Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on LILYGO T-TWR REV2.1 is an ESP32 walkie-talkie board with display, GNSS, and SA868 module

LILYGO T-TWR REV2.1 is an ESP32 walkie-talkie board with display, GNSS, and SA868 module

LILYGO T TWR REV2.1

LILYGO has recently introduced an updated version of their T-TWR ESP32 walkie-talkie development board, the T-TWR REV2.1. This new board not only features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth but also has a GPS module for added functionality. Additionally, it has a new RF front-end matching circuit that can be configured to work with both VHF and UHF frequencies. The board is very versatile and can be programmed with Arduino IDE for various applications. The main difference between the older T-TWR and the newer T-TWR REV2.1 is that the new module has better power management with the AXP2102 single-cell Li-battery PWM charger, allowing it to use USB, a 21700 battery, or an 18650 battery, while the original T-TWR only supports USB and an 18650 battery. The new version also includes a GNSS module along with a microphone-switching matrix and a speaker-switching matrix for better sound quality. Additionally, the REV2.1 has the Push-To-Talk button […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on Efinix introduces the low-power Topaz RISC-V SoC FPGA family for “high-volume, mass-market applications”

Efinix introduces the low-power Topaz RISC-V SoC FPGA family for “high-volume, mass-market applications”

Efinix Topaz RISC-V SoC FPGA

Efinix Topaz is a new low-power RISC-V SoC FPGA family manufactured with the same 16nm TSMC process as the Efinix Titanium SoC FPGA, but optimized for high-performance in a low-power footprint, and targetting high-volume, mass-market applications. The Topaz SoC FPGAs provide fewer features than the Titanium family but still offer up to four RISC-V hard cores, PCIe Gen3, MIPI interfaces, LPDDR4, LVDS, and 12.5 Gbps transmitter with most features being optional and depending on the exact SKUs selected. Efinix Topaz key features and specifications: FPGA compute fabric Up to 326,080 logic elements (LEs) Up to 19.22 Mbits embedded memory Up to 1,877 10-Kbit SRAM blocks Up to 1,008 embedded DSP blocks Memory – 10-kbit high-speed, embedded SRAM, configurable as single-port RAM, simple dual-port RAM, true dual-port RAM, or ROM FPGA interface blocks Optional 32-bit quad-core hardened RISC-V block (RISCV32I with M, A, C, F, and D extensions and six pipeline […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC
Posted on by Sayantan Nandy - 3 Comments on SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 development board comes with 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM

SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 development board comes with 16MB flash, 8MB PSRAM

SparkFun RP2350 Pro Micro DEV

The SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 is a compact and powerful development board built around the RP2350 chip from Raspberry Pi and equipped with 16MB flash and 8MB PSRAM. It follows the updated Pro Micro design and includes a USB-C connector, Qwiic connector, WS2812B RGB LED, Boot and Reset buttons, resettable PTC fuse, and both PTH and castellated solder pads. Last week, besides the Raspberry Pi Pico 2, we wrote about more boards with the Raspberry Pi RP2350, like the XIAO RP2350, Solder Party’s RP2350 Stamp, and Cytron MOTION 2350 Pro. Feel free to check them out if you are interested in these boards. SparkFun Pro Micro – RP2350 specification Microcontroller  – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @150MHz with Arm Trustzone for secure boot Dual-core 32-bit Hazard3 RISC-V @ 150MHz Up to two cores can be used at the same time Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on LILYGO T-QTC6 – An ESP32-C6 IoT controller with a 0.85-inch touchscreen LCD

LILYGO T-QTC6 – An ESP32-C6 IoT controller with a 0.85-inch touchscreen LCD

ESP32-C6 IoT controller

LILYGO T-QTC6 is a cute little IoT controller based on an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, and 802.15.4 wireless microcontroller and a 0.85-inch touchscreen color LCD that can be powered via USB-C or a LiPo battery with the board also supporting charging. The device, sometimes called “T-QT C6” (with a space), also comes with an 8-pin female connector with five GPIOs and a Qwiic connector for UART modules. It’s another addition to the T-QT family with ESP32 wireless microcontrollers and a tiny 0.85-inch display such as the T-QT Pro or the T-QT V1.1. But note that those are development boards, while the T-QTC6 feels more like a complete device. LILYGO T-QTC6 specifications: Wireless Module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6-MINI-1U SoC – ESP32-C6-FH4 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor up to 160 MHz with 320KB ROM, 512KB HP SRAM, 16KB LP SRAM, 4MB flash Memory – 4MB PSRAM (TBC) Wireless 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments on Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board combines Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE module

Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board combines Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE module

Raspberry Pi RP2350 board ESP32-C6 WiFi module

You don’t need to wait for the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W to get a Raspberry Pi RP2350 board with WiFi and Bluetooth thanks to the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board that combines an RP2350A microcontroller with an ESP32-C6 module offering 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE connectivity. The board follows the Adafruit Feather form factor with 28-pin through holes for I/Os making it compatible with FeatherWings add-on boards. It comes with a USB-C port for power and programming, and a JST connector plus a charging circuit for people wanting to connect a LiPo battery. Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ 150MHz Only two cores can be used at a given time Memory – 520KB internal RAM 8KB OTP Storage Package – QFN-60; 7×7 mm Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB SPI […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on $49 Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN ships with three DS18B20 temperature sensors

$49 Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN ships with three DS18B20 temperature sensors

Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN

The “Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN” is a LoRaWAN solution for temperature sensing that includes three waterproof DS18B20 temperature sensors that could be useful for cold storage, kitchen, and greenhouse monitoring. The device has a waterproof design that can withstand moisture and wet environments, is equipped with sensors measuring temperature within the -40°C to 125°C range, plus low-power LoRaWAN connectivity and Lithium AA batteries that can last up to five years when sending data every 10 minutes. Rejeee multiple external temperature sensor for LoRaWAN specifications: Microcontroller – Unnamed Arm Cortex-M MCU; potentially STMicro STM32L151 Cortex M3 @ 32 MHz based on another temperature sensor from Rejeee. LoRaWAN Data Rate – 300 bps ~ 62.5 kbps Transmit Power – 22 dBm Max. Receiver Sensitivity – -140 dBm (BW = 125 kHz, SF12) Operating Frequency – LF: 433 ~ 510 MHz; HF: 863 ~ 928 MHz Bands EU868, IN865, RU864 […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Sponsored Post - 4 Comments on $129 coupon code for GEEKOM A7 mini PC with AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU (Sponsored)

$129 coupon code for GEEKOM A7 mini PC with AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU (Sponsored)

GEEKOM A7 coupon code

You can now get $129 off the GEEKOM A7 mini PC with the coupon code CNX129OFF for the configuration based on an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS octa-core/16-thread processor, 32GB RAM, and a 2TB NVMe SSD by purchasing it on the GEEKOM US website. This brings the price down to $670 after applying the discount code instead of $799 for the regular price. The mini PC also supports up to four 4K displays through HDMI 2.0 and USB-C ports, provides fast networking via a 2.5GbE jack and a WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.3 module, and offers plenty of USB ports for expansion in a compact form factor. GEEKOM A7 specifications: SoC – AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS 8-core/16-thread processor up to 4.0GHz with 16MB cache, AMD Radeon 780M Graphics; TDP: 35 to 54W System Memory – 32GB dual-channel DDR5-5600 via 262-pin SODIMM sockets, upgradeable to 64GB Storage 2TB NVMe PCIe x4 Gen […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments on MILK-V Jupiter review – A RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard and PC tested with Ubuntu-based Bianbu OS

MILK-V Jupiter review – A RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard and PC tested with Ubuntu-based Bianbu OS

Milk-V Jupiter RISC-V computer review

In this review or preview of the the Shenzhen Milk-V Jupiter RISC-V mini-ITX motherboard, I’ll assemble the motherboard into a mini-ITX chassis, before installing the Ubuntu 23.10 Mantic-based Bianbu OS optimized for RISC-V platforms, and testing the device to see how much progress has been done on RISC-V since I tested the StarFive VisionFive 2 SBC with Debian 12 about 18 months ago. In the first part of the review, we checked out the Radxa ROCK 5 ITX (Rockchip RK3588 Arm) and Jupiter (SpacemIT K1 RISC-V) mini-ITX motherboards with specifications and unboxing, and the Auriga 6-Bay NAS mini-ITX chassis used in this review. I planned to start with the Radxa ROCK 5 ITX, but due to logistics and technical issues, I went ahead testing the RISC-V motherboard first. Installing Bianbu OS to the Jupiter RISC-V motherboard The board does not come with storage, so no operating system is installed. So […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products