I'm Lao Wen, an embedded engineer who loves learning.
In the process of developing embedded products, due to business requirements, engineers need to use operating systems for task scheduling.
In the field of embedded technology, the most commonly heard or encountered systems by engineers are embedded Linux or real-time operating systems (RTOS) running on microcontroller chips.
As for the Windows system, it is generally encountered more in our daily office or entertainment areas.
Embedded Windows is typically used in specific scenarios, such as CNC machine tools, military equipment, etc.
Last week, we received an invitation from Shenzhen Fenghuolun Technology to try out their latest embedded Windows single-board computer (SBC) based on the x86 architecture.
This single-board computer is named youyeetoo x1 and can run full-featured Windows and Linux systems, featuring low cost and high performance.
Next, we will comprehensively evaluate this embedded Windows single-board computer from the following dimensions.
Product Packaging Appearance
Without further ado, let’s directly showcase the packaging appearance photos, as shown in the picture below.
Front of the packaging box
Back of the packaging box
From the appearance of the packaging box, the technological elements are fully present. In fact, after opening the packaging box, the overall size design and layout of the PCBA board are also very well done, making it very simple and convenient to use.
Hardware Interface Resources
Regarding the specifications of youyeetoo x1, you can obtain them on the product wiki homepage of Fenghuolun Technology, where there is a specifications table detailing the performance parameters of this single-board computer, as shown in the picture below.
http://wiki.youyeetoo.cn/zh/x1
(Copy the link to open in a browser, or click 【Read the original】)
youyeetoo x1 Performance Parameters
From the above configuration parameters, I personally think it can handle some basic office document editing and watch a couple of movies without any pressure.
Referring to the interface images provided by the official wiki, it can be seen that the hardware interfaces of the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer are very rich.
youyeetoo x1 Hardware Interfaces
Operating System Ecosystem
According to the product design of the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer, it can perfectly run full-featured Windows and Linux operating systems. Referring to the wiki documentation provided by Fenghuolun Technology,
it contains detailed tutorials guiding engineers on how to install the BIOS (equivalent to u-boot) for the single-board computer, as well as how to install Windows or Ubuntu operating systems.
In the single-board computer, the BIOS is actually equivalent to the BootLoader in embedded ARM development boards, whose main function is to perform some necessary initialization work before running the operating system,
and then boot the operating system. Fenghuolun’s official wiki provides detailed tutorials for updating the BIOS, as shown in the picture below.
Depending on the hardware configuration of the single-board computer, select to update different BIOS versions. After the update is complete, you can install full-featured Windows or Linux operating systems,
where the Windows operating systems mainly refer to Windows 10 or Windows 11, while the Linux operating system mainly refers to Ubuntu 22.04, as shown in the picture below.
After completing the above BIOS updates and operating system installations based on the hardware configuration of the youyeetoo x1, you can run the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer,
at this point, the youyeetoo x1 is no different from a desktop PC; small but fully functional.
Application Software Development
Just running the operating system is not enough to fully utilize the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer; to fully realize the value of the single-board computer, application software support is essential.
For this reason, Fenghuolun also provides a series of detailed tutorial documents to perfectly drive the hardware peripheral interfaces of the youyeetoo x1.
To better enable applications on the Windows operating system to drive the hardware interfaces of the single-board computer, engineers can refer to the Windows driver development tutorial provided by Fenghuolun Technology,
which outlines the basic Windows driver development process, as shown in the picture below.
Windows Driver Development
In addition to Windows driver development, the official wiki also provides some demo examples demonstrating how to call the hardware resources on the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer from Windows applications, making it easier to control hardware in actual projects, as shown in the picture below.
Windows Application Development
In addition to driver development and application development for the Windows operating system, the official wiki also provides demo examples for Linux application development,
currently, these examples are still being written, and developers are welcome to closely follow the official wiki documentation, as shown in the picture below.
Linux Application Development
For any hardware development board product, tutorial documentation is crucial. The completeness of the documentation directly affects whether engineers can quickly complete product solution verification.
The documentation for youyeetoo x1 is primarily provided in an online wiki format, and the wiki link is as follows:
http://wiki.youyeetoo.cn/zh/x1
(Copy the link to open in a browser, or click 【Read the original】)
The advantage of managing documentation through a wiki is that when the manufacturer updates the documentation, it ensures that engineers can see the latest materials without needing to download them again.
From the current documentation structure, there should be no problem fully driving the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer, and some documentation is still being updated and improved by Fenghuolun (such as Linux application development).
At the end of the official wiki homepage, there is also an FAQ section (Frequently Asked Questions),
which mainly records some frequently encountered issues during development for all engineers’ reference, as shown in the picture below.
FAQ Frequently Asked Questions
After-sales Technical Support
In addition to powerful hardware resources and a complete tutorial documentation system, after-sales technical support is also very important.
If developers encounter issues while using the youyeetoo x1 single-board computer, they can also contact the Fenghuolun technical team through the following methods; professional after-sales technical support will assist you in quickly resolving issues.
https://youyeetoo.cn/forum.php?mod=forumdisplay&fid=43&mobile=2
(Copy the link to open in a browser)
In summary, this is a very cost-effective single-board computer priced below a thousand yuan. For engineers with experience in embedded SBC development, it is an invaluable tool.
However, at the same time, for beginners who have just started, there is a certain level of development difficulty.
This single-board computer is not aimed at embedded SBC beginners; beginners can try it out, but if they want to use it to enter the field of embedded technology, they need to consider carefully.
Finally, let’s appreciate some non-professional photos of the youyeetoo x1.
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I’m Lao Wen, an embedded engineer who loves learning.
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