Cache, […]

u-blox ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2, Bluetooth 5.4 LE modules are based on Nordic nRF54H20 and nRF54L15 SoCs

u-blox ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2 modules

Wireless communication solutions provider, u-blox has added two new modules to its Bluetooth LE portfolio with the ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2 modules built upon the latest low-power wireless nRF54 chips from Nordic Semiconductor.  Both modules come in a portable, power-efficient layout and support Bluetooth 5.4 and 802.15.4 (Thread, Matter, Zigbee). The ALMA-B1 and NORA-B2 BLE modules are powered by the low-power nRF54H20 and nRF54L15 SoCs, respectively. This enables them to provide IoT devices with sufficient processing power for edge computing and machine learning without the need for external components. u-blox claims that the ALMA-B1 module provides “more than twice the processing power of previous Bluetooth LE modules” and can replace general-purpose microcontrollers in compact solutions. Also, the NORA-B2 reportedly “consumes up to 50% less current compared to previous generations of Bluetooth LE modules,” leading to longer battery life or smaller batteries in end products. Both modules are classified as open CPU […]

Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM targets Edge AI and computer vision applications with STM32MP25 MPU

digi connectcore mp25 module

Digi International has announced its latest system-on-module (SoM), the Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM, based on STM32MP25 MPU at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, Germany. The Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM is built upon STMicroelectronics’ STM32MP25 microprocessor. It supports artificial intelligence and machine learning functionality through an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 1.35 tera operations per second (TOPS) and an image signal processor (ISP). It is powered by two 64-bit Arm Cortex-A35 cores running at 1.5GHz, supported by a 32-bit Cortex-M33 core operating at 400MHz and a 32-bit Cortex-M0+core running at 200MHz. With its machine learning capabilities, support for time-sensitive networking, and versatile connectivity features, the ConnectCore MP25 module is suitable for edge AI, computer vision, and smart manufacturing applications in various sectors, including medical, energy, and transportation. Digi ConnectCore MP25 specifications: SoC – STMicroelectronics STM32MP257F CPU – 2x 64-bit Arm Cortex-A35 @ 1.5 GHz; MCU 1x Cortex-M33 @ 400 […]

Cavli’s CQM220 5G RedCap module is available in LGA, M.2, and mPCIe form factors

Cavli QM220

At Embedded World 2024, leading cellular IoT module manufacturer, Cavli Wireless, is set to shine the spotlight on their latest product offering, the CQM220 cellular IoT module with support for the 5G RedCap (reduced capability) standard introduced in 3GPP Release 17. The module is available in three different form factors: LGA, M.2, and mPCIe Gen 2. It offers a maximum network speed of 226 megabits per second (Mbps) for downlink communication and 121 megabits per second for uplink communication. Similar to the Cavli C16QS module, it can support an integrated eSIM for global coverage via the Calvi Hubble cloud platform and comes with an optional GNSS (Global navigation satellite system) for tracking applications. Cavli CQM220 specifications: Processor – ARM Cortex-A7 @ up to 1.7 GHz Memory / Storage 256 MB RAM 256 MB flash Radio Radio Access Technology: 5G RedCap 3GPP Release: 17 Fallback: 4G LTE Cat 4 Network Speed […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC