CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

May 24, 2021May 24, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

New Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT handles up to 25.5 Watts

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has just announced the Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT compliant with 802.3at (aka PoE+) and 802.3af standards and support for up to 25.5 Watts input. It will replace the Raspberry Pi PoE HAT introduced in 2018 which was limited to 802.3af standard with a maximum of 15.4 Watts input and will become available around mid-June for $20 plus taxes and shipping. Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT specifications vs PoE HAT. Besides supporting 802.3at standard with a higher current/more power, the new PoE+ HAT also adds a current sensor and relies on a planar transformer instead of a wire wound transformer with the former being more compact and efficient. The brushless fan is controlled by I2C and helps the processor on the Raspberry Pi 3/4. You may need the latest version of the Raspberry Pi OS for the new PoE+ HAT to work properly. While the Raspberry Pi PoE+ HAT […]

May 24, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

ESP32-WROOM-DA dual PCB antenna WiFi module aims for longer range, better reliability

Espressif Systems ESP32-WROOM-DA is another ESP32 based WiFI & BLE module with a twist as its dual PCB antenna design aims to provides a longer range and more reliable connectivity by automatically switching to a specific PCB antenna depending on signal strength. The new module features ESP32-D0WD-V3 dual-core Xtensa LX6 dual-core processor with a maximum frequency of 240 MHz, along with 520 KB of SRAM and 448 KB of ROM, and has been designed to be pin-to-pin compatible with ESP32-WROOM-32E module found in products such as Pico Wireless, in order to ease migration between the two modules. Espressif did not provide detailed specifications for the new WiFi module, but assuming it’s mostly based on ESP32-WROOM-32E design, ESP32-WROOM-DA should have the following key features & specifications: WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-D0WD-V3 embedded, Xtensa dual-core 32-bit LX6 microprocessor, up to 240 MHz with 448 KB ROM for booting and core functions, 520 […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

May 23, 2021May 23, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 22 Comments

Rock Pi 4 Plus SBC gets Rockchip OP1 processor, eMMC flash pre-loaded with Twister OS Armbian

The low-cost Rock Pi 4 SBC was unveiled in 2018 with a Rockchip RK3399 processor, up to 4GB RAM, and Raspberry Pi 3 form factor. Rock Pi 4 Plus builds on the relatively popular single board computer with an upgrade to Rockchip OP1 processor, which is a higher performance RK3399 SoC typically used in Chromebooks and ASUS Tinker Board 2. The new board also adds 16 to 128 GB eMMC flash, instead of relying on an optional eMMC module, and will come pre-loaded with Twister OS Armbian lightweight desktop OS based upon Armbian Focal 20.04.1 LTS (aarch64) for Rockchip RK3399-based SBCs. Four variants of Rock Pi 4 Plus share most of the same specifications: SoC – Rockchip OP1 big.LITTLE hexa-core processor with 2x Arm Cortex-A72 @ up to 2.0 GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.4 GHz, a Mali-T864 GPU with support OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenVG1.1, OpenCL, DX11, and AFBC, and […]

May 22, 2021 by Karl Johnson - No Comments

Genmitsu 6060 XY-Axis Extension Kit for PROVerXL4030 – DIY desk and folding cart

Karl here. I teased this article in the final review of the Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 CNC Router. I was really happy with the base kit. You can check out all my thoughts there. SainSmart recently released an extension kit that I have now had for a few weeks. It increases the stock size from 300 x 400 to 600 x 600. That is what we are here to check out today. When I inquired about the kit I didn’t realize how boring a review of the kit would be but I will do my best to bring some additional value beyond just unboxing and building experience. Unboxing The parts list is minimal 2x Y-axis Aluminum Extrusion (lead screw included) 2x X-axis Aluminum Extrusion (lead screw included) 2x Front/Back Plate 7x Drag Chain 9x Drag Chain 4x Hexagonal Wrench, 4mm, 3mm, 2.5mm, 1 mm The original kit came with some decent […]

May 21, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

n-Fuse introduces SX1303 mPCIe LoRaWAN concentrator card

I first noticed Semtech SX1303 LoRa baseband processor for gateways was in RAKwireless WisGate Developer Base equipped with RAK5146 SX1303 mPCIe LoRaWAN concentrator card. But n-Fuse now offers another option with their LRWCC3-MPCIE mini PCIe card that is an update to their earlier SX1302 based n-Fuse LRWCC2-MPCIE card announced last year. n-Fuse LRWCC3-MPCIE specifications are very similar with the differences highlighted in bold: MCU – STMicro STM32 LoRa Connectivity Semtech SX1303 digital baseband processor with 2xSX1250 and 1xSX1261 Tx/Rx front-ends Frequency Range – 863 to 870 MHz or 915 to 928 MHz Sensitivity 868 Mhz <= -125dBm at SF7, BW 125KHz <= -140dBm at SF12, BW 125kHz 915 Mhz <= -125dBm at SF7, BW 125KHz <= -140dBm at SF12, BW 125kHz Max RF Output Power – Up to +27dBm Listen Before Talk prevents collisions while accessing the spectrum. Fine Time Stamping enables Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) network-based geolocation. u.FL […]

May 21, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

A compact Raspberry Pi RP2040 WiFi board – Meet $12.95 Wio RP2040 mini

Seeed Studio has launched another Raspberry Pi RP2040 WiFi board with the compact Wio RP2040 mini development board that provides a cheaper and more compact alternative to ESP32 based Pico Wireless carrier board and Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, albeit at the cost of providing fewer I/O pins, and lacking Bluetooth LE. Wio RP2040 mini dev board specifications: MCU – Raspberry Pi RP2040 dual-core Cortex M0+ microcontroller up to 133 MHz with 264 kB of embedded SRAM Storage – 2MB QSPI Flash Memory WiFi – 2.4 GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 supporting AP & station modes USB – USB 1.1 Type-C host/device port for programming Expansion – 2x 14-pin headers with 20x multifunctional GPIO pins supporting PIO and PWM, 2x UART, 4x ADC, 2x SPI, 2x I2C. Misc – Boot & Reset(RUN) buttons, Power and user (GP13) LEDs Power Supply 5V via USB-C port(default) 3.6-5V via Vin header pin Dimensions – 45.5 […]

May 21, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments

2-key mechanical USB keypad runs QMK firmware (Crowdfunding)

System76 Launch high-end customizable keyboard for PC’s that we covered earlier this week, and ANAVI Macro Pad 2 2-key mechanical USB keypad should not have anything in common, but they do to some extent. Both happen to feature backlit mechanical keys, are open-source hardware, and run the same Quantum Mechanical Keyboard Firmware (QKM) open-source firmware. ANAVI Macro Pad 2 specifications: MCU – Microchip ATtiny85 8-bit AVR microcontroller with 8 KB ISP Flash memory, 512 bytes EEPROM, 512 bytes SRAM Keys – Two Gateron Red mechanical switches with 3 mm LED backlighting and translucent keycaps Host connection – MicroUSB port Dimensions – 40×38 mm OSHWA certification – BG000077. ANAVI Technology says the key is compatible with Windows, MacOS, and GNU/Linux support, but as a USB keypad, it should probably just work with any host device supporting the USB HID class. ANAVI Macro Pad 2 is a smaller version of the earlier […]

May 20, 2021May 21, 2021 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 49 Comments

Nezha RISC-V Linux SBC launched for $99 and up

Last month, we wrote about Allwinner D1 SBC & processor that promised to offer a relatively low-cost RISC-V Linux solution. We were not given a name at the time, but there was a logo of Nezha, a fictional character from Chinese literature. The board is now known as the Nezha SBC and has been launched on Indiegogo for $99 and up as a board designed for IoT projects running Linux, but can also be purchased directly on Aliexpress for the same price. [Update: It can also be purchased on Taobao for 599 RMB] Nezha SBC specifications: SoC – Allwinner D1 single-core XuanTie C906 64-bit RISC-V processor @ 1.0 GHz with HiFi4 DSP, G2D 2D graphics accelerators Memory – 1GB DDR3 memory Storage – 256MB SPI NAND flash, MicroSD card slot Video Output – HDMI 1.4 port up to 4Kp30, MIPI DSI & touch panel interface up to 1080p60 Decoding – […]