low power News - Page 3 of 46 - CNX Software

February 21, 2025February 20, 2025 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Femtofox Pro v1 LoRa and Meshtastic development board runs Linux-based Foxbuntu OS on Rockchip RV1103 SoC

Femtofox Pro v1 kit LoRa and Meshtastic development board

The Femtofox Pro v1 kit is a compact, low-power LoRa and Meshtastic development board running Linux specially designed for Meshtastic networks. Built around the Luckfox Pico Mini (Rockchip RV1103) SBC, this compact development platform supports USB host/device functionality, Ethernet, WiFi over USB, GPIO interfaces, I2C, UART, and a real-time clock (RTC). The most unique feature of this board is that it operates at very low power (0.27-0.4W), making it ideal for solar-powered applications. Additionally, Femtofox supports native Meshtastic client control, USB mass storage, and network reconfiguration via a USB flash drive. It also includes user-configurable buttons for WiFi toggling and system reboot, enhancing its usability. These features make Femtofox particularly useful for applications such as emergency response and off-grid messaging. Femtofox Pro v1 kit specifications Mainboard – Luckfox Pico Mini A SoC – Rockchip RV1103 SoC CPU – Arm Cortex-A7 processor @ 1.2GHz + RISC-V core Memory – 64MB DDR2 […]

February 20, 2025February 20, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments

Solar-powered LLM over Meshtastic solution may provide live-saving instructions during disasters and emergencies

People are trying to run LLMs on all sorts of low-end hardware with often limited usefulness, and when I saw a solar LLM over Meshtastic demo on X, I first laughed. I did not see the reason for it and LoRa hardware is usually really low-end with Meshtastic open-source firmware typically used for off-grid messaging and GPS location sharing. But after thinking more about it, it could prove useful to receive information through mobile devices during disasters where power and internet connectivity can not be taken for granted. Let’s check Colonel Panic’s solution first. The short post only mentions it’s a solar LLM over Meshtastic using M5Stack hardware. On the left, we must have a power bank charge over USB (through a USB solar panel?) with two USB outputs powering a controller and a board on the right. The main controller with a small display and enclosure is an ESP32-powered […]

January 31, 2025January 31, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Silicon Labs unveils low-cost BG22L BLE 5.4 and BG24L BLE 6.0 SoCs

Silicon Labs has unveiled the BG22L and BG24L SoCs for low-cost, ultra-low-power Bluetooth LE connectivity. These are Lite versions of the company’s BG22 and BG24 SoC families introduced in 2020 and 2022 respectively. The 38.4 MHz Silabs BG22L Arm Cortex-M33 SoC targets high-volume, cost-sensitive Bluetooth 5.4 applications like asset tracking tags and small appliances. In comparison, the 78 MHz BG24L Cortex-M33 SoC offers an affordable entry-level solution with AI/ML acceleration and Bluetooth 6.0 Channel Sounding to locate items or implement access control in crowded areas such as warehouses and multi-family housing. Since the specs for the BG22L and BG24L are similar to the ones for the BG22 and BG24 chips I won’t reproduce those here, and instead highlights the main features and cost-saving measures. Silicon Labs BG22L Bluetooth LE 5.4 SoC Silicon Labs BG22L highlights: MCU – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 38.4 MHz with DSP and FPU (BG22 is clocked at […]

January 28, 2025January 28, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Altair ALT1350 based HL7900 5G LPWA module supports Wi-SUN, GNSS, and NB-IoT over non-terrestrial networks

The HL7900 5G LPWA module from Semtech (Sierra Wireless) is a globally certified solution built around Sony’s Altair ALT1350 chip and designed for low-power IoT applications. It is certified by major U.S. carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, as well as Japan’s KDDI, and has achieved global regulatory certifications (FCC, CE, ISED, etc.) and industry certifications (PTCRB, GCF) for carrier interoperability. This chip features an ultra-low-power sensor hub MCU for efficient environmental monitoring. Additionally, it includes integrated sub-GHz and 2.4GHz radios supporting short-range protocols such as Wi-SUN including U-Bus Air, NB-IoT, and 5G NTN along with GNSS and Wi-Fi-based indoor/outdoor tracking. Furthermore, this chip supports embedded SIM support, secure edge-to-cloud connectivity, and over-the-air updates. These features make this chip useful for applications such as asset tracking, urban navigation, and other IoT solutions requiring reliable, low-power connectivity with global reach. Semtech HL7900 specifications: MCU – Sony ALT1350 5G cellular IoT chip […]

January 24, 2025January 24, 2025 by Debashis Das - No Comments

Intel N50 fanless open-frame panel PCs features 7” and 10” PCAP touch display, HDMI 2.0a, RS-485/232

BCM OFT10W ADLN Open Frame touch LCD computer

BCM Advanced Research has recently introduced two new fanless open-frame panel PCs powered by an Intel Processor N50 CPU – the OFT07W-ADLN (7-inch) and OFT10W-ADLN (10-inch) – which are low-cost all-in-one embedded computers designed for tablet-like usability. Both modules feature 8GB LPDDR5 memory, 64GB eMMC storage, and an M.2 E-key slot for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity. These panel PCs come with PCAP touchscreens (800×1280 for 7-inch and 1200×1920 for 10-inch) with various connectivity options including USB, HDMI 2.0a, RS-232/485, and Gigabit Ethernet. With 12-24V DC input supply, fanless operation, and a durable steel frame, these compact open-frame panel PCs are meant for space-constrained applications like HMIs, self-service kiosks, gaming consoles, medical terminals, smart vending machines, digital signage, and more. BCM OFT07W-ADLN and OFT10W-ADLN specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N50 dual-core processor up to 3.4 GHz with 6MB cache, 16EU Intel UHD Graphics; TDP: 6W System Memory – Up to 8GB LPDDR5 onboard Storage – […]

January 24, 2025January 24, 2025 by Debashis Das - 1 Comment

Waveshare ESL color e-paper displays support Bluetooth & NFC, offer 5-year battery life, cloud management

Waveshare recently launched a series of dot matrix ESL color e-paper displays with Bluetooth and NFC connectivity designed for various IoT, retail, industrial, and similar applications. These Electronic Shelf Label (ESL) displays can be updated through a wireless base station that enables device management using Waveshare’s cloud platform. The displays come with a 1,200mAh coin cell battery which according to Waveshare can last approximately 5 years and support four colors: red, yellow, black, and white. With a wide 178° viewing angle and housed in a durable ABS plastic case, they are ideal for applications such as price tags, shelf labels, asset tracking, and conference name tags. Waveshare ESL color e-paper displays specifications Display technology – E-Paper (Electrophoretic) Display colors – Red, Yellow, Black, White Display sizes – 2.13″, 2.66″, 2.9″, 3.5″ (Dot Matrix) Resolution / Pixel density / Display area 2.13″ – 250 × 122 pixels / 130 DPI / 48.55 × […]

January 17, 2025January 17, 2025 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 3 Comments

Home Assistant-compatible 60GHz mmWave radar sensor features a built-in IR blaster (Crowdfunding)

The eMotion Ultra is a Home Assistant-compatible 60GHz mmWave radar presence sensor with a built-in IR blaster with a 15-meter range, a brightness sensor, and a temperature/humidity sensor. It is powered by an Armv8-M KM4 microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi connectivity and is targeted at simplifying complex smart home setups. The eMotion Ultra 60GHz mmWave radar presence sensor module is reported to be able to “cover up to 40 square meters (430 square feet) using just one device.” It can be configured for up to 4 zones with personalized automations for each zone. The exact Armv8-M KM4 module used isn’t named but is likely based on a Realtek RTL8720CM wireless SoC or other Realtek Ameba microcontroller. Potential applications include security management, lighting automation, home climate control, energy management, and rental property management. We have seen similar presence sensors such as the RoomSense IQ, Seeed Studio’s mmWave fall detection kit, SONOFF SNZB-06P, […]

January 14, 2025January 13, 2025 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Morse Micro MM8108 WiFi HaLow SoC supports up to 43.33 Mbps transfer rate, improves range and power efficiency

Morse Micro MM8108 is a new WiFi HaLow (802.11ah) SoC with a throughput of up to 43.33 Mbps, and improved range and power efficiency compared to its predecessor the Morse Micro MM6108 introduced in 2022 and supporting up to 32.3 Mbps transfer rate. The new chip is also smaller at just 5x5mm in a BGA package instead of 6x6mm in a QFN48 package for the MM6108/MM6104, adds a USB 2.0 host interface besides SDIO 2.0 and SPI, as well as a MIPI RFFE (Radio Frequency Front-End) for integration and interoperability with multi-radio systems. Morse Micro MM8108 specifications: 32-bit RISC-V Host Applications Processor (HAP) Single-Chip IEEE802.11ah Wi-Fi HaLow transceiver for low-power, long-reach IoT applications Worldwide Sub-1 GHz frequency bands (850MHz to 950MHz) On-chip 26 dBm power amplifier with support for external FEM (Front End Module) option 1/2/4/8 MHz channel bandwidth for up to 43.3 Mbps data rate using 256-QAM modulation at […]