Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) and Texas Instruments MSP430FR57xx MCUs

FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) and Texas Instruments MSP430FR57xx MCUs

I’ve recently received a complementary book entitled “Texas Instruments FRAM MCUs for DUMMIES” sent by Mouser, that provides technical and practical information about FRAM (Ferroelectric Random Access Memory) – pronounced F-RAM – and Texas Instruments MSP430FR57xx MCU series which makes use of this relatively new type of memory. FRAM is a non-volatile memory with power and write speed & endurance characteristics that almost matches SRAM capabilities, and leave traditional Flash and EEPROM memory in the dust in terms of performance, as you can see from the table and diagram below. At constant speed, FRAM consumes 250x less than Flash/EEPROM. Please note the FRAM write speed also depends on the MCU used, and a MCU @ 8MHz can write the FRAM @ 1400 kBps (Source: TI). However, you won’t see this type of memory in devices like smartphones anytime soon because the maximum size currently manufactured is 1MB, density is higher […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments on $444 Smartbeam Android 4.0 Media Player & Projector Powered by Telechips TCC8925

$444 Smartbeam Android 4.0 Media Player & Projector Powered by Telechips TCC8925

Android is now everywhere, from the ubiquitous smartphones and tablets to cars, cameras, satellites (no kidding), light bulbs (seriously) and more. Today is the first time I’ve come across a full sized projector running Android. The “Smartbeam” is a 2000 lumens 1280×768 (native) projector powered by Telechips TCC8925 with 512 MB RAM and 4 GB Flash running Android 4.0.4 (ICS), so the performance should be very similar to CX-01 mini PC. Here are the specs of this new device: SoC – Telechips TCC8925 up to 833 MHz System Memory – 512 MB RAM Storage – 4 GB NAND Flash WiFi – 802.11 b/g/n Display – 5.8″ Single LCD Panel Display Technology (cnxsoft: But I can’t find any display on any of the pictures…) Projector: Projection Lens – Manual Lens Resolution: Native SGA (1280*768 Pixels), Support Resolution QGA (1920 x 1200) Brightness (Typical) – LED lamp 2000 lumens, more than 320Lux […]

Advertisement
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on Digi Launches XBee-PRO 900HP RF Module With a Range of Up to 45 Km

Digi Launches XBee-PRO 900HP RF Module With a Range of Up to 45 Km

Digi International has recently announced the XBee-PRO 900HP RF embedded module based on ADF7023 transceiver and Energy Micro Cortex-M3 EFM32G230 MCU @ 28 MHz. The company claims the module supports a line-of-sight range of up to 45 km with a high-gain antenna and data rates of up to 200 Kbps.45 km is not quite enough to communicate in space (100 km), but that’s still a pretty good range. Indoor / urban range is up to 600m. Here are the hardware specifications of XBee-PRO 900HP module: Processors – ADF7023 transceiver and Cortex-M3 EFM32G230 @ 28 MHz Frequency Band – 902 to 928 MHz, software selectable channel mask for interference immunity Antenna Options – Wire, U.FL and RPSMSA RF Data Rate – 10 Kbps or 200 Kbps Indoor/Urban Range – Up to 2000 ft (610 m) Outdoor/ Line-Of-Sight Range – Up to 9 miles (14 km) w/ dipole antenna; Up to 28 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Qt Creator 2.6 Release and Qt for Android (Necessitas) Merged to The Qt Project

Qt Creator 2.6 Release and Qt for Android (Necessitas) Merged to The Qt Project

Qt Creator Version 2.6.0 has been released yesterday. The most notable change is the introduction of “Kits” to replace “Targets” that were used in previous versions of Qt Creator. Previously, “Targets” such as Desktop or Remtoe Linux were added to a project’s configuration in order to use predefined configurations. “Kits” extend the use of “Targets” and contain settings for which device type to develop for, the sysroot, the compiler, the debugger and the Qt version to use, and possibly even more settings. Users can define their own “Kits”, which should facilitate control of build and run environment and projects sharing. Other changes include full screen support on Mac OS Lion and later, numerous fixes and additions to the qrc file editor, direct rebuilding and cleaning of .pro file based subprojects, more C++11 fixes, and more. On the platform side, QNX/Projects support was added, but Symbian (no maintainer) and Meego (due to […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments on Ugoos UG007 Android 4.1 HDMI TV Stick Features Bluetooth and Rockchip RK3066 Processor

Ugoos UG007 Android 4.1 HDMI TV Stick Features Bluetooth and Rockchip RK3066 Processor

There are many low cost Android mini-PCs on the market today, but most of them can only support 2.4 GHz wireless connection (e.g. for keyboard, mouse or “fly mouse”) via an external USB dongle, and very few have built-in Bluetooth support. If you want the performance of UG802 mini PC and use your existing Bluetooth keyboard, game controller, headset…, Ugoos UG007 mini PC might be a good option since it features Rockchip RK3066 dual core processor and comes with Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR support. Here are the specs of Ugoos UG007: SoC – Rockchip RK3066 Dual ARM Cortex-A9 processor clocked @ up to 1.2 GHZ with Mali-400MP4 Quad-core GPU, System Memory – 1GB DDR3 RAM Storage – 8GB NAND Flash + micro SD card slot (Up to 32 GB) Connectivity: Wifi – 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Mediatek MT6622) 3G support via external 3G USB dongle USB – 1x […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on $210 Ainol Nova 10.1″ Hero II Tablet Powered by Actions Semi ACT-ATM7029 Quad Core Processor

$210 Ainol Nova 10.1″ Hero II Tablet Powered by Actions Semi ACT-ATM7029 Quad Core Processor

Ainol Novo 10 Hero II is a new Android Jelly Bean tablet with a 10.1″ touchscreen powered by Actions Semiconductor ACT ATM7029 processor featuring 4 Cortex A9 cores and GC1000 GPU that will be soon be available for $209.90. Here Ainol Novo 10 Hero II Specifications: SoC – Actions Semi ACT ATM7029 Quad Core Cortex A9 processor (operating frequency unknown) with Vivante GC1000 GPU. System Memory – 1 GB DDR3 RAM Storage – 16GB Flash + TF card up to 32GB Display – 10.1″ Capacitive Touchscreen IPS Screen (Resolution: 1280*800) Camera – 0.3 MP front camera, 2.0 MP rear camera Connectivity: WiFi – 802.11 b/g/n 3G – Support via external 3G dongle Bluetooth Audio – Built-in speaker and 3.5mm headphone jack. Sensors – Gravity sensor, GPS – Built-in Battery – 8000 mAh Weight – 669g Dimensions – : 261*177*9.8 mm The tablet will be sold with a USB cable and […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on $800 OUYA Development Kit Is Available for Pre-Order

$800 OUYA Development Kit Is Available for Pre-Order

As the OUYA is slowly (but surely?) nearing its launch in March 2013, the OUYA Dev Kit can be pre-ordered for delivery in January 2013. The kit costs $800 and includes an OUYA console, 2 controllers and the ODK ( OUYA Software Development Kit). This devkit is targeted at game developers (Users better just wait the $99 version) who will be able to test their games and apps on OUYA hardware before the official release. The ODK should be available for download and the developer portal launched in December, As a reminder, here are OUYA (updated) specifications: Nvidia Tegra3 quad-core cortex A9 processor 1 GB RAM 8 GB of internal flash storage HDMI port (up to 1080p HD) WiFi 802.11 b/g/n Bluetooth LE 4.0 Ethernet USB 2.0 port Wireless controller with standard controls (two analog sticks, d-pad, eight action buttons, a system button), a touchpad Android 4.1 Jelly Bean If […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8GB) is Now Available Worldwide… for $330

Google Nexus 7 Tablet (8GB) is Now Available Worldwide… for $330

If you do not live in one of the 8 countries where Google Nexus 7 is for sale, namely the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Australia and Japan [Update: Actually it seems to be officially available in more countries now (e.g. South Kore, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong…) , but I can’t find an exact list], and still want to get your hands on a Nexus 7 tablet, there is now an option as the Google Nexus 7 (8 GB) can be bought via Dealextreme for $330.30 including (slow shipping) via Hong Kong Post. That’s about $100 more expensive than the original price on Google Play ($199 + ~$30 shipping + taxes), but it may be one of the only options, if you don’t live (or have friends) in the countries where Google Devices are available. The Nexus 7 (8 GB) is not for sale anymore on Google Play, […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products