Newhaven Display 5-inch IPS HDMI TFT Modules

Newhaven Display 5-inch IPS HDMI TFT Modules are 800 x 480 high-resolution IPS screens with built-in HDMI compatibility for a streamlined connection between devices with fewer cables. These TFT modules feature IPS technology which delivers sunlight-readable image quality with higher brightness, better color reproduction, image consistency, and optical characteristics at any angle. The 5-inch IPS HDMI TFT modules include EMI shielding on the cable and are RoHS compliant.

The NHD-5.0-HDMI-N-RSXP-CTU TFT module features a USB-HID capacitive touchscreen. This touchscreen does not require any external driver installation. With the custom PCB assembled to the display, this HDMI module provides the user with an all-in-one, plug-and-play HDMI + USB touch solution.

The NHD-5.0-HDMI-N-RSXP TFT module does not come with a touchscreen. With the custom PCB assembled to the display, this HDMI module provides the user with an all-in-one, plug-and-play HDMI solution.

Features

  • NHD-5.0-HDMI-N-RSXP-CTU:
    • USB-HID capacitive touchscreen
    • 900cd/m2 luminous intensity
    • Interface:
      • HDMI
      • USB
  • NHD-5.0-HDMI-N-RSXP:
    • No touchscreen
    • 1100cd/m2 luminous intensity
    • Interface:
      • HDMI

Specifications

  • 5V supply voltage
  • 800 x 480 high-resolution
  • 24-bit true color
  • In-Plane Switching (IPS)
  • Full viewing angles
  • TFP401A TFT driver IC
  • Anti-glare
  • -20°C to 70°C operating temperature range
  • 135.8mm x 75.8mm x 17.55mm (L x W x H) outline dimensions
  • 109mm x 65.8mm ( L x W) viewing area
  • 108mm x 64.8mm ( L x W) active area

CUI Devices Introduces Ultra-Compact 3 x 2 mm Tactile Switch

CUI Devices’ Switches Group today announced the introduction of one of the industry’s smallest tactile switches. Housed in an ultra-compact 3 x 2 x 0.6 mm package, the TS19 series carries an IP67 rating for dealing with moisture and environmental contaminants as well as a rugged lifecycle rating up to 300,000 cycles.

These tactile switch models feature surface mount packages, gull wing terminations, SPST circuit types, and operating force ratings up to 240 ± 50 gf. The TS19 series also offers reflow solder compatibility, rated voltage and current ratings of 12 Vdc and 50 mA, and an operating temperature range from -30 to 85°C.

The TS19 series is available immediately with prices starting at $0.26 per unit at 1000 pieces through distribution. Please contact CUI Devices for OEM pricing.

For helpful resources and tools on switches, check out our Resource Library that houses a range of blog posts, videos, and more.

Cybercore X1 A Powerful yet Efficient Wi-Fi Module in Tiny Form Factor

In the current market scenario, the size of modules is one of the crucial factors while implementing projects on a utility level. FILDZ launches Cybercore X1, which is a tiny Wi-Fi module that can be used in small-scale projects. The module comes with the latest version of Wi-Fi 6 which is compatible with all current devices. The small size of the board differentiates it from the other prominent boards when Wi-Fi connectivity is used as a significant parameter for comparison.

Cybercore X1

Features and Hardware Specifications of Cybercore X1

  • Cybercore X1 is just 8.6mm x 9.6mm x 1.8mm and the PCB thickness is just 0.8mm which makes it ultra lightweight.
  • It is powered by Espressif’s ESP8285 highly integrated Wi-Fi SoC. Espressif’s ESP8285 delivers a highly integrated Wi-Fi SoC. It’s the solution that fulfills demands for efficient power usage and compact design in the Internet of Things industry.
  • Cybercore X1 has an integrated antenna for wireless programming and has a range of applications in projects like remote-controlled robots and drones. The Antenna works efficiently up to 20 meters.
  • The Wi-Fi module includes 1Mb memory. Cybercore X1 operates upon a 2.7-3.3V voltage source.
  • The module comes with the latest version of Wi-Fi 6 which enables it to connect various Wi-Fi-enabled devices seamlessly.

Connectivity and Ports

In terms of connectivity, CybercoreX1 has 13 GPIOs which gives many options to users to attach various types of sensors to the module. The module features UART and Wi-Fi for programming and flashing. The users will receive a fully assembled module with all soldered parts and a breakout board. This breakout board will enable Cybercore X1 in various breadboards which are compatible with a 2,54mm pitch. All things considered, users are able to use a development board for adding more features to their projects.

The module comes with preloaded firmware. The pre-installed firmware on the module lets users build an access point to which they may connect wirelessly. The Arduino IDE makes it simple to program in the C/C++ programming language, and anything you create is wirelessly updated through OTA.

Who should buy the Cybercore X1?

So overall Cybercore X1 is a small yet powerful Wi-Fi module for small-scale projects for makers and hobbyists. This module has its use in small-scale projects because of its small footprint. The lightweight of the module makes it useful for projects such as drones and remote-controlled planes even when used in long range.

The power with great efficiency in a miniature form factor is what makes this module stand out from its competitors.

EsPiFF Brings Out Best of Both ESP32 and RP2040 in a Single Package

Due to the lockdowns that happened in 2020, the industry currently is facing a huge semiconductor shortage. The crisis has led to a major price increase and shortage queue for graphic cards, processors, and other products that require semiconductors. In such times the only solution is modules like EsPiFF which are replacements for ESP32 and RP2040.

EsPiFF brings out the best of both modules. ESP32-WROVER-B Wireless Module is a powerful, generic WiFi-BT-BLE MCU module that targets a wide variety of applications. RP2040 is a microcontroller chip designed by a global brand Rasberry Pi. RP2040 is a low-cost high performance microcontroller that uses C/C++ SDK and Mirco python.

Hardware and Connectivity Features of EsPiFF

  • EsPiFF comes with 8 MB of high-end ISSI flash storage and 2 KB of FRAM, which is much faster than the EEPROM. These hardware features result in high speed and storage for process variables.
  • The state-of-the-art 8Mbit ISSI flash is ideal for various applications like base stations, Smart meters, Bluetooth communications, smart grids, and IoT.
  • EsPiFF reuses Rasberry Pi accessories which enable the use of already existing Pi HATs. 100 Mhz signal processing and 40 pin header are also some of the additional features.
  • EsPiFF is equipped with a micro SD card reader which helps to expand the storage of the module.
  • The EsPiFF handles heating issues far more efficiently compared to Rasberry Pi. For applications like temporary supply holdups, the module has a Supercapacitor.

espiff

The EsPiFF is made for communication purposes which are also evident by its connectivity features. The module supports Ethernet as well as Wi-Fi. For wireless connectivity, the module is equipped with Wi-Fi antennas. This enables users to use the module inside plastic and metal enclosures and still be able to have great connectivity. It can be powered by a USB-C(5V/3A) port for high power-consuming HATs.The module has an onboard supercapacitor to keep the real-time clock running for days, even without power. The supercapacitor has, in contrast to a battery, a practically infinite lifetime. BOOT button for the RP2040, to switch between USB-Programming and USB-Host/Device.

The EsPiFF is programmed with the Arduino IDE, or with the Pico SDK (RP2040), Espressif IDF (ESP32), uPython, JavaScript and many more. In addition, Apache Nuttx and FreeRtos are also supported. EsPiFF is fully open source and you can find design files on GitHub, along with the datasheet.

Due to the module’s vast capabilities, EsPiFF is a viable alternative for different kinds of projects which previously used RP2040 and ESP32. The EsPiFF is live on CrowdSupply and has 13 days left to complete.

Challenger RP2040 SD/RTC – Feather-Compatible RP2040-Based Microcontroller Board with RTC and microSD Card Reader

Invector Labs (ILABS) has released a new Raspberry Pi Pico-based board equipped with a micro SD card reader and a Real Time Clock. The Challenger RP2040SD/RTC takes the popular RP2040 chip, pops it on an Adafruit Feather form factor board, and adds a micro SD card and an RTC.

Features of the Challenger RP2040 SD/RTC

RP2040 Microcontroller Chip

Raspberry Pi’s RP2040 is a high-performance low-cost dual-core Cortex M0 microcontroller chip that can run on a clock up to 133MHz. Since it became available to buy in single-chip quantities on its own, the chip has found its way into a wide range of designs. ILABS paired the RP2040 microcontroller with an 8MByte high-speed flash memory that works at a maximum speed to store instructions for the microcontroller as well as data in a file system. The chip is also equipped with a 264KB on-chip SRAM and support for up to 16MB off-chip flash memory.

Micro SD card reader

The micro SD card connector located at one end of the board is one that accepts standard micro SD cards. This allows your application to store huge amounts of data, especially where you need to catch important sensor data.

Real-Time Clock

Including an RTC makes it perfect for data-logging applications. The onboard RTC used in the board is the highly-integrated Microchip MCP79410 that can provide very high accuracy, allowing you to capture the exact time that the data came in. It has a battery switchover circuit, a timestamp, and digital trimmings. Connect the RTC-backup battery so you would not have to deal with time-related issues anymore especially when dealing with sensor data.

Battery and Power

The low-cost feather board can be powered by a LiPo battery. The battery can be connected using a standard 2.0mm JST connector and can be charged either by connecting either via a USB voltage or an external 5V power source. The company also notes that there are other ways to power the board.

“The board can be powered from multiple sources,” said the company. “The most obvious way to run the board is by plugging it into a USB cable and attaching it to your computer. In this mode, you can write software and test the board with all its functionality. There is also a third way to supply the board. This way is more invasive and will disable the onboard 3.3V power regulator. You will have to pull the EN header pin low and then supply your own 3.3V voltage on the 3.3V header pin. Please note that when disabling the onboard power regulator you will have to supply the 3.3V also when running the system on battery power.”

Others

The small embedded computer measuring 50.80mm by 22.86mm has equipped with a user-programmable LED and a small indicator LED which indicates the charging status of the connected battery. It is also said to be compatible with Arduino and CircuitPython.

Specifications

  • MCU: Raspberry’s 133MHz dual-core RP2040 Cortex M0
  • 133MHz 8MByte of flash memory
  • 264 KByte of SRAM memory
  • Full-speed USB 2.0 controller (up to 12 MBit per second)
  • 1x SPI, 1x I2C, 1x UART, 4x Analog input
  • 1x JST battery connector
  • Onboard LiPo charger (500 mA charge current)
  • Dimensions: 50.80 mm x 22.86 mm x 3.20 mm

More Information

Further details on the new RP2040-based microcontroller development board including the source codes, datasheet, and design files can be found on the product page and ILABS’ Tindle store. It is currently priced at $15.50.

Texas Instruments Releases New SDKs for WiFi and Thread MCUs

To further broaden the impact of wireless connectivity and accelerate the development of connected systems, manufacturing companies are beginning to come up with new connectivity options for Industry 4.0 and beyond  — ultra-modern microcontroller platforms, software, and modules to cater to the needs of emerging applications. Texas Instruments just made a public announcement of their new Matter-enabled software development kits for WiFi and Thread wireless MCUs. This is targeted at unifying different IoT ecosystems and streamlining the adoption of the Matter open-source protocol in IoT applications.

“Matter runs on Thread and WiFi network layers and uses Bluetooth Low Energy for commissioning, allowing devices from different ecosystems to communicate, even if they are manufactured by different brands,” TI explains. “By providing a unified application layer based on proven technologies, manufacturers can leverage this open-source protocol to accelerate IoT development. Engineers can use the new software and wireless MCUs such as the CC3235SF and CC2652R7 to create ultra-low-power and secure, battery-powered smart home and industrial automation IoT applications that seamlessly connect with devices across proprietary ecosystems.”

The software builds on the company’s active collaboration with the Connectivity Standards Alliance.

“In a matter of weeks, we’re quickly seeing alliance members building on the new capabilities of Matter and bringing innovation to the ecosystem, in this case a streamlined approach for MCUs and IoT applications over Wi-Fi and Thread,” says Chrisi Lapre, Technology Unit Lead at Connectivity Standards Alliance. “TI’s new wireless MCUs for IoT applications will help designers seamlessly and securely connect with interoperable Matter devices.”

Grundfos Holding, an advanced pump solutions and water technology specialist, also confirmed that working with TI to bring these “low-power, Matter-enabled radio solutions” to the market will be a huge profit to them because they are certain of its ability to bring comfort to their end users and also help in the reduction of carbon emissions.

The matter-enabled SDKs are best suited for secure smart home devices as well as for industrial IoT applications. The new matter-enabled SimpleLink wireless MCUs are highly efficient and can extend battery lifespan. The company claims that it can potentially help to reduce standby battery power consumption by up to 70% in Thread applications compared to other devices.

“For long-range connectivity applications, the highly efficient integrated power amplifier in these wireless MCUs enables reliable connectivity by consuming 101 mA at +20 dBm — the industry’s lowest power consumption,” TI further explained.

The matter-enabled SimpleLink wireless MCUs also come with security-enhanced WiFi capability. It can help to secure device data and protect it against cyberthreats.

Other useful details can be found on the announcement page. The LaunchPad development kits for Thread LP-CC2652R7 and WiFi LP-CC3235SF sell for $40 and $55 respectively.

Meet the Tiny 0.5mAh Rechargeable 3D Solid State Batteries from ITEN

ITEN, the specialist in the manufacturing and selling of energy and power solutions, has unveiled a really tiny battery that may soon replace non-rechargeable batteries found in most electronic designs — something that could solve the power supply issues in many different use cases.

“A lot of electronics designs rely on very polluting coin cells, difficult to assemble on printed circuit boards, costly to recycle, and requiring periodic maintenance to replace the battery once empty. Depending on the countries, only 30 to 50 percent of such coin cells are effectively recycled,” the company explained, adding that, “autonomous embedded systems require less and less energy to operate; however, from time to time, the power supply must deliver high current pulses for instance to drive RF transceivers or actuators. Most electronic designers therefore must use oversized coin cells because such batteries are known to deliver only small currents.”

To address these challenges, ITEN has designed some solid-state lithium-ion micro batteries that could deliver the required power and could also be recharged regularly — a good alternative to the bigger non-rechargeable coin-cell batteries, delivering up to 0.5mAh of energy and can be topped with energy-harvesting techniques.

The 3D solid-state batteries are designed to offer energy and power without constraints. They operate on a wide temperature range (-40 to 85°C) and are claimed to have a lifespan of 10 to 20 years. Additionally, the solid-state micro batteries are also way smaller than the sizes of their coin-cell equivalents. They are small enough that they would almost disappear on the tip of your finger.

The batteries may not be able to power your next smartphone but they could be used to drive usable IoT systems and ultra-low power sensors. It could also be used inside BLE tags, and beacons, and as a backup power supply to real-time clocks and microcontrollers, to send maintenance alerts in case of power failure from the primary power source.

ITEN even designed an autonomous asset-tracking system to test and showcase the efficiency of these batteries. The system runs both sensors and a BLE radio-equipped microcontroller from the 100mAh tiny battery topped by a photovoltaic energy-harvesting system. The tracking system worked round the clock (24/7 operation), sending data every 10 seconds during the day and every 4-5 minutes at night throughout. A 100mAh coin cell alternative will need to be a thousand times this capacity to achieve this.

Hopefully, very soon, we would start seeing many manufacturers adopt this type of battery in their designs as there is now a new recommendation from a European Directive to eliminate the use of non-rechargeable batteries in electronic system designs.

Further Details

Other useful details can be found on the company’s website. You may have to contact the company directly to order samples of the SMD batteries, modules, and evaluation kits using 30mAh to 500mAh batteries. They can easily tailor the sizes and capacities to meet your needs.

EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 Comes with High-Performance Features that Provides You with All-in-One Automation Services

IoT hardware company, Seeed Studio, recently introduced a new board that targets the Industrial IoT and offers the greatest performance when it comes to the novel automation essentials. The new EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 is a Raspberry Pi-based industrial controller designed with powerful processors and flexible OS, a wide range of IO, multiple wireless capabilities and IT capabilities, and support for industrial software and cloud services. The industrial controller is actually a multifunctional device that can function as a PLC/PAC, an Industrial IoT gateway, a lightweight HMI, and an Industry PC.

“Seeed has launched EdgeLogix-RPI-1000, which extends the widely developed series of the industrial controller,” Jena Liang from Seeed Studio wrote. “We would say Raspberry Pi could be a choice for the industry since it supports a huge network of connections among devices, remote monitoring, communicating with devices from different brands, embedded software systems, and dealing with tons of data.”

The EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 is powered by the AI-enabled Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 offered with the standard 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm processor, 8GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage, and a Broadcom VideoCore multimedia processor. Equipped with the ability to process and manage complex systems and sophisticated machines, the equipment also features up to 24x isolated digital inputs and outputs, 3x GbE ports, RS485, RS232, and CAN-FD. Others include an integrated dual-band WiFi, mPCIe slot for LTE and LORAWAN modules, expansion modules offering additional DI & DO and ADC inputs, and a full-color 4.3-inch touchscreen user interface.

It’s interesting how the company in a short while released two Raspberry Pi-powered edge devices — the EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 and an earlier EdgeBox-RPI-200 — both of which are focused on the Industrial IoT and smart automation system. One major difference between the two however is that the EdgeBox-RPI-200 has fewer inputs and outputs and also lacks a built-in display.

Features and Specifications of the EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 Include:

  • Powered by Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4
  • Up to 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC
  • 3x GbE ports
  • High-speed local bus extension
  • Up to 24x Digital Input and Output, 5x RS485, 3x RS232, 2x CAN-FD
  • Integrated 2.4G/5G WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy
  • Mini PCIe slot for 4G LTE and LoRaWAN modules
  • Hefty aluminum heat sink
  • 4.3-inch touchscreen user interface
  • Support for AWS and Azure Cloud services
  • Support IEC 61131-3 with CODESYS, Node-RED, and MQTT
  • OS: Debian, Linux, and Ubuntu

Seeed Studio is also offering a lightweight EdgeBox-ESP-100 industrial edge controller with many wireless capabilities and multiple Fieldbus. The compact device is powered by an Espressif ESP32 microcontroller and comes with Ethernet connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, 4G LTE, DIO, AIO, etc. It can function as an independent PLC for field automation applications.

“It supports analog input, effectively monitoring and controlling in a remote environment and is ideal for PID control loops, logic sequencing control, or a gateway with flexible wireless and field sensors expansion,” Seeed Studio claims.

The EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 is offered at three different price levels — $459, $479, and $509 for models with 2GB/4GB/8GB CM4 respectively. The EdgeBox-ESP-100 on the other hand sells for $179. A $10 discount applies if you are buying more than 10 units.

AI Camera Dev Kit Designed for Accelerating AI Vision Prototyping Features NVIDIA Jetson Nano Module

Edge computing expert, ADLINK Technology, recently announced a new AI camera development kit designed for easy and accelerated AI vision prototyping. It is aimed at helping AI vision developers quickly develop proof-of-concept applications.

The pocket-sized vision developer kit is powered by an NVIDIA Jetson Nano module and equipped with a variety of peripherals alongside an 8MP color camera sensor with lens and industrial digital I/O to aid development start-up. There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port, a microSD memory card with Linux OS, and a USB Type C port for easy powering, data transmission, keyboard or mouse connection, and video. There’s also a microUSB port, as well as validated software drivers to get you started quickly with your computer vision applications.

Today’s market trend is to start project development from a developer kit that can quickly help developers test and demonstrate their concept,” said Kevin Hsu, a senior product manager at ADLINK. “Targeted for the booming AI vision market, ADLINK provides an image sensor integrated AI camera developer kit based on our popular NEON series AI smart camera. The AI Camera Dev Kit eliminates tedious integration effort with its built-in no-code GUI software (EVA) and two AI applications with sample code. This kit enables users to start their AI vision PoC in just five minutes.

The ADLINK EVA (edge vision analytics) software is the company’s exclusive little or no code GUI-based development environment with everything you need to build a PoC without AI expertise. The development kit is also compatible with the popular V4L2 video interface and leverages the company’s NEON series AI smart camera for a wide coverage of AI vision applications.

Specifications of the AI Camera Dev Kit Include:

  • ADLINK NEON-series camera module:
  • Sony IMX179 color image sensor with:
    • Rolling shutter
    • 8MP resolution
    • Frame rate: 3280 x 2464 @ 15fps or 1920 x 1080 @ 30fps
    • Pixel size: 1.4 x 1.4 µm
    • Field of View: 72.9 degrees
  • NVIDIA Jetson Nano SoC with:
    • Quad-core Arm Cortex-A57 processor
    • NVIDIA Maxwell architecture with 128 NVIDIA cores
    • 4GB 64-bit LPDDR4
    • Up to 16 eMMC 5.1
  • 1x microSD card slot
  • 1x GbE RJ45 port
  • 1x DP supporting up to 1920 x 1080 @30fps
  • 1x USB 3.0 Type-C port for power, data, and video output up to 1080p30
  • 1x micro USB port for flashing firmware
  • 4x Digital Input, 4x Digital Output and 1x UART
  • Power:
    • 12V – 24V DC (via power jack), or,
    • 15V DC (via USB Type-C port)
  • Power consumptions: Less than 40W
  • Temperature
    • Operating: 0 – 30°C
    • Storage: -20°C – 70°C
  • Dimensions: 130 mm x 72 mm x 43.8 mm
  • OS: Ubuntu 18.04, Jetpack 4.6.1, OpenCV 4.1.1

Benefits

  • Gives users the opportunity for a low-cost, simple integration and fast development process of AI-accelerated computer vision applications.
  • Equipped with the powerful NVIDIA Jetson module and a host of other high-performance peripherals
  • Provides open access to selected AI models, tools, resources, tutorials, and templates for an effortless PoC development
  • Includes sample codes and a start-up guide for rapid AI vision prototyping. Users can start development straight away.
  • Users can easily convert the devkit to ADLINK edge AI systems

Nothing has been said about the price of ADLINK’s AI camera Dev Kit or its availability, but other useful details can be found on the product page and the EVA portal.

AAEON’s UP Xtreme i12 Offers up to 20% Greater CPU Performance and 2.47 x the Graphics Speed

Bringing 12th Gen Intel® Core™ power, onboard LPDDR5, and wider expansion options, the UP Xtreme i12 sets a new standard for power, speed, and AI performance.

Adding to its incredibly popular UP Xtreme product line, industry leader AAEON has announced the release of the UP Xtreme i12, the next-generation developer board with 12th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors (formerly Alder Lake-P).

Improving upon the 11th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor SoC of its predecessor, the UP Xtreme i11, AAEON’s next-generation UP Xtreme i12 utilizes the 12-core, 16-thread hybrid architecture of 12th Generation Intel Core Processors, making it more energy-efficient despite possessing double the previous generation’s thread count. With these improvements, the UP Xtreme i12 offers up to 20% greater CPU performance, while also hosting 32GB onboard LPDDR5 system memory, which provides double the bandwidth and memory capacity of the previous generation.

The UP Xtreme i12’s configuration of HDMI 2.0b, eDP 1.4, and two DP 1.4 slots give it the necessary tools to host four simultaneous 4K displays, alongside USB 4.0 and 2.5GbE ports ensuring high-speed connectivity to peripheral cameras. Compounding this powerful, efficient function is the 2.47 x increase in graphics speed provided by Intel® Iris® Xe graphics, which makes the board an excellent candidate for smart retail deployments.

Highly expandable, the board supports Wi-Fi 6 and 5G via M.2 2230 E and 3052 B-Keys, alongside a further two M.2 2280 M-Keys for PCIe 4.0 storage and AI module support. AAEON feels that this accommodation of multiple expansion modules will lead to the UP Xtreme i12 being the standard-bearer for IoT and robotics applications. This is supported by the ancillary technologies the board has access to through its CPU, such as Intel® DL Boost and the Intel® distribution of OpenVINO™ toolkit, which yields up to 2.81 x the GPU image classification inferencing performance of the previous generation.

While the UP Xtreme i12’s specifications align perfectly with the needs of smart retail and IoT applications, its utility also extends to industrial use, with a wide 12~36V power input range enabling its deployment in more rugged environments such as smart manufacturing.

The UP Xtreme i12 is now available for purchase, with pricing depending on SKU, and will soon be followed up by the UP Xtreme i12 Edge, an embedded, fanless edge system for customers that prefer a more plug-and-play solution.

For more information about the UP Xtreme i12, please visit our product page. Alternatively, contact an AAEON representative directly.

TOP PCB Companies