CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

QNX CAR 2.0 Demo and Texas Instruments OMAP5 Jacinto 6 Processor

There’s a Bentley GT concept car at CES 2012 to demonstrate QNX CAR 2.0 platform that provides dual screen support with the dashboard and an infotainment display for the automotive industry. Under the hood, the platform features TI DLP technology, and TI OMAP5 and Jacinto processors running QNX Neutrino RTOS. Texas Instruments and QNX uploaded a video demo of the concept on YouTube. They explain that they switched their platform from HTML5 to native OpenGL for optimal performance using Storyboard Suite from Crank software, and they can now show 3D maps smoothly on the platform. The 1080p user display is curved to be more user friendly (better touch angles). You must have certainly heard about touchscreens before, but maybe never heard about “pretouch”. Pretouch is a feature of the system that detect when you hand comes close to a control virtual and pops up a virtual menu. The dashboard shows […]

January 10, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Archos TV Connect STB Hands-On Video

A few days ago, Archos unveiled the TV Connect, an Android Jelly Bean set-top box powered by TI OMAP4470 that can be placed on top of the TV, and controlled by a Bluetooth game controller/keyboard. Archos is now at CES 2013, and Brad Linder of Liliputing has had a closer look at the device. In the first part of the video, they give an overview of the device and the controller, and have some problems with the Bluetooth connection probably because of the spectrum might be saturated at the conference. Brad mentions the controller may be a bit awkward to use, but the Archos guy explains you could also use your TV remote control since it is HDMI CEC compatible, or alternatively your Android smartphone/tablet connected with Bluetooth (or Wi-Fi). At some point, they discuss about all the Chinese mini PCs that have similar functionalities, and the advantages Archos TV […]

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Samsung Exynos Octa big.LITTLE 8 Cores SoC Announced at CES 2013

Samsung Electronics unveiled the very first big.LITTLE Cortex A7/A15 SoC at CES 2013. Exynos Octa will feature 4 Cortex A15 cores together with 4 Cortex A7 cores, and make use of big.LITTLE processing to optimize energy using In-Kernel Switching (IKS), where the kernel uses Cortex A15 or Cortex A7 cores depending on the load, or Heterogeneous MultiProcessing (HMP), where different tasks are assigned to different cores, and both Cortex A15 and A7 can be used simultaneously. Check my earlier post “Big.LITTLE Processing Implementations and Current Status” for an overview on how this all works. The new Intel processors for smartphones/tablets are now very close to ARM when it comes to power consumption, and ARM may regain a clear lead thanks to big.LITTLE processing technology, which is currently shown to consume about 40% less power than equivalent tasks run on Cortex A15 (only) processors. Samsung claims it may offers up to […]

January 9, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Lego Mindstorms EV3 Hackable Robots Run Linux

The LEGO Group has announced LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3, a new platform for consumer robotics designed for both younger generation and robotics enthusiasts, at CES 2013. MINDSTORMS system is powered by the new EV3 Intelligent Brick, that comes with more memory (64 MB + 16 MB internal flash memory) and a faster processor (ARM9 @ 300MHz), and runs a Linux-based firmware. EV3 Intelligent Brick also features an infrared port, a 178×128 LCD interface, a USB host port and SD expansion slot, and is now compatible with iOS and Android for remote control via Bluetooth 2.1. Thanks to 6 buttons present on the EV3, users can now program many functions directly, in addition to the ability to download programs from a desktop computer. Lego claims a simple robot can be built in 20 minutes without having to plug it into a PC. Beside EV3 intelligent brick, the set comes with 550 Lego Technic […]

January 9, 2013January 9, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Qualcomm CES 2013 Keynote Was (Mostly) a Waste of Time

Don’t get me wrong Qualcomm makes awesome processors, but as a blogger I already had a fairly negative opinion of Qualcomm when it comes to press releases about their new processors since they usually do not release any details. Yet I was naively thinking I could learn about Qualcomm upcoming products at their keynote, and I was (mostly) completely wrong. If you haven’t watched it yet and want to enjoy a 1h30 show, go watch the on-demand video, where you’ll see current Windows RT products based on Qualcomm, upcoming movies (Pacific Rim and Star Trek), Big Bird, Nascar and Maroon 5. However, if you want to learn about Qualcomm and be fed with geeky stuffs, don’t waste your time. I’ve still been able to extra a little bit of useful information, and got some more info from other sites, and amazingly Qualcomm’s own press releases. Unless you’re high after smoking […]

January 9, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

Piglit OpenGL Driver Testing Framework Now Works with ARM Linux & OpenGL ES

Piglit is a collection of automated tests for OpenGL implementations that aims at improving the quality of open source OpenGL drivers by providing developers with a simple means to perform regression tests. ARM SoCs that come with a GPU usually (always?) supports OpenGL ES however. That’s why, Tom Gall (Linaro) has modified Piglit in order to bring this test suite to ARM Linux and OpenGL ES. There are about 6,900 OpenGL tests in Piglit, and currently 1,047 Piglit (OpenGL ES) tests can run on ARM . Tom also explains that piglit developers are now using waffle, a cross-platform C library that allows one to defer selection of GL API and window system until runtime. This will allow your to select the variation of the GL API (GL, GL ES) and windowing system (X11, Wayland…) you want to use at runtime. The code is still heavily modified, but it’s in the […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

January 8, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Intel Unveils Atom Z2420 Processor for Entry Level Android Smartphones

Today was Intel & Qualcomm turns to have their keynotes. One of Intel announcements is the Atom Z2420 1.2 GHz processor (codenamed Lexington) that comes with PowerVR SGX540 GPU, 1080p video decoder & encoder, and features hyper-threading technology. This processor manufactured with 32nm process technology targets low cost smartphones for emerging markets. Here are the key specifications of Intel Atom Z2420: Process technology – 32nm HKMG Co-Pop Package – 12x12mm, 617 balls, 0.4mm pitch, LPDDR2 PoP package Intel Atom Architecture – 512KN Intel Smart Cache, Enhanced Deeper Sleep, C6/Low Power Audio State, Smart Idle Technology and Digital Thermal Sensor (DTS) 3D Graphics Engine – PowerVR Sgx540 with 2000 MPPS peak fil rate, 40 MTSm with support for Open VG 1.1, OpenGL ES 1.1 and 2.0 Hardware Accelerated Video – 1080p30 video encode and decode Display Controller – Supports up to 4 DSI lanes at 800 Mbps per lane Memory Interface […]

January 8, 2013 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Trakdot Tracks Your Suitcase in Real-Time with GPS

The Trakdot Luggage tracker is a small device that fits into a bag and reports city location in real time via email to any smartphone, or via SMS to any standard phone. As long as a your luggage and phone are within mobile networks range, you can track your checked-in luggage anywhere. In case your luggage does not reach its destination (SITA reports 26 million bags are lost every year worldwide), you’ll still know the (approximate) location of your bag via GPS, and should be able to get it back. Once the device is registered on Trakdot.com, and placed inside a checked bag, it will deliver location information directly to the user’s mobile phone or SMS device via text or email. It’s also possible to directly check the position on the website, or via Trakdot Luggage app. There will also be a separate app that can alert passengers as their […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products