CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 18, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Station P2S Rockchip RK3568 mini PC adds support for 4G LTE cellular connectivity

Firefly’s Station P2S mini PC is a new variant of the Station P2 based on Rockchip RK3568 Cortex-A55 SoC that adds support for 4G LTE cellular data connectivity, but downgrades to WiFi 5 instead of WiFi 6, but only supports shorter M.2 2242 NVMe SSDs. The Station P2S still comes with up to 8GB RAM, 128GB eMMC flash, and supports dual Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0 4Kp60 video output, 2.5-inch SATA 3.0 storage, and integrates a few USB 3.0/2.0 ports, plus an RJ45 jack for RS232 and RS485 serial interfaces. Station P2S specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3568 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 2.0 GHz with Arm Mali-G52 2EE GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.0, Vulkan 1.1, 1.0 TOPS NPU for AI acceleration, 4Kp60 H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding, and 1080p60 H.265/H.264 video encoding System Memory – 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4 Storage 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB eMMC flash 1x […]

June 17, 2023June 17, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

i-Pi SMARC 1200 (MediaTek Genio 1200) devkit tested with a Yocto Linux image

i-Pi SMARC 1200 Yocto Linux glmark2 benchmark

Last weekend I received ADLINK’s i-Pi SMARC 1200 development kit powered by MediaTek Genio 1200 Octa-core Cortex-A78/A55 AIoT processor, checked out the hardware and wanted to install the Yocto Linux image but stopped in my tracks because it looked like I had to install Ubuntu 18.04 first in a Virtual Machine or another computer. But finally, the documentation has been updated to clarify “Ubuntu 18.04 or greater” is required, and I had no problem flashing the image from a Ubuntu 22.04 laptop after installing dependencies and tools as follows:

$ sudo apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot
$ echo 'SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", ATTR{idProduct}=="201c", MODE="0660", $ GROUP="plugdev"' | sudo tee -a /etc/udev/rules.d/96-rity.rules
$ echo -n 'SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", ATTR{idProduct}=="201c", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", ATTR{idProduct}=="0003", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess"
SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0403", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess" SUBSYSTEM=="gpio", MODE="0660",
TAG+="uaccess" ' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/72-aiot.rules
$ sudo udevadm control --reload-rules
$ sudo udevadm trigger
$ sudo usermod -a -G plugdev $USER
$ pip3 install -U -e "git+https://gitlab.com/mediatek/aiot/bsp/aiot-tools.git#egg=aiot-tools"

$ sudo apt install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot

$ echo 'SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", ATTR{idProduct}=="201c", MODE="0660", $ GROUP="plugdev"' | sudo tee -a /etc/udev/rules.d/96-rity.rules

$ echo -n 'SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", ATTR{idProduct}=="201c", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess"

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0e8d", ATTR{idProduct}=="0003", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess"

SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ATTR{idVendor}=="0403", MODE="0660", TAG+="uaccess" SUBSYSTEM=="gpio", MODE="0660",

TAG+="uaccess" ' | sudo tee /etc/udev/rules.d/72-aiot.rules

$ sudo udevadm control --reload-rules

$ sudo udevadm trigger

$ sudo usermod -a -G plugdev $USER

$ pip3 install -U -e "git+https://gitlab.com/mediatek/aiot/bsp/aiot-tools.git#egg=aiot-tools"

That’s it for the tools. Eventually, the development kit will support three images: Yocto Linux, Android 13 (July 2023), and Ubuntu 20.04 (Q3 2023). So that means only the Yocto Linux image is available from the download page at this time, and that’s what I’ll be using today. We’ll need to connect the micro USB to USB cable between the […]

June 16, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

ESP32 WiFi Color Display Kit Grande is a soldering kit with a 3.5-inch touchscreen display

ThingPulse “ESP32 WiFi Color Display Kit Grande” is an IoT soldering kit based on the company’s ePulse Feather low-power ESP32 development board and a 3.5-inch 320×480 color TFT display with a capacitive touch interface. The kit can be used for all sorts of touchscreen display applications, including an Internet-connected weather station or a Bluetooth-connected Windows, Linux, or Mac OS information display. ESP32 WiFi Color Display Kit Grande content: ePulse Feather low-power ESP32 development board with 8MB Flash and 8MB SPRAM following Adafruit’s Feather form factor 3.5-inch 320×480 color TFT display (ILI9488 display controller) with capacitive touch Interface (FT6236 chip) Custom connector PCB to connect the ESP32 and the display Set of special pin headers to be soldered to the connector PCB On-off switch to be optionally soldered to the connector PCB Grove connector to be optionally soldered to the connector PCB 4x double-sided foam adhesive to secure the display to […]

June 16, 2023 by Ian W MORRISON (Linuxium) - 9 Comments

Morefine M600 6900HX review – A Ryzen 9 6900HX mini PC tested with Windows 11 and Ubuntu 23.04

Under review today is Morefine M600 6900HX mini PC which is a generational update to the previously released S500+ (5900HX or 5700U) although it should be noted that Morefine will soon be releasing a newer version of the M600 with either a Ryzen 7 7840HS or Ryzen 9 7940HS. The current M600 (6900HX) brings both processor and iGPU improvements over the S500+ together with a couple of port upgrades and the welcome introduction of USB4, DDR5, PCIe Gen 4.0, and an additional M.2 storage slot. This review will look at Windows 11 performance together with a quick look at running Ubuntu 23.04 and experiences from using the new features. Morefine M600 6900HX product specifications The Morefine M600 6900HX specifications are as follows: Product overview Overview of hardware The M600 physically consists of a 149 x 145 x 40 mm (5.87 x 5.71 x 1.57 inches) square metal case with […]

June 16, 2023June 16, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

uSDR – A tiny M.2 SDR board controllable from your web browser (Crowdfunding)

uSDR is an embedded software-defined radio (SDR) M.2 board based on an AMD Embedded Artix-7 FPGA and designed to be controlled in the Chrome, Opera, or Edge browser without specific drivers or software thanks to WebUSB technology. The module can be inserted into any compatible host, or through M.2, USB, mini PCIe or PCIe adapters, and used from a web browser with ready-to-use applications such as a spectrum monitor or a signal analyzer, or your own JavaScript, C/C++, Rust, Go, or C# application thanks to WebAssembly and the Emscripten project. uSDR specifications: RFIC – Lime Microsystems LMS6002D programmable RF (FPRF) transceiver IC operates from 300MHz to 3.8GHz FPGA – AMD Embedded XC7A35T (Artix-7) FPGA with 33,280 logic cells Full-duplex TX & RX Frequency range – 300 – 3700 MHz (usable range typically starts from 230 MHz) RX/TX Bandwidth – 0.75 – 28 MHz plus bypass mode Clock generator – SI5332A […]

June 15, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4 – An Intel Processor N100 mini-ITX motherboard

ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4 is a fanless mini-ITX motherboard based on the Intel Processor N100 quad-core “Alder Lake-N” processor with up to 16GB DDR4, M.2 NVME SSD and SATA storage, and three video outputs via HDMI, DisplayPort, and VGA ports. The motherboard also comes with a Gigabit Ethernet port, six USB 3.2/2.0 ports, a COM port, and a 3.5mm audio jacks combo with Line In, Line Out, and Microphone input, plus a PS/2 connector, and a 24-pin ATX connector for power. ASUS PRIME N100I-D D4 preliminary specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N100 quad-core Efficient “Alder Lake-N” processor clocked at up to 3.4 GHz with 24EU Intel UHD graphics up to 750 MHz System Memory – Up to 16B DDR4-3200 memory via DDR4 SO-DIMM slot Storage 1x M.2 2280 socket (PCIe Gen3 x2) for NVMe SSD 1x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s connector Video Output 1x HDMI 2.1 up to 4Kp60 resolution, HDCP […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

June 15, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Helix 511 fanless industrial embedded computer features Intel Celeron 7305 up to Core i7-12800HL CPU

OnLogic Helix 511 edge computer features an Intel Alder Lake processor from Celeron 7305 up to a Core i7-12800HL CPU with up to 64GB DDR5, M.2 SATA or NVMe storage and designed for use in manufacturing, automation, energy management, and other edge and IoT applications. The fanless industrial embedded computer also comes with two 2.5GbE ports, support up to four independent displays via DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 4 connectors, is equipped with six USB 3.2 ports, as well as optional digital I/O or serial ports for expansion. Helix 511 specifications: Alder Lake SoC Intel Celeron 7305 penta-core processor @ 3.10GHz / 4.20GHz (Turbo) with 48EU Intel UHD graphics – PBP: 15W, up to 55W MTP Intel Core i3-12300HL octa-core/12-thread processor @ 2.00GHz / 3.30GHz / 4.40GHz (Turbo) with Intel UHD graphics – PBP: 45W, up to 65W MTP Intel Core i5-12600HL 12-core/16-thread processor @ 2.70GHz / 3.30GHz / 4.50GHz (Turbo) with […]

June 15, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Nordic Semi nRF7001 is a 2.4GHz WiFi 6 companion IC for nRF52, nRF53, and nRF91 wireless chips

Nordic Semi nRF7001 is the second nRF70 Series WiFi 6 companion IC. It is designed to add 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 connectivity to Nordic Semi nRF52 and nRF53 wireless SoCs and nRF91 cellular IoT system-in-package and support both client and access point mode. The nRF7001 follows the introduction of the nRF7002 dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) WiFi 6 companion IC last year, and target power or cost-optimized use cases where 5 GHz WiFi 6 may not be required or even suitable. Nordic Semi nRF7001 key features specifications: Complies with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4 GHz band Wi-Fi 6 Station (STA) 1x Spatial Stream (SS) 20 MHz channel bandwidth 64 QAM (MCS7), 86 Mbps PHY throughput OFDMA (Downlink and Uplink) BSS coloring Co-existence interfaces, including Bluetooth LE Low-power and secure Wi-Fi for the IoT Target Wake Time (TWT) Security – WPA3 Host interface – SPI / QSPI Package – 6×6 mm QFN Since the nRF7001 is based […]