Single-board computer with Raspi microcontroller and HDMI socket
The 40-dollar Adafruit Fruit Jam board has unusual features, such as for retro projects: It combines Raspberry Pi 2350 and ESP32-C6.
Microcontroller board Adafruit Fruit Jam with Raspberry Pi RP2350 and Espressif ESP32-C6
(Image: Adafruit)
The Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller has a special "HSTX" port that can be used to output DVI signals to a monitor. Adafruit uses this function to connect an HDMI socket to the "Fruit Jam" board, which costs 40 US dollars. Most monitors also accept DVI signals at their HDMI inputs.
The Fruit Jam also has two USB-A sockets for keyboard, mouse or game controller as well as an analog audio output and comes with a small speaker. This equipment is interesting for retro projects, for example, where old home computers or games consoles are emulated. For example, Matt Evans' Pico-Mac project emulates the 40-year-old Apple Macintosh 128K on the RP2350 predecessor RP2040.
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Lots of (PS) RAM, 16 MB flash, WLAN
The RP2350 on the Fruit Jam has an additional 8 MB of PSRAM, allowing the (faster) SRAM built into the microcontroller to be used as video memory. 16 MBytes of flash are soldered on, plus a MicroSD card reader.
Wireless network connectivity is provided by an Espressif ESP32-C6, which, in addition to Wi-Fi 6 (only at 2.4 GHz) and Bluetooth, also supports Zigbee and Thread.
ARM and RISC-V cores
Both the ESP32-C6 and the Raspberry Pi RP2350 each contain two RISC-V cores, albeit in entirely different configurations. Those of the RP2350 can only be used as an alternative to the two ARM cores of type Cortex-M33.
(Image:Â Adafruit)
Buttons, connections, LEDs
The Fruit Jam also features three configurable buttons, an on/off slide switch, numerous I/O contacts – partly as a 16-pin GPIO header, partly as stemma sockets – and five neopixel (RGB) LEDs.
Power supply and programming are provided via a USB-C socket. The board has the dimensions of a payment card.
Adafruit sells the Fruit Jam including speaker and cover plate for 39.95 US dollars plus VAT and shipping costs, but it is currently sold out.
(ciw)
