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How-to Install and “Hack” Linux on T428 or MK802 IV mini PCs

PicUntu 4.5 installer is probably the easiest method to install Ubuntu on a Rockchip RK3188 based mini PC, but if you want a little more flexibility I’ll provide another method to install Linux on T428, MK802 IV or compatible devices, as well as links to go further: dual boot Android / Linux, create your own official distro, status of Mali-400 GPU support in RK3188… The method below is not new, as it was posted by Linuxium (Ian Morrison) in Freaktab in September, but this is the first time I’ve taken the time and managed to run Linux on Rockchip RK3188, and I’ll provide some more detailed steps. Prerequisites Even though in some cases it’s possible to install Rockchip firmware from Linux, AFAIK the tools available in Linux lack supports for the parameter and loader files, so ironically, you’ll need a Windows XP/7/8 machine to install Linux in your mini PC. […]

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ThL W200 Smartphone Review (Mediatek MT6589T)

I’ve received ThL W200, a smartphone powered by Mediatek MT6589T SoC, at the beginning of week (Check specs and unboxing pictures), and after about a week of use, it’s time for a review. First I’ll go through my first impressions, test of different features such as the camera, GPS, and Bluetooth, and finally run some apps to get system information and benchmarks for this phone. ThL W200 Review This smartphone feels very light, but the build quality is good, and as explained in my unboxing post, comes with power, volume -/+, and menu/home/back buttons. You’ll also find rear camera + flash, front camera, the light sensor, and the notification light. First impressions The phone boots to the standard Android home screen, as shown above, with English as the default language, and comes with Google Play Store, and no Chinese apps. The 720p screen provide a sharp and clear display, and […]

ArmSoM RK3588 AIModule7 NVIDIA Jetson Nano-compatible SOM
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Linaro 13.11 Release with Linux Kernel 3.12 and Android 4.4

This release includes Linux Kernel 3.12 (baseline), Linux Kernel 3.10.20 (LSK), Android 4.4 for the first time, and Ubuntu Linaro 13.11 (still based on Raring). Beside Android Kit Kat support, other noticeable updates include initial documentation for LAVA, and further work on ARMv8 support. Here are the highlights of this release: Android Engineering Android 64-/32-bit updated to 4.4 KitKat Fastboot/UEFI – Created Fastboot app design Builds and Baselines Linaro Stable Kernel 3.10.20-2013.11 released – Includes an updated big.LITTLE MP patchset Linux Linaro 3.12-2013.11 released: gator version 5.16 (same version as in 13.10 release) updated big-LITTLE-pmu, iks, iks-cpufreq, and interactive-gov-updates topics from ARM LT updated basic Capri board support from Broadcom LT (generic phy support for USB, watchdog, updated bcm_defconfig) updated big endian topic updated topic to support K3V2 board from Hisilicon LT updated Versatile Express patches from ARM LT vexpress64 support (updated FVP Base model files, added support for FVP […]

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Avalue ECM-KA SBC Powered by AMD Embedded G-Series Dual and Quad Core SoCs

Avalue Technology, a Taiwanese company manufacturing industrial and embedded single board computer, has recently announced a 3.5” SBC (single board computer) micro module, labeled ECM-KA, powered by AMD Embedded G-Series SoCs. The board will feature GX-415GA Quad-core SoC by default, with GX-217GA (1.6GHz), and GX-210HA (1.0GHz) dual core SoCs as options. The board targets the embedded market with applications such as industrial controls & automation, gaming (e.g. slot machine, aracade), thin clients, retail/ digital signage, SMB storage server, surveillance, medical, communication, entertainment, and data acquisition. ECM-KA Specifications: SoC – AMD Embedded G-Series Quad-core GX-415GA @ 1.5GHz SoC with on-chip Radeon HD 8400E GPU (Optional GX-217GA 1.6GHz/ GX-210HA 1.0GHz) System Memory – One 204-pin DDR3 SODIMM Socket Supports Up to 8GB DDR3 1600 SDRAM Storage – 2x SATA III and SSD One CompactFlash Type I/II Socket (Support InnoDisk CF-SATA). Expansion – 1x Mini PCIe (mSATA Supported) I/O MIO –  1 x […]

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Merrii Hummingbird Development Kit Features AllWinner A20 Processor, and an Optional 7″ Touchscreen Display

And yet another AllWinner A20 development platform shows up in my news stream in about 24 hours. Merrii Technology, a Shenzhen based electronics design house, has showed off their Hummingbird Development Kit to ARMDevices.net. The development board comes with 1GB RAM, 4GB NAND Flash, Gigabit Ethernet, SATA, HDMI output, and more. There’s also an optional 7″ capacitive touch screen display for the board. The company explains the kit can be used to develop application such as media players, game consoles, IPTV, automotive products (GPS & IVI), robots, servers, surveillance products, and home automation systems. Here are the board specifications: SoC – AllWinner A20 dual ARM Cortex-A7 core @ 1 GHz with ARM Mali400-MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR3 (2x 4Gb 16bits DDR3) Storage – 4GB MLC 64bit ECC NAND Flash (Hynix H27UBG8T2A), SATA II connectors, and micro SD card slot (Up to 32GB) Connectivity – Wifi & Bluetooth (two-in-one […]

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Improv Open Hardware Platform Features EOMA68-A20 CPU Card Powered by AllWinner A20 SoC

After seeing a countdown clock on makeplaylive.com a few days ago, I was expecting the Plasma Active, Linux based  Vivaldi Tablet to come up, but instead Improv, an open hardware platform, has just been launched. It features the long awaited EOMA68 CPU card with AllWinner A20 dual core ARM Cortex A7 processor, together with a “feature board”, and is now available for pre-order for $75, with shipping expecting in January. It’s only available in North America and Europe for now. Improv specifications: EOMA68-A20 CPU board: SoC – AllWinner A20 dual core ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1 GHz with Mali-400MP2 GPU System Memory – 1GB DDR2 Storage – 4GB NAND flash Video – micro HDMI (video + audio), RGB/TTL pins USB – Micro USB OTG + USB 2.0 host pins Networking – 10/100M Ethernet Other buses – I2C, 8 GPIO, UART0 Weight – Under 40 grams Feature board: Storage – 32K EEPROM, […]

Rockchip RK3568, RK3588 and Intel x86 SBCs and SoMs in 2025
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Faraday Technology SoCreative! IV Kit Facilitates Custom SoC Design and Software Implementation

Faraday Technology has unveiled “SoCreative! IV”, a SoC development kit based on Faraday A380 SoC featuring  a dual-core ARM Cortex A9 processor, an ARMv5-compliant core developed by the company, and a high speed expansion bus for interfacing with FPGA daughtercards. A380 SoC has been designed for cloud infrastructure market, including networking, computing, and storage applications. The company has not listed the specifications, but here’s what I could derived from the picture above, and the info found on Linux Gizmos article. SoC – Farady A380 dual core Cortex A9 @ 1GHz, with ARMv5-compliant FA626TE RISC processor @ 500MHz, and 512MB L2 cache. BGA package (31x31mm), 40nm process. System Memory – 1GB DDR3-1600 RAM Storage – 4Gb NAND Flash (512MB), 128Mb of NOR flash, 64Mb of SPI flash, I2C EEPROM, and SD Card slot. Video Output – DSUB for 24-bit LCD I/F up to 1280×1280 Audio – Mic In, Audio In/Out, Audio […]

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AlmaDom.us Home Automation System Fits into Your Walls’ Gang Boxes

Almaware, an Italian IT company, has recently launched an Indiegogo campagain for AlmaDom.us, an home automation system with a 4.3″ touchscreen screen that replaces your wall switch, and fits in your wall’s gang box. Almadom.us specifications: SoC – ARM Cortex A8 720Mhz ARM Processor with PowerVR SGX530 GPU (Texas Instruments AM3354) System Memory – 256MB or more (TBD) Storage – 128Mb Flash or more (TBD) Display – 4.3″ resistive touchscreen (5 points). Resolution: 480×272, 256K colors Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0, Z-Wave and WiFi 802.11b/g/n with antenna on external cover Relays – 3 relays compatible with 110V and 230V (US and European Standard), with a maximum of 10A for single electrical equipment Misc – Temperature sensor, Infrared proximity sensor (to turn on/off screen), microphone and speaker. Power consumption – Active: 0.2 – 2W, Standby: 20 – 100 mW Operating temperature range – 0° to 70° C Board dimension – About 70×30 […]

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