Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Ambiq Apollo510 Arm Cortex-M55 MCU delivers up to 30x better power efficiency for AI/ML workloads

Ambiq Apollo510 Arm Cortex-M55 MCU delivers up to 30x better power efficiency for AI/ML workloads

Ambiq Apollo Cortex-M55 AI microcontroller

Ambiq Apollo510 Arm Cortex-M55 microcontroller delivers 30 times better power efficiency than typical Cortex-M4 designs and 10 times the performance of the Apollo4 Cortex-M4 sub-threshold microcontroller for AI and ML workloads. The new MCU also comes with 4MB NVM, 3.75MB SRAM, a 2.5D GPU with vector graphics acceleration that’s 3.5 times faster than the Apollo4 Plus, and support for low-power Memory-in-Pixel (MiP) displays. Like all other Ambiq microcontrollers, the Apollo510 operates at sub-threshold voltage for ultra-low power consumption and implements security with the company’s secureSPOT platform with Arm TrustZone technology. Ambiq Apollo510 specifications: MCU Core – Arm Cortex-M55 core up to 250 MHz with Arm Helium MVE, Arm TrustZone, FPU, MPU, 64KB I-cache, 64KB D-cache, 256KB I-TCM (Tighly Coupled Memory), 256KB D-TCM, Graphics – 2.5D GPU clocked at 96 MHz or 250 MHz with vector graphics acceleration, anti-aliasing hardware acceleration,  rasterizer/full alpha blending/texture mapping, texture/framebuffer compression (TSC4, 6, 6A and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on ESP32-C5 beta board features 2.4GHz and 5GHz SMA antenna connectors, two USB-C ports

ESP32-C5 beta board features 2.4GHz and 5GHz SMA antenna connectors, two USB-C ports

ESP32-C5 test board

Espressif ESP32-C5 microcontroller was announced in June 2022 as the first dual-band WiFi 6 IoT chip from the company. It’s been quiet since then, but things are about to change as the ESP32-C5 beta board’s documentation has very recently been released. The ESP32-C5 was initially announced as a dual-band WiFI 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE SoC, but the user manual for the beta board indicates that it also supports Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3, so there’s an 802.15.4 in the wireless microcontroller. The ESP32-C5 board itself features two SMA connectors for 2.4 GHz and 5GHz antennas or test equipment, two USB-C  ports, two 12-pin GPIO header, Boot and Reset buttons, an RGB LED, and a 2-pin header for current measurements. ESP32-C5 beta board specifications: SoC – ESP32-C5-BETA3 CPU – Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz Memory – 400KB SRAM on-chip Storage – 384KB of ROM on-chip, support […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Vecow SPC-9000 fanless embedded system is powered by an Intel Core 7 Ultra 165U or Core 5 Ultra 135U SoC

Vecow SPC-9000 fanless embedded system is powered by an Intel Core 7 Ultra 165U or Core 5 Ultra 135U SoC

Vecow SPC-9000 Fanless Intel Core Ultra embedded system

Vecow SPC-9000 fanless embedded system is powered by the 14th Gen Intel Core Ultra 7 165U or Core Ultra 5 135U 12-core Meteor Lake processor and targets Edge AI applications for factory management, data acquisition & monitoring, autonomous mobile robots (AMR), Smart Retail, and more. The device supports up to 32GB DDR5 RAM, offers M.2 PCIe sockets and a 2.5-inch SATA bay for storage, can drive up to three 4K displays through HDMI, DP, and USB-C ports, features two 2.5GbE ports, and a few USB ports. The SPC-9000 can also be fitted with a 4G LTE module, comes with two RS232/422/485 serial ports, takes a wide 9V-55V DC input voltage range, and can operate up to a -40°C to 75°C temperature range depending on the model. Vecow SPC-9000 specifications: Meteor Lake SoC (one or the other) Intel Core Ultra 7 165U 12-core (2P+8E+2LPE) processor @ 1.2 / 1.7 / 4.9 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on R9A02G021 is the first microcontroller with Renesas 32-bit RISC-V CPU core design

R9A02G021 is the first microcontroller with Renesas 32-bit RISC-V CPU core design

Renesas R9A02G021 RISC-V MCU

Renesas R9A02G021 is the first MCU group to use the company’s in-house designed 32-bit RISC-V CPU core with 3.27 CoreMark/MHz, RV32I base plus M/A/C/B extensions, and features such as a stack monitor register, a dynamic branch prediction unit, and a JTAG debug interface. Renesas has been making RISC-V chips at least since 2022 with the likes of RZ/Five 64-bit microprocessor and R9A06G150 32-bit voice control ASSP. All those were based on Andes RISC-V cores, but since the company has now designed its own 32-bit core, future Renesas 32-bit RISC-V microcontrollers are all likely to feature the in-house core, starting with the R9A02G021 general-purpose MCU group. Renesas R9A02G021 key features and specifications: RISC-V Core Renesas RISC-V instruction-set architecture (RV32I + MACB + Ziscr, Control and Status Register (CSR) instructions + RISC-V Zifencei Instruction-Fetch Fence) Maximum operating frequency –  48 MHz Debug and Trace – RISC-V External Debug Support cJTAG Debug Port […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Quectel KG200Z LoRa module is now secured by The Things Stack

Quectel KG200Z LoRa module is now secured by The Things Stack

LoRa KG200Z with The Things Industries LoRa Support

In January of this year, Quectel launched the KG200Z LoRa Module, an Arm Cortex-M4-based module boasting a self-proclaimed range of 2-5 kilometers in urban settings and 10-15 kilometers in suburban areas. At that time, it was just another LoRa module with some additional features. However, in the latest development, Quectel and The Things Industries have announced a partnership that ensures this LoRa module comes integrated with “Works with The Things Stack” and “Secured by The Things Stack” certifications, enhancing its value and utility. In simpler terms, it’s been tested and proven to operate smoothly within The Things Stack ecosystem. Earlier this year, we saw STMicro and  Particle Industries release their LoRa-based modules and devices. Feel free to check those out if you are interested. KG200Z LoRa Module Specification: Arm Cortex-M4-based standalone LoRa module (STM32WL) Frequency support – 470–510MHz and 862–928MHz bands Low power – 1.7 μA in deep sleep mode […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on MaaXBoard OSM93 – Business card-sized SBC features NXP i.MX 93 AI SoC, supports Raspberry Pi HATs

MaaXBoard OSM93 – Business card-sized SBC features NXP i.MX 93 AI SoC, supports Raspberry Pi HATs

MaaXBoard OSM93 SBC

MaaXBoard OSM93 is a single board computer (SBC) based on a Size-S OSM module powered by an NXP i.MX 93 Cortex-M55/M33 AI SoC and offered in a business card form factor with support for Raspberry Pi HAT boards through a 40-pin GPIO header and mounting holes. The board also comes with 2GB LDDR4, 16GB eMMC flash, MIPI CSI and DSI interfaces for optional camera and display modules, two gigabit Ethernet ports, optional support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and 802.15.4, three USB 2.0 ports, and two CAN FD interfaces with on-board transceivers. MaaXBoard OSM93 specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX93 CPU 2x Arm Cortex-A55 up to 1.7 GHz 2x Arm Cortex-M33 up to 250 MHz GPU – 2D GPU with blending/composition, resize, color space conversion NPU – 1x Arm Ethos-U65 NPU @ 1 GHz up to 0.5 TOPS Memory – 640 KB OCRAM w/ ECC Security – EdgeLock Secure Enclave System […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Renesas AIK-RA4E1 and AIK-RA6M3 reference kits are designed for accelerated AI/ML development

Renesas AIK-RA4E1 and AIK-RA6M3 reference kits are designed for accelerated AI/ML development

Renesas AIK RA4E1 and AIK RA6M3 reference

Renesas AIK-RA4E1 and AIK-RA6M3 are two new development boards based on RA-series 32-bit microcontrollers. These new dev boards have multiple reconfigurable connectivity functions to accelerate AI and ML design and development time. Both boards appear similar, but the AIK-RA4E1 uses the R7FA4E110D2CFM MCU, features three Pmod ports, and has no Ethernet support. On the other hand, the AIK-RA6M3 utilizes the R7FA6M3AH3CFC MCU, has six Pmod ports, and includes Ethernet support. Both the boards support full-speed USB and CAN bus. Renesas AIK-RA4E1 and AIK-RA6M3 reference kits specifications (Consolidated): RA4E1 Microcontroller Features: Model: R7FA4E110D2CFM Package: 64-pin LQFP Core: 100 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 SRAM: 128 KB on-chip Code Flash Memory: 512 MB on-chip Data Flash Memory: 8 KB on-chip RA6M3 Microcontroller Features: Model: R7FA6M3AH3CFC Package: 176-pin LQFP Core: 120 MHz Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU SRAM: 640 KB on-chip Code Flash Memory: 2 MB on-chip Data Flash Memory: 64 KB on-chip Connectivity: One USB […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 6 Comments on Arduino Nano Matter board specifications and price announced

Arduino Nano Matter board specifications and price announced

arduino nano matter board

The Arduino Nano Matter is the product of a collaboration between Arduino and Silicon Labs. The Nano Matter board was announced in January and is powered by SiLabs’ MGM240S chip. It offers multiple wireless connectivity options such as Matter, OpenThread, and Bluetooth Low Energy. Support for the Matter standard is the Nano Matter board’s key offering. Matter is an open-source, connectivity protocol that lets smart home devices from different manufacturers interoperate seamlessly. The 45mm x 18mm board leverages dual-mode connectivity, with IEEE 802.15.4 (Thread) for mesh networking and Bluetooth Low Energy for short-range communication. It is targeted at the Internet of Things, home automation, professional automation, environmental monitoring, and climate control applications. Prospective industrial applications include machine-to-machine interoperability, machine status monitoring, and worker status optimization. Arduino Nano Matter specs: MPU – SiLabs MGM240SD22VNA MCU core – 32-bit Arm Cortex-M33 with DSP (digital signal processing) instruction and FPU (floating-point unit) @ […]

Boardcon CM3588 Rockchip RK3588 System-on-Module designed for AI and IoT applications