Category: Hardware

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Wandboard Development Boards Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow Support

Wandboard Development Boards Get Android 6.0 Marshmallow Support

Wandboard development boards powered by Freescale i.MX6 Solo, Dual and Quad Cortex A9 processors were released over 3 years ago with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. Contrary to many other boards that don’t get an updated version, Wandboard boards got support for Android 4.4 Kitkat, Android 5.x Lollipop, and now the community has recently released Android 6.0 Marshmallow. You can try the Android 6.0 SD card image as follows:

Where /dev/sdX is the device for your SD card. If you can remember the first Jellybean release had separate images for each version of the board, but thanks to device tree implementation, a single image is now released with all three versions. The full source code is also available in a 5.0 GB tarball. Since Freescale, now NXP, i.MX6 processors will be available until November 2022, we can most probably expect a few more Android releases for the board. Jean-Luc Aufranc […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments on Electrodragon WiFi IoT Relay Includes ESP8266 Module, AC Power, and Enclosure for $6

Electrodragon WiFi IoT Relay Includes ESP8266 Module, AC Power, and Enclosure for $6

Thanks to ESP8266, the cost of WiFi relays has dramatically come down, but so far, I could not find an all-in-one solution with ESP8266, relay, AC power and enclosure, and for example I’m still using NodeMCU board, a relay board, a USB power supply, and put all that into a plastic jar in order to control a water pump. It works but it’s not ideal, and solutions like Wemos D1 mini with relay shield improves things further, but Electrodragon has come with a connect-and-play WiFi IoT relay that integrates everything including the case for $6 + shipping. Wifi IoT Relay Board Based on ESP8266: WiFi module – ESP-12F based on Espressif ESP8266EX WiSoC Relays – 2x Songle SRD-05VDC-SL-C relays supporting 125VAC/10A, 250VAC/10A, 30VDC/10A, 28VDC/10A Input/Output – 3x terminal blocks for relay and power Expansion – 12-pin header with Rx/Tx,  GPIO4, Btn2, GPIO15, 5V/GND,  ADC, GPIO5, Btn1, OUTPUT1, and 3V3 Debugging […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 24 Comments on Setup Guide & Mini Review of BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablet from a Developer’s Perspective

Setup Guide & Mini Review of BQ Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition Tablet from a Developer’s Perspective

BQ Aquaris M10 UBuntu Edition is the first officially supported Ubuntu tablet on the market. Blu, a frequent commenter on this blog, has purchased the Full HD version, and in the guest post below, shares his experience setting up the device for development purpose, before shortly providing his overall impressions about the tablet itself. Quick introduction Ever since I had to retire my trusty-but-ancient ARM notebook (a Genesi Efika iMX51) I’ve been looking for a new ARM notebook or perhaps a 2-in-1 device, that I could use for development on the go. The basic requirements are long battery life, passive cooling and reasonable price. Also, Just Enough Power™ for running vim, a couple of toolchains (gcc/clang with gold) and, well, enough grunt to run my coding experiments. Naturally, BQ M10 Ubuntu Edition immediately got my attention to the extent of me placing an order, which got delivered this past week. […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on The European Version of Orvibo Wiwo S20 Smart Socket Has Been Found to Pose a “Serious Risk”

The European Version of Orvibo Wiwo S20 Smart Socket Has Been Found to Pose a “Serious Risk”

Orvibo Wiwo S20 is a WiFi smart socket that can be controlled by a smartphone and some people are using it with OpenHAB open source automation software. The socket has four versions with with US, UK, EU or AU plug types, and some of my clever readers mentioned that the European plug was mot likely NOT compliant with European regulations, was likely dangerous, and should be limited to 2.5A instead of 10A. It turns out they were right, as the European commission issued a safety notice last declaring Orvibo Wiwo S20 to be dangerous with risk of electric shock. The document further explains: The shape of the socket is not correct: when a plug is inserted the live pins of the plug are accessible. Appliances which should be earthed can be connected to the socket but the socket itself is not earthed. The product does not comply with the requirements […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 18 Comments on NanoPC-T3 Octa-core Cortex A53 Single Board Computer Sells for $60

NanoPC-T3 Octa-core Cortex A53 Single Board Computer Sells for $60

FriendlyARM launched NanoPC-T2 single board computer based on Samsung 5P4418 quad core Cortex A9 processor about 3 months ago, and the company has now an update based on Samsung S5P6818 Octa-Core A53 processor with the exact same interfaces and features including Gigabit Ethernet, WiFI, and Bluetooth, HDMI 1.4a, 30-pin expansion headers, etc… NanoPC-T3 specifications: SoC – Samsung S5P6818 octa core Cortex A53 processor @ up to 1.4GHz with Mali-400MP GPU System Memory – 1 or 2GB 32bit DDR3 RAM Storage – 8GB eMMC flash, and 1x SD card slot Connectivity – Gigabit Ethernet (RTL8211E), 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth LE 4.0 (Ampak AP6212) with on-board chip antenna and IPX antenna connector Video Output / Display I/F- 1x HDMI 1.4a, LVDS, MIPI DSI, parallel RGB LCD Audio I/O – HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack, on-board microphone Camera – 1x DVP interface, 1x MIPI CSI interface USB – 2x USB 2.0 type A host […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 14 Comments on LimeSDR Open Source Hardware Software Defined Radio Goes for $199 and Up (Crowdfunding)

LimeSDR Open Source Hardware Software Defined Radio Goes for $199 and Up (Crowdfunding)

Canonical and Lime Micro showcased SoDeRa software defined radio (SDR) a couple of months ago, with a promise to launch a crowdfunding campaign later this year. They’ve fulfill their promise, and launched the open source SDR, renamed to LimeSDR, on Crowdsupply. LimeSDR board specifications: FPGA – Altera Cyclone IV EP4CE40F23 Altera FPGA compatible with EP4CE30F23 System Memory – 256 MB DDR2 SDRAM RF Lime Microsystems LMS7002M RF transceiver with continuous coverage of the frequency range between 100 kHz and 3.8 GHz; 61.44 MHz bandwidth 4 x TxOut and 6 x RxIn U.FL connectors Power Output (CW): up to 10 dBm Wi-Fi, GSM, UMTS, LTE, LoRa, Bluetooth, Zigbee, RFID, Digital Broadcasting, configurable through apps. USB – 1x micro USB3 via CYUSB3014-BZXC Cypress Microcontroller  for control, data transfer and power Misc – Status LEDs, RGB LEDs, 4x switches Power – USB or external power supply Dimensions –  100 mm x 60 mm The board […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on HP Chromebook 13 G1 Features Skylake Pentium or Core M Processor, 4 to 16GB RAM, and a 3200×1800 Display for $499 and Up

HP Chromebook 13 G1 Features Skylake Pentium or Core M Processor, 4 to 16GB RAM, and a 3200×1800 Display for $499 and Up

HP Chromebook 13 G1 is the middle ground between Google’s $1000 Chromebook Pixel and the cheap Rockchip RK3288 chromebooks, thanks to a choice of low power Skylake Core M processor,  plenty of memory, and for people who loathe 1366×768, or even 1920×1080 displays, a 13.3″ display with 3200×1800 resolution. HP Chromebook 13 G1 specifications: SoC (four options) Intel Pentium 4405Y dual core / quad thread processor @ 1.5 GHz with Intel HD Graphics 515 GPU @ 300/800 MHz (TDP: 6W) Intel Core m3-6Y30 dual core / quad thread processor @ 900 / 2.2 GHz with Intel HD Graphics 515 GPU @ 300/850 MHz (TDP: 4.5W) Intel Core m5-6Y57  dual core / quad thread processor @ 1.1 / 2.8 GHz with Intel HD Graphics 515 GPU @ 300/900 MHz (TDP: 4.5W) Intel Core m7-6Y75 dual core / quad thread processor @ 1.2 / 3.1 GHz with Intel HD Graphics 515 GPU @ […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments on Tibbo Project System is a Modular Linux IoT Prototyping Platform based on TI Sitara Cortex A8 Processor

Tibbo Project System is a Modular Linux IoT Prototyping Platform based on TI Sitara Cortex A8 Processor

If you’ve found yourself needing to quickly demo a system that does not look like a mess of wire to a customer, or your project is requires low production volumes, making the cost of designing your own and mass-producing the hardware prohibitive, Tibbo Project System might be worth looking into. It features an almost bare board powered by Texas Instruments Sitara processor, and a large area for Tibbit blocks to add features as needed, as well as an enclosure. Size 3 Linux Project PCB (LTPP3) specifications: SoC – Texas Instruments Sitara AM335x Cortex A8 processor up to 1.0 GHz System Memory – 512 MB DDR3 Storage – 512 MB NAND flash, 2KB EEPROM, optional micro SD slot Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet (RJ45), optional WiFi (via LW1000 module) and GPRS connectivity (via Tibbit #47) Expansion – 51 I/Os: 7x tiles 14x sockets for Tibbit module including 4x with UART capability up […]

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UP 7000 x86 SBC