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New Digit Benchtop Multimeters with Simple to Read 4.3-inch LCD

Posted on 17 November, 2020 by mixos

B&K Precision Launches New Multimeters Available in 5 1/2 and 6 1/2-Digit Models

The 5490C Series offers fast measurement speeds, graphical display features, and extensive measurement functions for a wide range of applications

B&K Precision, a leading designer and manufacturer of reliable, cost-effective test and measurement instruments, today announces a new generation of 5 ½ and 6 ½-digit benchtop multimeters designed for accuracy, repeatability and ease-of-use. Both 5492C (5 ½) and 5493C (6 ½) models deliver measurement speeds up to 1000 readings per second and support 12 measurement functions while the 6 ½-digit model provides greater accuracy, higher resolution, and rear input terminals to simplify connections.

Features:

12 measurement functions: DCV, ACV, DCI, ACI, 2 and 4-wire resistance, capacitance, frequency, diode, temperature, continuity test, DCV ratio
High-contrast 4.3-inch full color LCD
Measurement speed up to 1000 readings/s
DCV basic accuracy up to 35 ppm (0.0035%)
Histogram, bar graph, trend chart, and numeric display options
Display Min, Max, Peak-to-Peak, Average, Standard Deviation statistics simultaneously
Null, dB, dBm, %, mx+b, and run/stop math functions
AC frequency measurements to 1MHz
Internal storage buffer for up to 10,000 readings
2 and 4-wire resistance measurements down to 10 Ω
Dual measurement display
Rear input terminals for rack use (6 ½-digit model only)
Standard USB (USBTMC-compliant), LAN, and RS232 interfaces, supporting SCPI commands. GPIB option
Front panel USB host port to export measurements, screen captures and save/recall settings
LabVIEW^TM driver and operating software for remote instrument control, measurement monitoring, and data logging included

The easy to read 4.3-inch LCD offers a variety of measurement display modes including numeric, bar meter, trend chart, and histogram. Other built-in functions include Limit mode to quickly verify measurements are within a user-defined range, Probe hold mode to capture a sequence of stable readings, and dual measurement capabilities.

The 5490C Series provides USB (USBTMC-compliant), LAN, and RS232 interfaces standard with GPIB optional. The included operating software supports remote instrument control, measurement, monitoring, and data logging. A LabVIEWTM driver is available for download to help simplify system integration and instrument control.

Available now, this series starts at $780 and is backed by a 3-year standard warranty.

For additional technical specification, accessories, photos, and support documents, visit: https://www.bkprecision.com/products/multimeters/5492C-5-1-2-bench-digital-multimeter.html

NanoPi R4S Headless SBC Supports Up To 4GB RAM and Features Dual Gigabit Ethernet and USB 3.0 Ports

Posted on 17 November, 202017 November, 2020 by Emmanuel Odunlade

FriendlyELEC is currently working on new RK3399 SoC based single board computer called NanoPi R4S. The company has not officially announced the board yet but it’s existence was discovered by CNX software who came across a “hidden page” where the board was extensively talked about.

Unlike other headless SBCs that we have come across over the years like the Orange Pi Zero Plus or NanoPi R2S which are usually based on 32-bit Cortex-A7 or low power 64-bit Cortex-A53 processors coupled with up to 512MB to 2GB, the new NanoPi R4S headless SBC is powered by a Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core Cortex-A72/A53 processor and has up to 4GB RAM system memory. The NanoPi R4S also comes with two USB 3.0 ports and a dual Gigabit Ethernet, meaning you can connect it to your home or work network and use it as a headless computer.

Some of the key features and specifications of the NanoPi R4S headless SBC include:

Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor; dual-Core Cortex-A72 (up to 2.0GHz) and quad-core Cortex-A53 (up to 1.5GHz)
Mali-T864 GPU with OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenCL, DX11, and AFBC support
4K VP9 and 4K 10-bit H265/H264 60fps video decoder
1GB DDR3 or 4GB LPDDR4
1x MicroSD card slot
Dual GbE; one native Gigabit Ethernet and one PCIe Gigabit Ethernet
2x USB 3.0 Type-A ports, USB 2.0 via 4-pin header
2x 5-pin header with 1x SPI, 1x I2C
1x 3-pin debug UART header
1x power LED, and 3x user LEDs (SYS, LAN, WAN)
1x User button
2-pin 1.25mm RTC battery connector
1x 5V fan connector
5V/3A power supply via pin header or USB-C connector
RK808-D PMIC along with independent DC/DC, enabling DVFS, software power-down, RTC wake-up, system sleep mode
Dimension: 66 mm x 66 mm
Operating Temperature Range: -20°C to 70°C

Note that the NanoPi R4S headless SBC cannot be plugged it into a TV or monitor as a media center or desktop computer because it doesn’t have a video out port.

There’s no information about the operating system, but judging from the trend with past RK3399 products, the company should offer both Ubuntu and OpenWrt images. We also don’t know what the price of the NanoPi R4S headless SBC would be yet, but we can tell it wouldn’t cost much, judging too from the prices of the NanoPi M4 SBC that cost around $30-$35 for 1GB RAM model and $60-$65 for 4GB RAM model.

The company is yet to upload details of the SBC on their wiki page, but you can find more about the board including schematics and CAD files for both the 1GB and 4GB RAM, here.

Penguino Feather 4260 SAMR34 based LoRa Dev-Board Features RAK4260 module

Posted on 17 November, 2020 by Tope Oluyemi

MakerTronika Labs has launched their Feather compatible board with LoRa connectivity called Penguino Feather 4260. The Penguino Feather is a SAMR34 based LoRa/LoRaWAN™ dev-board with all the necessary components for fast prototyping. It’s a successor of my previous Penguino SAMR34 design. The new design uses the RAK4260 module from RAKWireless and improves on some aspects, such as a USB Type-C, a RGB LED, a user button, battery protection & voltage supervision, and optional flash & per-provisioned secure element IC pads. Regarding why the board was made, they say:

“The official eval board from RAKwireless is not designed to be low power board. Moreover, it uses proprietary WisBLOCK connectors to add extra sensors and there aren’t many readily available sensors with that connector. Adafruit Feather style however, is more breadboard friendly and there are many suitable add-on boards (Feather Wings) to choose from.”

The board can be integrated into a portable, battery-powered IoT device for solving real-world problems.

The board can be flashed using an ATMEL-ICE or a J-Link SWD programmer/debugger. You can choose to carry out software development either with the officially supported Atmel Studio v7 (ASF) or the unofficial Arduino port for a similar board from Electronic Cats. You can also find a Platform.IO port of Atmel Software Framework for SAMR34 with many examples, which works perfectly fine. MakerTronika Labs has also released an installation guide to correctly setup the ASF v3 (Atmel-Software-Framework) for those who plan to use Atmel Studio 7. However, ASF v4 with ATMEL START is currently not supported for SAMR34 devices.

Serial communication with the board can be established either over the Rx-Tx pins using USB to Serial converter or with the on-board USB. To activate the on-board USB as Virtual COM Port (VCP), you have to use Atmel USB Device CDC Application example provided by the ASF. There are several VCP example projects with and without the LoRaWAN stack. The board doesn’t come with a case, but you can get one from Thingiverse. The company says If you really want one, you should indicate it during the checkout and they can include one in the package.

Specifications include:

ATSAMR34J18 LoRA™ System-in-Package (SiP) based RAK4260 module
ARM Cortex M0+ MCU & SX1276 LoRa Radio
256KB Flash, 40 KB RAM
32MHz TXCO
Max Tx Power: +20 dBm; Max Sensitivity: -148dBm; Rx Current: 17mA (typical)
Frequency Range: 862 to 1020 MHz
Deep Sleep Current: ~1 μA (RF module only)
Li-Po battery charging IC
CH340E USB-to-UART converter IC (with solder jumpers between native USB and UART lines)
RGB user LED, Battery Charge Status (red) and Power (blue) (w/ cut-off jumpers)
3.3V low Iq LDO (~1 μA)
Low-voltage battery cut-off supervisor IC (3V Vbat cutoff)
USB Type-C connector with protection/filtering circuit
0.75 A resettable fuse
Voltage divider for Vbat monitoring (w/ cut-off jumpers)
SMA and u.FL (iPEX) antenna connectors
10-pin SWD programming header
Dimensions: 2 in. x 0.9 in. (50.8 mm x 22.8 mm)

Penguino Feather 4260 LoRa board is available for $39.95 plus shipping on Tindie with an external antenna. The project is open-source hardware, so KiCad schematics, PCB layout, Gerber files, BoM, and firmware can be found on Github under CERN-OHL-S v2 (hardware) or MIT (software) license.

Major Breakthrough in Chip Architecture Technology

Posted on 17 November, 202017 November, 2020 by Rik

Keeping in mind the betterment of artificial intelligence and various other CPU intensive workload, EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) engineers have developed a new single architecture that combining logic operations and data storage. It may hold the potential to lay the fundamental work for the upcoming generation of smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices.

Engineers at EPFL’s Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) have developed these next-generation circuits that allow for smaller, faster, and more energy-efficient devices. This technology is the first to implement a 2-D material called a logic-in-memory architecture. It is a special kind of a single architecture that integrates logic operations with a memory function.

Traditionally, the energy efficiency of computer chips has been limited by the von Neumann architecture. Where data processing and data storage take place in two separate units in the Silicon. It has its drawbacks like slowing down the data transfer between the two units, wasting time and energy.

The researchers have found a way to combine these units into a single structure which significantly reduces these losses. The new EPFL chip is made from MoS2. It is a 2-D material consisting of a single layer semiconductor that’s only three atoms thick. LANES engineers had already examined the specific properties of MoS2 a few years ago, finding that it is expressly well-suited to electronics applications.

A computer chip that combines logic operations and data storage

This new EPFL chip is based on floating-gate field-effect transistors or FGFETs. The benefit of these kinds of transistors is that they can hold electric charges for long periods which makes them perfect for flash memory systems for cameras, smartphones, and computers. The unique electrical proprieties of MoS2 make it particularly sensitive to charges stored in FGFETs to develop circuits that work as both memory storage units and programmable transistors. By using this wonder material MoS2, they were able to consolidate numerous processing functions into a single circuit and then change them as desired.

This ability for circuits to perform two functions is similar to how the human brain works, where neurons are involved in both storing memories and conducting mental calculations,

says Andras Kis, the head of LANES.

Our circuit design has several advantages. It can reduce the energy loss associated with transferring data between memory units and processors, cut the amount of time needed for computing operations, and shrink the amount of space required. That opens the door to devices that are smaller, more powerful, and more energy-efficient.

The team of researchers is looking forward to taking their initial research to the next level to create next-gen computing architecture technology. Which has the true potential to meet the ever-rising demand for more smart, small, and power-efficient electronic devices. More information can be found in this Nature article.

Vishay’s New Automotive Grade Proximity Sensors Deliver High Resolution Up to 20 µm for Force Sensing

Posted on 17 November, 202017 November, 2020 by mixos

The Optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. today introduced two new fully integrated Automotive Grade proximity sensors with high resolution up to 20 µm for force sensing applications. They each combine a photodiode, amplifier, and ADC circuitry in a 4 mm by 2.36 mm surface-mount package with a low 0.75 mm profile. The VCNL3030X01 features an on-board infrared emitter (IRED) while the VCNL3036X01 is designed to be used with up to three external IREDs, for which an onboard driver with internal logic is provided.

Ideally suited for use in automotive, consumer, smart home, industrial, office, and toy products, the AEC-Q101 qualified devices released today provide higher resolution compared to previous-generation sensors at a lower cost. When used for force sensing applications in steering wheel controls, laptop smart power buttons and multi-force trackpads, and touchpads for IoT devices and kitchen appliances, the VCNL3030X01 and VCNL3036X01 prevent false triggers and even allow users to wear gloves. Designed to work with external IREDs, the VCNL3036X01 provides increased flexibility for product design.

How it works

The devices support the I²C bus communication interface, while their programmable interrupt function allows designers to specify high and low thresholds, which reduces the continuous communication with the microcontroller. Featuring selectable 12-bit and 16-bit outputs, the proximity sensors use intelligent cancellation to eliminate cross-talk, while a smart persistence scheme ensures accurate sensing and faster response time. The VCNL3030X01’s emitter wavelength peaks at 940 nm and has no visible “red-tail.”

Features

Interrupt
- Programmable interrupt function for PS with upper and lower thresholds
- Adjustable persistence to prevent false triggers for PS
Surface-mount 4.0mm x 2.36mm x 0.75mm (L x W x H) package
AEC-Q101 qualified
Infrared emitter (IRED), proximity sensor (PS), and signal conditioning IC Integrated modules
Low power consumption I²C (SMBus compatible) interface
Proximity function
- Immunity to red glow (940nm IRED)
- Programmable IRED sink current
- Intelligent cancellation to reduce cross talk phenomenon
- Smart persistence scheme to reduce PS response time
- Selectable for 12-/16-bit PS output data
I²C bus (PS) Output type
2.5V to 3.6V Operation voltage
168h, MSL 3, according to J-STD-020 floor life

The VCNL3030X01 and VCNL3036X01 feature IRED / LED pulse current of 200 mA, a supply voltage range of 2.5 V to 3.6 V, and an I²C bus voltage range from 1.8 V to 5.5 V. For force sensing applications, the sensors offer the flexibility to fine-tune the current for short displacements. The devices are RoHS-compliant, halogen-free, and Vishay Green.

Samples and production quantities of the new proximity sensors are available now, with lead times of six to 12 weeks for large orders.

Engineering Startup Launches to Make Printed Circuit Boards Accessible for Next Generation Electrical Engineers.

Posted on 16 November, 2020 by mixos

Gerber Labs, an Orange County-based engineering startup, is rolling out a platform that makes custom printed circuit boards (PCB’s) accessible to electrical engineering students, hobbyists and small businesses.

PCB’s traditionally have only been accessible for large businesses and manufacturers. To order PCB’s you had to order in large quantities and deal with old school salesmen and overseas representatives. Gerber Labs is changing this by opening up PCB’s to the consumer and small business market.

So instead of calling sales representatives or ordering on questionable websites, Gerber Labs is simplifying the process by allowing anyone to upload, order, and ship a PCB with a couple of clicks. No need to jump on the phone, no need to worry about time zones.

“Our goal is to alleviate one headache and that’s getting the PCB you need. If we’ve done that then we’ve done our job” Kyle Sheng, Project Manager at Gerber Labs.

As part of the launch, Gerber Labs is already working with universities across the country and their engineering student body to help create Printed Circuit Boards for different competitions and project needs.

Gerber Labs officially launches to the public on October 23, 2020. Check out the website for more information at www.gerberlabs.com

e-con Systems Launches 4K MIPI Camera for Raspberry Pi 4 to speed up the time to market

Posted on 16 November, 2020 by mixos

e-con Systems Inc., a leading embedded camera solutions company, today announced the launch of e-CAM130_CURB ,13 MP Raspberry Pi 4 MIPI camera, a reliable solution leveraging the latest version of Raspberry Pi to help industries accelerate their journey to market with an easily deployable camera module. e-CAM130_CURB houses e-CAM137A_CUMI1335_MOD, a 13 MP 4K camera module with an S-mount lens holder. This high-quality 4k camera module is based on an AR1335 CMOS image sensor from ON Semiconductor® and has a dedicated high-performance Image Signal Processor (ISP). e-CAM130_CURB uses MIPI-CSI2 Interface to plug into Raspberry Pi 4 Kit and is supported by embedded Linux and Android. It provides throughputs capable of streaming video data of HD @ 60 fps and 4K @ 15 fps with maximum image transfer rate.

This high-resolution 13MP Raspberry Pi camera has an ability to extract more information to create a content-rich image. Its built-in image signal processor (ISP) helps to offload image processing tasks and reduces CPU usage. It’s interchangeable M12(S-mount) lens allows customers to choose a lens of their choice according to their application needs. The uncompressed 4K streaming capabilities minimizes the computation load on the platform which is suitable for running a video analytic application. With the capability to stream 4K at 15fps and Full HD at 60fps. e-CAM130_CURB is the perfect fit for Raspberry Pi to run applications that require high resolution imaging.

Features and benefits:

13MP 4K AR1335 CMOS sensor
MIPI CSI-2 interface
On board Imaging Signal Processor (ISP)
Uncompressed HD @ 60 fps and 4K @ 15 fps
Supports embedded linux and Android
Plug and play with Raspberry Pi 4 Kit

“With the official support of our most popular 13MP camera module for Raspberry Pi 4, we are excited to place our 13MP and other cameras in the hands of people all over the world for their imaging-based development activities. The most ubiquitous Raspberry Pi platform is augmented with our embedded camera modules with long term supply commitment from e-con Systems. This will benefit both the serious product developers and maker community with a reliable partner for their long term camera module supply”

said Ashok Babu, President of econ Systems, Inc.

The camera is supported by e-con’s open-source V4L2 compliant camera driver which customers can modify as per their requirements. The firmware running on the camera module configures the CMOS image sensor and ISP and communicates with the Raspberry Pi 4 kit using e-con’s standard command control protocol over I2C interface. e-con’s software package contains some sample applications allowing our customers jumpstart their application development on Raspberry Pi 4 developer kit immediately

e-con Systems always goes the extra mile to help their customers with their product integration and deployment efforts. With the new Raspberry Pi camera, it intends to do the same. Be it for prototype the product idea, or taking a novel product to market, e-con systems will make integrating its state-of-the-art cameras with Raspberry Pi fast and smooth.

Availability

Customers interested in evaluating 13MP MIPI camera with Raspberry Pi 4 developer kit can purchase the e-CAM130_CURB from e-con Systems’ online store.

Customization Services

e-con systems also offer customization services for e-CAM130_CURB if needed. Customers who need any additional features or customization can contact camerasolutions@e-consystems.com.

Watch the video:

Advantech Launches Embedded Platforms with Intel Atom® x6000 Series and Intel® Pentium® and Celeron® N and J Series Processors

Posted on 16 November, 202016 November, 2020 by mixos

Advantech, a leading provider of embedded solutions for the industrial A-IoT, is happy to announce three new embedded computing platforms featuring Intel Atom® x6000 Series and Intel® Pentium® and Celeron® N and J Series processors. These platforms – Advantech’s SOM-2532 computer on module, AIMB-218 industrial motherboard and MIO-5152 3.5-inch single board computer – feature the latest Intel® processors and Advantech WISE-DeviceOn, an IoT device operations and management solution.

Excellent Performance and Connectivity for AIoT Applications

Advantech’s SOM-2532, MIO-5152 and AIMB-218 feature advanced 10 nm process semiconductors which increase computing performance and I/O throughput; yielding solutions suitable for IoT-specific work tasks. Intel Atom® x6000 Series and Intel® Pentium® and Celeron® N and J Series Processors has increased its CPU’s performance up to 40% and two times in the GFX performance compared with its previous generation. Advantech’s AIMB-218 supports a TDP range of 4.5W to 12W to fulfill customer demands for improved performance. The on-board storage (UFS) delivers fast transfer speeds (up to 1200MB/s) and diverse I/O to support numerous peripherals on a single platform.

Similarly, Advantech’s SOM-2532 provides onboard LPDDR4 3200Mt/s up to 16GB with IBECC. This design supports onboard UFS 2.0, dual GbE LAN with TSN PHY, 2x CAN FD, and 3x independent 4K displays. SOM-2532 is suitable for automation, medical, IoT edge and transportation applications. The embedded 3.5-inch single board MIO-5152 equips with DDR4-3200 up to 32GB and provides rich I/O options like HDMI2.0/DP/LVDS, Dual GbE, 4x USB3.2, 4x USB2.0, 6x UARTs & TPM.

These new embedded computing platforms are a perfect fit for applications such as IVD in the medical field, robot and HMI in the automation markets and various uses of instrument panels. These embedded boards meet as well all requirements to be the ideal core platform for real-time computing in retail, IoT edge, and transportation applications.

Empower Devices via Embedded Design-in Services and 24/7 Management

Advantech’s Embedded Core Design-In Service is designed to address the technical requirements of industrial A-IoT solution developers. This service is comprised of a series of hardware and software add-on services designed to help developers to integrate their systems and to reduce the time to market for the finished solution. Additionally, the WISE-DeviceOn software from Advantech, an intelligent networking solution for device monitoring and predictive maintenance, delivers stable operation and convenient remote management to IoT devices.

The complete product line will be available in 2020 from Q4 to 2021 Q1. For more information, please visit: www.advantech.eu. If you are considering to ask for a bespoke version of one of these boards learn more about Advantech’s local customization options underhttp://bit.ly/AdvantechDMS

Motorized Slide Potentiometer Driver

Posted on 16 November, 202016 November, 2020 by mixos

This motorized slide potentiometer is used in lighting and Audio/Video equipment or other similar application. It is a simple solution to control a motorized slide potentiometer using two tactile switches or a microcontroller interface. The project includes bidirectional motor driver L293DD H-Bridge chip, LM555 timer IC to generate the PWM pulse for speed control, and two tactile switches to control the direction of the motor. Instead of two tactile switches, these pins can be interfaced with Arduino or microcontroller. SW2 and SW3 are used for CCW/CW motor control. PR1 trimmer potentiometer is provided to set the motor speed. Operating power supply of the project 6V to 9V DC. LED D3 and D4 Motor direction indicator. We have used a 10KB taper resistance potentiometer with a 100mm travel distance.

Motorized Slide Potentiometer Driver – [Link]

SiFive Linux PC and Dev Board with Open Source RISC-V Processors

Posted on 16 November, 2020 by Rik

SiFive published the news that it is creating a platform for Linux-based personal computers based on RISC-V processors to use them in PCs. This could be the move in the right direction to make to create Linux-based PCs that use royalty-free processors. At the moment, these development PCs are early alternatives targeted at hobbyists and engineers.

The company’s HiFive development boards allow RISC-V developers to create the software they need for their platforms. SiFive uses open-source RISC-V processors that are capable of powering products ranging from the low end to the high end of the computing needs.
SiFive’s main focus is on Linux-based PCs, not Microsoft Windows PCs. Also, the developers can use the boards to test code for real-time operating systems, custom Linux distributions, compilers, libraries, and applications. The HiFive Unmatched board will have a FU740 SoC, a 5-core processor with four SiFive U74 cores, and one SiFive S7 core. The U-series cores are Linux-based 64-bit application processor cores based on RISC-V. These cores can be mixed and matched with other SiFive cores, such as the SiFive FU740.

The HiFive Unmatched board comes in the mini-ITX form factor. SiFive also added the support for standard industry connectors like ATX power supplies, PCI-Express expansion, Gigabit Ethernet, and USB ports with this single-board RISC-V development system.

The board has 8GB of DDR4 memory, 32MB of QSPI flash memory, and a microSD card slot on the motherboard. For debugging and monitoring, developers can access the console output of the board through the built-in micro-USB Type-B connector. Developers can expand it using PCI-Express slots, including both a PCIe general-purpose slot (PCIe Gen 3 x8) for graphics, FPGAs, or other accelerators and M.2 slots for NVME storage (PCIe Gen 3 x4) and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth modules (PCIe Gen 3 x1). There are four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports on the rear, next to the Gigabit Ethernet port, making it easy to connect peripherals.

The system will ship with a bootable SD card that includes Linux and popular system developer packages, with updates available for download from SiFive.com. It will be available for preorders soon. More information can be found on the product page.