Page 173 – Electronics-Lab.com

DIY CircuitMess Chatter Uses LoRa Connectivity for Text Messaging

Posted on 10 March, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Satellite messaging devices have been around for several decades and with the introduction of various energy-efficient wireless technologies, many hobbyists and startups designed smartphone-like messaging devices, one being CircuitMess’ Chatter that uses LoRa communication and does not demand a cellular network or SIM card slot to work. Through its minimalistic design, the device creates its own wireless network to communicate with other chatter devices that have already been paired with it. With its DIY flexibility, enthusiasts can develop their own wireless communicator, thanks to the CircuitMess Chatter, an open-source project.

Marketed as a “free, private, security-first texting device”, the CircuitMess Chatter is shipped in a pair letting you use the messaging device with your friends. The motivation behind designing messenger is to provide enough functionalities to allow users to communicate freely and remotely without the need for internet service or a cellular network. As mentioned earlier, CircuitMess Chatter uses LoRa low-power wide-area network technology to communicate between messaging devices. Inside the shipped box, you will be receiving a Chatter circuit board with a built-in network communication module, a dual-core CPU, an antenna, a display board of size 128×160 TFT color and AAA batteries. For the enclosure, the package will include an acrylic casing and an instruction manual for educating the user how-to-use the device.

DIY CircuitMess Chatter will be required to be assembled yourself and the instructions will be provided by the manufacturer on its official product page.

“The messages you send to other Chatter devices are encrypted and are not passing through an internet service provider so you can share as many secrets as you want with your friends (maybe we should’ve programmed a pinky swear button),” the manufacturer notes on its latest design.

If you are using an Apple Watch or any other device with the Walkie Talkie feature, then you are very much familiar with the technology. As the manufacturer, CircuitMess says, “this device is not a replacement for your regular phone,” because it does not have any other function than wireless communication within a specified range of 1–7km depending on the surrounding area. The device will come with all the familiar messaging functions, including a friend list, friend pairing, chat color customization, profile avatars, memes, and notifications.

CircuitMess STEM Box was successfully funded last year on Kickstarter, which already showcased many other products, including the Chatter. Now the device is officially on sale on the company’s Tindie store for $114.99 which lets you build a pair of chatters.

Meet SmartCow’s Apollo Development Kit for Conversational AI Capabilities

Posted on 10 March, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

NVIDIA brought Jetson Xavier NX with supercomputer performance to edge locations delivering up to 21 TOPS to run neural networks in parallel and process data from several high-resolution external sensors. To take advantage of the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX, many manufacturers developed custom hardware for AI and NLP applications that could be deployed at edge settings. Maltese AI manufacturer known for video analytics and AIoT devices, SmartCow announced a new audio-visual development kit, Apollo, built around the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX allowing developers to create applications with conversational AI capabilities.

With rich onboard sensor functionalities including four microphones, two speaker terminals, two 3.5mm phone jacks, an 8MP IMX179 camera module, and an OLED display. In terms of storage, the SmartCow Apollo development kit gets 128GB NVMe SSD for storage and is shipped with NVIDIA DeepStream and RIVA embedded software development toolkits. The base frame also allows the hardware to stand upright, making it easy to work and deploy applications.

“Traditional development kits are geared toward beginner-level developers working with general-purpose use cases with AI vision widely used across applications. We recognize the breadth and depth of developers out there who want a dev kit that enables them to go deeper into their research and development, including the ability to implement conversational AI and NLP,” said Ravi Kiran, Founder and CEO of SmartCow. “Apollo is a specialized dev kit created to meet higher-level developers’ needs and give them a way to get straight to more conversational applications.”

SmartCow has provided a list of example use cases for the Apollo development kit and they include text-independent speaker recognition systems, speech to text and sentiment analysis, language translation and speaker diarizations, and applications for abnormal sound and surveillance. There are many vision-based applications that can be implemented leveraging the onboard camera sensor and providing a real-time video stream for data analysis and visualization.

“Edge computing technology has revolutionized the way people work, live and travel,” continued Kiran. “Apollo enables developers to continue to create and build applications that transform everyday life, such as digital transformation of conference rooms, airport self-service counters, facility management, and more. By including advanced NLP in our development kits, Apollo addresses these growing needs, enabling users to create conversational edge computing applications.”

To get your Apollo development kit, you are requested to fill out a Google form that takes your information. There is no update on the pricing as of yet, but the shipment is expected to begin on April 8, 2022. More details can be found on the documentation page.

Orange Pi 4 LTS – An optimized version of the original Orange Pi 4

Posted on 10 March, 202210 March, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Shenzhen Xunlong released its new board design Orange Pi 4 LTS, with almost the same specifications and layout as Orange Pi 4 but with minor changes. It is considered to be an optimized version of the original Orange Pi 4 integrated with readily available components while keeping the prices fairly reasonable. Built around the Rockchip RK3399 system-on-chip featuring dual-core Arm Cortex-A72 clocked up to a frequency of 1.8GHz also incorporates quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 at 1.4GHz clock frequency. Additionally, the SoC gets a Mali-T860 graphics processing unit but no neural processing unit unlike the RK3399Pro has 3 TOPS NPU.

For processing several applications simultaneously, RAM is one of the important aspects to look at, and the Orange Pi 4 LTS gives developers the option to choose between 3GB or 4GB LPDDR4 RAM. To store custom programs designed for your edge applications, there is a MicroSD card slot and optional 16GB eMMC flash storage. There are some other minor changes in the Orange Pi 4 LTS in comparison to the original model as noticed by CNX-Software. These include the replacement of Realtek ALC5651 audio codec by ESS ES8316 codec and the shortening of standard 40-pin to 26-pin GPIO headers. Changes might be subject to limited space on the board as they are now using two RAM chips instead of one like their predecessor.

For connectivity, the board will be shipped with a Gigabit Ethernet port via YT8531C (transceiver), dual-band 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0. The integrated CDW-20U5622-02 module is responsible for the support for wireless connectivity, defined as “a single-die wireless local area network (WLAN) and Bluetooth (BT) combination solution to support IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WLAN standards and BT 5.0, enabling seamless integration of WLAN/BT and low-energy technology.”

Sized at 91×56 mm is slightly bigger than the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B but has decent input/output ports including the USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a USB 3.0 Type-C port, 24-pin mini PCIe connector, dedicated connectors for the camera, and display modules. To power the hardware, the power jack will support a 5V/3A DC power supply through a DC jack or USB Type-C port.

Today, the manufacturers have provided Android, Ubuntu, and Debian images which are available to download but we are still expecting some detailed documentation on getting started with the hardware. Interestingly, Shenzhen Xunlong has provided open-source schematics for the design for detailed viewing of the ICs used on the board. If you are looking forward to purchasing the board, it is available on AliExpress starting at $72.90 (if you are shipping it to the United States or Canada).

iWave Systems launches iW-G39RH – The Rugged HMI series designed to withstand extreme and tough operating conditions

Posted on 10 March, 2022 by mixos

Increased interaction between humans and machines has led to an increased requirement for rugged solutions and displays for Industry 4.0, automation, and automotive applications. iWave Systems is excited to launches iW-G39RH: A rugged HMI solution catering to this requirement. Powered by the i.MX 8M Mini application processor from NXP, The HMI solution delivers an unrivaled user experience (UX). The rugged HMI panels are available in 7” and 10.1” variants, and meets protection class IP67 standards making them resistant to dust and water.

Reinforced and equipped with an IP67 rated metal housing, M12 IP67 waterproof connectors on the panel and a brighter screen with sunlight readability: all together make it an ideal choice for applications that require outside installation, or risk exposure to harsh environments and procedures. The rugged HMI finds a fit as a monitor screen or a control panel in mining, agriculture equipment, construction machinery, marine equipment, locomotives, and warehouse machinery.

Key features of iW-G39RH

MX 8M Mini applications processor
7″ & 10.1″ display options
CAN FD, RS485, USB and Ethernet
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
Power over Ethernet and backup battery
Reliable high brightness display and multi-touch
Robust IP67 aluminium housing with M12 Connectors
Analog video Input
Linux & Android SDKs with automotive protocol stacks special package

Built to operate at temperatures ranging from -20°C to 65°C, and with a wide input voltage range of 9V-36V together with the provision for PoE, The HMI solution from iWave is built for outdoor installations. This HMI comes with multiple mounting options such as panel mount, VESA mount, and RAM mount, providing flexibility in installations.

Like the Industrial Panel PC from iWave, the rugged HMI supports an extensive range of interfaces such as CAN, COM, LAN and USB. An M.2 expansion slot provisioned for extended storage or cellular connectivity, camera & peripheral slot for plug and play wireless modules & sensors, the HMI Solution can be customized for remote monitoring and diagnostic applications.

“Outdoor operations and hazardous environments pose many challenges for HMI solutions and displays, requiring precision engineering and innovation,” said Sachin MK, Associate Director of HMI Solutions at iWave Systems. “The iW-G39RH Rugged HMI series presents an opportunity to improve systems that do not have a specialized HMI built for them”.

The HMI solutions has option to include special package with various automotive protocol stacks such as J1939, CANopen, UDS, ISO 11992, ISO 11783, and NMEA 2000 communication standards. Integration with the protocol stacks makes the HMI a plug and play solutions for advanced analytics and diagnosis in heavy duty vehicles and construction machinery.

For rapid development of customized applications, iWave HMI solutions support the necessary software drivers and BSPs, integrate the latest Kernel version, and provide comprehensive support on the user interface (UI).

More information on the G39RH Rugged HMI series can be found here.

iWave Systems, a global leader in embedded computing solutions and product engineering, has built unparallel engineering expertise over the years. As an ODM solutions company focused in the industrial, automotive and medical vertical markets, iWave has been enabling customers since 1999.

For further information or inquiries, please contact mktg@iwavesystems.com

Arduino Announces Nicla Vision Board for Computer Vision Applications at Edge

Posted on 9 March, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Today, famous Italian electronic embedded device manufacturer, Arduino launched an ultra-compact dual-core Nicla vision board for computer vision applications deployed at the edge. The minimalistic design gets a 2MP color camera that will aid in image detection, facial recognition, automated optical inspection, vehicle plate reading and many other vision-based applications. Nicla’s series of boards has been a new design range for Arduino, with only Nicla Sense ME in store, now adding a new ready-to-use standalone camera-powered Nicla vision.

Integrated with a powerful STMicroelectronics’ STM32H747AII6 microcontroller featuring a 32-bit Arm Cortex-A7 processor core with double precision FPU and L1 cache at a frequency of up to 480MHz. Along with that, the system-on-chip gets a 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 core with FPU, an adaptive real-time accelerator for internal flash memory and external memories, clocked a frequency of up to 240MHz. Both the Arm cores are integrated for a purpose– Cortex-M4 serves for optimal performance for real-time applications, while the Cortex-M7 executes high-performance tasks in parallel. It is important to note that the Nicla Vision board has 1MB of RAM, which limits its processing capabilities, irrespective of the number of onboard sensors and rich peripherals.

“Everything from business-savvy predictive maintenance (by detecting and analyzing surface wear, for example) to user-friendly smart kiosks that anyone can explore via intuitive gestures. All true to Nicla’s mission to provide a new range of easy-to-use, cost-effective and accessible tools to advanced users and enthusiasts alike.”

For vision-edge processing implementation, the Nicla Vision board will be shipped with an onboard 6-axis IMU sensor, distance/ time of flight sensor and a microphone in addition to the 2MP color camera. As provided by the SoC, the hardware comes with rich I/O interfaces with 1x I2C bus with ESLOV connector, JTAG, power and GPIO pin headers. More I/Os include 1x serial port, 1x SPI and 2x ADC. When it comes to storing the programs, the hardware will support 2MB flash memory and 16MB QSPI flash.

To power Nicla Vision, you can either use pin headers or a 3.7V Li-Po battery with an integrated battery charger and fuel gauge. This has increased the flexibility for the developers to design remote applications without concern about power consumption. Interestingly, the two cores belong to separate power domains allowing the design for high-power efficiency solutions in combination with the low-power modes available on the STM32 microcontrollers.

“Nicla Vision is compatible with Portenta and MKR components. It fully integrates with OpenMV, supports MicroPython and features WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity to complement a wide range of professional and consumer equipment. This means you can easily add ready-to-use sensors such as a camera, microphone, IMU and ToL to your projects.”

Analysis

Even though the camera quality won’t be something you’d want for high-end edge vision projects, provided the small form factor of just 22.86×22.86 mm there is no room for any bigger lens to be integrated. Also, the improved wireless connectivity will provide developers enough room for remote implementations– leveraging Wi-Fi communication. While for small-range deployment, the developers can take advantage of low-energy Bluetooth connectivity and take image processing capabilities to the next level.

For more details on the $115 Nicla Vision, head to the official product page.

CLEAR is Customizable and Programmable ASIC by ChipIgnite

Posted on 8 March, 2022 by Saumitra Jagdale

Efabless has launched a 100% open-source FPGA chip CLEAR, built on Caravel – an open-source ASIC platform provided as a base (SoC) and offering an end-to-end open design, right down to the CPU core. The explanation of the product is simple and quite relatable to the maker’s community – “create your own ASIC.”

The process started in 2020 when eFabless, Google and SkyWater collaborated to offer the Open MPW Shuttle Program. It offered the end-users ability to create custom ICs fast, using pre-verified blocks of EFabless IP. As part of the Open MPW Shuttle Program, EFabLess exposes pre-verified blocks of IP through a web portal for complete ASIC design, with drag-and-drop features.

SkyWater pools design together into real-life ASICs – manufacturing, bonding, and packaging 10 parts of each design, ready for integration by the end-user. Apart from this, Google sponsored additional tooling costs. All this is for open-source designs that can meet the Open MPW Shuttle program’s requirements. It basically enables ASIC customization in the drag-and-drop web environment, with 10 copies produced on an industrial process, free of cost.

The pre-validated IP provided by EFabLess for custom ASIC creation is Caravel. It is a reference design block for the SkyWater process, and massively bootstraps the design process for any new chip. An extension to the Open MPW Shuttle Program is the EFabless chipIgnite Program. Where the Open MPW Shuttle Program required submissions to be properly licensed to open hardware, chipIgnite is open to all for a one-off $9,750 per project.

CLEAR is an enhancement on EFabless chipIgnite platform, itself an expansion of the Open MPW Shuttle Program for producing custom ASIC. It integrates an embedded FPGA macro with Caravel to make it an FPGA ASIC, or simply programmable application-specific IC.

CLEAR - Block diagram — CLEAR – Block Diagram

Features of CLEAR

Some of the features of the CLEAR board include full open-source ASIC featuring an 8×8 CLB embedded FPGA (eFPGA), VexRISCV-based RISC-V processor, 3kB of on-chip RAM(2kB OpenRAM and 1kB DFFRAM), external QSPI flash storage, and peripherals including SPI, UART, counters, timers, a logic analyzer, and 39 software-configurable general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins.

The idea behind CLEAR is to simplify, standardize and bring down costs of ASIC design.

GroupGets Pre Launch Campaign

Running through the GroupGets group-buying platform the CLEAR campaign includes:

Generate an embedded FPGA macro based on OpenFPGA generator framework
Integrate the eFPGA macro into Caravel
Manufacturing, packaging and mounting the ASIC on its development board
Testing plus the open-source FPGA programming software

GroupGets has started a pre-launch campaign, with pricing of $74.99 plus shipping. 200 boards target. The funding campaign is currently active and scheduled to end on March 28th, 2022.

To know more about the product, please visit the groupgets page.

CUI Devices Launches New Circular Connectors Product Line

Posted on 8 March, 2022 by mixos

CUI Devices’ Interconnect Group today announced the addition of circular connectors to its connectors product portfolio. Available in M12 connector types, CUI Devices’ CDM12 family offers a range of male or female versions with contact position options of 3, 4, 5, 8, and 12 pins. As A-coded devices that support 1 Gbit Ethernet, all M12 connector models carry IP67 ratings to deal with harsh environments found in industrial and factory automation applications.

These panel mount circular connectors feature PC pin, solder terminal, and wire lead terminations, threaded front or rear fastening types, and thread pitches of M12 x 1.0, M16 x 1.5, and PG9. Available voltage ratings include 30, 60, and 250 Vac as well as current ratings of 1.5, 2, and 4 A. These circular connector models further carry an operating temperature range from -25 to 80°C.

Summary

Product name: CDM12 Series
Availability: Stock to 10 weeks
Possible users: Industrial and factory automation applications
Primary features: M12 connectors (A coded – 1 Gbit Ethernet), IP67 ratings
Cost: $8.88 per unit at 450 pieces through distribution

CUI Devices’ CDM12 series are available immediately with prices starting at $8.88 per unit at 450 pieces through distribution. Please contact CUI Devices for OEM pricing.

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

FWS-2280: Offering Connectivity to a Variety of Network Structures

Posted on 7 March, 2022 by mixos

AAEON, experts in white box solution and network appliance manufacturing, have once again partnered with flexiWAN, a leading provider of open-source SASE and SD-WAN software. Part of this partnership has prompted the certification of the FWS-2280, allowing customers access to a wider range of deployment options.

Powered by the latest Intel® Atom™ x6000E Processor (formerly Elkhart Lake), the FWS-2280 was designed to give the option of fast, accurate connections across SD-WAN and SASE networks, while also powering an entry-level firewall, making it an excellent companion for SMEs hoping to protect their networks. This solid base also allows the FWS-2280 to run applications such as uCPE; SD-WAN, VPN, SMB, UTM, and Firewall.

The FWS-2280 has rich I/O, providing 3 Mini PCIe slots (compatible-layout with M.2) to enable three wireless modules to be installed at once, which enables the device to concurrently support 4G and 5G. Alternatively, customers have the option to run two Wi-Fi modules at once. Further to this, the FWS-2280 is equipped with 4 RJ45 LAN ports, along with 1 FSP port.

The FWS-2280 even comes with a redundant power source to ensure a reliable connection is maintained, even in the event of a power source loss.

flexiWAN offers the first-ever open-source SD-WAN solution, which enables third-party networking applications to be loaded due to their innovative application framework using tools such as flexiEdge and flexiManage. flexiWAN considers the specific needs of each network, and lowers the cost of ownership by focusing on the specific needs of each network.

Through collaboration on this project, the design and manufacture of the FWS-2280 have had the benefit of AAEON’s expert customized OEM/ODM services alongside flexiWAN’s novel open-source SASE and SD-WAN software, which is truly a winning combination.

For more information about the FWS-2280, please visit our product page: https://www.aaeon.com/tw/p/desktop-network-appliance-atom-x6000e-fws-2280

To learn more about flexiWAN’s unique approach to networking, visit www.flexiwan.com, and follow the company on Twitter and LinkedIn.

onsemi NTHL045N065SC1 Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET

Posted on 7 March, 2022 by mixos

onsemi NTHL045N065SC1 Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFET uses a completely new technology that provides superior switching performance and high reliability compared to Silicon. This compact chip-sized MOSFET is designed with low ON resistance and ensures low capacitance and gate charge. The NTHL045N065SC1 MOSFET features high efficiency, faster-operating frequency, increased power density, reduced EMI, and reduced system size. Typical applications include Switching Mode Power Supplies (SMPS), solar inverters, DC-DC converters, UPS, and energy storage.

Features

High speed switching with low capacitance (C_oss=162pF)
Typical R_DS(on)=32m @ V_GS=18V
Typical R_DS(on)=42m @ V_GS=15V
650V Drain-to-Source Voltage (V_DSS)
66A Continuous Drain Current (I_Dmax)
Ultra low gate charge (Q_G(tot)=105nC)
100% avalanche tested
High junction temperature (T_J < 175°C)
Pb-free and RoHS compliant

more information: https://www.onsemi.com/products/discrete-power-modules/silicon-carbide-sic/silicon-carbide-sic-mosfets/nthl045n065sc1

Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) MP6610 55V 3A Half-Bridge Power Drivers

Posted on 7 March, 2022 by mixos

Monolithic Power Systems (MPS) MP6610 55V 3A Half-Bridge Power Drivers offer current measurement and regulation features in a small pin package. The MP6610 features up to 3A of output current across a wide 4V to 55V input voltage range is ideal for driving brushed DC motors, solenoids, and other loads. The device has an internal current-sense circuit that delivers an output voltage proportional to the load current. Additionally, the MP6610 supports cycle-by-cycle current limiting and regulation. All these features do not require the use of a low-ohmic shunt resistor.

The MPS MP6610 55V 3A Half-Bridge Power Drivers incorporates internal diagnostic and protection features, including Open-Load Detection (OLD), Over-Current Protection (OCP), Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO), and thermal shutdown.

The MP6610 is housed in 8-pin TSOT23-8 and SOIC-8 packages. Due to the small pin spacing, the TSOT23-8 package is only recommended for applications up to 45V unless conformal coating or encapsulation is
used.

Features

Wide 4V to 55V operating input voltage
Up to 3A output current
Internal half-bridge driver
Cycle-by-cycle current limiting and regulation
Low on-resistance:
- 100mΩ High-side MOSFET (HS-FET)
- 120mΩ Low-side MOSFET (LS-FET)
No control power supply required
Simple, versatile logic interfaces
Inputs compatible with 2.5V, 3.3V, and 5V logic
Open-Load Detection (OLD), Over-Current Protection (OCP), Under-Voltage Lockout (UVLO), and thermal shutdown
fault indication output
Thermally enhanced package
Available in TSOT23-8 and SOIC-8 packages

Typical Application

more information: https://www.monolithicpower.com/en/mp6610.html