BrisbaneSilicon ELM11-Feather is a “microcontroller” board based on a Gowin GW1NR FPGA that is natively programmable in Lua, C, SystemVerilog, and VHDL.

Compatible with the Adafruit Feather form factor, the board features GPIO headers, a built-in debugger, a USB-C port for power and programming, and a 2-pin header for a LiPo battery. The company calls it a microcontroller board because the FPGA runs a PicoRV32 MCU softcore at up to 75 MHz with 1MB RAM and 8MB flash, programmable with Lua, and the user can also customize hardware layers with RTL code using the remaining FPGA fabric.

ELM11-Feather specifications:

• FPGA – Gowin GW1NR-LV9 FPGA from the GW1NR-9 family
  • 8K LUTs
  • 8,640 logical units (LUTs)
  • 6,480 flip-flop
  • 17,280 bits shadow SRAM (SSRAM)
  • 486 Kbit block SRAM (BSRAM)
  • 64 Mbit (8MB) PSRAM
  • 608 Kbit user flash
  • 2x PLL
  • Up to 276x user I/O
• USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
• Expansion – 16-pin + 11-pin headers for GPIO, PWM, UART, SPI, I2C; note: no analog pins
• Debugger – Based on Bouffalo BL702
• Misc
  • User and Reset push-buttons
  • 5x user-programmable LEDs
  • Charging LED
  • Hardware watchdog
  • 4x mounting holes
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C port
  • 2-pin connector for LiPo battery; built-in 500 mA charger
  • 3.3V regulator with 500 mA peak current output
• Dimensions – 64.65 x 22.86 x 4.85 mm (Adafruit Feather form factor)
• Weight – 7.3 grams

From the hardware point of view, the architecture looks very similar to the Sipeed Tang Nano 9K board introduced in 2022 with a Gowin GW1NR-LV9 FPGA and a BL702 debugger, albeit the form factor and interfaces are a bit different. Another competitor is the Pico2-Ice development board, which pairs a Raspberry Pi RP2350B with a Lattice iCE40UP5K FPGA.

Beyond the affordable hardware, the main selling point of the ELM11-Feather board is on the firmware/software side. Its firmware (EmbluaOS) allows the user to execute Lua scripts from REPL (one standalone REPL per CPU core) or a program stored in flash memory. It supports standard digital I/O protocols such as GPIO, PWM, UART, SPI, and I²C, as well as interrupts, timers, and a hardware-based watchdog. Users can also reconfigure the hardware (I/O type, frequency, boot configuration, etc.) using RTL. EmbluaOS source code has not been released just yet, but you can find Lua code samples on GitHub and work-in-progress documentation on the company website.

Since some users may not be comfortable with using the command line, the company also developed the Arvore IDE to guide users through the process of creating a new project, developing new programs, uploading them to ELM11 Feather, and extending the Lua API. The Arvore IDE is still at the beta stage, but you can already find the Python source code and pre-built binaries for Windows 11 or Debian-based Linux distributions (Ubuntu recommended) on GitHub.

BrisbaneSilicon has just launched the ELM11-Feather on Crowd Supply with a symbolic $1 funding target. The board is sold for $39 with two unsoldered 24-pin headers and a USB Type-C to Type-A cable. Shipping is free to the US, but adds $12 to the rest of the world, and deliveries are scheduled to start by November 2026.

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M5Stack Stamp-C5, also known as the M5Stamp-C5, is a tiny wireless IoT USB-C board based on the Espressif ESP32-C5 RISC-V microcontroller with dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth LE, and 802.15.4 (Zigbee/Thread) connectivity.

Despite its small size (19.1 x 17.6mm), the module exposes up to nineteen GPIO pins, eleven on standard 2.54mm pitch headers and castellated holes, and eight on an FPC extension connector. The board also supports battery charging and ships with an external IPEX antenna for wireless connectivity, since there’s no built-in antenna.

M5Stack Stamp-C5 specifications:

• Wireless MCU –  Espressif Systems ESP32-C5HF4
  • CPU
    • Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz
    • Low-power RISC-V core @ 48 MHz acting as the main processor for power-sensitive applications
  • Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip
  • Storage – 320 KB ROM, 4MB SPI flash
  • Wireless
    • Dual-band (2.4/5 GHz) 802.11ax WiFi 6, 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 backward compatibility
    • WiFi modes: Station mode, SoftAP mode, SoftAP + Station mode, and promiscuous mode
    • Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy (LE) with Mesh support, up to 2Mbps data rate
    • 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee 3.0, Thread 1.3, and Matter up to 250 Kbps
• Antenna – IPEX-1 antenna connector with LFD182G45DCHD481 dual-band diplexer for 2.4/5 GHz selection
• USB
  • USB Type-C port for power and programming
  • D+/D- pads on the bottom of the board
• Expansion
  • 2x 7-pin headers (through holes and castellated holes) with up to 11x GPIO, 5V (VUSB), 3.3V, VBAT, and GND
  • 12-pin FPC connector with up to 8x GPIO, UART, 3.3V, GND
• Misc
  • Charging and Boot/User (G28) LEDs
  • Tx/Rx pads for debugging
  • Boot and Reset pads
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB Type-C port
  • 3.7V battery support via SGM40567-4.2XG/TR charging IC; Approx. 200mA charging current
  • Consumption – Deep sleep: 3.7V @ 13uA
• Dimensions – 19.1 x 17.6 x 3.4mm
• Weight – 1.8 grams or 2.4 grams with headers

Two versions of the board are available: the Stamp-C5 as shown above, and the Stamp-C5 DIP with the 12-pin FPC connector soldered on, and two 7-pin headers (not soldered). M5Stack provides PDF schematics, a pinout diagram (see below), and instructions for getting started with the Arduino IDE on the documentation website.

The Stamp-C5 is the smallest ESP32-C5 USB-C IoT board/module we’ve seen so far, with the two closest competitors being the XIAO ESP32-C5 (21 x 17.8mm) with an ESP32-C5HR8 chip (8MB PSRAM) and an 8MB SPI flash) and the NiceMCU ESP32-C5 Mini (27.9 x 17.8 mm) based on the same ESP32-C5HF4, but with on-board antenna and IPEX connector, and no battery support. The Stamp-C5 offers more I/Os than either thanks to its extra FPC connector.

The company sells the Stamp-C5 for $6.50, and the DIP variant for $7.95 on the M5Stack store, and both should soon become available on the M5Stack AliExpress store.

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Oddly Specific Objects has launched a crowdfunding campaign for the Open Book Touch, an ESP32-S3-based e-reader with a 4.26-inch e-paper display with 480 x 800 resolution and a capacitive touch screen.

The open-source hardware device comes with 16 MB flash, 8MB PSRAM, a frontlight with warm and cool LEDs, a microSD card for storage, and an 800 mAh user-replaceable LiPo battery with everything housed in a 3D printed enclosure.

Open Book Touch specifications:

• SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 dual-core MCU with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE connectivity
• Memory – 8 MB octal SPI PSRAM
• Storage
  • 16 MB quad SPI flash
  • MicroSD card slot
• Display
  • 4.26-inch, 480 × 800 e-paper; 1-bit and 2-bit grayscale with dithering
  • Capacitive touchscreen based on FT6336 low-power controller
  • Frontlight – five warm + five cool LEDs, independently dimmable
• USB – USB Type-C for power/charging and programming
• Misc – 3D-printed plastic enclosure; snap-fit, with 3D-printable CAD for custom shells; note: injection molding possible as a stretch goal
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB-C port
  • 800 mAh user-replaceable LiPo with integrated charging and monitoring
• Dimensions – 78 × 120 × 10 mm
• Weight – 85 grams

While the Open Book Touch can be used as an e-paper dev board programmable with Arduino or CircuitPython, most of the firmware/software work has been done to create a nice e-book reader.

The default firmware has been written with the ESP-IDF framework to optimize performance and power consumption. It relies on Focus, a lightweight, platform-agnostic C++ UI framework for resource-constrained embedded systems, inspired by NeXTSTEP’s AppKit and Apple’s UIKit, which comes with view controllers, a touch-and-gesture system, a full set of on-screen widgets, and even an on-screen keyboard.

The firmware supports EPUB and plain text, with hyphenation, justification, and inline images, offers multilanguage support with around 70,000-glyph Unifont and a UI localized in seven languages, including right-to-left ones, fast refresh performance between page loads, and a DRM-free experience allowing you to transfer your books over WiFi through a built-in web interface.

Open Book Touch is open hardware with MIT-licensed firmware, schematics, board files, enclosure CAD, and source code to be released before shipping, although the source code for the Focus application framework has already been released.

There are plenty of e-book readers with touchscreen support, such as the Kindle or Kobo Clara BW, and some other readers do not require DRM, have a replaceable battery, and partial open-source support, but none of them have all these features in one device as the Open Book Touch offers. The main downsides I see are the smaller display and the limited number of supported book formats (for now). Another open-source hardware ESP32-S3 e-book reader not in the list above is the Diptyx E-Reader, which has a different dual-screen design and relies on physical buttons instead of a touchscreen for user interaction.

The Open Book Touch e-book reader is now available on Crowd Supply with a LiPo battery and a microSD card for $149. There’s also a $249 Open Book Touch “Author’s Edition” with a premium enclosure, but details are sparse for now. Shipping is free to the US and $12 to the rest of the world. You’ll need to be patient as rewards are only scheduled to ship by April 2027.

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Makerfabs MaUWB for Home Assistant is an ESP32-S3-based Ultra-Wideband (UWB) module designed for indoor positioning and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS). It runs ESPHome for Home Assistant integration, enabling it to be used as part of a UWB-based positioning system to track tagged devices in homes, offices, and other indoor environments.

The module combines an ESP32-S3 with a MaUWB UWB module based on the Qorvo DW3000, featuring a PA/LNA for long-range ranging. Compared to the earlier ESP32-S3 version, it drops the OLED and adds a WIZnet W5500 Ethernet controller that supports PoE. The module also supports Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0, and comes in an enclosure for fixed installations.

Makerfabs MaUWB for Home Assistant specifications:

• Wireless Module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1
  • SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3
    • CPU – Dual-core Tensilica LX7 up to 240 MHz with vector extension for AI/ML workloads
    • RAM – 512KB SRAM; 8MB PSRAM
    • Wireless – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth LE 5
  • Storage – 16MB flash
  • Antenna – PCB antenna
• Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Connectivity
  • Makerfabs MaUWB module integrating an STM32 microcontroller and Qorvo DW3000 series UWB transceiver
  • Integrated Power Amplifier (PA) and Low-Noise Amplifier (LNA)
  • Up to 500 meters maximum range
  • Supports secure, reliable ranging, precision sensing, and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS)
  • Antenna – External antenna support via SMA connector
• Wired Networking – 10/100Mbps Ethernet RJ45 port via WIZnet W5500 controller
• USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming
• Misc – Reset and configuration buttons
• Power
  • Power over Ethernet (PoE)
  • 5V via USB Type-C port
•  Dimensions – TBD

Though the device is specifically designed for Home Assistant, it can still be programmed using the Arduino IDE or the ESP-IDF framework for custom applications; however, as the name implies, the primary focus here is Home Assistant integration. Makerfabs provides a detailed guide for setting up a local positioning system with ESPHome. Further technical details, including the ESPHome custom components and hardware design files, can be found on their GitHub repository.

A typical RTLS setup requires four modules, as one is configured as a tag, two as anchors, and one as the main Home Assistant anchor. You can configure the device roles (Tag or Anchor) and IDs using a provided Windows utility (uwbtools.exe) over a USB-C connection. After assigning roles, the main anchor is integrated into ESPHome by uploading Makerfabs’ custom C++ components and YAML configuration files. Once the firmware is compiled and flashed onto the ESP32-S3, Home Assistant will auto-discover the device. By using the Plotly Graph Card extension, users can visualize the tag’s physical location on a 2D map in real-time.

We have previously written about other similar UWB boards like the Challenger RP2040 UWB board and Makerfabs’ own ESP32 UWB board, and we also saw STMicroelectronics recently release the ST64UWB Arm Cortex-M85 UWB SoC, which also supports EEE 802.15.4z and the upcoming IEEE 802.15.4ab standards.

The Makerfabs MaUWB for Home Assistant is available now on the company’s store for $59.80 plus shipping.

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Norik Systems has developed a compact USB dongle based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF9151 SiP, mostly designed to work as a DECT NR+ child node or a USB-powered gateway.

As a reminder, DECT NR+ is a non-cellular 5G standard for long-range low-power applications that works at 1.9 GHz and supports up to one million nodes through mesh, star, and point-to-point topologies. The Norik USB dongle enables developers to easily add DECT NR+ to gateways or child modes.

Norik Systems DECT NR+ USB dongle specifications:

• Wireless System-in-Package – Nordic Semi nRF9151
  • CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 64 MHz
  • Memory – 256KB RAM
  • Storage – 1MB flash
  • Connectivity
    • Multimode LTE-M/NB-IoT/NB-NTN modem with DECT NR+ support and GNSS.
    • 700-2200 MHz LTE band support.
    • Power Class 5 20 dBm
    • Power Class 3 23 dBm
    • 1.9 GHz and 915 MHz DECT NR+ band support (1, 2, 9, 22)
  • Security – Arm TrustZone + Arm CryptoCell 310.
• USB – USB Type-A male connector with USB-to-Serial + DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade)
• Debugger – Raspberry Pi RP2040 acting as CMSIS-DAP programmer
• Misc
  • Boot button
  • 3x LEDs
  • Onboard omnidirectional chip antenna
• Power Supply – 5V via USB port
• Dimensions –  53.35 x 21.59 mm

The dongle plugs directly into a USB port and shows up as a serial device and debugger. It comes pre-flashed with console shell firmware that allows developers to discover networks, join or create private networks, perform link tests, and evaluate radio performance through a serial terminal.

You can also reprogram the dongle with your own application using the open-source examples included in the Zephyr-based Nordic nRF Connect SDK (Zephyr), while the integrated CMSIS-DAP debugger provides programming and debugging over USB without needing any external debug probe.  The product page (linked below) also provides a datasheet, an application development and flashing guide, and prebuilt firmware for nRF9151.

We’ve covered several nRF9151-based hardware platforms for LTE IoT and DECT NR+ connectivity, including the Makerdiary nRF9151 Connect Kit, emCraft SOM-NRF9151, Nordic’s own Thingy:91 X, and many others, but it’s the first time we’ve come across an nRF9151 USB dongle. LTE-M/NB-IoT connectivity from the nRF9151 is not supported because the USB dongle lacks an eSIM or SIM card slot.

Slovenia-based Norik Systems doesn’t offer a way to purchase the USB dongle online, but you can contact the company to request a quote and find more technical details on the product page.

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Rikomagic DS04 is a new 4K digital signage player running Android 14 on a Rockchip RK3576 octa-core Cortex-A72/A53 processor paired with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage.

It looks to be a cost-down version of the Rockchip RK3588-powered Rikomagic DS08 8K digital signage player with many of the same ports and features, including two 4K-capable HDMI 2.1 ports, a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 jack, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, optional 4G LTE, and a few USB ports.

Rikomagic DS04 specifications:

• SoC – Rockchip RK3576
  • CPU
    • 4x Cortex-A72 cores at 2.3GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 cores at 2.2GHz
    • Arm Cortex-M0 MCU at 400MHz
  • GPU – ARM Mali-G52 MC3 GPU with support for OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0, and 3.2, OpenCL up to 2.0, and Vulkan 1.1
  • NPU – 6 TOPS (INT8) AI accelerator with support for INT4/INT8/INT16/BF16/TF32 mixed operations.
  • VPU
    • Video Decoder – H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, and AVS2 up to 8Kp30 or 4Kp120
    • Video Encoder – H.264 and H.265 up to 4Kp60, (M)JPEG encoder/decoder up to 4Kp60
• System Memory – 4 GB RAM
• Storage – 32 GB eMMC flash
• Video Output
  • 2x HDMI 2.1 ports up to 4K @ 120 Hz
  • Touchscreen supported via USB port
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Digital audio output via HDMI ports
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • Dual-band WiFi 6 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax and Bluetooth 5.2 with two external antennas
  • Optional 4G LTE with SIM card slot
• USB
  • 1x USB 3.0 Type-A port
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
  • 1x USB 3.0 Type-C (OTG) port
• Digital signage features
  • Real-time clock (RTC)
  • Scheduled power on/off and reboot
  • Watchdog
  • 0°, 90°, 180°, 270° display rotation supported
• Power Supply – 12V/2A via power barrel jack
• Dimensions – 147 x 140 x 30mm with the antennas, 114  x 140 x 30mm without antenna
• Materials – Aluminum case for fanless design
• Temperature Range – 0°~70°C
• Humidity – 0%~95% RH

The cost savings mostly come from the processor itself, as well as smaller RAM and storage capacities (4GB vs 8GB,  32GB vs 128GB). The DS04 is limited to 4K video output, while the DS08 supports 8K, and the USB ports offering is now 1x USB 3.0  + 2x USB 2.0, instead of 2x USB 3.0 + 1x USB 2.0. Apart from that, the hardware features are the same.

One benefit of the new model is the upgrade to Android 14 from Android 13.  The advantages of selecting a specialized digital signage over a cheaper TV box are that it’s designed for 24/7 operation and implements features such as screen rotation, scheduled power on/off enabled by a real-time clock, and a watchdog timer to minimize downtime in case the system hangs or crashes. You can check the digital signage features section of our DS08 review to better understand how these work and are implemented.

The DS04 ships with a 12V/2A power adapter, an HDMI cable, and an infrared remote control. The company didn’t provide availability and price information, but I suspect samples of the DS04 will sell for around $200+ on the company’s AliExpress store, considering the DS08 goes for $300, and the earlier DS03 for $184 in the same 4GB/32GB configuration and an RK3399 SoC. Additional information may also be found on the product page.

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KKSB Cases has introduced a series of rack panels designed for Raspberry Pi clusters in standard rack enclosures. The lineup includes a 10-inch 1U model for two Raspberry Pi boards, a 19-inch 1U model for five boards, and a 19-inch 2U model for up to ten boards. All the panels support Raspberry Pi 5, Raspberry Pi 4, Raspberry Pi 3, Pi 2, and other boards sharing the same mounting hole pattern.

The rack panels are made from powder-coated steel and expose the USB and Ethernet ports on the front of the rack for easier cable management. Each slot provides room for Raspberry Pi HATs and the official Raspberry Pi active cooler. KKSB also includes hex standoffs and 40-pin GPIO headers so HATs can be installed above the SBCs when additional clearance is required. Each Raspberry Pi is first attached to an individual mounting tray, which is then secured into the rack panel before installation in a rack cabinet.

KKSB Raspberry Pi Rack Panels key features and specifications:

• SBC compatibility – Raspberry Pi 5, Pi 4, Pi 3, Pi 2, and other SBC’s with an identical form factor and mounting holes
• Form factors
  • 19-inch 2U Rack Panel – Supports up to 10x Raspberry Pi boards
  • 19-inch 1U Rack Panel – Supports up to 5x Raspberry Pi boards
  • 10-inch 1U Rack Panel – Supports up to 2x Raspberry Pi boards
• Expansion – Space allocated for Raspberry Pi HATs
• I/O Access – Front-facing design with access to USB ports and Ethernet
• Misc – Supports the official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler
• Dimensions
  • 19-inch 2U – 482.6 mm x 88.9 mm
  • 19-inch 1U – 482.6 mm x 44.45 mm
  • 10-inch 1U – 254 mm x 44.45 mm
• Build – All-steel body with a black textured powder-coated finish
• Rack compatibility – Fits standard 19-inch and 10-inch rack cabinets; can also be paired with KKSB’s own range of racks

Unlike some Raspberry Pi rack systems, these panels are only designed for mounting the boards. So you need to provide your own Raspberry Pi boards, rack cabinet, power supplies, HATs, and cables.

Assembly is very simple. You just need to attach each Raspberry Pi to an individual tray using the included standoffs. If required, you can install a 40-pin GPIO header, a HAT, and an active cooler before securing the tray into the rack panel. The completed panel is then mounted into a standard rack using cage nuts. Detailed assembly instructions for the 19-inch 2U, 19-inch 1U, and 10-inch 1U rack panels are available on the KKSB website.

Over the years, we have covered several rack-mount solutions for the Raspberry Pi. For instance, we previously looked at MyElectronics’ 19-inch rack supporting up to 12 or 16 Raspberry Pi 4 boards. We’ve also seen specialized high-density setups like the Uptime Lab Compute Blade for the Raspberry Pi CM4, as well as more recent desktop-like enclosures like the DeskPi RackMate T1. KKSB’s new rack panels are different because they provide built-in vertical clearance for both the official Raspberry Pi Active Cooler and standard HATs, addressing the thermal and expansion needs of the more power-hungry Raspberry Pi 5.

The KKSB Rack Panels are available on Amazon, where the entry-level 10″ 1U Rack Panel is priced at $22.9, the 19-Inch (19″) 1U rack sells for $42.60, and the 19-Inch (19″) 2U rack is goes for  $69.80. Alternatively, you’ll find all three on the KKSB store.

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ACEMAGIC has launched a promotion for two of its AMD Ryzen 7 mini PCs. The Matrix Mini K1 mini PC, powered by a Ryzen 7 7730U paired with 16GB LPDDR4X and a 512GB NVMe SSD, benefits from a 23% discount down to $386, and the company offers an even deeper 32% discount for the ACEMAGIC Retro X3 Ryzen 7 H 255 mini PC, shipping with 16GB LPDDR5 and a 1TB NVME SSD.

ACEMAGICIAN Matrix Mini K1

Key features and specifications:

• SoC – AMD Ryzen 7 7730U 8-core/16-thread CPU @ up to 4.5 GHz with AMD Radeon Graphics  @ 2000 MHz; TDP: 15W
• System Memory – 16GB LPDDR4X
• Storage – 512GB NVMe SSD
• Video Output
  • HDMI 2.0, DP 1.4b, USB-C with DisplayPort Alt mode
  • Up to 3x 4K displays supported
• Audio – 3.5 mm audio jack
• Networking
  • Ethernet RJ45 port
  • WiFI and Bluetooth
• USB
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
  • 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
  • USB Type-C port
• Misc – Power button

This mini PC ships with Windows 11 Pro, and the package includes an HDMI cable, a power adapter, and a VESA mount.

To benefit from the promotion, purchase the computer on Amazon with the coupon code CZPK2SFG for a 23% discount ($386) from July 10-26.

ACEMAGIC Retro X3 mini PC

If you need more power and a retro feel, the ACEMAGIC Retro X3 mini PC will be a better option.

Key features and specifications:

• SoC – AMD Ryzen 7 H 255 8-core/16-thread CPU @ up to 4.9 GHz with AMD Radeon 780M Graphics  @ 2600 MHz; TDP: 45W (up to 54W)
• System Memory – 16GB LPDDR5
• Storage – 1TB NVMe SSD
• Video Output
  • HDMI 2.1, DP 2.0, USB4 with DisplayPort Alt mode
  • Up to 3x 4K displays supported
• Audio – 3.5 mm audio jack
• Networking
  • 2.5GbE RJ45 port
  • WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2
• USB
  • USB4 port
  • 4x USB 3.2 Gen1 ports
  • 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 ports
• Misc – Power button

The mini PC also ships with Windows 11 Pro. The original price is $899, but when using the coupon code UDMIC3RE, you can get a 32% discount, lowering the price to just $615. This promotion is valid now until July 19, 23:59PDT.

The post ACEMAGIC discounts its AMD Ryzen 7 mini PCs by up to 32% for a limited time (Sponsored) appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Last week, I wrote about the ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 as one of the first ESP32-C5 devkits with a built-in display enabling dual-band WiFi 6 connectivity for IoT and HMI projects. However, one reader lamented the lack of touch-capable screens, at which point kwchow pointed to the ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8 model offering just that by pairing an ESP32-C5 with a 2.8-inch IPS  display with capacitive touch and 320×480 resolution.

The new board also features a microSD card slot, a USB-C port for power and programming, a built-in microphone and a speaker connector, a few sensors, and various I/Os connectors for expansion. Let’s have a closer look.

ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8 specifications:

• Wireless module – Espressif Systems ESP32-C5-WROOM-1-N32R8
  • SoC – ESP32-C5HR8
    • CPU
      • Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz
      • Low-power RISC-V core @ 40 MHz acting as the main processor for power-sensitive applications
    • Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip, 8MB PSRAM
    • Storage – 320 KB ROM
    • Wireless Connectivity
      • Dual-band (2.4GHz/5 GHz) 802.11ax WiFi 6, with 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 standard fallback
      • Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy (LE)
      • 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3
  • Storage – 32MB flash
  • Antenna – PCB antenna
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Display
  • 2.8-inch 262K color IPS display with 320×240 resolution, capactivity touchscreen function
  • ST7789 4-wire SPI display controller
  • CST3530 capacitive touch controller
• Audio
  • Onboard microphone
  • 2-pin speaker connector
  • ES8311 low-power audio codec
  • NS4150B audio power amplifier 
• USB – USB Type-C port for power, programming, and data
• Sensors
  • SHTC3 temperature and humidity sensor
  • QMI8658 6-axis IMU (3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer)
• Expansion
  • 4-pin UART connector (3.3V)
  • 4-pin I2C connector (3.3V)
  • 12-pin connector with up to 7x GPIO, USB, Reset, Boot, 5V (VBUS), 3.3V, and GND;  note: 2x GPIOs (EXIO) through CH32V003 RISC-V MCU
• Misc
  • Power on/off
  • Battery power button
  • Reset and Boot buttons
  • Charging LED
  • PCF85063 RTC chip
  • 2-pin RTC battery connector
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB Type-C port
  • 2-pin header for 3.7V Lithium battery; supports charging and discharging via ETA6098 power management chip
• Dimensions  – PCB: 69 x 49.9 mm; display: 73.06 x 50.54mm

Besides touchscreen support, the ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8 also features a higher capacity flash (32MB vs 4MB), 8MB PSRAM, a speaker interface and a built-in microphone for media playback and voice interaction, a few sensors (6-axis IMU and T&H sensor), and battery support.

The company mentions support for the ESP-IDF framework and the Arduino IDE, and lists applications such as AI chat, a music player, two games (gravity ball and 2048), a photo album, and a weather app.  However, we don’t have the code for it since the documentation website currently lacks the new devkit. I suspect this is just based on ESPBrookesia firmware from the ESP-IDF framework.

Waveshare sells the ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8-EN (without battery) and ESP32-C5-Touch-LCD-2.8 (with battery) for $30.99 – $32.99 on AliExpress, $35.99 – $37.99 on Amazon, and $25.99 – $26.99 on its own online store. While browsing AliExpress, I also noticed a cheaper board named the NM-CYD-C5 with the same ESP32-C5 + 2.8-inch touch display features, going for $21.53, but the catch is that it offers resistive touch instead of capacitive touch. It also lacks sensor and audio support, and comes with 16MB of flash (and 8MB PSRAM).

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ARDEP (Automotive Rapid DEvelopment Platform) is an open-source hardware and software platform hosted on Mercedes-Benz’s GitHub account and released under an Apache 2.0 license.

The ARDEP V2 main board is based on an STMicroelectronics STM32G474VE Arm Cortex-M4F microcontroller for motor control with CORDIC and FMAC hardware math accelerators, and features CAN-FD and LIN transceivers, while the PowerIO Shield features 6 outputs and 6 inputs supporting up to 48V and 3A per channel.

ARDEP V2 specifications:

• MCU – STMicroelectronics STM32G474VE
  • Arm Cortex-M4 with FPU at up to 170 MHz
  • Math accelerators  – CORDIC for trigonometric functions and Filter Mathematical ACcelerator (FMAC)
  • Memory – 128 KB SRAM
  • Storage – 256 KB single-bank flash
• USB
  • 1x USB Type-C “ARDEP” port
  • 1x USB Type-C “Debugger” port
• Transceivers
  • 2x CAN-FD capable transceivers, each with a common mode choke, ESD protection, and hardware-configurable 120 Ohm termination
  • 1x LIN transceiver, software-selectable master or slave mode
• I/Os
  • DB-9 connector following the “Vector pinout” commonly used by Vector Informatik tools such as CANalyzer and VN series interfaces
    • Note:  A hardware switch (SW1) routes either CAN-A to DB-9 pins 2 and 7, or LIN to DB-9 pin 7
  • 12-pole spring contact terminal for CAN-A and LIN
  • 6-pole spring contact terminal with 2x UART
  • Arduino-compatible headers
    • 6-pin header with 6x analog input, SPI interfaces
    • 8-pin + 10-pin headers for digital inputs, USART, SPI, I2C
  • 32-pin header with GPIOs, LPUART, SPI, DAC, I2C, USART…
• Debugger – On-board debugger with UART connection
• Power Supply
  • Input voltage – 5 V to 48 V via main terminals, protected by a 51 V TVS diode and a 1 A slow-blow fuse
  • USB power – 4.75 V to 5.25 V via USB Type-C (ARDEP or Debug port)
  • Internal 5 V rail – 500 mA maximum total, shared across the 5 V and 3.3 V outputs and the MCU
  • 3.3 V output – Available on the Arduino header and 32-pin connector, 200 mA poly fuse per group
  • LIN supply input (VLIN) – 0 V to 24 V external, extendable to 36 V with different ESD protection
  • GPIO logic level: 3.3 V
  • Protection – Overvoltage, reverse current, and ESD protection on the supply path
• Dimensions – 109 x  69 x 16 mm
• Weight – About 60 grams

Power IO Shield specifications:

• Outputs – 6x high-side drivers based on the IPS2050HQ-32 smart high-side switch, 3 A continuous per channel, 10 A total across all six
• Inputs – 6x 48 V-capable digital inputs
• Diagnostics – Per-channel overcurrent and overtemperature fault indication via onboard LEDs, plus I2C fault feedback to the main board that identifies which driver IC has faulted
• Supply voltage – Up to 48 V DC
• Dimensions – 61 x 99 x 23 mm
• Weight – ~70 g (2.47 oz)

The firmware is based on Zephyr RTOS and supports UDS (Unified Diagnostic Services, ISO 14229).  Firmware update (DFU) is supported over both CAN and USB, a bootloader and firmware loader are pre-installed, and the company also provides a library with samples and demos for CAN, LIN, ADC, DAC, GPIO, UDS, and a CAN-to-USB bridge.

As mentioned in the introduction, the open-source hardware project is hosted on a GitHub repository owned by Mercedes-Benz, and you’ll find the KiCad and Alitum hardware design files, PDF schematics, source code for the firmware, library, and samples, as well as documentation. The work is marked as “Copyright: Mercedes-Benz AG” and released under the Apache 2.0 license.

There’s everything for you to build your own, but when I searched for a place to purchase the ARDEP V2 board, I ended up on Crowd Supply by Frickly Systems GmbH, which is preparing a crowdfunding campaign for the board (so no price yet). What is going on?

It turns out the ARDEP V2 is a collaboration between Frickly Systems GmbH (a Stuttgart-based engineering firm) and Mercedes-Benz, with the car maker hosting the project and using it in its “FlexCAR Rolling Chassis” open research vehicle, while Frickly handles all/most of the engineering work for the project itself.

Via Cursed Connector on X

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PocketMage is an open-source hardware, ESP32-S3 personal digital assistant (PDA) with a primary, sun-readable 3.1-inch E Ink display, a secondary 1.8-inch OLED for high-refresh rate feedback, a full tactile QWERTY keyboard, and a capacitive scroll bar.

The device also features a microSD card slot for storage, a buzzer for audio/sound feedback, a USB-C port for charging the 1,200 mAh battery or connecting a USB keyboard, as well as an RTC and an FPC connector for GPIO expansion.

PocketMage specifications:

• SoC – ESP32-S3 microcontroller with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless connectivity
• Memory – 2 MB QSPI PSRAM
• Storage
  • 16 MB QSPI flash
  • MicroSD card slot
• Displays
  • Primary 3.1-inch E Ink/e-paper display with 320×240 resolution
  • Secondary 1.8-inch OLED with 256×32 resolution
• Audio – Piezo buzzer for beeps and boops
• USB – USB Type-C port for charging and peripherals like a keyboard
• User input
  • Built-in tactile QWERTY keyboard
  • Capacitive scroll bar
  • USB keyboard support
• Expansion – FPC expansion port with power, I2C, SPI, UART, and GPIO
• Misc – PCF8563T RTC (real-time clock)
• Power Supply
  • 5V charging via USB-C port
  • 1,200mAh LiPo battery with integrated charging and battery management; good for about 7 days
• Dimensions – 100 x 73 x 21.7 mm
• Weight – TBD

The PocketMage PDA runs a wizard-inspired OS described as “a character-filled operating system that makes every interaction feel like magic”. Based on FreeRTOS, it features a built-in software suite with a text editor, a dictionary, a terminal, and more. It also supports side-loading 3rd-party applications through the Bazaar app store, including a calculator, a text-based web browser, a Tarot card reader, an e-book reader, and so on.

The project is open-source hardware with the KiCad hardware design files, software, and documentation under the Apache-2.0 Open Source Hardware license. You’ll find all resources on GitHub, and you can easily install the latest firmware for your hardware through a web installer.

The closest alternative is probably the open-source hardware Picocalc based on a Raspberry Pi Pico W or Pico 2 W, which features a 4-inch IPS display with 320×320 resolution, stereo speakers, and a backlit QWERTY keyboard. The overall design is different, and it’s not quite as pocketable since it’s larger at 167 x 97 mm.

The ESP32-S3-based personal digital assistant has just launched on Crowd Supply with a $100,000 funding target. Rewards start at $185 for a DIY kit to be assembled by the user, or you can pledge $235 for a fully assembled unit.  In either case, two colors are available: “Royal Purple” and “Parchment”. Shipping is free to the US and adds $12 to the rest of the world. Backers will have to be patient, as deliveries are scheduled to start by the end of March 2027.

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We’ve received our first Wildcat Lake hardware for review, as Beelink has sent us an EQi mini PC powered by the Intel Core 3 304 entry-level 5-core processor with a 15 TOPS AI accelerator.

The mini PC ships with either 16GB of LPDDR5 (soldered-on) or 24GB/32GB of DDR5 (SO-DIMM) memory and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage. It also features two M.2 Key-M PCIe Gen4 sockets, 10GbE and 2.5GbE RJ45 ports, WiFI 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, three display outputs via HDMI and USB4 ports, and more.

We’ll start the review by listing the specifications, checking out the hardware with an unboxing and a teardown, before giving it a quick try with Windows 11 Pro. In the second part of the review, we’ll focus on Windows 11 Pro, with feature testing and benchmarks, before switching to Ubuntu 26.04 to test a recent Linux distribution on a Wildcat Lake mini PC.

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake Core 3 304 specifications

• SoC – Intel Core 3 304 “Wildcat Lake”
  • 5-core CPU – 1x P-cores @ 1.5/4.3 GHz (Turbo) + 4x LPE-cores @ 1.4/3.3 GHz (Turbo)
  • Cache – 6MB L3 cache
  • GPU – 1-core Intel Xe3 Graphics @ 2.3 GHz (9 TOPS)
  • NPU – 15 TOPS
  • Manufacturing processor – Intel 18A
• System Memory – 16GB LPDDR5, 24GB, or 32GB DDR5  memory
• Storage
  • 512GB UFS 3.1
  • Supports up to 2x NVMe SSDs via M.2 Key-M (PCIe Gen4 x2) and/or M.2 Key-M (PCIe Gen4 x1) sockets
• Video Output
  • HDMI 2.0 video output up to 4Kp60
  • 2x DisplayPort via USB-C ports up to 4K @ 60 Hz
• Audio
  • 3.5mm audio jack
  • Digital audio output via HDMI and USB-C
• Networking
  • 10GbE RJ45 port
  • 2.5GbE RJ45 port
  • Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 up to 2.4 Gbps and Bluetooth 5.2 via MediaTek MT7922 module
• USB
  • 2x USB4 (40 Gbps) ports
  • 1x USB 3.2 (10Gbps) Type-C port
  • 1x USB 3.2 (10Gbps) Type-A port
  • 2x USB 2.0 (480Mbps) Type-A ports
• Misc
  • Power button
  • Power status LED (white when powered on)
  • Clear CMOS button
  • Quiet active cooling system (32 dB noise levels)
• Power Supply – Built-in 85W PSU with 100-240V AC, 50/60Hz, 1.9A input
• Dimensions – 126 x 126 x 44.2mm
• Weight – 500 grams

The mini PC ships with Windows 11 Pro installed on UFS storage.

Unboxing

I’ve received the mini PC in a basic retail package, simply reading Beelink EQ.

The key specifications can be found on the sticker on the bottom side of the package. I received an EQi mini PC powered by an Intel Core 3 304 processor, 16GB of RAM,  512GB of storage, 10GbE and 2.5GbE LAN ports, and a 100-240V AC 1.9A power supply.

The mini PC ships with a power cord for your country/region (I got an EU power cord), an HDMI cable, a “Hello” card (which looks bland in the photo below), a multilingual user manual, and a small sheet about USB power settings.

You can basically configure jumpers depending on whether you need to support wake-up from USB (e.g., keyboard/mouse) or not. I’d assume this can lower power consumption somewhat.

The front panel features a USB 3.2 Type-A port, a 3.5 audio jack, a USB 3.2 Type-C port, a power button, and a power LED. The case appears to be made of ABS plastic, which feels like a cheaper design than some mini PCs we recently reviewed.

The rear panel comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports with DisplayPort Alt mode, two USB 2.0 ports, a 4Kp60-capable HDMI video output, 10GbE (left) and 2.5GbE (right) RJ45 ports, and the AC power jack.

Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake teardown

Since it’s user-serviceable, the mini PC is designed to be opened. To do so, we’ll need to remove four rubber pads, loosen the four screws underneath, and pull the bottom cover with the small rubber bit on the bottom left corner in the photo below.

We can see the AW-XB591NF wireless module (MT7922-based for WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity), a relatively large heatsink, and the 100-240V power supply.

You’ll also notice the 3-pin jumper to configure USB power behavior. We’ll keep the current “USB ON” configuration for now, and change that when measuring power consumption in the Windows 11 review.

The heatsink can be removed to access the two M.2 sockets. As a side note, the mainboard is named “EQI_LP”, probably referring to LPDDR5, and the 24GB/32GB model should have a different motherboard supporting SO-DIMM memory.  The heatsink is clearly made for SSDs or AI accelerators with two pink thermal pads for cooling.

One of the sockets is PCIe Gen4 x2 and the other is PCIe Gen4 x1.

I don’t own any spare PCIe Gen4 SSDs, so instead, I’ll use MAKERDISK PCIe Gen3 x4 SSDs designed for the Raspberry Pi, one with 256GB capacity connected to the PCIe x2 socket, and the other with 128GB capacity connected to the PCIe x1 socket.

Let’s put the heatsink back in place to complete the SSD installation.

First boot to Windows 11 Pro

Time to reassemble everything and boot the mini PC to Windows. I initially tried to connect a USB-C cable to my display, but it didn’t work. So instead, I connected power to the display and used an HDMI cable, plus a USB RF dongle for a keyboard/mouse combo.

After I pressed the power button, the mini PC booted into… Ubuntu 24.04. Well, that’s unexpected. That’s because I probably used one of the SSDs for a Windows review a while back. So I went to the BIOS and booted from the “Windows Manager” partition instead. I could go through the setup wizard, select the region, the keyboard layout, and configure WiFi, after which Windows stayed in the “Just a moment…” loop for over one hour…

I eventually stopped it and moved inside to carry on with an Ethernet connection. It took another 20 minutes or so. The onboarding process was awful, but I finally managed to get to the Windows 11 desktop…

The System->About window in the Settings confirms we have an Intel Core 3 304 processor clocked at 1.5 GHz (Base frequency) with 16GB of RAM, running Windows 11 Pro 25H2.  I have 834 GB of storage because of the 512GB UFS chip, pls the 128GB and 256GB NVMe SSDs.

HWiNFO 64 provides a few more details about the processor, motherboard, networking chips (RTL8127, Intel i226-V, MT7922), and so on.

We’ll go into much more depth in the second part of the review with Windows 11 Pro testing all features and running various benchmarks, before checking out Ubuntu 26.04 in the third part of the review to find out how the Intel Core 3 304 mini PC handles itself under Linux.

I’d like to thank Beelink for sending the EQi Wildcat Lake Core 3 304 mini PC for review. The model reviewed here, with 16GB LPDDR5 and 512GB UFS 3.1 storage, can be purchased for $509 on the Beelink store.

The post Beelink EQi Wildcat Lake Core 3 304 mini PC review – Part 1: Specifications, unboxing, teardown, and first boot appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Calixto Systems has introduced the AM62L STAMP SOM, a tiny (40x40mm) system-on-module around the Texas Instruments AM62L dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU running at up to 1.25 GHz, along with an evaluation kit. Designed for embedded Linux applications, the module targets industrial automation, HMIs, EV chargers, and smart retail.

Calixto AM62L STAMP SOM

The SoM integrates up to 2GB LPDDR4x RAM and 8GB or 16GB eMMC storage, along with Gigabit Ethernet, two USB 2.0 OTG interfaces, dual SD interfaces, MIPI DSI and parallel RGB display support, McASP audio, and a wide range of industrial I/Os, including CAN FD, eight UARTs, four SPI buses, five I2C buses, ADC, DAC, PWM, GPIO, and a GPMC interface. It also integrates hardware security features such as AES encryption, RSA/ECC acceleration, DRBG, TRNG, and a unique device ID for secure embedded applications.

AM62L STAMP SOM specifications:

• SoC – Texas Instruments Sitara AM62Lx single-core/dual-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.25GHz
• Memory – Up to 2GB LPDDR4 / LPDDR4x
• Storage – 8GB or 16GB eMMC flash
• 37 x 4 solderable border pads in a 40 x 40 mm package
  • Storage – 2x SD/MMC interfaces
  • Display Interfaces – MIPI DSI (4-lane) or 24-bit Parallel RGB (DPI)
  • Audio – McASP audio interfaces, DAC
  • Networking – 2x Gigabit Ethernet MACs (RGMII)
  • USB – 2x High-Speed USB 2.0 OTG
  • Other I/O
    • OSPI
    • 3x CAN-FD
    • 8x UART, 4x SPI, 5x I2C
    • 1x ADC, PWM, GPIOs
• Security – Security Controller (Secure boot, TEE, AES, PKA for RSA/ECC, DRBG, TRNG, UniqueID)
• Power Supply
  • 3.3V DC (+/- 5%) input
  • PMIC – TI’s reference PMIC for the AM62L/AM625 family (not confirmed, but it’s a TI part)
• Dimensions – 40 x 40 mm (direct solderable form factor)
• Temperature Range – Commercial (0 to +70°C) and Industrial (-40 to +85°C) versions available

AM62L STAMP SOM Evaluation Kit

Alongside the module, the company also provides an AM62L STAMP SOM Evaluation Kit with access to the SoM’s primary interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet, USB, CAN, RS485, display connectors, and a mikroBUS expansion socket.

Evaluation Kit specifications:

• System-on-Module – Calixto AM62L STAMP SOM as described above
• Storage – MicroSD card slot (complementing the onboard eMMC)
• Display – MIPI DSI and Parallel display connectors
• Networking – 1x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port with onboard PHY
• USB
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A Host port
  • 1x USB 2.0 micro USB OTG port
• Serial – RS485 and CAN interfaces
• Expansion
  • 1x mikroBUS socket (SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, GPIO)
  • 2x 14-pin dual-row custom expansion connector
• Debugging – JTAG header, Debug UART
• Misc – RTC with backup battery, Boot selection switch
• Power – Standard DC Power Jack
• Dimensions – TBD

One surprising thing is that although the SoM supports audio via McASP interfaces and a DAC, the company didn’t expose the audio interfaces on the evaluation board.

On the software side, the company offers a Linux Board Support Package (BSP) built with the Yocto Project. The BSP includes the bootloader, environment variables, Linux kernel, root file systems, and sample application data. Hardware design files for the Evaluation Board are also provided in open-source format to simplify the development of custom carrier boards. The company points customers to their GitHub account, but upon closer inspection, it’s clear that most repositories are empty.

We first covered the AML62x low-power family in December 2025, when we wrote about the tiny Beacon AM62L, which is even smaller than the AM62L STAMP SOM in this article, at just 38x28mm, and exposes I/Os through two high-density B2B connectors. Since then, we also noted the iWave Systems iG-RainboW-G69M OSM Size S (30x30mm) CPU module and the BeagleBadge ePaper page based on the AM62L32 processor.

As with most other industrial products, pricing details for the AM62L STAMP SoM and the evaluation kit have not been publicly disclosed. The company positions the STAMP line as an “affordable, value line” solution. Check out the product page for more details.

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u-blox has introduced the F11 platform, a new family of low-power GNSS chips and modules that includes the UBX-F11270-KB and UBX-F11170-CC dual-band GNSS chips, the UBX-M11070-KB  chip (L1-only), the MAX-M11N module (L1-only), and the EVK-F112 evaluation kit. These are designed for battery-powered applications such as aftermarket telematics, asset tracking, wearables, drones, micromobility, and other industrial and consumer devices.

Among those, the UBX-F11270-KB and UBX-F11170-CC support dual-band L1/L5 GNSS that automatically switch between L1/L5 operation based on signal conditions. The UBX-M11070-KB chip and MAX-M11N module are L1 band only, but all the modules and chips in the series support LEAP (Low Energy Accurate Positioning) mode with a typical power consumption of around 7 mW. Other features include indoor detection, polygonal geofencing, and multipath mitigation.

u-blox UBX-F11270-KB and UBX-F11170-CC specifications:

• GNSS Engine – u-blox F11 platform
• Memory / Storage
  • UBX-F11270-KB – Embedded flash memory supports firmware upgrade
  • UBX-F11170-CC – Optional external SPI flash supports firmware upgrade
  • UBX-M11070-KB – ROM-based (programming is permanent)
• GNSS reception
  • Supported constellations
    • L1 band – GPS, Galileo (E1B/C), BeiDou (B1I, B1C), QZSS, and SBAS (All chips)
    • L5 band – GPS, Galileo (E5a), BeiDou (B2a), QZSS, and NavIC (UBX-F11 only)
  • Concurrent GNSS – Up to 3 concurrent constellations
  • Nav. Update Rate – Up to 25 Hz (single GNSS) or 10 Hz (3 concurrent GNSS)
  • Position Accuracy – 1.0 m CEP (with SBAS); 1.5 m CEP (without SBAS)
  • Acquisition (TTFF) – Cold start: 28s; Aided start: 2s; Hot start: 2s
  • Sensitivity – Tracking & Nav: -167 dBm; Reacquisition: -160 dBm; Cold start: -148 dBm; Hot start: -159 dBm
• Interfaces
  • 1x UART
  • 1x DDC (I2C compliant)
  • 1x SPI (UBX-F11170-CC only)
  • 1x Configurable time pulse
  • 1x EXTINT interrupt input
• Security features
  • RF interference and jamming detection and reporting
  • Spoofing detection and reporting
  • Receiver configuration lock by command
  • Signed UBX messages (SHA-256)
  • OSNMA authentication
• Debug – JTAG debug interface (disabled by default)
• Power
  • Supply voltage – 0.9 V to 1.8 V
  • I/O voltage – 1.8 V or 3.3 V
  • Backup supply – 1.65 V to 3.6 V
  • Consumption – 7 mW in LEAP (Low Energy Accurate Positioning) mode with 3 GNSS configurations
• Package
  • UBX-F11170-CC – 33-pin WL-CSP, 2.39 x 2.39 x 0.36 mm
  • UBX-F11270-KB / UBX-M11070-KB – 28-pin QFN, 5.0 x 5.0 x 0.55 mm
• Temperature Range – -40°C to +85°C (Operating); -40°C to +125°C (Storage)

u-blox states that the F11 series runs SPG 7.00 firmware and supports configuration via the UBX protocol, with NMEA available for standard GNSS output. Software support is provided through u-center 2 for Windows, which can be used to configure receiver settings, monitor GNSS data, log measurements, and perform firmware updates. The firmware supports features including LEAP power mode, selective L5 operation, polygonal geofencing, and AssistNow-aided services, and can be updated via the host interface or through OEM OTA implementations.

u-blox also offers the EVK-F112 GNSS evaluation kit for the F11 series. The kit includes the evaluation board, GNSS antenna, and USB Type-C cable in a rugged enclosure with a 14-pin header for accessing I/O signals and measuring power consumption. It connects to a PC over USB or RS-232 and works with the aforementioned u-center 2 software.

We previously wrote about the u-blox MAX-M10N module with LEAP (Low Energy Accurate Positioning) mode for a reduced power consumption of around 12 mW. However, it’s limited to L1 single-band GNSS operation, making it more susceptible to “multipath interference” in dense urban areas and under heavy tree cover, while the new F11 platform introduces L1/L5 dual-band GNSS, with the L5 band improving positioning accuracy under these conditions by providing greater resistance to multipath effects.

Since continuous dual-band operation increases power consumption, the F11 platform implements Selective L5, which automatically switches between L1-only and L1/L5 operation based on signal conditions. In open-sky environments, the receiver remains in L1-only mode, while the L5 band is enabled only when required. For applications that do not require dual-band GNSS, u-blox has also introduced the MAX-M11N module with a typical consumption of 7 mW, which can be considered the more efficient successor to the MAX-M10N module.

The UBX-F11270-KB and UBX-F11170-CC dual-band chips, along with the single-band M11 alternatives (the UBX-M11070-KB chip and the MAX-M11N module) and the EVK-F112 evaluation kit, are now available for engineering sample requests. A dual-band module version, the MAX-F11N, is expected to become available in Q4 2026. You can find more information on the u-blox F11 product page and in the press release.

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AMD has announced the Versal Premium Gen 2 Memory-on-Package (MoP) adaptive SoCs, adding an integrated memory option to the Premium Gen 2 family, a topic we covered back in November 2024.

While the core silicon (dual-core Cortex-A72 + dual-core Cortex-R5F + high-end FPGA fabric) remains the same, the new devices (2VP3422, 2VP3522, and 2VP3622) integrate up to 32 GB of LPDDR5X memory directly inside the package. This removes the need for external high-speed memory on the board and reduces PCB area by up to 60%. This also eliminates high-speed memory routing on the carrier board, increasing the maximum memory bandwidth to 288 GB/s.

AMD Versal Premium Gen2 MoP specifications:

• CPU cores
  • Dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 application core, 48 KB/32 KB L1 Cache w/ parity & ECC; 1 MB L2 Cache w/ ECC
  • Dual-core Arm Cortex R5F, 32 KB/32 KB L1 Cache, and 256 KB TCM w/ECC
• Memory on Package
  • 32 GB of LPDDR5X DRAM operating at up to 9000 Mb/s
  • 256 KB on-chip memory w/ECC
  • Eight 32-bit hard memory controllers with hard inline ECC and encryption for data integrity
• FPGA fabric
  • System Logic Cells – Up to 3,273K
  • CLB LUTs – Up to 1,496K
  • DSP Engines – Up to 7,616 supporting fixed- and floating-point data types for DSP and ML applications
• Interfaces connected to CPU cores
  • 2x Ethernet
  • 2x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C
  • 2x CAN-FD
  • 1x USB 2.0
• FPGA memory, interfaces, I/Os, and transceivers
  • Total PL Memory
    • 2VP3422 – 256 Mb (36 Mb Distributed RAM, 78 Mb Block RAM, 142 Mb UltraRAM)
    • 2VP3522 – 327 Mb (46 Mb Distributed RAM, 99 Mb Block RAM, 182 Mb UltraRAM)
    • 2VP3622 – 327 Mb (46 Mb Distributed RAM, 99 Mb Block RAM, 182 Mb UltraRAM)
  • Up to 288.0 GB/s LPDDR5X on-package memory bandwidth (across eight x32-bit hard memory controllers)
  • 100G multirate Ethernet MAC
  • 600G Ethernet MAC
    • 2VP3422 – 3 cores
    • 2VP3522 – 5 cores
    • 2VP3622 – 5 cores
  • 2x PCIe Gen6 x8 with DMA & CXL 3.1 (via CPM6 hardened subsystem)
  • 194x high-performance I/Os (XP5IO) and 78x MIO
  • Total GTM2 Transceivers (supporting PAM4 and NRZ up to 128 Gb/s):
    • 2VP3422: 56x transceivers
    • 2VP3522: 72x transceivers
    • 2VP3622: 72x transceivers
  • 16x GTM2 transceivers connected to CPM6 (Note: Can bypass CPM6 using GT Direct mode to support non-PCIe protocols up to 32G NRZ or 25G NRZ depending on speedgrade)
• High-speed crypto engines
  • Hard 400G High-Speed Crypto Engines (up to 800 Gb/s line-rate encryption)
  • PCIe Integrity and Data Encryption (IDE)
  • DDR memory encryption in integrated controllers
• Package  – VMVA3575 lidded package with stiffener ring (55 × 57.5 mm, 0.92 mm ball pitch)
• Temperatures – Extended (0°C to 110°C) and Industrial (-40°C to 110°C)

There are three SKUs: 2VP3422, 2VP3522, and 2VP3622. All three feature 32GB of integrated LPDDR5X, dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 and Cortex-R5F processors, and the same adaptive SoC architecture, while differing in FPGA resources, including system logic cells, DSP engines (2,512 to 7,616), and GTM2 transceiver counts.

The devices use the same AMD Vivado and AMD Vitis development tools as the standard Versal Premium Gen 2 family, enabling existing designs to migrate without major changes to software or the FPGA development flow.

Applications for the SoCs include cloud and data center acceleration, networking, test and measurement equipment, broadcast video, and aerospace and defense systems such as secure communications, LEO satellites, and radar. The devices are designed to operate over a wide temperature range and are covered by AMD’s 15-year product lifecycle program.

The Versal Premium Gen 2 Memory-on-Package devices are expected to begin sampling at the end of 2026, with production scheduled for the second half of 2027. More information can be found on the product page and announcement.

The post AMD Versal Premium Gen 2 MoP adaptive SoC integrates 32GB LPDDR5X to shrink board footprint by 60% appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

ESP32 chips have been used for retro gaming and computing for years, but Austin McChord (Amcchord) adds to that with a Macintosh emulator ported to a couple of ESP32-P4 display devkits.

His project is a full port of the BasiliskII Macintosh 68k emulator, bringing classic Mac OS (System 7.x through Mac OS 8.1) to portable ESP32-P4 embedded devices with touchscreen, USB peripherals, and WiFi support through an ESP32-C6 on the boards.

The main development platform appears to be the M5Stack Tab5 equipped with a 5-inch touchscreen display with 1280×720 resolution. However, if you need something with a larger screen, the Waveshare ESP32-P4-WIFI6-Touch-LCD-10.1 is also supported, and features a 10.1-inch display with 1280×800 resolution and a 10-point capacitive touchscreen. The actual Mac OS resolutions used are 640×360 and 640×400, respectively, then scaled twice to the native resolution of the display.

Highlights of the project:

• CPU –  Motorola 68040 emulation with FPU (68881) — 2-3 MIPS
• RAM – Configurable from 4MB to 16MB; allocated from ESP32-P4’s 32MB PSRAM
• Storage – Hard disk and CD-ROM images loaded from microSD card
• Display – 640×360 or 640×400 virtual display (2x scaled to 1280×720/800 physical display); 1/2/4/8-bit color depths at 24 FPS
• Video – Optimized pipeline with write-time dirty tracking, double-buffered DMA, and tile-based rendering
• Audio – Classic Mac sound output via ES8388 codec; toggleable in boot GUI
• Networking – WiFi internet access via NAT router with support for TCP, UDP, ICMP, DHCP…
• Input
  • Capacitive touchscreen used as a mouse
  • USB keyboard/mouse support

The emulator is compatible with System 7.1, System 7.5.x, Mac OS 8.0, and Mac OS 8.1.

Each task is attached to a specific core of the ESP32-P4:

• CORE 0 – Video & I/O Core
  • Video rendering task
  • Double-buffered DMA
  • 2×2 pixel scaling
  • Input task (60Hz)
  • USB HID processing
  • Audio output (ES8388)
  • Network RX polling
  • Event-driven @ 24 FPS
• CORE 1 – CPU Emulation Core
  • 68040 CPU interpreter
  • Fast-path memory access
  • Write-time dirty marking
  • Batch instruction execution
  • ROM patching
  • Disk I/O

The performance of the Motorola 68040 emulator running on ESP32-P4 is comparable to a Macintosh Quadra 610 (25 MHz 68040). It can also render video at 24 FPS, and delivers 2-3 MIPS CPU speed.

You’ll find the source code, ported with Anthropic Claude’s assistance, and detailed documentation of the implementation in the project’s GitHub repository.

Via Hackaday

The post Macintosh emulator works on ESP32-P4 display devkits from M5Stack and Waveshare appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

BIGTREETECH (BIQU) has introduced the BIQU Panda Sense Pro, an 8-in-1 smart air quality monitor designed for 3D printing environments such as home workshops, maker spaces, and print farms. It continuously measures airborne particles, gases, temperature, and humidity, helping users monitor indoor air quality while printing. The device also integrates with Klipper-based printers and smart home platforms, making it suitable for both standalone monitoring and automated environmental control.

It combines laser particle, NDIR CO₂, and electrochemical formaldehyde sensors to monitor PM2.5, PM10, CO₂, HCHO, eTVOC, AQI, temperature, and humidity in real time. The monitor features a 3.5-inch 480×320 TFT display, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with MQTT, USB Type-C power, 24-hour and 30-day data logging, and upcoming app-based remote monitoring. It integrates with Moonraker (Fluidd/Mainsail) and Home Assistant for automation, such as controlling fans or air purifiers based on sensor readings. The enclosure files are open-source, which means you can customize and 3D-print your own housing.

BIGTREETECH Panda Sense Pro specifications:

• Wireless module – ESP32-WROOM-32E
• Display – 3.5-inch 480×320 TFT color screen (non-touch)
• Connectivity – 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with MQTT cloud sync
• Sensors
  • Laser particle sensor for PM2.5 and PM10 (detects down to 0.3μm, dual-frequency sampling, auto-calibration)
  • Electrochemical sensor for Formaldehyde (HCHO) with temperature compensation
  • NDIR infrared sensor for Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) with auto-calibration
  • Temperature and Humidity sensor (a separate small module connects to the main board via a wiring harness)
  • Calculated metrics – eTVOC and overall Air Quality Index (AQI)
• Power Supply – 5V/1A via USB Type-C port
• Dimensions
  • PCBA + Display – 111.54 x 54.84 x 14.69 mm
  • Assembled Unit – 117.12 x 79.78 x 73.67 mm
• Operating Range – 0 to 65°C; 5% to 90% relative humidity

The Panda Sense Pro supports Moonraker integration, allowing sensor data, including PM2.5, PM10, CO₂, eTVOC, HCHO, temperature, humidity, and AQI to be displayed in Klipper web interfaces such as Fluidd and Mainsail. It also supports Home Assistant integration over MQTT, enabling users to create automation rules based on sensor readings, such as controlling ventilation fans or air purifiers if TVOC thresholds are exceeded during a print.

The device stores 24-hour and 30-day historical sensor data and supports local trend visualization. It also includes 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with MQTT support for network connectivity, with mobile app support planned for a future release. The enclosure design is open-source, and the CAD files are available on GitHub for users who want to 3D-print custom housings.

Previously, we have written about various other air quality monitors like the MoreSense MS-07, the MoreSense MS-06, the Networked Artifacts’ Air Lab, and others, but the Panda Sense Pro looks very similar to the open-source Project Aura design, as both are ESP32-based DIY air quality monitors that use 3D-printed enclosures and support MQTT and Home Assistant. But the Panda Sense Pro is designed specifically for 3D printing environments, with native Moonraker support to expose sensor data in Klipper interfaces, and it integrates multiple air quality sensors and a 3.5-inch TFT display on a single custom PCB.

The Panda Sense Pro is also cheaper and available for $79.99 on AliExpress or the official BIQU store for $89.99. The package includes the main PCB with an ESP32-WROOM-32E module, a 3.5-inch TFT display, a temperature and humidity sensor, a USB-A-to-USB-C power cable, M3 mounting screws, two hex keys (2.0 mm and 2.5 mm), and a BTT rubber duck. It might eventually show up on the company’s Amazon store.

The post BIGTREETECH Panda Sense Pro 8-in-1 smart air quality monitor works with Home Assistant and Klipper for 3D printers appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Designed by Innoelement in Guangzhou, China, the HALO TOUCH V2 is a multifunctional desktop USB hub with a round touchscreen and a rotary encoder designed as an interactive desk companion. It integrates system monitoring, media playback, and productivity features for workstations, home offices, and desktop setups.

The device features a USB 2.0 hub with two USB Type-A ports, one USB Type-C port, two microSD card readers, and a 100Mbps Ethernet port with per-port power monitoring. Its 360 × 360 IPS touchscreen supports a Pomodoro timer, photo and animation viewer, MP3 player, audio spectrum visualizer, and an AIDA64 system monitoring dashboard. A rotary encoder provides Microsoft Surface Dial-compatible controls on Windows, while 2.4GHz Wi-Fi enables clock synchronization and OTA firmware updates. It also supports USB PD power input and customization for themes, media, and animations using files on a microSD card.

MAHOGANY HALO TOUCH V2 specifications:

• MCU – Unspecified (potentially ESP32-S3)
• Storage
  • 1x microSD card slot for fonts, startup animations, default music, alarm sounds
  • 1x microSD card slot acts as a USB card reader for Wi-Fi configuration (wifi.txt method) and storing music and images
• Display – 360 × 360 pixel circular IPS color display (supports touch gestures)
• Audio
  • Built-in microphone for real-time ambient audio spectrum visualization
  • Integrated speaker for MP3 audio playback and alarms
• Networking
  • 100Mbps Fast Ethernet RJ45 port intended for emergency/legacy fallback networking
  • 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 4 required for clock sync, AIDA64 integration, and OTA updates
• USB
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-C upstream port (USB-PC, host connection)
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type-A downstream ports (USB1, USB2)
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-C downstream port (USB3, multiplexed with device programming/flash port)
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-C PD power input port (PWR-PD)
• Misc
  • Built-in haptic vibration motor (used for Pomodoro timer ticks and alerts)
  • 360-degree multi-function tactile rotary encoder/knob
  • Supports touch screen gestures (swipe up for menu, swipe left/right for app navigation)
• Power
  • Dual power inputs ( via mode switch PC / PD)
    • PC mode – Powered directly through the USB-C upstream port
    • PD Mode – dedicated USB Type-C PD power supply input port (physically isolated from the PC port via a mechanical toggle switch)
  • Integrated per-port voltage (V), current (A), and power (W) monitoring for USB downstream ports
  • Software-configurable overcurrent protection threshold (0–1000mA) with digital port isolation switches
• Dimensions – TBD

The firmware includes several built-in applications, including Microsoft Surface Dial (needed firmware v1.3.0 and above) emulation for Windows 10/11, an AIDA64 hardware monitoring dashboard that displays live PC system information over the local network, a Cyber Music Box with MP3 playback and a knob-controlled winding mechanism, a real-time audio spectrum visualizer using the onboard microphone, and a Pomodoro timer with haptic feedback and customizable alarm sounds. However, the source code for the firmware doesn’t seem to have been released.

The HALO TOUCH stores its operating files on a microSD card, so you can customize photos, MJPEG animations, MP3 music, AIDA64 backgrounds, boot animations, and system sounds by simply replacing files in dedicated folders (/mjpeg, /pic, /music, and /aida64). Network settings can also be configured through a wifi.txt file on the microSD card. The developer describes the device as a DIY project without formal product certifications and recommends following the documented user manual (only available in Chinese), particularly when using USB PD power. If you connect a Type-C-to-Type-C cable from a high-voltage wall charger directly into the USB-PC port (instead of the PWR-PD port), it could bypass protocol negotiation, inject 12V-20V, and fry the board.

We’ve come across several devices with a rotary knob and a round touchscreen display in the past, including the M5Stack M5Dial, the Elecrow ESP32-S3-powered rotary displays, Waveshare ESP32-S3-Knob-Touch-LCD-1.8, and others. However, it must be the time we see it integrated into a USB hub.

The HALO TOUCH USB Hub Dock V2 is available on Tindie for $69.99, with international shipping from China starting at $18 via tracked shipping services. There’s also a HALO TOUCH sold on AliExpress for about $84. There’s no mention of V2 there, but it looks the same and also supports Surface Dial simulation with firmware v1.3.0+.

The post HALO TOUCH V2 – A customizable desktop USB hub with rotary encoder fitted with round touchscreen display appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

We’ve covered plenty of connected displays based on ESP32 chips over the years, but the Waveshare ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 is a little different, since it’s the first to feature an ESP32-C5 chip for dual-band WiFi 6 connectivity.

It’s basically based on the ESP32-C6-LCD-1.47 design, but replaces the ESP32-C6 supporting 2.4 GHz WiFi 6 with an ESP32-C5 capable of handling both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi 6. Other features mostly remain the same: a 1.47-inch 262K-color display with 320 x 172 resolution, 4MB of flash, an RGB LED, a microSD card slot, and two 9-pin headers for GPIO expansion.

Waveshare ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 specifications:

• Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-C5FH4
  • CPU
    • Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor @ up to 240 MHz
    • Low-power RISC-V core @ 40 MHz acting as the main processor for power-sensitive applications
  • Memory – 384 KB SRAM on-chip
  • Storage – 320 KB ROM, 4MB flash
  • Wireless Connectivity
    • Dual-band (2.4GHz/5 GHz) 802.11ax WiFi 6, with 802.11b/g/n WiFi 4 standard fallback
    • Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy (LE)
    • 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3
• Storage – MicroSD card slot
• Display – 1.47-inch 262K color TFT LCD with 172×320 resolution; ST7789 display controller
• USB – USB Type-C port for power, programming, and data
• Expansion – 2x 9-pin headers
  • 14x GPIO, UART0, USB; GPIO pins are configurable as I2C, SPI, PWM, I2S, CAN Bus, and UART
  • 5x ADC inputs
  • 5V, 3.3V OUT, GND
• Misc
  • Reset and Boot buttons
  • Built-in WS2812 RGB LED
  • Onboard ceramic antenna
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB Type-C male port
  • MP1605GTF step-down DC/DC converter, up to 1A output
• Dimensions – 36.51 x 20.51mm

Waveshare provides basic instructions to get started with the ESP-IDF framework and the Arduino IDE, as well as code samples for LVGL, on the wiki. Since the ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 design is basically the same as the ESP32-C6-LCD-1.47 devkit, existing projects for the latter might eventually be ported to the ESP32-C5 board. Those include CircuitPython firmware, Pierre Gode’s Bandwatch and BleWatch projects for Wi-Fi activity monitoring and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) proximity metering and scanning, and a few other projects.

The ESP32-C5-LCD-1.47 board is sold for about $13-$14 on AliExpress, $19.99 on Amazon, and $11.99-$12.99 on the Waveshare store. Prices don’t include shipping and potentially taxes, and you can select whether you need pre-soldered headers. Note that if you are from the European Union, a new 3 Euros customs duty fee has been added for items under 150 Euros to “ensure fairness and safety“, so don’t be surprised if you see an additional 3 Euros when checking out, excluding VAT.

The post ESP32-C5 dual-band WiFi 6 and Bluetooth LE IoT board features 1.47-inch color LCD appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

Better known for its unique Rockchip industrial PC designs, Mekotronics has now launched an “AI Box” based on the NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 4GB/8GB or Jetson Orin NX 8GB/16GB for humanoid robots, smart transportation (V2X) applications, Smart Cities, Smart Agriculture, medical imaging, and more.

While the company often provides niche features on its Rockchip systems, its Jetson embedded computer offers pretty standard interfaces with an HDMI video output, six USB Type-A ports, two Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports (one with PoE), a 40-pin GPIO header, two camera connectors, a terminal block for CAN Bus and UART, and a system connector for LEDs, power button, etc…

Mekotronics AI Box specifications:

• Compatible modules
  • NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 4GB up to 34 TOPS
  • NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 8GB up to 67 TOPS
  • NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 8GB up to 117 TOPS
  • NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 16GB up to 157 TOPS
• Storage
  • 2x M.2 Key-M sockets for NVMe SSD
  • MicroSD card slot
• Video output – HDMI port
• Camera – 2x camera connectors
• Networking
  • 2x Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 ports, including one with PoE
  • Optional WiFi and Bluetooth with external SMA antenna
• USB
  • 4x USB 3.1 Type A ports
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type A ports
  • 1x USB 3.0 Type-C port
• Expansion
  • M.2 Key-M (PCIe Gen3 x4) 2280 socket
  • M.2 Key-M (PCIe Gen3 x2) 2230 socket
  • 40-pin GPIO header (externally accessible)
  • 6-pin terminal block with CAN bus, UART, 3.3V, and GND
• Misc
  • 5V PWM fan connector
  • 10-pin system connector with UART, auto power on, recovery, LEDs, power button, etc…
  • Wall mounting holes
• Power Supply – 9-20V up to 5V via power barrel jack
• Dimensions – PCB: 136 x 79mm
• Temperature Range – -25 ~ 80°C

The company doesn’t mention anything about software, but like other NVIDIA Jetson hardware, it will rely on the latest JetPack 7.x SDK based on Ubuntu 24.04. Mekotronics does point out support for transformer large models, visual SLAM algorithms, and high-precision image recognition.

The Mekotronics AI Box competes against other NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano/MX embedded computers, such as the IBASE EC3100, TWOWIN TW-T808P-G, and Forlinx Embedded FCU3011, among others. Its design looks cost-optimized and should be cheaper than the aforementioned rugged competitors.

However, Mekotronics has yet to provide pricing information, and it’s not listed on the company’s Alibaba store. More details may be found on the product page.

The post NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano/NX-based Mekotronics AI Box targets humanoid robots, Smart Cities management, transportation applications appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

The Titan Mini is a smaller and somewhat cheaper version of the RA8P1 Titan board introduced in 2025 for AIoT applications and RT-Thread RTOS development.

It still features a Renesas R7KA8P1 Cortex-M85/M33 microcontroller with an Arm Ethos-U55 NPU,  but comes with lower-capacity memory and storage chips  (32MB SDRAM and 8MB QSPI flash), drops the RJ45 Ethernet ports with a single FPC Ethernet connector, among other cost-saving measures. The only benefit I see besides the smaller size and slightly lower price is the presence of a microphone and a speaker connector for audio applications.

Titan Mini specifications:

• SoC – Renesas RA8P1 (R7KA8P1)
  • MCU cores
    • Arm Cortex-M85 clocked at 1 GHz with Helium MVE (M-Profile Vector Extension) with 32KB I/D caches; 7300+ CoreMarks
    • Arm Cortex-M33 clocked at 250 MHz with 32KB I/D caches
  • GPU – D/AVE 2D drawing engine
  • NPU – Arm Ethos-U55 NPU delivering 256 GOPS at 500 MHz
  • Memory – 2 MB SRAM, 1MB MRAM
  • Manufacturing Process – TSMC 22nm Ultra-Low Leakage (ULL) technology
• Memory – 32MB 64-bit SDRAM
• Storage
  • 8MB QSPI flash
  • MicroSD card slot
• Display I/F – 22-pin RGB565 FPC connector for LCD
• Camera I/F – 22-pin camera connector
• Audio
  • Speaker connector
  • Built-in microphone
• Networking – Ethernet FPC connector
• USB – USB 2.0 FS/HS Type-C port
• Serial
  • CAN Bus interface
  • 3-pin UART header
  • RTC battery connector
• Expansion – 40-pin GPIO header for Raspberry Pi HAT
• Debugging – 10-pin JTAG connector
• Misc
  • User and Reset buttons
  • 1x LED
• Power Supply – 5V/1A via USB Type-C port
• Dimensions – 65 x 55 mm

You’ll need to use an optional FPC to RJ45 cable if you want to use Ethernet, and a 5MP OV5640 camera module is also offered as an option.  You can perform debugging through an optional “HSLink Debug Kit” connected to the JTAG header.

RT-Thread provides an SDK/BSP for the board on GitHub with libraries and various code samples, including a blinking LED,  a display and camera demo, an Ethernet sample, an NPU-accelerated AI face detection demo, and a WAV audio player. The docs directory includes some documentation, including some misnamed “Titan_Mini_datasheet.pdf” and “Titan_Mini_user_manual.pdf” files that are generic RA8P1 datasheet and user’s manual instead. At least the PDF schematics look real…

RT-Thread sells the Titan Mini board for $44.23 on AliExpress, but that doesn’t include the Ethernet cable, adding $7.66, in which case the total price would be $51.89, or more than the $50 asked when the Titan board was launched in 2025, although it’s now $62.41. The prices are before shipping and eventual taxes. As a side note, the company told us they do not ship to the European Union due to “regulatory requirements”. That’s probably because the board lacks some certifications, and I asked what these were, but the company couldn’t reply in time for this article.

The post Titan Mini is a smaller Renesas RA8P1-based Edge AI board for RT-Thread RTOS development appeared first on CNX Software - Embedded Systems News.

SONOFF sent us a sample of the NSPanel Pro Gen2 Smart Home control panel for review. It’s a standard 86-type controller powered by a Rockchip RK3326-S SoC, equipped with 2GB RAM and 32GB eMMC flash storage, a 3.95-inch touchscreen display, and a 2-channel relay supporting up to 10A. The Android device supports dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, Zigbee 3.0, and Matter, and also includes a built-in 1.5W speaker and microphone for two-way audio.  It’s an update to the NSPanel Pro we reviewed in 2024.

In this review, we’ll start with an unboxing and a teardown, before going through the initial setup in standalone mode, and finally use the panel with the eWelink app and Home Assistant. We’ll connect one of the relays of the NSPanel Pro Gen2 to a ceiling LED light, test Zigbee through a SONOFF AirGuard TH (SNZB-02DR2) temperature and humidity sensor, WiFi through a SONOFF AirGuard PM2.5/PM10 air quality sensor, connect it to a security camera through an RTSP stream, use the Voice Call function in the eWeLink app for two-way voice communication with a smartphone, and integrate it with Home Assistant to control the SONOFF MINI DUO-L (MINI-ZB2GS-L) Zigbee 3.0 switch.

SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 unboxing

We received the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 in its retail package, clearly indicating it’s a “Smart Home Control Panel” compatible with Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Matter. The package includes the main unit, a user manual, mounting screws, and a mounting plate.

The device features a sleek, slim touchscreen display. It measures 86 x 86 mm. A microphone hole is located at the top to support voice commands, and the speaker is positioned at the bottom of the unit.

On the back, there is a screw-type terminal block for connecting the mains power and two loads. L Out2 and L Out1 signals are for the loads, and L (Live) and N (Neutral) are used to connect the mains.

We’ll also find useful information on the back, with the model (NSPanel86PB-Relay), rating (100-240V AC 50/60Hz input), maximum load per gang (5A) and in total (10A), and maximum LED load (150W @ 240V/Gang, 75W @ 100V/Gang). Unsurprisingly, it’s made in China.

SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 teardown

We performed a (partial) teardown of the NSPanel Pro Gen2. After removing the back cover, we can see the PCBA with a metal shield over the Rockchip processor, RAM, and storage, Reset and Boot buttons, a Silicon Labs MG24 chip for Zigbee connectivity with one antenna, a Wi-Fi module with one antenna, and an FPC/FFC cable going to the touchscreen LCD, a smaller FPC cable for the light sensor (ALS = Ambient Light Sensor), and the speaker on the bottom left.

Installation, wiring, and initial setup of the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2

While 86-type boxes are designed to be integrated into a wall, we rely on larger 120-type boxes in Thailand, based on the US standard. So instead, we asked the company to send an enclosure stand for the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 so that we can safely use it on a desk.

We connected the NSPanel Pro Gen2 directly to a magnetic ceiling LED light for testing. We routed all wires through the opening in the mounting bracket, connected the mains cable to the L and N screw terminals, and the LED light wires to the Neutral and L Out1 terminals, following the instructions in the user manual.

After wiring was complete, we secured the display on the stand and connected the device to the mains. Booting took about 30 seconds or so before we reached a Welcome screen with a Start button. From there, we selected the language and region and configured WiFi.  We were also presented with a QR Code for the eWelink app setup, but we skipped it at this stage.

After that, we got to the home screen with date, time, and weather data automatically synchronized over the Internet. We could also turn the LED light on/off using the left virtual switch on the touchscreen display.

Swiping down on the home screen brings up the menu. Let’s update the software first by going to Settings → About → Software Update.

Let’s now tap on Add Device to scan for Smart Home devices, and add the SNZB-02DR2 Zigbee temperature and humidity sensor.

We can see the temperature and humidity data from the SONOFF AirGuard TH (SNZB-02DR2) synchronized on the NSPanel Pro Gen2 with some delays, explaining the small differences between the values.

Let’s now tap on the Cameras icon. It brings two options: RTSP Cameras and DIY Cameras. The latter refers to cameras on smartphones or tablets leveraging the eWelink app.

But since our Reolink TrackMix PoE security camera supports RTSP, we typed the RTSP URL on the SONOFF control panel, and it worked well, including audio output. The camera also supports ONVIF, but the NSPanel Pro Gen2 does not, at least not yet.

Review of the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 with the eWeLink app

Let’s now install the eWeLink app on our smartphone, and bring the eWelink QR code from the Settings on the NSPanel Pro Gen2.

Once the NSPanel Pro Gen2 has been added to the eWeLink app, we can still control Channels 1 and 2 to turn on/off the devices connected to the relays, such as our LED light. There’s also a Voice Call menu that supports two-way voice communication between the smartphone and the panel. We also wanted to use the built-in microphone and speaker for voice interaction (Smart Speaker) function, but this only works with your smartphone after connecting the eWelink app to an app like Google Home or a compatible Smart Home gateway. The NSPanel Pro Gen2 can’t be used directly as a smart speaker with the current firmware.

If we already have other devices in the eWeLink app, such as the SONOFF MINI-DIM and SONOFF AirGuard PM2.5/PM10 (SAWF-07P), we add them to the control panel by going to Screen Settings → Edit Screen → Add Widgets.

After adding the two devices, we can see the PM2.5 and PM10 values from the sensor and control the bedroom light through the MINI DIM switch.

SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 and Home Assistant integration

The NSPanel Pro Gen2 is an Android device with the FDroid app store, from which we can install the Home Assistant Companion app.

We already have Home Assistant set up on a Raspberry Pi 4 connected to a SONOFF Dongle Max (Dongle-M) for Zigbee connectivity.

We can enter the URL of our Home Assistant server and then our credentials (username/password) to access the Home Assistant Overview dashboard.

From there, you can control smart home devices, check device status, and turn devices on/off through the NSPanel Pro Gen2’s touchscreen, just like when accessing Home Assistant on a smartphone or web browser on a computer.

Conclusion

We found the NSPanel Pro Gen2 to be easy to install and fairly straightforward to set up and use. We installed it on a desk enclosure, but as an 86-type control panel, it can also be integrated into your wall if your country uses this box size. Controlling the relays via the touchscreen was fast and responsive, and the eWeLink app allows the user to add widgets for other WiFi, Zigbee, or Matter Smart Home devices, such as switches, sensors, or security cameras. There’s also a Voice Call function for two-way audio calls between the control panel and smartphones running the eWelink app. If you already have a Home Assistant server, installing the Android app through F-Droid is super easy and transforms the  NSPanel Pro Gen2 into a Home Assistant control dashboard.

Overall, the SONOFF NSPanel Pro Gen2 is a great choice for anyone looking for a desk or wall-mounted smart home control panel with a touchscreen. It supports eWelink, Home Assistant, and Matter (not tested here since we didn’t have Matter devices) out of the box. We were hoping for a smart speaker function leveraging the built-in microphone and speaker, but it’s not implemented (yet), and users have to rely on third-party smart speakers.

We’d like to thank SONOFF for sending the NSPanel Pro Gen2 control panel for review. It’s sold for $134.90 in white or dim gray colors, and you may consider adding the optional Desk Enclosure Stand for an additional $9.90. The discount coupon CNXSOFT will lower the price of orders on the SONOFF website by 10% off (except pre-orders or special promotins).

CNXSoft: This article is a translation – with some additional insights – of the original review on CNX Software Thailand by Suthinee Kerdkaew.

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60 FPS gaming on an E Ink display? That doesn’t seem right… But that’s exactly what Wenting Zhang’s PaperBoy Game Boy emulator project does, using the M5Stack PaperS3 devkit, pairing an ESP32-S3 wireless microcontroller with a 4.7-inch E Ink display with 960 x 540 resolution.

One of the tricks here is that the bottom part of the ePaper touchscreen display is used for control buttons and doesn’t need to be refreshed, while the active part only requires 160 x 144 resolution, scaled three times to represent various shades of grey.

Contrary to most small Eink devkits, the PaperS3 features a screen with a raw row/column driver interface, which enabled him to drive the display while bypassing the normal waveform method, and deliver a higher refresh rate up to 60 FPS. Wenting didn’t reinvent the wheel for the Game Boy emulation part, and after testing three different emulators, he went with the CrankBoy project, delivering better performance at 30-60 FPS for most games. Tetris appears to be the most demanding game, while Super Mario Land offers the highest frame rate.

The audio implementation was also a challenge, mostly because the PaperS3 devkit only comes with a buzzer that can handle a single tone at a time. He solved the issue by using square waves for audio output, the same method as used on a PC’s buzzer. User input was easier with the touch screen, and Bluetooth LE joypad support was also added to the project.

You’ll find more technical details in the write-up on Hackster.io, or in the video embedded at the end of the video. The ESP-IDF-based source code can be found on GitHub, and the pre-built firmware can also be installed from M5Burner.

One downside is that the PaperS3 devkit is EOL (End-of-Life), so it’s hard to source, although it can be found on eBay for twice the original price. It might not be easy to find a replacement, since an ePaper devkit with a raw display interface is required to achieve the same results. The closest option is the older M5Paper based on the same display and still selling for $85, but it’s based on ESP32 instead of ESP32-S3, and would require further modifications.

Via Liliputing

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Sipeed NanoKVM-Go is a 4K USB-C KVM designed to control any USB-C device from anywhere with one cable. It also supports “full screen memory”, a function similar to the controversial Microsoft Recall feature, which enables an AI agent to search through your screenshots.

Remote control software works fine until your system freezes or BIOS access is required, and traditional KVMs do the job with HDMI, USB, Ethernet, power cables, and adapters, but that’s a bit too much when working on the go. The NanoKVM-Go aims to solve all these little issues with a small and light device that requires only one cable to the target, while the host connects to the USB KVM over WiFi 6.

NanoKVM-Go and Go+ specifications:

• SoC – Unamed, but almost certainly the Axera Tech AX630C used in the Sipeed NanoKVM Pro 4K IP KVM.
  • CPU – Dual-core Cortex-A53
  • AI accelerator – 3.2TOPS NPU
• System Memory and Storage
  • Go – 256MB LPDDR4x and 16GB eMMC flash
  • Go+ – 512MB LPDDR4 and 64GB eMMC flash for up to 180-day Recall data
• Display – 1.83-inch color touchscreen display
• Video, audio, keyboard, mouse
  • Main USB-C port – Video/Audio (DP Alt Mode), HID emulation, disk emulation, virtual NIC
  • Resolution – 4K @ 45 Hz or 2K @ 90 Hz
  • Latency – 60ms @ 1080p60, 80ms @ 2Kp60, 100ms @ 4pK30
  • Two-way audio supported
• Networking – 2.4/5GHz dual-band WiFi up to 286 Mbps
• USB
  • Main USB-C port for KVM
  • Aux USB-C port for power passthrough for charging and data for Finger Bot control
• AI features
  • Go – MCP for KVM
  • Go+ – MCP for KVM + Ambient Screen Intelligence (another name for the “full screen memory”/”Recall” function)
• Power Supply
  • 5V via main USB-C port
  • 5V/PD passthrough charging via Aux USB-C port
  • Consumption
    • Go:  ~1.6W @ 4K30
    • Go+: ~2.0W @ 4K30
• Dimensions: 45 × 40 × 15 mm

The NanoKVM Go works with any device that supports USB-C DP Alt mode, including the iPhone 15+, many Android smartphones, MacBook, Mac Mini, Steam Deck, Windows laptops and mini PCs, and so on. It supports browser-based control and Tailscale for secure access over the Internet

The company provides links to a GitHub repository and the wiki for the NanoKVM Go, but both are empty right now as the crowdfunding campaign has just started.  The closest competitor is the GL.iNet Comet Q (GL-RMQ1) USB-C KVM, also launched on Kickstarter, with over one million dollars raised with 24 hours to go. The main benefits of the Sipeed USB-C KVM are its smaller design, 4K resolution support, larger built-in storage enabling ISO image installation, FingerBot support, and AI features.

Sipeed claims it’s the first AI-Native KVM with all KVM functions exposed as an MCP server, enabled by the user. It turns the device into a hardware-level CUA (Computer Use Agent) peripheral that can be paired with any AI agent to automate desktop and mobile tasks, including the “full screen memory” function that allows users to search local screenshots (not uploaded to the cloud) with text input. They also highlight support for the company’s own lightweight PicoClaw AI agent.

Sipeed launched the USB-C KVM on Kickstarter with a $50,000 HKD ($6,374 US) funding target that’s been surpassed within the first few hours of the campaign. The NanoKVM-Go “Early Bird” goes for $59, and the NanoKVM-Go+ “Super Early Bird” for $79 with extra memory and storage for the Recall-like function. Retail prices (MSRP) will allegedly be $89 and $129 after the crowdfunding campaign is over. Shipping adds between 60 HKD to Hong Kong and up to around $20 US to the rest of the world. Rewards will be shipped right after the Kickstarter campaign is complete in August 2026.

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EDATEC ED-IPC1200 is an industrial data acquisition gateway powered by the Raspberry Pi Compute Module Zero (CM0), designed for industrial automation and edge applications with various I/O interfaces, a fanless design, and a wide range (9–28V) DC power input.

The industrial computer features RS-485, RS-232, four digital inputs, and four digital outputs for data acquisition and equipment control, and supports Ethernet, and optional Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and/or 4G LTE connectivity.

EDATEC ED-IPC1200 specifications:

• SoM – Raspberry Pi CM0
  • SoC – Broadcom BCM2710A1
    • CPU – Quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.0 GHz
    • GPU – VideoCore IV GPU supporting OpenGL ES 1.1, 2.0 graphics
    • VPU – H.264/MPEG-4 1080p30 video decoding, H.264 1080p30 video encoding
  • System Memory – 512MB LPDDR2 RAM
  • Storage – 8GB or 16GB eMMC flash
  • Wireless – Optional WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 module
• Networking
  • 10/100Mbps Ethernet RJ45 jack
  • Optional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on system-on-module
  • 4G LTE CAT-1 with Nano SIM card slot
    • Quectel EC800M-CN (China)
    • Quectel EC800K-EU (Europe)
    • Quectel EC800Q-NA (US)
  • Antennas – 2x SMA antennas for Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and 4G cellular
• USB
  • 1x USB 2.0 Type-A (480Mbps) port
  • 1x USB Type-C port for eMMC flashing
• Industrial I/Os
  • 1x RS232 via 3-pin 3.5mm Phoenix terminal
  • 2x RS485 via 3-pin 3.5mm Phoenix terminals
  • 4x DI via 5-pin 3.5mm Phoenix terminal
    • ON state: 5~30V DC or -30~-5V DC
    • OFF state: 0~2V DC or -2~0V DC
    • Sensor Type: Wet Contact (NPN)
    • Isolation Protection: 3.75kV
  • 4x DO via 5-pin 3.5mm Phoenix terminal
    • Output: 5~36V DC (24V DC  recommended), maximum current is 0.2A (per channel)
    • Sensor Type: NPN
    • Isolation Protection: 3.75kV
• Misc
  • Reset and User buttons
  • Power and ACT status LEDs
  • 4G, RS485, RS232, DI, DO, and user LEDs
  • Built-in RTC with 1F supercapacitor backup
  • DIN-rail mounting supported
• Power Supply
  • Input – 9V–28V DC with reverse-polarity protection via 2-pin terminal block
  • Consumption – About 5W
• Dimensions – 105 x 86 x 26 mm, excluding antennas and DIN rail bracket
• Weight – 310 grams
• Operating Temperature Range – -20°C to +60°C
• Humidity – 5% ~ 95% (non-condensing)

EDATEC provides support for Raspberry Pi OS Desktop/Lite 32-/64-bit with additional drivers for industrial interfaces, and also mentions CODESYS, Node-RED, Python, and OpenCV. You’ll find more details, including a user manual, on the documentation website.

When asked how the ED-IPC1200 differs from the earlier ED-IPC1100 Pi CM0 industrial box PC, the company explains the new model adds 4x DI and 4x DO for direct connection to industrial sensors, switches, relays, and field devices. These enable industrial data acquisition and lightweight control applications on the new Raspberry Pi CM0 IPC, while the ED-IPC1100 is geared towards industrial connectivity. There’s also an ED-IPC1220 in the works with additional I/O (8x DI, 8x DO, 2x analog current inputs, 2x analog voltage inputs) that already has a product page and should launch very soon.

Samples of the ED-IPC1200 gateway can be purchased for about $150-$200 on DigiKey, with the exact price depending on options. A few more details may also be found on the product page.

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Flipper has taken a short break from launching wireless hacking tools by introducing the BUSY Bar open-source productivity multitool designed to help people eliminate distractions and be more focused at work.

The device features a customizable LED pixel display and a small monochrome OLED back display, synchronizes with work apps, mutes notifications, and supports the Matter protocol for integration with Home Assistant, Apple Home, Google Home, or other Matter-compatible platforms.

BUSY Bar specifications:

• Microcontroller – STMicroelectronics STM32U5
  • CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 160 MHz
  • Memory – 2.5 MB SRAM
  • Storage – 2 MB Flash
• Storage – 8 GB eMMC flash
• Main Display – 6.35-inch RGB LED matrix with 72×16 resolution, 60 Hz refresh rate, 800 nits, adaptive brightness
• Back Display – 1.54-in monochrome (16 gray scales) OLED with 160×80 resolution, adaptive brightness
• Audio – 0.8W speaker for sound alerts and notifications
• Wireless Connectivity via Silicon Labs SiWG917
  • CPU – Arm Cortex-M4 @ 180 MHz
  • Memory – 672 KB SRAM
  • Storage – 8 MB Flash,
  • Wireless
    • 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax) with WPA3 authentication support
    • Bluetooth Low Energy 5.4
• USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and data
  • Virtual LAN adapter
  • HTTP API over USB Virtual LAN
• Misc
  • 5-position mode selector
  • Start/Pause button with Kailh Choc Switch V2
  • Scroll wheel with push button
  • Back button
  • 2x RGB status lights
  • Light Sensor for adaptive brightness control for the displays
  • Built-in monitor mount
• Power Supply
  • 5V charging via USB-C port
  • 3,250 mAh 18650 Li-ion battery good for 2 weeks in standby, eight hours of active status
• Dimensions – 168.6 x 55.2 x 40.8mm
• Weight – 250 grams

To get started, you’ll need to download and install the BUSY Bar mobile for Android or iOS to pair the device over Bluetooth and configure WiFi. Alternatively, you can use the Desktop app for macOS or access the web interface via the USB virtual LAN connector.  The download page also points to Python and TypeScript libraries for more advanced users and developers.

You can customize the (work/rest) Timer, Theme, and Smart Home modes from the app or web interface, or directly with the buttons on the unit. The BUSY mode enables muting notifications on your phone, and desktop notifications will soon be supported. Other features include a clock, auto ON CALL status, Google Calendar integration, the Draw tool to customize the display, and more. Check out the documentation for more details.

Flipper will sell the BUSY Bar for $179 to people joining the waiting list, and users who order after launch on July 14 may have to pay $249 instead. While the company has already sent samples to reviewers, reviews won’t be published before July 14.

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WeAct N006 is a carrier board for NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 8GB/16GB, specifically designed for robots and UAVs with a compact (90x60mm) form factor that’s barely larger than a credit card.

The board features an HDMI video output, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two M.2 sockets for NVMe storage and WiFi/Bluetooth connectivity, two MIPI CSI camera interfaces, three USB 3.2 ports, various connectors for GPIO, I2C, UART, and CAN Bus, and an XT30 connector for 16V to 28V DC input.

WeAct N006 specifications:

• Supported SoM – NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX 8GB/16GB up to 40W Super Mode
• Storage – M.2 Key-M socket for M.2 2242 NVMe SSD
• Video Output – HDMI port
• Camera – 2x 4-lame MIPI DSI interface
• Networking
  • Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port
  • Optional WiFi and Bluetooth via M.2 Key-E socket
• USB
  • 2x USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-A ports
  • USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) OTG Type-C port
• Serial
  • 4-pin CAN Bus connector
  • 2x 4-pin UART connector
• Expansion
  • M.2 Key-M (PCIe Gen4 x4) socket for NVMe SSD
  • M.2 Key-E (PCIe Gen4 x1) socket for WiFi/Bluetooth
  • 4-pin connector with 4x GPIO
  • 4-pin I2C connector
• Debugging – 2-pin Debug UART connector
• Misc
  • Power, Reset, and Reset keys
  • Power (Green) and System(Red) LEDs
  • 4-pin fan connector
  • 2-pin RTC battery connector
  • Side switch for auto power-on mode
• Power Supply
  • 16V-28V via XT30 connector
    • 24V recommended
    • 6S battery supported
  • Safety – Undervoltage, overvoltage, overcurrent, and reverse-polarity protection
• Dimensions – 90 x 60 mm
• Weight – 57.8 grams
• Temperature Range – 0 – 40°C

WeAct provides a GitHub repository containing a user manual (basic datasheet), a user tutorial (getting started guide with the Jetpack 7.x SDK using an Ubuntu 24.04 host), and an update script that mainly updates the device tree file.

It’s not the first time we’ve come across an ultra-compact NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX carrier board for drones/UAVs and robots, and for instance, the Aerium Lumen board is another option with a similar form factor (89.5 x 59 mm) and a nearly identical feature set, except it also supports 4G LTE cellular connectivity. As with any NVIDIA Jetson module solution, you’ll also need a thick active cooler.

WeAct sells the N006 carrier board on AliExpress for $110.50 plus shipping and eventual taxes. The company says that interface cables and fan extension cables are included “as gifts”, and customers can request a 3D model of the carrier board. I’m not quite sure why the latter has not simply been pushed to GitHub.

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Seeed Studio XIAO nRF54LM20A and XIAO nRF54LM20A Sense are tiny USB-C IoT boards based on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LM20A wireless SoC offering Bluetooth 6.0, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, NFC, Amazon Sidewalk, and 2.4 GHz proprietary connectivity.

Both variants come with on-chip 2 MB flash and 512 KB RAM, as well as an 8 MB flash, an nPM1300 PMIC for power management, up to 28 GPIOs, and an RGB LED. The Sense model adds a digital microphone and 6-axis IMU with motion-triggered wake-up for ultra-low power applications.

XIAO nRF54LM20A (Sense) specifications:

• Wireless SoC – Nordic Semiconductor nRF54LM20A
  • CPU
    • Arm Cortex-M33 application processor clocked at up to 128 MHz
    • RISC-V coprocessor running at 128 MHz
  • Memory – 512 kB of RAM
  • Storage – 2 MB of Non-Volatile Memory (NVM)
  • Wireless
    • Bluetooth LE 6.0 with PHY rates of 125 kbit/s, 500 kbit/s, 1 Mbit/s, and 2 Mbit/s
    • Bluetooth Channel Sounding, Bluetooth LE long range (coded PHY), Bluetooth Mesh
    • IEEE 802.15.4 supporting Thread, Zigbee, and Matter
    • Nordic Proprietary 2.4 GHz protocol and NFC
    • Amazon Sidewalk
    • +10 dBm maximum radiated output power (EIRP)
• Storage – 8MB flash
• USB – USB Type-C port for power and programming
• Sensors (Sense model only)
  • 6-Axis IMU sensor (takes one I2C interface)
  • PDM microphone (takes two GPIOs)
• Expansion I/Os
  • 2x 13-pin headers (alternating through holes and castellated holes) with up to 20x GPIO (PWM), 5x ADC, up to 2x I2C, UART, SPI,  5V, 3.3V, and GND
  • 8x pads with up to 8x GPIO
  • 2x NFC pads
• Debugging – Pads for nRF54LM20A SWD and SAMD11 SWD
• Misc
  • Reset and Boot button
  • Charge LED, user RGB LED
  • External IPEX antenna connector
  • 2x pads for SHPHOLD (ship/hibernate mode to keep the device in an ultra-low-power state during transportation until a button is pressed or external power is applied)
• Power Supply
  • 5V via USB Type-C port
  • 2x pads for 3.7V LiPo batteries managed via nPM1300 PMIC
  • Power consumption (Sense, 3.7V)
    • Light sleep: ~9.96µA
    • Deep sleep (System OFF): ~4.76µA
    • Deep sleep (System OFF, GRTC wake-up): ~4.92µA
    • Ship mode: 0.33µA
• Dimensions – 21 x 17.5mm
• Temperature Range –-20°C to 70°C

Compared to the earlier XIAO nRF54L15 boards, the XIAO nRF54LM20A boards expose more I/Os thanks to alternative through and castellated holes that enable higher pin density while keeping the same XIAO form factor. They also add support for NFC, while keeping BLE 6.0 and Matter/Thread connectivity for low-power IoT, wearables, Matter/Thread devices, and edge applications.

Seeed Studio provides support for Nordic nRF Connect SDK and PlatformIO, both based on Zephyr RTOS, and has also prepared a tutorial to use MicroPython.  They explicitly note that the Arduino IDE is not supported. You’ll find instructions to get started and use features like the microphone, IMU, and low-power modes on the wiki.

The XIAO nRF54LM20A and XIAO nRF54LM20A Sense can be pre-ordered for ~$10 and $16 on AliExpress or the Seeed Studio store, with shipping starting from 15, July, 2026. The boards may eventually become available on the company’s Amazon store. XIAO nRF54LM20B variants, adding an Axon NPU for tinyML applications, are also planned and expected to launch at the end of Q3 2026.

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Banana Pi BPI-VP10 is a low-cost servo control board based on the Fortior FU7512L RISC-V MCU and the FD6288Q pre-driver chip, designed for industrial control applications that rely on 100W/200W servos.

The servo motor control board supports multiple control modes, including pulse/direction, analog, and RS485, and is compatible with absolute encoders (Tamagawa/BiSS-C protocols), incremental encoders, and Hall encoders. The BPI-VP10 board, also called BPI-BJ2403N, aims to provide an easy-to-source platform for developers to experiment with the FU7512L microcontroller and design projects or products around it.

Banana Pi BPI-VP10 (FU7512L-SVDriver) specifications:

• Microcontroller – Fortior Technology FU7512L
  • CPU
    • 32-bit RISC-V core @ 48 MHz
    • ME2 motor engine core @ 48 MHz with FOC module and CORDIC module
  • Memory – 12kB SRAM, 4kB PRAM for program execution
  • Storage – 64kB Flash with ECC and CRC, self-programming, and code protection
  • Encoder Support – Absolute encoders (Tamagawa/BiSS-C protocols), incremental encoders, and Hall encoders.
    Pulse Input –  Up 4MHz Pulse/Direction input frequency
  • Package – LQFP64
• Pre-driver –  Fortior Technology FD6288 pre-driver with three independent half-bridge gate drivers
• MOS – 6x ZMJ Semiconductors ZMS009N06H 60V N-channel power SpeedFET
• Storage – 16 Kbit EEPROM (24LC16B) for saving servo tuning parameters
• I/Os
  • 10-pole I/O connector – External motion controller pulse/dir command input, servo enable command input, servo drive fault signal output, and analog signal input
  • 12-pin encoder connector – Servo motor feedback encoder interface
  • 5-pole Power/motor cable terminal – Servo motor power lines (U/V/W) and servo drive power input
• Serial – 4-pin RS485 connector for the servo PC tuning software
• Debugging – 4-pin code download/debugging interface
• Misc
  • Green LED: steady on indicates power-on
  • Red LED: blinking indicates a fault
• Power Supply – 24V DC via terminal block
• Dimensions – PCB: 72 x 56 mm

Banana Pi has released the firmware source code (C language) and binaries that rely on Fortior Tech’s FTM32ForIDE, and you’ll also find Fortior Tech Servo Studio 2 Windows-only PC software, PDF schematics, datasheets, pinout of the connectors, and other information on the documentation website.

The Banana Pi BPI-VP10 board is sold for around $21 on AliExpress, and you can get a “Board case motor” bundle with the board, a metal case, and an IP65-rated 100W DC servo motor (FXA040015CB1T) operating at 24V and delivering 0.192 N·m torque.

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Waveshare ESP32-C6-Zero-B is a variant of the company’s ESP32-C6-Zero USB-C board that adds 5V-36V wide supply voltage support for industrial applications

It’s based on the ESP32-C6FH8 wireless RISC-V SoC with 8MB flash, 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.x LE, and an 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee and Thread. It also exposes up to 20 GPIOs via headers and pads, and features an RGB LED, as well as Boot and Reset buttons.

Waveshare ESP32-C6-Zero-B specifications:

• SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6FH8
  • CPU
    • Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz
    • Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz
  • Memory – 512KB SRAM
  • Storage – 320KB ROM, 8MB flash
  • Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and 802.15.4 radio for Thread/Zigbee
• USB – USB Type-C port for program download and debugging
• Expansion
  • 2x 9-pin headers with up to 13x GPIOs, UART, I2C, SPI, 6x ADC, I2S, PWM, Vin, 3.3V out, GND
  • 7x solder pads with up to 7x GPIOs, UART, I2C, SPI, 1x ADC, I2S, PWM
• Misc
  • Boot (5) and Reset (6) buttons.
  • WS2812 RGB LED
  • 2.4 GHz ceramic antenna and IPEX 4 antenna connector (selectable via GPIO7)
• Power Supply
  • 5V input via USB-C port
  • 5-36V input up to 1A via Vin pin
  • SY8301 4.5-40V step-down regulator
• Dimensions – 25 x 18 mm

Waveshare mentions support for the ESP-IDF framework, Arduino, and MicroPython, and provides basic instructions to get started on the documentation website, along with additional hardware documentation.

We recently featured its little 5V-only brother, the ESP32-C6-Zero, in our article about the OpenC6 BIOS project, which brings a BIOS-like interface to configure peripherals of the ESP32-C6 SoC and enable features like network boot. But any generic firmware for the ESP32-C6 should work, especially since most pins are software configurable based on the pinout diagram below.

Note that there have been complaints about the range of this type of ceramina antenna used in the ESP32-C6-Zero-B in the past, so if the range is important to you, you’ll want an external antenna, or potentially perform a little antenna hack.

Waveshare sells the ESP32-C6-Zero-B for about $6-$7 on AliExpress and $5.99/$6.99 on the company’s store, depending on where you need pre-soldered headers. It may also soon become available on Waveshare’s Amazon store, but right now, only the 5V-only version is sold there.

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Simplia CONNECT RW612 is a 6-in-1 M.2 2230 wireless module that offers dual-band WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.4 LE, an 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee or Thread, LTE Cat-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS connectivity.

It’s the first module I’ve seen that implements so many wireless standards into a tiny M.2 2230 module. It’s made possible by combining an NXP RW612 WiFi, BLE, and 802.15.4 module with an optional Quectel BC77 LTE-M, NB-IoT, and GNSS module.

Simplia CONNECT RW612 specifications:

• Wireless modules
  • Murata Type 2FR (LBESOZZ2FR)
    • SoC – NXP RW612
      • CPU – Arm Cortex-M33 @ 260 MHz
      • Memory – 1.2 MB SRAM
      • Wireless
        • Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) 1×1 SISO
        • Bluetooth LE 5.4
        • 802.15.4 radio for Thread and Zigbee
    • Storage – 16MB or 32MB integrated flash memory via FlexSPI
    • Security – NXP EdgeLock
    • Package – 12.0 x 11.0 x 1.5 mm (BGA)
  • Optional Quectel BG77 (BG77LA, similar to the BG770A minus 5G NTN support)
    • LTE Features
      • 3GPP Rel. 14
      • LTE Cat M1 (LTE-M/eMTC)
        • 1.4 MHz RF bandwidth
        • Up to 588 kbps (DL), 1119 kbps (UL)
      • LTE Cat NB2 (NB-IoT)
        • 200 KHz RF bandwidth
        • Up to 127 kbps (DL), 158.5 kbps (UL)
      • Tx power – 21 dBm +1.7/-3 dB (Class 5)
    • GNSS – GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, and QZSS
    • Package – 14.9 × 12.9 x 1.7 mm
• Host interface – M.2 edge connector with USB 2.0, SD, RMII, UART, I2C, and possibly other interfaces (TBC)
• Expansion – 40-pin high-density Hirose connector with USB OTG, SWD, UART, I2C, SD, SIM card, 17x GPIOs (TBC)
• Misc – 3x IPEX connectors for cellular, GNSS, and WiFi/BT/802.15.4
• Power Supply – 3.3V
• Dimensions – 30 x 22 mm (standard M.2 2230 module)

Note that the company has not provided details for the 40-pin expansion connector and M.2 edge connector pinout, so I based these parts of the specifications on the block diagram above, and the GitHub repo for the earlier CONNECT IMXRT 1052 module with a similar form factor.

On the software side, we’re told that an SDK is provided with support for pin muxing and not much else. It’s probably based on MCUXpresso SDK (bare metal or FreeRTOS), although another option for RW612 is Zephyr RTOS (Tier 2, community supported).

Three SKUs are available:

• BAR0422 – Murata Type 2FR WiFi + BT 16MB Flash
• BAR0622 – Murata Type 2FR WiFi + BT 32MB Flash
• BAR0423 – Murata Type 2FR WiFi + BT 16MB Flash, Modem BG77-GNSS

That means only the BAR0423 implements all six wireless options. The company has not provided pricing, but for reference, the Murata Type 2FR module sells for about $14 and the Quectel BG77 module for about $20 in quantities (1K), so something around $100 might be possible considering the niche market. A few more details can be found on the product page.

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Polyhex Technology has introduced the DEBIX T62P-01, a compact industrial SBC built around Texas Instruments Sitara AM62P quad Cortex-A53/dual Cortex-R5F SoC designed for industrial IoT (IIoT), robotics, Edge computing, and smart terminal/HMI applications.

Measuring 88 × 59 mm, the board supports up to 8GB of LPDDR4 memory, optional eMMC storage up to 256GB, and a MicroSD card slot. It also features two GbE ports, including one supporting PoE via an external PD module, as well as Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity. Security features include hardware secure boot with Root-of-Trust (RoT), an Arm TrustZone-based Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), and a Hardware Security Module (HSM) for cryptographic operations.

DEBIX T62P-01 specifications:

• SoC – Texas Instruments AM62P (AM62P54CVMHIAMHR)
  • Application CPU – Quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 up to 1.4 GHz
  • Real-time cores
    • 1x Arm Cortex-R5F up to 800MHz (integrated with MCU channel)
    • 1x Arm Cortex-R5F up to 800MHz (for device management)
  • GPU – Imagination IMG BXS-4-64 GPU up to 50 GFLOPS; supports OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.2, OpenCL 1.2 EP
  • NPU – None (AI inference handled by A53 cores or GPU)
• Memory – 2GB LPDDR4 standard (4GB, 8GB optional)
• Storage
  • Optional eMMC flash (8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB)
  • Optional QSPI NorFlash (up to 4GB)
  • MicroSD card slot
  • 2Kbit EEPROM (Default)
• Display
  • Dual-channel 8-bit LVDS up to 3840 x 1080 resolution
  • 4-lane MIPI DSI up to 3840 x 1080 resolution
• Camera – 4-lane MIPI CSI (up to 6Gbps bandwidth, supporting 5MP/8MP/13MP sensors)
• Audio –  3.5mm audio jack (Line-out + Mic-in)
• Networking
  • 2x GbE LAN (RJ45 ports) with TSN support (1x port supports PoE with an optional external PD module)
  • Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz & 5GHz) and Bluetooth 5.4 via IPEX-1 antenna connector
• USB
  • 2x USB 2.0 Type-A ports (lower port supports USB firmware burning)
  • 1x USB Type-C dedicated to debugging (3x UART for A53, R5F-MCU, and R5F-Wake domains)
  • 1x USB Type-C port for power only
• Expansion
  • 40-pin double-row expansion header with up to 4x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 1x CAN, 2x PWM, 4x GPIO
  • MCU GPIO connector
• Debug – JTAG (3.3V)
• Security – Secure Boot (RoT), Arm TrustZone TEE, HSM (AES/SHA/PKA/TRNG)
• Misc
  • Reset button and user buttons
  • Power LED (Red/Blue)
  • Status LED (Green)
  • Boot DIP switch
  • Hardware Watchdog
  • RTC battery port
• Power – 5V/3A via dedicated USB Type-C port
• Dimensions
  • PCBA – 85 x 56 x 1.9 mm
  • Overall – 88 x 59 x 20 mm
• Weight – 50 grams
• Temperature Range – Standard: -20°C to 70°C; wide (optional): -40°C to 85°C

On the software side, the DEBIX T62P-01 supports Linux 6.12.y, Android 16, and FreeRTOS for the Cortex-R5F real-time cores.  The company also added a dedicated USB-C debug port that provides access to three distinct UART domains, making it easier to monitor the heterogeneous multicore architecture without juggling multiple serial adapters.

Previously, we saw Variscite introduce the VAR-SOM-AM62P SoM system-on-module based on the TI AM62P5 SoC, and now DEBIX has introduced the T62P-01, an industrial single-board computer (SBC) built around the same processor for edge AI and critical applications.

Like most industrial SBCs, the company has not announced pricing for the DEBIX T62P-01. However, the datasheet states that it will be available in multiple configurations with 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of RAM, optional 64GB eMMC storage in the standard SKUs (up to 256GB supported), and either a standard (-20°C to 70°C) or wide-temperature (-40°C to 85°C) operating range. More information is available on the product page.

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