Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Wandboard Development Boards Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow Support

Wandboard Development Boards Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow Support

Wandboard development boards powered by Freescale i.MX6 Solo, Dual and Quad Cortex A9 processors were released over 3 years ago with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Contrary to many other boards that don’t get an updated version, Wandboard boards got support for Android 4.4 Kitkat, Android 5.x Lollipop, and now the community has recently released Android 6.0 Marshmallow. You can try the Android 6.0 SD card image as follows:

Where /dev/sdX is the device for your SD card. If you can remember the first Jellybean release had separate images for each version of the board, but thanks to device tree implementation, a single image is now released with all three versions. The full source code is also available in a 5.0 GB tarball. Since Freescale, now NXP, i.MX6 processors will be available until November 2022, we can most probably expect a few more Android releases for the board.

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Electrodragon WiFi IoT Relay Includes ESP8266 Module, AC Power, and Enclosure for $6

Electrodragon WiFi IoT Relay Includes ESP8266 Module, AC Power, and Enclosure for $6

Thanks to ESP8266, the cost of WiFi relays has dramatically come down, but so far, I could not find an all-in-one solution with ESP8266, relay, AC power and enclosure, and for example I’m still using NodeMCU board, a relay board, a USB power supply, and put all that into a plastic jar in order to control a water pump. It works but it’s not ideal, and solutions like Wemos D1 mini with relay shield improves things further, but Electrodragon has come with a connect-and-play WiFi IoT relay that integrates everything including the case for $6 + shipping. Wifi IoT Relay Board Based on ESP8266: WiFi module – ESP-12F based on Espressif ESP8266EX WiSoC Relays – 2x Songle SRD-05VDC-SL-C relays supporting 125VAC/10A, 250VAC/10A, 30VDC/10A, 28VDC/10A Input/Output – 3x terminal blocks for relay and power Expansion – 12-pin header with Rx/Tx,  GPIO4, Btn2, GPIO15, 5V/GND,  ADC, GPIO5, Btn1, OUTPUT1, and 3V3 Debugging […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Fix for Ubuntu 16.04 “1024×768 Resolution” Problem in VirtualBox

Fix for Ubuntu 16.04 “1024×768 Resolution” Problem in VirtualBox

My main computer is running Ubuntu 14.04.4 LTS, and I’m currently waiting for the Ubuntu 16.04.1 before upgrading to the latest version, which should happen in July. In the meantime, I have upgraded one of my VirtualBox image from Ubuntu 14.04 to Ubuntu 16.04, but I had only two options to set the resolution: 1024×768 or 800×600. This is quite a common problem, and usually the solution is to install VirtualBox additions, but this would not do for me. After trying several solutions, including disabling 3D graphics support, without success, I decided to check Additional Drivers, and I noticed only VirtualBox Graphics Adapter driver was enabled. So I also enabled Innotek Systemberatubg GmbH: VirtualBox Guest Service, and Processor microcode firmware for AMD CPUs, and this fixed the issues most likely thanks to the former. I’m running VirtualBox 5.0.18 installed from the ppa.

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments on Setup Guide & Mini Review of BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablet from a Developer’s Perspective

Setup Guide & Mini Review of BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablet from a Developer’s Perspective

BQ Aquaris M10 UBuntu Edition is the first officially supported Ubuntu tablet on the market. Blu, a frequent commenter on this blog, has purchased the Full HD version, and in the guest post below, shares his experience setting up the device for development purpose, before shortly providing his overall impressions about the tablet itself. Quick introduction Ever since I had to retire my trusty-but-ancient ARM notebook (a Genesi Efika iMX51) I’ve been looking for a new ARM notebook or perhaps a 2-in-1 device, that I could use for development on the go. The basic requirements are long battery life, passive cooling and reasonable price. Also, Just Enough Power™ for running vim, a couple of toolchains (gcc/clang with gold) and, well, enough grunt to run my coding experiments. Naturally, BQ M10 Ubuntu Edition immediately got my attention to the extent of me placing an order, which got delivered this past week. […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments on Intel Cancels Low Cost Atom Broxton & SoFia SoCs

Intel Cancels Low Cost Atom Broxton & SoFia SoCs

Intel has recently announced it would lay off 11% of its workforce, and has now decided to kill plans for Atom Broxton, successor of Intel Cherry Trail processor, as well as low cost SoFia smartphone SoCs. That’s not really surprising as Intel was reported to have very small margins, or even to subsidy, low cost Intel based smartphones, and mini PCs. Rockchip/Intel Sofia SoC has never been popular with only a handful of smartphones and tablets launched in the last year. Nevertheless, we’ve had it good with $70 Bay Trail TV sticks, and $85 Cherry Trail mini PCs, and Intel is still manufacturing and selling those parts. But in the future, it might not be possible to buy sub $100 mini PCs or tablets with the latest Intel processors, as the company is now focusing on higher margin processors with Intel Core M and Apollo Lake (succeeding Braswell). More details […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on The European Version of Orvibo Wiwo S20 Smart Socket Has Been Found to Pose a “Serious Risk”

The European Version of Orvibo Wiwo S20 Smart Socket Has Been Found to Pose a “Serious Risk”

Orvibo Wiwo S20 is a WiFi smart socket that can be controlled by a smartphone and some people are using it with OpenHAB open source automation software. The socket has four versions with with US, UK, EU or AU plug types, and some of my clever readers mentioned that the European plug was mot likely NOT compliant with European regulations, was likely dangerous, and should be limited to 2.5A instead of 10A. It turns out they were right, as the European commission issued a safety notice last declaring Orvibo Wiwo S20 to be dangerous with risk of electric shock. The document further explains: The shape of the socket is not correct: when a plug is inserted the live pins of the plug are accessible. Appliances which should be earthed can be connected to the socket but the socket itself is not earthed. The product does not comply with the requirements […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments on NanoPC-T3 Octa-core Cortex A53 Single Board Computer Sells for $60

NanoPC-T3 Octa-core Cortex A53 Single Board Computer Sells for $60

FriendlyARM launched NanoPC-T2 single board computer based on Samsung 5P4418 quad core Cortex A9 processor about 3 months ago, and the company has now an update based on Samsung S5P6818 Octa-Core A53 processor with the exact same interfaces and features including Gigabit Ethernet, WiFI, and Bluetooth, HDMI 1.4a, 30-pin expansion headers, etc… NanoPC-T3 specifications: SoC – Samsung S5P6818 octa core Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.4GHz with Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1 or 2GB 32bit DDR3 RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, and 1x SD card slot Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet (RTL8211E), 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE 4.0 (Ampak AP6212) with on-board chip antenna and IPX antenna connector Video Output / Display I/F- 1x HDMI 1.4a, LVDS, MIPI DSI, parallel RGB LCD Audio I/O – HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, on-board microphone Camera – 1x DVP interface, 1x MIPI CSI interface USB – 2x USB 2.0 type A host […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on LimeSDR Open Source Hardware Software Defined Radio Goes for $199 and Up (Crowdfunding)

LimeSDR Open Source Hardware Software Defined Radio Goes for $199 and Up (Crowdfunding)

Canonical and Lime Micro showcased SoDeRa software defined radio (SDR) a couple of months ago, with a promise to launch a crowdfunding campaign later this year. They’ve fulfill their promise, and launched the open source SDR, renamed to LimeSDR, on Crowdsupply. LimeSDR board specifications: FPGA – Altera Cyclone IV EP4CE40F23 Altera FPGA compatible with EP4CE30F23 System Memory – 256 MB DDR2 SDRAM RF Lime Microsystems LMS7002M RF transceiver with continuous coverage of the frequency range between 100 kHz and 3.8 GHz; 61.44 MHz bandwidth 4 x TxOut and 6 x RxIn U.FL connectors Power Output (CW): up to 10 dBm Wi-Fi, GSM, UMTS, LTE, LoRa, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID, Digital Broadcasting, configurable through apps. USB – 1x micro USB3 via CYUSB3014-BZXC Cypress Microcontroller  for control, data transfer and power Misc – Status LEDs, RGB LEDs, 4x switches Power – USB or external power supply Dimensions –  100 mm x 60 mm The board […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products