CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

August 31, 2021October 21, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 75 Comments

Arm China appears to be fully independent of Arm

Arm China (安谋科技) has apparently split from Arm Holdings in an interesting saga. Last year we noted Allwinner R329 processor featured Arm China AIPU with 256 MOPS. But this AI accelerator was nowhere to be found on the official Arm website, which seemed odd. But it appears there have been conflicts with and within Arm China for a while. Allen Wu, who was President of ARM Greater China, Member of the Executive Committee between 2014 and 2018, and has been Chairman and CEO, Arm Technology (China) since April 2018, has set up an investment fund called Alphatecture Hong Kong Ltd in 2019 in order invest in Bestechnic, an ARM licensee and developer of audio chips, reaping hundreds of dollars in profit for himself. Arm Technology (China)’s board of directors was not impressed and voted 7 to 1 on June 4, 2020 to dismiss him, but Allen refused to leave since […]

August 31, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

MutantC V4 – DIY Raspberry Pi Handheld PC adds ESP32-S2 module

Earlier this year we wrote about Mutantc V3 DIY Raspberry PI UMPC after noticing a talk about it at FOSDEM 2021 online conference. MutantC V4 is a new version of the Raspberry Pi handheld PC that is both easier to build and cheaper. The new model replaces the Arduino Pro Micro board with a more compact ESP32-S2 module and offers a Lite version with even fewer parts (notification LED, IR blaster, IMU, etc..) to make it easier to build. The new MutantC v4 shares many of the same features of the previous versions: Supported SBCs – Raspberry Pi Zero, 2, 3, 4 and compatible. Wireless module for keyboard and other controls – Ai. Thinker ESP-12K module based on ESP32-S2 single-core WiFi microcontroller @ 240 MHz with 8MB flash Display – 2.8-inch, 3.5-inch, or 4-inch “GPIO” LCD such as AdaFruit PiTFT 480×320 display Keyboard – 56-key customizable keyboard with 2x shoulder […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

August 30, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Magicbit is a wire-free, modular STEM education platform (Crowdfunding)

Magicbit board joins other ESP32 platforms for the STEM education market such as the Crowbits Master Kit or ESP32-based Micro:bit clones with visual programming and Arduino and/or MicroPython support, a mobile app, and training materials such as project tutorials and online courses. Magicbit is designed to be wire-free with the hexagonal board offering four module’s connectors, an OLED display, buttons, a buzzer, and more. You can still use cables if you’d like with six crocodile clip holes and an expansion connector. Magicbit hardware specifications: Wireless module based on ESP32 dual-core processor @ 240 MHz with 520kB RAM and 2.4 GHz WiFi & Bluetooth 4.2/5.x LE connectivity, plus 4MB flash storage Display – OLED display Audio – Buzzer USB – 1x Micro USB port for power and programming Expansion 4x module expansions Motor driver Misc – Reset button, 2x user buttons, potentiometer, light sensor, LEDs Power Supply – 5V via MicroUSB […]

August 30, 2021October 21, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Linux 5.14 Release – Main changes, Arm, MIPS, and RISC-V architectures

Linus Torvalds has just announced Linux 5.14 release which happens to almost coincide with the anniversary of the initial announcement of the “small” project on August 25, 1991, about 30 years ago. Here’s Linux 5.14’s announcement: So I realize you must all still be busy with all the galas and fancy balls and all the other 30th anniversary events, but at some point you must be getting tired of the constant glitz, the fireworks, and the champagne. That ball gown or tailcoat isn’t the most comfortable thing, either. The celebrations will go on for a few more weeks yet, but you all may just need a breather from them. And when that happens, I have just the thing for you – a new kernel release to test and enjoy. Because 5.14 is out there, just waiting for you to kick the tires and remind yourself what all the festivities are […]

August 29, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Leverage ESP32-S3 AI capabilities with the ESP-DL library

ESP32-S3 is the first Espressif wireless processor with AI instructions, and ESP-DL library for ESP-IDF allows you to easily leverage those AI instructions using boards such as the ESP32-S3-DevKitC-1. The ESP-DL library provides APIs for Neural Network (NN) Inference, Image Processing, Math Operations, and Deep Learning Models that make full use of ESP32-S3’s AI instructions with a 16-bit face recognition model running 6.25 faster, while the 8-bit model is 2.5 times faster than without acceleration. The ESP-DL library can be used as a project component. For instance, it can be used as a submodule of ESP-WHO computer vision framework, by simply copying it to the esp-who/components/ directory. The Model Zoo contains several pre-trained models for (human) face detection & recognition, and cat face detection, with more being developed including color detection and hand-pose detection. Espressif Systems also provides tools to use your own models, and a convention tool allowing you […]

August 28, 2021August 28, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments

LibreELEC 10.0 minimal Linux OS for media playback released with Kodi 19.1

While most TV boxes and SBCs nowadays ship with or support a version of Android, people who just want the best viewing experience may prefer to switch to a Linux distribution such as LibreELEC or CoreELEC. The good news is that LibreELEC 10.0 has just been released with Kodi 19.1 and Linux 5.10 LTS. LibreELEC 10.0 is said to work well for Allwinner, Rockchip, and “Generic” Intel/AMD devices, while the Raspberry Pi 4 release’s codebase is rather new, and there may still be a few rough edges. Support for the previous generation Raspberry Pi boards has been dropped, and there’s no support for Amlogic platforms as CoreELEC already provides good support. Since LibreELEC 10.0 is based on Kodi 19.1, it benefits from the same features as Kodi 19 “Matrix” release including AV1 video decoding, a new skin, HDR support, and more. LibreELEC 10.1 support a wide range of single board […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

August 27, 2021September 25, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

Feature-packed i.MX 8M Plus SBC offers dual GbE, PCIe, RS485, CAN Bus, 4G & 5G modems, and more

We’ve already covered plenty of NXP i.MX 8M Plus systems-on-module and carrier boards, but here’s another solution with Forlinx OKMX8MP-C SBC single board computer based on FETMX8MP-C SoM with 4GB LPDDR4 and 16GB eMMC flash. The feature-packed board also offers dual Gigabit Ethernet, 4G and 5G cellular connectivity support via mPCIe and M.2 sockets, multiple display and camera interfaces, RS485 and CAN Bus connector, USB interfaces, various expansion headers, and more… Forlinx OKMX8MP-C specifications: Forlinx FETMX8MP-C System-on-Module SoC – NXP i.MX8M Plus with quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.6 GHz, Arm Cortex-M7 real-time core, Vivante 2D/3D GPUs, 1080p60 video decoder/encoder, 2.3 TOPS AI accelerator System Memory – 2GB, 4GB (default), 6GB, or 8GB LPDDR4 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash Ultra-thin board-to-board connector (4x 80-pin connector with 0.5mm pitch) Supply Voltage – 5V Temperature Range – -40°C to +85°C Dimensions – 62 x 36 mm (8-layer ENIG PCB) Storage – […]

August 27, 2021October 6, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments

Imagination Technologies to design RISC-V cores

Now better known for its PowerVR embedded GPUs, Imagination Technologies tried to enter the CPU market by purchasing MIPS Technologies and introducing microAptiv, interAptiv, and proAptiv cores in 2012. It did not end up well, as the company had to sell its MIPS technology a few years later, and the MIPS architecture is now barely supported. But Imagination is now working on getting back into the CPU space by designing RISC-V cores. At least that’s what the company revealed in a press release also announcing overall revenues increased by 55% to $76m in H1 2021, with $70m in cash, and no external third-party debt. This year Imagination is re-entering the CPU market with designs based around the RISC-V open ISA. Imagination’s heritage in CPU enables it to provide innovative and patent protected technologies for the discrete CPU market as well as addressing demand for heterogeneous solutions that combine GPU, CPU […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products