Rock Pi N10 from Radxa is powered by RK3999Pro and Integrated Neural Processing Unit

Radxa has officially launched the Rock Pi N10, a sandwich-style 100 x 100mm board based around the Rockchip RK3399Pro SoC. This community-backed board has a new flavor of RK3399 that adds up to 3-TOPS NPU co-processor for better performance in deep-learning workloads.

The new Rock Pi N10 has a maximum RAM allotment beyond the RK3399’s 4GB limit so it can provide RAM for the NPU. There are three models available. Model A comes with 4GB LPDDR3 (3GB for CPU, 1GB for NPU) and 16GB eMMC. Model B has 6GB LPDDR3 (4GB for CPU, 2GB for NPU) and 32GB eMMC. Model C has the highest amount of RAM of 8GB LPDDR3 (4GB for CPU, 4GB for NPU) and eMMC storage of 64GB. The RK3399 has 2X 1.8GHz Cortex-A72 and 4X 1.4GHz Cortex-A53 cores, the ARM Mali T860MP4 GPU, and the NPU.

Other highlighted features of this new board are 16 to 64GB of eMMC storage with microSD and M.2 SSD expansion support, HDMI 2.0 port supporting up to 4K60 output. A two-lane MIPI DSI connector, 3.5mm analog audio jack, two-lane MIPI CSI camera connector, two USB 2.0 Host and one USB 3.0 OTG port, a gigabit Ethernet port with Power over Ethernet (PoE) support, and support for USB Power Delivery and Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0. There’s also a GPIO header with 40 pins, including 1x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 1x PCM/I2S, 1x PWM, 1x S/PDIF, 1x ADC, 6x GPIO, and two each of 5V and 3.3V power.

Rock PI N10 Model A

Specifications list for the Rock Pi N10 :

  • Processor – Rockchip RK3399Pro (2x Cortex-A72 at up to 2.0GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5GHz); Mali-T860 MP4 GPU; 3-TOPs NPU with 8/16-bit compute
  • Memory:-
    • Model A – 4GB LPDDR3 (3GB for CPU, 1GB for NPU); 16GB eMMC 5.1
    • Model B – 6GB LPDDR3 (4GB for CPU, 2GB for NPU); 32GB eMMC
    • Model C – 8GB LPDDR3 (4GB for CPU, 4GB for NPU); 64GB eMMC
  • Storage Options:-
    • MicroSD slot for up to 128GB (bootable)
    • M.2 socket with support for up to 2TB NVMe SSD
  • Networking – Gigabit Ethernet port with PoE (requires extra-cost RPi PoE HAT)
  • Media I/O:-
    • HDMI 2.0a port for up to 4K at 60Hz
    • MIPI-DSI (2-lane) via FPC; dual display mirror or extend with HDMI
    • MIPI-CSI (2-lane) via FPC for up to 8MP camera
    • eDP 1.3 (4-lane) up to 4K at 60Hz
    • 3.5mm audio I/O jack (24-bit/96KHz)
    • Mic
  • Other I/O:-
    • USB 3.0 OTG port and host/device switch
    • USB Type-C port for power input
    • 2x USB 2.0 host ports
  • Expansion:-
    • 40-pin GPIO header with RPi HAT support
    • M.2 slot for future optional WiFi/BT module
    • M.2 slot for NVMe SSD (see storage)
  • Other features – IR receiver; RTC with an optional battery connector
  • Power:
    • USB Type-C PD 2.0, 9V/2A, 12V/2A, 15V/2A, 20V/2A
    • Qualcomm Quick Charge support for QC 3.0/2.0 adapter, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A
    • Power button; reset and recovery keys
  • Dimensions – 100 x 100mm
  • Operating system – Android 8.1; Debian

Rock Pi N10 Model A is currently at the pre-order phase in the  webshop at seeed studio for $99. More information can be found on their official wiki page.

Isolated CAN BUS Transceiver Arduino Shield

The module described here is an isolated CAN Transceiver module. This module can be used as a standalone module or as an Arduino Uno shield. A controller area network is a two-wire high-speed serial network typically used to provide data communication between host and nodes. The high-speed controller area network transceivers offer integrated isolation, high ESD and high fault protection. The project built using ISO1042 IC from Texas Instruments. The project requires 5V supply from the host side (Arduino) and separates 5V from the node side for isolation. The project supports up to 5Mbps data rate in CAN FD mode allowing much faster transfer of payload compared to classic CAN. D1 Power LED, CN1 Can bus communication, CN3 RJ45 CAN Communication.

The ISO1042 device is a galvanically-isolated controller area network (CAN) transceiver that meets the specifications of the ISO11898-2 (2016) standard. The ISO1042 device offers ±70-V DC bus fault protection and ±30-V common-mode voltage range. The device supports up to 5Mbps data rate in CAN FD mode allowing much faster transfer of payload compared to classic CAN. This device uses a silicon dioxide (SiO2) insulation barrier with a withstand voltage of 5000 VRMS and a working voltage of 1060 VRMS. Electromagnetic compatibility has been significantly enhanced to enable system-level ESD, EFT, surge, and emissions compliance. Used in conjunction with isolated power supplies, the device protects against high voltage and prevents noise currents from the bus from entering the local ground.

Isolated CAN BUS Transceiver Arduino Shield – [Link]

Isolated CAN BUS Transceiver Arduino Shield

The module described here is an isolated CAN Transceiver module. This module can be used as a standalone module or as an Arduino Uno shield. A controller area network is a two-wire high-speed serial network typically used to provide data communication between host and nodes. The high-speed controller area network transceivers offer integrated isolation, high ESD and high fault protection. The project built using ISO1042 IC from Texas Instruments. The project requires 5V supply from the host side (Arduino) and separates 5V from the node side for isolation. The project supports up to 5Mbps data rate in CAN FD mode allowing much faster transfer of payload compared to classic CAN. D1 Power LED, CN1 Can bus communication, CN3 RJ45 CAN Communication.

The ISO1042 device is a galvanically-isolated controller area network (CAN) transceiver that meets the specifications of the ISO11898-2 (2016) standard. The ISO1042 device offers ±70-V DC bus fault protection and ±30-V common-mode voltage range. The device supports up to 5Mbps data rate in CAN FD mode allowing much faster transfer of payload compared to classic CAN. This device uses a silicon dioxide (SiO2) insulation barrier with a withstand voltage of 5000 VRMS and a working voltage of 1060 VRMS. Electromagnetic compatibility has been significantly enhanced to enable system-level ESD, EFT, surge, and emissions compliance. Used in conjunction with isolated power supplies, the device protects against high voltage and prevents noise currents from the bus from entering the local ground.

Note: Don’t populate TR1 CM choke. CM choke required when the device is used in a harsh EMC environment, it is 51uH 0.2A coupled inductor. J1 / J2 jumpers to be closed for normal operations.

Features

  • Supply 5V DC Host (Arduino)-VC1
  • Supply 5V DC Node Side
  • Data Transfer Speed 5-Mbps

Schematic

Parts List

Connections

Photos

ISO1042 Datasheet

Mudita Pure phone, helps you meditate and avoid distractions

Smartphones are pivotal to our day to day activities. They help us in many ways, but too often they become a time-consuming burden we carry with us all the time. Due to this, Mudita addressed this problem, through designing Mudita Pure phone. The Mudita Pure phone has a minimalist design for simple living. The company says:

”Designing Mudita Pure was a challenge. The more simple and clean we made the design, the more difficult it was to manufacture. It took us around 18 months to find the final look and included the creation of more than 40 different proposals. Yeah, yeah, maybe we overdid it. What can we say, we are perfectionists.”

The inspiration for the phone was taken from Japanese and Scandinavian design traditions combining ZEN aesthetics with nature itself.

Mudita’s various features

It offers a 2.84’’ e-ink display (600 x 480, PPI of 270, supporting 16-grayscale ), helping it avoid blue light emissions, and it has a simple design that is meant to make it resemble a stone. There’s no Internet, but the phones’ module supports all currently used generations: 2G, 3G and LTE standards at the same time. One key feature of the phone is the meditation timer, which helps you “focus on the present moment” says the company. The Meditation Timer comes with customizable session lengths and statistics. This is a simple, but very useful feature for all meditation and yoga enthusiasts. The meditation process starts and ends with a pleasant deep, soft gong. The phone has three modes of operation, which include: No Distractions (to switch off all the notifications), Whitelist (allowing only your favorite contacts to reach you) and Message Only (to stay connected but with limited distractions).

The Mudita Pure phone has its own OS called MuditaOS.

”We developed our own dedicated operating system (MuditaOS) and chose the open-source, real-time operating system kernel FreeRTOS®️ as our starting point. Optimized for the hardware, it makes Pure fast and power-efficient, with a boot time of just 5 seconds.”

The phone’s built-in apps include a music player, a notes tool, a calculator, alarms, and a calendar. The phone features a Harman loudspeaker, which provides high quality and natural sound both in quiet and loud environments, essential for enjoying hands-free conversations, your favorite tunes or audiobooks. Mudita says:

”Our dedicated OS features super-efficient power management. With an E-Ink display that only consumes battery when the content needs to be changed and practically none with data transmission. We’re still testing the best solutions, but our estimated battery capacity is around 1900mAh.”

GSM module for the phone covers Europe, North and South America, Australia, Africa, and Asia. Two nano SIM card slots are available, enabling switching between cards on the go. This enables you to use local SIM cards when abroad, while your home country SIM card stays securely in the phone instead of somewhere else, and can be activated anytime you need it, for example for wire transfers. Mudita Pure can also serve as a data modem for your notebook or desktop computer.

”We decided to enable tethering via USB C cable so that Pure can be used as an external GSM modem.”

The phone runs on an ARM Cortex-M7 600MHz with 16 MB SDRAM and 16 GB eMMC flash storage. It measures at 143.9mm by 59.13mm, with a thickness of 14.49mm.

Mudita Pure is designed to reduce SAR (Specific Absorption Rate) value as much as possible, without compromising on the signal strength.

”In order to achieve this, we’ve made our antenna with in-house shielding, using patented technology that we developed.”

Back in October, the phone raised more than £400,000 on crowdfunding websites, and the phone will likely cost around $300, with shipping to start in April 2020. For more information on the Mudita Pure phone, click here, for the spec list, click here.

Arduino IN-14 Nixie Clock with a DS1307 RTC

@ instructables.com shows us how to build an Arduino Nano based Nixie clock that features DS1307 RTC clock and 4x IN-14 Nixie tubes. He writes:

In this project I will show you how to create a retro nixie clock. That means I will show you how you can control nixie tubes with a high voltage DC power supply and then I will combine 4 nixie tubes with an Arduino, a Real Time Clock (RTC) and a custom 3D printed enclosure in order to create the nixie clock. Let’s get started!

Arduino IN-14 Nixie Clock with a DS1307 RTC – [Link]

LattePanda 5MP UVC Camera

LattePanda 5MP USB camera is a high quality 5 megapixel image sensor with compatibility of different system. UVC (USB video device class) made the camera has no need for any driver on windows, Linux or Android. USB 2.0 port , support OTG, auto-focus, automatic low light correction, all these is for plug and play. With its small size, you can use it in your face/object recognition project, or even as a regular webcam.

Features

  • 5 megapixel
  • Support OTG
  • Auto-focus
  • Automatic low light correction
  • UVC

Specification

  • Sensor:OV5640
  • 2592 x 1944 pixel static images
  • FOV:72°
  • Support Formats: MJPEG & YUV
  • Operation Temperature:-30~70℃
  • Power Supply:5V
  • Operation current:140mA
  • Interface:USB2.0
  • Module size: 9MM *62MM

The camera costs 25 USD and is available for purchase on www.dfrobot.com

Onion’s Omega2 Dash Is an IoT Platform for All-in-One Touch-Driven Projects

Due to power consumption (amongst other factors), IoT solutions typically prefer to rely on fancy web-based dashboards and mobile apps for user interactions rather than the use of displays, but scenarios (like industrial IoT applications) arises where a display is required to drive real-time interaction with users. To provide a solution suitable for this kind of situations where displays are required, Onion recently announced the launch of a new Low-cost, Linux computer called the Omega2 Dash.

The Omega2 Dash is a Wi-Fi-enabled Linux computer with a built-in touchscreen suitable for IoT Applications. It is a stand-alone, all-in-one solution that provides a touch-based visual UI that can be internet-connected, connected to other devices, or both. It can display the command line, run programs that create a touch-based UI, and display both texts and images (png, jpeg).

The Omega2 Dash, boasting a compact form factor dominated by a 2.8″ TFT touchscreen display, can be said to be a big brother to the Omega2 as it builds upon the same core of which made the Omega2 popular by offering a lot of computing power and a ready-to-go touchscreen interface, in a tiny form factor and at super low cost.

The core of the Omega2 Dash is based on the Omega2S+ IoT computer module, which means the Omega2 Dash comes with a MIPS CPU running at 580MHz, 128MB of RAM, and 32MB of onboard storage running OpenWrt 18.06 Linux, all of which are features of the Omega2S+. A 2.8″ TFT touchscreen display, offering 320×240 resolution, along with 12-bit touch input interface, and RGB565 color support are then merged with this core to get the amazing capabilities of the Omega2 Dash.

To ensure compatibility with dozens existing Omega2 expansion boards available in the market, the Omega2 Dash comes with an expansion header on the rear, giving users the opportunity of using I2C, UART, PWM and GPIO capabilities of the board. To fit the IoT theme, the board also comes with an 802.11 b/g/n WiFi connectivity and can be equipped with a wired Ethernet connection using one of the Omega2 expansion boards.

Some of the features and specifications of the board as listed by Onions include:

  • 3.2″ TFT touchscreen display (320×240 resolution, 16-bit (RGB565) color support, and 12-bit resistive touch input)
  • Based on the Omega2S+IoT computer module Which features a 580 MHz MIPS processor with 128MB of RAM and  32MB of Storage
  • 2.4 GHz b/g/n Wi-Fi (access point & client)
  • OpenWrt 18.06 Linux Operating system
  • Omega2 Ecosystem compatible expansion header for GPIO features including I²C, UART, PWM, Ethernet
  • USB 2.0 host
  • MicroSD card slot for extra storage
  • 2 dBi directional chip antenna
  • U.FL connector for external antenna
  • USB-to-serial interface on Micro USB port to provide reliable, always-on access to the Omega’s command line
  • Status LEDs to indicate the state of the device
  • The ultra-thin form factor of 82 mm x 70 mm

The board runs the OnionOS, which provides an intuitive user interface through a browser, allowing users to write code, run commands, and use apps to interact with the Omega2 Dash, without any installation. The Terminal and Code Editor apps on the OnionOS transform the OS into a development environment that works on any computer.

7mΩ SiC FETs deliver better performance, improved efficiency and lower losses

With an RDS(on) of just 7 mΩ, the new SiC-FETs from UnitedSiC are designed for high performance switching in high power applications such as motor control in the automotive sector or for DC/DC converters and vehicle chargers .

Based on a unique cascode configuration, the UF3C/UF3SC series provides higher switching speeds, higher efficiency, and lower losses while at the same time offering a ‘drop-in’ replacement solution for most TO-247-3L IGBT, Si-MOSFET and SiC-MOSFET parts. This means system upgrades for greater performance and efficiency can be realized without requiring changes to the existing gate drive circuitry. Turn-on losses can be reduced based on a 50 percent reduction in Qrr. For high current use, a small, low-cost RC snubber is required, which also simplifies EMI design.

Features

  • 650V and 1200V
  • Low RDS(on) from 7mohm to 150mohm
  • Excellent body diode performance (Vf < 2V)
  • Drive with any Si and/or SiC gate drive voltage
  • Integrated ESD and gate protection
  • Full suite of industry standard packages – TO-220-3L, D2PAK-3L, TO-247-3L & -4L (Kelvin)

more information: unitedsic.com

FAN6390 highly integrated secondary-side adaptive USB Type-C charging controller with USB-PD

ON Semiconductors design reference of their FAN6390 USB Type-C charger.

FAN6390MPX has line−up according to output nominal currents. The first step of system design needs to select a device. FAN6390MPX incorporates many valuable functions and some functions are only compatible withFAN604 series of ON Semiconductor. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to select one of FAN604 as a primary controller. As FAN6390MPX is state machine based which provides several kinds of trim function as Table 1, we useFAN6390MPX trim which has specific function trim fora 60 W output power design. Table 3 is the bill of materials. Figure 3 and Figure 4 are design circuits.

FAN6390 highly integrated secondary-side adaptive USB Type-C charging controller with USB-PD – [PDF]

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