Author: Gareth
December 2, 2021 Gareth Leave a comment
My Hobby Tech column this month takes a look at the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W single-board computer, the Sipeed Nezha D1 RISC-V also-single-board-computer, and an autobiography from Sierra On-Line co-founder Ken Williams.
The Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is, as the name suggests, the successor to the Raspberry Pi Zero W – in turn a follow-up to the original Raspberry Pi Zero, adding Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. All three are being sold alongside each other, at the pleasingly-spaced price points of $5, $10, and $15 – but that extra cash on the new model brings with it a big boost in performance thanks to a more powerful quad-core processor in a custom package alongside 512MB of RAM.
I put the board through a range of benchmarks, from raw performance in both synthetic and real-world workloads to thermal management – including high-resolution thermal imagery under a FLIR ETS320 thermal inspection camera. The results show a device that isn't without its flaws – that 512MB of RAM, in particular, limits its capabilities – but for the cash may well be one of the most tempting single-board computers on the market today.
The Nezha D1, by contrast, is less tempting thanks to a roughly £100 price point for a device which just about meets the performance of the considerably cheaper Raspberry Pi Zero W and is considerably outclassed by the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W. Those picking the board up, though, won't be doing so for speed but for the fact it's one of the first devices on the market to feature Allwinner's D1 system-on-chip, a part built on the open-source Alibaba T-Head XuanTie C906 core.
Run through as many benchmarks as possible – which, with software support still underway, is fewer than usual – the board proved capable, but poor documentation outside Chinese-language materials make getting anything done with the system a slog. Thankfully, things are improving on that front: RISC-V International has sent out a number of Nezha D1 boards to early adopters across the world who are working hard to bring up new software and write improved and translated documentation – meaning it's going to be worth revisiting the board in the coming months to see where things stand then.
Finally, Not All Fair Tales Have Happy Endings is Ken Williams' autobiography, covering the days leading up to the founding of Sierra On-Line – a name which will be familiar to gamers across at least two generations. It's a refreshingly honest account of the company's start, success, and ultimate failure, and one which doesn't necessarily paint Williams in the greatest of lights: he comes across as obsessed with money, treating games as mere commodities to be sold, and pushed his wife into a career of programming despite a total lack of interest or, in the early days, aptitude on her part – though the latter did give rise to Roberta Williams' creating some of the best-remembered adventure games in history, so it's hard to be too critical on that front.
All this, and more, is available at all good newsagents and supermarkets now, online with global delivery, or as a free PDF download from the official website.
Allwinner D1BenchmarkBookColumnCustom PCHardwareHobby TechKen WilliamsMagazineNot All Fairy Tales Have Happy EndingsOpen Source HardwareOpen-Source SiliconRaspberry PiRaspberry Pi PressRaspberry Pi Zero 2 WReviewRISC-VSierra On-LineSingle-Board ComputerSipeedSipeed Nezha D1
Make: Magazine, Volume 79
This month brings with it my first cover feature for a new client, and it's one of which I've long been a fan: Make: Magazine, the maker-centric electronic hobbyist publication, now in its 79th volume.
For this issue, its biggest of the year, I contributed two features. The first is the biggest: the Boards Guide 2021, the latest version of the magazine's annual pull-out reference to the latest single-board computers and microcontroller development boards around. It's an undeniably handy guide, offering everything from key specifications – right down to the number of analogue inputs you'll find on general-purpose input/output headers, as but one example – to up-to-date pricing, though the latter is rather more variable than usual thanks to continued supply chain issues and component shortages.
Having been provided with a list of the boards to be included, I went through and fact-checked all the specifications – filling in blanks where necessary. At one point, faced with a board for which no dimensions were publicly listed and for which the creator couldn't be immediately contacted I turned to an unusual approach: estimating its size from a perspective-corrected image of the board, based on the spacing on the 2.54mm header. When I finally obtained official measurements just ahead of deadline, my estimate turned out to be accurate to two significant figures – and I can't say I wasn't thrilled!
The second feature, also available on the Make: Magazine website, takes a look at Raspberry Pi's first in-house microcontroller, the RP2040, and its rapid adoption by third-party board makers. For this, I initially researched a list of nearly 80 RP2040-based devices – pulling in key specifications and features, as with the larger Boards Guide feature – which editor Mike Senese and I then narrowed down to a shortlist to be featured in the magazine and online. Finally, I prepared a brief write-up to accompany the shortlist.
Make: Magazine Volume 79 is available at all good newsagents now, and is available for print and digital subscription on the official website.
Cover FeaturefeatureHardwareMagazineMake:MicrocontrollerMike SeneseRaspberry PiResearchReviewRP2040Single-Board ComputerTechnical Editing
October 7, 2021 Gareth Leave a comment
In this month's Custom PC I take a look at the Airxed IRX Smart Home Hub, revisit the Kobol Helios64 open-spec network attached storage (NAS) appliance, and read through Wired's pocket-size guide to quantum computing by Amit Katwala.
First, the hub. Looking for all the world like a fat gloss-finish hockey puck, the IRX is effectively a cross between a programmable remote and an environmental monitor. Inside the housing is an array of through-hole infrared LEDs, arranged in a hedgehog-like pattern. Trigger an IR signal using the companion app, and they all fire at once offering room-filling coverage – not like the bad old days of taping an IR blaster to a sensor to get the positioning just right.
Combine that functionality with a temperature and humidity sensor, all drive by an Espressif ESP-12S ESP8266-based microcontroller, and you've an interesting device. Sadly, despite an attractive price there are a fair few downsides to the design – and I was entirely unable to find my Yahama AV receiver in the list of infrared gadgets it could control.
I originally reviewed the Helios64, meanwhile, back in Issue 211. At the time my conclusion was that, despite some glaring design flaws and software issues, it was a tempting buy – a conclusion I now revisit on the news that Kobol is closing up shop and the bug-fixed second revision will no longer be released. Couple that with the discovery of yet more hardware failures and serious concerns about the Armbian project on which the device runs, and it's no longer recommended – even if you could pick one up cheaply on the second-hand market.
Finally, Quantum Computing is the first in a series of compact primers covering a range of topics selected by Wired Magazine. Written by Amit Katwala, it's a broad though shallow romp through the latest in the field of quantum computing technology – looking at everything from its impact on cryptography to commercial quantum systems. For the curious, it's a great introduction to the topic – but most will be left wanting something more when they reach the end.
Custom PC Issue 219 is available from all good newsagents and supermarkets, online with global delivery, and as a free PDF download as part of a time-limited offer.
AirxedAmit KatwalaArmbianBookCustom PCHardwareHelios64IRXKobolLinuxMagazineNASNetwork Attached StorageQuantum ComputingRaspberry Pi PressReviewSmart HomeWired
The Official Raspberry Pi Handbook 2022
September 23, 2021 Gareth Leave a comment
The latest issue of The Official Raspberry Pi Handbook, an annual aimed at those looking to find out what they can do with their Raspberry Pi, is out now – and in it you'll find my in-depth coverage of the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller board.
Within the special dedicated Raspberry Pi Pico section of the annual is my two-page introduction to the board, an in-depth spread covering its specifications and the various components which make up the hardware – with plenty of high-quality photography, taken in my in-house studio – and an explanation of exactly what a microcontroller is and how the RP2040 at the heart of the Raspberry Pi Pico works.
You'll also find my guide to programming the Pico in MicroPython and C/C++, an interview with chief operating officer James Adams and senior engineering manager Nick Francis, comment from Eben Upton, a simple hardware "hello, world" tutorial in MicroPython, and a step-by-step guide to safely soldering headers onto the Raspberry Pi Pico's general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins.
There's also a brief overview of my book, Get Started with MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico – which, for those who want to explore the topic further, is available as a free PDF download under a Creative Commons licence.
The Official Raspberry Pi Handbook 2022 is available in all good newsagents and bookstores now, online with global delivery, or as a DRM-free download under a permissive Creative Commons licence.
AnnualBookazineEben UptonGuideHardwareInterviewJames AdamsMicrocontrollerMicroPythonNick FrancisPhotographyProgrammingPythonRaspberry PiRaspberry Pi PicoRaspberry Pi PressRP2040The Official Raspberry Pi HandbookThe Official Raspberry Pi Handbook 2022Tutorial
August 5, 2021 Gareth Leave a comment
In this month's instalment of my five-page Hobby Tech column for Custom PC Magazine, I take a look at the Oratek Tofu carrier board for the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 the Zymbit HSM6 hardware security module, and Tim Danton's The Computers That Made Britain.
The Oratek Tofu is one of a growing number of carrier boards which take a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 system-on-module and turn it into a fully-functional compact computer. Designed to break out all the features of the module, there's only one thing missing: it has no USB 3.0 ports, with Oratek having made the decision to instead break out the PCI Express lanes which would normally connect to a USB 3.0 controller to an M.2 B-key slot for PCIe devices – and an optional adapter board adds support for NVMe storage, too.
Add in a 3D-printed and smartly-designed case, and the Tofu is a tempting proposition – let down only by high pricing. It's understandable given the small production batch, but if Oratek could find a way to bring the costs down it'd go a long way to making a Tofu plus CM4 a competitor to a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.
The Zymbit HSM6, meanwhile, is a successor to the HSM4. They're both ultra-compact hardware security modules, designed primarily for integration into custom designs but available with a carrier board for connection to a Raspberry Pi or Nvidia Jetson for development and experimentation.
The HSM6 offers all the features of the HSM4, plus dedicated support for acting as a hardware cryptocurrency wallet. As with the Tofu, though, the pricing is likely to be an issue – and there's nothing in the way of user-friendly software available for the device, with users instead being given a smattering of C/C++ and Python sample code and left to experiment.
Finally, The Computers That Made Britain – and a disclosure: I've worked with the author Tim Danton, editor of PC Pro Magazine, several times. That has no bearing on my opinion of his book, though: a meticulously researched walk through computers which, while not all were made or even designed in Britain, had an undeniable impact on the country's coteries of computing enthusiasts and developers.
Building on both original interviews, third-party reportage, and contemporary reports, the book isn't exhaustive but is definitely enjoyable – and bonus points should be given to a high-quality index, all too often missing from these books, which makes it easily usable for reference once you've read it cover-to-cover.
Custom PC Issue 217 is available at all good newsagents and supermarkets now, online with global delivery, or as a free digital download on the official website.
BookColumnCompute Module 4CryptocurrencyCustom PCHardwareHardware Security ModuleHobby TechHSM6MagazineOratekRaspberry PiRaspberry Pi PressReviewSecurityThe Computers That Made BritainTim DantonTofuVintage ComputingZymbit
The MagPi, Issue 108
July 29, 2021 Gareth Leave a comment
This month's issue of The MagPi Magazine includes another of my tutorials for those looking to get started with the MicroPython platform on the Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller: a data logger, which makes use of the microcontroller's ability to run saved code away from a computer and its flash file system.
Originally written as part of Get Started with MicroPython on Raspberry Pi Pico: The Official Guide, my guide to physical computing on Raspberry Pi's first-ever microcontroller development board, this latest tutorial – one of the last in the book – covers file handling in MicroPython, which can often trip up new users: opening a file for writing erases any previous contents, giving you an empty file if you're not careful.
The tutorial then moves on to reading and formatting temperature data from the on-board sensor, storing it in a file for later loading, and even running the Raspberry Pi Pico without being connected to a Raspberry Pi or other computer – making use of a special file name to load code on boot without user interaction.
The MagPi Issue 108 is available at now at all good newsagents and supermarkets, online with global delivery, or as a Creative Commons-licensed DRM-free zero-cost PDF download on the official website.
BookData LoggingMagazineMicrocontrollerMicroPythonProgrammingRaspberry PiRaspberry Pi PicoRaspberry Pi PressRP2040The MagPiTutorial
July 8, 2021 Gareth Leave a comment
This month's Hobby Tech column takes a look at the upgraded Arduboy FX Arduino-compatible handheld console, the impressively packed lifetime subscription to 2600 Magazine, and Bolt Industries' family of PCB reference rulers.
First, the Arduboy FX. Reviewed back in Issue 162, the original Arduboy was a compact credit card-style eight-bit games console designed for use with the Arduino IDE. The idea: to encourage kids to learn programming and write their own games. Its size impressed, but a low-quality screen let it down – as did the inability to load more than one game at a time, severely hurting its portability.
The Arduboy FX fixes one of those two problems, by adding a flash chip which comes loaded with over 200 games and utilities. When switched on, the new Arduboy FX boots into a loader. Pick a game from the loader and it's flashed automatically, ready for play. It works a treat, but sadly the screen is just as troublesome as before.
2600 Magazine, meanwhile, is a counterculture classic. Launched in 1984 as a newsletter for the established phone phreak and burgeoning computer hacking communities, it's been running ever since – which makes the offer of a lifetime subscription for just $260, in place since the early days and uncorrected for inflation, a bargain.
It's a double bargain these days, as your $260 gets you not only every single annual digest of the now-quarterly publication delivered in DRM-free digital form but every issue that has ever been published too. While you're unlikely to be able to turn the older tutorials into free phone calls any more – at least, unless you find somewhere still running on a crossbar exchange – they provide fascinating glimpses into the history of the culture.
Finally, Bolt Industries' PCB rules are exactly what they sound like: rulers made out of printed circuit boards. They're not merely for measuring, however, but provide reference for everything from microcontroller pinouts – including the Raspberry Pi RP2040, on the latest revision – to Ohm's Law.
All this, and more, can be found on the shelves of your nearest newsagent, supermarket, or online with global delivery – or is available for DRM-free download, free of charge, as part of a time-limited offer.
2600 MagazineArduboyArduboy FXArduinoBolt IndustriesColumnCustom PCGamesGames ConsoleHardwareHobby TechMagazineProgrammingRaspberry Pi PressReferenceReview