Blog of Frank Delporte, Java Champion, Software Developer, Technical Writer, Nerd/Geek

Single Board Computers: x86 vs ARM vs RISC-V

Single Board Computers: x86 vs ARM vs RISC-V

Ever since I started my #JavaOnRaspberryPi journey in 2019, which resulted in my book “Getting Started with Java on the Raspberry Pi”, I’ve been fascinated with these tiny, inexpensive computers. For 2026, I’ve set one of my goals to experiment with Java on various Single-Board Computers (SBC), going beyond my “Raspberry Pi comfort zone.” The market is flooded with SBCs ranging from budget boards (tens of euros) to powerhouses (hundreds of euros). One of the reasons of this price range is the difference between the processors they use. Raspberry Pi uses an ARM processor, but RISC-V is gaining momentum, while Intel maintains its presence. So before I start experimenting, now is the perfect time to compare these three processor families and understand their differences.

The FFM API: How OpenJDK Changed the Game for Native Interactions (And Made Pi4J Better!)

The FFM API: How OpenJDK Changed the Game for Native Interactions (And Made Pi4J Better!)

This is a crosspost from the article I contributed to this year’s JVM Advent.

The Pi4J project is a Java library that allows you to control the GPIO pins and electronic components connected to a Raspberry Pi with pure Java code. It removes the complexity of using native libraries and the Java Native Interface (JNI), allowing you to focus on your application logic.

JavaFX In Action #23 with Craig Raw about the Sparrow Bitcoin Wallet

JavaFX In Action #23 with Craig Raw about the Sparrow Bitcoin Wallet

I don’t have any bitcoin myself, but still find the idea of the blockchain and “public shared money” fascinating. And as it turns out, there is a free and open-source bitcoin wallet, created with JavaFX, that wants to help people understand how the Bitcoin system works, and make transactions easy to understand. Thanks to the work of Craig Raw, there is an easy-to-use desktop application to create and manage wallets. And while he explains the app itself, we also learn a lot about the Bitcoin ecosystem, reproducible builds, security, hardware wallets, and more!

Will OpenJFX Be Merged Into OpenJDK? It Would Be a Perfect Match with Java on Mobile!

While looking for articles for the JFX Central Links Of The Week, I found this very interesting article by Paul Krill on InfoWorld. It’s based on an October 29 post by Bruce Haddon on an OpenJDK discussion list in which he argues that the reasons for the separation of OpenJFX from OpenJDK in Java 11, more than seven years ago, are much less applicable today.

Page 1 of 24