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TerraMaster Launches the Industry’s First 8-bay 10Gbps Hybrid Storage with an Early Bird 33% Discount

Posted on 29 April, 202429 April, 2024 by mixos

TerraMaster, a professional brand that focuses on providing innovative storage products for homes and businesses, has recently released the D8 Hybrid which is the industry’s first hybrid HDD NVMe SSD enclosure. It can hold 4 SATA HDDs/SSDs and 4 M.2 2280 NVMe SSDs, with a capacity of 24TB a drive, and 8TB per M.2 SSD, providing users with up to 128TB (24TB x 4 + 8TB x 4) of storage space, which is an excellent choice for storage expansion of Windows, Mac or Linux computers.

Combining the advantages of HDDs’ massive capacity and SSDs’ high-speed performance, and TerraMaster’s complimentary TPC Backupper software, you can easily schedule backups of important data to enhance data security.

D8 Hybrid Key Features

Hot and Cold Storage Combination

It is flexible to manually choose where to store your data based on type and frequency of use, thereby optimizing storage efficiency and access speed. Taking advantage of the large capacity of mechanical hard disks and the high-speed read and write performance of M.2 SSDs, hot data stored on high-speed SSDs can be quickly accessed, while cold data is cost-effectively stored on HDDs.

TPC Backup Solution

TerraMaster’s complimentary TPC Backupper simplifies Windows PC backups. Users can Schedule folder or disk partition backups to TerraMaster USB HDD storage or NAS servers effortlessly. Just connect, install, and set up your backup task. TPC Backupper supports both incremental and differential backup strategies and is compatible with Windows 8/8.1/10/11. For Mac users, you can seamlessly utilize the built-in Time Machine feature for backup purposes.

10Gbps Transfer Bandwidth

The D8 Hybrid hard drive enclosure adopts USB 3.2 Gen2 protocol for high-speed data transmission up to 10Gbps. With a single M.2 SSD (Samsung 980 NVMe M.s SSD), the read/write speed can reach up to 980MB/s. With 2 SSD’s in RAID 0, the read speed can reach 960MB/s, With 2 hard drives in RAID 0, the read/write speed can reach up to 521MB/s.

The 2+6 Innovation

Dive into the uniqueness of our 2+6 RAID mode! Slots 1 and 2 offer a playground for RAID 0/1/JBOD configurations, ensuring your data’s absolute security. Meanwhile, slots 3 and 4 and M.2 NVMe SSDs stand strong as independent guardians, catering to your every storage whim.

Unlock Infinite NAS Space

The D8 Hybrid is an ideal choice for expanding the NAS capacity of a home or small office. Simply connect the D8 Hybrid to the USB port of your NAS device, and you can easily expand the NAS storage space. You can even use the D8 Hybrid as an external DAS storage device for TerraMaster NAS. Both TOS 5 and the latest TOS 6 systems support creating new volumes using the four HDDs and four M.2 SSDs of the D8 Hybrid, and utilizing the full range of TerraMaster NAS storage features, such as setting up storage pools, various RAID modes, and enabling snapshots.

Push-Lock and Secure

Enjoy tool-free HDD tray swaps with Push-Lock auto-locking, preventing any accidental disconnections. Plus, slide in M.2 SSDs with specially designed covers and screws for a speedy 5-second install!

Stay Cool and Quiet

The D8 Hybrid features an intelligent cooling system, coupled with a super quiet design, which ensures your hard drives stay cool and your workspace stays serene. With automatic fan speed adjustment based on hard drive temperature and noise levels as low as 21dB, enjoy optimal performance without the extra noise.

The D8 Hybrid crowdfunding project has officially launched on Kickstarter with up to 33% off. For more details, please visit:

Follow TerraMaster on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terramasterofficial
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerraMasters
LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3wKrjmr
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3dMXGIK

Arduino Introduces 4G Global Connectivity for Portenta in Mini-PCIe Form Factor

Posted on 24 April, 202424 April, 2024 by Aditi Ambadkar

Arduino Pro has introduced a groundbreaking solution for IoT development with the launch of 4G global connectivity for its Portenta board, now available in a compact Mini-PCIe form factor. This innovation enables developers to swiftly create IoT devices with seamless global 4G cellular connectivity and GNSS capabilities.

Arduino made a significant announcement at Embedded World 2024, unveiling expansions to its esteemed Portenta line tailored for professional applications. These extensions integrate cellular connectivity, marking a notable advancement in the capabilities of Arduino’s Portenta platform. The Arduino Pro 4G module provides global cellular coverage and GNSS positioning in a mini-PCIe form factor. The company also unveiled a carrier board targeting its existing Portenta family and the new 4G module.

They introduced two new Arduino Pro 4G modules, each featuring a different system-on-module (SoM) design and adopting the mini-PCIe card form factor. One side of these modules features an edge connector, while the other side includes antenna connectors.

One of the 4G boards is tailored for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region and incorporates a Quectel EC200A-EU modem. The other 4G board offers global coverage and employs a Quectel EG25-G modem, additionally providing global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning. The GNSS support encompasses GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou (COMPASS), Galileo, and QZSS, ensuring comprehensive positioning capabilities.
The Arduino Pro 4G modules support 4G, 3G, and 2G networks, making them versatile for various applications such as remote maintenance, fleet management, smart cities, and smart buildings. With their mini PCI-E card form factor, integration into devices is straightforward. Arduino’s carrier board simplifies prototyping, and the off-the-shelf connector facilitates easy deployment onto custom boards.

The Portenta Mid Carrier combines a Portenta C33, Portenta H7, or Portenta X8 development board with the Arduino Pro 4G module. Together, you can build devices that use Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. The carrier board for the Arduino Pro 4G modules features numerous connectors and breakouts tailored for Portenta high-density expansion headers. Notably, it includes dedicated connectors for USB-A and Ethernet, enhancing connectivity options for users. It also features JTAG interfaces for debugging and the same connector styles as the Arduino GIGA for a display shield and camera.

All three products are now available from the Arduino Store — the Arduino Pro 4G Global (with GNSS) module at $65 and the EMEA module for €29. Neither comes with antennas, but Arduino offers Antenna Kits for each. The Portenta Mid Carrier costs $65.

Syntiant Unveils NDP250: A Breakthrough in Microwatt AI Processing for Always-On Applications

Posted on 24 April, 2024 by Aditi Ambadkar

Syntiant, a leading provider of on-device deep learning solutions, has introduced its latest innovation: the NDP250 Neural Decision Processor. Boasting an impressive 30 giga-operations per second (GOPS) performance, the NDP250 sets a new standard for efficiency in AI processing. This third-generation chip represents a significant leap forward, offering five times the speed of its predecessor, the Core 2.

“Our NDP250 builds on two generations of neural network architectures to deliver 30 GOPS, making it our fastest, highest-performing chip yet,”

says Syntiant CEO Kurt Busch, who unveiled the chip at Embedded World.

Designed for always-on voice and vision applications, the NDP250 can power various tasks, from speech synthesis to image recognition. Its advanced architecture, including the innovative Core 3 engine, enables seamless multitasking while operating within a microwatt power envelope.

Busch further emphasizes the versatility and efficiency of the NDP250, stating, “Compatible with a host of architectures while running multiple different layers simultaneously at significantly less power than existing solutions, the NDP250 with our new Core 3 engine is the ideal real-time speech interface for large language models. It can bring powerful AI to battery-powered, always-on vision applications in automotive security, appliances, cameras, smart displays, and video doorbells.” He highlights the transformative impact of the NDP250, noting that applications that once demanded power measured in watts can now operate with power measured in microwatts.

The NDP250 adopts a familiar approach seen in the company’s previous “Neural Decision Processors,” but with the introduction of the new third-generation Syntiant Core 3 architecture. This upgrade brings significant enhancements, with the company claiming a fivefold increase in performance compared to its second-generation counterparts, all without increasing power requirements. The chip’s architecture includes an Arm Cortex-M0 processor alongside Syntiant’s Core 3 and a HiFi3 programmable digital signal processor (DSP). Additionally, it features a dual 11-wire direct image interface, dual PDM digital microphone interface, I2S with PCM support, and quad-SPI and dual-I2C buses, complemented by 58 general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins.

According to Syntiant, the NDP250 excels in handling multiple heterogeneous networks concurrently, supporting over six million total neural parameters when operating in eight-bit precision mode. It can accommodate various neural network architectures, including 1D, 2D, and depthwise convolutional neural networks (CNNs), fully-connected networks, and recurrent neural networks such as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) networks. Besides real-time speech recognition and voice synthesis tasks, the chip is capable of efficiently running always-on image recognition models while consuming less than 30mW of power.

Syntiant is showcasing the NDP250 at its booth during Embedded World 2024, located at Hall 2 Booth #2-238. The company has confirmed that the chip is currently available for sampling; however, it has not provided a timeline for general availability.

More information on Syntiant’s chips is available on the company’s website.

Tangram Vision Self-Calibrating HiFi 3D Sensor Features ROS 2 Integration and On-Device AI

Posted on 24 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

The Team at Tangram Vision has recently introduced Self-Calibrating HiFi 3D Sensor a cutting-edge depth sensing solution designed primarily for robotics applications. The camera module integrates high-fidelity 3D sensing with on-device AI capabilities, to provide a Plug-‘n’-Play experience for Depth Sensing and Edge AI applications.

The sensor is built around the Texas Instruments Jacinto processor with a dedicated deep-learning matrix multiply accelerator (MMA) that runs at up to 8 TOPS (tera-operations per second) at 1.0GHz. The device also has 16 GB of onboard RAM with a custom-made Optiocs system.

This custom sensor system uses special optics to capture detailed depth information from its 2.2-megapixel cameras and laser projectors, covering a wide136° area. It’s incredibly precise too, with less than a one percent depth error up to 16 feet away. Plus, it automatically fixes alignment issues while it works.

Moreover, its dual connectivity options USB-C and PoEEthernet provide flexibility during development and reliability in deployment scenarios. The sensor also supports sensor fusion and offers multiple mounting options, making it adaptable to various robotics setups.

The company demonstrated the sensor’s capabilities with real-time applications like multi-target pose estimation, objectidentification, and 3Dscenesegmentation using TI’sDeepLearningLibrary(TIDL). These features, along with support for ROS2, enable easy integration into robotics projects.

HiFi 3D Sensor Features and Specifications:

Sensor Type: Designed for high-fidelity 3D sensing with self-calibration.
Integration: Seamlessly integrates with ROS 2 for robotic applications.
On-Device AI: Equipped with on-device AI for real-time data processing.
Resolution: Offers 2.2MP global shutter cameras for high-resolution imaging.
Field-of-View: Provides a wide 136° DFOV for comprehensive data capture.
Active Texturing: Utilizes dual laser pattern projectors for enhanced surface texturing.
Accuracy: Delivers highly accurate depth measurements with sub-1% error.
Neural Processing Unit (NPU): Features a powerful TI Jacinto™ processor for neural network processing.
Memory: Includes 16 GB of onboard memory for data storage and processing.
Software Applications: Compatible with TI Deep Learning Library (TIDL) for various tasks.
Compatibility: Native ROS 2 support for seamless integration into robotics projects.
Self-Calibration: Automatically recalibrates misalignments without calibration targets.
Sensor Fusion: Supports synchronization of multiple sensors for data fusion.
Dual Connectivity: Offers USB-C and PoE Ethernet options for connectivity.
Mounting Options: Multiple mounting options with drilled and tapped holes for easy installation.

The HiFi 3D Sensor is currently available for preorder on Kickstarter for $478.00, excluding shipping costs. For additional details, you can visit their product page.

Rockchip RK3566 Powred BIGTREETECH Pi 2 Features Gigabit Ethernet, Dual-band Wi-Fi and more

Posted on 24 April, 202425 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

The BIGTREETECH Pi 2 is a powerful single-board computer (SBC) powered by the Rockchip RK3566 chipset. It boasts 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM and a 32GB eMMC module, offering robust performance and ample storage capacity. With features like Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 5.2, it ensures seamless connectivity options. Additionally, the inclusion of a 40-pin GPIO header, USB 3.0, CSI, DSI, and a PCIe 2.1 interface enhances its versatility for various projects. It can be conveniently powered from a 12V – 24V DC input, all packed within a compact 94 x 56mm form factor.

The SBC is powered by a Rockchip RK3566 which features a Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55 cores running up to 1.8GHz, accompanying that is the ARM Mali G52 2EE GPU, but it lacks the NPU that we see in modern SBCs.

Previously we have covered similar SBCs like the the BeagleY-AI, the Radxa Zero 3W, the Banana Pi BPI-M2, and more feel free to check those and other SBCs out if you are looking for SBCs.

The BIGTREETECH Pi 2 Specifications

Rockchip RK3566 SoC: Quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55 CPU (up to 1.8GHz) with ARM Mali G52 2EE GPU.
Memory/Storage:
- 2GB LPDDR4
- 32GB eMMC
- 1x MicroSD card slot
Display/Audio:
- 1x Micro HDMI
- 1x 2-line DSI
- 3.5mm Audio jack
Camera:
- 1x 2-line CSI
Connectivity:
- 1x 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet
- Dual-band 2.4G/5G Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth 5.2
Expansion:
- M.2 Key
I/O Interfaces:
- 40-pin GPIO header
USB:
- 1x USB 3.0 Type-A
- 3x USB 2.0 Type-A
Power:
- 12V – 24V DC
Mechanical:
- 94 x 56mm

Pricing details for the BIGTREETECH Pi 2 have not been released yet, but both products are set for official launch on April 20th. For further information and updates, visit the BIGTREETECH online store.

ESP32-S3 PowerFeather – An Adafruit Feather-shaped dev board with lithium battery and solar support

Posted on 24 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

The ESP32 PowerFeather is a Low Power, solar-capable, Li-ion/LiPo powered IoT development board in a Feather-compatible format. The board is built around an ESP32-S3 and supports up to 18V DC input meaning you can directly connect your soler pannel to this board.

Previously, we wrote about the DFRobot’s FireBeetle 2, which also supports solar charging. However, the narrow 4.5V – 6V input voltage range of the board made it impractical for real-world use.

The ESP32-S3 PowerFeather board is powered by the ESP32-S3 chip with a dual-core processor at 240MHz, 512KB SRAM, 384KB ROM, 2MB PSRAM, and 16MB Flash, additionally, it has Charging status LED (red), user LED (green) along with User and Reset buttons.

The board has a firmware-controllable charger IC, a battery fuel gauge, and other hardware/circuitry to give users the utmost flexibility in power management and monitoring. The application firmware can enable or disable charging on-demand, set the maximum battery charging current, get an estimate of the battery’s charge and health, turn off a 3.3 V output rail, and much more!

ESP32-S3 PowerFeather Specifications

ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R2:
- 240 MHz Dual-Core Xtensa LX7 Processor
- RISC-V / FSM Ultra Low Power Coprocessor
- 8 MB Quad-SPI Flash
- 2 MB Quad-SPI PSRAM
- 512 KB SRAM
- 16 KB RTC SRAM
Interfaces:
- Radio
  - 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n on PCB antenna
  - Bluetooth 5 LE + Mesh on PCB antenna
- Connectors
  - USB 1.1 Full-Speed OTG on USB-C connector
  - I2C on STEMMA QT connector
- Pin Holes
  - 23 I/O on the two 1×16 2.54 mm pitch header pin holes
  - All digital input and output capable
  - All UART, I2C, SPI, I2S, SDIO, PWM, CAN, RMT, Camera, LCD capable
  - 6 analog input capable 5 touch input capable
  - 12 RTC capable (deep sleep pin hold, wake-up source)
  - 103AT input on thermistor pinhole
Power Management & Monitoring:
- Supply Monitoring
- Current measurement
- Voltage measurement
- Good supply detection
- Set maintained supply voltage (can be used to set MPP voltage)
- Battery Monitoring
  - Voltage measurement
  - Temperature measurement
  - Current measurement (charge/discharge)
  - Charge estimation
  - Health & cycle count estimation
  - Time-to-empty and time-to-full estimation
  - Low charge, high/low voltage alarm
- Battery Management
  - Enable/disable charging
  - Set max charging current
- Others
  - 3V3 enable/disable
  - VSQT enable/disable
  - FeatherWing enable/disable via EN pin
Power States:
- Ship mode
- Shutdown mode
- Power cycle
Battery Protections:
- Undervoltage Detect @2.2 V, Release @2.4 V
- Overvoltage Detect @4.37 V, Release @4.28 V
- Discharge overcurrent @1.5 A
- Trickle charging safety timer @1 hr
- Temperature-based charging current reduction based on JEITA, cutoff at 0 °C and 60 °C.
Power:
- Input
  - 5 V, 2 A max on VUSB USB-C connector
  - 5 V – 18 V, 2A max on VDC header pin
  - 4.2 V max, 2 A max on BATP and BATN JST PH Li-ion/LiPo battery connector
- Output
  - 3.3 V, 1 A max shared between the board, 3V3 header pin, and VSQT STEMMA QT connector
  - 3.3 V – 4.2 V, 3 A max shared between the board and VBAT header pin
  - 5 V – 18 V, 2 A max shared between board and VS header pin
Current Consumption:
- Deep-Sleep, Fuel Gauge Enabled (Initial) 26 μA
- Deep-Sleep, Fuel Gauge Enabled (Settled) 18.5 μA
- Deep-Sleep, Fuel Gauge Disabled 18 μA
- Ship Mode, Fuel Gauge Disabled 1.5 μA
- Shutdown Mode, Fuel Gauge Disabled 1.4 μA
Physical:
- Board Dimensions: 65 mm L x 23 mm W x 7 mm H
- Feather-compatible format, FeatherWing support
- Board Features
  - USB-C connector
  - Two 2.5 mm mounting holes
  - Two 1×16 2.54 mm header pin holes
  - Thermistor pinhole
  - 2-pin JST PH Li-ion/LiPo battery connector
  - 4-pin JST SH STEMMA QT connector
  - Green user LED
  - Red charger status LED
  - User button
  - Reset button
  - On-board PCB antenna

The company offers extensive documentation, including hardware descriptions and a getting-started guide with Arduino and ESP-IDF SDK, providing users easy access to the board’s power management and monitoring features. On the hardware side, the board is compatible with hundreds of existing FeatherWing and STEMMA QT modules, facilitating faster prototyping. A few more details may also be found on the official website.

The ESP32-S3 PowerFeather is priced at around $30, and it’s available at Elecrow. It’s a bit pricy compared to other ESP32-S3 boards but if you are working with solar power the software and hardware support will make that up for it.

OKdo & DEBIX Launch DEBIX Infinity Industrial SBC with i.MX 8M Plus SoC

Posted on 24 April, 202424 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

At Embedded World 2024, OKdo and DEBIX in a joint venture have announced DEBIX Infinity Industrial SBC. The SBC is powered by an NXP i.MX 8M Plus Quad Lite processor, and features dual GbE ports, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, and many other features.

The NXP i.MX 8M Plus is a quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.6 GHz. It also has a dedicated 800 MHz Cortex-M7 processor core for real-time application. But the only downside of this SBC is that it does not have any NPU, ISP, or video decoding/encoding capabilities. Although there is no specific Video decoder in the SoC, the board supports HDMI, MIPI DSI, and LVDS for different display configurations.

As this is an Industrial Class SBC the paper specs suggest that it can be operated within a temperature range from -20°C to 70°C.

Taking a look at this SBCs expansion capabilities it has support for a PCIe x1 interface (accessible via a 19-pin 0.3mm pitch FPC socket) and a 40-pin GPIO header. It also includes USB 3.0 ports and various serial communication interfaces.

Previously, we have covered similar SBCs including the Toradex SoM, Avnet MaaXBoard OSM93, and Toybrick TB-RK3588SD, feel free to check those out if you are looking for SBCs.

DEBIX Infinity Industrial SBC Specification

SoC:
- NXP i.MX 8M Plus quad-core Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.6 GHz (industrial) or 1.8 GHz (commercial)
  - Arm Cortex-M7 @ up to 800 MHz
  - Vivante GC7000UL 3D GPU
  - Vivante GC520L 2D GPU
  - 2.3 TOPS NPU
System Memory: 2GB LPDDR4 (optional: 4GB/6GB)
Storage: Micro SD card (optional: 8GB, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, or 128GB eMMC flash)
Video Output:
- HDMI 2.0a up to 4Kp60
- 1x LVDS header, single & dual channel 8-bit
- 1x 4-lane MIPI DSI FPC socket
Camera Interface: 1x 4-lane MIPI CSI FPC socket
Audio:
- 3.5mm audio jack with headphones and microphone signals
- 1x SPDIF digital audio input/output
- Digital audio via HDMI
Networking:
- Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port with optional PoE
- Additional LAN port via 12-pin header
- Dual-band (2.4GHz & 5GHz) Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 via KEIIOT K019-CW43-DW module from KERTONG Polytron Technologies, ceramic antenna
Expansion:
- 40-pin headers with 3x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 2x CAN, 1x PWM, 2x GPIO, 5V power supply, system reset, ON/OFF
- 1x PCIe x1 FPC socket
USB:
- 2x USB 3.0 Host Type-A
Power:
- 5V/3A DC (via Type-C)
Operating Temperature:
- -20°C to 70°C
Dimensions: 85.0 x 56.0mm

This SBC is compatible with a range of operating systems including Android 11, Yocto-L5.10.72_2.2.0, Ubuntu 22.04, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. That guarantees flexible use.

At the time of writing the DEBIX Infinity Industrial SBC can be purchased from both okdo and RS-Components. The board comes in two variants: the 2GB version is priced at £47.25 (approximately $61.46), whereas the 4GB version with 32GB eMMC will cost you £62.95 (approximately $82.01).

Seeedstudio LinkStar-H68K-1432 V2 is A Tiny Pocket Router with 2x1GbE + 2×2.5GbE ports

Posted on 24 April, 202424 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

After the succession of LinkStar-H68K, Seed Studio has announced LinkStar-H68K-1432 V2 a pocket-sized router powered by the Rockchip RK3568 SoC. The most interesting feature of this router is that it features 2 x 1GbE and 2 x 2.5GbE ports with dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and a 4K-capable HDMI 2.0 output. Not only that it will also come with Android 11 preinstalled, so it’s more like a media server rather than a router.

The RK3568 is a Quad-core 64-bit CPU with a Cortex-A55 CPU running at 2.0GHz it also has an ARM-G52 2EE GPU with support for 4K 60FPS video output. Additionally, the device has multiple storage options! including a 32GB onboard eMMC, a microSD card slot for more, and a USB 3.0 Type-C port (now with SATA support) all these features with that 2.5GbE network connectivity make it a good NAS.

This device features improved thermal management, replacing the standard mesh finish with an integrated heat dissipation strip for better cooling. Additionally, the router now supports a wider power input voltage range of 5-24V, including convenient powering via a 5V Type-C connection.

Seeedstudio LinkStar-H68K-1432 Specifications

Processor: Rockchip RK3568 quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55, up to 2.0GHz
- GPU: ARM G52 2EE
- NPU: 1 TOPS@INT8
Storage:
- 32GB onboard eMMC
- 1x SD card slot for storage expansion
NIC:
- 2x 1G Ethernet NIC RTL8211F
- 2x 2.5G Ethernet NIC RTL8125B
Wireless: Dual-band 2.4G/5G Wi-Fi 6 M7921E module
Video Output: 1x HDMI2.0 interface for 4K output
Multi-Media:
- Supports 4K@60fps H.265/H.264/VP9 video decoding
- Supports 1080@60fps H.265/H.264 video encoding
- Supports 8M ISP, HDR
USB:
- 1x USB 3.0 Type-A
- 1x USB 3.0 Type-C (supports storage expansion, 5V-20V wide voltage DC input, power requirement >10W)
- 1x USB 2.0 Type-A
Power Supply:
- Supports CC line PD fast charging
- Supports 5V-20V wide voltage DC input, power requirement >10W (12V DC interface power supply canceled)
Power Consumption: 7.5W (With fully loaded network port)
Operating Temperature: -10°C to 55°C
Dimensions: 80 x 60 x 40mm

The router supports OpenWRT and Armbian operating systems, enabling specialized network configurations such as VPN, game servers, print serving, and ad-blocking setups.

The LinkStar-H68K-1432 V2 is priced at $99.00 and can be purchased from the SeeedStudio website. It comes with Android 11 pre-installed, as mentioned on the product page.

Unexpected Maker NanoS3 Features ESP32-S3 in Self-proclaimed world’s smallest from factor

Posted on 24 April, 202424 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

Seon Rozenblum, better known as Unexpected Maker, has recently launched what they claimed to be the world’s smallest fully-featured ESP32-S3 module it packs all the peripherals, and wireless connectivity features of an ESP32-S3 module and features the tiny package size as the original TinyPICO Nano. The board will come in two varieties one with an Onboard antenna and the other with an u.FL connector onboard making sure that it will fit your needs.

The board centers on ESP32-S3FN8, boasting 2x Xtensa LX7 cores clocked at 240MHz, alongside 1x RISC-V, 1x FSM, 512K SRAM, 8MB PSRAM, 8MB Flash, and 27 GPIO pins.

Previously we have covered many different types of development boards and display modules powered by the ESP32-S3, including Waveshare ESP32-S3 GEEK, LILYGO T4 S3, Adafruit Metro ESP32-S3, feel free to check them out if you are interested in those.

Unexpected Maker NANOS3 Specifications

Microcontroller
- Espressif Systems’ ESP32-S3 with
- Dual-core 32bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller up to 240MHz
- RISC-V ULP Co-processor
- 512KB SRAM
- 2.4GHz Wifi 4 (802.11b/g/n)
- Bluetooth 5.0 BLE + Mesh
Memory: 8MB QSPI PSRAM
Flash: 8MB to 16MB depending on the model.
JTAG: Yes
ADC: 2x 12-bit SAR/20 chan
DAC: 3
PWM Channels: 5x TX chan, 5x RX chan
LED: Onboard RGB LED
NeoPixel Support: Yes (up to 1515 Neopixels)
Antenna: Onboard or External u.FL
Release Date: July 2023

For simplicity, the company offers a comprehensive pinout diagram to streamline the setup process. The diagram clearly showcases the pinouts for both USB and external Vin connections, making it easy to get started.

The board is completely open-sourced and a set of resources including essential files like 3D STEP files, KiCAD symbols and footprints, reference designs, PDF schematics, and high-resolution pinout reference cards for the NanoS3 board on the Unexpected Maker ESP32-S3 GitHub repository.

The NanoS3 ships with the latest version of CircuitPython that supports the ESP32-S3. It also ships with the UF2 bootloader, so you can easily update your NanoS3 with the latest CircuitPython firmware, whenever you desire.

The Unexpected Maker NANOS3 board is priced around $19.00 and can be found on their shop page.

Espressif ESP32-C5 Test Board Features Dual USB-C Port and Dual SMA Connectors

Posted on 24 April, 202427 April, 2024 by Debashis Das

Back in June 2022, Espressif unveiled the ESP32-C5, their first dual-band SoC. But since then we haven’t heard any update on that part nor has any development board been showcased, but that changed very recently as they released an official design guide for an ESP32-C5 Test Board.

When the board was first released, it was marketed only as a dual-band chip. Now, with the board out we can see that it also has support for Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3, which means that the company has also included a 802.15.4-based radio within the chip.

This new board design by Espressif features two SMA connectors one for 2.5GHz and another for 5GHz radio. It also has dual USB-C ports one goes through a USB-to-UART bridge and another directly connects to the ESP32-C5 port additionally it has two 12-pin GPIO headers, Boot and Reset buttons, an RGB LED, and a 2-pin header for current measurements.

ESP32-C5 Test Board Specifications:

Processor: Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor with clock speeds up to 240 MHz.
Memory: 400KB on-chip SRAM, 384KB on-chip ROM, and support for external flash storage.
Wireless Connectivity:
- Dual-band 802.11ax WiFi 6 (2.4GHz and 5GHz) with backward compatibility for older WiFi standards (802.11b/g/n).
- Bluetooth 5.0 LE.
- 802.15.4 radio for Zigbee 3.0 and Thread 1.3.
Storage: 4MB SPI flash.
I/O:
- USB Type-C port for USB Serial/JTAG (USB 2.0 full speed).
- USB Type-C to UART port.
- 12-pin GPIO headers (J5 and J6).
- Boot and Reset buttons.
Other Highlights:
- Power and RGB LEDs.
- 32.768 KHz and 48 MHz crystals.
- 5V to 3.3V DC/DC switching regulator for power efficiency.

More design details about the board can be found in the user guide provided by Espressif. At the time of writing, I couldn’t find any software details in the guide, but it’s likely to be supported by ESP-IDF. That means it will probably also be supported by the Arduino IDE. The company hasn’t made any official announcements yet, but when they do, we’ll likely see a lot of third-party boards launched at the same time.