CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

June 23, 2023June 26, 2023 by Karl Johnson - 6 Comments

Atezr V35 review – A 35W laser engraver

Karl here. Today let’s look at the Atezr V35 35W diode laser engraver. Atezr is new to the market, at least I am just becoming aware of them, and they asked for a review of one of their machines. This fell in line with the laser power meter project I have been working on, so I accepted, hoping to further along that progress. My goal is to validate the 35W power spec. First, this is 35W optical power….not just the power consumed. You have to be very careful today when shopping for laser engravers. I hate this trend where manufacturers are highlighting total power consumption in marketing materials. This spec is prominently shown in an attempt to trick the consumer into thinking the laser is more powerful than they are. Until starting this review I thought the optical power limit for a single diode laser was 5.5W. I asked Atezr […]

June 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 Sound Platform supports LE Audio and Auracast broadcast audio

The Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 Sound Platform (QCC5181) is a Bluetooth 5.4 audio solution designed for dongles and adapters with ultra-low latency (<20 ms) and support for the latest LE Audio and Auracast broadcast audio standards. The platform was introduced last year, but the company says it has now launched a “newly enhanced solution” optimized for gaming that “combines Snapdragon Sound and LE Audio to deliver ultra-low latency of less than 20ms for lag-free wireless audio with voice back-channel for in-game chat”. The new solution also focuses on USB dongles and adapters since few hosts support Bluetooth 5.4 at this time. Qualcomm S3 Gen 2 (QCC5181) Sound Platform specifications: CPU – Dual-core 32-bit microcontroller clocked at up to 80 MHz DSP – Qualcomm Kalimba DSP @ 240 MHz with 384 kB program RAM, 1,024kB data RAM Storage – External QSPI flash Connectivity Bluetooth 5.4 qualified Bluetooth Low Energy, Bluetooth Classic, […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

June 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

NOVELDA’s latest UWB radar presence sensor consumes less than 100 µW

NOVELDA has unveiled a new low-power ultra-wideband (UWB) radar presence sensor with a power consumption of under 100 µW and designed to operate on two AAA batteries for up to four years. We first wrote about NOVELDA in 2021 where we covered their UWB X4 presence sensor capable of detecting submillimeter movements with a power consumption of under 2mW. The company has further optimized the technology and has come up with a 30x5mm module capable of doing the same with 0.1mW power consumption. The sensor is said to work behind various materials such as plastics, tempered glass, and ceramics, the detection zone size and shape can be adjusted to meet the application requirements, and the device provides accurate angle and distance information. The new ultra-low power UWB radar presence sensor will mostly be useful for energy/resource savings, lengthening a product’s life cycle, and health monitoring with some of the potential […]

June 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

8K TV box board features Amlogic S928X Cortex-A76/A55 SoC

The “YB910_428_V1.0” is an Amlogic S928X penta-core Cortex-A76/A55 board designed for 8K TV boxes with up to 8GB RAM, an HDMI 2.1a port, Gigabit Ethernet and WiFi connectivity, optical S/PDIF, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a few USB 3.2/2.0 ports. We first started to see Amlogic S928X TV boxes from manufacturers such as SEI Robotics and SDMC last year, but those companies mostly cater to operators and I’ve yet to see any retail Amlogic S928X devices. The YB910 board could mean we are about to see some S928X devices for sale very soon. YB910 board specifications: SoC – Amlogic S928X CPU – Penta-core processor with 1x Cortex-A76 core, 4x Cortex-A55 cores GPU – Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.2, and OpenCL 2.0 VPU 8Kp60 H.265, AV1, VP9, AVS3/AVS2 10-bit video decoder; 4Kp60 H.264 decoder, 1080p60 MPEG-4, WMV/VC-1, AVS, MPEG-2, MPEG-1 decoder Low-latency 4Kp60 H.265/H.264 […]

June 22, 2023June 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Particle launches Photon 2 Realtek RTL8721DM dual-band WiFi and BLE IoT board, Particle P2 module

Particle has launched the Photon 2 dual-band WiFi and BLE IoT board powered by a 200 MHz Realtek RTL8721DM Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller, as well as the corresponding Particle P2 module for integration into commercial products. The original “Spark Photon” WiFi IoT board was launched in 2014 with an STM32 MCU and a BCM43362 wireless module, but the market and company name have changed since then, and Particle has now launched the Photon 2 board and P2 module with a more modern Cortex-M33 WiFi & BLE microcontroller with support for security features such as Arm TrustZone. Particle Photon 2 specifications: Wireless MCU – Realtek RTL8721DM CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 core @ 200 MHz Memory – 4.5MB embedded SRAM of which 3072 KB (3 MB) is available to user applications Connectivity – Dual-band WiFi 4 up to 150Mbps and Bluetooth 5.0 Security Hardware Engine Arm Trustzone-M Secure Boot SWD Protection Wi-Fi WEP, […]

June 21, 2023June 22, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Zvidar Z-GW-V01 Smart Gateway runs Home Assistant on Allwinner A133 processor

Allwinner A133 SBC Home Assistant Gateway

Shenzhen Zvidar Technologies’ Z-GW-V01, also known as the Zvidar Smart Gateway is a single board computer powered by an Allwinner A133 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor and running Ubuntu with the Home Assistant open-source automation framework. The SBC provides Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi 5, and Bluetooth connectivity by default, but also supports plenty of optional wireless modules with Z-Wave, Zigbee, Thread/Matter, LoRa, or 4G LTE connectivity that are either soldered to the board connected by a mini PCIe socket. The board also includes a few USB ports, and it’s apparently possible to connect a 7-inch display and/or audio interfaces if needed. Zvidar Smart Gateway (Z-GW-V01) specifications: SoC – Allwinner A133 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.6GHz with Imagination PowerVR GE8300 GPU with support for OpenGL ES3.2, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 1.2 System Memory – 1GB RAM (option for 512MB, 2GB, or 4GB) Storage – 8GB eMMC flash (option for 4GB, 16GB, or 32GB), […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs abd SoMs

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

WLKATA Robotics Haro380 is a high precision industrial 6-Axis mini robotic arm (Crowdfunding)

WLKATA Robotics’ Haro380 is a high-precision industrial 6-axis mini robotic arm that can carry a payload of up to 500 grams and designed for education, engineering projects, and light manufacturing. We’ve covered some desktop robotic arms in the past such as the myCobot 280 Pi, but the HARO380 goes a step further with 0.05mm repeatability, a 6-axis harmonic reducer, and zero backlash. It is an upgraded version of the company’s entry-level Mirobot robotic arm introduced in 2019. Haro380 specifications and key features: Control board Unnamed MCU Base interface – RS485, DC power, expansion interface, USB interface I/Os – 2x digital inputs, 2x digital outputs Emergency switch Supply voltage – 24V DC Temperature Range – 5 to 40°C Humidity – 20 to 75% RH non-condensing 6-axis harmonic reducer Magnetic end effectors Repeatability – +/- 0.05 mm Max payload – 500 grams Reach – 380 mm Control interfaces – USB to serial, […]

June 21, 2023June 21, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Fudan Micro JFM7K325T is a clone of AMD Embedded Kintex 7 325T FPGA

Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group, also known as FMSH, has designed a clone of the AMD Embedded (previously Xilinx) Kintex 7 325T FPGA found in some boards and modules in mainland China. We are used to seeing clones or fakes of the STM32 microcontrollers, but somebody called “whatever” on Twitter noted a full-featured board based on a clone of the Kintex-7 325T FPGA with 326,080 LUTS and 16 transceivers. Twitter users were quick to point out the board was based on Fudan Micro JFM7K325T, and that it was indeed a clone of the Kintex 7 325T FPGA. The company describes itself as a “domestic leading company specializing in the design, development, production (testing), and system solution provision of super-large-scale integration”, but the company’s website does not have any information about the JFM7K325T chip. I could not find the board above online, but I still found MagicChips’ MC-JFM7K325T core board based on […]

Boardcon EM3562 Rockchip RK3562 SBC with 8 analog camera inputs