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Raspberry Pi inspired MaaxBoard Mini SBC features NXP i.MX 8M Mini SoC

Last year, Embest – an Avnet company – introduced MaaXBoard NXP i.MX 8M SBC mostly compatible with Raspberry Pi form factor and running Android 9.0 or Yocto Linux. The company has now launched MaaXBoard Mini with a 14nm NXP i.MX 8M Mini quad-core processor. In some ways, the new board follows more closely Raspberry Pi 3 Model B form factor with four USB 2.0 ports, instead of the two USB 3.0 ports found in the first version of the board, but it does so without HDMI output, leaving MIPI DSI as the only option for display output. MaaxBoard Mini (AES-MC-SBC-IMX8MINI-G) specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX 8M Mini Quad with 4x Arm Cortex-A53 cores @ up to 1.8GHz, Cortex-M4F real-time core @ 400MHz, Vivante GCNanoUltra 3D GPU and GC320 2D graphics, 1080p H.264/H.265 VPU; System Memory – 2GB DDR4 Storage – eMMC socket for up to 64GB flash, MicroSD slot Display […]

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How to Take a Remote Screenshot in Raspberry Pi over SSH

I recently reviewed a Raspberry Pi 4 laptop with a custom interface that made it impractical to take screenshots directly on the device. So instead I had to take screenshots remotely over SSH. It’s quite easy to do. Most of the steps can be reproduced in other Linux systems, and are not specific to Raspberry Pi. Enable SSH in Raspberry Pi First, enable SSH either with sudo raspi-config in a terminal window and selecting 5. Interface Options, then P2 SSH… If for some reason, you don’t have access to the terminal, take out the MicroSD card from the Raspberry Pi board, and from a computer create a new empty file named “ssh” in the boot partition. Now provided you have the username and password for your board, you can connect to SSH with the IP address from a terminal:

or a program like Putty. Taking a screenshot remotely You’re […]

Khadas Edge2 Arm mini PC
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Raspberry Pi Zero Inspired ATMegaZero Arduino Compatible Board Launched for $24.90

When we reported about ATMegaZero, an Arduino Leonardo compatible board following Raspberry Pi Zero form factor last July it was not available for sale just yet. The good news is that the Microchip ATmega32U4 board is now available on GroupGets for $24.99 plus shipping. The group buying campaign is expected to end around September 30th, and the boards will ship right after that. Here’s a reminder about ATMegaZero specifications: MCU – Microchip ATmega32U4 microcontroller running at 16MHz with 32KB Flash, 2.5KB SRAM, 1KB EEPROM (Arduino Leonardo compatible) Storage – MicroSD card Display – 32-pin OLED display port compatible with 30-pin SSD1306 and SSD1331 based displays Wireless Connectivity – 8-pin header for optional ESP8266 ESP-01(s) WiFi module Expansion – 40-pin Raspberry Pi-inspired GPIO header with UART, SPI, I2C, analog input signals Debugging & Programming – Micro USB port, 6-pin ICSP header Misc – 4x LEDs, reset push-button Power Supply – 5V […]

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CarPiHat Connects Raspberry Pi to your Car with Opto GPIO, CAN Bus, 12V Outputs

OpenAuto Pro software is a Raspberry Pi-based head-unit solution that brings various features to your car including Bluetooth hands-free Profile, music streaming, integrated media player, navigation via Android Auto, screen mirroring, rear camera support, and more. But TDJ realized he needs more than just a Raspberry Pi, touchscreen display, and OpenAuto Pro software to meet his requirements, so he designed CarPiHat add-on board for Raspberry Pi providing power supply, opto-isolated GPIOs, CAN Bus, and 12V outputs. CarPiHat key features and specifications: I/Os Dedicated reverse, illumination, and aux inputs, all opto-isolated. 2x opto-isolated general-purpose inputs (for a total of 5 inputs) 2x high-current, high side switched 12V outputs (@ 1A) for switching relays, lights, etc… 1x independent CAN bus port Broken out I2C bus. Broken out one-wire for temperature sensor, etc… Misc – Real-time clock to maintain system time across reboots, EEPROM for Raspberry Pi HAT compatibility Power Supply 12V – […]

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CrowPi2 Raspberry Pi 4 Education Laptop Review

I started my review of CrowPi2 Raspberry Pi 4 Learning Kit a while ago and at the time I showed content from the kit and its first boot. I’ve now spent more time with this very special Raspberry Pi 4 laptop and will focus this review on the education part, namely CrowPi2 software, but will also look at thermal cooling under stress with and without a fan, and try to install another Raspberry Pi compatible board inside the laptop shell. CrowPi2 Education Software It’s quite important to read the user manual before getting started as there are a few non-intuitive steps you may have to take. First I assume the wireless keyboard would just connect after pressing the power button, but it did not. The user manual explains the RF dongle is inside the mouse, and once you connect it you’ll be able to use the keyboard that has some […]

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PicoRio Linux RISC-V SBC is an Open Source Alternative to Raspberry Pi Board

There’s a lot of interest/hype around RISC-V, and low-cost boards such as Longan Nano or Maixduino are already available, but those are based on microcontroller-class chips, even though it’s possible to run Linux on Kendryte K210 RISC-V board, it comes without MMU, so it’s not for everyone. Linux capable RISC-V boards do exist but cost several hundred dollars or more with the likes of HiFive Unleashed and PolarFire SoC Icicle development kit. If only there was a RISC-V board similar to the Raspberry Pi board and with a similar price point… The good news is that the RISC-V International Open Source (RIOS) Laboratory is collaborating with Imagination technologies to bring PicoRio RISC-V SBC to market at a price point similar to Raspberry Pi. The PicoRio board was presented at the RISC-V Global Forum on September 3rd. I could not find the full presentation slides yet, but there are some screenshots […]

Rockchip RK3568/RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs
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Monarch Go Pi HAT Adds LTE Cat M1 Connectivity to Raspberry Pi Board

After introducing Renesas ZMOD4410 Indoor Air Quality HAT for Raspberry Pi earlier this month, Avnet is back with another Raspberry Pi HAT namely Monarch Go Pi HAT that adds LTE Cat M1 connectivity to Raspberry Pi boards and other compatible SBC’s with a 40-pin GPIO header. The expansion board gets its name from Sequans Monarch Go LTE-M modem itself based on the Sequans Monarch GM01Q LTE IoT module that supposed to support both LTE Cat M1 (eMTC) and NB-IoT. The solution is certified by various operators in North America, Europe, and Asia, and ships with a Verizon ThingsSpace IoT SIM. Monarch Go Pi HAT specifications: LTE IoT Connectivity Sequans Monarch Go LTE modem with  Cat-M1 (& NB-IoT?) connectivity Pre-installed Verizon ThingsSpace IoT SIM USB – Micro USB port for debugging and programming Expansion MikroElektronika shuttle click site with 3.3V I/O:  I2C, SPI, GPIO, UART Voltage I/O translator – 1.8V to […]

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NODE Mini Server V3 Transforms Raspberry Pi 4 Into a Server or Mini PC

Hardware hacker NODE has had a busy month starting with the announcement of Zero Terminal V3 modular Raspberry Pi Zero W powered handheld PC, and now he’s just showcased NODE Mini Server V3 that transforms a Raspberry Pi 4 into a compact server or mini PC. The project brings all ports to the same side in a similar fashion as Argon One enclosure through the use of custom adapter boards, but also enable easy integration of USB SSD drives, easier access to the MicroSD card socket, and support for fanless or dual-fan cooling. Besides the Raspberry Pi 4 SBC, NODE Mini Server V3 includes the following components: HDMI Micro HDMI Male Component. “Wedge Type” as this HDMI connector on Aliexpress. HDMI Type A Connector (47151-1001) USB Pololu USB 2.0 Type-C Connector Breakout USB-C Male Plug Breakout Board Male USB 3.0 Plug (692112030100) Female USB 3.0 Connector (48405-0003) Storage USB3 to […]

Khadas VIM4 SBC