CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

September 2, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Kubuntu Focus NX is a Linux mini PC with a Tiger Lake processor, two Thunderbolt 3 ports

Kubuntu Focus NX is a mini PC running Kubuntu Focus Linux operating system on an Intel Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1165G7 Tiger Lake processor, with up to 64GB RAM, support for NVMe and SATA storage, offering four HDMI/DisplayPort video outputs, two Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C ports, and three extra USB 3.2 Type-A ports. The mini PC also comes with decent networking and wireless connectivity thanks to a 2.5GbE port and an Intel AX601 module enabling WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2. Mini PCs shipping with Linux by default are quite rare, and most that do are fairly expensive ones, so it’s nice to see a more affordable mid-range mini PC working with Kubuntu Focus out of the box. Kubuntu Focus NX mini PC specifications: SoC (one or the other) Intel Core i7-1165G7 Tiger Lake quad-core/8-thread processor @ 2.8 GHz / 4.7 GHz (Turbo) with 12MB cache, 96EU Intel Xe graphics ; TDP: […]

September 1, 2022December 4, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Trigkey Speed S3 review – Part 2: AMD Ryzen 5 3550H mini PC tested with Windows 11 Pro

After checking out Trigkey Speed S3 mini PC hardware in the first part of the review, it’s now time to power up Trigkey Speed S3 Mini PC and test it with the preinstalled Windows 11 Pro operating systems. Booting up is fast, and the system runs smoothly while visiting various websites while listening to music, and watching YouTube videos. But in this second part of the review, let’s test the performance of the Trigkey Speed S3 mini PC on Windows 11 Pro in detail. Trigkey Speed S3 memory We can see the two 8GB Crucial memory sticks detected in Windows 11 Pro with a 2,400 MHz speed, while the sticks are rated up to 3,200 MHz. But a quick check on AMD’s website reveals this may be normal since the maximum memory frequency for the AMD Ryzen 5 3550H is listed as 2,400 MHz. Checking out the USB ports Since […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

September 1, 2022September 1, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

$5 CH347 board is a USB 2.0 bridge to I2C, SPI, UART, JTAG, and GPIO

MuseLab USB-HS-Bridge is an inexpensive ($5) board based on WCH CH347 chip with a USB 2.0 Type-C interface that acts as a bridge for I2C, SPI, UART, and JTAG interfaces, as well as GPIOs. It’s notably useful to debug and download bitstreams to FPGA development boards, but it can also be used to connect various peripherals such as I2C sensors, SPI flash devices, UART devices to basically any host with a spare USB 2.0 host port. USB-HS-Bridge specifications: Chip – WCH CH347 high-speed USB to UART, I2C, SPI and JTAG chip (See link to the datasheet for details) USB – 1x USB 2.0 Type-C port with up to 480 Mbps data rate I/Os – 2x 16-pin header with 2x UART interfaces up to 9 Mbps baudrate 1x I2C for EEPROM or sensors 1x SPI master interface with 2 chip select signals to control up to 2x SPI slave devices. The […]

September 1, 2022September 2, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

Arducam ToF camera adds depth sensing to Raspberry Pi for $30 (Crowdfunding)

Arducam has launched of Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera module for Raspberry Pi that enables depth sensing by capturing 3D data (at 240×180 resolution) at a distance of up to 4 meters. Arducam has launched several cameras for Raspberry Pi boards over the years, more recently the Arducam Pi HawkEye 64MP camera, but the Arducam ToF camera is quite different, as while it still connects to the MIPI CSI connector of the SBC, it is used to measure distances and depth and display 3D data. Arducam ToF camera specifications: Compatibility – Any Raspberry Pi board with a MIPI CSI connector Effective number of pixels – 240×180 Frame Rate Up to 120 fps (sensor) Up to 30 fps (when processed by a Raspberry Pi using 4-phases RAW frames) Sensor size – 1/6-inch Modulation Frequency – 75MHz/37.5MHz Viewing Angle – 70° Diagonal Light Source – 940nm VCSEL illuminator Output Formats 4-phases RAW Frame Depth […]

August 31, 2022September 8, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

ESPHome compatible ESP32-S2 module offers six 32A latch relays in a DIN Rail enclosure

EasySensors “6Gang30AmpsLatchRelayEspHomeReady” (now that’s a product name!) is a DIN Rail mountable, ESP32-S2-based automation device featuring six 32A latch relays and supporting ESPHome open-source framework. The system also comes with two inputs for Dallas temperature sensors, two buttons for manual control of relays, a USB-C port for programming, as well as an external SMA antenna for WiFi connectivity. 6Gang30AmpsLatchRelayEspHomeReady specifications: Wireless SoC – Espressif ESP32-S2 Xtensa single-core 32-bit LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 MHz with 320 kB SRAM, 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 (Matter-ready) Antenna – Embedded IPX to SMA adapter, 3dBi antenna I/Os 6x 32A latch relays with zero current idle consumption 2x Dallas temperature sensor pins with 5 kOhm pull-up resistors USB – 1x USB Type-C for programming via CP2102 USB to TTL chip Misc 6x control buttons, Reset button 6x status LED’s, 2x status LED’s Input Voltage – 85 to 305V AC Dimensions Board – 147 x […]

August 31, 2022August 30, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

Infineon XENSIV PAS CO2 Shield2Go board enables carbon dioxide measurements

Infineon has added new a shied to its Shield2Go ecosystem with the XENSIV PAS CO2 Shield2Go board integrating the company’s XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor capable of measuring carbon dioxide levels. We first wrote about the Shield2Go module with the OPTIGA Trust-M evaluation kit integrating a security module, but the family also includes various sensors shield and microcontroller boards notably the XMC 2Go board. The new Shield2Go board can be used for both air quality monitoring and controlled ventilation for energy savings. XENSIV PAS CO2 Shield2Go board specifications: XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor: Accuracy – ±30 ppm ±3% “Advanced compensation and self-calibration algorithms” Host interfaces – UART, I2C, PWM Dimensions – 14 x 13.8 x 7.5 mm 19x through holes and castellated holes with I2C, UART, PWM, interrupt, 5V, 3.3V, GND, plus SWD interface Power Supply 5V DC input 12V DC DCDC boost converter to power the IR transmitter in […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025

August 31, 2022August 31, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

DAQiFi Nyquist 1 – A battery-powered Wi-Fi IoT data acquisition system (Crowdfunding)

DAQiFi Nyquist 1 WiFi IoT data acquisition system

DAQiFi Nyquist 1 is a battery-powered IoT data acquisition (DAQ) device that works over an 802.11n Wi-Fi connection or a USB interface, and can also log the data to a microSD card Equipped with 16 digital I/Os and 16 analog inputs, the Nyquist 1 can be used with all sorts of sensors to measure force and strain, pressure, temperature, current & voltage, luminosity, weight, pH angular velocity, and more. It’s also possible to connect multiple Nyquist 1 devices to a single PC instead of following the traditional method of having one dedicated PC plugged into each data acquisition solution. DAQiFi Nyquist 1 hardware specifications: MCU – Unspecified Microchip microcontroller Storage – MicroSD card slot for data logging Wireless – 802.11n Wi-Fi via Microchip ATWINC1500 wireless module USB – 1x USB 2.0 port 16x analog inputs 0-5V, 12 bit 10 kHz aggregate streaming 160 kHz+ aggregate logging Up to 4 differential […]

August 30, 2022August 30, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 4 Comments

ESP32 board supports 2.4Ghz LoRa with SX1280 RF transceiver

We’ve seen plenty of ESP32 LoRa boards with the traditional 433 MHz, 868 MHz, or 915MHz frequencies, but I think LilyGO LoRa V1.8 (aka T3 V1.8) is the first ESP32 board that integrates a Semtech SX1280 transceiver for the 2.4GHz LoRa standard used for global coverage, notably maritime applications, and ranging. The ESP32 & SX1280 board also offers 26 pins for expansion, a microSD card for data storage, a 2-pin connector for batteries, a 0.96-inch OLED for information display, and comes with a 3D antenna and u.FL connector for WiFi and Bluetooth, and an SMA antenna for LoRa connectivity. LilyGO LoRa/T3 V1.8 specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP32 dual-core Xtensa LX6 processor with 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 Storage – 4MB SPI flash, microSD card slot Display – 0.96-inch OLED display with 128×64 resolution (SSD1306 I2C driver) Connectivity 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 4 up to 150 Mbps + Bluetooth 4.2 […]