Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Radxa X4 SBC kit review – Part 1: Unboxing, case assembly, Ubuntu 24.04 installation

Radxa X4 SBC kit review – Part 1: Unboxing, case assembly, Ubuntu 24.04 installation

Radxa x4 SBC review

The Radxa X4 is a single-board computer that uses an Intel N100 processor instead of an Arm-based SoC found in most SBCs and also embeds a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller for GPIO control. What’s interesting is that the Radxa X4 is a small computer board with a similar form factor as the Raspberry Pi 5 SBC, but benefits from the higher performance of Intel “Alder Lake-N” Processor N100 CPU and out-of-the-box compatibility with most operating systems, except for specific features such as GPIOs. The Intel N100 board also comes with a built-in M.2 M-key socket (so no need for an extra HAT) that supports higher speed storage thanks to a PCIe 3.0 x4 interfaces, as well as WiFi 6 connectivity, making the Radxa X4 an interesting option for those looking for a small, capable computer board for home, IoT, or industrial use. The company sent us a full kit with […]

Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - No Comments on $119 MoreSense MS-06 air quality monitor features a Sensirion SCD40 sensor and an ESP32-S3 MCU

$119 MoreSense MS-06 air quality monitor features a Sensirion SCD40 sensor and an ESP32-S3 MCU

MoreSense MS 06 sensor

The MoreSense MS-06 is an ESP32-S3-based air quality monitor that takes CO², temperature, and humidity readings through a Sensirion SCD40 sensor which offers reliable performance and a lifespan of more than ten years. The MS-06 monitor’s results are identical to the Aranet4’s (considered best-in-class), putting it in a pretty good spot accuracy-wise. It is the latest entry in the MoreSense line of air quality monitors and comes with a more compact design and a touchscreen display. The built-in web server runs an interface that displays measurements, historical data visualizations, setup options, and firmware updates. Operation is completely local; sensor data can be stored on the device or a microSD card. The MoreSense MS-06 air quality sensor can be used to control a ventilation system, contributing to significant energy savings. This can be achieved through your home automation system or by using a smart plug. MoreSense MS-06 specifications: Microcontroller – ESP32-S3 […]

Khadas Edge2 Arm mini PC
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments on The Raspberry Pi 5 SBC is now available with 2GB RAM for just $50

The Raspberry Pi 5 SBC is now available with 2GB RAM for just $50

Rasberry Pi 5 Memory Options

The Raspberry Pi 5 has now a cheaper variant with 2GB of RAM going for just $50 following the launch of the Broadcom BCM2712 SBC in October 2023 with either 4GB or 8GB LPDDR4X-4267 SDRAM for respectively $60 and $80. At the time of the release, we also noted that cheaper variants with 1GB and 2GB RAM should become available later on simply because of the options on the silkscreen. When Eben Upton contacted CNX Software about the release of the Raspberry Pi 5 2GB RAM he explained that Raspberry Pi was “bringing the power of our most modern platform, and all of the optimisations we’ve developed since the launch of the larger memory SKUs last autumn, to a new lower price point”. Raspberry Pi 5 2GB RAM specifications: SoC – Broadcom BCM2712 (cost-optimised D0 stepping) CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A76 processor @ 2.4 GHz with crypto extensions, 512KB per-core […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Toshiba TCKE9 reusable e-fuse features a fixed over-voltage clamp with adjustable overcurrent limit

Toshiba TCKE9 reusable e-fuse features a fixed over-voltage clamp with adjustable overcurrent limit

Toshiba TCKE9 eFuse Series

Toshiba has recently introduced the Toshiba TCKE9 reusable e-fuse (electronic fuse) series, a new lineup of e-fuse ICs that can be used repeatedly, to protect power supply lines from various electrical faults like overcurrent, overvoltage, overtemperature, and short circuits. These new chips integrate various protection features into a single chip which simplifies circuit design and reduces component count compared to how a traditional protection circuit with multiple components is designed. This new line of products offers different ICs with different voltage ratings and adjustable current settings, alongside two reset modes auto-retry and latching. All these features make this e-fuse useful for applications like laptops, wearables, audio/video equipment, and industrial applications like automation systems, robotics, and many other applications. Toshiba TCKE9 reusable e-fuse Specification Input Voltage – 2.7V to 23V (Maximum – 25V) Output Current – 0 to 4.0A (Adjustable overcurrent limit – 0.5A to 4.0A via external resistor) ON Resistance […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - No Comments on Pimoroni Explorer board is a Raspberry Pi RP2350-based learning platform with 2.8-inch LCD, breadboard sensors and more

Pimoroni Explorer board is a Raspberry Pi RP2350-based learning platform with 2.8-inch LCD, breadboard sensors and more

Pimoroni Explorer Starter Kit

The Pimoroni Explorer board is an electronic prototyping board built around the Raspberry Pi RP2350 chip with a 2.8-inch LCD screen, a speaker connector, and various I/Os, which makes it easy to build circuits, prototype projects, and even make small robots. It also features a mini breadboard, tactile buttons, and crocodile clip terminals, making it suitable for both beginners and experienced makers. The RP2350 MCU was recently released by Raspberry Pi Limited along with the $5 Raspberry Pi Pico 2 board. Since that initial release, we have seen many RP2350-based development boards like the Cytron MOTION 2350 Pro, the Bus Pirate 5XL and 6, and many other development boards released, feel free to check those out if you are looking for development boards built around the RP2350 MCU.   Pimoroni Explorer board specifications Microcontroller  – Raspberry Pi RP2350B MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @150MHz with Arm Trustzone for secure boot Dual-core 32-bit […]

Posted on by Sayantan Nandy - 3 Comments on ASUS N97T-IM-A – A thin mini-ITX motherboard powered by an Intel Processor N97 Alder Lake-N CPU

ASUS N97T-IM-A – A thin mini-ITX motherboard powered by an Intel Processor N97 Alder Lake-N CPU

Asus N97T IM A

The ASUS N97T-IM-A is a thin Mini-ITX motherboard for industrial and embedded use, featuring the Intel N97 Alder Lake-N processor (4 cores, 2.0–3.6 GHz) with up to 16GB of DDR5 memory at 4800 MHz, and two gigabit Ethernet ports using Realtek RTL8111H controllers. The board also includes two SATA III 6Gbps ports, a PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1 slot, and dual M.2 slots for NVMe and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth. It supports HDMI 2.0, DP++, and LVDS video outputs, with optional eDP, and can handle resolutions up to 4K at 60 Hz. Built for durability, the N97T-IM-A is designed for demanding environments with a seven-year product lifecycle. In one of our last posts, we wrote about the Jetway JNUC-ADN1, another Intel N97-powered SBC, but in a smaller Next Unit of Computing (NUC) form factor and the Jetway JMTX-ADN8 another N97 mini-ITX motherboard. Other than that we have also written about similar motherboards in the mini-ITX form factor including […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments on Radxa ROCK 5 ITX RK3588 mini-ITX motherboard review – Building an Arm PC and NAS with Debian KDE

Radxa ROCK 5 ITX RK3588 mini-ITX motherboard review – Building an Arm PC and NAS with Debian KDE

ROCK 5 ITX Review: Build Arm Computer NAS

In this review, I’ll show how I installed Debian on the ROCK 5 ITX mini-ITX motherboard powered by a Rockchip RK3588 octa-core Arm Cortex-A76/A55 processor, before building a computer/NAS with the Arm mini-ITX motherboard, testing various features and running benchmarks. In the first part of the review, we checked out the Radxa ROCK 5 ITX (Arm) and Jupiter (RISC-V) mini-ITX motherboards with specifications and unboxing, and the Auriga 6-Bay NAS mini-ITX chassis used in this review. I already built the computer with the Jupiter RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard, so here I simply switched the RISC-V motherboard with the Radxa ROCK 5 ITX Arm motherboard and installed a few SATA drives. Radxa ROCK 5 ITX first boot – A tricky start… Radxa provides getting started instructions on the documentation website which I mostly follow to hopefully boot within a few minutes. I had to prepare the hardware first. So I installed a […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on CrowView Note Review – A 14-inch laptop shell designed for Raspberry Pi 5 and Jetson Nano Developer kit

CrowView Note Review – A 14-inch laptop shell designed for Raspberry Pi 5 and Jetson Nano Developer kit

Elecrow CrowView Note review

Elecrow CrowView Note is a laptop shell with a 14-inch Full HD display, an 84-key QWERTY keyboard with a touchpad, built-in speakers and microphone, and a 5,000 mAh battery that’s specially designed for the Raspberry Pi 5 and the Jetson Nano Developer Kit thanks to adapters. However, it can be used with any machine with either a full-featured USB-C port or spare USB and HDMI ports. So it works with any Raspberry Pi model, Windows, Mac OS, or Linux computers, Android smartphones, PS4/PS5 game consoles, and more. This type of laptop shell has been around for years with the first one being the Laptop shell for the Motorola Atrix 4G smartphone introduced in 2011, and more recently Nexdock launched a range of laptop shells such as the Neckdock XL 15.6-inch touchscreen display and wireless charging. The CrowView Note differentiates itself with its low price and direct compatibility with the Raspberry […]

Khadas VIM4 SBC