CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

November 12, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

NXP i.MX 94 octa-core Cortex-A55/M33/M7 processor targets Edge AI industrial and automotive applications

NXP i.MX 94 is an octa-core Arm SoC with up to four Cortex-A55 application cores, two Arm Cortex-M33 real-time/functional safety cores, two Arm Cortex-M7 real-time/functional safety cores, and an NXP eIQ Neutron NPU designed for Edge AI industrial and automotive applications I initially thought it would be a cost-down version of the NXP i.MX 95, and while it shares many of the same features, it’s more an application-specific processor designed specifically for industrial and automotive applications, lacking a 3D GPU, camera input interfaces, a MIPI DSI display interface, and 10GbE networking, but increasing the number of real-time cores (at the cost of application cores) and adding several networking features such as an Ethernet time-sensitive networking (TSN) switch, 2.5GbE interface, an Ethercat controller, and support for industrial protocols like Profinet or OPC-UA FX. NXP i.MX 94 specifications: CPU Up to 4x Arm Cortex-A55 cores 2x Arm Corex-M7 cores, one for functional […]

November 12, 2024December 5, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

GEEKOM GT1 Mega Review – Part 2: An Intel Core Ultra 9 185H Meteor Lake “AI” mini PC tested with Windows 11 Pro

I’ve already gone through the specifications, an unboxing, and a teardown of the GEEKOM GT1 Mega AI mini PC powered by an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H “Meteor Lake” processor with 32GB DDR5 RAM and a 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD in the first part of the review. I’ve now had more time to play with the GEEKOM GT1 Mega, so I will report my experience with Windows 11 Pro operating system in the second part of the review testing features, running benchmarks including an AI benchmark, evaluating networking and storage performance, testing the thermal design while under stress, and taking measurements for fan noise and power consumption. Software overview and features testing Going to the System->About window in the Settings confirms we have a GT1-Mega mini PC powered by a 2.50 GHz (base frequency) Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor with 32GB of RAM running Windows 11 Pro 23H2 build […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

November 12, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

LG Display’s 12-inch stretchable screen can extend by up to 50%

A new category of devices – the stretchables – may soon be upon us, as after writing about Murata stretchable PCBs for medical applications a few days ago, I’ve now come across LG’s latest stretchable display that can be extended from its original 12-inch size up to 18 inches. It’s the second stretchable display showcased by the Korean company, as the first prototype was unveiled in 2022 with an elongation rate of just 20%. The new display extends that to 50% and delivers a high resolution of 100ppi (pixels per inch) and full red, green, and blue (RGB) color (probably at its original size). LG Display further explains that their engineers have applied a number of new technologies “such as improving the properties of a special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses and developing a new wiring design structure to improve the panel’s stretchability and flexibility”. Durability was also […]

November 11, 2024November 13, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

Palmshell SLiM X4L is a low-cost, ultrathin mini PC based on Intel N100 Alder Lake-N SoC

Radxa Palmshell SLiM X4L is a low-cost, ultrathin mini PC powered by an Intel N100 Alder Lake-N SoC, equipped with 8GB to 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 128GB to 1TB NVMe SSD, and with a design that somewhat reminds me of the MeLE Quieter4C fanless mini PC. It’s also an update of the Palmshell SLiM X2L based on the Radxa X2L SBC powered by an Intel Celeron J4125 quad-core Gemini Lake Refresh processor and the X4L features the exact same port layout with two USB ports on the side, a USB-C port for power, a low-profile Ethernet RJ45 port, two more USB 3.2 Type-A ports on the rear panel, two HDMI outputs, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Kensington lock. Palmshell SLiM X4L specifications: SoC – Intel Processor N100 CPU – Quad-core Alder Lake-N processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) GPU – 24EU Intel HD Graphics @ up to […]

November 11, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 12 Comments

AMPCOM 8-port 2.5GbE managed switch with 10GbE SPF+ cage sells for less than $60

8-port 2.5GbE switch with 10GbE SFP cage

AMPCOM has launched an inexpensive, fanless 8-port 2.5GbE managed switch with one 10GbE SFP+ cage that sells for less than $60 on Aliexpress with free shipping and before taxes (if you live in Europe). Upgrading your local networking to 10GbE (10 Gbps Ethernet) can still be relatively expensive, and when I look at 10GbE switches on Amazon, most are sold for $200 to $400, and the cheapest models cost around $120. But if you don’t need multiple 10GbE ports on your switch, I’ve been informed about an inexpensive 8-port 2.5GbE managed switch with a single 10GbE SFP+ cage. And as we’ve just seen it’s possible to purchase a dual 10GbE mini PC/router for $299 (barebone), so it’s becoming more affordable than ever to switch to 10GbE networking even though not everybody may benefit from the higher speeds. AMPCOM ZX-SWTGW218AS managed switch specifications: Ports 8x 100M/1000M/2500M RJ45 ports 10GbE SFP+ port […]

November 11, 2024November 10, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments

iBASE IB962 3.5-inch SBC features Intel Core Ultra 5/7 SoC, up to 64GB SODIMM memory, and three M.2 slots

iBASE Technology has unveiled the IB962 3.5-inch single-board computer (SBC) powered by the Intel Core Ultra 5/7 100 Series processor family (formerly Meteor Lake U/H) and delivering an “optimal balance of performance and power efficiency.” The IB962 3.5-inch SBC mostly follows the IB961 board‘s design, offering more powerful SoC options, more system memory, and an HDMI 2.0 display interface supporting 4K resolution at 60Hz. It provides dual Gigabit Ethernet networking, three USB 3.2 ports (two via pin headers), three USB 2.0 ports, and three M.2 slots (M-Key + E-Key + B-Key) for networking, storage, and cellular communication. While IB962 is not a single-board computer in the strictest sense since it uses SODIMM sockets, it is still quite compact and useful for portable or space-constrained applications. It is intended for industrial automation, manufacturing, retail, entertainment, healthcare, and various edge AI applications. It is a larger alternative to AAEON’s PICO-MTU4 Pico-ITX SBC […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs abd SoMs

November 11, 2024November 10, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 3 Comments

Signaloid C0-microSD is an iCE40UP5K FPGA SoM in the microSD card form factor (Crowdfunding)

Cambridge-based hardware and cloud computing company, Signaloid has begun crowdfunding for the C0-microSD – a tiny, programmable iCE40UP5K FPGA system-on-module (SoM) in a microSD card form factor. It comes preloaded with a RISC-V softcore and users can also load custom FPGA designs onto the board. Part of the Signaloid C0-microSD’s unique appeal is its SD card form factor, which allows it to fit in unused full SD or microSD slots. This allows the implementation of FPGA-based hardware acceleration in systems without traditional expansion interfaces like PCIe M.2 slots. It can also be interfaced with as a standard SD block device and used to bring hardware-accelerated data processing to existing industrial automation, manufacturing, and robotics systems. The iCE40UP5K FPGA SoM has two main use cases: a hot-pluggable FPGA module or a hot-pluggable RISC-V co-processor module. The SD interface allows you to load custom FPGA bitstreams and applications onto the module from […]

November 10, 2024November 12, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 369 Comments

Giveaway Week 2024 – iKOOLCORE R2 Core i3-N300 mini PC and quad 2.5GbE router

Let’s end CNX Software’s Giveaway Week 2024 with a bang! The last prize is an iKOOLCORE R2 mini PC and router powered by an Intel Core i3-N300 Alder Lake-N CPU, equipped with 8GB RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD, and featuring four 2.5GbE ports. The tiny PC also comes with HDMI and USB-C ports for dual 4K video output, an M.2 E-Key socket to install a wireless module for WiFi and Bluetooth, two USB 3.1 Gen 2 (5 Gbps) Type-A ports, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Type-C port with DisplayPort Alt. mode, and a not-so-useful USB-C audio port using Realtek ALC987 codec. My review of the iKOOLCORE R2 last year was a learning experience as it was the first time I used Proxmox VE and pfSense, and since I wanted to use the system both as a mini PC running Ubuntu 22.04 desktop and a router/firewall running pfSense […]