Page 388 – Electronics-Lab.com

FLIR Hadron Thermal/visible sensor module for drones, robotics, and imaging

Posted on 22 July, 2020 by mixos

Thermal imaging products company FLIR Systems has announced what it claims is the industry’s first thermal and visible sensor module for drone, robotic, and imaging manufacturers.

The FLIR Hadron dual sensor module for drone, robotic, and imaging original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) is designed to help reduce development costs and improve time to market. Offered in a lightweight (42.8 g), low-power, and 24 x 45 x 36-mm form factor, the device includes a 12-megapixel visible camera paired with the company’s Boson 320 x 240-resolution thermal camera with up to a 60-Hz frame rate.

“With the introduction of Hadron, FLIR Systems is leading the way in offering low-cost, dual sensor integration across a variety of industries from commercial drones to industrial imaging systems,” says Paul Clayton, General Manager, Components Business at FLIR. “Although our unmanned aerial system (UAS) customers are first to market with Hadron, this product empowers all of our OEM customers to increase performance with out-of-the-box functionality and simplified integration.”

In developing the Hadron, the company says it worked closely with drone manufacturers Vantage Robotics and Teal Drones to perfect the module for use on lightweight drone airframes. Vantage Robotics integrated the module into its micro-gimbal platform featuring its proprietary stabilization technology, offering a dual-sensor, OEM solution for existing UAS airframes and potentially other robotic platforms.

Tobin Fisher, CEO at Vantage Robotics says,

“Hadron is far and away the lightest and smallest combined visible-thermal sensor that has ever been commercially available. For an aircraft where you’re trying to push the limit on flight performance, every gram matters. The ability to get these sensor capabilities in a package this small makes an enormous difference.”

Teal has also integrated Hadron within its 2-lb (1 kilogram) Golden Eagle UAS platform, taking advantage of the module’s compact size to create a lightweight yet dynamic payload that helps preserve battery life and maximize flight time on a small airframe.

Teal Drones CEO and founder, George Matus says,

“Hadron enables us to speed development and time to market for small airframes with thermal and visual sensors. It’s high quality, low weight, and compact size allows for rapid integration to quickly develop prototypes.”

The Hadron is available now.

more information: www.flir.com

Photodiode Amplifier for Visible Light Using OPA381 – Arduino Nano Shield

Posted on 21 July, 2020 by mixos

The project presented here is a photodiode amplifier for visible light. The output voltage of the circuit increases linearly with light intensity. Low-cost BPW34 photodiode is used as a light sensor and OPA381 op-amp as an amplifier. OPA381 is a transimpedance amplifier that converts photodiode current flow into voltage. The operating voltage of this circuit is 5V DC, and output ranges to almost 0V to 4.5V DC. The project can be used to make a LUX meter and other photo lab equipment. The analog output of the project is within the range of microcontroller’s ADC for easy interface with micro-controllers. By combining this project with Arduino and LCD, you can create a light meter for photography. It is advisable to use filters in front of the sensor to stop infra-red noise as the sensitivity of BPW34 is near to infrared. Half-cut table tennis ball will help as a filter.

Photodiode Amplifier for Visible Light Using OPA381 – Arduino Nano Shield – [Link]

40V Synchronous Buck Converters from Diodes Deliver High Efficiency with Low EMI

Posted on 21 July, 2020 by mixos

Diodes Incorporated announces the AP64350Q/AP64351Q/AP64352Q series of automotive-compliant, 3.5A, synchronous buck converters for point of load (POL) applications.

Diodes Incorporated today announced the AP64350Q/AP64351Q/AP64352Q series of automotive-compliant, 3.5A, synchronous buck converters for point of load (POL) applications. The AP6435xQ combines a low quiescent current with a wide input voltage range of 3.8V to 40V. The devices have been developed for use in automotive applications including infotainment systems, instrument clusters, telematics, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and forward lighting.

With a fully integrated 75mΩ high-side power MOSFET and 45mΩ low-side power MOSFET, AP6435xQ provides high-efficiency step-down DC-DC conversion. The design of the AP6435xQ’s gate drive/bootstrap enables the devices to operate in low drop out (LDO) mode, allowing near 100% duty cycle.

To increase efficiency as the load current approaches zero, the devices enter pulse frequency modulation (PFM), resulting in a quiescent current of just 22μA. They also feature frequency spread spectrum (FSS) with a switching frequency jitter of ±6% and a proprietary gate driver scheme, which reduces high frequency radiated EMI noise caused by MOSFET switching.

The AP64350Q, AP64351Q, and AP64352Q have distinct additional feature sets that optimize performance in slightly different ways. The AP64350Q and AP64352Q have an adjustable switching frequency (100kHz – 2.2MHz) and can also be synchronized to an external clock. This provides the design flexibility to deliver a choice of low frequency with extremely high efficiency, or high frequency for small form factor solutions whose switching frequency is outside the AM band. The AP64351Q and AP64352Q have programmable soft-start, which reduces in-rush currents, while the AP64350Q and AP64351Q have external compensation to optimize loop response.

The AP64350Q, AP64351Q, and AP64352Q are qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 1, support PPAP documentation, and are manufactured in IATF 16949 certified facilities. The devices are available in the SO-8EP package priced at $0.93 in 1000 piece quantities.

Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 with PCIe/NVMe Support, to be Released in 2021.

Posted on 21 July, 202021 July, 2020 by Emmanuel Odunlade

The launch of every new revision/version of Raspberry Pi Board has always been followed with the release of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module based on that version. Things will not be different with the recently released Raspberry Pi 4, as the CEO of Raspberry Pi Trading, Eben Upton, in a recent interview, shared some plans to release the Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module in 2021.

Speaking on the popular weekly Raspberry Pi-Centric Show by Tom’s Hardware, Pi Cast, Eben talked about plans to release the Compute Module board within the next year, while affirming plans to incorporate some of the features that the community has clamored for since the launch of the Pi 4. In his words,

“The Raspberry Pi Compute Module, CM4, we will support NVMe to some degree on that, because of course, it [Raspberry Pi 4] has a PCI Express channel,”. Sharing more light on how this will be achieved, he said ” we have a single lane Gen 2 which is used to supply USB 3 on the Raspberry Pi [4]. On the [Compute] Module that would be exposed to the edge connector and we’re likely to support NVMe over that.”

One of the great things about the Raspberry Pi 4 is the onboard processor; the Broadcom BCM2711, which among several other things, comes with a PCIe interface that would have allowed users to directly connect storage devices and attain data transfer rates greater than the Max 40MBps that is possible with MicroSD cards. However, the interface was not exposed on the board as it was being used by the VL805 PCIe USB 3.0 controller for the USB ports, and why a lot of users have been able to hack their way around it, having it exposed on the compute module means there’s a ray of hope for users without the hacking skills.

Since the Compute Module comes with no ports and other features possessed by the regular Model B boards, the availability of this PCIe interface will only be useful to Industrial users for which the compute module was created. As such, Eben was asked the possibility of the PCIe interface being exposed to a traditional model B version of the board. His answers were affirmative, but he noted that it will require a lot of design modifications that may impact the cost, and size of the board.

Speaking further on the next steps with the Pi 4, Eben acknowledges the possibility of a Model A version of the board which he said might be the regular board version with the PCIe exposed, but he mentioned the challenges of keeping the price within the same range as the Model B.

Several other tips on what to expect from the Raspberry Pi team was shared on the show. You can watch the episode on YouTube to find out more about all that was discussed.

VCSEL lasers powerful emitters with short rise times

Posted on 21 July, 2020 by mixos

LASER COMPONENTS has expanded its range of VCSEL lasers. Its wide range of products now includes emitters with 850nm and 940nm in power classes between 200mW and 50W. All products are characterized by extremely short rise times and thus support pulse trains in the low nanosecond range and below.

Thanks to the semiconductor structure, the emission wavelength remains nearly constant, even with temperature fluctuations. This allows narrow-band bandpass filters to be used on the detector side. Upon customer request, the laser diodes are also available as powerful arrays.

In vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), light is emitted perpendicular to the chip’s surface and can therefore be easily collimated. The high power and short pulse sequence of the compact multi-mode lasers make this technology attractive for the LiDAR market, among others.

There, these properties ensure greater ranges and higher resolutions. Market researchers therefore assume that the global market for VCSEL lasers will grow rapidly in the next ten years.

more information: www.lasercomponents.com

Axiomtek’s PICO52R – Feature-Rich, Highly Expandable Pico-ITX SBC for Industrial IoT Applications

Posted on 21 July, 2020 by mixos

Axiomtek – a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted in the research, development and manufacture of series of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency – is pleased to introduce the PICO52R, its new 2.5-inch pico-ITX motherboard powered by the 8th gen Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 and Celeron® processor (code name: Whiskey Lake). Its reversed onboard CPU is attached on the rear side of the board to aid with heat dissipation and offers flexibility for easy system integration especially in space constraint enclosure. This embedded SBC features one DisplayPort, one HDMI and one LVDS for triple display applications. Leveraging the Intel® Active Management Technology 11, powerful CPU and rich I/O interfaces, the high-performance PICO52R provides high-precision services for edge computing, machine vision and industrial IoT applications.

“Designed with minimum maintenance and maximum ruggedness, the PICO52R can operate from -20°C to +60°C (-4°F to 140°F). It comes with a +12V DC power supply input with AT Auto Power On to ensure the reliable system operation,” said Michelle Mi, a product manager of ECSE Division at Axiomtek. “In addition, this pico-ITX embedded board utilizes Intel® HD graphics to optimize the imaging performance and bring the most captivating visual experiences. It is also equipped with two USB 3.0 ports to support industrial cameras, one M.2 Key E slot for wireless communication capabilities and two Gigabit Ethernet ports for mass data transmission.”

Advanced Features:

8th gen Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3 and Celeron® processor (code name: Whiskey Lake)
1 DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM for up to 16GB of memory
2 USB 2.0 and 2 USB 3.0
2 GbE LAN and 2 RS-232/422/485
M.2 Key E
Intel® AMT 11 supported

Within its small form factor, the PICO52R supports one 260-pin DDR4-2400 SO-DIMM for up to 16GB of system memory. The Intel® Core™-based embedded board comes with rich I/O options, including two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, two RS-232/422/485 ports, two Gigabit Ethernet ports with Intel® i219-LM and Intel® i211-AT, one DisplayPort port, one HDMI port and one 18/24-bit single/dual channel LVDS port. Moreover, it has a watchdog timer to detect and recover from computer malfunctions and supports hardware monitoring features to monitor temperature, voltage, fan speed, and more. With the support of Intel® Active Management Technology 11 (Intel® AMT 11), the PICO52R can complete remote management easily.

The PICO52R is now available for purchase. For more product information or customization services, please visit our global website at www.axiomtek.com or contact one of our sales representatives at info@axiomtek.com.tw

BOXER-8251AI: More Power, Greater Flexibility for AI at the Edge

Posted on 21 July, 2020 by mixos

AAEON, a leader in AI edge solutions, announces the release of the BOXER-8251AI AI edge box PC powered by NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier™ NX. With greater performance and compact size, the BOXER-8251AI offers greater flexibility to bring even more smart applications to life.

The BOXER-8251AI is powered by the innovative Jetson Xavier NX from NVIDIA. Featuring a six-core 64-bit ARM processor, it boasts 384 CUDA® cores, 48 Tensor Cores, and two NVDLA engines capable of running multiple neural networks in parallel, delivering accelerated computing performance up to 21 TOPS. Built to bring dedicated AI processing to the edge, the system also features 8GB of LPDDR4 memory and 16GB of onboard eMMC memory that’s expandable through the Micro-SD card slot.

One of the most innovative features of the NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX is the ability of users to select five different performance modes. These modes allow users to tailor the number of cores, processor speed, and power draw the system utilizes. Thanks to extensive testing and development by AAEON, along with rugged thermal design, users are able to match processor performance with a thermal performance for each operating mode.

The BOXER-8251AI also provides users with greater flexibility with its compact size and I/O features. With two COM ports and four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, as well as Gigabit Ethernet port, the BOXER-8251AI can easily integrate into existing applications as well as new ones. Its rugged, fanless design keeps dust and other contaminants out of the system, offering reliable and low-maintenance operation for more stable performance.

“With the BOXER-8251AI powered by NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX, users and developers have even greater freedom to select the kind of performance they need for their projects and applications,” said Alex Hsueh, Senior Director of AAEON’s System Platform Division. “Thanks to this flexibility, the BOXER-8251AI is able to power a wide range of AI and edge computing applications from Smart City environments to monitoring public transportation users for fever and compliance with face mask requirements.”

for more: www.aaeon.com

Photodiode Amplifier for Visible Light Using OPA381 – Arduino Nano Shield

BPW34 Photo Diode: BPW34 is a PIN photodiode with high speed and high radiant sensitivity in miniature, flat, top view, clear plastic package. It is sensitive to visible and near-infrared radiation.

OPA381 Precision, Low Power, 18MHz Transimpedance Amplifier: The OPA381 family of transimpedance amplifiers provides 18MHz of Gain Bandwidth (GBW), with extremely high precision, excellent long-term stability, and very low 1/f noise. The OPA381 features an offset voltage of 25μV (max), offset drift of 0.1μV/°C (max), and bias current of 3pA. The OPA381 far exceeds the offset, drift, and noise performance that conventional JFET op amps provide. The signal bandwidth of a transimpedance amplifier depends largely on the GBW of the amplifier and the parasitic capacitance of the photodiode, as well as the feedback resistor. The 18MHz GBW of the OPA381 enables a transimpedance bandwidth of > 250kHz in most configurations. The OPA381 is ideally suited for fast control loops for power level measurement on an optical fibber. As a result of the high precision and low-noise characteristics of the OPA381, a dynamic range of 5 decades can be achieved. This capability allows the measurement of signal currents on the order of 10nA, and up to 1mA in a single I/V conversion stage. In contrast to logarithmic amplifiers, the OPA381 provides very wide bandwidth throughout the full dynamic range.

The module can also be used as Arduino nano shield, the output is connected to A0 analog pin, 5V DC, and GND connection power up the board from Arduino Nano.

Features

Supply 5V DC
Output Swings Approx. 0 to 4.5V DC
PCB Dimensions 44.61mm x 28.58mm

Schematic

Parts List

Connections

Gerber View

Photos

Video

OPA381 Datasheet

ROCK Pi E SBC Features Rockchip RK3328, With 64bits quad core processor

Posted on 20 July, 202020 July, 2020 by Tope Oluyemi

In the past, we have seen some Rockchip boards from Radxa, like the Rock pi N10(RK3399Pro) and the Rock PiS powered by the RK3308 Cortex-A35 processor. Now, Radxa has launched a Rock Pi E SBC, which is a Rockchip RK3328 based SBC. It is equipped with a 64bits quad core processor, USB 3.0, dual ethernet, wireless connectivity at the size of 2.5×2.2 inch (56x65mm), making it perfect for IoT and network applications. ROCK Pi E comes in various ram sizes from 512MB to 4GB DDR3, and uses uSD card for OS and storage as well as supporting eMMC module. Optionally, ROCK Pi E supports PoE, additional HAT is required. The SBC that is similar to the ROCK Pi E in the market, is the NanoPi R2S dual Gigabit Ethernet SBC from FriendlyElec, which is powered by Rockchip RK3328 SBC. The major difference between the two SBC is that Rock Pi E is equipped with one Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB 3.0 port, a built-in WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity which is unavailable on the NanoPi R2S.

The following are specifications of Rock Pi E:

SoC – Rockchip RK3328 quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor @ up to 1.3 GHz
System Memory – 256MB, 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB DDR3
Storage – MicroSD card slot up to 128GB, eMMC module support ( 16GB / 32GB / 64GB / 128GB)
Video & Audio – 3.5mm AV output jack (Not 100% sure whether composite video is supported)
Connectivity
- 1x Gigabit Ethernet port with PoE support via an additional HAT
- 10/100M Ethernet
- Wireless
- 2.4 GHz 802.11 b/g/n Wifi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 via RTL8723DU OR
- Dual-band 802.11b/g/n/ac WiFi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 via RTL8821CU
USB – 1x USB 3.0 Type-A host port
Expansion – 40-pin expansion header with 1x USB 2.0, 1x I2C, 1x SPI, 2x
UART, 1x I2S, 5V, 3.3V and GND signals
Misc – Reset key, Maskrom key, LEDs
Power Supply – 5V via USB-C port
Dimensions – 56 x 65mm.

The ROCk Pi E currently supports Debian Buster, Ubuntu Bionic, etc. The following are the only variants available for sale on Seeed Studio :

Rock Pi E D4W1P : The ROCK Pi E D4W1P Is equipped with 512MB DDR3, RTL8723DU (Wi-Fi 4 + Bluetooth 4.2), PoE support, with an additional PoE HAT, and uses a micro-SD card for OS and storage as well as supports eMMC modules. It sells for $24.
Rock Pi E D8W2P: The ROCK Pi E D8W2P comes in 1GB DDR3 RAM and uses a micro-SD card for OS and storage as well as supports eMMC modules. Also, this supports PoE, with an additional PoE HAT, for $26.
Rock Pi E D8W2: The ROCK Pi E D8W2 comes in 1GB DDR3 RAM and uses a micro-SD card for OS and storage as well as supports eMMC modules. RTL8821CU (Wi-Fi 5 + Bluetooth 4.2), PoE support, for $28.

We can find some of the variants on ALLNetChina with a starting price of $19, offering 512MB RAM, and no wireless module. Radxa did not release enough details regarding accessories, hopefully we will get some updates soon. You can find more information about the board on Radxa’s wiki page, and you can purchase the boards on Seeed Studio’s website.

Extremely small power-saving 3D magnetic sensor opens up new design options

Posted on 20 July, 2020 by mixos

Infineon Technologies AG will expand its XENSIV™ 3D magnetic sensor family TLx493D. At its in-house digital trade show “Virtual Sensor Experience”, the chipmaker will present a new device for industrial and consumer applications: the TLI493D-W2BW. It uses the latest 3D Hall generation from Infineon and is housed in an extremely small wafer-level package. With an 87 percent smaller footprint and 46 percent less height than previous comparable products, the sensor opens up new design options.

Due to the small WLB-5 package (1.13 mm x 0.93 mm x 0.59 mm) and its low current consumption of 7 nA in power-down mode, the new magnetic sensor is also suitable for use in applications that previously used resistor-based or optical solutions. Magnetic sensors offer numerous advantages here, such as their high accuracy or robustness against dust and moisture. In addition, magnetic sensors are easier to assemble and offer more design options.

In particular, the low height of the TLI493D-W2BW is helpful in extremely space-critical applications such as BLDC commutation in micromotors or control elements such as joysticks or game consoles. It enables designs with double-sided PCBs or positioning of the sensor between two PCBs. This allows optimal use of the available space; for example, additional components can be placed above the sensor.

Technical features

The new sensor has an integrated wake-up function. It is available in four variants with preconfigured standard addresses. A higher resolution (typ. 32.5 to 130 µT/LSB12) compared to the previous generation extends the range of applications. XY angle measurement is also supported.

The update rate is up to 5.7 kHz (8.4 kHz for XY), while the resolution in low-power modes can be adjusted in eight steps between 0.05 and 770 Hz. Power consumption in power-down mode is specified at 7 nA. The supply current is 3.4 mA. The sensor has an I²C interface and a dedicated interrupt pin.

Availability

Samples of the new XENSIV 3D sensor TLI493D-W2BW are already available. Series production will start in August 2020. Further information is available at www.infineon.com/3dmagnetic.