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Arrow DECA Board With Intel’s MAX 10 FPGA Now Sells For $37

Posted on 1 February, 2021 by Emmanuel Odunlade

A few years ago, when the Arrow DECA development board was introduced with Altera’s MAX 10 FPGA, the board was offered for $169. Later on, Intel purchased the Altera FPGA business and the price of the board reduced to $65. The price has now dropped tremendously again and the board can now be purchased for just $37.

DECA features the Intel MAX® 10 FPGA with on-chip-RAM, user flash memory, and a high-speed DDR3 external memory. The board also comes with a wide range of sensors such as gesture, proximity, and ambient light, humidity and temperature, and accelerometer, as well as interfaces connecting to 10/100 Ethernet, USB2.0 OTG, SDHC, HDMI, and MIPI CSI-2. All these are targeted towards making the board exciting for many applications.

DECA is expandable via a BeagleBone compatible I/O expansion header and also supports the new Arrow BLE / WIFI Beaglebone cape.

DECA is perfect for system management, I/O expansion, communication control planes, industrial, automotive, and consumer applications. With this board, you can enjoy the power of tremendous re-configurability together with low-power high-performance FPGA.

Specifications of the Arrow DECA development board include:

Intel MAX 10 FPGA (10M50DAF484C6G) with 50,000 logic elements, 1,638 Kbit block memory, 5,888 Kbits user flash memory, 4x PLLs (phase-locked loops)
512MB DDR3 SDRAM
64MB QSPI Flash
1x MicroSD card socket
HDMI v1.4 including 3D video support
24-bit audio CODEC with line-in, line-out jacks
MIPI connect for camera module
10/100M Ethernet (RJ45)
1x Mini USB 2.0 port
Proximity/ambient light sensor
Humidity & temperature sensor
Temperature sensor
Accelerometer
2x BeagleBone Black compatible headers
360x General Purpose Input/Output
2x ADC SMA inputs
3x 50MHz clock sources from the clock generator
Mini USB-Blaster II onboard for programming; JTAG Mode
2x CapSense buttons
2x push-buttons
2x slide switches
8x blue user LEDs
5V DC via power barrel jack

Asides from the fact that the board will now be sold for $37, members of the ArrowPerks loyalty program will also be considered for a fast free shipping scheme. The DECA development board will be shipped together with one Ethernet cable, two USB cables, a 5V DC power adapter, and a quick starter guide to help with getting started without much fuss.

The company also states that the board will support Linux now unlike when it initially required a PC running Windows 7 or greater with 4GB RAM, Intel Core i3 processor, and around 20GB of free hard disk space to run Quartus II IDE.

More details including datasheet, schematics, user manual online workshop documentation can be found on this website.

80V Buck-Boost charging controller with MPPT for solar panels

Posted on 1 February, 2021 by mixos

The LT8491 from Analog Devives includes Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) for solar panels, with algorithms, lead acid and lithium ion batteries up to 80V.

Analog Devices (ADI) has introduced a buck-boost Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) battery charging controller that includes algorithms for charging sealed lead acid, gel and flooded cells, and Li-Ion batteries up to 80V alongside a solar panel.

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 × 11mm × 0.75mm) QFN Package

The LT8491 includes MPPT, temperature compensation and I2C interface for telemetry and control. It operates from input voltages above, below or equal to the regulated battery float voltage with three selectable Constant Current Constant Voltage (CC-CV) charging profiles, making it suitable for charging a variety of battery chemistry types including sealed lead acid, gel and flooded cells, and Li-Ion. All charge termination algorithms are provided onboard, eliminating the need for software or firmware.

The LT8491 operates over a 6V to 80V input range and can produce a 1.3V to 80V battery float voltage output using a single inductor with 4-switch synchronous rectification. The device is capable of charging currents as high as 10A depending on the choice of external components. The LT8491 may be paralleled with multiple LT8705 (80V buck-boost controller) devices for higher power operation.

The controller can do a sweep of the full operating range of a solar panel, finding the true maximum power point, even in the presence of local maxima points caused by partial shading of the panel. Once the true maximum power point is found, the LT8491 will operate at that point while using a dithering technique to track slow changes in the maximum point. By using these methods, the LT8491 can fully utilise nearly all the power generated by a solar panel even in non-ideal operating environments.

The LT8491 can perform automatic temperature compensation by sensing an external thermistor thermally coupled to the battery. The I2C interface provides complete control of the charger as well as input/output voltage, current, and power values. The LT8491 is available in a low profile (0.75mm) 64-pin 7mm x 11mm QFN package and is guaranteed for operation from -40°C to 125°C. Pricing starts for $10.35.

more information: www.analog.com/LT8491

Samsung takes on Murata with MLCC for 5G smartphones

Posted on 1 February, 20211 February, 2021 by mixos

Samsung is taking on Murata with a 1209 MLCC that is 18 percent thinner at 0.65mm and replaces four other devices in 5G smartphones. By Nick Flaherty @ eenewseurope.com

Samsung Electro-Mechanics has developed a 0.65mm 1209 format multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC) for 5G smartphones that is 18 percent thinner than previous products. It plans to use the technology to overtake Murata, which makes over a trillion devices a year, as the world’s largest MLCC supplier.

The 3-socket MLCC adds an earth socket to the general MLCC for reduction in high-frequency power noise filtering and can replace three to four two-contact MLCC devices.

The 1209 format measures 1.2 x 0.9mm and the smaller thickness of 0.65mm was achieved applying independent thin layer molding technology and a superfine dielectric layer. This reduced the thickness from 0.8mm.

Replacing three to four MLCC devices helps reduce the component count. THe cseramic capcitors chips can have production shortages that hit phone makers.

Samsung Electro-Mechanics began its MLCC business since 1988, and is the second largest supplier in the IT sector. It says it plans to use this new technology to expand its product range and market share.

“There has been a massive increase in miniature, high-performance, and highly-reliable MLCC demand with the commercialization of 5G mobile communication and electrification of automobiles. Samsung Electro-Mechanics will secure a leading position in the market by strengthening its distinctive technology, including the internal development of core materials and internalization of equipment, and manufacturing capabilities,”

said Doo Young Kim, Head of the Component Unit at Samsung Electro-Mechanics.

Murata has 56 percent of the automotive MLCC market with an annual capacity up to 1,100 billion devices. The 8004 is used in 5G flagship phones from Apple and it is producing the world’s smallest 0402 size (1.0×0.5mm) three-terminal MLCC and a three-terminal low-ESL MLCC with 10µF in the 0603 size (1.6×0.8mm) for ADAS and autonomous driving.

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

1Khz to 20Mhz Low Power Oscillator

This is a precision, low power oscillator that occupies very little space. The oscillator frequency is adjustable using an onboard multi-turn trimmer potentiometer. The output of the circuit is very accurate and has a 1.5% frequency error. The project operates with a single 5V power supply and provides a rail-to-rail, 50% duty cycle square wave output. The CMOS output driver of the chip ensures fast rise/fall times and rail-to-rail switching. A multi-turn trimmer provided to adjust the master oscillator frequency between 1Khz to 20Mhz. Jumper provided for the three-state DIV input which determines the master clock is divided by 1, 10,100 before the output, providing three frequency ranges spanning 1Khz to 20Mhz. The output of the project can drive 5 KΩ and/or 10pF loads. The output of the project is limited to 50mA.

Jumper/Sunt J1 Settings

J1 Connected to VCC = Frequency Output 1Khz to 200Khz (Set PR1)
Jumper J1 Open = Frequency output 10Khz to 2Mhz (Set PR1)
Jumper J1 GND= Frequency Output 100Kz to 20Mhz (Set PR1)

Note: Use a shielded high quality wire on output for high frequency output.

Features

Operating Power Supply 5V DC (8mA)
Multi-turn trimmer to set the frequency
Output Current 50mA Maximum
Jumper J1, Master Frequency Divider, 1, 10, 100
Jumper J1 GND =N1, VCC=N100, Jumper Open N=10
Output Frequency 1Khz to 20Mhz
Frequency Error ≤1.5% Max, 5kHz to 10MHz
50% ±1% Duty Cycle 1kHz to 2MHz
50% ±5% Duty Cycle 2MHz to 10MHz
Fast Start-Up Time: 50μs to 1.5ms
PCB Dimensions 27.31 x 13.18mm

Schematic

Parts List

SR.	QNTY.	REF.	DESC.	VENDOR/DIGIKEY/MOUSER
1	1	CN1	4 PIN MALE HEADER 2.54MM PITCH	DIGIKEY S1011EC-40-ND
2	1	C1	10uF/16V SMD SIZE 1206	DIGIKEY 399-5091-1-ND
3	1	C2	0.1uF/50V SMD SIZE 0805	YAGEO
4	1	D1	LED RED SMD SIZE 0805	DIGIKEY 475-1415-1-ND
5	1	J1	JUMPER 3P/ SHUNT	DIGIKEY S9001-ND
6	1	PR1	2M MULI-TURN POT	DIGIKEY 3296W-205LF-ND
7	1	R1	10K 5% SMD SIZE 0805	YAGEO
8	2	R2,R4	DNP	OMIT
9	1	R3	1K 5% SMD SIZE 0805	YAGEO
10	1	U1	LTC6900	DIGIKEY LTC6900CS5#TRMPBFCT-ND

Connections

Gerber View

Photos

Video

LTC6900 Datasheet

TSL2540 Digital Ambient Light Sensor

Posted on 29 January, 2021 by mixos

ams’ digital ambient light sensor features an integrated on-chip photopic filter

The TSL2540 from ams was developed as the 4^th generation ambient light sensor (ALS) and includes an integrated on-chip photopic filter which provides near photopic responsiveness for operation behind the inked glass of a touch panel display. The TSL2540 is a highly sensitive light-to-digital converter that transforms light intensity into a digital signal output through a fast-mode direct I²C digital interface. This digital output can be input to a microprocessor where illuminance (ambient light level) in lux is derived using an empirical formula to provide accurate metering of light intensity that approximate the sensitivity of the human-eyes response, regardless of the light source (sunlight, incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, CFL, LED, etc.). The 1M-to-1 dynamic range of the device, coupled with the integrated silicon photopic filter, makes this ALS suitable for industrial designs that hide behind dark inked glass for aesthetic purposes.

The TSL2540 is part of the ALS product offering and features very high sensitivity with low power consumption in a small 2 mm x 2 mm x 0.5 mm optical QFN package making it ideal for space-constrained designs. The TSL2540 is capable of operation from mLux to 50k lux environments, allowing it to operate in small and deeply buried sub-system applications.

Features

Integrated on-chip photopic filter
High sensitivity down to mLux levels
0.18 µm process technology with 1.8 V I²C
1M:1 dynamic range
Automatic AUTO zero/dark count control
Area efficient 2.0 mm x 2.0 mm x 0.5 mm QFN package
Ambient light sensing
Display backlight control

more information: https://ams.com/tsl2540

NPC-1210 Series Low/Medium Pressure Sensors

Posted on 29 January, 202131 January, 2021 by mixos

Amphenol’s pressure sensors provide flexibility in low-profile applications where pressure connection orientation is critical

Amphenol NovaSensor’s NPC-1210 series of low/medium pressure sensors provides a cost-effective solution for applications that require calibrated performance over a wide temperature range. Packaged in a dual-in-line configuration, the NPC-1210 series is intended for printed circuit board mounting. Optional pressure port and lead configurations provide flexibility in low-profile applications where pressure connection orientation is critical. The NPC-1210 series is based on NovaSensor’s SenStable® piezoresistive sensing technology. Silicon micromachining techniques are used to ion-implant piezoresistive strain gauges into a Wheatstone bridge configuration. The NPC-1210 series offers the added advantage of temperature performance over the temperature-compensated range of 0°C to +60°C (+32°F to +140°F). A gain-set resistor is included to normalize the FSO for field interchangeability.

Features

High sensitivity
High accuracy
Interchangeable
Temperature compensated 0°C to +60°C (+32°F to +140°F)
CB-mountable package
DIP package
Solid-state reliability
Individual device traceability

Applications

Industrial automation
Airflow monitors
Process control
Medical equipment
Underground cable leak detection
Ventilation
Respirator monitoring

Resources

Compact SynthUSB3 6.4GHz Microwave Signal Generator

Posted on 29 January, 2021 by mixos

The SynthUSB3 is an innovative, low-cost, pocketable RF signal generator – software-tunable from 12.5MHz to 6.4GHz in 0.1 Hz steps

Saelig Company Inc. announces the Windfreak Technologies SynthUSB3 – a pocketable 12.5MHz to 6.4GHz software-tunable RF signal generator and frequency sweeper that can be controlled and powered by any device running Windows, Linux or Android via a USB port. The SynthUSB3 also has built-in nonvolatile flash memory so it can be programmed to operate by itself without requiring a PC connection for any frequency, power, sweep, or modulation setting. This provides a highly mobile, low power, light weight solution for a wide range of RF signal generation needs.

The provided user-friendly GUI application controlling the SynthUSB3, written in LabVIEW™, provides a desktop instrument experience and performance at a fraction the cost of a standalone instrument. Data entry on the PC can be performed either with a displayed touch pad or knob, or directly with the PC’s keyboard and arrow keys. Power levels can be set in 0.1dBm increments, with a maximum output of 8dBm and minimum of -50dBm. RF power setting resolution is non-linear with finer resolution at higher output powers. On-board calibration is attained through a look-up table unique to each SynthUSB3 device. Calibration over the whole range from 12.5MHz to 6.4GHz is performed at the factory and stored in the built-in flash memory. RF frequency accuracy relies on an onboard 2.5ppm 10MHz crystal oscillator.

Compact in size (2” X 1” X 0.5”) the SynthUSB3 will find application in wireless communications systems design, automated test equipment (ATE), radiated immunity pre-compliance EMC testing, etc. This device is a versatile generic RF signal generator for test setups, or as a high quality local oscillator in your RF / microwave communication system.

More details and datasheets at http://www.saelig.com/windfreak/synthusb3.htm

Designed and manufactured in USA by Windfreak Technologies, a producer of low cost, innovative RF products that are in use worldwide in a variety of technical applications, the SynthUSB3 is a highly mobile, low power, lightweight solution for sophisticated RF signal generation needs.

Ekin’s AI Camera for Traffic Data, Management, and Enforcement

Posted on 29 January, 2021 by Saumitra Jagdale

Ekin X has announced its portable smart traffic system AI camera for data collection to enhance traffic and parking management for an efficient smart city. The AI camera uses Ekin X Spotter for a smart AI-based traffic enforcement system for performing ALPR (Automatic License Plate Recognition), speed, and violation detection of the automobiles in its range.

The ALPR and vehicle speed and violation detection functionalities allow easy monitoring of the overall traffic for the assigned department. The AI camera features a 4K motor-zoom image sensor and video-based recognition technology for its smart applications. The compact design of the AI camera makes it flexible for easy integration into any vehicle type. It also allows the dynamic deployment of AI cameras all over the smart city.

Deployed AI Camera

Talking more about the software platform Ekin X Spotter. It allows ALPR for up to three lanes of traffic, powered by Ekin’s proprietary artificial intelligence ETS software. The ML models for number recognitions undergo rigorous training for achieving model accuracy of up to 99%. The traffic analysis functionality includes speed, red light violation, tailgating, stopped vehicle, and pedestrian detection on roads and highways.

Akif Ekin (Founder and Chairman of Ekin) says “The Ekin X Spotter is designed to ensure continuous traffic management and enhanced safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians while public safety officers are on the move. The flexible design helps agencies streamline data collection and when used as part of Ekin’s flexible smart city solutions. This makes it easier for officials to understand their cities and create impactful policies that promote safety for all residents.”

Smart City Applications

Smart cities tend to have more traffic than normal cities as the residents have more personal vehicles. So, the AI camera features high-resolution video sensors to turn for solving the problem by performing “analysis of traffic patterns and behaviors, vehicle classification, rush-hour congestion points, peak traffic hours, average time spent in traffic, and daily traffic flow management”. The analysis includes efficient traffic management with systematic monitoring to avoid congestions.

The Ekin X Spotter comes with a modular design which gives the option of setting the policies. These policies are according to the current regulations for proper safety for efficient maintenance. The company has a Red Eagle operating system that is a dynamic software solution with a simple user interface.

For more information visit the official product page. Images and technical specifications have also been taken from the official product page.

SparkFun’s MicroMod Family Gets New Members – a Nordic nRF52840 Processor and a Weather Carrier Board

Posted on 29 January, 202129 January, 2021 by Emmanuel Odunlade

It was just around the last quarter of 2020 that SparkFun announced the MicroMod family — a new modular development ecosystem designed to take popular embedded devices and make them plug-and-play modular. “MicroMod makes exploring different microcontrollers easy,” said the Founder of SparkFun. You can plug various microcontrollers into various carrier boards according to your project requirements.

At first, when MicroMod was launched, three processors and four carrier boards were confirmed: an Artemis Processor Board, an ESP32 Processor Board, a SAMD51 Processor Board, an Input and Display Carrier, a Machine Learning Carrier and an ATP Carrier. Added to the list now is a new processor module based on the Nordic nRF52840 and a weather carrier board with three on-board sensors.

“The MicroMod nRF52840 Processor offers a powerful combination of ARM Cortex-M4 CPU and 2.4 GHz Bluetooth transceiver in the MicroMod form-factor with the M.2 MicroMod connector to allow you to plug in a compatible MicroMod Carrier Board with any number of peripherals.”

says SparkFun.

“The Bluetooth transceiver included on the nRF52840 boasts a BT 5.1 stack and supports Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth mesh, IEEE 802.15.4 (Zigbee & Thread) and 2.4Ghz RF wireless protocols (including Nordic’s proprietary RF protocol) allowing you to pick which option works best for your application.”

The processor also features a rich set of peripherals for nearly every need that you would want it to serve.

Features and Specifications of the nRF52840 Processor include:

ARM Cortex-M4 CPU with FPU (floating point unit)
1MB internal Flash
256kB internal RAM
Integrated 2.4GHz radio with support for Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth 5, ANT and, Nordic’s proprietary RF protocol
3x UARTs
2x I2C Buses
2x SPI Buses
2x Analog Inputs
2x Dedicated Digital I/O Pins
2x Dedicated PWM Pins
11x General Purpose I/O Pins
PDM Audio Processing, and,
Real-time clock

The MicroMod weather carrier board that was launched alongside, was designed to be used with any of the MicroMod processors. In their words, the weather carrier board is a “periphery for the MicroMod ecosystem that allows you to create your own weather station with one of a multitude of processors.”

The MicroMod Weather Carrier Board Features:

A BME280 Barometric temperature/pressure/humidity sensor
A VEML6075 UV light sensor
An AS3935 lightning detector
A 3-pin Latch Terminal to connect Soil Moisture sensor, and,
2x RJ11 connectors to connect Wind/Rain sensors, and,
A microSD card slot that allows you to plug in an SD card to log all the weather data using any of the MicroMod processor.

Both the MicroMod nRF52840 Processor and the Weather Carrier Board are available and can be purchased from the company at $14.95 and $44.95 respectively.

More details:

Triplett Magnetic Field Meter Measures Electro-magnetic Fields in Variety of Applications

Posted on 29 January, 202129 January, 2021 by mixos

Meter specializes in extremely low frequency (ELF) electro-magnetic fields

Triplett Test Equipment, a leading maker of test equipment tools, announces the launch of the innovative EMF20 Magnetic Field Meter, an all-new handheld tool designed to measure extremely low frequency (ELF) electromagnetic fields in numerous applications.

The rugged, handheld EMF20 measures ELF electromagnetic fields (30 to 300Hz) produced from electric transmission equipment, power lines, microwave ovens, air conditioners, refrigerators, computer monitors, fans, hairdryers, and many other appliances that emit electromagnetic fields. Measurements have a guaranteed ±2.5% accuracy, and can be displayed in milligauss (mG) or µTesla (µT).

Features

Measures electro-magnetic field of extremely low frequency (ELF) from 30 to 300Hz Measurements can be displayed in milligauss or µTesla
Single axis sensor
±2.5% accuracy
Max Hold function

Specifications

EMF20
Display	3-1/2 Digit LCD Display
milliGauss Range	200mG/2000mG
µTesla Range	20µT/200µT
Resolution	0.1mG/0.01µT
Frequency Response	30 to 300Hz
Accuracy	±(2.5% ± 6 digits) @50/60Hz
Sensor	Single Axis
Power	9V Battery
Dimensions	5.5 x 2.6 x 1.5″ (140 x 65 x 37.5mm)
Weight	6oz(170g)

Other helpful features of the EMF20 Magnetic Field Meter include its single axis sensor, max hold function for storing the highest reading, and included carrying case to keep the unit safe en route to the site. The EMF20 is also backed by a 1-year warranty.

For more information about Triplett’s EMF20 Magnetic Field Meter, visit https://www.triplett.com/emf20.

To find a Triplett distributor near you, please visit: https://triplett.com/buy-now/ or to order online, please visit: https://www.triplett.com/emf20 .