Posted on

Lichee Console 4A RISC-V devkit testing – Part 2: benchmarks and features in Debian 12

When checking out the hardware of the Lichee Console 4A portable RISC-V development terminal in the first part of the review, I noted that I had some troubles with the display that did not work properly. I did a little massage to “fix” the display, but unsurprisingly it ended up not being a long-term solution. So I had to open a case a few times and ended up breaking the wires to the fan… Each time I reassembled the device, the display only worked for a few seconds or minutes if at all. So I decided to test the system by keeping it open, as the display is working reliably that way. So I won’t be able to do a proper review testing the device on the go, but I still tested all features and benchmarked the T-Head TH1520 mini laptop with Debian 12, and will report my findings in […]

Posted on

Nordic’s nRF9161 SiP and DK support cellular IoT and DECT NR+ non-cellular 5G technology

Nordic Semiconductor recently announced the availability of the nRF9161 system in package (SiP) and pre-certified Development Kit designed to power both cellular IoT and non-cellular 5G technologies. This new device can connect to LTE-M, NB-IoT, and DECT NR+ networks while maintaining long battery life, better location tracking, and strong connectivity. Additionally, Nordic offers support through their nRF Connect SDK and the Nordic Developer Academy. The nRF9161 SiP is an improved version of the nRF9160 SiP, which has been the basis for various projects like the Actinius Icarus SoM DK, Conexio Stratus, nRF9160 Feather LTE IoT and GPS Board,  Ruuvi Node, and many other projects. Feel free to check those out if interested. The press release mentions that this new chip is an update of the nRF9160 and includes features like an Arm Cortex-M33 processor, 1 MB flash, 256 KB RAM, along with SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, and a 12-bit ADC […]

Khadas Edge2 Arm mini PC
Posted on

Mcuzone MP4GM 4G LTE PCIe Module for Raspberry Pi 5 also adds three USB 2.0 interfaces

Mcuzone recently announced the MP4GM, a new 4G LTE module for the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC. This module connects to the Raspberry Pi 5 via PCIe and includes three extra 1.25mm JST connectors for three additional USB 2.0 interfaces. This HAT is compatible with various 4G LTE mini PCIe modules from Mcuzone and Fibocom, providing flexible options for 4G connectivity. We have previously covered a 5G Modem Kit for the Raspberry Pi 5, but this is the first time we have found out about a 4G LTE kit designed for the Pi 5. We have also covered Mcuzone RK3308 SoM and the MDK3308-EK Evaluation Kit, designed for smart voice applications as well as a Raspberry Pi CM4 board with dual Ethernet capabilities all from MCUzone. So, feel free to check those out if you are interested in their products. Mcuzone MP4GM 4G LTE module specification: Model – MP4GM PCIe to […]

Posted on

Arducam PiNSIGHT – A 4 TOPS AI camera board for the Raspberry Pi 5

Arducam PiNSIGHT is an AI camera board designed for the Raspberry Pi 5 equipped with a 12.3MP auto-focus module and an Intel Movidius Myriad X-powered SoM delivering up to 4 TOPS and supporting Intel OpenVINO deep learning models. The PiNSIGHT “AI Mate” is mounted underneath the Raspberry Pi 5 to which it is connected through a 15-cm USB-A to USB-C cable. The case is made of metal and acts as a heatsink, and Arducam told CNX Software it dissipates heat enough to cool down the Raspberry Pi 5, and they don’t think the active cooler is needed anymore. In other words, it also acts as a fanless enclosure albeit it’s not in contact with the CPU, so whether it’s enough probably depends on your use case… Arducam PiNSIGHT “AI Mate” specifications: AI accelerator – Luxonis OAK-SoM based on Intel Movidius Myriad X vision processing unit delivering up to 4 TOPS […]

Posted on

Entry-level Industrial Shields ESP32 PLC 14 sells for 100 Euros

Boot & Work Corp has just introduced an entry-level PLC based on ESP32 wireless microcontroller with the “Industrial Shields ESP32 PLC 14” that comes with seven inputs and five outputs, as well as I2C, RS485, Ethernet, WiFi, and Bluetooth communication interfaces. We first covered “Industrial Shields” automation devices in 2017 when the company introduced panel PCs based on Banana Pi, Raspberry Pi, and Hummingboard (NXP i.MX 6) SBCs, as well as a few Arduino and Raspberry Pi PLCs. Boot & Work Corp then launched a Raspberry Pi 4-based PLC in 2021, and now the company has introduced the ESP32 PLC 14 part of a larger family of PLC devices as we’ll see further below. ESP32 PLC 14 specifications: Wireless module – ESP-WROOM-32U with ESP32 dual-core wireless microcontroller @ 240 MHz with 4MB SRAM, 4MB flash, 2MB PSRAM I/Os through terminal blocks 4x Digital Outputs 12/24 V DC (can also act […]

Posted on

Quectel FGH100M Wi-Fi HaLow module based on Morse Micro MM6108 receives CE and FCC Certifications

In a collaboration, Quectel Wireless Solutions and Morse Micro have developed the FGH100M a Wi-Fi HaLow module, powered by Morse Micro’s MM6108 SoC. This module has achieved CE certification in Europe and FCC approval in the US, meeting high safety and environmental standards. After reading through the press release, I initially thought the 802.11.ah WiFi, known as WiFi HaLow, would be similar to other LPWAN standards like LoRaWAN or Sigfox. However, further research showed that Wi-Fi HaLow, operating in the 900 MHz band, was first announced in 2014 and got its name in 2016. However, in the following years, there wasn’t much interest in this wireless standard. But starting from 2021, it’s becoming more popular, and we’ve seen many HaLow-based products like a mini PCIe card, a WiFi HaLow development board, and a gateway kit to extend the range of IP cameras, and also ALFA Network’s AHPI7292S Raspberry Pi HAT […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on

Rockchip RK3528 Android 13 TV Box doubles as a Bluetooth speaker

The H96 Max M7 is a Rockchip RK3528 TV box running Android 13.0 that mostly differentiates itself from competitors with the integration of two speakers allowing the box to be used as a Bluetooth speaker. The rest of the specifications are pretty standard with up to 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, 4Kp60 HDMI video output, video playback up to 4K at 60 fps or 8K at 23 fps, WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and a single USB port for extension. H96 Max M7 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3528 CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor GPU – Arm Mali-450 GPU VPU H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC up to 4Kp60 or 8Kp23 AVS2 up to 4Kp60 VC1, MPEG-1 MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVS  up to 1080p60 System Memory – 2GB or 4GB RAM Storage – 16GB or 32GB eMMC flash; microSD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.0 port up to 4Kp60 Audio Dual-speaker home theatre system […]

Posted on

52Pi water cooling kit keeps the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC cool at 3.0 GHz

If you like fancy, but somewhat expensive and useless things, 52Pi’s water cooling kit for Raspberry Pi 5 SBC may be right up your alley and the over-engineered cooling solution sells for $120 on Seeed Studio where we discovered the kit. We’ve already seen the active cooler and official case do a decent job at cooling the Raspberry Pi 5, but several companies have also launched fanless cases for the latest Pi single board computer. Water cooling may only make sense when attempting to overclock the Raspberry Pi 5, and 52Pi claims the Broadcom BCM2712 processor can run a 3.0 GHz at a relatively cool temperature of 55°C. 52Pi water cooling kit content: Main water cooling unit with RGB LED fan, water tank, and base Water cooling radiator (that’s the orange thing on top of the Raspberry Pi) Black heatsink 2x Silicone hoses 12V/2A power adapter (US) 4x M2.5*10 hexagonal screws […]

Khadas VIM4 SBC