Anatomy Of A Minimalist Home Computer

There are plenty of well-known models among the 8-bit machines of the 1980s, and most readers could rattle them off without a thought. They were merely the stars among a plethora of others, and even for a seasoned follower of the retrocomputing world, there are fresh models from foreign markets that continue to surprise and delight. [Dave Collins] is treating us to an in-depth look at the VTech VZ-200, a budget machine that did particularly well in Asian markets. On the way, we learn a lot about a very cleverly designed machine.

The meat of the design centres not around the...

AQEX qUPS-P-BC-2.0 UPS HAT works with large capacity, multi-chemistry batteries (Li-Ion, LiFePO4, Sodium-Ion)

Developed by Hungary-based AQEX, qUPS-P-BC-2.0 is a Raspberry Pi-compatible UPS HAT that supports multi-chemistry batteries, including Li-Ion, LiFePO₄, Sodium-Ion, and even supports large, high-capacity packs up to 300Ah. It is designed for applications that require long backup times and reliable 5V power. It features an offline UPS-like architecture with a highly efficient boost converter, adjustable input voltage and energy thresholds, as well as AUTO/ON/OFF operating modes to prevent reboot loops or unsafe restarts. Communication with the Raspberry Pi is handled through three GPIO pins to provide alerts for power loss and low battery. The board supports up to 7.5A discharge,...

Palm-sized Mini PC NAS offers four M.2 bays and dual 2.5GbE ports

Youyeetoo has introduced the NestDisk, a compact mini-PC NAS built around Intel’s Alder Lake-N architecture. The system integrates four M.2 NVMe slots in a chassis similar to an external drive enclosure, targeting home lab, soft routing, and media server deployments. The device is powered by the Intel Processor N150, a quad-core CPU within the Alder […]

PSoC Edge E84-Based Handheld Runs RT-Thread for Local Machine Learning

RT-Thread has launched a Crowd Supply campaign for the Edgi-Talk, a handheld reference platform built for hardware-accelerated machine learning. Based on Infineon’s PSoC Edge E84 architecture, it targets smart home, wearable, and industrial interfaces that rely on local inference and responsive voice interaction. The core of the system is the Infineon PSoC Edge E84, which […]

Toradex Introduces Coin-Sized Modules Powered with NXP i.MX 93 and i.MX 91 Processors

Toradex has unveiled the OSM and Lino Computer on Module families, incorporating NXP’s i.MX 93 and i.MX 91 processors. These ultra-compact modules target high-volume industrial automation and edge systems, offering a rugged, cost-effective solution for space-constrained environments. The new lineup includes the OSM iMX93, OSM iMX91, Lino iMX93, and Lino iMX91. These modules are powered […]

ESP32-C6-Devkit-Lipo – A small, open-source hardware ESP32-C6 board with battery support, UEXT connector

Olimex ESP32-C6-DevKit-Lipo board is a small open-source hardware board based on the ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 LE, and Zigbee/Thread SoC with support for LiPo batteries and UEXT expansion modules. It’s the second announcement from the company this week, and comes after they introduced the MOD-ESP32-C5 to add wireless connectivity to boards equipped with a UEXT connector. The ESP32-C6-DevKit-Lipo adds to the list of small ESP32-C6 USB-C boards, such as the 01Space ESP32-C6 board and Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C6, among many others. It’s actually larger than most similar boards, but differentiates itself with its open-hardware design, dual USB-C design, breadboard...

New Open Source Hardware board with ESP32-C6 WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5 LE, Zigbee, Thread / Matter and LiPo UPS

The ESP32-C6-Devkit-Lipo is a evaluation board built around the ESP32-C6-MINI-1-N4 module from Espressif with 4MB Flash and 512KB RAM, designed to bring WiFi6 wireless connectivity, ample memory, and robust control features into one compact, breadboard friendly versatile package. All available signals are are on two 0.1″ step headers spaced at 0.9″ to may plug directly […]

ExtrudeX machine recycles failed/old 3D prints into new filament (Crowdfunding)

When 3D printing, users will always waste filament one way or the other, either due to a failed print or because of the support for the print, and there may also be test/old prints that you don’t need/use anymore, for example, a retraction cube or a benchy. That means all that material usually ends up in the dustbin. Priyank Pal, founder of Creative3dp, did not like all that waste, so he created the ExtrudeX machine to recycle 3D print waste and filament scraps back into usable filament. On top of that, the machine itself is 3D printable and much more...

Rikomagic DS08 – A Rockchip RK3588-powered 8K digital signage player with RTC and watchdog support

Rikomagic DS08 is a Rockchip RK3588-powered Android 13 digital signage player with 8K and 4K HDMI video outputs, RTC and watchdog support, and support for portrait and landscape orientation. It looks to be an update to the Rockchip RK3288-powered Rikikomagic DS02 introduced in 2020. The new model appears to have the same enclosure, but with a slightly different port layout, and much better specifications. Besides an octa-core Cortex-A76/A55 SoC, the system ships with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB eMMC flash, and features a Gigabit Ethernet port, WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, optional 4G LTE, and a few USB...

Кустарные вакуумные триоды Клода Пайяра. Часть 4. Вакуумные насосы

Мы уже познакомились с Клодом Пайяром — французским радиолюбителем, в бытность, редактором журнала Radio-REF, энтузиастом-электровакуумщиком, воссоздавшим в своей мастерской кустарное производство практических триодов ТМ [1] (первых, 1920-х годов, промышленных «жёстких» — с высоким вакуумом, электронных ламп), и рассмотрели его самодельное огневое оснащение (Часть 1), установку для контактной сварки и технологическую печь (Часть 2), ламповую установку ТВЧ для дегазации электродов ламп при откачке (Часть 3). Сегодня мы взглянем на высоковакуумную установку Клода, самодельную, как и всё его оборудование.