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SnapEDA is now available on every distributor website thanks to new Chrome extension

Posted on 8 December, 20218 December, 2021 by mixos

The new SnapEDA Chrome extension notifies electronics designers when computer-aided design (CAD) models are available and allows for one-click import into desktop CAD tools.

Today, SnapEDA, the first search engine for electronics design is launching a new Chrome extension to allow electronics designers to find CAD models on every distributor website.

The new SnapEDA Chrome extension automatically notifies designers when a CAD model is available. The CAD model can then be added to a desktop printed circuit board (PCB) design tool with just one click.

The extension pairs with the new SnapEDA Desktop application, which creates a bridge between the web for component research and the desktop design environment. It provides three types of CAD models: schematic symbols, PCB footprints and 3D models. Supported formats include Eagle, Altium and KiCad, and there are more coming soon.

Over the last year, SnapEDA has been expanding the SnapEDA Syndication Network, which now has 35 affiliated partners including distributors, PCB design tools, and media sites, with 12 new partners added in 2021 alone. The SnapEDA Chrome extension is especially helpful on websites that haven’t yet joined the SnapEDA Syndication Network as it now allows engineers to find CAD models on those websites.

Since founding the pioneering search engine for E-CAD in 2013, SnapEDA has been furthering its mission of helping engineers design electronics faster by removing barriers. Since then, SnapEDA has continued to launch new products into the market including its patented CAD model verification technology, the first E-CAD request service InstaPart, and the first computer-vision based schematic generator InstaBuild. The new SnapEDA Desktop application and pairing Chrome extension are the latest examples of their continued dedication to improve the workflows of engineers.

The SnapEDA Chrome extension is free and can be downloaded at www.snapeda.com/chrome

Universal OPAMP Board for SMD MSOP8 Package

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by mixos

This is easy to build and very useful project for hobbyists and students to learn and create OPAMP-based projects. The project accommodates a single OPAMP in the MSOP8 package. The project provides the user with multiple choices and extensive flexibility for different applications circuits and configurations. It provides the user with many combinations for various circuit types including active filters, differential amplifiers, and external frequency compensation circuits. A few examples of application circuits are given below. OP777 op-amp is the right choice to use or any other MSOP8 op-amp with the same pin configuration as OP777 can be used. It supports dual supply or single supply, Jumper J1 is provided to use this board with a single supply, D1 is the power LED.

Universal OPAMP Board for SMD MSOP8 Package – [Link]

10W Class-D Stereo Audio Amplifier with Mute, Shutdown and Four Gain Settings

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by mixos

This is a Class-D Stereo audio amplifier project that provides 10W stereo output. The amplifier includes Gain control using 2 x Jumpers, Mute function, and shutdown function.

RCA female connectors are provided for the audio source input, screw terminals are provided for an easy interface with speakers and power supply input. The project was built using a TPA3125D2 chip from TI.

The TPA3125D2 is a 10-W (per channel), efficient, Class-D audio power amplifier for driving stereo speakers in a single-ended configuration; or, a mono speaker in a bridge-tied-load configuration. The TPA3125D2 can drive stereo speakers as low as 4 Ω. The efficiency of the TPA3125D2 eliminates the need for an external heat sink when playing music. The gain of the amplifier is controlled by two gain select pins. The gain selections are 20, 26, 32, and 36 dB. The patented start-up and shutdown sequences minimize pop noise in the speakers without additional circuitry.

10W Class-D Stereo Audio Amplifier with Mute, Shutdown and Four Gain Settings – [Link]

3 Phase (3 Wire) EMI Filter – 480VAC

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by mixos

The project presented here is a 3 Phase (3Wire) EMI Power line filter which reduces electromagnetic interference and noise conducting in to and out of equipment power lines. These EMI filters can prevent electromagnetic noise of equipment going into the power line and disturb the proper functions of other devices such as communication devices, digital circuits, and robotics thus noise generated from switched power electronics. This single-stage board is designed and built using a high-quality common mode inductor and AC capacitors. This filter can be used to filter EMI noise in AC power lines 480VAC and can handle currents up to 10A. 3 x fuses are provided for over current and short circuit protection. It is easy to connect inputs and outputs using Barrier’s screw terminals. 6 x 4.2MM mounting holes were provided for easy mounting of the PCB.

3 Phase (3 Wire) EMI Filter – 480VAC – [Link]

Infineon’s AC-DC Power Solution selected by Verizon for its 45 W USB-C fast wall charger

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by mixos

Infineon Technologies’s EZ-PD Power Adapter Generation 1 (PAG1) AC-DC power solution is used in the recently launched USB-C Fast Wall Charger from Verizon made by Xentris Wireless. The new Verizon charger powers on-the-go devices swiftly and provides up to 45 W of super-fast charging with compatible devices. The EZ-PD PAG1 is a two-chip AC-DC power solution with integrated USB-PD functionality that enables compact chargers. These powerful chargers work with all USB-C charging cables and charge both state-of-the-art and legacy devices that have USB-C ports.

“The EZ-PD PAG1 chipset is the ideal choice for a high-performance AC-DC wall charger including secondary rectification and a PD controller,” said David Bailey, CEO of Xentris Wireless. “This all-in-one solution made it possible to significantly reduce the printed circuit board footprint and bill of materials, allowing us to pack more power into a smaller charger, which is ideal for our on-the-go customers who demand fast charge times for their devices.”

Infineon’s EZ-PD PAG1 family of primary and secondary controllers provides a unique combination of secondary-side control and high levels of integration to enable high-density designs with both gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon (Si) power transistors. These integrated features enable system designers to bring more differentiated chargers to market while reducing their overall bill of materials (BOM) for designs with power levels from 18 to 65 W.

“We are excited to team with Xentris Wireless on their recently launched USB-C Fast Charger,” said Ajay Srikrishna, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Wired Connectivity Solutions Product Line at Infineon. “We are committed to collaborating closely with customers such as Xentris Wireless to enable them to bring highly differentiated solutions to market while simplifying product design and supply chain management, and the EZ-PD PAG1 chipset does just that.”

Availability

The Infineon EZ-PD PAG1 devices are available now. More information about the chipset and reference designs is available at https://www.cypress.com/products/pag1-power-adapter-generation-1.

More details about the Verizon Wall Travel Adapter 45 W USB-C Fast Charger are available here based on your location. The charger will be showcased at CES 2022.

SparkFun Big Easy Driver Kit

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by mixos

SparkFun Big Easy Driver Kit is ideal for robots, automatic dog doors, and moving platforms. The Big easy driver kit can drive up to a maximum of 2A per phase of a bipolar stepper motor. This driver is a chopper micro-stepping driver that defaults to a 16 step micro-stepping mode. The driver can take a maximum motor drive voltage of around 30V and includes an onboard 5V/3.3V regulation. The kit includes a SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic microcontroller that can be programmed over a USB Micro-B cable using the Arduino IDE. The SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic can be powered over USB or through the barrel jack. The onboard power regulator can handle between the range of 7V_DC to 15V_DC. This kit also kit features a 12V/5V (2A) power supply, reversible USB A to reversible micro-B cable, small heatsink, M/M jumper wires (30 pack), and 8x 3.5mm pitch (2-pin) screw terminals.

Kit Contents

1x big easy driver
1x SparkFun RedBoard Qwiic
1x power supply – 12V/5V (2A)
1x small heatsink
1x jumper wires standard 7″ M/M – 30AWG (30 pack)
8x screw terminals 3.5mm pitch (2-pin)

more information: https://www.sparkfun.com/products/18339

Microchip Technology AT24CSWx Serial EEPROMs

Posted on 7 December, 20217 December, 2021 by mixos

Microchip Technology AT24CSWx Serial EEPROMs are designed to be I²C compatible (two-wire) with a security register and software write protection. These EEPROMs feature bidirectional data transfer protocol and filtered inputs for noise suppression. The AT24CSWx EEPROMs operate at a 1.7V to 3.6V voltage range, 1mA ultra-low active current, 0.8µA standby current, and -40°C to 85°C temperature range. The AT24CSW01X / AT24CSW02X EEPROMs provide 8-Byte page write mode and AT24CSW04X / AT24CSW08X EEPROMs offer 16-Byte page write mode with partial page writing. These EEPROMs are available in 5-lead SOT23 and 4-ball ultra-thin WLCSP packages.

Features

Random and sequential read modes
Within 5ms self-timed write cycle
>4000V ESD protection
Software write protection of the EEPROM array:
- Five configuration options
- Protection settings can be made permanent
Bidirectional data transfer protocol
Schmitt triggers and filtered inputs for noise suppression
I²C-compatible (two-wire) serial interface:
- 100kHz standard mode, 1.7V to 3.6V
- 400kHz fast mode, 1.7V to 3.6V
- 1MHz fast mode plus (FM+), 1.7V to 3.6V
AT24CSW01X / AT24CSW02X:
- 8-Byte page write mode
AT24CSW04X / AT24CSW08X:
- 16-Byte page write mode

Specifications

1.7V to 3.6V voltage range
1mA ultra-low active current
0.8µA standby current
-40°C to 85°C temperature range

more information: www.microchip.com

Digital humidity sensor for industrial applications is now available worldwide

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by mixos

Sensirion, the expert in environmental sensing, is unveiling its 5 V SHT4xI-Digital humidity sensor, which is designed for conducting measurements under harsh conditions in industrial applications.

Sensirion is expanding its series of fourth-generation humidity sensors to include its SHT4xI-Digital sensor platform, which has been designed specifically for challenging industrial applications. The series consists of two accurate versions SHT40I and SHT41I, which offer 5 V supply voltage, outstanding reliability, and increased ESD protection.

SHT4xI-Digital is based on Sensirion’s proven CMOSens® Technology, which ensures maximum reliability, as demonstrated by extensive accelerated lifetime tests such as 85°C/85% RH for 1,000 hours. The sensor enables seamless integration with its wide operating voltage range, small size, and robust housing. Based on its features and Sensirion’s advanced humidity sensing expertise, the SHT4xI-Digital is the perfect product for conducting measurements under harsh conditions in industrial applications. Like the SHT4x series, the sensors offer industry-leading accuracy specifications and unmatched cost-effectiveness. Sensirion’s CMOSens® Technology provides a complete sensor system on a single chip, with a fully calibrated digital I2C fast mode plus interface. The sensor platform covers operating ranges from 0 to 100% RH and from -40°C to 125°C with a supply voltage extending from 2.3 to 5.5 V.

“The SHT4xI-Digital humidity and temperature sensor platform is our response to challenging industrial requirements; it enables reliable measurements in harsh and unfavorable environments. The sensor platform’s robustness and extended supply voltage range allow long-term stability during operation in industrial applications. We are making a lasting contribution to our customers’ project-related success by drawing on our many years of humidity sensing.

more information: https://www.sensirion.com

RAKwireless Launches Two Modules Within The WisBlock IoT Ecosystem

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by Abhishek Jadhav

RAKWwireless, a Chinese embedded device manufacturer known for its rich IoT ecosystem with several sensors’ boards and add-on modules for existing baseboards, launched a series of new modules with special highlights on the WisBlock LPWAN module and WisBlock baseboard. The reason for the popularity of the modules lies with its adoption of the Raspberry Pi’s in-house silicon tapeout RP2040 microcontroller.

Even after the underlying issues for the production of silicon chips and embedded hardware, the manufacturer has managed to launch these exciting boards for the IoT maker community. With the addition of these modules, the existing WisBlock IoT ecosystem has benefitted from some serious gains with a lot of expanded capabilities.

The WisBlock LPWAN module (RAK11310) core has the RP2040 for the high-performance processing featuring a high-clocked dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor. The integration of the LoRa SX1262 radio module along with the RP2040 makes it fascinating to offer the competency for complex processing and long-range communication. Moreover, the incorporation of TinyML support for the module takes the hardware a long way when it comes to embedded machine learning.

Specifications of WisBlock LPWAN Module (RAK11310)

Processor: RP2040 MCU with dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ processor
Wireless communication module: Semtech SX1262 low power high range LoRa transceiver
Wireless connectivity: LoRaWan® 1.0.2 protocol stack
I/O ports: UART/I2C/GPIO/USB
Interface: Serial Wire Debug (SWD)
Dimensions: 20 x 30 mm
Supply Voltage: 2.0 V ~ 3.6 V
Operating temperature: -40 °C ~ 70 °C

Along with the WisBlock LPWAN module comes the WisBlock baseboard with a reduced form factor in comparison to its predecessor. This comes from discarding a few of the IOs and still managing to increase the support for most of the existing modules and sensors including the WisBlock GPS Modules RAK1910 and RAK12500. The easy plug-n-play slot for the WisBlock Core MCU gives the possibility of developing low-power consumption applications. The user can also test several sensors in the RAKwireless store and build a fast prototype for the visionary project.

The baseboard also provides two slots for modules with a 24pin WisConnector for interfacing the WisBlock sensor modules. One of the interesting options for the board comes with a power supply. The hardware enables the user to employ either a 5V USB, 3.7V LiPo battery, 5V solar panels, or even a combination of these. If you are interested in buying any of this hardware, head to the product page- RAK11310 and RAK19003.

Low power HiSpark WiFi IoT Development Board is Compatible with HarmonyOS

Posted on 7 December, 2021 by Saumitra Jagdale

The Hi3861-based HiSpark WiFi IoT development board is a highly cost-effective, compact, and high-performance IoT development board that costs only 11$, making it one of the most affordable boards on the market. The development board is compatible with HarmonyOS, which allows flexible scaling of hardware capabilities.

Along with the compact form factor of 2 x 5cm, the board consists of a 2.4Ghz WLAN SoC for providing easy communication to any IoT network. It supports WFA WPA, WFA WPA2 personal, and WPS2.0 protocols for secured and safe connection. Moreover, it is highly energy-efficient as it operates on an input voltage ranging from 2.3V to 3.6V, and can provide an I/O voltage of 1.9V or 3.3V. It can also switch between different power-saving modes like ultra-deep sleep mode (5uA at 3.3V), to enhance the board’s energy efficiency.

The board’s peripherals include I2C, I2S, ADC, UART, SPI, SDIO, GPIO, PWM, and FLASH, making it suitable for a wide range of IoT applications. To increase its peripheral capabilities, the Hi3861 WLAN module may be linked to the Hi3861 motherboard. It integrates a high-performance 32-bit CPU with a maximum operating frequency of 160 MHz. Additionally, the board consists of a built-in 352 KB SRAM and 288 KB ROM, and a built-in 2 MB flash memory.

Moreover, the IoT development board can also be integrated with the HarmonyOs which is a “distributed operating system designed for a connected world”. HarmonyOS is a future-proof, distributive, and intelligent operating system that is available to you as part of the all-scenario strategy project. Plus, it is a unified software system for end-users that offers uniform, seamless, and secure experiences across all of your smart devices. It uses distributed technology to bring together a collection of smart gadgets into a “super virtual device.”

Setting up the Hi3861 IoT development board to run the HarmonyOS is extremely easy, and requires minimal tools including a Linux compile server, Windows workstation (host computer), Hi3861 WLAN module, and a USB Type-C cable to connect the board to the host computer.

The detailed procedure for setting up the HarmonyOS on the Hi3861 WLAN development board can be found here.