CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

January 21, 2022April 27, 2023 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments

WCH CH32V307 RISC-V development board features 8 UART ports controlled over Ethernet

CH32V307 RISC-V development board 8x UART

CH32V307V-EVT-R1 is a development board based on WCH CH32V307 RISC-V microcontroller with an Ethernet port, an USB Type-C port, and eight UART interfaces accessible through headers. As we noted in our article about CH583 Bluetooth 5.3 RISC-V microcontroller, WCH (Jiangsu Qin Heng) has started to share resources like datasheets and code samples through Github. They’ve done the same again for CH32V307 with schematics (PDF only), a datasheet in English, and firmware either bare metal or based on RT-Thread OS to control the eight serial interfaces over Ethernet. Let’s check CH32V305 and CH32V307 MCU specifications first: MCU core – WCH designed RISC-V4F 32-bit RISC-V core up to 144MHz FPU – Single-cycle multiplication and hardware division, hardware float point unit (FPU) ; Memory – Up to 64KB SRAM Storage – Up to 256KB Flash Networking – Gigabit Ethernet MAC, 10 Mbps PHY USB – 1x USB 2.0 OTG full-speed interface, 1x USB […]

January 20, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

MECOOL HomePlus – A 2-in-1 smart speaker and 4K TV box with DVB Tuner

We’ve reviewed MECOOL devices in the past, such as their hybrid set-top boxes with DVB-T2 and/or DVB-S2 tuners. But MECOOL HomePlus (aka MECOOL KA1) packs even more features as it serves as both a 4K Android set-top box with a DVB tuner and a smart speaker compatible with Google Assitant. Based on Amlogic S905X4 Arm Cortex-A55 processor, and equipped with 4GB RAM and 32GB storage, MECOOL HomePlus runs a Google-certified Android TV 11 OS with far-field voice and hands-free TV control. MECOOL HomePlus (KA1) specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X4 quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor with Arm G31 MP2 GPU RAM – 4GB LPDDR4 Storage – 32GB eMMC flash Video Output – HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP 2.2 Video Codes – 4K AV1, VP9, H.265, H.264 Audio Built-in two linear microphone array 2x 5W RMS speakers Tuner – RF antenna input for DVB T/T2/C tuner (optional) Connectivity 10/100M Ethernet RJ45 port Dual-band […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

Atmosic ATM33 – A Bluetooth LE 5.3 Cortex-M33 MCU with energy harvesting capabilities

ATM33e energy harvesting evaluation board

Atmosic ATM33 is a Bluetooth LE 5.3 compliant Cortex-M33 microcontroller with optional energy harvesting capabilities that can enable up to 5x longer battery life and even battery-free solutions. The 64 MHz MCU also comes with 64 KB ROM, 128 KB RAM, 512 KB non-volatile memory, hardware security features, and SensorHub hardware block that allows data to be managed while the majority of the SoC, including the MCU core, is in a hibernated state. Atmosic ATM33 specifications: MCU core – Arm Cortex M33F core @ 64 MHz Memory/Storage 64 KB ROM, 128 KB RAM, 512 KB NVM Retention RAM configuration: 16 KB to 128KB in 16 KB step sizes Wireless Connectivity Bluetooth Low-Energy 5.3 compliant 2 Mbps, 1 Mbps 500 kbps, and 125 kbps PHY rates Supports Bluetooth Angle-of-Arrival (AoA) and Angle-of-Departure (AoD) direction finding Tx: 0 to 10dB 0.7mA receiver 16 MHz / Optional 32.768 kHz Crystal Oscillator Atmosic SensorHub […]

January 20, 2022January 20, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

WiFi 7 (802.11be) will support up to 40 Gbps links, real-time applications

I still don’t own a WiFi 6 router, but MediaTek has already started to demonstrate WiFi 7 (802.11be) to customers with solutions based on upcoming Filogic 802.11be processors which deliver “super-fast speeds and low latency transmission” and provide a “true wireline/Ethernet replacement for super high-bandwidth applications”. The company goes on to explain that Wi-Fi 7 relies on the same 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz frequencies as WiFi 6/6E, but can still provide 2.4x higher speeds than Wi-Fi 6, even with the same number of antennas, since WiFi 7 can utilize 320Mhz channels and support 4K QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) technology. There’s limited information about MediaTek Filogic 802.11be WiFi 7 processors since it will take a few more years before becoming available, but we can find more details in a document entitled “Current Status and Directions of IEEE 802.11be, the Future Wi-Fi 7” from IEEE Xplore. Here are some of the […]

January 19, 2022February 18, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

10.1-inch RPI All-in-One PC review with Raspberry Pi 4

A couple of months ago I received “RPI All-in-One”, a 10.1-inch touchscreen display for Raspberry Pi boards, listed the specifications, checked out the package content, installed a Raspberry Pi 4 inside the display before booting my new all-in-one (AiO) PC successfully. I’ve now had time to spend more time with the PC/display and see how it performs under various conditions. I also tested HDMI and USB-C input features with a laptop and mini PC. Fan or fanless operation? After updating Raspberry Pi OS, I ran sbc-bench.sh script together with rpi-monitor to see how the Raspberry Pi 4 with 1GB RAM would perform under load with the (noisy) fan enabled.

sbc-bench v0.9.1

Installing needed tools. This may take some time. Done.
Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (results will be available in 11-15 minutes).
Executing tinymembench. Done.
Executing OpenSSL benchmark. Done.
Executing 7-zip benchmark. Done.
Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (17 minutes elapsed).

perl: warning: Setting locale failed.
perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:
	LANGUAGE = (unset),
	LC_ALL = (unset),
	LC_ADDRESS = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_NAME = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_MONETARY = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_PAPER = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_IDENTIFICATION = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_TELEPHONE = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_MEASUREMENT = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_TIME = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LC_NUMERIC = "en_GB.UTF-8",
	LANG = (unset)
    are supported and installed on your system.
perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C").
It seems neither throttling nor frequency capping has occured.

Memory performance:
memcpy: 2595.9 MB/s (0.8%)
memset: 3398.3 MB/s (2.7%)

7-zip total scores (3 consecutive runs): 5556,5650,5565

OpenSSL results:
type             16 bytes     64 bytes    256 bytes   1024 bytes   8192 bytes  16384 bytes
aes-128-cbc      61981.49k    76335.40k    82773.25k    84199.42k    84355.75k    84393.98k
aes-128-cbc      62224.25k    76254.36k    82779.39k    84461.91k    84757.16k    84825.43k
aes-192-cbc      55900.34k    67052.89k    71500.80k    73121.11k    73362.09k    73203.71k
aes-192-cbc      55869.41k    66963.52k    71835.14k    72934.74k    73471.32k    73465.86k
aes-256-cbc      50541.63k    59834.26k    63387.14k    64413.70k    64634.88k    64760.49k
aes-256-cbc      50646.47k    59735.02k    63384.92k    64461.14k    64648.53k    64629.42k

Full results uploaded to http://ix.io/3MfY. 

In case this device is not already represented in official sbc-bench results list then please
consider submitting it at https://github.com/ThomasKaiser/sbc-bench/issues with this line:
| RPi 4 Model B Rev 1.1 / BCM2711 rev B0 | 1500 MHz | 5.10 | Bullseye armhf | 5590 | 62100 | 64690 | 2600 | 3400 | - | [http://ix.io/3MfY](http://ix.io/3MfY) |

sbc-bench v0.9.1

Installing needed tools. This may take some time. Done.

Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (results will be available in 11-15 minutes).

Executing tinymembench. Done.

Executing OpenSSL benchmark. Done.

Executing 7-zip benchmark. Done.

Checking cpufreq OPP. Done (17 minutes elapsed).

perl: warning: Setting locale failed.

perl: warning: Please check that your locale settings:

LANGUAGE = (unset),

LC_ALL = (unset),

LC_ADDRESS = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_NAME = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_MONETARY = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_PAPER = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_IDENTIFICATION = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_TELEPHONE = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_MEASUREMENT = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_TIME = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LC_NUMERIC = "en_GB.UTF-8",

LANG = (unset)

are supported and installed on your system.

perl: warning: Falling back to the standard locale ("C").

It seems neither throttling nor frequency capping has occured.

Memory performance:

memcpy: 2595.9 MB/s (0.8%)

memset: 3398.3 MB/s (2.7%)

7-zip total scores (3 consecutive runs): 5556,5650,5565

OpenSSL results:

type 16 bytes 64 bytes 256 bytes 1024 bytes 8192 bytes 16384 bytes

aes-128-cbc 61981.49k 76335.40k 82773.25k 84199.42k 84355.75k 84393.98k

aes-128-cbc 62224.25k 76254.36k 82779.39k 84461.91k 84757.16k 84825.43k

aes-192-cbc 55900.34k 67052.89k 71500.80k 73121.11k 73362.09k 73203.71k

aes-192-cbc 55869.41k 66963.52k 71835.14k 72934.74k 73471.32k 73465.86k

aes-256-cbc 50541.63k 59834.26k 63387.14k 64413.70k 64634.88k 64760.49k

aes-256-cbc 50646.47k 59735.02k 63384.92k 64461.14k 64648.53k 64629.42k

Full results uploaded to http://ix.io/3MfY.

In case this device is not already represented in official sbc-bench results list then please

consider submitting it at https://github.com/ThomasKaiser/sbc-bench/issues with this line:

| RPi 4 Model B Rev 1.1 / BCM2711 rev B0 | 1500 MHz | 5.10 | Bullseye armhf | 5590 | 62100 | 64690 | 2600 | 3400 | - | [http://ix.io/3MfY](http://ix.io/3MfY) |

No throttling was detected, and the temperature never exceeded 56°C in a room with an ambient temperature of 26°C. I then disconnect the fan, but it turns out the fan can also be easily disabled in the OSD menu […]

January 19, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Wiliot Starter Kit for retailers features a smart coffee cup tracking temperature, fill level, location, etc…

smart coffee cup with sensors, energy harvesting

Wiliot Starter Kit aims to demonstrate the ability of the Wioliot’s self-powered IoT Pixel and cloud services to retailers with a kit including a Coffee cup that’s capable of tracking liquid temperatures, fill level, motion, location changes, humidity, and proximity. The kit was previously only available to larger retailers through a “controlled release model”, but the company has now switched to an “open model” so that any retailers can use the technology to track products and packages. Let’s what’s included inside the start kit, and try to understand how the Wiliot solution works. Wiliot Starter Kit includes the following hardware: 1 x IoT Pixel-ready Coffee Cup 5 x Single-Band IoT Pixels mounted on cardboards 5 x Dual-Band IoT Pixels mounted on cardboards 1 x Single-Band Bridge Device 1 x Dual-Band Bridge Device You’ll also get 6 months of Wiliot Cloud Services, access to the Wiliot community forum & support Portal, […]

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

January 19, 2022November 19, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 16 Comments

Add 10GbE to your system with an M.2 2280 module

It’s now possible to add 10GbE through an M.2 socket thanks to Innodisk EGPL-T101 M.2 2280 module based on Marvell AQtion Ethernet controller offering support for 10Gbps, 5Gbps, 2.5Gbps, 1000M, and 100M/10M LAN speeds. The solution is comprised of three parts with the M.2 module equipped with a heatsink to cool the Ethernet controller, a flexible high-speed cable, and a daughter board with an RJ45 connector and two threads for mounting to a chassis. Innodisk EGPL-T101 specifications: Ethernet controller – Marvell AQtion likely AQC113 “single-port 6speed, 10Gbps PCIe to Multi-Gig Ethernet controller with MAC and PHY with I-grade support” M.2 input interface – PCI Express 3.0 x 2 RJ45 connector for up to 10GbE Power Consumption – Up to 2.5W (3.3V, 762mA) Dimensions (W x L x H/mm) M.2 Board: 22 x 80 x 14.5 mm (M.2 2280 form factor) Daughter Board: 31.75 x 28 x 17.7 mm Temperature Range […]

January 18, 2022January 17, 2022 by Sponsored Post - No Comments

5-minute Cybersecurity Survey for IoT Device Manufacturers (Sponsored)

Calling all software developers, hardware designers, product security engineers, QA, engineering managers, and executives in the field to participate in a global, industry-wide survey. With nearly 50 new CVEs found every day in 2021, 90% of hospitals hacked, and cybersecurity attacks constantly in the headlines, it’s time to take stock of security preparedness in IoT. Timesys, an industry pioneer in embedded software and cybersecurity for embedded, is taking on that challenge. And to get a better understanding of where IoT device manufacturers are in their cybersecurity journey, Timesys has launched a global, industry-wide survey. The entire survey is only ten questions and should take under five minutes to answer. The survey includes driving factors for security, security processes being implemented, specific technologies being used, security challenges companies are facing, and more. It’s designed to be a broad survey, geared toward developers, security teams, and engineering managers. Take the survey here. […]