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Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board combines Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE module

You don’t need to wait for the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W to get a Raspberry Pi RP2350 board with WiFi and Bluetooth thanks to the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 board that combines an RP2350A microcontroller with an ESP32-C6 module offering 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 LE connectivity. The board follows the Adafruit Feather form factor with 28-pin through holes for I/Os making it compatible with FeatherWings add-on boards. It comes with a USB-C port for power and programming, and a JST connector plus a charging circuit for people wanting to connect a LiPo battery. Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350A MCU CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz Dual-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ 150MHz Only two cores can be used at a given time Memory – 520KB internal RAM 8KB OTP Storage Package – QFN-60; 7×7 mm Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 8MB SPI […]

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XIAO RP2350 is a tiny USB-C board based on Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU

The XIAO RP2350 is an upgrade to Seeed Studio’s XIAO RP2040 board with a more powerful Raspberry Pi RP2350 dual-core Cortex-M33 or dual-core RISC-V microcontroller found in the just-launched Raspberry Pi Pico 2 board. The new Raspberry Pi RP2350 USB-C board has the same form factor but adds eight more GPIOs on the bottom with pads for a total of 19 GPIOs, and we lose two LEDs for serial port connectivity. Most people will still be fine with the XIAO RP2040, but if you need a more powerful microcontroller, extra memory, a few extra GPIOs, and built-in security, then the XIAO RP2350 will be an improvement. XIAO RP2350 specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350 MCU CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz (Note: again RISC-V is not mentioned at all by Seeed Studio, like for the Cytron MOTION 2350 Pro board) Memory – 520KB internal RAM 8KB OTP Storage […]

ArmSoM CM5 Raspberry Pi CM4 alternative with Rockchip RK3576 SoC
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Cytron MOTION 2350 Pro – A Raspberry Pi RP2350 board for robotics and motor control

As mentioned in the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 article, third-party RP2350 boards are already available, and one of them is the MOTION 2350 Pro board from Cytron designed for robotics and motor control. The board features a DC motor driver capable of controlling up to 4 brushed DC motors with voltage ratings from 3.6V to 16V. It also features eight 5V servo ports, eight GPIO ports, and three Maker ports for sensor or actuator modules. Each I/O is matched with its own LED which makes the board ideal for the education market and also simplifies debugging. Finally, a USB 1.1 host port is present to connect peripherals such as the RF dongle for a joystick or a keyboard. Cytron MOTION 2350 Pro specifications: Microcontroller – Raspberry Pi RP2350 CPU – Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 processor @ 150MHz (RISC-V cores are not mentioned, so they are likely not used at all) Memory […]

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MechDog AI Robot Dog features ESP32-S3 controller, supports Scratch, Python, and Arduino programming

Hiwonder’s MechDog is a compact AI robot dog powered by an ESP32-S3 controller that drives eight high-speed coreless servos. It features built-in inverse kinematics for precise and agile movements and has ports for various I2C sensors such as ultrasonic and IMU sensors. The robot is equipped with a durable aluminum alloy frame and a removable 7.4V 1,500mAh lithium battery for power. MechDog integrates with the ESP32-S3 AI vision module, supporting dual-mode network communication either AP Hotspot Direct Connection Mode or STA LAN Mode so that users can access a designated URL webpage via an app or PC for real-time monitoring using a high-definition camera. Also, this robot dog supports various sensor modules, including a touch sensor, light sensor, dot matrix display, and programmable MP3 module, allowing for secondary development and expansion, offering extensive creative possibilities. Previously, we wrote about the Waveshare UGV AI Rover, which features a 2mm thick aluminum […]

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ESP32-P4-Function-EV-Board development board launched for $55 with 7-inch display and camera module

Espressif Systems “ESP32-P4-Function-EV-Board” – the official ESP32-P4 development board – is now available in limited quantities on Espressif’s AliExpress store for $55.44, and some other AliExpress stores at a premium as part of a kit with a 7-inch touchscreen display and a 2MP camera module. First unveiled in January 2023, the ESP32-P4 is the first general-purpose RISC-V microcontroller from Espressif Systems without any wireless connectivity. It’s a high-end microcontroller with two RISC-V cores clocked at 400 MHz, vector instructions for AI acceleration, a 2D graphics accelerator for smooth graphical user interfaces, and H.264 video encoding support. There’s been some buzz about it in recent months, and finally, it’s now possible to purchase an ESP32-P4 board for evaluation and software development. ESP32-P4-Function-EV-Board development board specifications: Microcontroller – Espressif Systems ESP32-P4 CPU Dual-core RISC-V HP (High-performance) CPU @ up to 400 MHz with AI instructions extension and single-precision FPU, 768KB of on-chip […]

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Makerfabs SenseLora 4G gateway supports LTE Cat 1 and WiFi 4 connectivity, features solar battery charger

The Makerfabs SenseLora 4G Gateway is a device that collects data from LoRa sensors (like temperature and humidity sensors) and sends that data over a 4G network to a cloud service or directly to your phone via SMS, this is ideal for applications where installing a LoRaWAN device is unnecessary or expensive. The application for this gateway includes monitoring soil humidity in your backyard or greenhouse conditions on your farm. Previously we have written about similar smart agriculture sensors including AgroSense LoRaWAN sensors and WisGate Soho Pro RAK7267 LoRaWAN gateway feel free to check those out if you are looking for LoRa-based agricultural products. Makerfabs SenseLora 4G gateway specifications SoC – Espressif ESP32-S3R8 CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 microcontroller up to 240 MHz with vector instructions for AI acceleration Memory – 8MB PSRAM Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh connectivity LPWAN connectivity LoRaWAN SX1276 LoRa module Frequencies 868 […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
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SMARC 2.2 specification adds support for Soundwire, PCIe Gen4, and more

SGET (Standardization Groups for Embedded Technologies) has announced the release of the SMARC 2.2 specification with various improvements including support for Soundwire, PCIe Gen4, and severa; other changes related to pinout definitions and signal descriptions, as well as various bug fixes and corrections. SMARC (“Smart Mobility ARChitecture”) is one of the many standards for systems-on-module designed to enable interoperability between vendors that offer modules compliant with the standard. SMARC features a 314-pin MXM 3.0 connector and is available in two form factors, either 82×50 mm or 82×80 mm, with the former being more common. SMARC 2.2 changes since SMARC 2.1 (April 2020): Removed wrong AC coupling comment in section 3.5.1 HDMI (SMARC 2.1.1 update) Added Soundwire as an alternative function for I2S2 Added SERDES reset signal as an alternative function of PCIe reset signal Added SERDES interrupt signals as dual-function on GPIO[7:8] Updated supported Ethernet speed and renamed the LINK […]

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SparkFun Thing Plus – NORA-W306 – A dual-band Wi-Fi 4 and BLE 5.3 IoT board

SparkFun Thing Plus – NORA-W306, is a dual-core, dual-band WiFi 4 and BLE 5.3 microcontroller board in the AdaFruit Feather form factor based on the u-box NORA-W306 module and targeted at low-power wireless applications. The u-blox module integrates the Realtek RTL8720DF chip, a dual-core ARM Cortex-M33 and Cortex-M23 microcontroller with dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.3 Low Energy. It offers up to 4MB of encrypted flash and has an onboard PCB antenna. It’s very similar to the RealTek RTL8720DN we covered a few times in the past, but comes with embedded flash. The SparkFun Thing Plus – NORA-W306 board features a USB-C connector for programming, data, and power. The USB data lines are protected against electrostatic discharge and are connected to a CP2102N USB-to-serial converter for uploading code or serial. This board includes a 2-pin JST-style connector for a LiPo battery, a single-cell charger, and a LiPo fuel […]

Boardcon EM3562 Rockchip RK3562 SBC with 8 analog camera inputs