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Gyrfalcon Launches Second-Gen AI Accelerator Chip

Posted on by mixos

Lightspeeur 2803 – a follow on to the Lightspeeur 2801S ASIC – enables upgrading of existing data center hardware to speed AI processing while providing 10X reduction in energy consumption.

Gyrfalcon Technology Inc. (GTI), the world’s leading developer of low-cost, low-power, high-performance Artificial Intelligence (AI) processors, today announced the availability of its second-generation chip, the Lightspeeur 2803 AI Accelerator. The chip is designed to be used in multiple chip board solutions, initially on the G.A.I.N. Series 2803, and meets the demanding requirements of data centers supporting inference server AI operations.

The rapid adoption of AI is quickly requiring organizations of all types to rethink their data center hardware to accommodate higher performance computing loads. Incorporating AI will require a considerable investment in new hardware if organizations rely on traditional data center vendors. The Lightspeeur 2803 and G.A.I.N. Series 2803 are unique in their ability to pair with existing data center CPUs to improve AI performance while significantly reducing energy costs; all it takes are slight software modifications.

Customers can upgrade the existing equipment in their data centers to AI, with a rapid deployment of our patented and proprietary technology that will bring unprecedented performance advantages using 10 times less energy,” said Marc Nadell, VP of marketing, GTI. “The Lightspeeur 2803 represents a cost-effective solution for cloud providers and other data center operators to optimize their ROI on previous hardware investments, while expanding their ability to provide the highest levels of AI processing performance available in the market today.

Higher performance, lower energy costs 

For cloud service providers looking to expand performance while mitigating rising energy costs, the Lightspeeur 2803 provides a solution to upgrade existing equipment, rather than replace entire systems. Data center operators can add the chip – on the G.A.I.N. Series 2803 board – into existing racks, alongside their current hardware, and use software to integrate the new AI accelerator board into their operations. After data models are loaded, operators can add their data and begin processing.

The G.A.I.N. Series 2803 consumes 10 times less energy than comparable chips, meaning data center operators can improve performance, without adding additional cooling systems. Additionally, all G.A.I.N. Series boards are designed to work with existing rack-mounted processors as cohosts to the operation, and provide tools that enable the operator to create custom data models.

Balancing the increasing need for high-performance inference processing with data center space, thermal limitations, and the rising cost of energy has become increasingly challenging,” said Jim McGregor, principal analyst at TIRIAS Research. “With solutions like the 2803 chips and the G.A.I.N. Series of boards, data centers have more options for balancing these.

Technical specifications

The single chip Lightspeeur 2803 delivers 16.8 TOPS at just 0.7 w, with latency as low as 2 milliseconds for extremely impressive responsiveness. The Lightspeeur 2803 supports a PCIe interface, and includes ResNet, MobileNet, ShiftNet and VGG neural networks to support AI model sizes from 4.4 to 17.6MB for inference and training.

The G.A.I.N. Series 2803 board will join the other products available from GTI: the G.A.I.N. Series 2801S multichip board configuration for advanced edge and data center applications; and the Lightspeeur 2801S Neural Accelerator, the industry’s first commercially available, deep-learning, convolutional neural network (CNN) accelerator chip to run audio and video processing. Both 2801 products have been available to customers including Fujitsu, LG and Samsung since the beginning of 2018.

Samples of the Lightspeeur 2803 chip and the G.A.I.N. Series 2803 board will be available for development with customers in Q4 2018.

For more information on GTI’s product portfolio, visit https://gyrfalcontech.ai/solutions/

World’s Largest Neuromorphic Supercomputer goes Live

Posted on by Tope Oluyemi

The world’s largest neuromorphic supercomputer built to process information in a similar manner to the natural brain function has finally gone live. The supercomputer is made up of 1,000,000 processor cores which the developers are planning on upgrading to 1,000,000,000 cores in the near future, making the supercomputer a little closer to the number of neurons currently firing up inside our brains. The new SpiNNNaker (Spiking Neural Network Architecture) machine has 1 million processor cores, with each capable of handling more than 200 million actions per second.

SpiNNaker SuperComputer

The machine is the result of a £15 million investment which funded the 20-year design phase and more than 10-year construction phase. Work on the project began at the University of Manchester’s School of Computer in 2006. The project was originally funded by the EPSRC, but is now supported by the European Human Brain Project. The processing behemoth was finally fired up for the first time this weekend.

Prof Furber:

The ultimate objective for the project has always been a million cores in a single computer for real time brain modelling applications, and we have now achieved it, which is fantastic.

neuroscientists can now use SpiNNaker to help unlock some of the secrets of how the human brain works by running unprecedentedly large scale simulations. It also works as real-time neural simulator that allows roboticists to design large scale neural networks into mobile robots so they can walk, talk and move with flexibility and low power.

The SpiNNNaker machine models far more biological neurons in real time compared to other computers in the world. Natural neurons are essential for communication between brain cells and this is achieved by emitting electrical ‘spikes’. The neuromorphic computer uses powerful computer systems to imitate these spikes. Compared to a PC, SpiNNNaker does not pass large amounts of information serially. Instead, it stimulates the brain’s massively parallel communication structure. Billions of little pieces of information are simultaneously transmitted to thousands of different locations. This structure is meant to enable it to function more like a biological brain than a conventional computer could.

The research team hopes to eventually model up to one billion neurons in real time. By comparison, a mouse has a brain containing around 100 million neurons, and our brain is about 1000 times larger. One billion neurons are about 1% of the neurons inside our head, and these 100 billion neurons are connected via 1 quadrillion (10^15) synapses. The new computer with its millions of cores should enable neuroscientists to get a better understanding of how our brain functions because it enables extremely large real-time simulations that simply overload conventional machines.

Source: University of Manchester

MSO5000 is ready with 2 or 4 analog and 16 digital input channels

Posted on by mixos

Rigol Technologies announces a significant addition to its UltraVision II family of oscilloscopes with the introduction of the New MSO5000 .

The core of RIGOL’s UltraVision II architecture is its Phoenix chip-set. Two custom ASICs provide analog front end and signal processing performance. These chips are surrounded by a high performance hardware design including Xilinx Zync-7000 SoC, Dual Core ARM-9 Processors, a Linux +Qt Operating System, High Speed DDR System Memory and QDRII Display memory.

The MSO5000 Series delivers transformational price/performance capability in a bench oscilloscope. With bandwidth from 70MHz to 350MHz, 8GSa/sec sample rate, 500,000 wfms/sec waveform capture rate, and up to 200M Record Length, the MSO5000 Series delivers system performance, signal resolution and memory depth unmatched in its class.

As RIGOL celebrates our 20th anniversary it is exciting to bring a product like the MSO5000 to market. RIGOL’s commitment to ongoing innovation is represented in our Phoenix chipset, as well as the rapid deployment of that technology to customers who previously have not had access to these capabilities,” says Michael Rizzo, General Manager of RIGOL North America. “Much as our DS1000Z revolutionized customer price performance assumptions in 2013 and helped redefine customer expectations in the value scope space; now RIGOL’s MSO5000 will drive a similar transformation in the basic embedded market. Customers will have access to unprecedented performance and analysis capabilities at prices starting well below $1000.

Solving customer’s challenges requires analysis capabilities and the MSO5000 Series provides a comprehensive set of advanced analysis tools. Seven-in-One instrument capability provides 7 measurement functions in one box. The MSO5000 provides Oscilloscope, Logic Analyzer, Protocol Analyzer, Spectrum Analyzer, Waveform Generator, Digital Voltmeter, and Counter/Totalizer functionality all integrated into one system. In addition, tools like Zone Triggering, Advanced Search, 41 Precision Measurements, Multiple High Resolution Color FFTs, as well as standard Histogram and Pass/Fail Analysis make the MSO5000 Series a powerful debug solution.

The MSO5000 is fully upgradable. A customer buying our entry level model can add analog and digital channels, analysis options and upgrade instrument bandwidth via software enabled licenses as their hardware requirements change. This seamless upgradability allows for low cost of entry and investment protection.

The MSO5000 Series comes with a next generation user interface giving the customer five unique ways to interact with their instrument. A vivid 9″ display supports a responsive and intuitive touch navigation. Customers requiring a larger display can take advantage of the native HDMI support to drive external displays and control the instrument with a mouse. The MSO5000 also supports a touch enabled browser capability so you can control the instrument on your network via a tablet or smartphone.

The combination of raw performance, advanced analysis capability, next gen UI, and a starting price of only $909 clearly positions the MSO5000 Series as the most powerful and affordable bench oscilloscope on the market,” continues Michael Rizzo. “We encourage customers considering the DPO/MSO2000 from Tektronix or the 2000X Series from Keysight to compare the performance, features and overall value of the RIGOL MSO5000 Series Oscilloscope and see how RIGOL can help you speed your debug and analysis while lowering your cost of test.

The MSO5000 Series is available and shipping now. There are 6 Models ranging from 70MHz to 350MHz with 2 or 4 Analog Channels. Base pricing spans from $909 for a 2 channel 70MHz unit to $3,999 for a 4 channel 350MHz unit. Learn more about the RIGOL MSO5000 Series Digital Oscilloscope at www.RIGOL.eu.

10kW 3-Phase Grid Tie Inverter Reference Design for Solar String Inverter

Posted on by mixos

This verified reference design provides an overview on how to implement a three-level three-phase SiC based DC:AC grid-tie inverter stage. Higher switching frequency of 50KHz reduces the size of magnetics for the filter design and enables higher power density.

The use of SiC MOSFETs with switching loss ensures higher DC bus voltages of up to 1,000V and lower switching losses with a peak efficiency of 99%.

This verified reference design provides an overview on how to implement a three-level three-phase SiC based DC:AC grid-tie inverter stage.Higher switching frequency of 50KHz reduces the size of magnetics for the filter design and enables higher power density. The use of SiC MOSFETs with switching loss ensures higher DC bus voltages of up to 1000V and lower switching losses with a peak efficiency of 99 percent. This design is configurable to work as a two-level or three-level inverter.The system is controlled by a single C2000 microcontroller (MCU), TMS320F28379D, which generates PWM waveforms for all power electronic switching devices under all operating modes.

This design is configurable to work as a two-level or three-level inverter. The system is controlled by a single C2000 microcontroller (MCU), TMS320F28379D, which generates PWM waveforms for all power electronic switching devices under all operating modes.

Features

  • Rated nominal/max input voltage at 800V/1,000VDC
  • Max 10kW/10KVA output power at 400VAC 50/60Hz grid-tie connection
  • Operating power factor range from 0.7lag to 0.7lead
  • High voltage (1,200V) SiCMosFET based full bridge inverter for peak efficiency of 99%
  • Less than 2% output current THD at full load
  • Isolated current sensing using AMC1301 for load current monitoring
  • Isolated driver ISO5852S with reinforced isolation for driving High voltage SiC MOSFET and UCC5320S for driving middle Si IGBT

For more information, click here

Pin-type Humidity Sensor Enabling Easy Replaceability

Posted on by mixos

Sensirion, the expert in environmental sensing, presents the new pin-type relative humidity sensor SHT85 for easy replaceability in a wide range of applications. The digital humidity sensor SHT85 is Sensirion’s best-in-class humidity sensor with pin-type connector for easy integration and replacement. It builds on a highly accurate and long-term stable SHT3x sensor that is at the heart of Sensirion’s new humidity and temperature platform. The unique package design allows for the best possible thermal coupling to the environment and decoupling from potential heat sources on the main board.

The SHT85 features a PTFE membrane dedicated to protect the sensor opening from liquids and dust according to IP67, without affecting the response time of the relative humidity signal. It thus allows for sensor use under harsh environmental conditions, such as high exposure to dust. Final accuracy testing on product level ensures best performance making the SHT85 the perfect choice for demanding applications.

Sensirion’s CMOSens® Technology offers a complete sensor system on a single chip, consisting of a capacitive humidity sensor, a bandgap temperature sensor, analog and digital signal processing, A/D converter, calibration data memory, and a digital communication interface supporting I2C fast mode. The sensor covers a humidity measurement range of 0 to 100% relative humidity and a temperature measurement range of -40°C to 105°C with a typical accuracy of ±1.5% RH and ±0.1°C. The broad supply voltage of 2.15 V to 5.5 V make the SHT85 perfectly suited to a wide range of applications.

All in all, Sensirion’s SHT85 fulfills the most stringent requirements for many applications in terms of quality and performance, derived from Sensirion’s unique digital-sensor expertise of more than 15 years.

For more information, please visit www.sensirion.com/sht85

Kodak Launches Raspberry Pi based 3D Printer

Posted on by Tope Oluyemi

Kodak has launched a Portrait 3D Printer powered by a Rasberry Pi 3, with a dual-extrusion system, multiple filament types, a 5-inch touchscreen, along with WiFi and Ethernet connections to a Kodak 3D Cloud service. Kodak collaborated with Smart Int’ on the professional, dual extrusion Kodak Portrait 3D Printer that runs a Linux-based OS on a Raspberry Pi 3 board. The device sells for $3,500, and offers connections to a Kodak 3D Cloud service. It is designed for engineering, design, and education professionals. Just like the BeagleBone-based Autodesk Ember 3D printer, the Kodak Portrait 3D Printer is based on a popular Linux hacker board, which is a Raspberry Pi 3 running Kodak’s Linux-based 3DprinterOS print management software.

Kodak 3D Printer

Other 3D Raspberry Pi printers include the industrial-oriented, $4,500 and up AON 3D Printer. A host of Raspberry Pi 3D printer hacking projects are available, many of which use OctoPrint’s RPi-compatible software. The Kodak Portrait 3D Printer has a dual extrusion system with a 1.75mm filament diameter and automatic nozzle lifting. According to Kodak, the extrusion system provides swappable PTFE and all-metal hotends “for optimal material compatibility”. The printer has a 0.4mm nozzle with 20-250 micron layer resolution and XYZ accuracy of 12.5, 12.5, 2.5 microns. It offers 16mm XY motion and 12mm Z motion. A sensor alerts you when your filament is almost gone. Materials available include different grades of PLA, as well as ABS, Flex 98, HIPS, PETG, water-soluble PVA, and two grades of Nylon.

Kodak 3D printer (back and side view)

The Kodak manufacturing materials are available in a wide color palette, including Kodak’s Trade Dress Yellow. They claim to offer low moisture packaging and high dimensional accuracy. The 455 x 435 x 565mm printer has an all-steel structure which allows high-temperature build, with support for up to 105ºC build plate and up to 295ºC nozzle temperatures. A fully-enclosed print chamber with a 200 x 200 x 235mm build volume features a HEPA and activated carbon filter, thereby

reducing unwanted odors and keeping fingers away from hot moving parts,

says Kodak.

Other features include magnetically attached print surfaces. The Kodak Portrait 3D Printer is fitted with a 5-inch, 800 x 480 color touchscreen, WiFi, Ethernet, a USB port, and a build chamber camera. The 3DprinterOS, helps you manage print settings such as automatic leveling and calibration, and you can preset print parameters for every material. The Linux-based software gives free access to the Kodak 3D Cloud service, where managing a print farm for multiple machines from anywhere in the world is possible. According to Kodak, users can access “slice online, monitor their prints and receive over-the-air updates”

Kodak Portrait 3D Printer Demo

The Kodak Portrait 3D Printer is available now for $3,499 in Europe and the U.S market. Kodak’s announcement page, as well as product and shopping pages, provide more information.

iM282A-L – 10km Long Range Radio Module for 2.4GHz band

Posted on by mixos

The only available radio chip for LoRa on the market has been the SX1272/76 from Semtech up to now. Things have changed and company IMST came up with the new type of radio chip SX1280 which can work on 2.4GHz band and decided to use this chip for their new LoRaWAN Long Range module, the iM282A-L.

The iM282A-L is a compact and low-cost radio module that operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency band and combines the powerful Cortex-M3 MCU with the new ultra long range transceiver SX1280 by company Semtech. It has been specifically designed for battery driven applications and is able to transfer data without any additional amplifiers up to the distance LoS of more than 12 km.

The embedded WiMOD LR Base Plus provides LoRa®-modem functionalities which allow the implementation of proprietary and cost-sensitive radio networks with typical topologies like peer-to-peer and star configurations. During a recent development project, I discovered some exclusive offers with a BetOnline promo code, which gave me insights into the importance of integrating incentives and promotions effectively. The embedded radio protocol offers unacknowledged and acknowledged radio packet exchange with optional encryption and automatic power saving for battery-driven applications.

Besides the modem services the firmware includes some example features which are typical for the application area of this LoRa® radio modules: a tiny sensor application which demonstrates a periodic sensor data transmission and a remote control with digital input/output via radio communication.

Application areas include:

  • Automated Meter Reading
  • Home and Building Automation
  • Wireless Alarm and Security Systems
  • Industrial Monitoring and Control
  • Long Range Irrigation Systems
  • IoT (Internet of Things)
  • Smart Cities

Features

  • Frequency range: SRD Band 2.4 GHz
  • Modulation: LoRa®, FLRC, (G) FSK
  • RF output power: up to +12 dBm (50Ω pad)
  • RF data rate: 476 bps to 2.3 Mbps depending on modulation and settings
  • RF range: up to 12 000 m (Line of Sight)
  • Operating voltage: 1.8 V to 3.6 V
  • Current consumption: 0.8 µA (module in sleep, RTC off), 2 μA (module in sleep, RTC running), 9 mA (Rx, MCU sleep), 34 mA (Tx @ 3.0 V/ +12 dBm, MCU sleep), 25 mA (Tx @ 3.0 V/ +8 dBm, MCU sleep)
  • Interfaces: UART (default), SPI*, I²C*
  • IO’s: Digital IOs, Analog Inputs
  • Dimension (LxWxH): 20 x 25 x 3.3 mm
  • Operating temperature: -40°C to +85°C

LoRaWAN Module Cortex-M3 SX1280 UART SPI I2C price is €24.10 and available form www.soselectronic.com

DAQ970A Data Acquisition System

Posted on by mixos

The new DAQ970A System is Keysight’s next generation 3-slot mainframe Switch/Data Acquisition System with built-in 6 ½ digit DMM based on the best-selling TrueVolt DMM series. 8 switch and control plug-in modules are offered, among them a new 20-channel solid-state multiplexer that vastly increases scan speeds to up to 450 ch/s. The system measures and converts 12 different input signals, with built-in signal conditioning to minimize external wiring from having to use external or plug-in signal conditioning modules.

  • Advanced 6½ digit internal DMM with improved accuracy and faster measurement speed
  • Ability to measure very low current ranges (1 μA DC and 100 μA AC) and higher resistance range (1000 MΩ)
  • New auto-calibration that compensates for internal drifts caused by time and temperature changes
  • 3497XA compatible, program and configuration

Key Features & Specifications

  • 3-slot mainframe with USB and LAN
  • 6 1/2-digit (22-bit) internal DMM, scanning up to 450 channels per second with new solid-state multiplexer module
  • 8 switch and control plug-in modules to choose from
  • Built-in signal conditioning measures thermocouples, RTDs and thermistors, AC/DC volts and current; resistance, frequency/period, diode test and capacitance
  • 100k readings of non-volatile memory holds data when power is removed
  • Hi/LO alarm limits on each channel, plus 4 TTL alarm outputs
  • BenchVue software enabled: BenchVue DAQ Control and Analysis app enables you to create tests without programming

Price for DAQ970A is ~£1.383 and more information is available on www.keysight.com

Download White Paper [via oemsecrets.com]: Practical steps in design verification using a DAQ data logger

New range of Rigol scopes and signal generators

Posted on by mixos

Rigol has shown a new range of oscilloscopes and signal generators at the Electronica 2018 tradeshow last week. Report by Nick Flaherty @ mwee.com

The MSO/DS7000 mixed-signal digital oscilloscope series is based on On-chip ASIC technology from Rigol and provides bandwidths from 100 MHz to 500 MHz and sampling rates of up to 10 GS/s for research, development and production. The instruments have a 10.1-inch colour touch screen for clear signal presentation and for optimal display of additional information. For recording and processing of large measurement datasets, a memory depth of up to 500 million points is available, and with a signal acquisition rate of up to 600,000 wfms/s allows the acquisition, display and evaluate fast signal sequences.New Vector Signal Analysis (VSA) software will be available from Q1 2019. This measurement application is integrated in the signal analyzers and will also be available as an upgrade for existing RSA5000 instruments. With the VSA application, the user has a comprehensive tool for demodulation and vector signal analysis to find problems in time, frequency and modulation domains.

As an extension of its arbitrary function generators, Rigol also showed its low-cost DG800 and DG900 series. They combine the application fields function generator, arbitrary signal generator, pulse generator, harmonic generator, analog/digital modulation and counter function in one device. In addition to the previously used direct digital synthesizer technology, which provides very stable, precise, and minimally distorted signals, new signal fidelity technology called SiFi I reduces the signal jitter to 200ps.

Prices for DS7000 Series of oscilloscopes start at €2.199 and for DG900 series of function generators start at €499.

New Raspberry Pi Sound Cards: Pi-DAC+, Pi-DigiAmp+ and Pi-DAC+ Pro

Posted on by mixos

New and optimised versions of IQaudIO’s HAT sound cards are now available at Max2Play! These three sound cards take up even less space mounted on the Raspberry Pi and were also improved by a few adjustments to the board.

Among the most important innovations is the 40-Pin GPIO header on top of the board, with which you can mount buttons, sensors and other accessories, as well as the now pre-programmed EEPRO-Memory, to configure the sound card quickly and easily. Furthermore, IQaudIO uses the usual high-quality audio components, designed and manufactured directly in the United Kingdom.

Pi-DAC+

The new version of the IQaudIO Pi-DAC+ (Rev4) comes with pre-programmed EEPRO-Memory for fast Linux configuration. Unlike its predecessor, all GPIO pins remain accessible when mounted on the Raspberry Pi. Therefore no soldering is required.

  • Raspberry Pi HAT (A+/B+/2/3/3B+) compliant accessory
  • Pre-programmed EEPROM for auto configuration
  • Full-HD Linux audio – up to 24-bit/192kHz playback
  • Integrated hardware volume control (via ALSA), full 2v RMS
  • Built-in high-quality audio headphone amplifier (TI TPA6133A)
  • Class leading audio; 112db SNR, and -93db THD
  • Audiophile TI Burr Brown 32-bit/384kHz DAC (TI PCM5122)
  • Advanced ESD protection
  • Digital I2S audio signals
  • Raspberry Pi powered, no external power requirements
  • Industry standard audio quality Phono/RCA connectors

Pi-DAC+ Pro

The Pi-DAC+ Pro has also been redesigned. Unlike the Pi-DAC+, IQaudIO installed the TI PCM5242 and a mini DSP here. In addition, the Pro achieves a slightly better signal-noise-ratio of 114dB and a total harmonic distortion of -94dB.

  • Raspberry Pi HAT (A+/B+/2/3/3B+) compliant accessory
  • Pre-programmed EEPROM for auto configuration
  • Full-HD audio – up to 24-bit/192kHz playback
  • Integrated hardware volume control (via ALSA)
  • Built-in high-quality audio headphone amplifier (TI TPA6133A)
  • Class leading audio; 114db SNR, and -94db THD
  • Audiophile TI Burr Brown 32-bit/384kHz DAC (TI PCM5242)
  • Advanced ESD protection
  • Digital I2S audio signals
  • Raspberry Pi-powered, no external power requirements
  • Industry standard audio quality Phono/RCA connectors
  • Balanced output (XLR) exposed on PCB for soldering
  • Built-in mini DSP

Pi-DigiAmp+

Like the two DACs, the new version of the IQaudIO Pi-DigiAmp+ also comes with pre-programmed EEPRO-Memory and additional GPIO pins. The Pi-DigiAmp+ delivers up to 2x35W and supports input voltages up to 24V. It also added new, modular terminals for even more flexibility in its applications.

  • Full-HD audio – up to 24-bit/192kHz playback
  • Up to 2x35w of crystal clear amplification
  • Pre-programmed EEPROM for auto configuration
  • Integrated hardware volume control (via ALSA)
  • Powers the Raspberry Pi from the Pi-DigiAMP+ power input
  • Linux driver support already delivered within Raspbian
  • Advanced ESD protection
  • Uses the digital I2S audio signals
  • Supports up to 24V input
  • Delivers full 2.5A to the Pi, supports screens & USB devices in parallel
  • Full GPIO access with no soldering required
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