Anyone who has bought a Raspberry Pi 400 keyboard PC will have to provide a screen and a mouse themselves. The product offers a keyboard with an integrated Raspberry Pi 4 and connection options for a mouse and a monitor. If the Raspberry Pi 500 is released soon, its specifications will probably be similar to those of its predecessor.
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Professor Dr. Michael Stahl has been working at Siemens Technology since 1991. His research interests include software architecture for large complex systems (distributed systems, cloud computing, IIoT), embedded systems and artificial intelligence. He advises business areas on software architecture issues and is responsible for the architectural training of senior software architects at Siemens.
Elecrow has expanded the Raspberry Pi 400 concept with a screen and a trackpad. The Elecrow Note product comes in the form of a notebook with a screen and keyboard, including a touchpad, but without its own processor. Instead, a Raspberry Pi or Nvidia Jetson Nano is used for this purpose that can be connected via a bridge. The function of the mainboard is taken over by the SBC (Single Board Computer). You can also connect an older Raspberry Pi, for example via cable. I have not tested whether additional SBCs are compatible with the notebook. This is probably more likely. In any case, Elecrow states that it supports the following hardware:
- Raspberry Pi 5, 4B, 3B, 3B+, Zero
- Rock Pie
- BeagleBone
- LattePanda V1
- nvidia jetson nano
- Orange Pi 4B
- Banana Pie M5
one is running right now Kickstarter campaign for the Croview NoteLater this device will be available in regular stores.
Croview Note with all types of single-board computers.
(Image: Elcro)
you have to go over a bridge
The manufacturer can also market additional bridges (small boards for connecting SBCs) if many customers want them. The bridges or adapter boards for the Raspberry Pi are plugged into the left and front of the Croview Note and allow the corresponding SBCs to be easily connected without any cables. It is also possible to connect a smartphone or tablet to the Croview Note. In addition, the device can function as an external 14-inch monitor for any type of device via a mini HDMI cable or USB-C cable. If you want to use the bridges – two small boards – for the Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 with a housing, you must make sure that the housing ensures access to the front and left ports. If this is not the case, you can modify one of the many housing models for 3D printers accordingly. By the way, the bridges are not included in the scope of delivery but are available separately. The manufacturer charges 5 euros per board or bridge.
In addition, the semi-notebook can be paired with various game consoles.
Of course, Croview Note isn’t the only option for working with SBC.
- Alternatively, the boards can be accessed remotely (e.g. via SSH) to perform host/target development, but this usually reduces productivity.
- On the other hand, users can use a KVM switch so that multiple SBCs and computers can share a single screen, keyboard and mouse, but this is more suitable for stationary installations. In this case, it is necessary to carry an external screen, keyboard and mouse with you for the additional desired mobility.
- SBCs can also be upgraded into standalone computers. However, this costs money and space.
Since, as mentioned, the notebook presented here already has a screen, keyboard and trackpad, this version is likely to be the most comfortable – especially if mobility is desired.
Specifications
The tested Croview Note has a 14-inch monitor with an IPS panel and Full HD resolution (1920 × 1080 pixels). The manufacturer specifies 100% sRGB as the color space covered; maximum brightness as 300 cd/m². The refresh rate is 60 Hz with variable refresh rate (VRR) support. The bridges for the SBC mentioned above can be connected on the left, optionally via cable or adapter. On the right is a connection for the power supply, a headphone output as well as a USB-C and a USB-A interface. One USB interface supports Power Delivery (PD) for charging external devices with 5V/5A. Elekro also includes a 12V/4A power supply. Stereo speakers and a microphone are integrated into the Croview Note.
To summarize, the following interfaces exist:
Left,
- USB 2.0 Type A
- USB Type C (power supply only, no data connection)
- Mini HDMI port
Correct,
- USB 2.0 Type A
- USB Type C (DisplayPort Alt Mode, Power Supply)
- Headphone Input
- Power plug input 3.5mm, DC/DC
A built-in battery provides 5000 mAh charging capacity. Without the screen turned on, the device requires about two watts of power, otherwise eight watts of power is required. Working time obviously depends on the power requirements of the SBC used; with the Raspberry Pi 5 it is up to three hours. If you use the device only as an external monitor, you should get about 5 hours of battery life on a single charge. What I found positive was the low weight (1147 g) and the pleasant size (33.4 cm × 22.2 cm × 1.75 cm) of the Croview, which makes it easy to transport. The Croview Note can be opened up to 180 degrees.
The fact that the Crouveau Note is made primarily of plastic has only a minor impact on the quality of the case. It feels quite sturdy. In other words: it does what it should.
Raspberry Pi 5 can be connected to Croview Note via bridges
(Image: Elektro)
Apart from the obvious areas of application such as office, gaming and entertainment, it can also be used for programming, not just embedded software. If you want to listen to audio and fill your surroundings with sound, you can do so using the two built-in stereo speakers. Of course, you cannot expect sound that can compete with high-priced Hi-Fi systems. The weak bass is particularly noticeable. The product can also be used as an external display, as well as a standalone device for SBC.
Service
The screen is matte and easy to use for work. In very bright daylight it reaches its limits, but it is usually bright enough, from my subjective point of view, the keyboard is easy to use. You can use the mini-HDMI or USB-C input to connect an end device or SBC to the notebook.
The trackpad of the review model did not allow drag-and-drop or scrolling of screen content due to the lack of pressure points. According to the manufacturer, this is a problem only with the pre-series prototypes, which should no longer occur in distributed devices.
A small note regarding the keyboard: The pre-production test device tested has a US keyboard on it. Helpful escrow employee Annie Zee informed us during testing that Elcrow also intends to deliver devices with German keyboards in the future.
If you want to access the OSD (on-screen display) to adjust the display settings, you can do so using the function keys. One of these function keys allows you to switch between different devices. This is important, for example, if one SBC is connected to a device via mini-HDMI and another to an external device such as a smartphone via USB-C/DP (DisplayPort). In this respect, the Croview Note behaves like a KVM switch.
Software development with and for SBCs
Developers of embedded software or other applications for SBCs such as the Raspberry Pi benefit from Croview Note. This is not only due to its mobility, but also due to the fact that this tool allows you to easily connect various SBCs and experiment with them. When developing, testing and debugging, it proves to be an advantage to be able to work directly with development and testing tools via a graphical user interface on the SBC, for example with Visual Studio Code and the PlatformIO or TinyGo add-ons.
For mobile work with the Crowview Note, a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device simply acts as a WLAN access point for network access. Anyone who has learned to appreciate the Raspberry Pi 400 should easily get used to the Crowview Note, especially since it comes with a screen and trackpad. No other hardware is required other than the SBC and bridge. Overall, all the equipment you need can be easily stored and transported.
conclusion
The Croview Note product is a very affordable device that offers a suitable solution for SBC users with mobility needs, but is also suitable for stationary operation. The idea of combining a notebook case including keyboard, monitor and mouse with an SBC is innovative and offers many advantages that the Croview Note can take advantage of well. The target selling price of around 169 euros is certainly justified.
If you wish to purchase the device, you can do so using the current version Kickstarter Campaign to use. The price is 118 euros (Early Bird) or 127 euros (Kickstarter price). After the campaign ends, the product costs about 40 euros more (169 USD/EUR).
(RME)
