CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

March 25, 2016July 30, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments

Stream Live TV to Your Computer or Smartphone with U4 Quad Hybrid Android TV Box, Kodi and TVheadend

TVheadend is a streaming server and recorder for Linux, FreeBSD and Android supporting DVB-S, DVB-S2, DVB-C, DVB-T, ATSC, ISDB-T, IPTV, SAT>IP and HDHomeRun as input sources, and while in theory it should be possible to configure any recent Android TV set-top box with digital TV tuners, configuration is complex, and there’s no guarantee the tuner will be recognized. However, the manufacturer of U4 Quad Hybrid has already configured their box to support HTSP clients, so I’ve installed the latest firmware, and given it a try with my Android smartphone running Kodi 15.2 with TVheadend HTSP client, and I could successfully stream live TV (DVB-T2 free-to-air channels) to my smartphone. Once you’ve scanned the channels using DVB-T2 and/or DVB-S2, there’s no other configuration in U4 Quad Hybrid TV box, but you’ll still need to find out your IP address by going to Setup->Network, and WiFi, Ethernet or 3G depending on your […]

March 24, 2016March 24, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

BBC Micro:Bit Board is Now Getting into the Hands of British Students

After several delays, BBC is now giving free Micro:Bit Bluetooth LE enabled boards to UK students with the goal of getting them interested in coding and electronics in a way that’s even easier and cheaper than using a Raspberry Pi board. Micro:bit specifications: MCU – Nordic nRF51822 Bluetooth SoC based on Cortex M0 core @ 16MHz with 16KB RAM 2x user buttons, 1x reset button 25x red user LEDs in a 5×5 matrix Connectivity – Bluetooth LE Sensors – Compass, magnetometer, accelerometer USB – 1x micro USB port for port and programming Expansion – 20-pin edge connector, 5x “rings” for 3V, GND, and 3 digital/analog I/Os Power – 5V via USB or battery port to connect two AAA batteries Dimensions – 4cm x 5cm There are four ways to “code” the board: Code Kingdoms JavaScript graphical ‘drag and drop’ and text-based programming, Microsoft Block Editor graphical, drag and drop code […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

March 24, 2016March 24, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

ViXS Xcode 6800 Series Processors Support 4K 12-bit HEVC with HDR, VIDITY DRM

Now that 4K televisions are becoming more and more common, and 4K content is starting to be available via satellite (DVB-S2), online (Netflix, Amazon..), and off-line via UHD blu-ray discs, a new consumer initiative has been launched by the UHD Alliance. The UltraHD Premium logo will allow consumers to make sure their new 4K television also supports specific performance metrics for resolution, high dynamic range (HDR), peak luminance, black levels and wide color gamut. many of these new features will allow requires new content, and set-top box beside the compliant television. ViXS Xcode 6800 dual core Cortex-A9 dual-core processor will meet the requirement with a 4K 12bit HEVC (Main12) 60 fps video decoder, HDR Tone Mapping engine, HDMI 2.0a, and more. Some of the key features of ViXS Xcode 6800 processor: CPU – Dual core ARM Cortex A9 processor GPU – 3D graphics engine compliant with OpenGL-ES 2.0 and OpenGL-ES […]

March 24, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

NXP Introduces QorIQ LS1046A Quad Cortex A72 Communication Processor with 10 GbE, SATA 3.0, PCIe 3.0, etc…

NXP has unveiled a new QorIQ communication processor with LS1046A based on quad ARM Cortex-A72 cores, and including 10GbE, PCIe Gen.3, SATA 3.0, and USB 3.0 interfaces. The processors targets CPE and vCPE (virtual Customer Premise Equipment), routers, NAS, and service provider gateways for the home and small office, as well as single board computers. QorIQ LS1046A key specifications: CPU – Four ARM Cortex -A72 cores with 2MB L2 cache; 32,000 CoreMarks. Memory – 32-/64-bit DDR4 memory controller Storage – SATA 3.0 controller, quad SPI Connectivity 2x 10 Gigabit Ethernet controllers 1x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet controller 4x Gigabit Ethernet controllers Other peripherals 3x PCIe 3.0 Controllers, x4, x2, x 1 3x USB 3.0 with integrated PHY 4x UART, 4x I2C, SPI, GPIO JTAG Support for hardware-based virtualization via ARM SMMU Packet processing acceleration – Packet classification and distribution; hardware work scheduling, shaping, and buffer management. Integrated security engine – High-speed […]

March 23, 2016May 29, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Sinlinx SIN-A33 Plus Allwinner A33 Development Board Features LCD, MIPI-DSI, and VGA Interfaces

Allwinner A33 has never been a popular processor for development boards and single board computers, despite its $5 price tag for a quad core processor (in 2014), as without HDMI support, it’s been mostly used in low cost Android tablets. But this morning, I’ve come across Sinlinx company on linux-sunxi mailing list, and one of their latest development board – Sinlinx SIN-A33 Plus – is based on their older Allwinner A33 and features LCD, VGA & camera interfaces, I/Os headers, Ethernet and WiFi/Bt connectivity, and various other ports. Sinlinx SIN-A33 Plus specifications: SoC – Allwinner A33 quad core Cortex-A7 @ 1.3 GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 Storage – 4GB eMMC, SD card slot Video Output – LCD connector, MIPI DSI header, and VGA port Audio – 3.5mm audio jacks for microphone and headphone, speaker header Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, WiFi and Bluetooth USB – 3x USB […]

March 23, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

WeKast is a HDMI & VGA Wireless Display Dongle for Business Presentations (Crowdfunding)

You have already many options to mirror your mobile device’s screen to a big TV or projector with Chromecast, Miracast adapters, or EZCast dongles. However, if you want to connect it to a projector with a VGA connect you’ll need a separate HDMI to VGA adapter, and some devices may require Internet access, which you may or may not have during your presentations. WeKast dongle have been designed to simplify the process of setting up your presentation on any premises with HDMI and VGA output, and no requirement for WiFi connectivity. Simply copy your presentation on your smartphone, connect the dongle, and you’re ready to get started using WeKast app on your Android or iOS smartphone. WeKast hardware specifications: CPU – 1.6GHz processor System Memory – 1GB RAM Connectivity – 802.11 b/f/n with WPA2 enterprise security Video Output – Female HDMI and female VGA ports USB – 1x micro USB […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

March 22, 2016March 1, 2017 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 36 Comments

NanoPi M1 Allwinner H3 Development Board with HDMI, CVBS, Ethernet and 3 USB Ports Sells for $11 (Sort of)

FriendlyARM has been very busy since the beginning of the year, as they’ve already released NanoPi 2 Fire, NanoPC-T2, and NanoPi-M2 boards, all based on Samsung S5P4418 processor so far in 2016. But they’ve not stopped, as the company has now launched NanoPi M1 board powered by Allwinner H3 processor with a similar form factor as NanoPi-M2, similar features as Orange Pi One, except they added two extra USB ports, an AV port with composite video and stereo audio, an on-board microphone, and an IR receiver. NanoPi-M2 board specifications (highlights show improvements or differences over Orange Pi One): SoC – Allwinner H3 quad core Cortex A7 @ 1.2 GHz with an ARM Mali-400MP2 GPU up to 600 MHz System Memory – 512 MB DDR3 (1GB as option) Storage – micro SD card slot Video & Audio Output – HDMI and 3.5mm jack for CVBS (composite + stereo audio) Connectivity -10/100M […]

March 22, 2016August 7, 2016 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Getting Started with Wemos D1 mini ESP8266 Board, DHT & Relay Shields

Wemos D1 mini is an ESP8266 board that’s interesting thanks to its size, its low price ($4), micro USB power, its shields, and a documentation that looks fairly good. The board can be programmed with Arduino or Lua, and supports both serial and OTA programming. I’ve decided to give it a try and bought the board together with two temperature shields, a relay shield, and micro SD shield. I got all for $ 14.00 from Wemos Aliexpress shop, and it took about one month for delivery. I can also see they’ve recently released a new OLED shield selling for about $5. All shields were shipped inside their own anti-static bags. The pins are clearly marked on both side of the board and the shields. One side of the board features ESP8266 module. and the other side has CH340 serial to USB chip, and the reset button. The provided headers make […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products