CNX Software - Embedded Systems News

October 4, 2020October 4, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

DT71 smart tweezers review – 3-in-1 tweezers, multimeter, and signal generator

Earlier this year, I discovered a new (to me) category of devices that look useful for electronics projects with smart tweezers Colibri ST-5S that integrate an LCR meter and can help quickly identify SMD components. I also noted some cheaper, but bulky models selling on Aliexpress for $15 and up. I’ve now received another compact model, yet affordable, as Seeed Studio sent me Miniware DT71 smart tweezers for review. As we’ll see in this getting started guide, DT71 can be used both as a multimeter and a signal generator and sells for around $59 plus shipping. Miniware DT71 Smart Tweezers Unboxing Let’s first see what I received. the tweezers are stored in a plastic box that contains three parts. First, the arms fitted with replaceable tips clearly marked as positive (red) and negative (blue). There’s a 3.5mm audio jack that allows us to connect the microcontroller unit with a display, […]

October 3, 2020October 3, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments

Mango-DVK OpenWrt Devkit Features 2.5GbE, WiFi 6 SoM powered by Qualcomm IPQ6000/IP6010 SoC

We’ve been covering some 802.11ax WiFI 6 embedded networking boards from Wallys Communications and Compex in the last few months, but 8devices has now entered the fray with Qualcomm IPQ6000/IPQ6010 powered Mango WiFi 6 system-in-module available in commercial or industrial temperature range, as well as as a development kit based on the module. Mango SoM supports dual-band 2×2 MiMo 802.11ax and multi-Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, features up to 2GB RAM, 256MB NAND flash, and runs OpenWrt Linux with target applications including routers, gateways, and access points. Mango SoM Specifications: SoC (one or the other) Qualcomm IPQ6000 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.2 GHz with hardware NAT engine, HW crypto Qualcomm IPQ6010 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.8 GHz with hardware NAT engine, HW crypto System Memory – 512MB DDR3L 512MB (up to 2GB) Storage – 32MB NOR FLASH, up to 256MB NAND flash Networking Wireless 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n/ac/ax WiFi […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

October 2, 2020October 7, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 19 Comments

Hailo-8 M.2 and mini PCIe AI accelerator cards deliver up to 26 TOPS

[Update Sep 3, 2020: The post has been edited to correct Google Coral M.2 power consumption] If you were to add M.2 or mPCIe AI accelerator card to a computer or board, you’d mostly have the choice between Google Coral M.2 or mini PCIe card based on the 4TOPS Google Edge TPU, or one of AAEON AI Core cards based on Intel Movidius Myriad 2 (100 GOPS) or Myriad X (1 TOPS per chip). There are also some other cards like Kneron 520 powered M.2 or mPCIe cards, but I believe the Intel and Google cards are the most commonly used. If you ever need more performance, you’d have to connect cards with multiple Edge or Movidius accelerators or use one M.2 or mini PCIe card equipped with Halio-8 NPU delivering a whopping 26 TOPS on a single chip. Hailo-8 M.2 accelerator card key features and specifications: AI Processor – […]

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 20 Comments

Traverse Ten64 eight-core ARM64 10GbE networking platform runs mainline Linux (Crowdfunding)

Traverse Ten64 is a networking platform designed for 4G/5G gateways, local edge gateways for cloud architectures, IoT gateways, and network-attached-storage (NAS) devices for home and office use. Ten64 system runs Linux mainline on based NXP Layerscape LS1088A octa-core Cortex-A53 communication processor with ECC memory support, and offers eight Gigabit Ethernet ports, two 10GbE SFP+ cages, as well as mini PCIe and M.2 expansion sockets. Traverse Ten64 hardware specifications: SoC – NXP QorIQ LS1088 octa-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.6 GHz, 64-bit with virtualization, crypto, and IOMMU support System Memory – 4GB to 32GB DDR4 SO-DIMMs (including ECC) at 2100 MT/s Storage 8 MB onboard QSPI NOR flash 256 MB onboard NAND flash NVMe SSDs via M.2 Key M microSD socket multiplexed with SIM2 Networking 8x 1000Base-T Gigabit Ethernet ports (RJ45) 2x 10GbE SFP+ cages Optional wireless M.2/mPCIe card plus 3-choose-2 nanoSIM/microSD socket and up to 11x SMA connectors for antennas USB […]

October 2, 2020October 2, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments

Windows 10 capable Rock Pi X SBC Launched for $59 and Up

Radxa unveiled Rock Pi X intel SBC powered by an Intel Atom x5-Z8350 processor over a year ago with a starting price of just $39 making one of the cheapest Windows 10 single board computer together with Atomic Pi, but the latter is not super convenient to use. What’s new is that you can now buy Rock Pi X SBC, but not quite for $39 since the board has been redesigned, and instead, you’ll find the 4GB RAM/32GB eMMC flash model (Rock Pi X B4E32) for $75 on Seeed Studio, but if you can do with 2GB RAM and 16GB flash storage, AllNetChina has stock for $59 plus shipping. Those are the so-called model B boards with WiFi and Bluetooth, as well as support for an optional PoE module. Rock Pi X model B specifications: SoC – Intel Atom x5-Z8350 “Cherry Trail” quad-core processor @ 1.44 GHz / 1.92 GHz […]

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

SIOT-50 industrial IoT device Integrates ASUS Tinker Board S in rugged enclosure

Stealth is a Canadian company that specializes in rugged displays, computers, and other ruggedized electronics for the industrial, defense, and marine markets. The company published a press release for a new rugged fanless mini PC equipped with a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics card, and older Intel 6th and 7th Generation Core i5, i7 & Xeon processors. But as I browsed their website, I also noticed a compact “industrial IoT device” with a rugged enclosure called SIOT-50 that appeared to be fitted with an off-the-shelf Arm Linux SBC. Let’s look at the SIOT-50 specifications and photos to find out which SBC that may be: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad-core Cortex-A17 processor with Arm Mali-T764 GPU, H.264/H.265 video hardware decoder System Memory – 2GB DDR3 Storage – 16GB eMMC flash, MicroSD card slot Video Output – HDMI up to 4K @ 30hz Audio – Realtek ALC4040 audio codec, 3.5mm audio Line Out […]

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

October 1, 2020October 2, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Vizy AI camera runs Tensorflow, OpenCV, PyTorch on Raspberry Pi 4 (Crowdfunding)

We previously covered Charmed Labs PIXY2 computer vision camera based on an NXP LPC4330 microcontrollers that worked with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and other development boards. The company is now back with a fully integrated more powerful solution with Vizy AI camera featuring a Raspberry Pi 4 SBC with up to 8GB RAM. Vizy AI camera key features and specifications: SBC – Raspberry Pi 4 with Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core Arm Cortex-72 processor, up to 8 GB RAM Camera – High-resolution camera based on Sony iMX477 12.3 MP sensor that can capture at over 300 frames/second and support both daytime and nighttime viewing; Both M12 and C/CS lenses are supported Video Output – 2x micro HDMI ports Audio – Analog stereo audio port Networking – Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band WiFi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0 USB – 2x USB 3.0 ports, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB Type-C port from Raspberry Pi 4 (But not […]

October 1, 2020October 1, 2020 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 15 Comments

Google Chromecast with Google TV Runs Android TV OS, Ships with a Remote Control

When Google Chromecast first launched in 2013, it was based on a stripped-down version of ChromeOS and was meant to be used controlled via your Android phone, iPhone, Windows PC, or Mac computer to stream audio and video, and even more recent versions like Chromecast Ultra were not standalone media players. But Google’s “Chromecast with Google TV” changes all that as it’s based on Android TV OS and supports all 6,500 apps designed for the operating systems, and ships with a remote control to playback videos from YouTube, Netflix, Hulu, and other apps without the need for your phone or a computer, although it still support all existing Chromecast features. Chromecast with Google TV hardware specifications: SoC – Quad-core processor @ 1.8GHz with ARM Mali-G31 MP2 GPU, likely Amlogic S905X2 or even S905Y2 since there’s no Ethernet. [Update: It’s Amlogic S905D3 according to a screenshot provided by Android TV rumors.] […]