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Convert your Raspberry Pi in an Open Source tablet with the RasPad 3

Posted on 2 September, 20213 September, 2021 by Saumitra Jagdale

Introduction

Single-board computers based on the Raspberry Pi are powerful, low-cost, and compact. This makes them excellent for small tasks that require a real computer rather than a low-level microcontroller. However, they have a minor downside in that, they are compact but not easily portable when given as a simple circuit board.

SunFounder offers a consumer-grade portable open-source tablet, RasPad 3. Built around the Raspberry Pi 4 SBC, the tablet provides a touchscreen platform for development and tinkering. It retains all of the Raspberry Pi’s ports, allowing you to take advantage of all of the Raspberry Pi’s features.

RasPad is intended to reduce barriers, allowing you to go right into building your maker’s project. The tablet can be easily assembled in few easy steps. It is a simple tablet interface that lets you program from anywhere. It is an excellent IoT project partner because it allows you to develop millions of applications.

Box Contents

The RasPad 3 comes with everything you need to get started. The box includes all the essential parts and cables to self assemble the tablet. All you need is a Raspberry Pi 4B and a clean SD Card.

RasPad x 1
Power Adapter x 1
Micro SD Card Extension Board x 1
Fan x 1
FFC Cable x 1
Accel SHIM Module x 1
Heat Sink x 1
M2.5×9 Screw x 1
M2.5×4 Screw x 1
USB Cable x 1
Ethernet Cable x 1
HDMI Cable x 1
Type C Cable x 1
Micro HDMI Cable x 1
Power Cable x 1
Manual x 1

Assembly

Assembly is done using only a screwdriver and the process is fun and easy. All you have to do is to place the RB4 to its place and connect the provided cables to the daughterboard. This way all ports of the Raspberry Pi are available from the external. Don’t forget to also attach the 3 x small heatsinks to the board and the small fan to the back cover. This is all needed to start enjoying your new RB4 tablet.

Deeper Look at Portable Raspberry Pi Tablet

At 270 x 127 x 47 mm in footprint, the tablet has a 10.1 inch, 1280 x 800, IPS screen with 10-finger touch capability. It may not be the best screen you have seen for RB4, but it would definitely keep your eyes focused while programming or gaming. Thanks to its triangular structural design and a small six-axis acceleration sensor, it may also be put flat or upright on the table. Therefore, while using the Raspad OS, this allows for a rotating screen.

We also noticed that the image on the screen is a bit stretched on the horizontal axis, as this may be due to incorrect display drivers or the resolution of the LCD. You can notice this distortion in the last photo below. Check the electronics-lab.com logo, isn’t it distorted?

To create customized projects the tablet provides you access to all of the Raspberry Pi ports including Ethernet, HDMI, Audio, USB, and Power. In addition to this, RasPad can also be configured to include the Raspberry Pi 40-Pin I/O port for breadboarding and prototyping projects. Thus, like any other computer, you can connect the RasPad with other controllers.

You can also simply extend RasPad with additional displays for enhanced multitasking or display mirroring by using HDMI ports. On the other side of the tablet, a small breakout board includes buttons for power, volume, and brightness control. Along with this, it has onboard LEDs for battery monitoring and an externally accessible microSD slot.

There are two boards inside. One is a custom board that connects the Raspberry Pi to the outside world, and the other is a battery management and On-Screen Display (OSD) control board. The Raspberry Pi 4 is placed between these two daughterboards. It connects to the custom board through three USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.0 and Ethernet cable for wired networking, and two micro-HDMI cables. The dual micro-HDMI ports are for the onboard display and the external HDMI output, respectively.

According to SunFounder, the tablet features a three-cell 3000mAh battery with a battery life of up to 5 hours. Although this may be over-rated, it should definitely keep you going for a few hrs, depending on the workload. Furthermore, the board powers the Raspberry Pi 4 through a USB-C connection. The inbuilt 18650 Lithium-polymer batteries or the 15V DC charger can provide the necessary power.

Additionally, the heatsinks are included to provide adequate cooling for most of the applications. According to Tom’s hardware article, the kit provides three heatsinks for the processor, a USB 3.0 controller, and a small accelerometer SHIM. Also, another upgrade over the original RasPad, the new RasPad 3 provides further cooling by a small fan, for additional cooling and if you want to overclock the Raspberry Pi to its limits. Fan proved to be quiet and not annoying at all.

Although the enclosure lacks GPIO pins, a small gap in the casing allows you to feed a ribbon cable through to expand the GPIO header to the outside world. Also, a TF card extension design has been introduced by the firm. Without removing the back cover, you may instantly swap out micro-SD cards to switch between OS.

Software of RasPad 3

Talking about the software support, RasPad provides a fully customizable operating system environment. It is compatible with various operating systems, including Raspberry Pi OS, Ubuntu Desktop, Chromium OS, Windows, Android, and more. Additionally RasPad can be used as a 3D printer controller, a game console, a programming tablet, or a platform for developing Internet of Things (IoT) projects for smart-home applications.

The default available OS image is RasPad OS which is based on Raspberry Pi OS and is available for download on the official page. As we were informed from the manufacture they are planning to replace RasPad OS with RasPad launcher any time soon.

As you may already notice from the photos above, it integrates a custom user-friendly menu with multiple categories to make the different apps available.

RasPad 3 is available for $219 on the company’s website. For more information visit the product page. Images and technical specifications have been taken from the product page.

Dual Output Adjustable Linear Power Supply +/-1.2V to +/-12V @ 250mA

This project is a solution to power up most devices or projects requiring dual (+/-) adjustable power. The circuit consists of a stepdown transformer, bridge rectifier, DC filter capacitors, LM317 positive and LM337 negative adjustable voltage regulators, 2 x trimmer pot for independent output voltage adjust, and power LEDs.

Parts Explanation

Connector CN1 : 230V/115V AC Input
Jumper J2 : 230V Selection
Jumper J1 & J3 : 115V Selection
Transformer T1 : Step Down Transformer 12V-0-12VAC Output, 230V/115V AC Input
Bridge Rectifier BR1 : Rectifier Converts DC in to AC Supply
Capacitors C3, C5 : DC Filter Capacitors
LED D1 : +V PWR LED
LED D2 : -V PWR LED
Resistor R1, R2 : Current Limiting Resistors For LEDs D1 and D2
Regulator U1 : +V Adjustable Regulator
Regulator U2 : -V Adjustable Regulator
Trimmer Pot PR1 : +V Output Adjust +1.2V to +12V
Trimmer Pot PR2 : -V Output Adjust -1.2V to -12V
Capacitor C1, C2, C4, C6 : DC Filter Capacitors
Connector CN2 : Adjustable DC Output

Note1: This power supply supports 230V AC or 115V AC input, Jumpers are located under PCB for input voltage selection, remove input power cable while changing Jumper selection.

Note 2: This power supply contains hazardous voltage at the input, PCB must be installed in an encloser that prevents accidental contact. Use Plastic screws to mount the PCB

Note 3: Heatsink is a must for regulators U1 and U2 @ full load, the heatsink should be mounted with plastic screws and should not touch the ground plane of the PCB.

Note 4: It is advisable to set the output voltage using PR1 and PR2 before connecting the output to the load.

Input Voltage Selection

For 230V AC Input: Close Jumper J2, Jumper J1, and J3 Open
For 115V AC Input: Close Jumper J1 and J3, Jumper J2 Open

Other Similar AC to DC Power Supplies

Features

Input 230V or 115V AC (Use Jumpers to Select 230V or 115V AC)
Output +/-1.2V to 12V DC (Dual Output)
Output Ripple Approx. 5mV
Maximum Load Current 500mA (250mA + 250mA)
2 X Power LEDs, for +V and -V
Screw Terminal for AC Input
Screw Terminal for Regulated DC Output
PCB Dimensions 91.76 x 43.82 mm

Schematic

Parts List

NO	QNTY.	REF.	DESC.	MANUFACTURER	SUPPLIER	SUPPLIER PART NO
1	1	BR1	BRIDGE RECTIFIER W10M	MICRO COMM	DIGIKEY	W10M-BPMS-ND
2	1	CN1	3 PIN SCREW TERMINAL PITCH 5.08MM	PHOENINX	DIGIKEY	277-1248-ND
3	1	CN2	3 PIN SCREW TERMINAL PITCH 5.08MM	PHOENIX	DIGIKEY	277-1248-ND
4	2	C1,C6	10uF/25V SMD SIZE 1206	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
5	2	C2,C4	0.1uF/50V SMD SIZE 0805	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
6	2	C3,C5	1000uF/25V OR 2200/25V	PANASONIC	DIGIKEY	P13121-ND
7	1	D1	RED LED SMD SIZE 0805	LITE ON	DIGIKEY	160-1427-1-ND
8	1	D2	GREEN LED SMD SIZE 0805	DIALIGHT	DIGIKEY	350-2044-1-ND
9	3	J1,J2,J3	JUMPER(PCB SOLDER) USE SMD 0-OHM RESISTOR SIZE 1206		DIGIKEY	PCB JUMPERS
10	2	PR1,PR2	5K TRIMMER POT	BOURNS	DIGIKEY	3362H-502LF-ND
11	2	R1,R2	1.5K 5% SMD SIZE 0805	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
12	2	R3,R4	220E 1% SMD SIZE 0805	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
13	1	T1	TRANSFORMER 3FD-424	TAMURA	DIGIKEY	MT2115-ND
14	1	U1	LM317-ADJ TO 220	ST	DIGIKEY	497-1575-5-ND
15	1	U2	LM337-ADJ TO 220	ST	DIGIKEY	497-1585-5-ND
16	2		HEATSINK -TO220	AVID	DIGIKEY	HS106-ND
17	2		M3 X 10MM SCREW AND NUT FOR TO220 HEATSINK/REGULATOR	IO AUDIO	DIGIKEY	1937-IO-M3X10/M3HN-50-ND

Connections

Gerber View

Photos

Video

LM317 Datasheet

Dual +12V/-12V @ 400mA Regulated Linear Power Supply with AC input

The project presented here is a dual output linear power supply. This power supply provides low ripple low noise DC regulated output. It is a very useful tool to power Audio, Video, OPAMP-based circuits, and projects. The circuit provides regulated +/-12V DC output @ 400mA + 400mA. The project supports AC input supply 230V or 115V. On-board jumpers are provided for AC230V or AC115V selection. Besides regulated output, the board also has provisions to output the unregulated supply using CN2.

Parts Explanation

Connector CN1: 230V/115V AC Input
Jumper J2: 230V Selection
Jumper J1, J3: 115V Selection
Transformer-Step Down T1: 230/115V AC IN, 12VAC-0V-12VAC 0.83A
Bridge Rectifier BR1: Bridge Rectifier
Capacitor C2, C5: DC Filter Capacitors
Connector CN2: Unregulated DC Output
Regulator U1: +12V Regulator
Regulator U2: -12V Regulator
C1,C3,C4, C6 : DC Filter Capacitors
LED D1: +12V LED
LED D2: -12V LED
Connector CN3, and CN4: +/-12V Regulated Output
Resistor R1, R2: Current Limiting Resistors for LEDs

Note1: This power supply supports 230V AC or 115V AC input, remove input power cable while changing Jumper selection.

Note 2: This power supply contains hazardous voltage at the input, PCB must be installed in an encloser that prevents accidental contact. Use Plastic screws to mount the power supply.

Note 3: Power supply also can be used as Dual Regulated +/-15V DC Output. In this case replace U1 LM7815, U2 LM7915

Note 4: Heatsink is a must for regulators U1 and U2 @ full load. The heatsink should be mounted with plastic screws and should not touch the ground plane of the PCB.

Input Voltage Selection

For 230V AC Input: Close Jumper J2 Jumper J1 and J3 Open,
For 115V AC Input: Close Jumper J1 and J3 Open Jumper J2

Other Similar AC to DC Power Supplies

Features

Input 230V or 115V AC (Use Jumpers to Select 230V or 115V AC)
Output +/-12V DC (Dual Output)
Unregulated Output Approx. +/-17V (CN2)
Output Ripple Approx. 5mV
Maximum Load Current 800mA (+12V@400mA, -12V@400mA)
2 x Power LEDs, for 12V and -12V
Screw Terminal for AC Input
Screw Terminal for Regulated DC Output
3 Pin Male Header Provides Unregulated DC Output
4 Pin Male Header for Regulated DC Output
PCB Dimensions 99.06 x 58.74 mm

Schematic

Parts List

NO	QNTY.	REF.	DESC.	MANUFACTURER	SUPPLIER	SUPPLIER PART NO
1	1	BR1	BRIDGE GBL08 OR GBL06	VISHAY	DIGIKEY	GBL06-E3/45GI-ND
2	1	CN1	3 PIN SCREW TERMINAL PITCH 5.08MM	PHOENIX	DIGIKEY	277-1248-ND
3	1	CN2	3 PIN MALE HEADER PITCH 2.54MM	WURTH	DIGIKEY	732-5316-ND
4	1	CN3	4 PIN MALE HEADER PITCH 2.54MM	WURTH	DIGIKEY	732-5317-ND
5	1	CN4	3 PIN SCREW TERMINAL PITCH 5.08MM	PHOENIX	DIGIKEY	277-1248-ND
6	2	C1,C4	0.1uF/50V SMD SIZE 0805	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
7	2	C2,C5	2200uF/25V	RUBYCON	DIGIKEY	1189-3651-ND
8	2	C3,C6	10uF/25V SMD SIZE 1206	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
9	1	D1	RED LED SMD SIZE 0805	LITE ON	DIGIKEY	160-1427-1-ND
10	1	D2	GREEN LED SMD SIZE 0805	DIALIGHT	DIGIKEY	350-2044-1-ND
11	3	J1,J2,J3	JUMPER 2 PIN MALE HEADER PITCH 2.54MM	WURTH	DIGIKEY	732-5315-ND
12	2	R1,R2	1.5K 5% SMD SIZE 0805	MURATA/YAGEO	DIGIKEY
13	1	T1	VPP24–830 TRANSFORMER 12V-0-12VAC	TRIAD	DIGIKEY	237-1071-ND
14	1	U1	LM7812	TI	DIGIKEY	296-50628-ND
15	1	U2	LM7912	TI	DIGIKEY	LM7912CT/NOPB-ND
16	2	SHUNT	SHUNT FOR JUMPPERS J1,J2,J3	SULLINS	DIGIKEY	S9001-ND
17	2	HT	HEATSINK	AVID	DIGIKEY	HS106-ND
18	2	SC	M3 SCREW X 10MM L	IO AUDIO	DIGIKEY	1937-IO-M3X10/M3HN-50-ND

Connections

Gerber View

Photos

Video

LM7812 Datasheet

Dual +5 V/-5V @ 200 mA Regulated Linear Power Supply

Posted on 1 September, 2021 by mixos

The project presented here is a dual AC to DC output linear power supply. This power supply provides low ripple low noise DC regulated output. Usually, transformer-based linear power supplies are considered very bulky and inefficient, but this power supply still is very important for sensitive applications such as analog circuits, communications devices, radio devices, audio circuits, OPAMP-based projects etc.

CN1 is AC input, Jumper J2 for 230V AC input, Jumper J1/J3 for 115V AC, Transformer T1-Step down transformer provides 6.3V-0V-6.3V AC Outputs, Bridge Rectifier BR1 converts AC into DC, Capacitor C2/C4 DC filter capacitors, CN2 unregulated DC output approx. +/-9V DC, U1 +5V regulator, U2 -5V regulator, D1 +5 power LED, D2 -5V power LED, R1/R2 current limiting resistors for LEDs, C1/C3/C5/C6 output DC capacitors, CN3 Male header +/-5V regulated output, CN4 screw terminal +/-5V regulated output.

Dual +5 V/-5V @ 200 mA Regulated Linear Power Supply – [Link]

Low Voltage Microphone Preamplifier with Variable Compression and Noise Canceling

Posted on 1 September, 2021 by mixos

This is a complete microphone signal conditioning project. Designed primarily for voice-band applications, this project provides amplification, limiting, variable compression, and noise gate. User-adjustable compression ratio, noise gate threshold, and two different fixed gains optimize circuit operation for a variety of applications.

This is a complete and flexible solution for conditioning condenser microphones for personal electronics and computer audio systems. It is also excellent for improving vocal clarity in communications and the public address systems. A low noise voltage-controlled amplifier (VCA) provides a gain that is dynamically adjusted by a control loop to maintain a set compressions characteristic. The compression ratio is set by a jumper and can be varied from 1:1 to over 10:1 relative to the fixed rotation point. Signals above the rotation point are limited to prevent overload and eliminate popping.

A downward expander (noise gate) prevents the amplification of background noise or hum. This results in an optimized signal level prior to digitization, thereby eliminating the need for additional gain or attenuation in the digital domain. The flexibility of setting the compression ratio and the time constant of the level detector, coupled with two values of rotation point, make the SSM2167 easy to integrate into a wide variety of microphone conditioning applications.

Low Voltage Microphone Preamplifier with Variable Compression and Noise-Canceling – [Link]

IR Remote Controlled Motorized Potentiometer – Arduino Compatible

Posted on 1 September, 20211 September, 2021 by mixos

This is an Infrared Remote controlled motorized potentiometer controller. It’s an open-source project built on the Arduino platform and compatible with Arduino IDE for custom programming. The project consists ATMEGA328 microcontroller, IR sensor, L293D motor driver, ALPS Motorized potentiometer, a connector for Arduino programming, etc. The L293D H-bridge drives the potentiometer motor, 2 Parallel direction pins are used to change the motor direction which moves the POT in a forward or reverse direction.

IR Remote Controlled Motorized Potentiometer – Arduino Compatible – [Link]

onsemi / Fairchild FAN53526 Programmable TinyBuck® Regulators

Posted on 1 September, 20211 September, 2021 by mixos

onsemi / Fairchild FAN53526 Digitally Programmable TinyBuck^® Regulators are switching voltage regulators that provide a digitally programmable output from an input voltage supply of 2.5V to 5.5V. The FAN53526 has an output voltage programmed through an I²C interface capable of operating up to 3.4MHz. The FAN53526 utilizes a proprietary architecture with synchronous rectification delivering 3.0A continuous at over 80% efficiency, maintaining that efficiency at load currents as low as 10mA.

The onsemi / Fairchild FAN53526 Digitally Programmable TinyBuck Regulators have a nominal fixed frequency of 2.4MHz, allowing a reduction of the value of the external components. To improve regulation, additional output capacitance is added without affecting stability. Pulse Frequency Modulation (PFM) operates in Power-Save Mode at moderate and light loads with a typical quiescent current of 50A at room temperature. At higher loads, the system automatically switches to fixed−frequency control, operating at 2.4MHz. In Shutdown Mode, the supply current drops below 1A, reducing power consumption. PFM Mode can be disabled if a fixed frequency is desired.

The FAN53526 is housed in a 15-bump, 1.310mm x 2.015mm, 0.4mm ball pitch WLCSP.

Features

2.4MHz Fixed frequency operation
Reduces the number of external components
Best-in-class load transient
Additional output capacitance can be added to improve regulation during load transients without impacting stability
I²C-Compatible interface up to 3.4Mbps
Flexible interface
3.0A Continuous output current
2.5V to 5.5V Input voltage range
0.6V to 1.39375V in 6.25mV steps digitally programmable output voltage
Programmable slew rate for voltage transitions
PFM mode for high efficiency in light-load
50uA (Typical) quiescent current in PFM mode
Input Under−Voltage Lockout (UVLO)
Thermal shutdown and overload protection
15-Bump Wafer-Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP)

Typical Application

more information: https://www.onsemi.com/products/power-management/dc-dc-power-conversion/converters/fan53526

Kobol, the company behind Helios64 NAS system calls it quit and shut it’s doors

Posted on 1 September, 2021 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Recent news reaching us is that Helios4 and Helios64 manufacturer, Kobol, has decided to call it quits promising to only give its support to its customers when available.

The three-man company behind the popular open-spec network-attached storage (NAS) devices made this announcement shortly after it returned from a two-month break which it took in April.

“We have decided to stop the adventure here,” says Kobol as they break the news to their customers in a recent statement. “Quite a few reasons made us come up with this difficult decision, but it all comes down to two key points,” they said. “There is still ongoing difficulties to manufacture electronics, to procure parts and mainly to control costs. [And] we made a rookie mistake of stretching ourselves very thin last year with the first delivery of Helios64 while being just a three-men show. We should have brought a few more people onboard sooner, but we waited too long until we were a bit burnt out,” they added.

Helios64 network-attached storage system was first unveiled by Kobol about two years ago as a follow-up to its considerably more blocky Helios4 system. The stylish five-bay open-spec NAS system was initially supposed to be powered by a Rockchip RK3399K processor but was later stepped down to a slower version due to the shortage of components during COVID-19. There were also other issues that came along when the system was finally launched — ranging from a faulty Ethernet port to drive sleds which were slightly too big to fit in the chassis and then to other bigger concerns that possibly came from rushed software updates — which according to guesses were part of what led the three-man team to shut its doors.

Meanwhile, this big decision by the team has left those who have bought a Helios64 with quite an uncertain future, especially as no one knows what the next line of action will be. There is also uncertainty as to when there would be a second production run of the system hardware as well as newer revisions that will see to the fixing of some or all of the design flaws.

Thankfully, they did not completely throw in the towel as the team also said it will try to give its support to its customers when available. It promised to “post on the wiki all the blueprints of Helios64 [to] help people tinker or even troubleshoot their board when necessary.”

We really do not know what’s next for them, but if we get any further tips on this matter, we will be sure to give updates.

BL602 Microcontroller and $1.5 BL-63B IoT module

Posted on 1 September, 20211 September, 2021 by Emmanuel Odunlade

BL602

Bouffalo Labs BL602 microcontroller is a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE-capable microcontroller with a 32-bit RISC-V derived core. The chipset is designed for ultra-low-cost low-power applications and has support for 2.4G radio, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and BLE 5.0 baseband/MAC designs. It also has support for a variety of safety and security features.

The BL602 microcontroller might not be able to stand side by side with the ESP8266 in terms of price but it definitely has more features, more memory, and more storage. We also learned that a Hong-Kong based organization known as Pine64 is currently making some efforts to reverse engineer the microcontroller for a fully open-source blob-free wireless implementation.

BL-63B IoT Module

Several boards have been built around this BL602 microcontroller like the DT-BL10 development board, the PineCone BL602 board, and the new BL-63B – a more compact module that offers many possibilities at a more favorable price.

The BL-63B is a highly integrated single-chip low-power 802.11n wireless local area network (WLAN) network controller. It has a low power consumption rate with high performance and support for various safety functions. The 17.3 mm x 15 mm x 3mm module also features a number of configurable general purpose IOs, which are configured as digital peripherals for different applications and control purposes.

Some of the key features and specifications of the BL63B module include:

High performance
Low power consumption
Support for safety functions
Integrates internal memory for complete WIFI protocol functions
Microcontroller: Bouffalo Labs BL602 32-bit RISC-V processor running at up to 192 Mhz, with:
- 276KB RAM
- 128KB ROM
- 1 Kbit eFuse,
- Embedded flash (optional)
- 4x DMA channels, and,
- Wireless subsystem that contains 2.4G radio, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0 baseband / MAC designs
2MB flash
2.4GHz 802.11b/g/n WiFI 4 1×1 SISO up to 65 Mbps (802.11n) or 26 Mbps (802.11g)
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0
PCB antenna
Up to 5x General Purpose IO (GPIO), UART, ADC, DAC, PWM, I2C, SPI, IR, Reset, 3.3V and GND
2x additional test pads for GND, IO8 and IO5
Power supply: 3.0 to 3.6V
Dimensions: 17.3 mm x 15 mm x 3mm
Operating Temperature Range: -30°C to +85°C
FCC ID: 2AVTT-BL63B

The BL-63B module is currently available and sells for $2.5 per piece on Taobao in China. However, if you are purchasing as many as 1000 pieces, you would qualify for some discounts and be able to purchase one piece for only $1.5. You can also buy this device on the LCSC Electronics page.

Further details on the module can be found here

GoWired Multiprotocol Gateway is a Versatile hub for all wired communication

Posted on 1 September, 20211 September, 2021 by mixos

GoWired Multiprotocol Gateway is an evolution of one of our previous boards, the GetWired Ethernet Gateway, with more power, more features, more versatility, and better solutions for wired automation systems. It features powerful ARM M0+ microcontroller with eight times more ROM and 16 times more RAM memory. We doubled the RS485 transceiver to be able to utilize two different communication protocols at once (MySensors, MODBUS, etc.) and added a CAN transceiver, since it is also widely used in home automation. USB obviously must be included too. To ensure reliable Ethernet communication, we utilized a market-leading Wiznet W5500 chip. Microcontroller internal memory can be expanded by an SD card, e. g. for the purpose of gathering debug information.

GoWired Multiprotocol Gateway also features improved power supply circuitry which now can handle voltage ranges from 7-26 VDC. Onboard current and power monitor can regularly share power-related data, along with other information about the status of the device. This information might be displayed using an e-ink screen, for example. All this is designed with reliability and safety in mind, in general, and in terms of power (ESD, overcurrent, overvoltage, reverse polarity protection) and EMC & EMI precautions, specifically. The device fits in a compact, four-slot DIN rail enclosure.

Hardware Specifications

Powerful 32-bit ATSAMD21G18A ARM M0+ microcontroller with 32 kB RAM and 256 kB ROM, 48 MHz
Reliable Wiznet W5500 Ethernet transceiver with hardware TCP/IP stack
Support for three different communication standards (RS485, CAN, USB) and four different protocols in the same time (doubled RS485 transceiver)
Power and current monitoring for all connected devices (if the devices are powered from the Gateway)
uSD card slot for debug and other purposes
Designed with EMC & EMI protection in mind
Protected against ESD, overcurrent, overvoltage, reverse polarity
Extension board with e-ink display, LEDs and buttons mounted on the enclosure
four-slots DIN rail enclosure

Software Features

Compatible with Arduino
Open source, modifiable, configurable, ready to use
Plug & play compatible with most open source home automation controllers (Domoticz, Home Assistant, etc.)
Privacy friendly, can work without internet access, doesn’t require any cloud services

Open Source Software

Our open source software is compatible with Arduino, includes a custom board definition, and can be modified according to the user’s needs. Most importantly GoWired Multiprotocol Gateway is ready to use out-of-the-box and is plug & play compatible with the vast majority of open source home automation controllers (e. g. Home Assistant, Domoticz). We also have plans for extended software versions to be developed in the future. Our software is located on GitHub.

text and photos sourced from: https://www.crowdsupply.com/domatic/gowired-multiprotocol-gateway