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Chai release Open Source Environmental Testing Kit For COVID-19

Posted on by Ayo Ayibiowu

The CHAI team announced at the Open Hardware Summit that the group would be launching an environmental test kit that will be able to work on the Open qPCR machine, which was released in 2016. The kit will be a DIY test kit for COVID-19, which has caused a global pandemic for the detection of the virus on surfaces, objects, and non-liveable things. One cannot overstate the importance of containing the spread to help. Detecting how the virus is transmitted will help researchers figure out a way to slow it and hopefully stop it.

COVID-19 gPRC Testing Equipment

The Open qPCR, which is built around the BeagleBone Black Single Board Computer (SBC), is an open-source device created for Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) testing. PCR is a technique for studying DNA and RNA sequences. The Open qPCR has the single-channel version, which costs $4,499 and the double channel version, which costs $6,499. This is affordable and portable for a piece of lab equipment.

COVID-19 gPRC Testing Equipment
Chai release Open Source Environmental Test Kit For COVID-19

The kit that will be released will not be used for testing in humans but on various surfaces. It will use the primers and probe information released by the CDC for performing PCR tests for COVID-19.

The test kit can check swabs used on doorknobs, phones, chairs, laptops, and other hard surfaces. Results will be provided in less than one hour with information on the amount of virus. Inside the extraction chamber, the virus is prepped, and a sample is used for the RT -qPCR test. Then the sample’s RNA is converted to DNA and then amplified for faster detection.

Labs are being encouraged to take the test kits out and test surfaces in the community. Chai is aiming at an end-user cost of $15 per test. The test kits are aimed primarily at public spaces like schools, libraries, senior systems, and other public institutions, but can also be used in offices and any other environment. Also, the kit has been made for research purposes only.

The Chai Coronavirus, Environmental Test kit, has April 17 as its estimated shipping date with a Start-Up Bundle costs $ 7,500. It contains the Open qPCR dual-channel version and 96 tests, while the Test Kit, which includes 96 tests, only costs $1,400, can be purchased separately if you already own any of the Open qPCR devices. A dual-channel version of the Open qPCR or similar equipment can be used with it. Further information may be found on Chai’s Coronavirus Environmental Testing page

Kontron 3.5 inch Single Board Computer 3.5”-SBC-WLU with latest Intel® processor technology for demanding IoT applications

Posted on by mixos

Higher WLAN speed thanks to Intel® Integrated Connectivity (CNVi) – available with 8th Gen. Intel® Core™ U-series or Celeron® processors

Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computing Technology (ECT), introduces its 3.5″ SBC with the latest processor technology from Intel®. Due to the Triple Display Support and the support of numerous new interfaces, the updated embedded board is ideally suited for applications that place high demands on graphics and require fast WLAN. In addition, the low power consumption enables fanless designs. This opens up new options for IoT applications such as retail, banking, hospitality, education, industrial control and automation.

The new version provides up to 12 times higher WLAN speed than conventional devices, depending on the model, thanks to the Intel® Wireless Access Point, which is integrated in the M.2 Key E slot via the new Intel® CNVi interface. Further M.2 slots can be used to extend SSD memory via Key B and Key M, or to extend WWAN (via Key B, i.e. 3G, 4G or future 5G). Furthermore, the upgraded 3.5-inch board offers interfaces of the latest generation for fast data transfer between storage and mass storage as well as peripheral devices, which include NVMe SSD, DDR4, USB 3.1 and SATA III.

In addition to increased graphics performance, the board supports numerous interfaces, including two fast DDR4 SO-DIMM memory sockets for up to 64 GBytes, a high-speed SATA 3.0 socket and M.2 expansion slots. It offers advanced connectivity through two Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, four USB 3.1 (front panel), four USB 2.0 (via headers), two RS232/422/485 for USB and Serial Device Connection, as well as 8-bit DIO for device and signal control. The Realtek ALC662 audio codec offers audio via 2 speaker out as well as one line-in, line-out and mic-in via headers.

Graphics features include support for 4K Ultra Definition Video, 1x LVDS and 2x DP++ for Triple Display support through Intel® UHD Graphics 620 / 610 GPU, including HDMI and DVI support without active adapter.

Kontron customers can choose between four different processors: Intel® Core™ i7-8665UE (Quad Core, 8M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz, FCBGA1528, 15 W TDP), Intel® Core™ i5-8365UE (Quad Core, 6M Cache, up to 4.1 GHz, FCBGA1528, 15 W TDP), Intel® Core™ i3-8145UE (Dual Core, 4M Cache, up to 3.9 GHz, FCBGA1528, 15 W TDP) or Intel® Celeron® 4305UE (Dual Core, 2M Cache, 2.00 GHz, FCBGA1528, 15 W TDP).

An integrated Trusted Platform Module (TPM) Version 2.0 increases the security of end devices. The SBC will be available from end of March 2020.

For more information, please visit: https://www.kontron.com/products/boards-and-standard-form-factors/single-board-computer/3.5–sbc-wlu.html

High Voltage Regulator – 48V DC Output from 125V DC Input

Posted on by mixos

The project published here is a high-voltage adjustable regulator with an output 48 V DC from an input supply of 125V DC. The circuit is capable to drive load current up to 500mA. This regulator circuit designed for use in high-voltage applications where standard bipolar regulators cannot be used. Excellent performance specifications, superior to those of most bipolar regulators, are achieved through circuit design and advanced layout techniques. As a state-of-the-art regulator, the TL783 device combines standard bipolar circuitry with high-voltage double diffused MOS transistors on one chip, to yield a device capable of withstanding voltages far higher than standard bipolar integrated circuits. Because of its lack of secondary-breakdown and thermal-runaway characteristics usually associated with bipolar outputs, the TL783 maintains full overload protection while operating at up to 125 V from input to output. Other features of the device include current limiting, safe-operating-area (SOA) protection, and thermal shutdown.

High Voltage Regulator – 48V DC Output from 125V DC Input – [Link]

Phantom Powered Micro-Phone Pre-Amplifier using SSM2019

Posted on by mixos

The project published here is based on SSM2019 IC which is a latest-generation Pro audio preamplifier. A female XLR connector is provided to connect differential Micro-phone. Circuit also provides Phantom power input, combining SSM preamplifier design expertise with advanced processing. The result is excellent audio performance, the attached trimmer potentiometer helps to adjust the output gain. The SSM2019 is further enhanced by its unity-gain stability. Key specifications include ultra-low noise (1.5 dB noise figure) and THD (<0.01% at G = 100), complemented by wide bandwidth and high slew rate. Applications for this low-cost device include microphone preamplifiers and bus summing amplifiers in professional and consumer audio equipment, sonar, and other applications requiring a low noise instrumentation amplifier with high gain capability.

Phantom Powered Micro-Phone Pre-Amplifier using SSM2019 – [Link]

750mA Constant Current LED Driver Arduino Nano Shield

Posted on by mixos

This small constant current LED driver Nano shield has been designed using CAT4104 IC from ON semiconductor. Its 4 channel LED driver. The board has provision to mount 20 SMD 1206 LEDs. The LED can be RED, GREEN, BLUE and WHITE. Reduce the number of LED to 12 if White LEDs are used, as white LEDs are 3-5V and total series voltage should not exceed 12V. CAT4104 provides four matched low dropout current sinks to drive high−brightness LED strings up to 175 mA per channel. The LED channel current is set by an external trimmer potentiometer connected to the RSET pin. The LED pins are compatible with high voltage up to 12V. The EN/PWM logic input supports the device enable and high-frequency external Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming control.

750mA Constant Current LED Driver Arduino Nano Shield – [Link]

TIG Announces Bluetera II Open Source IoT Motion-Based Development Board

Posted on by Tope Oluyemi

Tensor Iotera Group (TIG) has announced its new Bluetera II open source full-stack development board, which according to the company uses Google’s Protocol Buffer technology for motion-based IoT applications. TIG says that the Bluetera II is the second generation module. Bluetera II is built to fill the gap for an open source platform that meets the following requirements :

  • A system-level API that properly encodes and delivers data from the end-node to the client application, often running on a mobile phone
  • A way to simplify 3D motion data that would otherwise require users to master non-trivial and sometimes counter-intuitive concepts and mathematics
  • Physical characteristics appropriate for an Internet of Things (IoT) platform: robust, low-power, extensible, and as small as possible

The company says

“Developers of IoT platforms often struggle with motion math: quaternions, calibration, angles, transformation, logging, etc. The Bluetera SDK’s motion library provides common open-source algorithms and calculations to help reduce this sort of complexity. Using the Madgwick sensor fusion algorithm, for example, Bluetera II is capable of streaming 200 Hz of quaternion data (OS-dependent)… Protocol Buffers is a battle-tested, schema-based serialization library developed by Google. An SDK built on Protocol Buffers allows our API to pass information between the various layers of an IoT system in a way that is efficient, extensible, and even beautiful. That API, which integrates with Nordic’s nRF SDK, will save you from having to do a great deal of boring, time-consuming, error-prone work that requires expertise in many different frameworks.”

The Bluetera II is equipped with the latest Nordic nRF52840 SoC, which can function as a BLE Central and a BLE peripheral. The hub is capable of being connected to a Linux or a Windows-based USB port as a BLE dongle. Then, it can become an integral part of the Bluetera LAN interacting with multiple Bluetera hub modules. The Bluetera II which features Nordic’s nRF52840, enables an Arm Cortex-M4 FPU, with 1MB of Flash, and 256KB of RAM. A BLE 5.0 controller is also incorporated with the MCU for wireless communications, but TIG offers BLE add-on modules for short, long, and ultra-long applications. The Bluetera II also features a pair of 13-pin headers, each of the headers are equipped with PWM, SWD, and GPIOs that can be configured as UART, I²C, ADC, etc.

Available also is an InvenSense ICM-45605 6-axis sensor, plus an IMU ST LIS3MDL 3-axis magnetometer, which enables accurate motion sensing using the Madgwick Algorithm which was mentioned earlier. The board’s specs also includes a micro USB port, JST power connector, RGB user LED, red charger LED, Li-IoN battery charger, 32.48 kHz xtal for RTC. TIG says that their SDK helps link all system elements, making it easy for hardware and software developers to utilize for their IoT projects. It is also compatible with most major desktop and mobile operating systems like Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS.

The Bluetera II is currently crowdfunding on Crowd Supply, starting at $50 for the development board with options for add-ons, like the BLE modules stated earlier, and optional antenna configurations. They also list a developer edition for $70. The $70 edition includes a debug expansion board, complete with headers and connectors.

Garz & Fricke extends product family of single board computers

Posted on by mixos

Garz & Fricke, supplier of hardware and software solutions for industrial IoT from Hamburg, will present its versatile product portfolio at the embedded world 2020 in Nuremberg. One of the exhibition highlights at booth 240 in hall 2 is the new TANARO Single Board Computer – a consistent further development of the existing product families.

Garz & Fricke has made a name for itself as a manufacturer of customized HMI and panel PC solutions for various industries. Many years of experience and creativity characterize the solutions of the Hanseatic company. Nearly all products are developed and manufactured at the Hamburg site itself.

With the TANARO Single Board Computer (SBC) Garz & Fricke presents the latest member of its product family of Single Board Computers at the Nuremberg trade fair embedded world, which was designed for the area of industrial image processing. The SBC model is equipped with the current processor generation NXP i.MX8M Mini. The Quad Core Cortex-A53 processor system from NXP is manufactured using the latest 14LPC FinFET process. This guarantees optimum performance with low power consumption. At the same time, no wishes remain unfulfilled, even with extremely high requirements regarding operating temperature.

Wide range of applications thanks to a multitude of interfaces

In addition to the classic interfaces such as RS485, CAN, RS232, USB and Ethernet, the TANARO Single Board Computer​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ also offers the option of retrofitting wireless modules. In addition, there is the option of retrofitting a MIPI CSI interface for connecting cameras as well as an extended audio interface, which can also be used to connect a microphone. “This AV interface, together with a corresponding software stack, makes the TANARO SBC fit for the latest applications, that are in demand in the prospering IoT environment,” says Managing Director Matthias Fricke, explaining the possible applications. “In combination with TensorFlow, for example, TANARO is thus also optimized for projects that require machine learning”.

Like almost all solutions from Garz & Fricke, the TANARO SBC is a fully integrated single board computer “Made in Germany”, which is manufactured at the new production site in Hamburg. Due to the Garz & Fricke Family Concept and Lifecycle Policy, TANARO is available as Human Machine Interface (HMI) in different designs. The new SCB is currently offered as Flush Mount, Rear Mount and Panel Mount, starting with the seven inch budget version up to currently 32 inch.

Specifications listed for the Tanaro include:

  • Processor — NXP i.MX8M Mini Quad (4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.8GHz); GCNanoUltra GPU for 3D, GC320 for 2D; Cortex-M4F @ 400MHz
  • Memory/storage:
    • 1GB LPDDR4 RAM
    • 4GB MLC eMMC
    • MicroSD slot
  • Networking/wireless:
    • 10/100 Ethernet port
    • 10/100/1000 (GbE) port
    • Optional wireless via mini-PCIe (see farther below)
  • Media I/O:
    • Dual-channel, 24-bit LVDS
    • PCAP (I2C) touch interface with 12V backlight interface (PWM)
    • MIPI-CSI interface
    • Mic input
    • Speaker out connector
    • Internal speaker connector
  • Other I/O:
    • USB 2.0 host port
    • Micro-USB OTG port
    • 2x RS-232 interfaces
    • Isolated RS-485 interface
    • Isolated CAN interface
  • Expansion — Mini-PCIe half-size slot for optional WiFi-n/BT 4.0 or 3G/4G cards
  • Other features — RTC with battery
  • Power — 9-32V DC input (nom. 13-32V); PMIC
  • Operating temperature — 0 to 60°C; 5 to 95% relative humidity tolerance
  • Dimensions — 159 x 80 x 18mm
  • Weight — 102 g
  • Operating system — Yocto based Linux; Android

Focus on individual customer requirements

If required, customers who decide to use the TANARO SBC have access to the entire range of services offered by the Hamburg company. This includes, in addition to the customer-specific adaptation or further development of the TANARO, individual application development and a cloud solution.

“Our specialists in development, design and sales have many years of experience and know the individual needs of the most diverse industries,” says Stephan Meyer-Loges, Product Manager Embedded Systems, summing up. “Together with our customers we therefore develop and design the perfect system for any application. Customers benefit from one-stop shopping and the ‘Made in Germany’ seal of quality”.

No pricing or availability information was provided for the “coming up” Tanaro. More information may be found in Garz & Fricke’s announcement and product page.

NEXCOM Elevates Edge Computing Again with Cutting-edge, ARM-based uCPE

Posted on by mixos

NEXCOM, the leading provider of network communication appliances and uCPE, introduces the NSA 6310, based on NXP® Semiconductors’ latest multi-core Layerscape® LX2160A platform. The NSA 6310 offers better performance and pricing than the market’s existing solutions and also fulfills telecom and IoT operators’ demand for multi-technology and edge computing white box solutions to address operational environment and business needs.

“Edge computing is key to pushing next-gen networks to deliver better user experiences with low latency and high performance. The NSA 6310 with ARM platform is low cost while providing high performance and additional PCIe I/Os to add FPGAs or GPUs for AI/ML services in the edge,” explains Jovanni Lee, V.P. of Network & Communication Solutions at NEXCOM. “We are proud to deliver ARM edge computing by working with NXP.”

“With one of world’s most comprehensive edge computing portfolios today, NXP continues to play a leading role in developing the ARM-based hardware and software ecosystem. By leveraging our hardware-accelerated, Layerscape family of multicore processors, NEXCOM is expanding the availability of advanced uCPE solutions that can enable high-performance, low-power virtualized solutions,” Noy Kucuk, vice president product management, Digital Networking, NXP. “As a result of our collaboration, these differentiated uCPE offerings are designed to enable service providers to deploy efficient, edge compute systems that can support high-performance, multi-cloud frameworks.”

NEXCOM’s NSA 6310 is an open uCPE based on the Layerscape® LX2160A processor, with sixteen 64-bit ARM Cortex-A72 cores. The cores, in combination with integrated hardware acceleration for cryptographic processing, virtual forwarding, and traffic management, provide support for multi-gigabit routing and network services.

The NSA 6310 white box also offers two SerDes slots, with a choice of four dedicated 25G, 10G, and 1G LAN modules, for customers who need multiple I/Os to satisfy different applications; FPGA/GPU support to extend computing applications, board manager control (BMC) module and IEEE 1588 PTP feature for server-grade network appliances; and optional PoE support for edge deployments.

Main Features

  • NXP® Layerscape® LX2160A SoC, BGA type
  • 4 x DDR4-3100 ECC-DIMM
  • 1 x 2.5 SSD, 1 x M.2 2280
  • PCIe Gen3 x8 with SR-IOV
  • Dual boot device
  • Enhancing UEFI
  • Support secure boot and optional TPM
  • 2 x SerDes LAN modules support 25G/10G/1G
  • 4 x GbE RJ45
  • Optional IEEE1588 PTP
  • Optional BMC support with manager port
  • Redundant power supply
  • Optional PoE at/af support
  • Operating system: NXP® LSDK (Ubuntu userland)

No pricing or availability information was provided for the “coming soon” NSA 6310. More information may be found in Nexcom’s announcement and product page.

BoxBlox’s Open Source Ethernet Switch Offers Five Ports

Posted on by Ayo Ayibiowu

SwitchBlox is an open-source ethernet switch designed by Josh Elijah, who is the founder of BoxBlox. It was designed to make life easier for robot and drone developers or anyone who needs to use an ethernet switch. The switch is tiny, thereby making it easy to use in size constrained areas.

According to Josh,

” there’s currently no option for robot and drone builders looking for small and robust ethernet switch that is also open source.” The SwitchBlox is a 10/100 ethernet switch that is complete and fully available with a Creative Committee License. SwitchBlox offers a way to “incorporate Ethernet into space, weight, and power-constrained applications easily.”

Despite having its dimensions as 44.5 mm by 44.5 mm (1.75 by 1.75 inches), the switch has five Ethernet ports and still has room to display the LED status readouts for each of the ports. Due to its small size, there are no RJ-45 ports on the SwitchBlox. 1.25 mm Molex Picoblade five-way connectors that break out to RJ-45 with bundled cables are provided as a replacement.

BoxBlox’s Open Source Ethernet Switch Offers Five Ports

Also, other cables are available with un-terminated ends. They can be used for power input, manual wiring, and or output. An extension cable kit which costs £29.00 is being sold. It is optional and provided just in case the user needs more cables.

The SwitchBlox can be used straight out of the box as an unmanaged switch. Users should simply apply a 7 to 40 V DC supply and connect devices using cables provided. The switch will start forwarding packets almost immediately without any setup.

While SwitchBlox caters to the needs of users seeking simplicity and efficiency in network deployment, other options in the market, such as the aruba unmanaged switch series, offer additional features and scalability for larger-scale applications. Despite their differences in functionality and capabilities, both SwitchBlox and Aruba switches share a common goal of providing reliable and straightforward networking solutions.

Whether opting for the compact form factor of SwitchBlox or the robust feature set of Aruba switches, users can rest assured that they are investing in hardware designed to simplify network connectivity and enhance productivity.

Another option available is the use of an SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) bus to access and implement full capabilities. This can be used when dealing with advanced applications. However, it is important to remember that the board comes fully assembled and can be used without firmware.

Other features include the Auto MDI-X crossover and a 5V 2A power output connector to provide power to additional hardware.

Further Information and Pricing

“I haven’t closed off the design. I want this to help robot and drone developers and eventually build a suite of open source networking hardware for robots and drones,” said Josh. The SwitchBlox cost £149.00 with VAT and £124.17 without VAT on BoxBlox and $155 on Tindie. Some files for hardware in Ki Cad can be found on the BoxBlox GitHub repository.  Firmware files and Software files will be in C++ and Python, respectively. The former and latter will soon be posted on the same repository.

Miromico’s FMLR-6x-x-MA62x, the “World’s Smallest” LoRaWAN Module

Posted on by Tope Oluyemi

Miromico AG has developed a LoRaWAN module with integrated Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller, which was unveiled at Embedded World 2020. They claim it is the world’s smallest LoRaWAN module with integrated Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller. Also referred to as the FMLR-6x-x-MA62x Module, Miromico module’s latest design is built around the Maxim MAX23625/26 microcontroller, which enables an Arm Cortex-M4, clocking at up to 96MHz from the internal oscillator of as low as 4MHz from a low-power system clock.

The LoRa® FMLR RF modules enable wireless connectivity to almost all devices, systems and sensors communicating at low data rate over a distance of more than 50km. It is equipped with the latest software “LoRa Basics™ MAC”. Power consumption of the underlying nodes can be optimized to run from a small-sized battery, while the integrated radio allows the system to operate in a duty-cycled manner. It also offers 512kB of flash memory, 160kB of static RAM, 9kB of instruction cache, and extremely low power operation, which goes as low as 49µA/MHz when executing from flash and 2.56µW in data-retaining sleep mode. The module features wireless connectivity, which is enabled via a Semtech SX1261 or SX1262 wireless transceiver, offering full support for the increasingly popular LoRaWAN low-power long-range wide area network protocol with up to 20dBm transmission and -137dBm receive sensitivity.

 

In order to enable backward-compatible upgrade paths for grown products and systems, the FMLR family supports additional modulation schemes over LoRa. These modulation schemes include (G)FSK, (G)MSK, ASK, and OOK. Highly configurable OTA packet formats enable the communication with standards like Wireless Mbus and IEEE802.15.4g. The modules also allow the emulation of proprietary systems such as Nordic NRF905 or NRF9E5 with enhanced coverage range. For fast prototyping and development, the proprietary firmware including the wireless stack can be updated via SWD, UART-Bootloader, or OTA. Measuring 8.6mm by 9.3mm (around 0.34″ by 0.37″) in size, Miromico claims the module as “to the best of our knowledge the smallest LoRaWAN module ever produced.” For it to be easy to use during the prototyping stages, a daughterboard is available, which adds a Hirose U.FL antenna connector, additional external flash storage, and extra sensors. The LoRaWAN software stack is available as an open source solution which runs on the integrated microcontroller.

Even though Miromico has unveiled the module and daughterboard at Embedded World, the module is not quite ready to be put up for sale: The company however says they will only be distributing the module and a compatible starter kit to “alpha clients,” with no information about commercial availability. More information may be found on the company’s official product page.

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