Calaos is an Open Source Home Automation Suite for Raspberry Pi, Allwinner A10/A20 and x86 Platforms

Calaos is a Linux based home automation software released under GPLv3 license that works on Raspberry Pi, some Allwinner platforms like Cubiebaord 1/2, Mele A1000(G)/A2000, as well as x86 / amd64 hardware platforms that allows you control switches & lights in the rooms of your home or office, control your music, and manage security cameras.. The developers have recently released Calaos v2.0, the first stable release, so it’s a good time to have a look. The software stack is comprised of 6 main components: Calaos Server – Daemon that exports the state of the house via a JSON protocol. It can currently manage the following hardware components and protocols: Wago’s PLC, with digital or analog I/O, DALI or DMX light bus IPX800 web relay board GCE Electronics Eco Devices used to monitor power consumption. Web API 1-Wire, X10 Zibase I/O GPIO (Linux based GPIO, for direct use of RaspberryPI GPIO […]

SGET Releases embedded NUC Standard Version 1.0 for Embedded Boards

SGET (Standardization Group for Embedded Technologies) had previously released system-on-module standards such as Qseven and SMARC. The group has now published the new “embedded NUC” (eNUC) standard around NUC (Next Unit of Computing) developed by Intel, that defines mechanical and  basic technical parameters for multifunctional, small sized and cost effective embedded computer boards.   The standard specifies both required and optional features. Minimal requirements are summarized as follows: PCB outline & PCB mounting concept –  10.16 x 10.16 cm (4 x 4 “) board. Other dimensions as shown above. PCB and connectors height are also defined, respectively with 18.6 mm and 24.25 mm maximum heights. Predefined Board Types with minimum interface and feature set: Type 1 (Basic) – At least 1x LAN, 2x USB. and an external single power connector. Recommended features include video out (HDMI, DP,…), 1x SATA, 1xSD slot, audio interfaces, mini PCIe, etc… Type 2 (Connectivity) – At […]

XBMC / Kodi 14 Ported to Tizen 3.0 Wayland

XBMC, soon to become Kodi with version 14, is now supported in Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, Android, and iOS. But Kodi 14 may soon support Tizen, as Phil C., a Tizen developer, ported the alpha version of Kodi 14 to Tizen 3.0, and showcased it on an Intel “Bay Trail” NUC powered by Intel Atom E3815 single core processor. Intel 3815 NUC is officially supported by Tizen and an image is available for download, so most of the work was to build Kodi 14 Alpha, install required packages, and configure some scripts. The video below shows XBMC/Kodi 14 UI running on Tizen 3.0, and a video played from YouTube, and after about 3 minutes, he explains how to modify the BIOS to have the system boot and work properly for the rest of the video. If you happen to own an Intel E3815 NUC, but it could also work […]

Intel Announces its First “Bay Trail” Fanless NUC Kit

Intel already announced a Bay Trail NUC selling for $140 earlier this year, but despite the low power dissipation (7.5W TDP) of the Intel N2820 processor, it requires a fan for cooling. The company has now unveiled its first fanless mini PC with Intel NUC Kit DE3815TYKHE powered by Intel Atom E3815 Bay Trail-I processor with 5W TDP. This NUC is destined for industrial and enterprise solutions such as digital signage, point-of-sales, kiosks, and thin clients. Here are the specs of this tiny x86 computer: SoC – Intel Atom E3815 single core processor @ 1.46GHz single core with 512KB cache and 5W TDP, coupled with Intel HD Graphics up to 400 MHz. System Memory – Up 8 GB 1.35V, 1333/1600 MHz (down clocked to 1066 MHz) DDR3L SO-DIMM Storage – 4-GB eMMC, support for one internal 2.5″ SATA HDD or SDD (up to 9.5mm thick) Video Output: 1x HDMI 1.4a 1x […]

Intel “Bay Trail” NUC (Next Unit of Computing) mini PC is Now Available for $140

Next Unit of Computing (NUC) is a small form factor PC designed by Intel featuring “low power” Intel CPUs. It has gone through different iteration starting with Sandy Bridge Celeron CPU, then Ivy Bridge Core i3 and Core i5 processors in the second generation, with the third generation using the Haswell architecture. Intel latest model called Intel DN2820FYK NUC is based on “Bay Trail” Celeron N2820 dual-core processor @ 2.4 GHz with 7.5W TDP, and is now available for $140 on Amazon. Intel DN2820FYK NUC specifications: Processor – Intel Celeron N2820 dual core processor @ up to 2.4GHz dual-core with 1MB cache, 7.5W TDP Memory – 1x DDR3L SODIMM 1.35V, 1333/1600 MHz (down clocked to 1066 MHz), 8GB maximum Storage – Internal support for 2.5¨ HDD or SSD Graphics – Intel HD Graphics @ up to 756MHz Video Output – 1x HDMI 1.4a Audio I/O – Up to 7.1 surround audio […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC