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Top 10 SBCs for 2021

Posted on 20 May, 202121 May, 2021 by Tope Oluyemi

We have seen various SBCs being released since late 2020 to 2021, however, 10 of these SBCs will be summarized alphabetically below.

The Yún rev. 2 is a reboot of its original, MIPS-based Arduino Yun, with the power of a Linux based system that enables advanced network connections and applications. It offers a WiFi-enabled, 400MHz AR9331 SoC running OpenWrt Linux with an ATmega32U MCU that runs Arduino code. The board is also equipped with a microSD slot and USB host, micro-USB, and 10/100 Ethernet ports. Connecting to your WiFi or wired network is easy thanks to the Yún Web Panel and the dedicated ”YunFirstConfig” sketch. The Web panel enables you to manage your shield preferences and upload your sketch. The Yún rev. 2 utilizes the Bridge library and so extends the board capabilities by using the Linux processor. The board is also open source.

Banana Pi BPI-F2S

This board was announced in Nov. 2019, in collaboration with SunPlus. The BPI-FS2 is built around the SunPlus SP7021 (Plus1) SoC. The 110 x 75mm BPI-F2S features a 720p HDMI port, MIPI-CSI, 2x 10/100 Ethernet, 2x USB 2.0, micro-USB, TPM, and debug I/O. Additional features include a HAT-compatible 40-pin GPIO link, and dual 50-pin connectors that support a Trenz Electronic TE0725LP-01-100-2D module equipped with an Artix-7 FPGA and 95 I/Os. Images are available for Debian Buster, Fedora 31 Mate, Ubuntu 18.04, Kail Linux, Mozilla IoT Gateway, and CentOS, all with Linux 4.19.37. The source is found on GitHub, and SinoVoip has posted schematics and other open hardware resources.

Coral Dev Board

Coral is a complete toolkit for building products with local AI. Its on-device inferencing capabilities enable you to build products that are efficient, private, fast, and offline. It runs a Debian-based Mendel Linux distro on a 48 x 40mm Coral SOM module equipped with NXP’s i.MX8M. The module features Google’s Edge TPU chip, a stripped-down, but up to 4 TOPS versions of Google’s TPU Unit for accelerating TensorFlow Lite AI models. The Coral SOM features 8GB eMMC and 1GB RAM, and also a crypto chip, and dual-band 802.11b/g/n/ac with BT 4.1 BLE. The 0 to 50°C Coral Dev Board has a Pi-like size layout and features 40-pin GPIO. Its ports include GbE, USB 3.0, USB Type-C OTG, Type-C 5V power, and micro-USB console. Media I/O feature includes a 4K@60-ready HDMI 2.0a port, 4-lane MIPI-DSI and -CSI, and audio I/O.

Developer Board 4IoT

Geniatech’s Developer Board 4IoT, features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410E processor, a Quadcore ARM® Cortex™ A53 at up to 1.2GHz clock speed per core, capable of 32-bit and 64-bit operation. It supports Android, Linux and Windows 10 IoT Core and offers advanced processing power, WLAN, Bluetooth, and GPS. It supports feature-rich functionality, including multimedia, with the Adreno™ 306 GPU, integrated ISP with up to 13 MP camera support, and 1080p HD video playback and capture with H.264 (AVC). The 60 x 35mm SBC integrates the “Standard Micro” IE format’s 40-pin low-speed expansion connector, which is required on the “Extended” format, rather than the 30-pin subset used on MCU-based IE boards such as Seeed’s Carbon. The 4IoT is also equipped with a microSD slot, a micro-USB port for power, 6x LEDs, 2-lane MIPI-CSI, and -25 to 85°C support.

Firefly-RK3128

T-Firefly’s Firefly-RK3128 SBC, dual boots Android 5.1 and Ubuntu 15.04 on a quad-core -A7 Rockchip. The board device includes GbE, WiFi, BT, HDMI, MIPI-DSI, MIPI-CSI, SPDIF, analog audio, LVDS, IR, and CVBS. The 117 x 85mm SBC is further equipped with 4x USB host ports, a micro-USB OTG port, and dual 42-pin expansion connectors. It features ARM Mail-400MP2, a build-in dedicated 2D processor, supports OpenGL ES1.1/2.0, achieves 1080P H.265 hardware decoding, and 1080P H.264 video encoding.

Giant Board

The Giant Board is a super tiny single-board computer based on the Adafruit Feather form factor. The 51 x 23mm SBC from Groboards runs Debian with mainline Linux kernel 5.0 on a Microchip SAMA5D27. The SoC enables Microchip’s ATSAMA5D27C-D1 System-In-Package (SiP), which features 128MB RAM. The Giant Board can load stackable FeatherWing modules from a list of 60+, including Ethernet and LCD add-ons. I/O includes 6x ADC, 4x PWM, I2C, SPI, UART, and I2S. The SBC also features 3.7V LiPo battery support.

HummingBoard Gate

The HummingBoard Gate is designed primarily for IoT solutions, and it is based on NXP’s i.MX6 series. The SBC is almost identical to the HummingBoard Edge, and offers the same 102 x 69mm footprint, 7-36V power supply, mini-PCIe slot, and optional wireless modules and metal enclosure. It features a MikroBus socket that enables MikroElektronika’s 200-plus Click add-on I/O and sensor modules. It also offers multiple temperature ranges.

Khadas Edge / Edge-V

The Khadas Edge was announced along with a similar Edge-V model and an RK3399Pro based Edge-1S. The Edge features an MXM3 connector for deploying the board like a compute module on a cluster or carrier board such as the Captain. It also offers FPC connectors for hooking up options like the Edge IO serial debug and GPIO board. The Edge-V also features a Khadas Vim-like 40-pin RPi connector and a GbE port, microSD, and M.2 2280 with NVMe support. Additional features of the Edge-V includes MIPI-CSI and -DSI, eDP 1.3, touch support, RTC, IR, gesture sensor, and 6-axis IMU. The Edge models feature single USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, 4K-ready DP and HDMI 2.0a, and a DisplayPort via one of the two USB Type-C ports. The Basic model (2GB/16GB) features dual-band WiFi-ac and BT 4.1, while the Pro and Max feature Bluetooth 5.0, and add RSDB WiFi. They offer support for Android Oreo, Ubuntu 18.04, Debian 9.0, and more.

Libre Computer Board AML-S905X-CC (Le Potato)

Also known as Le Potato, the Raspberry Pi-like Libre Computer Board AML-S905X-CC is equipped with the quad -A53 S905X SoC, and features 4x USB host ports, fast Ethernet, and 40-pin expansion. Available also is optional eMMC, IR, and an ADC + I2S header. It also features a v2.0 with 4K HDMI port. The board comes with schematics and source code for Linux 4.14 LTS, Buildroot with Linux 4.9, Armbian Debian and Ubuntu, LibreELEC 9, and Android builds up 8.0 (Oreo).

Nitrogen8M_Mini

The 114.3 x 88.9mm Nitrogen8M_Mini board features NXP’s i.MX8M Mini, and offers a host of pre-certified WiFi-ac/BT with or without a dev kit, a 5V power supply, an 8GB microSD card with Linux, a battery, and a serial console cable. The Nitrogen8M_Mini board also enables a GbE port with optional PoE, USB 2.0 host, and a micro-USB OTG port. Available also is MIPI-DSI and -CSI. Other features include dual audio jacks, a PCIe slot, an RTC, a PMIC, and a choice of 0 to 70°C or -40 to 85°C ranges. OS support includes Linux 4.9x, Yocto, Ubuntu 18.04, Debian Buster 10, and Android 9.

Innodisk Releases CAN Bus Modules for Unmanned Smart Systems

Posted on 20 May, 202120 May, 2021 by mixos

Innodisk recently released their latest CAN Bus modules. With a complete line of form factors and strict industrial quality, these products have proven themselves indispensable in the success of unmanned systems

The demand for unmanned systems has seen marked growth since 2020, with a report from Fortune Business Insights estimating a CAGR of 12.23% for the UAV segment. Many industry verticals have felt the impact of unmanned systems, such as agriculture, logistics, transportation, and aerospace, which have all begun to leverage the benefits of unmanned vehicle technologies.

Unmanned aircraft are at the heart of all unmanned systems, but at the heart of all unmanned systems is the CAN Bus. With this continued expansion, rising complexity, and the increased efficiency requirements of new applications, it is critical that the CAN Bus module can operate in harsh conditions, like extreme temperatures and electromagnetic interference. Innodisk CAN Bus modules all support wide temperature, 2.5KV isolation protection, and the high-layer protocols SAE J1939 and CANopen needed to ensure optimal performance in extreme conditions without degrading.

Amongst the latest popular adopters are unmanned flight application, which has utilized Innodisk CAN Bus modules in the latest aircrafts. Innodisk’s USB to CAN module has successfully built into autonomous commercial drones, as well as agriculture machine, robot operating system (ROS), Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) that for all kinds of smart applications. CAN Bus is enabled to control the system, interact with the onboard computer and various CAN devices, and diagnose issues in ground stations.

“We think it’s pretty cool that Innodisk’s CAN modules are successfully supporting our customers’ projects of different smart applications,” said Johnny Wu, Senior Manager of Innodisk’s Intelligent Peripheral Application Department. He further added, “Using Innodisk products for their unmanned devices reaffirms our commitment to providing the most durable products on the market. We’re proud to have played a small but crucial part in their developments.”

CAN Bus solutions sufficiently capable of handling the strain of these harsh environments have, until now, been a major roadblock for reliable systems development. Innodisk CAN Bus modules provide complete hardware and software integration and offer different form factors to fit diverse demands. For integrators and engineers looking to introduce their products into the unmanned systems space, it is tantamount that their hardware solution will meet the rigors of these industrial environments.

Fibocom FM150-NA to be the First 5G Wireless Module Certified by T-Mobile

Posted on 20 May, 2021 by mixos

Fibocom, a leading global provider of IoT (Internet of Things) wireless solution and wireless communication modules, today announces that its 5G modules FM150-NA has successfully received the T-Mobile Technical Acceptance (TA), becoming the first 5G wireless module certified by T-Mobile.

The approval signifies that Fibocom FM150-NA 5G module can now provide wireless connection services under T-Mobile’s network, which is an important achievement of the product’s entry into the US market.

Based on Qualcomm SDX55 chipset platform, Fibocom’s FM150-NA module supports 5G NR Sub-6 band and is backward compatible with LTE and WCDMA network standards. Supporting 5G standalone network (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) network architectures, FM150-NA eliminates customers’ investment concerns in the initial stage of 5G construction and responds to the commercial demand of rapid landing.

With rich extension interfaces including USB 3.1/3.0/2.0, PCIe 3.0, GPIO, I2S, UIM, FM150-NA module seamlessly enables a wide range of IoT applications, such as 4K/8K HD livestreaming, ACPC, IIoT, C-V2X, smart grid, smart home, telemedicine, UAV, AR/VR and more. Up to now, Fibocom’s FM150-NA module has certified by RoHs/HF/FCC/IC/PTCRB.

“We are proud to announce that our FM150-NA module has achieved T-Mobile Technical Acceptance”, said the Director of Carrier Certification Dept., Fibocom. “As a forerunner developing 5G wireless module, Fibocom provides 5G modules with eMBB, URLLC and mMTC. Achieving T-Mobile certification is a significant milestone for our 5G modules.”

NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX Integrated Industry’s First Industrial AI Smart Camera

Posted on 19 May, 202119 May, 2021 by Abhishek Jadhav

If you are working on edge-AI devices then you would’ve considered buying NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX, which is a best-in-class deep learning-accelerating module claimed to be the world’s smallest supercomputer that was released last year. With the increasing implementation of AI-edge devices with this powerful SOM, we have several additional hardware coming to market to join hands with the revolution of smart industries.

A couple of days back, Taiwan-based embedded electronic device manufacturer ADLINK came up with an NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX-based industrial AI smart camera for edge applications. The product is as powerful as it sounds while exploring the capabilities of the NVIDIA module to bring next-generation innovation to AI vision solutions. The NEON-2000-JNX series integrates the Jetson Xavier NX, an image sensor, an optimized OS, and broad I/O for deep learning-based recognition and classification in vision applications.

“Until now, a typical AI vision solution required complex integration of the image sensor module, cables and GPU modules. This ready-to-develop edge AI smart camera reduces the effort of software/hardware integration and reliability validation, allowing AI vision developers to focus on application development. The NEON-2000-JNX series is a hassle-free, compact, reliable and powerful product for edge AI applications, and also the best match for AI software providers,”

said Kevin Hsu, Senior Product Manager of ADLINK’s IoT Solutions and Technology business unit, ADLINK.

The invention of this product comes from the problems faced by the designer in integrating all the modules required with an appropriate OS. NEON-2000-JNX series helps to solve this problem with a compact form factor industrial smart camera that is supposed to have simplified the deployment process reducing the time to market.

The all-new series comes in six models for the product, all based on the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX module, but changes the sensor model along with the resolution size. The NEON-202A-JNX camera module comes with a resolution size of a maximum of 3840×2160 pixels with integrated SONY’s IMX334 sensor model. This high-end module is expected to be available by June 2021.

If you are interested in learning more about the product, then head to the product page. The manufacturer has not publicly announced pricing for the camera yet, however, interested buyers can request a quote on the product page.

I2S USB Microphone using STM32 and MEMS Microphone

Posted on 19 May, 202119 May, 2021 by DM

Virtual desktops are used extensively in the IT sector currently due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This set-up allows the employees to work remotely and is convenient. Virtual desktops are preconfigured images of operating systems and applications in which the desktop environment is separated from the physical device used to access it. Users can access their virtual desktops remotely over a network. Andy Brown found a problem while joining meetings in his company’s Citrix-hosted virtual desktop, he observed that the video was fine but the audio frequency on the VDI was mismatched to the actual frequency on the physical device. He described that he sounded like Mickey Mouse on Helium.

The solution to this mismatch in frequency is changing the frequency on the VDI that requires administrator-level access. Andy tried installing a microphone app on his phone that acts as a USB microphone when connected to a computer. But he needed a dedicated USB microphone and so he decided to build an I²S USB microphone. He came up with two possible implementation approaches. The first approach is partly analog and partly digital microphone circuits. The second method is to design with all digital components and techniques.

Source: https://andybrown.me.uk/2021/03/13/usb-microphone/

First method: Partly Analog USB microphone

In this method, an analog MEMS microphone is used as a transducer. The signal from the microphone will be then amplified and conditioned. Next, the ADC will convert them into digital signals. This stage is necessary for performing digital signal processing. In analog signal processing, a high level of accuracy can’t be achieved as the accuracy depends on the tolerances circuit components. After processing, the signal is ready to go to the USB audio output.

Second method: All-digital USB microphone

In this approach, a digital MEMS microphone is used. The microphone produces signals that can be directly processed digitally. Thus, digital signal processing is performed directly on the microphone signals and after processing, the signal is provided at the USB audio output. It can be observed that this looks like a straightforward method as compared to the first approach.

Both the methods, however, require a MEMS microphone. A MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) microphone is a pressure-sensitive diaphragm etched into a silicon wafer via MEMS processing. These microphones are widely used in mobile phones, WSNs, etc. The MEMS microphones come in a miniature metal package that houses the internal circuitry. A small hole is drilled on the metal body which allows the sound to enter. Andy used an INMP441 MEMS microphone for the project. INMP441 is an I²S based high-performance, low-power, digital-output, omnidirectional MEMS microphone with a bottom port. The I²S interface allows the INMP441 to connect directly to digital processors, such as DSPs and microcontrollers eliminating the need for audio-codec devices in the system.

The microcontroller used in this project is STM32. Andy needed one that has I²S and USB peripherals and that is capable of translating the I²S format into the USB format in real-time. So he selected STM32F446RCT7. He wrote the firmware in Ubuntu Linux using the STM32 Cube IDE. For audio processing, ST provides a suite of audio effects expansion software called X-CUBE-AUDIO. Andy mentioned in his documentation,

“This is implemented as a closed-source but freely available package that integrates easily into firmware using consistent APIs designed to be used as part of an audio-processing pipeline.”

Andy also made a PCB for the USB microphone and very thorough documentation of this project can be found at https://andybrown.me.uk/2021/03/13/usb-microphone/

GitHub link: https://github.com/andysworkshop/usb-microphone

Analog Devices LT8491 Buck-Boost Battery Charge Controller

Posted on 19 May, 2021 by mixos

Analog Devices Inc. LT8491 Buck-Boost Battery Charge Controller implements a constant-current constant voltage (CCCV) charging profile used for most battery types. This includes sealed lead-acid (SLA), flooded, gel, and lithium-ion. The device operates from input voltages above, below, or equal to the output voltage and is powered by a solar panel or DC power supply.

Typical Application

Features

V_IN Range: 6V to 80V
V_BAT Range: 1.3V to 80V
Single Inductor Allows V_IN Above, Below, or Equal to V_BAT
Automatic MPPT for Solar Powered Charging
Automatic Temperature Compensation
I²C Telemetry and Configuration
Internal EEPROM for Configuration Storage
Operation from Solar Panel or DC Supply
Four Integrated Feedback Loops
Synchronizable Fixed Frequency: 100kHz to 400kHz
64-Lead (7mm x 11mm x 0.75mm) QFN Package

more information: https://www.analog.com/en/products/lt8491.html

Maxim Integrated MAX20361 Single-Cell/Multi-Cell Solar Harvester

Posted on 19 May, 2021 by mixos

Maxim Integrated MAX20361 Single-Cell/Multi-Cell Solar Harvester is a fully integrated solution for harvesting energy from single-cell and multi-cell solar sources. The MAX20361 includes an ultra-low quiescent current (360nA) boost converter that is capable of starting from input voltages as low as 225mV. To maximize the power extracted from the source, the MAX20361 implements a proprietary maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique that allows efficient harvesting from 15μW to over 300mW of available input power.

The MAX20361 features an integrated charging and protection circuit that is optimized for Li-ion batteries. This device can also be used to charge supercapacitors, thin-film batteries, or traditional capacitors. The charger features a programmable charging cut-off voltage with thresholds programmable through an I²C interface as well as temperature shutoff.

The Maxim Integrated MAX20361 Solar Harvester is available in a 12-bump, 0.4mm pitch, 1.63mm x 1.23mm wafer-level package (WLP).

Application Circuit

Features

Single-Cell/Multi-Cell Solar Energy Harvester
- 225mV to 2.5V (typical) input voltage range
- Efficient harvesting from 15μW to over 300mW of available input power
  - 86% efficiency at V_SYS = 3.8V, I_SRC = 30mA
- Small solution size
  - Utilizes small 2016 4.7μH Inductor
Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technique using fractional VOC method
- Programmable fractional VOC regulation point through I²C interface
Battery/supercapacitor charger
- Programmable battery termination voltage through I²C interface
- Programmable Power Good Wake-Up signal output threshold through I²C interface
-40°C to +85°C operating temperature range
1.63mm x 1.23mm WLP12 package

more information: https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/products/power/battery-management/MAX20361.html

SafeBee – A GPS Tracker for Beehives

This is an original design of a GPS tracker designed on Elab and it is intended to be used as a security device for beehives, but it is not limited to this. It can be used everywhere a motion-activated GPS tracker is needed, like your car, bike, or even your boat. It is a GPS tracker controlled by simple SMS commands and designed for reliability, low power consumption, and ease of use. It features a MEMS accelerometer that is used to intelligently detect movement and once triggered it will power on the GPS module and will try to acquire the current coordinates. The location details will be transmitted to the owner’s smartphone via a simple SMS and then follow update the coordinates at predefined intervals.

Key Features:

Remote management via simple SMS commands
High reliability – no need to babysit the tracker due to crashes and resets
Long battery life – over 1 year standby on a single charge (2500mAh battery)
3-axis high-sensitivity MEMS Accelerometer
Intelligent Triggering – it will not be triggered by accidental movement
Selectable Trigger Sensitivity Level

Description of Operation

The tracker has 3 main modes of operation, detailed below:

Standby
Ready
Tracking

Standby mode

In standby mode, the GSM and GPS modules are powered down and the microcontroller is in sleep mode, resulting in a current draw of approximately 70uA, mainly by the accelerometer (MMA7660). The accelerometer is used to detect movement caused by a possible thief. If the accelerometer is triggered 1 or 2 or 3 times (depending on the sensitivity level) inside of a 60-second window then the device will enter tracking mode. While in standby mode the tracker will also enter ready mode approximately every 12 hours, triggered by the microcontroller’s internal RTC. This is to check for incoming commands and battery status etc.

Ready mode

The ready mode is entered by the microcontroller’s internal RTC and when the tracker is first powered on. In this mode, the tracker will power up the GSM module and wait for any SMSs to come in and process them. The tracker will stay in ready mode for 5 minutes before returning to standby mode unless an SMS command has instructed the device to enter tracking mode (BEE+TRIGGER).

Tracking mode

Tracking mode is entered when manually instructed to by the BEE+TRIGGER command or after the accelerometer triggers (1 or 2 or 3 movements detect depending on sensitivity level) within a 60-second window, from either standby or ready modes. In tracking mode, the tracker will power up both the GSM and GPS modules and begin to send tracking alert SMSs to the number configured by the BEE+NUMBER command. The device will continue to stay in tracking mode until the BEE+CLEAR command is received or while the accelerometer is detecting movement and/or the GPS module has a lock and the speed is greater than 10KPH. If neither of these conditions is met for 6 minutes then the tracker will send a tracking stopped SMS and return to standby mode, or ready mode if the RTC was triggered within the last 5 minutes.

Power up and Battery Status

In ready and tracking modes if the battery voltage falls below the threshold voltage (3650mV default) then a low battery alert SMS will be sent to the number configured by BEE+NUMBER. Approximately every 30 days (60 RTC triggers) an automated status SMS is also sent to the number configured by BEE+NUMBER.

When power is first applied to the device the tracker will be in ready mode and it will check for incoming SMS and then go to sleep. This is the ideal time to configure the tracker with the BEE+NUMBER number. This is the number that tracking messages, monthly status reports, and low battery alerts will be sent. The phone number is stored in the microcontroller’s FLASH memory and it will be permanently saved, even if battery power is removed. At power-up, the tracker will send a status SMS and also ignore any movement detected by the accelerometer for the first 60 seconds.

The Hardware

Hover images for details

Block Diagram

MCU

The tracker uses an ST STM32F030K6 microcontroller (ARM Cortex-M0, 32-bit RISC core), with 32KB of flash, and 4KB of RAM, and operates at up to 48MHz. The STM32F030K6 microcontroller operates in the -40 to +85 °C temperature range from a 2.4 to 3.6V power supply. A comprehensive set of power-saving modes allows the design of low-power applications. Currently, the firmware is taking roughly 24KB of flash (with debugging output enabled) and 1.7KB of RAM. The microcontroller is running at 8MHz and is supplied with 3V.

GSM module

The GSM module is a SIMCom SIM800C and uses the UART bus to communicate with the MCU. The GSM module is power-gated with a P-MOSFET, controlled by the MCU, as its own low-power modes are not sufficient for this project. SIM800C supports Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz, it can transmit Voice, SMS and data information with low power consumption. With a tiny size of 17.6*15.7*2.3mm, it can smoothly fit into our small board. The module is controlled via AT commands and has a supply voltage range 3.4 ~ 4.4V.

GPS module

The GPS module is a u-blox NEO-6M and uses the I²C bus to communicate with the MCU. There is also a UART connection to the microcontroller as a fallback if the I2C interface does not work (usually the case with Chinese fakes). So, the tracker will work with the original NEO-6M as well as Chinese fake modules. The microcontroller implements the UART interface in software (via timer interrupts), operating at 9600 baud. The GPS module is power-gated with a P-MOSFET, controlled by the MCU, as its own low-power modes are not sufficient. The NEO-6M is powered in the range of 2.7 – 3.6V and has a size of 12.2 x 16 x 2.4mm. More details and design considerations can be found in the Hardware Integration Manual of NEO-6 GPS Modules Series and u-blox 6 Receiver Description .

Supported GPS modules:

U-blox NEO-5M
U-blox NEO-6M
U-blox NEO-7M
U-blox NEO-M8N
Various Chinese fakes using AT6558 and similar (if the PCB footprint is the same then it will probably work)

Accelerometer

The accelerometer IC is the MMA7660FC and uses the I²C bus to communicate with the MCU. The MMA7660FC is a ±1.5 g 3-Axis Accelerometer with Digital Output (I2C). It is a very low power, low profile capacitive MEMS sensor featuring a low pass filter, compensation for 0g offset and gain errors, and conversion to 6-bit digital values at a user-configurable sample per second. In OFF Mode it consumes 0.4 μA, in Standby Mode: 2 μA, in Active mode 47 μA and is powered in the range 2.4 V – 3.6 V. The accelerometer is always active, set up to create an interrupt whenever a shake or orientation change is detected, and is configured with a sampling rate of 8Hz (higher sampling rates improve detection, but also increase power consumption). The interrupt will wake up the microcontroller, where it will run through the main loop. In this loop it checks the interrupt status, and if set it will clear the interrupt and increment a counter at a maximum of once per second. The counter is reset every minute. If the counter reaches 3 the tracker is activated.

Battery Charger

The Li-Ion battery charging IC is MCP73832, which has a user-programmable charge current and the battery charge rate is set to 450mA. It includes an integrated pass transistor, integrated current sensing, and reverse discharge protection. It is usually recommended to charge Lithium batteries at no more than 0.5C, so the recommended minimum battery capacity to use with the tracker is 900mAh.

Schematic

Parts List

Item	Ref.	MPN	LCSC.com	Quantity
1	R1, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R16	0805W8J0472T5E	C26022	8
2	R2	CR0805J80222G	C101970	1
3	R3, R4, R11, R12, R15, R17, R18, R22, R23	RC0805JR-0710KL	C100047	9
4	R13	RTT0510R0FTP	C103925	1
5	R14	0805W8J0102T5E	C25623	1
6	R19, R20, R21	RC0805JR-0722RL	C108406	3
7	C1, C2, C21	CL21A475KAQNNNE	C1779	3
8	C3, C4	CC0805KKX7R8BB105	C91186	2
9	C5, C6, C7, C9, C10, C11, C13, C15, C17, C19	TCC0805X7R104K500DT	C282732	10
10	C8	CC0805KRX7R9BB472	C107153	1
11	C12	SS-101M1ASA-0605	C311676	1
12	C16	DON’T PLACE	DON’T PLACE	0
13	C18	0805CG101J500NT	C82028	1
14	C20	0805CG220J500NT	C24658	1
15	Q1, Q2	DMP2035U-7	C110499	2
16	Q3	PUMD13,115	C193171	1
17	U1	STM32F030K6T6	C46830	1
18	U2	MCP1700T-3002E/TT	C62244	1
19	U3	DON’T PLACE	DON’T PLACE	0
20	U4	MCP73832T-2ACI/OT	C38066	1
21	U5	PESD5V0L5UY	C330093	1
22	U6	SIM800C 24Mbit	C69119	1
23	U7	MMA7660FCR1	https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32834701234.html	1
24	LED1, LED2, LED3, LED4	FC-DA1608HRK-620D	C84263	4
25	D1	BZT52H-B5V1,115	C179375	1
26	L1	AISC-0805-R056J-T	C186956	1
27	GPS/GSM Antenna connector	U.FL-R-SMT-1(80)	C88374	2
28	SIM1	Micro SIM Slot	https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32786308183.html	1
29	USB	micro USB socket 5pin	https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32768317385.html	1
30	P1	JST 2PIN CONNECTOR	https://www.aliexpress.com/item/5-SETS-Mini-Micro-JST-2-0-PH-2-Pin-Connector-plug-with-Wires-Cables-120MM/32711927418.html	1

Battery Life

With a 2500mAh battery, standby current of 70uA, and waking up every 12 hours for 5 minutes with an estimated average current of 15mA the battery life should be approximately 1.5 years. A poor GSM signal can reduce battery life.

Status LEDs

LED	Description	States
LED1	Battery charging state	OFF: Battery not charging (no USB power or battery fully charged) ON: Charging
LED2	GSM state	OFF: GSM is powered off FAST BLINK: GSM is not connected to a network (usually no signal or no SIM) SLOW BLINK: GSM is connected to the network
LED3	MCU Operating mode	OFF: Standby mode ON: Ready or tracking mode
LED4	GPS state	OFF: GPS is powered off FAST BLINK: GPS is acquiring a lock SLOW BLINK: GPS has a lock

SMS Commands

Command	Description
BEE+STATUS	Returns battery voltage - temperature - GSM signal strength - tracking enabled - is tracking - last GPS coordinates -sensitivity level.
BEE+CLEAR	If the tracker has been triggered this will clear it and stop tracking until the next trigger.
BEE+TRIGGER	Manually trigger tracking (will trigger even if disabled with BEE+DISABLE). Tracking will stay enabled until BEE+CLEAR is received.
BEE+ENABLE	Enable tracking triggers
BEE+DISABLE	Disable tracking triggers.
BEE+NUMBER=0123499988	This sets the mobile number to send tracking - low battery warning and monthly status SMSs to. Other command replies are sent to the number that the command was sent from.
BEE+NUMBER=+441234999888	International numbers must start with + then the country code.
BEE+SENSE=1/2/3	This is the sensitivity level - 1 high sensitivity - 2 medium sensitivity - 3 low sensitivity.

SMS SENT BY THE TRACKER

SMS	Format	Example
Status (BEE+STATUS and automated status)	BAT: (batt level)% (batt voltage)mV (low batt thres mV) TMP: (temperature)C TRK: (is tracking) () SIG: (signal)/31 GPS: (status) (lon,lat - speed KPH - time date) NUM: (SMS number) SEN: (Sensitivity Level)	BAT: 90% 4020mV (3650mV) TMP: 23C TRK: Y (Y) SIG: 18/31 GPS: LOCKED (11.12345,8.05234 - 64 KPH - 23:10:09 18-09-21) NUM: 01234567890 SEN: 1
Tracking	TRK: (status: LOCKED \| NO LOCK \| STOP) https://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:lon,lat - speed KPH - time date	TRK: (LOCKED) https://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:11.12345,8.05234 - 64 KPH - 23:10:09 18-09-21
Low Battery	LOW BATTERY: (battery voltage)mV (threshold voltage mV)	LOW BATTERY: 3400mV (3650mV)

Programming

The device firmware can be programmed via the SWD interface, which is the 4-pin programming header on the PCB marked RST (reset), SWD (SWDIO), SWC (SWCLK) and GND (ground). An ST-LINK/V2 USB adapter is needed to program the device, which is available from ebay, aliexpress, and other places for less than £3.

3D Render

Debugging

Debugging data is sent out of the UART interface through the TX pin of the debugging header on the PCB, at 115200 baud. This pin is also shared with the SWD interface (SWC). The RX pin is unused but made available for possible use in the future.

Format

(<time>)(<module>)<message>
“time” is in milliseconds and only increments while the microcontroller is not in standby mode. “module” is either “DBG” (general messages), “TRK” (tracker), “GSM”, “GPS”, “SMS”, “MGR” (MGR is the SMS manager which controls when queued SMSs are sent, retried etc.)

START
SafeBee Tracker
http://zakkemble.co.uk
FW: 1.0.0 180407 (Built: Apr 7 2018 16:38:32)
(1634)(TRK)CONFIG
(1636)(TRK)Number: (Type: 129) "0000000000"
(1640)(TRK)Track interval: 180
(1643)(TRK)Wake duration: 300
(1647)(TRK)Trig idle: 360
(1649)(TRK)Low batt thres: 3650
(1654)(TRK)TRIG SECS: 1
(1657)(GSM)** ON **
(4000)(GSM)** POWERON **
(4502)(GSM)** CMDDELAY **
(4505)(GSM)CMD DELAY
(4507)(GSM)PWR SAVE OFF (5007)(GSM)CMD SEND

Enclosure

A 3D model of the enclosure is designed using Solidworks with overall dimensions of 60 x 20 x 112 mm. The enclosure has two holes, one for the charging micro USB connector and one to fit a mini rocker power switch. The provided design files (download .STEP and .STL files below) can be used to print your own enclosure in your desired color and material. The screws used to secure the enclosure are M3 x 10mm countersunk screws. Design is made by professional engineer janangachandima and you can find his services on the Fiverr page.

3D Enclosure View

SafeBee – A GPS Tracker for Beehives by mixosp on Sketchfab

Code

The source code and .hex file are available as a download below. Also, the Eagle design files are available.

Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect Hit Market for Just $24.50

Posted on 18 May, 202118 May, 2021 by Abhishek Jadhav

One of the most widely used development boards in the maker community is the Arduino manufactured boards. However, following the release of the $4 Raspberry Pi Pico that came with the onboard in-house silicon tape out RP2040 chip, sparking excitement in the designer world. Continuing the growth of RP2040-based development boards, we saw Adafruit QT Py RP2040 and many more. Today, after four months of introduction, we have Arduino release the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect to the market at just $24.50 without taxes.

This might sound crazy to have Raspberry Pi manufacturer SOC on an Arduino development board, but this is what makes it unique yet powerful. Giving a quick recap on the integrated SOC RP2040 is a dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor running at 133 MHz clock frequency. Justifying the cost of the development board, the manufacturer has provided a u-blox NINA-W102 radio module that allows you to take advantage of Arduino Cloud compatibility. The module gets two Harvard Architecture Xtensa LX6 CPUs operating at a maximum 240 MHz internal clock frequency.

As always Arduino doesn’t stop to surprise us with the number of capabilities provided onboard at a very low cost. The board gets a built-in mic for AI voice recognition and a six-axis smart IMU that detects motion by adding fall sensing and double-tap activation. Adding more of the hardware, we have RGB LEDs and multi-function GPIO pins.

It was an easy choice for Arduino to put an RP2040 at the core of a new board. We felt so strongly about the excellence of this new chip that we knew it deserved a powerful, premium Nano board that is unrivalled in terms of features.

As stated previously, the hardware can be connected to the Arduino Cloud, which makes it much more powerful than all other mini development boards in the market. If you plan to get a development board that can be accessed remotely even after deploying it into projects, you can now do it with the Arduino Cloud access. If the hardware is connected to Wi-Fi, it can do everything as if it was connected through USB. To add more to this, you can also control the Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect through the Arduino IoT Remote app.

For more details on Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect, please visit the official product page.

Arduboy Nano: The Arduboy game shrunk to less than an inch!

Posted on 18 May, 202118 May, 2021 by DM

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on user-friendly hardware and software. Arduino boards are popular among beginners in electronics as well as professionals who use them for easy prototyping. For making an Arduino-based project, all that is needed to be done is interfacing the peripherals, code your commands and you are ready to go. Arduino boards can read analog and digital inputs like temperature data, the light intensity on a light sensor, finger on a button, IR detection, etc. and they can turn it into an output like turning on an LED, starting motor, display on LCD, etc. Over the years, Arduino has been the brain of thousands of projects, from everyday objects to complex scientific instruments. Some very well-known Arduino-based projects are ArduPilot (drone software and hardware), ArduSat (a CubeSat based on Arduino hardware and software), Arduinome (a MIDI controller device), and many others.

About Arduboy

Among all of the Arduino projects, Arduboy is one of the most popular devices. It is a handheld game console based on the Arduino environment. The original version of the Arduboy was 1.6mm thick, with the height and width of a credit card, and was initially designed by Kevin Bates as an electronic business card. Later the touch-sensitive buttons were replaced by physical buttons and included a plastic case for protection. This also raised the thickness of the gamepad. The current version of Arduboy comes with over 200 pre-installed games and can be reprogrammed. Additionally, it is open-source which means you can also create your games and play in them.

Arduboy Nano

A far more compact version of the Arduboy console is Arduboy Nano which is smaller than an inch tall. It is 26mm tall and features a 0.49″ OLED display with 64×32 pixels. The console is built around the same microcontroller that the original Arduboy used which is ATmega23u4. It is a low-power 8-bit AVR microcontroller. It is also featured in Arduino Pro Micro. The OLED unlike the original Arduboy uses the i2c protocol and fewer pixels. The 0.49 inch OLED display consumes very little power as no backlight is required. As this OLED display makes its light on its own, it has high contrast and wide viewing angle despite consuming less amount of power. All of the pinouts remain the same as the original one and all of the existing games are code compatible. In a nutshell, it has all the features of the original Arduboy but it has just shrunk.

It also has a small 15mm piezo speaker which is very quiet and all of this is powered by a 25mAh Li-Po battery. The game consumes somewhat less than 25mA and so the battery lasts around 1 hour.

The case consists of 3 pieces of sliding enclosure which are 3D printed. The buttons were also painstakingly printed at 2mm/s to retain their delicate shape while printing.

Kevin said this regarding the design inspiration:

“This design is entirely based on something that Ben Rose made and showed me at Maker Faire 5 years ago. I’ve been waiting for them to do something with it, but I couldn’t hold back any longer! The people must know!”. He also added, “Currently there are no plans to produce this but if it goes bananas online, I’ll consider finding someone to help me turn this into a real product. Keychain anyone?”

Website: https://community.arduboy.com/t/introducing-arduboy-nano/9575