Vortex86DX3 is a New x86 SoC for Embedded Systems

Intel is already making embedded version of their processor with example with Bay Trail-I or Quark SoCs, but Taiwan based DMP Electronics has also been making x86 SoC such as Vortex86EX that can be found in $39 86duino Zero board, which must be one the cheapest, if not the cheapest, x86 board on the market. Of course, this is not designed to run Windows and Office, but rather some embedded (IoT) applications. The company has recently launched Vortex86DX3, a more powerful x86 dual core processor, suited to embedded systems and communication products such as thin clients, NAT routers, gateways, etc… DMP Vortex86DX3 specifications: Dual Core x86 Processor @ 1GHz with 6 stage pipeline, x86 instruction set Floating point – Implements ANSI/IEEE standard 754-1985 for binary Floating-Point Architecture Cache – 8-way 32K I-Cache, 8-way 32K D-Cache,  4-way 512KB L2 Cache with write through or write back policy System DDR3 Control Interface – 32-bit data […]

Rockchip RK3368 64-bit ARM Android Boxes Are Coming Soon

Yesterday, Rockchip had an event for their Atom x3-C3230RK SoCs (previously known as Sofia)  developed in collaboration with Intel, and upcoming Android 5.1 tablets and smartphones based on the new platform, as well as progress with their first 64-bit ARM SoC (RK3368) that is now integrated into Android TV boxes, albeit still in development. Padnews wrote a summary of the event, but in this post I’ll focus on Rockchip RK3368 hardware. One of the first product will be X6 TV box. Padnews did not have a readable picture with the specs, but Eric of Geekbuying also went to the event, and kindly provided a clear picture with the specs (Mali-600MP is however not the GPU used in RK3368): SoC – Rockchip RK3368 octa core Cortex A53 processor with PowerVR G6110 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.x/2.0/3.x, OpenGL 3.2, DirectX 9.3, OpenCL 1.2 EP, and Renderscript System Memory – 1 […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM

Inforce 6501 Micro SOM is a Tiny Module with Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 Processor

Inforce Computing has now launched Inforce 6501 micro system-on-module (SoM) based on the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 processor found on their Inforce 6540 pico-ITX single board computer. The module measures just 50×28 mm, and integrates up to 3 GB RAM, up to 16 GB eMMC, and Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. Inforce 6501 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 (APQ8084) quad core Krait 450 processor up to 2.7 GHz with Adreno 420 GPU, and Hexagon DSP V50 up to 800 MHz System Memory – 2GB to 3GB PoP LPDDR3 @ 800 MHz; 2×64-bit 26.5GB/s memory bus Storage – 4GB eMMC v4.5/v5.0, with options up to 16GB Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.1 & 2×2 dual band 802.11 b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi (QCA6174), and GPS (QCA1530) Peripherals and I/O via two 100-pin SoM connectors: Video / Display – 1x HDMI 1.4a, 2x MIPI-DSI (4-lane) & touch screen, Audio 4x Line out, 3x Mic-in, 1x headphone […]

Xiaomi Mi Box Mini Review

After showing pictures of Xiami Mi Box Mini, it’s now time for a “review”, but a bit different from my other reviews, as Xiaomi tiny media player is much different. First the firmware is in Chinese only, and there’s only one external port HDMI output. So first I’ll show the user interface is Chinese, then explain how you can install your own Android apps, and finally run some benchmark to evaluates Mediatek MT8568, Wi-Fi and storage performance. Xiaomi Mi Box Mini Setup and Chinese User Interface The device is super small, but in my case it was almost too big, as it takes enough space to potentially cause problems with the adjacent plug. This little issue will of course depend on your power extension.  You then need to connect the 1.5 meter HDMI cable, which should be long enough for most setups, and you’ll see some guide asking you to […]

Cube i7-CM is an Ubuntu Tablet Powered by Intel Core M-5Y10 Processor

Alldocube is a Chinese company known for its Cube Android tablets, and more recently, it has launched some Windows 8.1 tablets. The company has now announced its first Ubuntu tablet with Cube i7-CM featuring a recent low power Broadwell-Y Core M-5Y10 processor. Cube i7-CM tablet specifications: SoC – Intel Core M-5Y10 dual core / four threads processor @ 800 MHz (Burst freq: 2.0 GHz) with 4MB cache, and Intel HD graphics 5300 (4.5W TDP) System Memory – 4GB RAM Storage – 64GB eMMC + micro SD card slot (up to 32GB) Display – 11.6″ capacitive touchscreen; resolution: 1920×1080; 10-point touch. Video Output – micro HDMI Audio – 3.5mm headphone jack, dual speaker, microphone, and HDMI Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.0 Cellular (Data only, single SIM card slot) 4G – FDD-LTE Band 1/3/7 & TDD-LTE 38/39/40/41 3G – WCDMA:900/2100MHz 2G – GSM:850/900/1800/1900MHz Camera – 5MP Rear camera, 2MP front-facing camera […]

Xiaomi Mi Box Mini Unboxing

Xiaomi Mi Box Mini is probably the smallest Android media player available so far. It integrates a 100-240V power supply, and only features a single HDMI output port, no micro SD slot, and no USB ports. Although the device is primarily targeting the Chinese market, with a Chinese user interface and CCC certification only, several Chinese e-retailers have started to offer it for $50 or less.  GearBest sells it for $42.98 with coupon MIBOX, and they’ve sent me a sample for review. Today, I’ll post some pictures of the device, before doing a review, including trying to switch to a user interface in English. Mi Box Mini Unboxing I’ve received the package via DHL, and for once I did not have pay custom duty or other tax. On the back of the package, they listed some key features in Chinese, such as H.265 1080p video playback, quad core processor, hexa […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025

Scaleway Provides Dedicated ARM Servers for 10 Euros per Month, 0.02 Euro per Hour

Earlier this year, Online Labs launched a beta hosting program using custom-designed C1 dedicated servers powered by Marvell Armada 370/XP quad core processor. The company has now launched a commercial service called Scaleway providing hosting service on these baremetal servers for 9.99 Euros per month, or 0.02 Euro per hour, as well as a “Infinite Storage” service with 1GB data for 0.02 Euros per month. Here are the details of the 10 Euros plan: Server based on Marvell Armada 370/XP quad core ARMv7 processor Memory – 2GB Memory Storage – 50GB SSD Disk 1x Reserved public IPv4 200Mbit/s – Unmetered bandwith Operating Systems – Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, ArchLinux ARM. Docker supported. That’s not a VPS, but a dedicated server. For reference, I currently pay around $20 per month (Linode) for a server with an Intel Xeon E5-2680 dual core processor with 2 GB RAM and 50 GB SSD storage, and 3 […]

Connect a 9.7″ Retina Display (iPAD 3/4) to Your Computer via a DisplayPort Adapter

One way to connect an extra Retina (2048×1536) display to your computer is to purchase Adafruit Qualia 9.7″ DisplayPort Monitor for $224.95. But in case your budget is limited, you could combine an old iPAD 3/4 display with AbuseMark 2048×1536 LCD to DisplayPort Adapter for 3,500 JPY ($29 US). If you don’t have an old iPAD, or would rather not dismantle your “old”-but-still-useful iPAD, you could purchase LG LP097QX1-SPC1/2, LG LP097QX1-SPA1/2/V, or Samsung LTL097QL01-W01 LCD panels instead for about $80 on Amazon US (LP097QX1 / LTL097QL01). If you live in Japan, AbuseMark also ships a complete kit for 12,000 JPY.   Key features listed for the board: Video Input – DisplayPort Display Connector – 51-pin 0.3mm pitch FPC connector STM32F103CB 32-bit Cortex M3 MCU with native USB for firmware update and power/brightness/etc control Dual TI TPS61187 WLED drivers Power – USB or 5V-powered (separate connector) / 1.35A total current draw. Buck […]

Boardcon CM3588 Rockchip RK3588 System-on-Module designed for AI and IoT applications