Samwise Makers' News
Friday, October 2, 2026
Raspberry Pi Launches $30 Smart Display Module for Compute Module 5
Raspberry Pi has introduced a $30 Smart Display Module, a Compute Module 5 carrier board that follows the Intel SDM-L specification and targets digital signage, kiosks and point-of-sale systems. It provides full-size HDMI 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, a USB 3.0 Type-A port, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, a 22-way MIPI DSI/CSI-2 connector and an M.2 M-key PCIe socket for 2230 to 2280 modules. A standard 96-pin Intel SDM edge connector carries HDMI 2.0, USB 3.0, dual I2C, SPI and UART. The board measures 193 x 115 x 25 mm and includes a passive aluminum heatsink. Support runs through at least January 2036.
Sources: CNX Software
LakeShark Firmware Turns LilyGO T-Display P4 Into a Handheld SDR Scanner
Samuel Reynolds (SAMS0N1TE) has released LakeShark, open-source firmware that turns the ESP32-P4-based LilyGO T-Display P4 into a portable SDR scanner that needs no PC, Raspberry Pi or smartphone. The board has a 4.1-inch 568×1232 AMOLED display, and an RTL-SDR Blog V3 or V4 dongle connects over USB-A. Supported modes include P25 Phase I voice, analog FM/AM, POCSAG pager decoding and 1090 MHz ADS-B with offline mapping, while HackRF support is experimental. Licensed under GPL-3.0, it installs through a web-based flasher or by compiling with ESP-IDF 5.4.3. CNX Software puts the total cost at roughly $245 to $255 with the optional keyboard.
Sources: CNX Software
SDR– Brings Patch-Cable Routing to Software-Defined Radio
Julian Haag has created SDR–, a modular software-defined radio application with a visual interface inspired by synthesizer patch cables. Users drop in blocks such as a radio, a demodulator or a speaker, then link them together with patch cables to route signals where they need to go. Built-in decoders cover ADS-B aircraft tracking, POCSAG paging, SSTV, DAB and RDS, and the tool also offers passive radar and direction-finding capabilities. Its frontend is web-based rather than built on a traditional desktop UI framework. Hackaday places it alongside established alternatives such as GNU Radio. The source code is available on GitHub at Newspicel/sdrminusminus.
Game Boy Test Lab Cartridge Diagnoses Original Hardware
Marcel Pflug of the Game Boy Museum has designed the GB Test Lab, a diagnostic cartridge for original Game Boy (DMG-01) systems. The ROM is freely available and can be loaded onto an EverDrive or similar flash cartridge. It tests the CPU, RAM and interrupt systems, measures key bounce timing, detects intermittent connectivity and checks link cable connections. It also covers GB Printer compatibility. Results are saved per console if the flash cartridge has battery backup or similar, and a built-in reference guide explains each component and how to interpret results and symptoms. Hackaday compares it with Nintendo’s proprietary DMG-AGING-01 test cartridge.
ESP32-C3 Boards Bring Matter Support to Elgato Key Lights
Michael H Thiesen has replaced the controllers in his Elgato Key Lights with a pair of ESP32-C3 boards to add native Matter support. The originals paired a Realtek controller chip with a PCA9635 LED driver and frequently disconnected, requiring power cycles to restore function. The replacement firmware is written in Rust and enables power, brightness and color-temperature controls. The new controllers join Apple Home natively, which removes the need for Homebridge, an additional potential failure point. The design files are available on GitHub at micthiesen/key-right. Hackaday filed the project under home hacks, alongside tags for Apple Home, Elgato and ESP32.
Arduino UNO Q Powers an Offline LLM for a Vintage Terminal
Cameron Coward of the Serial Hobbyism YouTube channel has built Termi3, which lets a vintage Texas Instruments Silent 700 Model 745 terminal answer questions without any internet connection. An Arduino UNO Q with 2GB of RAM runs the Llama 3.2-1B large language model on its Linux side, while the STM32 side bit-bangs communication with the terminal through a MAX3232 transceiver. Users type queries on the terminal keyboard, and responses print on thermal paper over RS232. According to the Arduino blog, the creators acknowledge the answers are not always accurate or even coherent, but are often entertaining. The project shows a language model running on local hardware instead of the cloud.
Sources: Arduino Blog
OpenSCAD Used to Plan a Vertical Garden
Mihai Oltean has used OpenSCAD, a 3D modeling tool typically associated with 3D printing and CNC work, to design a vertical garden. Rather than manufacturing parts with it, Oltean relied on the software’s code-centric workflow to plan how the garden’s components fit together. The model includes virtual versions of screws, nuts, washers and sections of metal extrusion. Libraries such as NopSCADlib exist for this purpose, but Oltean implemented custom versions of these components in his design. The complete code is available on GitHub in the wall-garden repository. Hackaday notes the technique is not limited to electronic components and suits planning complex multi-part projects before physical construction begins.
Drum Machina Go! Adds Four-Channel Sequencing to Game Boy
A new Game Boy music tool called Drum Machina Go!, or DMGo!, comes from creator audiowanderer. It uses all four of the console’s audio channels, two pulse, one waveform and one noise, each with a 16-step sequencer. Features include ADSR envelope controls, multiple filtering options and a Mangling FX function that lets performers destroy audio in real time with the D-pad and buttons. For synchronization it offers link port sync between Game Boys, plus PULSE OUT sync compatible with Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators and integration support for KORG Volcas. Users can run it from flash cartridges or emulators to begin composing immediately.
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