micropython News - CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 28, 2024 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Waveshare launches three RP2350 USB-C development boards with castellated design, battery support, built-in Ethernet port

Waveshare has announced four new USB-C and USB-A development boards based on the Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU: the Waveshare RP2350-Plus dev board, the Waveshare RP2350-Zero Mini dev board, the Waveshare RP2350-ETH Mini dev board, and the Waveshare RP2350-GEEK USB dev board. The RP2350-Plus is a low-cost, high-performance Pico-like development board with the RP2350 MCU, various I/O, battery support, USB Type-C, and compatibility with Raspberry Pi Pico modules. The RP2350-Zero Mini is another compact dev board with castellated pins, 29 GPIOs, USB Type-C, PIO, and versatile peripheral support, ideal for IoT, robotics, and embedded systems. The RP2350-ETH Mini dev board has Ethernet support and various GPIO functionalities, making it ideal for IoT development. Like any other RP2350 board, the Waveshare RP2350 boards support C/C++ and MicroPython SDKs with drag-and-drop firmware flashing via USB mass storage. Waveshare RP2350-Plus development board The Waveshare RP2350-Plus is a low-cost development board that comes in a […]

November 18, 2024November 18, 2024 by Debashis Das - 3 Comments

$29 Banana Pi BPI-CanMV-K230D-Zero features Kendryte K230D RISC-V SoC for AIoT applications

The Banana Pi BPI-CanMV-K230D-Zero is a compact and low-power single-board computer built around the Kendryte K230D dual-core XuanTie C908 RISC-V chip with an integrated third-generation Knowledge Process Unit (KPU) for AI computation. It follows the form factor of the Raspberry Pi Zero or Raspberry Pi Zero 2W board and targets IoT and ML applications. The SBC comes with 128MB of LPDDR4 RAM and uses a microSD card slot for storage. Additional features of this board include dual MIPI-CSI camera inputs for 4K video, a 40-pin GPIO header for I2C, UART, SPI, PWM, and more. Wireless features include 2.4GHz WiFi, USB 2.0 with OTG, and microphone support. These features make this SBC suitable for applications such as AI tasks such as image, video, and audio processing. Banana Pi BPI-CanMV-K230D-Zero Specifications SoC – Kendryte K230D CPU CPU1 – 64-bit RISC-V processor @ 1.6GHz with RVV 1.0 support CPU2 – 64-bit RISC-V processor […]

November 15, 2024November 15, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

CYOBot v2 ESP32-S3-based open-source modular robotics platform supports up to 16 servos (Crowdfunding)

CYOBot v2 ESP32-S3 modular robotics platform

Create Your Own Bot (CYOBot) v2 is an open-source, modular robotics platform for students, educators, hobbyists, and future engineers based on the ESP32-S3 microcontroller and featuring up to 16 servo motors for complex control. The CYOBot v2 is a follow-up to the previous quadrupedal robotic platform from the same company. It adds new features such as a modular design, an upgrade to the ESP32-S3 chip, more motor channels, and an expansion block with more peripherals. It also supports integrating AI systems, such as ChatGPT, for added functionality. The CYOBot supports up to three configurations via the CYOBrain — which powers the robotics platform and controls the servo motors — and separate 3D-printed components. The CYOBot Crawler is a four-legged robot powered by eight 180-degree servo motors. The CYOBot Wheeler form factor features four 360-degree motors linked to wheels at the end of each leg and is essentially a hybrid between […]

November 14, 2024November 13, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Nova open-source hardware Raspberry Pi RP2040 board features a 70 RGB LED matrix (Crowdfunding)

Vcc Labs’ Nova is a tiny, open-source hardware Raspberry Pi RP2040 development board with a USB-C port, a 70 (7×10) addressable RGB LED matrix, and two 12-pin GPIO headers for expansion. It can be used for wearables, mini-displays, interactive art, fun games, and more. Nova specifications: MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ up to 133 MHz with 264KB SRAM Storage – 2MB QSPI flash “Display” – 7×10 WS2812 addressable RGB LEDs, each measuring just 1x1mm USB – USB Type-C port for power, data, and programming Expansion – 2x 12-pin header with 20x GPIO, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 2x UART, 4x ADC, Vin, 5V, 3.3V, and GND Misc – Reset and BOOT buttons Power Supply 5V via USB-C port 7V to 18V via Vin pin Power consumption – 9 Watts with all LEDs at full brightness Dimensions – 30.48 x 20.32 mm (PCB only) Weight – 4.76 grams […]

November 1, 2024November 2, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

MicroPython v1.24 release adds support for RP2350 and ESP32-C6 microcontrollers, various RISC-V improvements

Micropython v1.24 with ESP32-C6 and RP2350 support

MicroPython has become one of the most popular ways of programming microcontrollers, and the just-released MicroPython v1.24 adds support for the widely-used Raspberry Pi RP2350 and Espresif ESP32-C6 microcontrollers and a range of other changes. Those include improved RISC-V support with native code generation, an updated Zephyr v3.7.0 RTOS with threading support, unified TinyUSB bindings across ports, a portable UART IRQ API, and enhanced mpremote recursive copy. Damien George goes into more detail about the RISC-V improvements: … include an RV32IMC native code emitter, native NLR and GC register scanning implementations for 32- and 64-bit RISC-V, support for placing RV32IMC native code in .mpy files and also freezing it, and RISC-V semihosting support. Testing for RISC-V is done with the qemu and unix ports, and the support is utilised in the esp32 and rp2 ports. The Raspberry Pi RP2350 comes with both Arm Cortex-M33 and RISC-V cores, and the good […]

October 31, 2024October 30, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - No Comments

1.28-inch round color display features Raspberry Pi RP2350, motion sensor, GPIO headers, metal case

Waveshare has recently launched the RP2350-LCD-1.28, a Raspberry Pi RP2350-based 1.28-inch round color display module with 240×240 pixel resolution and a 65K-color IPS panel. This board also features a rechargeable Lithium battery manager, a 6-axis IMU with a 3-axis gyroscope and accelerometer, multiple GPIO pins, and a USB Type-C connector for programming and power. Additionally, it supports USB 1.1 host/device support, temperature sensor, and 24 PWM channels, all configured for flexible I/O options. These features make this device useful for IoT, wearable tech, and embedded applications. The company also provides an optional CNC metal casing that provides durability and heat dissipation for portable or rugged applications. We have previously covered similar development boards with a round display such as the RP2040-powered 0.99″ rounded display, the ESP32-S3 LCD Driver Board, the SB-Components has launched Dual Roundy, and others, but it’s the first to feature the RP2350 microcontroller. RP2350-LCD-1.28 specification: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi […]

October 26, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

FlexiPi is a bendable Raspberry Pi Pico clone made of flexible PCB (Crowdfunding)

FlexiPi is a bendable Raspberry Pi RP2040 board made of flexible PCB with the same layout as the original Raspberry Pi Pico, but featuring a USB-C port instead of a micro USB port on the official board. This follows the Flexduino flex PCB clone of the Arduino UNO made by “EDISON SCIENCE CORNER”, but the smaller design of “TOP Gadgets” FlexiPi may make it potentially more useful since it could be inserted into tight or round enclosures. FlexiPi specifications: MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex-M0+ microcontroller @ 48 MHz (overclockable to 133 MHz) with 264KB SRAM Storage – 2MB QSPI flash USB – 1x USB Type-C 1.1 port used for power and programming Expansion 2x 20-pin 2.54mm pitch header and castellated holes with 26 GPIOs, 3x 12-bit ADC up to 500 Kbps, 2x UART, 2x I2C, 2x SPI, 16x PWM, 2x programmable high-speed I/O 3.3V I/O voltage Sensor – […]

October 17, 2024 by Sayantan Nandy - 2 Comments

XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa devkit features Wio-SX1262 LoRa module

The “XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa” is an ESP32-S3 LoRa dev kit that combines an XIAO ESP32S3 board with the tiny Wio-SX1262 LoRa module connected through a board-to-board connector. This compact devkit supports LoRa (862-930MHz), Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), and Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE), with a 5km range for LoRa and a 100m+ range for Wi-Fi/BLE. The kit also has a USB Type-C interface, a built-in power management chip, and multiple I/O options such as IIC, UART, and GPIO. It supports external LoRa antennas and can be extended with XIAO expansion boards for more complex setups. These features make this device suitable for projects such as LoRaWAN gateways, IoT sensors, Meshtastic nodes or routers, and applications where space is limited. XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32 with dual-core Xtensa LX7 microcontroller up to 240MHz Wireless Connectivity LoRaWAN via Semtech LX1262 Output Power – Up to +22 […]