CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

May 1, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

Ultenic T10 review – A self-emptying 2-in-1 smart vacuum robot with mopping function

Ultenic T10 is a 2-in-1 smart vacuum cleaner and mopping system with a self-emptying base that’s quite similar to the Cybovac S31 robot I reviewed a little over a year ago. The Cybovac vacuum cleaner still works fine, but it has some shortcomings, so when Ultenic asked me whether I would be interested in reviewing their T10 unit, I accepted, and here I am with a new smart robot vacuum cleaner that I’ll review with the Android app in a larger house. Ultenic T10 unboxing The package and hardware are very similar to what I got with the Cybovac model. The robot comes with a charging base that’s pretty large since it includes its own dust bag for the self-emptying function. Key features listed for the T10 vacuum cleaner: Navigation Type – LDS laser for visual SLAM function Suction power Carpet pressurization – 2700 Pa Fixed-point cleaning – 2700 Pa […]

April 30, 2022April 30, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments

DIY SBC cases and SBC Case Builder tool based on OpenSCAD

Since you can’t always rely on single board computer (SBC) vendors to provide a case to match your needs, some went the DIY route. Willy Tarreau designed some laser-cut enclosures with Inkscape for various SBCs, while hominoids went a step further by developing the “SBC Case Builder” tool to automatically generate various types of 3D printable enclosures using OpenSCAD. Willy designed five similar enclosures for Khadas VIM3/VIM3L, FriendlyELEC NanoPi Fire3, SolidRun Clearfog Base networking SBC, Libre Computer AML-S805X-AC (aka “La Frite”), and AAEON UP Board. All cases are available in Inkscape SVG format, and Willy accepts contributions for other boards. You’ll need a laser engraver or CNC router to cut out those enclosures. Hominoids’ SBC Case Builder project attempt to automatize enclosure generation for SBCs using SBC Model Framework written in OpenSCAD. Work has focused on ODROID boards so far, but it should work for other vendors too. The parameters […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

April 29, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

QNAP TS-133 1-bay NAS leverages Rockchip RK3566 AI capabilities for object and face recognition

We’ve seen several hardware devices based on Rockchip RK3566 AIoT SoC that do not make use of the key features of the processor. But QNAP TS-133 1-bay NAS is different, since it relies on the native SATA and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces for network storage, and the built-in NPU is leveraged to accelerate object and face recognition by up to 6 times. The NAS comes with 2GB of RAM, 4GB of storage for QTS 5.0 Linux operating system, USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, and the company promotes it as a “personal private cloud & home multimedia center”. QNAP TS-133 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ 1.8 GHz with Arm Mali-G52 EE GPU, 0.8 TOPS NPU/AI accelerator System Memory – 2GB DDR4 Storage 4GB eMMC flash (Dual boot OS protection) 1x SATA 3.0 bay for 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch HDD or SSD Networking Gigabit Ethernet R45 port with Wake-on-LAN […]

April 29, 2022May 23, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 21 Comments

Turing Smart Screen – A low-cost 3.5-inch USB Type-C information display

“Turing Smart Screen” is a low-cost 3.5-inch USB-C display that connects to systems with a USB port, and works with Windows, Linux (including Raspberry Pi), MacOS, and other operating systems that support Python3. But contrary to my initial assumptions, it does not exactly act as a second monitor, and instead, it is an information display, originally designed to show resource utilization, e.g. CPU and memory usage, in Windows, and controlled through commands send to the USB port. Turing Smart Screen specifications: 3.5-inch IPS display with 480×320 resolution, portrait and landscape support MCU – WCH CH552T 8-bit E8051 core MCU for USB devices Host interface – USB Type-C interface Auto start on power on Dimensions Product: 85 x 55 x 8 mm Display area: 74 x 49 mm The manufacturer says it works with Windows only using its own software, and not AIDA64. The Windows software features functions to change the […]

April 28, 2022September 17, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 31 Comments

Khadas VIM4 Review – Part 1: Unboxing, kit assembly, and first boot with OOWOW

Khadas VIM4 is a compact Amlogic A311D2 octa-core Cortex-A73/A53 SBC with 8GB RAM, HDMI input and output, WiFI 6 connectivity, and more. You can check our earlier post for the full specifications. The good news is that it will officially launch on May 10. I’ve also just received a Khadas VIM4 review sample today together with accessories. Today, I’ll start by checking out the board, assembling the kit, and trying out OOWOW services to boot OS from the cloud, before testing available operating systems in more detail in the second part of Khadas VIM4 review a little later. Khadas VIM4 kit unboxing I received everything in a blank cardboard package with several small packages inside. Besides Khadas VIM4 SBC, we’ve got a plastic + metal enclosure with screws and screwdriver, two antennas for WiFi and Bluetooth, a USB Type-C power supply, a USB-C cable, an M.2 expansion board, a short […]

April 28, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Rockchip RK3566 SoC gets into $150 Anbernic RG503 gaming handheld with OLED display

Rockchip RK3566 processor is designed for AIoT applications like NVR systems, but we’ve seen it integrated into mini PCs, TV boxes, and now a gaming handheld with the Anbernic RG503 equipped with a 4.95-inch OLED display. The portable gaming console also includes 1GB LPDDR4 and 16GB storage, plus an optional 64GB microSD card with 4193 games, all the buttons you’d expect from a gaming handheld, plus micro HDMI output for connection to a larger screen. Anbernic RG503 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3566 quad-core Cortex-A55 processor @ 1.8 GHz with Arm Mali-G52 EE GPU, 0.8 TOPS NPU/AI accelerator System Memory- 1GB LPDDR4 Storage 16GB microSD card Optional 64GB microSD card with 4193 games Display – 4.95-inch OLED display with 960×544 resolution (non-touch) Video Output – Micro HDMI 2.0a up to 4Kp60 Audio – Dual stereo speakers, 3.5mm audio jack Connectivity – Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 (e.g. for […]

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

April 28, 2022June 22, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Orbbec Persee+ 3D AI camera runs Ubuntu or Android on Amlogic A311D processor

Orbbec Persee+ is a 3D depth camera running Linux with AI capabilities thanks to Amlogic A311D hexa-core processor equipped with a 5 TOPS NPU (Neural-network Processing Unit). The Persee+ is designed to help researchers, engineers, and hobbyists implement advanced uses for 3D imaging. Orbbec has been around for several years with the first product we covered here being the Orbbec Persee 3D depth camera running Ubuntu or Android on Rockchip RK3288 processor and unveiled in 2015. Last year, the company introduced the Zora P1 Amlogic A311D development board for Orbbec 3D cameras, so in a way, the Orbbec Persee+ is born from the work done on the Persee camera and Zora P1 over the years. Orbbec Persee+ 3D AI camera specifications: SoC – Amlogic A311D hexa-core processor with 4x Cortex-A73 cores, 2x Cortex-A53 cores, Arm Mali-G52MP4 GPU, 5 TOPS NPU System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 8GB (specs) / […]

April 27, 2022April 27, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

$10 T-Zigbee board combines ESP32-C3 and TLSR8258 for Zigbee 3.0, WIFi and BLE connectivity

LilyGO T-Zigbee board combines ESP32-C3 WiFi and BLE wireless microcontroller and Telink TLSR8258 multi-protocol wireless SoC compatible with BLE 5 Mesh, Zigbee, RF4CE, Thread, 6LoWPAN, HomeKit, ANT, and 2.4GHz proprietary standards. As I understand it, T-Zigbee is designed to act as a Zigbee to WiFi bridge, and is compatible with Zigbee2MQTT and Home Assistant, allowing easy integration into your home automation setup. Based on the hardware, I’d assume it may be usable as a BLE to MQTT gateway as well, in a fashion similar to GL.inet GL-S10 gateway, for people willing to work on the software/firmware. T-Zigbee specifications: Wireless MCUs Espressif Systems ESP32-C3 RISC-V processor with WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE connectivity Telink Semiconductors TLSR8258 (PDF product brief) Arm Cortex-M0 multiprotocol microcontroller @ 48 MHz with BLE 5 Mesh, Zigbee, RF4CE, Thread, 6LoWPAN, HomeKit, ANT, and 2.4GHz proprietary connectivity Antennas – 2x PCB antennas, 2x u.FL antenna connectors USB […]