Next generation Mixed Signal Oscilloscope targets electric vehicle designs

Yokogawa’s DLM5000 features eight analog inputs and the ability to link two units to boost measurement flexibility

Yokogawa has launched its next generation of a mixed-signal oscilloscope with options for four or eight analog inputs.

The DLM5000 oscilloscope is the successor to the previous 8-channel DLM4000 model. With redesigned hardware, the DLM5000 offers major improvements in both performance and operability, including a sampling rate double that of the DLM4000. It is aimed at applications such as mechatronics, power electronics, automotive, aerospace, railway and consumer electronics.

Yokogawa says there is a specific focus on intelligent power-semiconductor technologies and mechatronics in modern electric vehicles, motor controls, and energy-efficient electronic designs that need up to eight analog channels and 32 bits of logic, together with additional math channels, vehicle serial bus analysis, and numerous other analysis features.

The progression represented by advancements like the DLM5000 oscilloscope reflect an ongoing journey toward enhanced efficiency and dependability. Nonetheless, despite these cutting-edge innovations, challenges persist, especially regarding vehicle defects. In such scenarios, individuals often turn to legal solutions, relying on professionals like a San Diego Lemon Law Attorney for assistance. These legal experts specialize in navigating the intricate landscape of vehicle defects, advocating for clients who encounter issues spanning from mechanical glitches to safety hazards.

With their comprehensive grasp of lemon law regulations and a steadfast commitment to safeguarding consumer rights, Lemon Law Attorneys emerge as indispensable allies for those grappling with the frustrations and inconveniences of flawed vehicles. Their expertise transcends mere legal representation, as they provide invaluable guidance and support to individuals seeking resolution for their concerns.

In a world where technological boundaries are constantly pushed, these legal advocates remain steadfast pillars of support, ensuring that consumers receive equitable treatment and rightful compensation when faced with vehicle defects.

A large number of channels are key to developing efficient and reliable high-performance electric motors. Based on modern inverters, the successful development of these motors demands multi-channel, highspeed waveform measurement. These types of measurements often need more than four channels, which is why the DLM5000 offers eight true analog inputs.

The DLM5000 is also aimed at the development of Electronic Control Units (ECU) for mechatronics systems. In this application, numerous I/O analog, digital, and serial-bus waveforms need to be measured. With the ability to monitor eight analog channels and up to 32-bits of logic input, 16 as standard plus 16 optional, while simultaneously performing protocol analysis such as UART, I2C, SPI, CAN, CAN FD, LIN, CXPI, SENT and FlexRay, the DLM5000 can speed up development when four channels are not enough.

Additionally, the new feature DLMsync, available soon, allows two DLM5000s to be linked and work together, extending measurements to gain even more information about the performance and behaviour of electronic systems. With this feature, connecting two DLM5000s with a dedicated cable enables sampling clock and trigger synchronous measurement of up to 16 analog channels (8 + 8) plus 64 bit logic. Alternatively, the eight channel and four channel models of the DLM5000 can be connected to give a configuration of “8 + 4 = 12 channels”.

The DLM5000 can be used as an eight analog and 16 digital input mixed signal oscilloscope, with all channels able to be used simultaneously. With the /L32 option, up to 32 logic signals can be measured. Also included are a Bus/State display and an optional DA calculation function, useful for evaluating AD/DA converters.

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M5Stack CORE2-Touch Enabled Device is launched

M5Stack launches its new product CORE2 – an ESP32 based dual-core WIFI & Bluetooth microcontroller for IoT development, with a capacitive touch screen that brings users a smoother human-computer interaction experience. It is compatible with Arduino, MicroPython and UIFlow. UIFlow is a Web-based IoT programming system developed by M5Stack and based on Google Blockly which is a clear and easy to program visual interface.

M5Stack CORE2 integrates an ESP32 D0WDQ6-V3 with two Tensilica Xtensa 32-bit LX6 microprocessors that can be individually controlled. It supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, making it ideal for IoT projects. The device features 16 MB External Flash and 8MB PSRAM, has an adjustable clock frequency from 80 MHz to 240 MHz,  Built-in vibration motor for tactile notification and a real-time clock(RTC)which can provide precise time and date.

Applications

  • Internet of Things Terminal Controller for Smart Home, Industrial Automation or Robotics
  • STEM Education
  • DIY Prototyping

It is worth mentioning that in addition to including a 390mAh rechargeable battery and an SD card slot and speakers, M5Stack CORE2  has an AXP192 power management chip which can effectively control the power consumption. Users can measure the real-time power consumption, which can bring them an unprecedented experience of power management.

Features

  • ESP32-based, supports Bluetooth and WiFi
  • 16M Flash and 8M PSRAM
  • 1W Speaker, Power Indicator, Vibration Motor, RTC, I2S Amplifier, Capacitive Touch Screen, Power Button and Reset Button
  • TF Card Slot (16G Maximum Size)
  • 390mAh Lithium Battery
  • Equipped with an AXP192 Power Management Chip, Low Power Consumption
  • Independent expansion board with 6-axis IMU, PDM Microphone
  • M-Bus Socket & Pins

In order to get the best sound quality, the I2S digital audio interface power amplifier chip is used to effectively prevent signal distortion. There are independent power buttons and reset (RST) buttons on the left and bottom of M5Stack CORE2.

The 3 icons on the front of the screen are capacitive touch screen buttons which can be independently programmed. There is a small expansion board on the back with a 6-axis IMU sensor and microphone. This small expansion board brings about more possibilities, users could design their own miniature customized expansion boards, or use the existing bus modules.

Like all the M5Stack CORE products, you can easily expand features by stacking different M5Stack function “MODULES” “BASES”  and “UNITS”  just like adding Lego blocks.

Links

The M5Stack Core2 is now on sale for $39.90 at the company eshop.

VIA Accelerates Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Education for Schools with VIA Pixetto

VIA Technologies, Inc. today announced the launch of the VIA Pixetto vision sensor, an intuitive and engaging platform for teaching Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to students aged twelve and above.

  • Full HD vision sensor with suite of pre-built Vision AI models, coding Blocks, and an online Accelerated Machine Learning platform
  • Compatible with Arduino, Raspberry Pi and micro:bit projects using Python and Tensorflow ML
  • On sale at VIA Online Store for US$85 + shipping

VIA Pixetto comes with an integrated suite of tools that make it easy for students to understand the basic principles and technologies underpinning AI and ML and apply them in their own AI vision, maker, and robotics projects. These tools include:

  • Pre-built object, shape, color, face, and handwriting recognition models that students can use to configure the vision sensor;
  • Beginner-friendly coding Blocks integrated with the popular Scratch platform to teach students basic programming;
  • Accelerated machine learning platform for students to create new models for their projects
  • Support for advanced coding using Python and TensorFlow Lite

The VIA Pixetto’s hardware features include a full HD vision sensor, a Micro USB 2.0 port, a Micro SD Card slot, a microphone, and a Grove connector for Arduino, micro:bit, and Raspberry Pi boards and peripherals.

“As Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning proliferate across all aspects of our daily lives, it has never been more important for schools worldwide to equip their students with a theoretical and practical knowledge of these rapidly-emerging technologies,” commented Richard Brown, VP of International Marketing, VIA Technologies, Inc. “With the launch of VIA Pixetto, our goal is to address this need by providing an intuitive and engaging platform for students to learn the basics of AI and ML and explore their potential applications by creating their own projects.”

About VIA Pixetto

VIA Pixetto is available now in English and Traditional Chinese versions. It can be ordered from the VIA store at a price US$85 plus shipping per unit.

The VIA Pixetto is available for $85 plus shipping at VIA Store. More information may be found in the VIA Technologies announcement and product page.

e-con Systems Launches IP67 Rugged GMSL2 Camera and Camera Kit Powered By NVIDIA Jetson Edge AI Platform

Industrial grade | 15 meters cable support | Full HD with built-in HDR | GMSL2 | deserializer interface board for NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier Developer Kit

San Jose and Chennai (Sep 1, 2020): e-con Systems Inc., a leading embedded camera solutions company,  today announced the launch of its STURDeCAM20 industrial grade GMSL camera and STURDeCAM20_CUXVR camera kit leveraging the powerful capabilities of the NVIDIA® Jetson™ edge AI platform. The new offerings accelerate time to market for customers developing and deploying ruggedized applications for industrial and outdoor environments such as autonomous mobile robots (AMR), delivery robots, sidewalk robots, blind spot cameras for large vehicles, mining vehicles, forklifts, surround view systems, and more.

Features:

  • Sensor : 1/2.7″ Optical format CMOS Image sensor
  • Resolution : 2MP
  • Focus Distance : 1m to Infinity
  • Sensor type : 10 or 12-Bit RGB format
  • Pixel size : 3μm x 3μm
  • Sensor Active Area : 1928H x 1088V
  • Responsivity : 4.0 V/lux-sec
  • SNR : 41 dB
  • Dynamic Range : Max up to 96 dB
  • Shutter Type : Electronic Rolling Shutter
  • ISP : On-board high performance ISP
  • DFOV : 2MP – 124.8°(D), 104.4°(H), 64°(V) (with 1/2.7″ AR0230)

The STURDeCAM20 is based on a Full HD CMOS sensor with well-tuned image signal processor (ISP) packed in an IP67 rated (water and dust proof) enclosure with operating temperature of -40 to 85°C. It ships with a 15-meter coaxial cable, enabling seamless high-quality video streaming with very low latency.  The camera’s single frame 3.0 um dual conversion gain pixel technology and 96 dB high dynamic range (HDR) delivers stunning images even in harsh outdoor conditions and low lighting environments.

“STURDeCAM20 is our first product of a family of IP67 rated ruggedized cameras targeted for use in harsh outdoor environments particularly for new age edge-AI powered applications. Working with edge-AI leader like NVIDIA on their leading-edge AI platform like Jetson, not only completements our STURDeCAM family of rugged cameras, but also helps our customers to speed up their product development instead of spending time on camera selection or ISP tuning or ruggedizing the cameras for their industrial/outdoor use cases” said Ashok Babu, President of econ Systems, Inc. “Being a Preferred Partner of Jetson Ecosystem since 2018, this marks a major milestone in our partnership and enables our customers to come up with innovative AMR and vision based applications by leveraging the ready-to-deploy STURDeCAM cameras and Jetson platforms”, he added.

To speed up the development process for developers, e-con Systems also offers the fully integrated STURDeCAM20_CUXVR Camera Kit, comprising one STURDeCAM20 camera and a deserializer board that plugs into the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Xavier developer kit. This allows developers to connect up to six STURDeCAM20 cameras and enables synchronized Full HD streaming at 30 fps simultaneously.

“With the e-Con camera kit for the Jetson AGX Xavier, developers get an integrated, easy to use ruggedized solution for vision-based embedded applications in harsh environments like robotics, industrial IoT and more,” said Murali Gopalakrishna, Head of Product Management, Autonomous Machines at NVIDIA and General Manager for Robotics at NVIDIA. “e-con’s support for the Jetson platform brings valuable experience in industrial cameras into our partner ecosystem.”

NVIDIA Jetson is the leading AI-at-the-edge computing platform, with nearly half a million developers. With support for cloud-native technologies now available across the full Jetson lineup, manufacturers of intelligent machines and developers of AI applications can build and deploy at scale high-quality, software-defined features on embedded and edge devices targeting a wide variety of applications.

Customization Services

If you are interested in customizing the STURDeCAM20 or for any additional features, please contact camerasolutions@e-consystems.com

Also, watch the demo video here:

Availability

The STURDeCAM20_CUXVR camera kit is currently available for evaluation with the NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Xavier™ Developer Kit. Customers interested in evaluating the STURDeCAM20 and STURDeCAM20_CUXVR can contact sales@e-consystems.com.

iWave, Xilinx and DiSTI bring the best in breed turnkey solution to the embedded market

Through a collaboration with The DiSTI Corporation, the leading provider of User Interface Design and Development Software GL Studio®, iWave Systems is excited to provide feature-rich System on Modules and HMI Solutions enabling customers across Medical, Industrial and Automotive domains to build high-quality graphical user interfaces bringing end products and concepts to life.

iWave Systems, a global leader in the design and manufacture of System on Modules, has integrated GL Studio across the portfolio of Xilinx® Zynq® UltraScale+™ MPSoC System on Modules. iWave ensures scalability of the system on modules across the Xilinx MPSoC Series ranging from ZU2 to ZU19. At the same time, the software from DiSTI promises efficient runtime performance and code-reliability guaranteeing customers’ scalability and reliability on the hardware and software blocks.

For over 20 years, GL Studio® has been the trusted choice of leading display engineers across the globe to design and build instrument clusters, embedded solutions, display, and immersive control systems. Through this collaboration, iWave and DiSTI aim to support engineers and product designers to develop products and focused on their end applications, ensuring rapid time to market and reducing development cycles.

The core components of Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC devices like Quad ARM® Cortex™ A53 and Powerful VPU & GPU blocks will enhance the user experience needed in a wide range of Video / Vision and Graphics Embedded applications.

“Xilinx is pleased to partner with DiSTI and iWave to provide a 3D visualization solution in a convenient production-ready board for customers that want to add a user interface to their products,” said Chetan Khona, Director, Industrial, Vision, Healthcare & Sciences at Xilinx. “Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC is already the industry’s most scalable Industrial and Healthcare IoT embedded platform, and this solution simplifies operator panels, patient monitors, or any application that incorporates a display.”

iWave ensures excellent value as an embedded hardware partner by providing product availability for 10+ years with comprehensive technical support and an efficient, high-quality manufacturing eco-system, ensuring product success. As a joint force with DiSTI, the global leader in providing UI Software with a focus on High-Performance, Flexibility, and ease of use, customers can rapidly bring ideas and solutions to life in today’s fast-evolving marketplace.

“iWave is thrilled to collaborate with DiSTI, which will allow us to integrate their 3D Graphical User Interface design and development software onto our Xilinx FPGA System on Modules portfolio helping customers accelerate their time-to-market across industry verticals. We are excited for the opportunity to expand our technology services and look forward to a long and fruitful partnership in the years to come,” says Abdullah Khan, President, iWave Systems Technologies.

“DiSTI is honored to work with such a prestigious group of companies in embedded systems and lend our 20+ years of Graphical User Interface and Functional Safety expertise to the collaboration,” said Christopher Giordano, Vice President of UX/UI Technology at The DiSTI Corporation. “We have already had the privilege of going into production with Xilinx Zynq, and this collaboration with iWave and Xilinx is proof of their cross-platform scalability.  We look forward to a very long and mutually prosperous relationship with both Xilinx and iWave.”

more information: www.iwavesystems.com

SINTRONES Edge AI GPU Computing Solution enabling flexibility: EBOX-7000

SINTRONES, one of the global leaders in computing technology in vehicles, announces the launch of the new EBOX-7000 Edge AI GPU Computing. The new EBOX-7000 Edge AI GPU Computing is suitable for various factory automation and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) control system in large-scale processes such as mining and manufacturing. It is powered by Intel 9th Gen Core i7/ Intel 8th Gen Core i7/i5/i3 CPU with 6 x RJ45 GbE (optional 4 x PoE Max. 100W). EBOX-7000 features two LTE SIM Card Sockets with automatic SIM Card detection (Taiwan Patent No. M592609). It supports both 5G and LTE standards for wireless network performance. Furthermore, the users can simply remove the HDD and use it as a portable hard drive with USB port and power connector. No additional converter needed.

EBOX-7000 provides PCIe card expansion including a riser card w/ 1 x PCIe x16 slot (1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 interface) or optional riser card w/ 2 x PCIe x16 slot (2 x PCIe 3.0 x8 interface). Both riser cards can be up to 185mm length total 90W~150W PCIe cards. It is expandable with Nvidia Tesla Card, Nvidia GPU card, Nvme card, image capture card, and I/O card. Furthermore, EBOX-7000 can be used in edge AI enhancements, intelligent video analytics AI Video analysis, IIoT, traffic management and machine vision.

EBOX-7000 features TPM 2.0 and memory 2 x DDR4 2400/2666 MHz SO-DIMM up to 32GB. In addition, environmental tolerance continually maintains a wide range of operating temperatures (-40°C ~ 70°C) allowing it to operate in extreme and rugged environmental conditions.

Another highlight of EBOX-7000 is the SINTRONE self-developed technology SINSmart – it provides reliable monitoring of network-connected remote power control devices, Power over Ethernet (PoE) switches and UPS for power management. It has remote monitoring of voltage, UPS delay setup and Digital, IO/WDT/System temperature control. This feature supports edge ai gpu computing with reliable remote connectivity. Furthermore, it has automatic recovery short circuit protection and vehicle power ignition for various vehicles. Includes an optional battery backup kit (Patent No. M447854 Build-in Battery), for continuous operations, providing an extra 10 minutes after power drain or failure of the main power source to increase the reliability of the system.

Key Features:

  • Intel 9th Gen Core i7/ Intel 8th Gen Core i7/i5/i3
  • 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Interface Expansion (optional 2 x PCIe 3.0 x8 Interface)
  • 6 x RJ45 GbE (optional 4 x PoE Max. 100W)
  • 8 x GPI, 4 x GPO and 2 x RS-232/422/485
  • 1 x DP + 1 x HDMI + 1 x DVI-I (Single Link w/o Analog Video)
  • Dual Hot Swappable SATA Storage RAID 0,1,5
  • 9-48V DC Input and Operating Temp.: -40~70°C
  • TPM 2.0

For more information, please visit www.sintrones.com, Products / Edge AI GPU Computing.

Arduino IoT Cloud; Fully Released For Professional Developers and Makers

Arduino has announced the full release of the Arduino IoT Cloud platform for Makers and Professional

The Arduino IoT Cloud platform is a cloud computing solution by Arduino to help makers and enthusiasts easily develop, monitor, or control their IoT projects from anywhere.

The Arduino IoT Cloud platform has all you need as a user to deliver an end-to-end IoT solution – hardware, firmware, cloud services, and knowledge support.

So regardless of the place or time, the Arduino IoT Cloud platform makes it easy to collect and analyze sensor data, trigger events and maintain full control of your devices.

The Arduino cloud platform has a low-code approach that helps to improve workflows for users and simplify device registration for convenience and flexibility. It also supports other methods of interaction like HTTP REST API, MQTT, Websockets, Command-Line Tools, and Javascript. 

Key Features of the Arduino IoT Cloud Platform includes:

  • Automatically-Generated Code: To empower makers of all ages and experience, the platform automatically generates code that one can easily adapt with little or no effort. This way, there is no barrier or set back for you if you are not familiar with any level of coding.
  • Plug & Play Onboarding: It automatically generates a sketch layout when you are setting up a new device so you can edit it right away and move quickly from unboxing to the building.
  • ‘On-the-go’ Mobile Dashboard: Through the companion app, which is now available on all platforms, you can access dashboards, Monitor sensor data, and control actuators remotely from anywhere in the world using accessible widgets.

What’s more? The Arduino IoT Cloud platform integrates with Amazon Alexa, IFTTT, ZAPIER, and Google Sheets to help users program and manage their devices using voice, spreadsheets, databases, and automated alerts. The platform also offers developers the opportunity to create custom apps using the Arduino IoT API, with custom endpoint webhooks to be added later for more flexibility.

At the heart of the platform is the ease of remote management. The platform uses an API to automatically control, manage, configure, and connect not only Arduino hardware but a majority of Linux-based devices easily and securely through a simple Internet connection.

There are also opportunities to power up tools and access additional features. With a $6.99 per month subscription, you can connect more things, save more sketches, increase data storage on the cloud, and access unlimited compilation times, and much more.

Android and iOS versions of the Cloud platform are available and can be downloaded for free from Google Play and App Store respectively.

Meet the New USB Type-C based, PIC32 Development Board from Lophtware

The USB Type-C / PIC32 development board from Lophtware is a low-cost Microchip PIC32-based development board, compatible with HID (Human Interface Device) endpoint standard. It is a USB 2.0 Type-C / PIC32 breakout board that offers full-speed USB 2.0 development for breadboarding and prototyping.

The 24MHz PIC32-based development board aims at making USB Type-C work as easy as possible. The major goal behind its design is “plug-n-play for rapid prototyping without the need for in-depth knowledge of USB or having to install custom drivers.” says the company.

“The chosen USB protocol for the stock firmware is HID (Human Interface Device) because it is ubiquitous and does not require drivers or (significant) configuration of the Host to be up and running fast. It should just work.”

The USB Type-C / PIC32 development board (Lite) provides common functionalities for a number of general-purpose use-cases. It incorporates a 32-bit PIC microcontroller which makes it a more flexible option compared with FT232-type of breakout boards.

Some technical features and specifications include:

  • 32-bit PIC32MM0256GPM028 MIPS microcontroller running @ 24MHz
  • 32kB of RAM
  • 256kB of flash storage
  • 15 GPIO broken out to 0.1-inch headers
  • SPI / I2S controller (operates only as Master for the default firmware)
  • I2C bus controller (operating as both Master and Slave)
  • UART controller
  • 12-bit Analogue-to-Digital Converter (ADC)
  • Analog comparators
  • PWM controllers
  • Capture / Compare / PWM modules
  • 4x Configurable Logic Cells
  • Timers
  • USB 2.0 full-speed compatible HID endpoints that operate without custom drivers, and,
  • +3.3V LDO Linear Regulator supplying a minimum current of 1A (derated to 150mA at 50 Celsius ambient, without a heatsink)

Lophtware’s USB Type-C / PIC32 breakout board is available in two forms: the “Lite” and the “Full Fat“. The “Lite” is a stripped-down and lower-cost variant of the USB Type-C / PIC32 breakout board. It uses the same microcontroller and has the same firmware as the “full fat”, but lacks a USB connector, mounting holes, debug accessory mode programming, and over-voltage protection.

Lite and Full-Fat Placed Side-by-Side

So if you care more about smaller form-factor, more GPIO, and your intended USB Host is robust enough, you can go for the Lite but if USB Host protection, robustness, and USB mechanical compatibility are more important to you than a few extra GPIO and a lower sticker price, then the Full fat version would be a better choice.

Both variants are currently available on Tindle; Lite sells for $17.99 while Full Fat goes for $24.99. Codes, schematics, firmware, and software examples are also available on the company’s GitHub repository.

Sipeed Maix Amigo Development Board Based on RV64GC (RISC-V)

Seeed Studio has announced the Sipeed Maix Amigo, which is a portable 64-bit RISC-V development kit powered by Kendryte K210 RISC-V AI processor. The release of the Sipeed Maix Amigo rivals the Wio terminal, Wio terminal is a simple and tiny device to build I/O with the physical world, equipped with a 2.4 inch LCD and a compact enclosure earlier released by Seed Studio. Sipeed Maix amigo has similar characteristics to the Wio terminal.

Sipeed Maix Amigo is also a portable Arduino development kit with expansion connectors and headers. It is built around a Kendryte K210 RISC-V AI Processor with 8MB of static RAM (SRAM) and 16MB of flash memory, with a microSD slot for up to 128GB of additional storage. The front of the system is powered by a 3.5 “320×480 capacitive touchscreen display and a GC0328 VGA-resolution proficient camera of 30 frames per second; the rear, therefore, uses the same-resolution OV7740 camera sensor which supports 60 frames per second.

The internal hardware of the Sipeed Maix Amigo shares similarities to Sipeed Maixduino board. The internal hardware board includes a 520mAh lithium battery which charges via a USB Type-C interface. There’s a user-controllable RGB LED, and Maix Amigo provides support for a custom MicroPython port dubbed MaixPy, PlatformIO, and the Arduino IDE. It also supports offline speech recognition, and MobileNetV1/V2, TinyYOLOv2, face recognition, ASR, and deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow lite, ONNX, Baidu PaddlePaddle model conversion.

It is also equipped with 2 cameras, TF card slot, user buttons, TFT capacitive touch screen, lithium battery, speaker, microphone, 2 USB ports, and an expansion interface. It has a variety of hardware acceleration units such as KPU, FPU, FFT, etc. and the total computing power can be up to 1TOPS, which can conveniently realize machine vision/hearing algorithms of various application scenarios, and can also perform pre-processing work of voice scanning and voice data output. Users can use Maix Amigo to easily build a face recognition access control system. The hardware integrates front and rear 0.3-megapixel cameras and a 3.5-inch capacitive touch screen.

Below are the full specifications of the Sipeed Max Amigo :

  • SoC – Kendryte K210 Dual-core 64-bit RISC-V (RV64GC) processor with FPU @ 400 MHz (overclockable to 500MHz), 8MB SRAM, built-in AI accelerators for video and audio
  • Storage – 16MB Flash, MicroSD card slot up
  • Display – 3.5-inch TFT capacitive touch screen display with 480×320 resolution
  • Camera
  • VGA front-facing camera up to 30 fps (GC0328 sensor)
  • VGA rear camera up to 60 fps (OV7740 sensor)
  • Audio – 6+1 microphone array
  • USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
  • Expansion
  • 3x Grove ports with I2C, GPIO, etc…
  • 3x 8-pin SP-MOD headers with GPIOs, 3.3V, and GND signals; compatible with ESP-01 ESP8266 WiFi module, PSRAM modules, etc…
  • Sensor – Accelerometer
  • Misc – Reset button, 3x function buttons, 3x LEDs
  • Battery – 520 mAh Lithium battery
  • Power Supply – Via USB-C port
  • Dimensions – 104.3 x 63.3 x 16.5mm

For now, there are no many details about the Maix Amigo, and if you need more information the company redirects you to the MaixPy documentation and Sipeed forums.

The product is available for pre-order at seed studio’s store, currently priced at $39, with delivery scheduled to start on August 27th.

NODE Mini Server V3 Features Raspberry Pi 4 For Server or Mini PC

NODE has been in the market of Mini Server designs for a while now, and now they have launched the NODE Mini Server Version 3, which exploits the power and performance of the new Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. About the NODE Version 3, the company says:

“Like the previous versions, one of the main goals here is to package the Raspberry Pi in a form factor that makes it a little bit more useful as a regular mini server or computer. That means putting it all in a neat box, with all the ports on one side. Compared to the previous version, we have decided to simplify the concept further, so everything is encased in a 92x92mm enclosure, with a thickness not much larger than the Pi itself at 26mm or about 1 inch.”

The Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the newest model in the line of Raspberry Pi single-board computer, and it shares a similar layout and form factor as the Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. However, it features a more powerful Broadcom BCM2711 SoC with a quad-core Arm Cortex-A72 processor clocking at 1.5 GHz. It offers either 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB of RAM, and support for dual monitors via a pair of micro-HDMI ports. The Mini Server Version 3 is designed to run headless, so the monitors are not needed, but it utilizes the added power available. The NODE Mini Server Version 3 still retains the compact size of the other Mini Server Versions, but still incorporates additional hardware that is needed. Speaking about the modularity of the board, they say :

“Something we tried really hard on this time around is to add as much modularity as possible. Some of you’ll be happy to hear that this version requires no modifications to the actual Pi itself, and this is achieved with a range of custom pluggable adapter boards we made.”

The modularity moves the USB power port and HDMI port to the back of the device moves the micro SD card slot to the bottom where it is accessible and adds support for an mSATA SSD hard drive. The enclosure is constructed from a combination of a PCB and 3D-printed part. Finally, a pair of fans keep everything running nice and cool while your server toils away at whatever task you’ve assigned to it.

Regarding the application of the NODE, they say:

“Something like this would be ideal for the nascent decentralized web, where the users own and run these systems themselves. These devices allow the users to run inexpensive nodes that create the P2P infrastructure to store and distribute data through these networks. Crypto nodes, other blockchain based systems, seed servers, data distribution like IPFS and Dat, and decentralized social network servers for protocols such as Scuttlebutt, for example, are all good use cases. Other always-on stuff like setting up your own VPN, or a general Linux VPS work really well too. Media servers and network attached storage are another good candidate, as well as self-hosting applications like running websites, email servers, chat servers, and general data storage. And like I mentioned a few times, the increased CPU speed and RAM options mean now we truly have a candidate for a mini Linux desktop system too, and all at a pretty low price.”

The NODE Mini Server Version 3 is open source like the previous versions, and all the files and a list of the components are available on the project page if you want to build your own. About sales, the company says :

“we are going to probably sell some dev kits with all the parts unsoldered and unassembled, so if you’ve got the skills to put one together, print your own case and test everything out, that could be helpful. It might not be available for a few weeks, but keep an eye on the shop. This will be a small run, aimed at the early adopters and tinkerers. I’m also fully open to other people selling kits or premade servers on their own sites. We think it will be a great way to build this up as an open standard that others can develop and iterate on.”

You can visit the NODE Mini Server Version 3 project page for more information.

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