CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 14, 2023November 13, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Linux-based DIN Rail smart controller works with Zigbee, Z-Wave, KNX, and Ajax Systems security solutions

CONNECT Y1 Smart Controller in a DIN Rail gateway running Ubuntu Linux and acting as the main control of YoctoCONNECT’s Smart Home/Smart Building solution with YoctoBus (RS485) and Ethernet interfaces, support for expansion blocks, and third-party integration with Zigbee, Z-Wave, KNX, and Ajax Systems security and smart home solutions. The Y1 Smart Controller handles automation algorithms and RS485, Ethernet, and USB communication for automated control systems for lighting, power distribution equipment, ventilation systems, climate control, and other electrical loads in various sectors such as Industry 4.0, Smart Homes, and Smart Cities. CONNECT Y1 Smart Controller specifications: SoC – Quad-core processor @ 1.2 to 2.4 GHz System Memory – 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB DDR3 RAM Storage – 16GB or 32 GB eMMC flash Audio – 3.5mm audio output jack; AirPlay support Connectivity YoctoBUS (RS485) interface via 3-pole terminal block 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port USB 2.0 interface for Z-Wave or Zigbee Ajax […]

November 13, 2023December 6, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Youyeetoo X1 review – Ubuntu 22.04 on an Intel Celeron N5105 x86 SBC with a 7-inch touchscreen display

Youyeetoo X1 is an x86 single board computer (SBC) powered by an 11th Gen Intel Celeron N5105 quad-core Jasper Lake processor clocked up to 2.9GHz with 4GB to 16GB RAM and up to 256GB eMMC. The board comes with a variety of connectivity options such as M.2 M key and E key sockets for connecting Wi-Fi, 4G LTE or SSD modules, as well as MIPI DSI and HDMI interfaces for up to 4K resolution display, and I/Os such as UART, I2C, and SPI Whether you are a maker, an IoT developer, or a system integrator, the Youyeetoo X1 SBC board can be integrated into various applications such as industrial automation, IoT gateways, robots, and others. Since the Youyeetoo X1 SBC is based on an x86 processor, there is no need to worry about operating system or application compatibility as would be the case on systems based on the Arm architecture, […]

November 13, 2023November 12, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Dockcase 7-in-1 USB-C dock features a color information display (Crowdfunding)

Dockcase USB hub with built-in information display

USB-C docks have become somewhat boring, but Dockcase 7-in-1 USB-C dock is a little different with a transparent top cover made of tempered glass and an integrated color display that looks neat and may end up being useful by providing relevant information. The USB-C dock also comes with three 5Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a 4Kp60 capable HDMI 2.0 video output, SD card & microSD card slots, support for 100W USB PD, and a 10 Gbps USB Type-C port for connection to the host. Dockcase 7-in-1 USB-C dock specifications: Display – 1.33-inch color LCD display with 240 x 240 resolution Storage – SD and microSD (UHS-I) card slots HDMI output up to 4Kp60 (3840×2160) USB Input – 10Gbps USB-C port with cable Output – 3x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) ports Misc – Control button Power Input – 100W (20V/5A) USB PD Dimensions – 122 x 40 x […]

November 13, 2023November 12, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Synaptics SYN43711 WiFi 6E & Bluetooth 5.3 chipset targets IoT devices, video streaming, robotics

SYN43711 WiFi 6E Bluetooth 5.3 IoT chipset

Synaptics SYN43711 is a new WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 “SoC” designed for “IoT applications” such as high-end home appliances with video streaming capabilities, surveillance cameras, robots, and other secure smart consumer, industrial, and enterprise systems. It’s a more cost-effective version of the company’s SYN4382 SoC that supports 1,200 Mbps 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and 802.15.4 connectivity. Designed for small form factor devices, the new SYN43711 tri-band chipset supports 600 Mbps WiFI 6E, Wi-Fi Sensing (human presence detection), and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio for multiple concurrent Bluetooth connections and audio streams, including Auracast audio sharing. SYN43711 key features and specifications: Wireless Tri-band (2.4, 5, 6 GHz) Wi-Fi 4, 5, 6, 6E up to 600 Mbps (1×1 antenna arrangement) Bluetooth 5.3 LE with LE Audio support Integrated PAs and LNAs (external PA and LNA optional) with high transmit (Tx) power level and receive (Rx) sensitivity Synaptics Smart Co-Ex […]

November 12, 2023December 1, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

GEEKOM A5 AMD Ryzen 7 5800H mini PC review – Part 1: Unboxing, teardown, and first boot

GEEKOM A5 is a Windows 11 Pro mini PC based on an eight-core, sixteen-thread AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor with up to 64GB RAM, NVMe/SATA SSD support up to 2TB, and interfaces such as dual HDMI 2.0, five USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps ports, 2.5GbE, as well as support a WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 wireless module. The company has sent us a review sample of the GEEKOM A5 mini PC with 32GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. Today, we will look at the Mini PC’s specifications, go through an unboxing, followed by a teardown, and quickly check out if it works properly with a first boot to Windows 11 Pro. In the next part of the GEEKOM A5 review, we will test performance and features with Windows 11 Pro, followed by an evaluation of the mini PC with Ubuntu 22.04 in the final and third part of the […]

November 12, 2023November 14, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 247 Comments

Giveaway Week 2023 – i-Pi SMARC 1200 devkit with Mediatek Genio 1200 Cortex-A78/A55 SoC

i-Pi SMARC 1200 Yocto Linux glmark2 benchmark

We’ll end this year’s Giveaway Week with a pretty powerful development kit – ADLINK i-Pi SMARC 1200 – powered by a MediaTek Genio 1200 octa-core processor with four Cortex-A78 cores @ up to 2.2 GHz, four Cortex-A55 cores, an Arm Mali Mali-G57 MC5 GPU, 4K hardware video decoding and decoding support, and a 4.8 TOPS NPU. The mainboard is comprised of a SMARC 2.1-compliant system-on-module with 4GB LPDDR4 memory and 64GB UFS storage and fitted with a heatsink for cooling as well as a carrier board with a 4Kp60 capable HDMI 2.0 port, two Gigabit Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, two 40-pin headers for I/Os including one compatible with the 40-pin Raspberry Pi GPIO header, plus LVDS connectors, MIPI CSI camera connectors, and M.2 expansion slots for storage and/or wireless expansion. I tested the MediaTek Genio 1200 devkit with a Yocto […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

November 11, 2023November 13, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 208 Comments

Giveaway Week 2023 – Elecrow ESP32 Terminal with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display and OV2640 camera

If I remember correctly, Elecrow sent me an end-of-year gift with a notebook (paper style), a pen, and a 3.5-inch ESP32 terminal. I had completely forgotten about it, and while wondering what I would give for Giveaway Week 2023, and looking around in drawers and on shelves, I found an “ESP32 Terminal” package, and I was like “What the F is that and where is it coming from?”. Long story short, the 6th prize of this year’s giveaway week is Elecrow’s ESP32 Terminal with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display that also comes with a front-facing OV2640 camera and six Crowtail connectors for expansion plus a LiPo battery connector. Elecrow ESP32 terminal specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-S3 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE) module with 16MB flash and 8MB PSRAM Storage – MicroSD card slot Display – 3.5-inch TFT LCD display with 480×320 resolution (ILI9488 driver), capacitive touchscreen Camera – 2MP […]

November 10, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-3 release adds support for PinePhone and PineTab devices

UBPorts has just released Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-3 based on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS with the latest security updates and beta support for PinePhone, PinePhone Pro, PineTab, and PineTab 2, adding to the smartphones already supported by Ubuntu Touch 20.04 OTA-2. As a reminder, Ubuntu Touch was initially handled by Canonical for desktop/mobile convergence, but it was dropped when the company decided to refocus its efforts on cloud and IoT, and the UBPorts community took over and eventually outed the first stable Ubuntu Touch release in June 2017. The developers kept on improving the OS since then with new releases from time to time, but note that it should still be considered experimental only for most devices, and will not be suitable as a daily driver for the majority of people. The PinePhone and PineTab have been supported by Ubuntu Touch for a few years, but they had their own branch […]