The RTC-710RK brings flexibility to rugged mobile computing with brighter screen, longer battery life, and better performance.
AAEON, a leading manufacturer of rugged mobile solutions, announces the latest addition to their lineup of rugged mobile tablet PCs, the RTC-710RK. This tough 7-inch tablet offers users better performance and longer-lasting battery compared to previous generations, as well as brighter screen and more flexible options. The RTC-710RK is built to bring rugged mobile computing to a wider range of applications.
The RTC-710RK is designed to bring better performance, powered by the 6-core Rockchip RK3399 ARM processor, offering stable and efficient operation thanks to its RISC based construction. The RTC-710RK pairs this innovative processor with up to 4 GB of memory and up to 128 GB of storage to power a range of applications. The RTC-710RK utilizes the Android 8.1 (Oreo) operating system, which can be easily customized for a user’s specific needs.
The RTC-710RK is built to work where you need it, for as long as you need it. The RTC-710RK is built to the standard as all of AAEON’s rugged tablets, with MIL-STD-810G and IP65 certifications for vibration testing, drop testing, water and dust proofing. The RTC-710RK also boasts longer battery life thanks to a larger internal battery and hot-swappable battery pack that allows the rugged tablet to keep working without having to stop for a recharge. The RTC-710RK also features a high brightness screen (approx. 700 nits), as well as physical function keys which can be programmed by users.
Flexibility is a feature with the RTC-710RK, with a great standard I/O layout, which can be easily customized for the user’s applications. Users can also opt for add-on modules including a RJ45 and UART port module, or 2D barcode scanner. AAEON also offers a selection of ergonomic accessories to make all-day use easier, including a hand strap, carry bag, and shoulder belt.
AAEON provides industry-leading support for RTC-710RK to ensure reliable, long-lasting operation. AAEON also provides OEM/ODM manufacturer services for customers needing more extensive customization, and to ensure the RTC-710RK can meet the demands of a wide range of industrial applications.
“From site management and field inspection to inventory and vehicle tracking, the RTC-710RK offers a great value for its performance,” said Peter Yang, Manager with AAEON’s Rugged Mobile Division. “Users can enjoy improved performance, brighter screen, and longer lasting battery life, along with our customization services, all for the same price, or even less, than previous generations of 7” tablets.”
(CATL) successfully held its first online launch event “Tech Zone” on July 29. Dr. Robin Zeng, chairman of CATL, unveiled the company’s first-generation sodium-ion battery, together with its AB battery pack solution – which is able to integrate sodium-ion cells and lithium-ion cells into one pack – at the event. As another milestone of CATL in the exploration of basic science and technology, sodium-ion batteries will provide a new solution for the use of clean energy and transportation electrification, thus promoting the early realization of the goal of carbon neutrality.
Breaking through the bottleneck of sodium-ion battery technology
As carbon neutrality has become a global consensus, the new energy industry has entered a complex and diversified development stage. The increasingly segmented markets have raised differentiated requirements for batteries. At the same time, the worldwide research and development of basic materials for batteries is accelerating, which opens a two-way window for the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries.
The sodium-ion battery has a similar working principle to the lithium-ion battery. Sodium ions also shuttle between the cathode and anode. However, compared with lithium ions, sodium ions have a larger volume and higher requirements regarding structural stability and the kinetic properties of materials. This has become a bottleneck for the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries.
CATL has been dedicated to the research and development of sodium-ion battery electrode materials for many years. In terms of cathode materials, CATL has applied Prussian white material with a higher specific capacity and redesigned the bulk structure of the material by rearranging the electrons, which solved the worldwide problem of rapid capacity fading upon material cycling. In terms of anode materials, CATL has developed a hard carbon material that features a unique porous structure, which enables the abundant storage and fast movement of sodium ions, and also an outstanding cycle performance.
Based on a series of innovations in the chemistry system, CATL’s first generation of sodium-ion batteries has the advantages of high-energy density, fast-charging capability, excellent thermal stability, great low-temperature performance and high-integration efficiency, among others. The energy density of CATL’s sodium-ion battery cell can achieve up to 160Wh/kg, and the battery can charge in 15 minutes to 80% SOC at room temperature. Moreover, in a low-temperature environment of -20°C, the sodium-ion battery has a capacity retention rate of more than 90%, and its system integration efficiency can reach more than 80%. The sodium-ion batteries’ thermal stability exceeds the national safety requirements for traction batteries. The first generation of sodium-ion batteries can be used in various transportation electrification scenarios, especially in regions with extremely low temperatures, where its outstanding advantages become obvious. Also, it can be flexibly adapted to the application needs of all scenarios in the energy storage field.
Four-pillar innovation system in support of three strategic development directions
CATL has always been committed to being a global premier innovative technology corporation and delivering excellent contributions to the green energy resolution for mankind as its vision. To achieve its vision, CATL is making unremitting efforts in three strategic development directions. The first development direction is to replace stationary fossil energy with renewable energy generation and energy storage; the second is to replace mobile fossil energy by using EV batteries to accelerate the development of E-mobility; the third is to promote the integration innovation of market applications leveraging electrification plus intelligence to accelerate the drive towards new energy applications in different fields. To support sustainable development in these three development directions, CATL has established a four-pillar innovation system, namely in the chemistry system, structure system, manufacturing system and business models, to build a rapid transformation capability from fundamental research to industrial application, and then to large-scale commercialization.
The fundamental research of material and the chemistry system is of great importance. Dr. Robin Zeng, chairman of CATL, has said that some people believe that the battery chemistry system will hardly see any more breakthroughs, and that only improvements can be made in the physical structure system. But we believe that the world of electrochemistry is like the Energy Cube, where there are still a lot of unknowns for us to discover. We never get tired of exploring its mysteries. By using a high-throughput calculation platform and simulation technology, based on our deep understanding of principles combined with the application of advanced algorithms and computing capacity, we engage in an in-depth exploration to develop a chemistry system that is most suitable for sodium-ion batteries, enable them to enter the fast track to industrialization, and continuously evolve. The next generation of sodium-ion batteries’ energy density development target is to exceed 200Wh/kg.
In terms of battery system innovation, CATL has made another breakthrough in battery system integration and developed an AB battery system solution, which is to mix and match sodium-ion batteries and lithium-ion batteries in a certain proportion and integrate them into one battery system, and control the different battery systems through the BMS precision algorithm. The AB battery system solution can compensate for the current energy-density shortage of the sodium-ion battery, and also expand its advantages of high power and performance in low temperatures. Thanks to this innovative structure system, application scenarios for the lithium-sodium battery system are expanded.
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Multi-dimensional deployment to promote the industrialization of sodium-ion batteries
At the event, Dr. Qisen Huang, deputy dean of the CATL Research Institute, said that sodium-ion battery manufacturing is perfectly compatible with the lithium-ion battery production equipment and processes, and the production lines can be rapidly switched to achieve a high-production capacity. As of now, CATL has started its industrial deployment of sodium-ion batteries, and plans to form a basic industrial chain by 2023. CATL invites upstream suppliers and downstream customers, as well as research institutions to jointly accelerate the promotion and development of sodium-ion batteries.
Dr. Robin Zeng said that carbon neutrality has spawned a demand for TWh-scale batteries and has promoted the vigorous development of the new energy industry. The continued emergence of application demands has given an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of different technologies. Diversified technical routes will also assure the stability of the industry’s long-term development.
We have come across multiple hardware development boards and MCUs that employ Edge AI for processing and computing. On the other hand, cloud computing was traditionally preferred as an alternative for implementation due to its scalability and easier to develop applications on the cloud platform. However, it comes at the expense of data transmission latency and security problems. As the system is vulnerable to network attacks.
Edge AI focuses on processing ML algorithms locally on the hardware for a quick and safe system. This form of local computing reduces the network delay for data transfer and solves the security issues as everything happens on the device. Canaan, a leading provider of high-performance computing systems, has developed the Kendryte K510, a RISC-V-based processor built particularly for edge AI applications.
The new self-developed Edge AI chip comes with upgraded machine vision and improved programming flexibility with three times the performance of K210. Thus, the Kendryte K510 can better address the demands of mid-to-high-end applications at the edge. According to Cannan, the K510 specializes in UAV high-definition aerial photography, panoramic video conferencing, robotics, STEAM education, driver assistance scenarios, and industrial and professional cameras.
Block Diagram of Kendryte K510 Processor
The compact Kendryte K510 AI processor features a 64-bit tri-core RISC-V processor with FPUs. It is divided into a dual-core block that operates at 800MHz and a single-core block that serves as a digital signal processor (DSP).
The main highlight of K510 is that it can triple its computing power while reducing power consumption by adopting unique computing data flow and multiplexing technology. Thus, the chip can perform 3 TOPs (Tera Operations Per Second) for applications requiring faster time responses.
The new K510 also features USB 2.0 OTG compatibility, MIPI CSI, and DVP camera interfaces, gigabit Ethernet, an H.264 video processing unit that is capable of 1080p60 along with MIPI DSI, and BT1120 display choices. It also offers various peripherals, including four UARTs, AUDIF, three SPI buses, three SDIO buses, etc. Additionally, the SHA and AES accelerator provide on-chip security.
All these pairs with K510’s on-chip 1.5MB SRAM split into 1MB and 512kB blocks with LPDDR3/LPDDR4 support for system RAM. The chip integrates a next-generation image processor with 2D/3D noise reduction, WDR (Wide Dynamic Range), fisheye correction, and hardware 3A capabilities.
The K510 is highly configurable, thanks to its RISC-V open-source architecture, and capable of empowering developers when it comes to scenario-based programming. For more information visit the company’s official website.
Infineon Technologies has launched the industry’s first 28V high-voltage microcontroller with USB Power Delivery (USB PD) 3.1 support.
The EZ-PD PMG1 (Power Delivery Microcontroller Gen1) supports any embedded system that provides or consumes power up to 28 V and 140 W in consumer, industrial and communications markets for applications such as smart speakers, routers, power and garden tools.
This follows the latest update to the USB PD standard to support higher voltages and power levels.
The PMG1 family supports higher power capabilities defined in the USB PD 3.1 specification and uses the MCU to provide additional control capability. It integrates an established USB PD stack to enable reliable performance and interoperability, supported by an ARM Cortex-M0+ controller core with up to 256 KB Flash memory and 32 KB SRAM. It also has a USB full-speed interface, programmable general purpose input/output (GPIO) pins, gate drivers, low drop out (LDO) regulators and high-voltage protection circuits.
The MCU also provides hardware and firmware protection, including over-voltage and over-current protection, short circuit and reverse current protection, secure firmware boot and signed firmware update.
To increase ease-of-use for designers, the new devices include programmable analogue and digital blocks to easily customize and integrate intelligent analogue sensors into the application. The PMG1 MCU is also field programmable to allow signed firmware updates for improved efficiency.
Programming is supported by the ModusToolbox integrated development environment with the PMG1 software development kit along with prototyping kits and quick start guide. They make the firmware development and testing simple and easy to further reduce the overall development time and time-to-market.
“As a leader in power semiconductors, we are excited to bring the new PMG1 family to market. It will enable OEMs to further differentiate their consumer, industrial and commercial applications,” said Ajay Srikrishna, Senior Vice President of the Wired Connectivity Solutions Product Line at Infineon. “Following our mission, this MCU is enabling our customers to bring new products to market that will help making consumers’ everyday lives easier, safer and greener.”
The USB PD microcontroller family PMG 1 can be ordered now.
SparkFun QuickLogic Thing Plus was originally crowdfunded on CrowdSupply that raised around $4500. If you did not back the product back then, no worries, you can buy it now on the SparkFun product page. SparkFun QuickLogic Thing Plus is a powerful FPGA board that comes with a Feather-footprint. The product from the collaboration of SparkFun and QuickLogic makes it a rapid prototyping open-source hardware with ultra-low power SoC for power-sensitive applications.
This FPGA board is built around QuickLogic’s EOS S3 MCU + eFPGA SoC featuring embedded FPGA (eFPGA) technology with 2,400 effective logic cells. The Arm Cortex-M4F MCU provides 512 KB of RAM. One of the important features to note is the out of the box support for machine learning algorithms with TensorFlow Lite and SensiML. However, since it has eFPGA, the software support in that regard is SymbiFlow and Renode.
Power supply: USB Type-C connector or via Li-Po battery
As mentioned earlier, the QuickLogic EOS S3 SoC is an ultra-low-power chip, so the board can be powered using a Li-Po battery as well with onboard charging circuitry using the Microchip MCP73831/2 and has a standard Li-Po JST connector. When it comes to ML applications, it is always an added advantage when there are sensors onboard. So, to solve this the designer has provided the board with an accelerometer with STMicro LIS2DH12TR and digital pulse density modulation (PDM) microphone with Wake-on-Sound (WoS) feature through the Vesper VM3011-U1.
With open-source hardware comes a wide range of real-time operating systems support, including Zephyr RTOS and FreeRTOS. The hardware is ideal for IoT, TinyML and traditional MCU applications. For more information on the specification, head to the product page where it is priced at $45.95. If you plan to purchase the SparkFun QuickLogic Thing Plus board, there is a hookup guide available that will help you get started.
The need for efficiency, speed, accuracy, and consistency in hardware design, in recent times, has spurred on the development of several AI systems that take in boundary parameters and return specifications, designs, and architectures to system designers. One of such tools is the recently launched battery design automation cloud software; Voltx.ai Alpha, developed by Battery Manufacturing expert, Voltaplex Energy.
The role of batteries in the current technological landscape cannot be overemphasized. From EVs to renewable energy solutions, and drones, battery packs are key components of the technological solutions that are being developed to reduce humanity’s carbon footprints. With the complexity of these solutions and the variations in their power requirements, it only makes sense to have an automated design process that takes care of everything about the battery, allowing designers to focus more time and energy on the other parts of the solutions. This is why Voltx.ai was developed, originally as an internal tool used in manufacturing at Voltaplex, but which after extensive use internally, is now being provided to the public for free usage.
An all-encompassing standard battery design tool, Voltx.ai was designed to give engineering teams the ability to rapidly design, prototype. evaluate, and compare new lithium-ion battery pack designs, at a speed beyond human capacity, generating thousands of manufacturing-ready battery designs per second using a database of real part specifications like cells, holders, wire and so on. The software takes in a few of your desired battery pack details like application, cell type, electrical characteristics like the voltage, current, capacity, etc, and automatically design, compare, and display the best packs for you.
Highlighting the importance of Voltx.ai during its launch, Voltaplex founder, Anton Doos said:
“Automating pack design is a key milestone in the company’s quest to automate battery manufacturing from concept to production. AI gives us superhuman abilities to quickly find optimal pack designs out of a search space that no engineering team would ever have the time to create”.
Asides from its use in generating pack designs, a major plus for Voltx is its ability to facilitate manufacturing by providing users with the opportunity of getting quotes for their design from Voltaplex, and also generating the files needed for manufacturing. According to Anton,
“some major bottle-necks to automating production lines are solved in an automated design phase. For example, once a pack is represented digitally then commands for an automated welding machine can be generated on-the-fly”.
[Image Credit: CNX Software]Enclustra recently introduced two modules, Andromeda XZU90 SoM and Mercury+ XU6, capable of running Linux. Today’s focus will be on the Mercury+ XU6 that is built around the Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC that is an ultra-compact package with integrated H.264 / H.265 video codec. The hardware Mercury+ XU6 system on module comes into the light with only measuring 65 x 54mm supporting UltraScale+ models with up to 256K logic cells.
As mentioned earlier, the Mercury+ XU6 system on module is powered by the Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC that features ARM dual-/quad-core Cortex-A53 clocked up to 1333 MHz and ARM dual-core Cortex-R5 running at a clock speed of 533 MHz. The system on module is integrated with up to 8GB DDR4 ECC SDRAM, 16GB eMMC flash, and 64MB QSPI flash storage.
Features of Mercury+ XU6 System on Module:
CPU: Xilinx’s Zynq Ultrascale+ MPSoC with ARM dual-/quad-core Cortex-A53 (64 bit, up to 1333 MHz) ARM dual-core Cortex-R5 (32 bit, up to 533 MHz)
GPU: Mali-400MP2
RAM: 8 GB DDR4 ECC SDRAM
Flash memory: 16 GB eMMC flash, 64 MB QSPI flash
Interfaces: PCIe Gen3 x4, PCIe Gen2 x4, 2x USB 3.0 and Gigabit Ethernet interfaces
Dimension: 65 × 54 mm
Power supply: 5–15 V supply
Mercury+ PE1 Baseboard
When we talk about any system on module, it requires a carrier board where it can be plugged or soldered. The manufacturer comes with two baseboards that support Mercury+ modules. The first Mercury+ PE1 has IO interfaces for almost every application and has three variants for building custom FPGA and SoC-based hardware.
The Mercury+ ST1 carrier board is designed for rapid prototyping and for building FPGA systems. For those looking to buy the Mercury+ XU6 module for the video codec and implement it in a video-based application, this Mercury+ ST1 baseboard is well suited for such applications due to its wide range of I/O interfaces.
Mercury+ ST1 Carrier Board
Enclustra also unveiled the Andromeda XZU90 SoM, but it is still under development and is designed for high-end applications. For a single unit, the Mercury+ XU6 is priced in the range of $299.00 to $1134.00, depending on the variant. More details on the hardware specifications are available on the official product page.
Microchip Technology MCP6C02 High-Side Current Sense Amplifiers are amplifiers that provide input offset voltage correction for very low offset drift. These amplifiers offer preset gains of 20V/V, 50V/V, and 100V/V. The MCP6C02 high-side current sense amplifiers feature zero-drift architecture that results in very low input errors also allowing design flexibility. These amplifiers feature high DC precision, POR protection, and enhanced EMI protection.
The MCP6C02high-side current sense amplifiers offer a maximum offset of less than 16µV with 3V to 65V specified input common-mode voltage range. These amplifiers are available in a small 6-pin SOT-23 package. Typical applications include motor control, analog level shifter, industrial computing, and battery monitor/tester. These amplifiers support both unidirectional and bi-directional applications.
Features
Bidirectional or unidirectional operation
High DC precision
20V/V, 50V/V, and 100V/V preset gains
POR protection
Enhanced EMI protection
Zero-drift architecture
Input offset voltage correction
Specifications
2V to 5.5V input power supply
154dB Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR)
138dB Power Supply Rejection Ratio (PSRR)
50kHz (typical) bandwidth
490µA supply current
118dB @ 2.4GHz Electromagnetic Induction Rejection Ratio (EMIRR)
-40°C to 125°C extended operating temperature range
Since oemsecrets.com‘s last update, they’ve made some big changes to enhance the BOM Tool. Along with a new look, registration is no longer required to create and edit BOMs. They’ve added metrics such as price differences (target price vs best market price) to help you to make purchasing decisions. They’ve also revamped how you manage your BOMs giving you options to refresh data and duplicate BOMs.
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As strong demands of Edge AI storm across industries, ASRock Industrial delivers the most reliable, flexible, and powerful iEPF-9000S Series/ iEP-9000E Series Ruggedized Edge AIoT Platform with wide connectivity options (5G/4G, WiFi-6, BLE-5.1). It is capable and compact, a heterogeneous computing architecture that best suits your needs in various Industrial mission-critical applications.
ASRock Industrial Computer, the world leader in industrial motherboard and system is proud to release the new iEPF-9000S Series/ iEP-9000E Series Ruggedized Edge AIoT Platform powered by Intel® 10th Generation Xeon® W and Core™ i7/i5/i3 Processors (Comet Lake) with W480E, Q470E, and H420E chipsets for supreme performance, flexible integration, and reliable durability at the Edge. Featuring workload consolidation, the new Series provides super computing power, rich I/Os, expansions under the compact size, and ruggedness to ultimately replace traditional machines for PLC, HMI, Motion Control, Machine Vision, and more. This makes it well suited for Edge AI applications, such as smart factories, machine automation, AI vision in automated optical inspection, autonomous vehicles, and much more.
Super Computing Power for Edge AI Applications
There are two types of Ruggedized Edge AIoT Platform for next-level workload consolidation capability in different vertical markets. The iEPF-9000S Series Expendable Edge AIoT Platform is designed with flexible configurations and expansion slots for a variety of expansion cards; the iEP-9000E Series Compact Edge AIoT Platform is space-saving and fan-less in design with passive thermal solution. Both systems are powered by Intel® 10th Generation Xeon® W and Core™ i7/i5/i3 Processors (Comet Lake) with W480E, Q470E, and H420E chipsets for super computing power and support a total of four DDR4 SO-DIMM sockets up to 128GB, a phenomenal upgrade of memory size that is perfect for Edge AI applications.
Rich Industrial-centric I/Os and Flexible Expansions for Easy Integration
The iEPF-9000S Series/ iEP-9000E Series support up to five Intel® Gigabit LAN with two supporting PoE for reliable connectivity, four USB 3.2 Gen2, three USB2.0, six COM (4 x RS-232/422/485, 2 x RS-232), eight DI/DO (support 2.5KV isolation), and great visual through triple displays with two Display Port and one VGA, plus four SATA3 with hot swap trays for 2.5-inch SSD or HDD (CFast Option). Designed with flexible expansion slots, the iEPF-9000S Series supports one PCIe x16 (Gen 3) or two PCIe x8 (Gen 3), and two PCIe x4 for a variety of expansion cards such as graphic card, frame grabber card, motion card, and IO card. In addition, there are various sockets for RF modules and storage, one M.2 Key M for NVMe/ SATA SSD, one M.2 Key B for 4G/ 5G, one M.2 Key E for Wi-Fi/ BT, and two Mini PCIe for option modules.
Most Compact and Rugged Design for Harsh Environment
The iEPF-9000S Series includes models iEPF-9000S-EX4, iEPF-9001S-EX4, and iEPF-9002S-EX4 and is space-saving in design- 202 x 290 x 209.3mm (W x D x H); the iEP-9000E Series’ available models are iEP-9000E, iEP-9001E, and iEP-9002E with compact size- 202 x 244 x 108.7mm (W x D x H). Moreover, featuring rugged design, the new Series supports DC 9~36V wide range power input with ignition control and remote power switch, with 80V surge protection, OVP, UVP, OCP, and reverse protection and can also work under -40°C~75°C (-40°F~167°F) wide range temperature, plus high shock and vibration resistance to ensure always-on functionality even in a harsh environment.
“ASRock Industrial designed the Ruggedized Edge AIoT Platform with care and ambition, leading the industry forward with its strong and refined products. Through the consecutive releases of iEPF-9000S and iEP-9000E Series, we are approaching a new milestone, not only offering smarter hardware design and systems for customers but also accelerating system integration development. We hope to continue to provide complete solutions to cocreate an intelligent world together,” said James Lee, ASRock Industrial President.
With its high performance and stability, the Series is the essential core for workload consolidation and the exciting wide applications can revolutionize developments in a wide spectrum of transforming industries.
To learn more about ASRock Industrial’s Ruggedized Edge AIoT Platform, please visit our Website Product Page, Product Video or contact us at Product Inquiry
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