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Flipper Zero hardware & wireless hacking tool gets an app “store” with open-source app

Flipper Zero portable multi-tool for pentesters and hardware hackers has now gotten an app “store” with currently around 100 free and open-source apps available through the device’s Android or iOS app. I missed it at the time, but the Flipper Zero launched on Kickstarter in July 2020 and was massively popular with close to 5 million dollars raised from almost 38,000 backers. The tool looks like a toy but it allows hacking with GPIOs and short-range wireless protocols such as Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, and infrared. Flipper Zero specifications: Wireless MCU  – STMicro STM32WB55RG with Arm Cortex-M4 application core @ 64 MHz, Arm Cortex-M0+ network core @ 32 MHz, 1024 KB flash, 256KB SRAM Storage – MicroSD card slot up to 64GB Display – 1.4-inch monochrome LCD (black on orange background) with 128×64 resolution via ST7565R SPI display controller Connectivity Bluetooth 5 LE & 802.15.4 via STM32WB55 microcontroller Bluetooth LE – […]

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STMicro STHS34PF80 IR sensor for motion and presence detection aims to replace PIR sensors

STMicro STHS34PF80 is a new IR sensor designed for IoT and Smart Home devices requiring motion and/or presence detection that offers an alternative to traditional passive infrared (PIR) sensors and is mostly useful for building automation. The latest IR sensor from STMicro contains thermal transistors (MOSFETs) that can not only detect motion but also stationary objects, something that’s not feasible with conventional PIR detectors that require motion for object detection. The company further adds that PIR sensors need a Fresnel lens to sense moving objects, but the STHS34PF80 detector does not require a lens and as a result, enables much smaller designs. STHS34PF80 key features and specifications: Range up to 4 meters without lens for objects measuring 70 x 25 cm² Integrated silicon IR filter IR sensitivity – 2000 LSB/°C RMS noise – 25 LSBrms Operating wavelength – 5 µm to 20 µm Local temperature sensor accuracy – ±0.3 °C […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC
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VL53L7CX Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor offers camera-like 90° field of view

STMicroelectronics VL53L7CX is the latest FlightSense multi-zone Time-of-Flight (ToF) distance sensor from the company with the main highlight between its camera-like 90° diagonal field of view, derived from a 60° x 60° field of view… This is a significant improvement over the 61° diagonal field of view of the previous generation ToF sensors such as the VL53L8 or VL53L5CP,  and the wider field-of-view is said to bring “lifelike situational awareness” to applications like home automation, computers, house appliances, robots, and industrial equipment with full-privacy since ToF sensors do not capture photos or videos like traditional cameras. STMicro VL53L7CX key features and specifications: 940 nm invisible light vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and integrated analog driver 60° x 60° square field of view (FoV) (90° diagonal) using diffractive optical elements (DOE) on both transmitter and receiver enabling square FoV Receiving array of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) Multizone ranging output […]

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STMicro STLINK-V3PWR debugging & programming probe supports power measurement

STMicro STLINK-V3PWR is a new in-circuit debugging and programming probe made for STM32 microcontrollers and that is said to provide accurate power measurement. The probe is especially useful for battery power IoT and wireless applications and is able to measure current values from nanoamps up to ~500mA with up to ±0.5% accuracy. The STLINK-V3PWR can also power the target over a single USB cable up to 2A. STMicro STLINK-V3PWR key features and specifications: 1‑Quadrant source measurement unit: Programmable voltage source from 1.6 to 3.6 V Output current rating 500 mA with over-current protection (OCP) at 550 mA Programmable sampling rate from 1 SPS to 100 kSPS Dynamic measurement 100 nA to 550 mA current 160 nW to 1.65 W power measurements 50 kHz bandwidth 1.6 MHz acquisition / 2% accuracy Compatible with EEMBC ULPMark tests Auxiliary output voltage source from 1.6 to 3.6 V under up to 2 A (no current measurement, OCP at 2.5 A) Debugging of […]

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STMicro STM32H5 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU clocks at 250 MHz, supports STM32Trust TEE Secure Manager

STMicroelectronics has announced the STM32H5 Arm Cortex-M33 “high-performance” microcontroller family clocked at up to 250 MHz and supporting STM32Trust TEE Secure Manager to boost both performance and security in “next-generation smart applications”. The STM32H5 family has three product types namely the higher-end STM32H563/573 with up to 2MB flash, 640KB SRAM, Ethernet, and hardware security, the STM32H562 with a similar design but fewer interfaces, and the entry-level STM32H502 with 128KB flash, 32KB SRAM. STM32H5 key features and specifications: MCU core – Arm Cortex-M33 core with TrustZone technology, digital signal processing (DSP) and floating-point unit (FPU) running up to 250 MHz; Up to  375 DMIPS and a 1023 CoreMark score executing from the flash memory Memory and Storage STM32H563/573/562 – 1 to 2 Mbytes of flash memory, 640 Kbytes of SRAM STM32H503 – 128 Kbytes of flash memory and 32 Kbytes of RAM. OSPI serial flash memory interface Up to 2x SDMMC […]

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STMicro adds more STM32U5 Cortex-M33 MCUs with NeoChrom 2.5D GPU, 128KB to 4MB flash, NIST certification, etc…

STMicro has added three new families to its STM32U5 Cortex-M33 microcontroller series with the entry-level STM32U535/545 with as little as 128KB flash, the STM32U595/5A5 with up to 4MB of Flash and 2,514KB of RAM, and the STM32U599/5A9 with similar features as the STM32U595/5A5 by adding the new NeoChrom 2.5D GPU plus TFT-LCD and DSI display interfaces. STMicro also announced that STM32U5 series MCUs were the first general-purpose MCUs to receive NIST-embedded random-number entropy source certification. As of now, along with the STM32U575/585 introduced in February 2021 with an optional Chrom-ART 2D GPU, STMicro offers eight product lines as part of the STM32U5 MCU series as shown in the table below. That means the STM32U5 microcontroller can address a wider range of applications with the STM32U535/545 targetting lower-cost applications with less flash and RAM, the “legacy” STM32U575/U585 for mid-range applications, and the STM32U59X/5AX for applications where more storage and memory is […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs abd SoMs
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Low-cost STM32C0 32-bit microcontroller aims to displace 8-bit MCUs

8-bit MCUs are still found in many designs, but with the new low-cost 48MHz STM32C0 32-bit Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontroller, STMicroelectronics aims to displace 8-bit microcontrollers thanks to “a limited impact on the cost structure” and the improved support provided by the STM32 ecosystem. The cheapest ever STM32 microcontroller offers up to 32 KB flash, 6 or 12 KB RAM, and I/O interfaces such as UART, I2C, SPI, 12-bit ADC, and so on. The STM32C0 MCUs are available in 8- to 48-pin packages such as WLCSP12, UFQFPN, and the ridiculously tiny 1.70 x 1.42 mm WLCSP12 package. STMicro STM32C0 key features and specifications: MCU Core -Arm 32-bit Cortex-M0+ CPU @ up to 48 MHz Memory – 6KB (STM32C011x4/x6) or 12KB (STM32C031x4/x6) SRAM with HW parity check Storage – 32KB flash with protection Peripheral interfaces Up to 45x fast I/Os some of which are 5V tolerant; Note: up to 18x fast I/Os […]

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Benchmarking TinyML with MLPerf Tiny Inference Benchmark

As machine learning moves to microcontrollers, something referred to as TinyML, new tools are needed to compare different solutions. We’ve previously posted some Tensorflow Lite for Microcontroller benchmarks (for single board computers), but a benchmarking tool specifically designed for AI inference on resources-constrained embedded systems could prove to be useful for consistent results and cover a wider range of use cases. That’s exactly what MLCommons, an open engineering consortium, has done with MLPerf Tiny Inference benchmarks designed to measure how quickly a trained neural network can process new data for tiny, low-power devices, and it also includes an optional power measurement option. MLPerf Tiny v0.5, the first inference benchmark suite designed for embedded systems from the organization, consists of four benchmarks: Keyword Spotting – Small vocabulary keyword spotting using DS-CNN model. Typically used in smart earbuds and virtual assistants. Visual Wake Words – Binary image classification using MobileNet. In-home security […]

Boardcon Rockchip RK3588S SBC with 8K, WiFI 6, 4G LTE, NVME SSD, HDMI 2.1...