Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 7 Comments on GEEKOM A8 Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 24.04 tested on an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS mini PC

GEEKOM A8 Review – Part 3: Ubuntu 24.04 tested on an AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS mini PC

GEEKOM A8 mini PC Review Ubuntu 24.04 Linux

We’ve already checked out GEEKOM A8 mini PC hardware with an unboxing and a teardown, before testing the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS mini PC in Windows 11 Pro, and we’ll now report our experience with the GEEKOM A8 running Ubuntu 24.04 to see how it performs in Linux. We tested most features of the GEEKOM A8 mini PC on Ubuntu 24.04, ran several benchmarks to compare it to the similar GEEKOM A7 mini PC, performed storage and networking performance testing, ran stress test to check thermal performance, and measured fan noise and power consumption under various conditions. Installing Ubuntu 24.04 on the GEEKOM A8 mini PC As usual, we resized the Windows 11 partition to install Ubuntu 24.04 alongside Microsoft OS using a bootable USB flash drive created with the Ubuntu ISO. But you’ll notice BitLocker is enabled so the Ubuntu 24.04 installation can’t proceed. The installation wizard will ask […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 12 Comments on Dual Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter supports Raspberry Pi 5/4B, offers multiple power options

Dual Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter supports Raspberry Pi 5/4B, offers multiple power options

Micro HDMI to HDMI Multifunctional Adapter for Raspberry Pi 5 or Pi 4B

Waveshare Pi5 Connector Adapter is a compact dual Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter for the Raspberry Pi 5 or Pi 4B that connects to the micro HDMI and USB-C ports simultaneously and provides access to two full-sized HDMI ports. The PCB also features a USB-C port and a screw terminal for power. Previously, we have written about many unique waveshare products, including Waveshare 2-CH CAN MiniPCIe, the Waveshare UGV Rover, the Waveshare ESP32-C6-Pico and Pico-M boards and many others, feel free to check those out if you are interested in the topic. Waveshare Micro HDMI to HDMI adapter specifications Supported Pi – Raspberry Pi 5 / Pi 4B Display Interfaces 2x micro-HDMI inputs 2x HDMI outputs Misc – 2x 3-pin UART connectors Power Power input 1x USB-C female port (Power In) 5 mm box-type screw terminal JST connector for battery Power Output – 1x USB-C male port (Power out) Dimensions […]

Khadas Edge2 Arm mini PC
Posted on by Tomisin Olujinmi - 3 Comments on ThingPulse Pendrive S3 ESP32-S3 USB stick comes with 128MB of storage and a capacitive spring button

ThingPulse Pendrive S3 ESP32-S3 USB stick comes with 128MB of storage and a capacitive spring button

ThingPulse ESP32-S3 Pendrive spring button

The Pendrive S3 is an ESP32-S3 development board in a USB stick enclosure with 128MB of flash memory and an unusual capacitive touch button. The Espressif ESP32-S3-MINI-1 module on the board integrates an Xtensa dual-core 32-bit LX7 microprocessor with support for 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (low-energy). The device features a capacitive touch button that can be used to trigger actions by touching the enclosure. The capacitive button isn’t visible on the exterior of the device, which helps the device maintain a low profile. You may be interested in Dani Eichhorn’s article on how he came up with the idea of using a spring for the capacitive touch button. The Pendrive S3 stick can be used as a BadUSB device for hacking and penetration testing purposes. With the aid of SuperWiFiDuck, it can perform keystroke injection attacks. All scripts can be managed and controlled wirelessly via a web interface, and […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on LattePanda Mu review – Part 1: an Intel N100 Compute Module tested with Windows 11, carrier boards with PCIe slots

LattePanda Mu review – Part 1: an Intel N100 Compute Module tested with Windows 11, carrier boards with PCIe slots

LattePanda Mu Full Carrier Windows 11 Review

Last April, DFRobot launched the LattePanda Mu x86 Compute Module powered by an Intel N100 Alder-Lake processor with 8GB RAM and a 64GB eMMC flash along with Lite and Full function carrier boards for evaluation. End customers will typically design their own carrier board without having to take of high-speed signals for the LPDDR5 memory and other complexities during the PCB layout. DFRobot has sent us the LattePanda Mu module for review along with the Lite and Full Function carrier boards, a heatsink for passive cooling, and an active cooler so we can compare both cooling solutions.  Let’s have a look at the LattePanda Mu module and accessories before testing the kit with the Windows 11 operating system, including the PCIe x4 slot. LattePanda Mu kit unboxing The parcel included three retail boxes. The smallest box housed the LattePanda Mu Compute Module, a heatsink, and an active cooler. The second […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on How to repair/replace a WiFi antenna in a mini PC

How to repair/replace a WiFi antenna in a mini PC

Insert WiFi Antenna Mini PC

In this short tutorial, we’ll show how to repair/replace a WiFi antenna in a mini PC. We’ll use GEEKOM A8 Mini PC as a test device because one of its WiFi antennas is attached to the top plastic cover, and it may potentially get damaged when the user opens the case to change or upgrade the SSD or memory sticks. This happened to us during the teardown of the GEEKOM A8 mini PC as shown in the image below.  While WiFi still works with one antenna, the performance is quite better when two antennas are connected so we decided to repair the mini PC. We asked a few local shops, but they would only sell WiFi modules with antennas and none would just sell the antennas themselves. But luckily, such WiFi antennas can easily be purchased online in pairs. The first time, we purchased a WiFi antenna pair from Shopee […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on ACEBOTT QE007 review – An ESP32-based Smart Home STEAM education kit for 8+ years old kids

ACEBOTT QE007 review – An ESP32-based Smart Home STEAM education kit for 8+ years old kids

QE007 ESP32 Smart Home Starter Kit Review

ACEBOTT QE007 ESP32-based Smart Home Starter Kit is a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Maths) education platform that involves story reading, assembling a wooden house with various electronics sensors wired to an ESP32 board, and learning about electronics concepts (such as voltage and current) and coding with the Arduino IDE through an 18 lesson course. ACEBOTT has various STEAM education kits, and the company sent us the QE007 “IoT Smart Home Starter Kit” for evaluation and review. So I’ll go through an unboxing, report my experience with the assembly process, and the Arduino tutorials by going through some of the eighteen lessons. ACEBOTT QE007 unboxing The kit comes in a nice-looking retail that reads “ACEBOTT Explorer Series QE007” and “ACEBOTT IOT Smart Home Started Kit”. The front of the package also highlights its a STEAM education kit designed for 8+ years old kids. The bottom side gives the backstory […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on UP Xtreme i14 SBC offers Intel Core Ultra 5/7 Meteor Lake SoC, up to 64GB LPDDR5 for robotics and AIoT applications

UP Xtreme i14 SBC offers Intel Core Ultra 5/7 Meteor Lake SoC, up to 64GB LPDDR5 for robotics and AIoT applications

UP Xtreme i14 Core Ultra 5 SBC

AAEON has launched the UP Xtreme i14 SBC based on a choice of Intel Core Ultra 5/7 Meteor Lake SoCs, up to 64GB LPDDR5, M.2 PCIe sockets and a SATA port for storage, 2.5GbE and GbE interfaces, four 8K capable video output ports (HDMI, DP, and USB-C), a MIPI CSI camera interface, and more. The 14th Intel Core Ultra 5/7 SoC features up to 16 cores, Intel Arc graphics, and an Intel AI Boost NPU that deliver up to 32 TOPS combined and make the UP Xtreme i14 board especially suitable for applications such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), Smart Retail, and AI-assisted healthcare imaging. UP Xtreme i14 specifications: Meteor Lake-H/U SoC (one of the other) Intel Core Ultra 7  165H 16-core (6P+8E+2LPE) processor @ 1.4 / 5.0 GHz with 24MB cache, Intel 8Xe LPG graphics @ 2.3 GHz, Intel AI Boost NPU; TDP: 28W Intel Core Ultra 7 155H […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Fibocom FG370 dual-band WiFi 7 and 5G cellular module targets 5G FWA routers

Fibocom FG370 dual-band WiFi 7 and 5G cellular module targets 5G FWA routers

Fibocom FG730 WiFi 7 5G Cellular module

Fibocom FG370 is a compact module that combines WiFi 7 and 5G cellular connectivity designed for 5G FWA routers for the home, SMB (Small and Medium-sized Business), and industrial applications. Based on the MediaTek T830 quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 SoC, the FG370 supports 5G NR sub-6GHz, two 10Gbps USXGMII interfaces, and dual-band BE7200 WiFi 7 achieving an MLO (Multi-link operation) speed of up to 7.2Gbps. Note this is not the first “FG370 announcement” from the company, as global operators have used the 5G-only FG370 since October 2023, and the company introduced the FG370 with 5G and tri-band BE19000 WiFi 7 at MWC2024. The company has unveiled a mid-range variant of the FG370 module with 5G and BE7200 at Computex 2024. The company has yet to release a datasheet for the 5G + WiFi 7 variants, but for reference, here are the Fibocom FG370 (5G-only) specifications: (North American version) SoC – MediaTek […]

Boardcon Rockchip and Allwinner SoM and SBC products