Open Hardware and Linux Devices
-
Tom's Hardware ☛ Mini-ITX board transformed into a Mini-ITX Laptop with a battery and 32GB of memory
Besides being a fully functioning Mini ITX laptop project, the use of dual screens here is particularly creative. As showcased in the images above and the original gallery, the bottom screen can either be used to further enhance emulation/media consumption or repurposed as a full touchscreen keyboard. Considering the design is being demoed with 3DS emulation, it seems this dual-screen choice was likely shaped by that workload.
-
Gunnar ☛ The Power Mac G4 Cube
The Power Mac G4 Cube is a Mac personal computer sold by Apple Computer, Inc. between July 2000 and 2001. The Cube was conceived as a miniaturized but powerful computer by Apple chief executive officer (CEO) Steve Jobs and designed by Jony Ive. Apple developed new technologies and manufacturing methods for the product—a 7.7-inch (20 cm) cubic computer housed in clear acrylic glass. Apple positioned it in the middle of its product range, between the consumer iMac G3 and the professional Power Mac G4. The Cube was announced at the Macworld Expo on July 19, 2000.
-
CNX Software ☛ Sfera Labs Strato Pi Max DIN rail industrial controllers are built around Raspberry Pi CM4 or Zymbit SCM module
Sfera Labs has recently introduced two new Pi Max DIN rail industrial controllers – the Strato Pi Max XS and Strato Pi Max XL configured with a Raspberry Pi CM4 or the Zymbit Secure Compute Module (SCM). Both have options for different RAM and eMMC flash configurations and can come with or without wireless connectivity. The module also features a Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller that manages tasks such as power management and boot sequence control. Additionally, it enables connections to the CM4 module through I²C, USB, and UART.
-
CNX Software ☛ SolidRun launches Hailo-15 SOM with up to 20 TOPS Hey Hi (AI) vision processor
In March last year, we saw Hailo introduce their quad-core Cortex-A53-based Hailo-15 Hey Hi (AI) Vision processor. The processor features an advanced computer vision engine and can deliver up to 20 TOPS of processing power. However, after that initial release, we didn’t find it in any commercial products with the SoC. But in a recent development, SolidRun has released a SOM that not only features the Hailo-15 SoC but also integrates up to 8GB LPDDR4 RAM and 256GB eMMC storage along with dual camera support with H.265/4 Video Encoder.
-
Ken Shirriff ☛ Inside an unusual 7400-series chip implemented with a gate array
When I look inside a chip from the popular 7400 series, I know what to expect: a fairly simple die, implemented in a straightforward, cost-effective way. However, when I looked inside a military-grade chip built by Integrated Device Technology (IDT)4 I found a very unexpected layout: over 1500 transistors in an orderly matrix. Even stranger, most of the die is wasted: less than 20% of these transistors are used, forming scattered circuits connected by thin metal wires.
In this blog post, I look at this chip in detail, describe its gates, and explain how it implements the "1-of-4" decoder function. I also discuss why it sometimes makes sense to build chips with a gate array design such as this, despite the inefficiency.
-
Linux Gizmos ☛ Radxa Unveils Cost-Efficient ROCK 5C and ROCK 5C Lite SBC
Radxa has recently enhanced its lineup with the pre-launch of two single board computers: the ROCK 5C and ROCK 5C Lite. These devices, featuring PCIe 2.1 interfaces and PoE support, are built on the Arm Cortex-A76 architecture and are competitively priced, targeting developers, educators, and hobbyists.
-
Hackaday ☛ ESP-Drone: Building An ESP32-Based Quadcopter For Not Much Cash
What’s the cheapest quadcopter you can build? As [Circuit Digest] demonstrates with their variant of the ESP-Drone project by Espressif, you only need a minimum of parts: an ESP32 MCU, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) such as the MPU6050, and four MOSFETs to drive the brushless DC motors. As the PCB also forms the structural frame and landing struts for the quadcopter, not even a 3D printer is needed. All told, [Circuit Digest] figures the total BOM comes in at around 1,000 Indian Rupees, or about $12 USD.
-
Hackaday ☛ Give Your Pi Pico Captouch Inputs For All Your Music Needs
Unlike many modern microcontrollers, RP2040 doesn’t come with a native capacitive touch peripheral. This doesn’t mean you can’t do it – the usual software-driven way works wonderfully, and only requires an external pullup resistor! In case you wanted a demonstration or you have a capacitive touch project in mind, this lighthearted video by [Jeremy Cook] is a must watch, and he’s got a healthy amount of resources for you in store, too!