Baochip-1x: A Mostly-Open, 22nm SoC for High Assurance Applications

One of my latest projects is the Baochip-1x, a mostly-open, full-custom silicon chip fabricated in TSMC 22nm, targeted at high assurance applications. It’s a security chip, but far more open than any other security chip; it’s also a general purpose microcontroller that fills a gap in between the Raspberry Pi RP2350 (found on the Pi Pico2) and the NXP iMXRT1062 (found on the Teensy 4.1).

It’s the latest step in the Betrusted initiative, spurred by work I did with Ed Snowden 8 years ago trying to answer the question of “can we trust hardware to not betray us?” in the context...

The Sweetest Programming Language: MNM

Admit it. If you haven’t created your own little programming language, you’ve probably at least thought about it. [Muffed] decided to create a unique — and sweet — programming language that uses M&M (or, at least, M&M-like) candies as the building block of programs.

If this sounds strange, it is because, honestly, it is. It all started when a packet of GEMS (the Cadbury’s version of M&Ms)  spilled and randomly fell in the shape of an arrow. There are only six symbols corresponding to the colors in a package. You create your program by arranging the candies and creating a digital...

Intel Arrow Lake-S ATX motherboard supports up to 256GB CU-DIMM DDR5 RAM, features W880 chipset

Jetway ATX-ARS1-W880 is an ATX motherboard taking socketed Intel Arrow Lake-S SoCs with up to 24 cores, 36 TOPS of AI performance, and featuring four CU-DIMM (Clocked Unbuffered DIMM) sockets for up to 256GB DDR5 ECC memory, and a W880 chipset. Targeting Smart Factory applications, the industrial-grade motherboard also features four SATA III ports and two M.2 M-Key PCIe Gen5/4 sockets for storage, seven PCIe slots, three 2.5GbE ports, M.2 E-Key and B-Key sockets for WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular (4G/5G) connectivity, sixteen USB interfaces (Type-A and headers), and a few serial interfaces. The ATX-ARS1-W880 also supports up to four independent...

Building a Class 100 Semiconductor Cleanroom Inside a Shed

https://invidious.privacyredirect.com/watch?v=HfSO-LCKmrA

Just your typical backyard cleanroom shed. (Credit: Dr. Semiconductor, YouTube)

Most people see that garden shed as little more than a place to store some gardening tools in, but if you’re like [Dr. Semiconductor], then what you see is a potential cleanroom for semiconductor manufacturing. As ridiculous as this may sound, the basic steps behind the different levels of cleanrooms work just as well for a multi-million dollar fab as they do for for a basic shed.

Key to everything is HEPA filtration along with positive pressure, to constantly push clean air into the cleanroom, while preventing dirty air from flowing in....

Real-Time ISS Tracker Shows Off the Goods

What hardware hacker doesn’t have a soft spot for transparent cases? While they may have fallen out of mainstream favor, they have an undeniable appeal to anyone with an interest in electronic or mechanical devices. Which is why the Orbigator built by [wyojustin] stands out among similar desktop orbital trackers we’ve seen.

Conceptually, it’s very similar to the International Space Station tracking lamp that [Will Dana] built in 2025. In fact, [wyojustin] cites it specifically as one of the inspirations for this project. But unlike that build, which saw a small model of the ISS moving across the surface of the...

Nordic Semi unveils nRF54LS05A and nRF54LS05B entry-level, ultra-low-power Bluetooth LE SoCs

Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF54LS05A and nRF54LS05B are entry-level, ultra-low-power Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Arm Cortex-M33 microcontrollers designed to be used as the main wireless SoC in simple applications such as sensors, tags, beacons, remotes, and PC peripherals, or operate as a Bluetooth LE companion device in more advanced products. Both SoCs are clocked at 128 MHz, feature Nordic’s 4th-generation Bluetooth LE radio, analog/digital interfaces, and advanced security. They also come with 0.5 MB of Non-Volatile Memory (NVM), and the only difference is that the nRF54LS05A is equipped with 64 KB of RAM, while the nRF54LS05B offers 96 KB. Nordic Semi nRF54LS05A/B...

SayoDevice O3C 3-Key Hall-effect keypad boasts 8,000Hz polling rate for playing rhythm games

While searching for new products on AliExpress, I came across the SayoDevice OSU O3C, which looks very similar to other macro keyboards such as the 4xMacropad, the LILYGO TTGO T-Encoder, or the T-Keyboard-S3. However, like the TENSTAR T-Display, it sold over 10,000 pieces on Aliexpress. This warranted an investigation, and I found that it is actually a Hall-effect keypad mainly designed for rhythm and single-input games such as osu! and Geometry Dash. The keypad features OUTEMU magnetic Hall-effect switches with rapid trigger support and a customizable actuation point as low as 0.05 mm, for extremely fast and precise keystrokes. The...

STMicro STM32C5 entry-level, 144 MHz Cortex-M33 MCU features up to 1MB flash, 256KB SRAM, Ethernet, CAN Bus

Not to be confused with the just-released STM32U3B5/C5 ultra-low-power MCUs, the entry-level STM32C5 Arm Cortex-M33 MCU family is designed for industrial sensors, smart home devices, electronic locks, thermostats, wearables, robotic actuators, and computer peripherals. The MCUs are manufactured using ST’s 40 nm flash process, clocked at up to 144 MHz, and feature 128 KB to 1 MB of flash and up to 256 KB of SRAM, with a dynamic power consumption of <80 µA/MHz. Key features include Ethernet, USB, OctoSPI, CAN bus, DMA, and various peripherals, including ADCs, comparators, and an op-amp. Security is also enhanced, with the series targeting...

DSG-22.6 GHz is a $1,590 open-source RF signal generator based on Atek Midas’s custom ICs (Crowdfunding)

Atek Midas, a Turkish company, has launched DSG-22.6 GHz, a high-performance, open-source RF signal generator designed to provide professional-grade frequency synthesis at a fraction of the cost of traditional benchtop equipment from manufacturers like Anritsu or Keysight. It has an operating frequency range of 0.15 GHz to 22.6 GHz and is designed for makers and production test environments for RF testing, calibration, wireless experimentation, and microwave research. The device offers 1 Hz tuning resolution, adjustable output power −15 dBm to +20 dBm, and supports linear and logarithmic frequency sweeps with configurable start/stop frequencies, step size, and dwell time. It achieves...

MSI MS-C936 Ultra-Thin Fanless Box PC Combines Intel Raptor Lake-P U-Series CPUs with Quad Displays and Dual 2.5GbE

MSI’s MS-C936 is a slim fanless box PC built around Intel Raptor Lake-P U-series processors. The system is designed for embedded deployments such as digital signage, automation platforms, and edge computing systems that require multiple display outputs and high-speed networking. The system supports processors including the Intel Core 5 120U, a 15 W chip that […]