Hardware Projects: RISC-V, Raspberry Pi, and More

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Aug 11, 2026

• CNX Software ☛ Comu is a $6 tiny CH32V203 RISC-V development board that fits inside a USB port

  Over the years, we have seen several tiny “omu” USB boards that share this “fits-in-a-USB-port” form factor. It started with the Tomu, based on a Silicon Labs EFM32 Cortex-M0+, followed by the Fomu with a Lattice iCE40 FPGA, Qomu with an EOS S3 Cortex-M4F MCU and FPGA, and the Somu, a tiny FIDO2 security key. Icy Electronics has now introduced Comu, another tiny development board based on the 144 MHz WCH CH32V203 RISC-V MCU. While measuring just 13 x 9.4 mm (slightly smaller than a microSD card), the board still packs two white LEDs, four capacitive touch buttons, and six GPIOs exposed through test pads.

• CNX Software ☛ PewCB One Desktop PCB fabrication system enables rapid prototyping at home

  PewCB One is a desktop PCB prototyping system designed to accelerate hardware development by manufacturing PCBs at home or in the office in a few hours or less, instead of waiting days for a PCB to come back from the factory. Unlike desktop fabrication methods that rely on chemical processing, the PewCB One is more akin to a fully enclosed laser engraver housed with an integrated air filtration system. Users can perform the full process from double-sided PCB blanks to a complete PCBA at home.

• CNX Software ☛ Makerfabs Nomad Terminal features ESP32-S3 WiSoC, LR1121 LoRa transceiver, 3.5-inch touchscreen display

  Makerfabs Nomad Terminal handheld development platform is built around an ESP32-S3 MCU and a Semtech LR1121 LoRa transceiver for long-range wireless communication, as well as an ATGM336H GNSS module for positioning. The device can be used for applications such as LoRa messaging, GPS tracking, navigation, and remote sensor monitoring without a cellular connection.

• Linux Gizmos ☛ Challenger+ RP2350 NB-IoT Enables LTE Cat NB2 and GNSS for Embedded IoT

  ILABS is offering the Challenger+ RP2350 NB-IoT, a compact development board combining Raspberry Pi’s RP2350 microcontroller with STMicroelectronics’ ST87M01-1301 cellular module. The board targets low-power IoT applications requiring LTE Cat NB2 connectivity, GNSS positioning, and long battery life.

• Build a Desktop Arcade Machine with a Raspberry Pi and RetroPie

  I’ve been wanting to build a proper desktop arcade machine for a while now, and I finally got around to making one. It’s powered by a Raspberry Pi 4, has a 10-inch touchscreen, real arcade controls and a custom-designed laser-cut enclosure with printed graphics.

• CNX Software ☛ Raspberry Pi CM4/CM5-based WisGate Connect Router RAK7392 offers 2.5GbE, mini PCIe, and WisBlock expansion

  RAKwireless has just launched the WisGate Connect Router RAK7392 (not to be confused with the older WisGate Connect RAK7391), an industrial-grade edge router and gateway built around Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4/5 (CM4/CM5). The system features three Gigabit Ethernet ports, one 2.5GbE port, wireless expansion via a mini PCIe slot, and WisBlock connectors for sensors and I/O modules. The gateway is designed for industrial IoT applications such as edge computing, VPN, Modbus-to-MQTT conversion, and LoRaWAN packet forwarding, eliminating the need for multiple boards and USB adapters for complex deployments.

• CNX Software ☛ PyBLE open-source MicroPython IDE works over Bluetooth LE for tablet and iPad users

  PyBLE is an open-source, MIT-licensed MicroPython IDE for programming microcontroller boards over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), which targets Android tablet and iPad users. PyBLE combines a Flutter-based IDE for iPad and Android with support for MicroPython and visual programming (Blockly), an open MicroPython agent firmware, and the PBLE/1 protocol fully documented by the developer. The IDE currently supports features such as editing and running Python, a live console, wireless file management, and initial firmware targets include ESP32, ESP32-S3, and ESP32-C3 wireless microcontrollers.

• Raspberry Pi ☛ Curiously minty Raspberry Pi Zero cyberdeck

  The Raspberry Pi community has been squeezing our hardware into Altoids tins since the beginning times (still not sure why), and the cyberdeck renaissance continues apace, so this Maker Monday, we thought we’d share a project by Excercising Ingenuity which marries the two.