CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

July 26, 2024July 25, 2024 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

Flipper Zero hacking tool gets CAN bus add-on board for vehicle diagnostics and security research

Electronic Cats’ Flipper Add-On CANBus is a new add-on board for the Flipper Zero adding CAN bus communication to the popular wireless hacking tool. Built around the MCP2515 CAN controller chip this add-on card communicates with the Flipper Zero through an SPI interface. It allows users to sniff, send, and log CAN bus packets directly from the Flipper Zero, which means now you can analyze and manipulate CAN bus traffic for vehicle diagnostics, security research, and DIY projects. Previously we have seen Flipper Zero add an RP2040-powered video game module, and before that, we noted the developers launched their own app store with open-source apps. Additionally, we have written about Flipper Zero alternatives such as the M1 multitool so feel free to check those to know more about those solutions. Electronic Cats Flipper Add-On CANBus specifications Compatibility – Flipper Zero CAN Controller – Microchip MCP2515 CAN bus controller with SPI […]

July 25, 2024July 26, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments

IP68-rated Rockchip RK3588 embedded mini PC works underwater

Mekotronics R58X-IP68 is a Rockchip RK3588-powered embedded mini PC with an IP68 ingress protection rating that makes it waterproof and even allows it to run submerged underwater. We’ve previously covered IP68 or IP67-rated hardware platforms like IoT gateways, thermal cameras, telemetry modules, and more. Those often rely on M12 or M8 connectors for waterproofness, but the Mekotronics R58X-IP68 relies on regular connectors housed in a waterproof socket and cable. Mekotronics R58X-IP68 specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3588 CPU – Octa-core processor with four Cortex-A76 cores @ 2.4 GHz, four Cortex-A55 cores @ 1.8 GHz GPU – Arm Mali-G610 MP4 GPU VPU Video Decoder 8Kp60 H.265 VP9, AVS2 8Kp30 H.264 AVC/MVC 4Kp60 AV1 1080p60 MPEG-2, MPEG-1, VC-1, VP8 Video Encoder – Real-time H.265/H.264 video encoding up to 8Kp30, also usable as a multi-channel encoder in parallel (at lower resolution) AI Accelerator – 6 TOPS NPU System Memory – 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB […]

ArmSoM CM5 - Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC

July 25, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 9 Comments

Arduino to switch from Arm Mbed to Zephyr RTOS

Following Arm’s decision to stop supporting Mbed from July 2026 onwards, Arduino has now decided to use Zephyr RTOS instead of Arm Mbed for Arduino boards that rely on the latter including Arduino GIGA, Arduino Nano 33 BLE, Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, as well as Arduino PRO boards/solutions such as the Portenta, Nicla, and Opta families. Note that Arduino UNO, MKR, and Nano families are not impacted by the change since their Arduino Core implementation does not rely on Mbed. The change is not going to happen overnight as software development takes time, and Arduino plans to release the first beta based on ZephyrOS by the end of 2024. and a rollout for various boards starting in 2025 long before Arm Mbed is phased out for good. Arduino is not new to the Zephyr project as the company became a Silver member last year, and they were aware that Arm […]

July 25, 2024 by Tomisin Olujinmi - 12 Comments

TinyWatch S3 is an open-source, customizable smartwatch powered by ESP32-S3 SoC

The TinyWatch S3 is an ESP32-S3 development board in a smartwatch form factor from Seon Rozenblum, also known as Unexpected Maker. It is powered by the ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller with 8MB quad SPI flash storage and 2MB of additional QSPI PSRAM. It features a 240 x 280 LCD with capacitive touch (via a CST816T module) and several onboard sensors including a 6-axis inertial measurement unit, a magnetometer, and a MEMS microphone. It has a USB-C port for power, programming, and charging a connected LiPo battery (250mAh or 500mAh). While the product’s firmware is still in active development, it is usable as a watch and even a daily driver. The TinyWatch S3 is described as a “wrist-wearable ESP32-S3 development board” but lacks pin headers and is not breadboard compatible. The hardware is open-source but the product is mostly useful for firmware development, testing, and other general projects. The firmware is being […]

July 25, 2024August 18, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 42 Comments

Building a workstation with Radxa ROCK 5 ITX (Arm) or Milk-V Jupiter (RISC-V) mini-ITX motherboard – Part 1: The hardware

Milk-V Jupiter ROCK 5 ITX mini ITX NAS enclosure

Radxa ROCK 5 ITX is a mini-ITX motherboard powered by a Rockchip RK3588 octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 processor, and the Shenzhen Milk-V Jupiter is another mini-ITX motherboard, but based on SpacemIT K1 octa-core 64-bit RISC-V processor instead. When Radxa contacted me about reviewing those, I thought it would be interesting to review a complete kit with a mini-ITX case since I had never built this type of system myself. Yesterday, I was surprised to receive two large packages and thought maybe a company sent me a 3D printer or laser engraver kit, but instead, I got one package with the two Arm and RISC-V mini-ITX motherboards and another with a mini-ITX NAS enclosure with 6x SATA bays. Radxa ROCK 5 ITX unboxing Let’s look at the ROCK 5 ITX motherboard and accessories first. The motherboard ships with a rear panel and two screws for the M.2 module. The motherboard features the Rorkchip […]

July 24, 2024August 3, 2024 by Debashis Das - 2 Comments

ASRock DSF-A6000 embedded box PC offers AMD Ryzen Embedded R2314, 2.5GbE, and quad 4K display support

ASRock DSF-A6000 embedded box PC is built around the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2314 processor with support for up to 64GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, three RJ45 ports (two 1GbE LAN, and one 2.5GbE LAN with optional PoE+) for connectivity. For storage, it features an M.2 M-Key slot for NVMe SSD and I/O options include USB 3.2 Gen2 and RS232. In terms of display capabilities, this PC supports up to four 4K displays simultaneously via HDMI 2.0b. Additionally, it supports out-of-band management through an optional MPU-OOB card and features EDID emulation for seamless display setup across various technologies. Previously we have written about similar embedded box PCs like the Distec BoxPC Pro, the AAEON ARES-500AI embedded box PC, the BOXER-8256AI NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX fanless embedded box PC, and many more feel free to check those out if you are interested in the topic. ASRock DSF-A6000 embedded box PC specifications: SoC […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs

July 24, 2024August 30, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

LILYGO T-Halow is an ESP32-S3 board with long-range WiFi HaLow, OV2640/OV5640 camera support

LILYGO T-Halow is an ESP32-S3 board equipped with a WiFi HaLow module with up to 1.2km range, a connector compatible with OV2640 and OV5640 camera modules, and an 18650 battery holder for power, as well as several GPIOs for expansion. We first wrote about 802.11ah low-power long-range WiFi standard operating at 900 MHz in 2014, but adoption has been slow and we’ve seen a few 802.11ah (WiFi HaLow) chips from Newracom and Morse Micro over the years, as well as USB adapters, a Raspberry Pi HAT, a mini PCIe card, gateways, and some development boards. All those rely on a Linux host, but the LILYGO T-Halow features a TX-AH WiFI HaLow module from Taixin Semiconductor that’s controller by AT commands through an ESP32-S3 or a micro USB port. LILYGO T-Halow specifications: Wireless modules ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 wireless module SoC – ESP32-S3 dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller @ up to 240 MHz with 2.4 […]

July 24, 2024 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Remote.It adds Bluetooth assisted WiFi configuration to Raspberry Pi SBC’s

Remote.It, a company providing remote access services, has released an open-source project to enable Raspberry Pi WiFi network configuration using Bluetooth (BLE), so users can easily configure WiFi on the board by simply using their smartphone. Configuring WiFi on a Raspberry Pi usually involves either: Manual configuration – The user connects a monitor and keyboard to the Raspberry Pi to configure the wireless network directly on the device. Pre-configured SD cards, NVMe SSDs, or USB drives – The WiFi ESSID and password can be set in Raspberry Pi USB imager, and the Raspberry Pi will automatically connect to the network at boot time. That’s quick, but less flexible since the credentials can’t be modified after deployment, and it only works when using a single wireless network. Remote.It offers a third option for WiFi provisioning using Bluetooth LE. The Raspberry Pi can run headless or fully enclosed into a product, and […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products