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Assessing the NVIDIA Jetson Nano SoM-powered 3D Vision Camera

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

Orbbec showed off a 4K RGB camera with depth-sensing capabilities and the ability to live-stream processed photos over Ethernet or USB. The Femto Mega uses a Jetson Nano System-on-Module for artificial intelligence computing and is equipped with a 6-DoF IMU and Microsoft’s Time of Flight (ToF) technology. The Orbbec uses an NVIDIA Jetson Nano System-on-Module (SoM)  “to run advanced depth vision algorithms to convert raw data to precise depth images. This eliminates the need for an external PC or computer device.” A 128-CUDA-core NVIDIA Maxwell architecture, a quad-core ARM Cortex-A57 MPCore processor, 4GB of 64-bit LPDDR4, and 16 GB of eMMC 5.1 storage space are all features of the Jetson NANO. It can encode videos at 250 Mbps and decode them at 500 Mbps.

Jetson Nano

Femto Mega Perfomance

Orbbec further notes that the 1-megapixel camera has a range of 0.25 meters to 5.5 meters and a Field of View (FoV) of 120 degrees. For specifics on the quality of the camera, please refer to the chart above. Two other cameras, the Astra 2 and the Gemini 2 were also announced by the business. The Gemini 2 incorporates an IMU, Orbbec’s ASIC, and active stereo IR technology, all of which are geared at processing depth. The Astra 2, on the other hand, is an improved version of the first gadget that relies on structured light. This camera can synchronize with multiple others, and it captures depth information at a high resolution and with a high degree of stability.

Astra 2 

The Astra 2 model is roughly 145 x 35 x 36 mm in size and has a structured light range of 0.6-8 mm. With a depth FoV of H58° x V46° x D70° and a maximum of 1600 x 1200 at 30 frames per second, this camera is impressive. The field of view (Horizontal by Vertical by Depth) of the RGB camera is  H75° x V46° x D82° pixels at 30 frames per second, and the accuracy is ≤3 millimeters at 1000 millimeters. A USB Type-C port is used to supply power. Power consumption is around ≤ 6 W on average, peak 6.5 W, and the working temperature is around 0-35 ℃. It can function on any Windows/Linux/Android operating system.

Gemini 2 specification

In structured Active Stereo IR, the Gemini 2 model is about 90 mm x 25 mm x 30 mm in size and has a range of 0.12 mm to 10 mm. Depth FOV is H91° x V66° x D101°, and the resolution can go up to 1280 x 800 at 30 fps. RGB FoV is H86° x V55° x D94°, the resolution is 1920 x 1080 @30 fps, and precision is ≤ 2% (2 m & 81% ROI). A USB Type-C port is used to add power. Windows, Linux, or Android is the operating system, and it uses about an average ≤ 2.5 W of power and stays between 0 ℃ and 40 ℃.

Femto Mega Expanded View

Product Femto Mega is certified as Class 1 FCC RoHS 2.0 CE, and it can measure distances with an accuracy of 11 mm + 0.1 % and a precision of 17 mm. Depth FOV is NFoV unbinned & binned: H 75°V 65° and WFoV unbinned & binned: H 120°V 120° with a resolution framerate of WFOV unbinned 1024 x 1024 @Up to 15 FPS, WFOV 2 x 2 binned 512 x 512 @Up to 30 FPS. RGB FOV is H 80° V 51° D 89°2°, and it has a resolution framerate of 3840 x 2160 @Up to 25 FPS, 1920 x 1080 @Up to 30 FPS, NFOV unbinned 640 x 576 @Up to 30 FPS, and NFOV 2 x 2 binned 320 x 288 @Up to 30 FPS. Power comes from a USB Type C port and a 5 V / 3 A power adapter. The processor is an Nvidia Jetson Nano, and it works best between 10 °C and 25 °C. The data is transferred using DC, POE, and USB 3.0 Type-C cables. On average, DC uses 11 W of power, and POE uses 13 W of power. Windows and Linux are the operating systems, and it has a 6DoF IMU and an 8-pin connector.

No pricing information for these cameras was provided by Orbbec. Orbbec’s web shop features a product page for the aforementioned Femto Mega, in addition to the Astra 2 and Gemini 2.

LoRaWAN Vision AI Sensor Exhibited by Himax and Seeed Studio at CES 2023

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

At the most recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Himax Technologies Inc., and Seeed Studio jointly displayed the SenseCAP A1101 LoRaWAN Vision AI Sensor, embedded with Himax WiseEye smart image sensing solution (WiseEye). A plug-and-play and simple-to-integrate vision sensor called the SenseCAP A1101 has been developed by Seeed Studio using its tinyML Edge AI platform enabling expertise. It runs machine learning in support of a number of AI models, including image recognition, people counting, target detection, meter recognition, and many others. Himax HM0360 CMOS image sensor, supporting up to 60 FPS VGA solution, WiseEye WE1 AI processor, running at 400MHz local inferencing, enables powerful machine learning at extremely low power consumption. It also has a LoRaWAN module featuring low-power, wide-area (LPWA) networking protocol for long-range networks, which are all included in this industry-leading battery-powered sensor solution.

The SenseCAP A1101 sensor, which has already been used in practice smart agriculture cases, was also on display at CES by Himax and Seeed Studio. The SenseCAP A1101 vision AI sensor can run for more than nine months while continuously collecting field images and uploading the final data results from local inferencing every minute. It is powered by Himax’s ultralow power WiseEye technology. A good fit for IoT applications placed in either outdoor or indoor argo-ecosystems is the vision AI sensor hardware, which is made to adopt high industrial protection grade and support an operating temperature range of -40°C to 85°C and IP66 waterproof rating. The sensor solution also supports the simple setup of the Bluetooth APP, quick connection to gateways, and quick connection to cloud servers.

Joey Jiang said, GM of the Industry and Application Group of Seeed Studio,

“We’re really happy and honored to work with Himax to embed their WiseEye solution to this Vision AI device. To be the most reliable IoT Hardware Partner for global developers, we at Seeed are always looking to integrate advanced technologies into ready-to-deploy hardware solutions for digital transformation in vertical industries,”  “Working with Himax is yet another step forward in Seeed’s Vision to empower every developer to achieve their digital transformation goals with Vision AI technology. With SenseCAP A1101 LoRaWAN Vision AI Sensor, the developers can combine vision and LPWAN to their IoT solutions to serve various scenarios of smart farming, smart metering, and more.”

Jordan Wu, CEO of Himax, said,

“Our WiseEye solution has been proven in the notebook and many other applications, including automatic meter reading, automotive, surveillance, and smart office/home, to name a few. Seeed Studio is one of the leading AI platforms in the world, and our collaboration in the smart agriculture application is further validation of the suitability of our WiseEye technology to a wide range of markets,”. “The demand for battery-powered smart devices with AI-enabled smart sensing is rapidly growing to provide an opportunity for us to further expand by joining forces with other AI platform partners by offering value-added features for our customers in terms of privacy, security, and superior battery life for diversified endpoint AI devices.”

more information: https://www.seeedstudio.com/SenseCAP-A1101-LoRaWAN-Vision-AI-Sensor-p-5367.html

Storaxa Offers Home Cloud Storage with Remote Access NAS

Posted on by Tope Oluyemi

A campaign has been launched on Kickstarter for Storaxa, which is a powerful combination of a Network Attached Storage (NAS) and WiFi router, offering over 100TB of storage capacity in RAID 0, 1, 5, 6, 10 configurations, and a blazing fast 2.5GbE & WiFi 6 home network. It is fully customizable and open source, powered by TrueNAS-SCALE and OpenWRT, giving you complete control over how your data is stored.

No matter if you are a gamer, photographer, or content creator, having reliable storage for all your digital data is essential, they need to be handled with care, and stored safely. While portable SSDs and cloud storage subscription services are available, they are not perfect solutions. For privacy, security, price, and convenience, nothing beats owning a NAS in your own home or office.

With the Home Gateway guard and USB 3.2 Gen2 10Gbps Direct access, you can conveniently access and store your data from anywhere, whether you are at home or traveling, as long as you have internet access. Additionally, there are slots for built-in SD cards and microSD readers. Having a Storaxa can help you save a lot of money. Unlike other cloud storage services, you only need to pay a one-time fee for a lifetime of worry-free storage. Additionally, you can create multiple accounts, making it easier than ever to share storage within a family.

Setting up Storaxa is very easy. You just install the SSDs and hard drives, plug in the power, and join the WiFi. You can then create some accounts and start storing them right away. RAID 0,1,5,6,10 are available, enabling you to mirror, stripe, and create parity backups of your data. You can choose the RAID option that best suits your needs, and be rest assured that your data is safe even if your hard drives get damaged. You can even back up from a distance when you are away.

The Storaxa’s 2.5GbE ensures fast home network transfer speeds with minimal latency. Additionally, it incorporates WiFi 6 technology, so you can enjoy a fast and reliable internet connection without any compromises. Time Machine or PC Recovery enables Storaxa to automatically and consistently back up your computer, ensuring that your device is always backed up and that your data is kept up-to-date. Storaxa features a dual fan cooler, which maximizes its performance by ensuring that its high-functioning nature is maintained at low operational temperatures at all times.

Over $900,000 has been raised, with close to 4000 backers. The company is offering two rewards for the Storaxa. $239 for the Chinese New Year promotion, and $279 once CNY is over or all 240 first units are gone. The shipping fee will range from $25 to $35, and deliveries are scheduled to start in June 2023. For more information about the documentation, specs, schematics, and the campaign progress, visit the campaign page on Kickstarter.

MediaTek Genio 700 is a Powerful Edge AI Processor for Demanding Smart IoT Applications

Posted on by Saumitra Jagdale

There is a growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) in the current market, as organizations and industries are increasingly seeking to leverage the power of machine learning and data analysis to improve their operations and solve complex problems. MediaTek Genio 700 provides a high-performance edge-AI IoT platform for smart homes and interactive retail, industrial and commercial applications.

Technical Specifications

  • The MediaTek Genio 700 uses two Cortex-ARM A78 cores and six Cortex-ARM A55 cores, which run at 2.2GHz and 2.0 GHz, respectively, while providing 4.0 TOPs AI accelerator.
  • The memory used is the 4-channel LPDDR4X which has the capacity to process up to 3733Mpbs and is upgradable up to 8Gb.
  • The chipset also features an ARM Mali-G57 which is an integrated mid-range graphics card for ARM-based SoCs. The GPU supports all modern graphics APIs like OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.1, OpenCL 2.0 and Renderscript.
  • The MediaTek Genio 700 offers a high-speed interface that uses PCIe2 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen1, 2xUSB 2.0, and MIPI-CSI interface for camera modules. The chipset features dual display support of full HD+4K resolution with AV1, VP9, H.265, and H.264 codec support.

The Cortex A78 cores enable faster, low latency, high bandwidth 5G networks and also allows mobile machine learning. The Cortex-A55 is based on ARMv8-A architecture. It is ARM’s DynamicIQ technology, which allows for more flexible and efficient use of resources within a system-on-chip (SoC). Tensilica HiFi5 is the digital signal processor (DSP) used in the chipset, which brings in high neural network performance and soaring codec performance. HiFi 5 is four times faster than its predecessor, HiFi 4.

Connectivity Features and Software Support of MediaTek Genio 700

MediaTek offers developers and manufacturers the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 protocols. It features a 6GHz 5G connection for industrial, consumer, and enterprise applications. The Genio 700 SDK allows users to customize products using Yocto Linux, Ubuntu, and Android. With this support, customers can quickly develop their products with a minimal amount of effort, regardless of application type.

MediaTek Genio 700 is a low-power that can be used in applications, including Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearable devices, and smart home appliances. Some possible applications of the Genio 700 include smart thermostats, security cameras, smart door locks, fitness trackers, and smart speakers.

The Genio 700 will be commercially available starting in Q2 2023. To learn more about the MediaTek Genio platform and the Genio 700, please visit the product page.

Syntiant Launches its Latest Neural Decision Processor NDP115 at the CES 2023 Event

Posted on by Saumitra Jagdale

Syntiant Corp. unveiled NDP115 which is the newest addition to its neural decision processor family. NDP115 is a compact yet powerful processor with highly accurate real-time decision-making and sensor AI capabilities. The processor targets applications like self-driving cars, smart home devices, and wearable electronics. NDP115 is based on the company’s Syntiant Core 2 that can run multiple neural network loads at under 1mW power consumption.

Technical Specifications

  • The Syntiant Core 2 enables multi-mode functionality in a tiny, cost and power- efficient form factor. It includes many processing elements, such as artificial neurons, that are used to process input data and make decisions.
  • In addition to the Core 2 neural processor, the NDP115 includes an embedded Arm Cortex-M0 microcontroller. ARM Cortex M0 is a 32-bit microcontroller and is based on the ARMv6-M architecture.
  • The NDP115 includes an embedded user-programmable HiFi-3 DSP with 144KB 64-bit data RAM and 64KB instruction RAM. This processor can handle up to 13 GPIO pins.
  • The NDP115 also includes support for I2C and PDM interfaces, which can be utilized for various purposes such as sensor fusion, multi-axis acceleration measurement, tilt detection, magnetic field sensing, and pressure sensing.

Artificial neurons are mathematical models that are designed to simulate the behavior of biological neurons. They are the basic building blocks of artificial neural networks (ANNs). ANNs are a subset of machine learning (ML) models. Various ML applications, such as image recognition, natural language processing, and prediction, widely use artificial neurons. The Cortex-M0 supports a wide range of on-chip peripherals, including timers, serial interfaces, and ADCs, making it suitable for a wide range of applications. Programmers can use C or assembly language to program the microcontroller. A wide range of development tools and software libraries support the microcontroller. The Cortex-M0 also supports low-power modes, making it well-suited for battery-powered applications.

The NDP115 is based on the same architecture as the NDP120. The below diagram is a representation of NDP120’s architecture.

Applications of the NDP115

The company is promoting the NDP115 as a well-suited microcontroller for running deep neural networks (DNNs) on devices. This means that it has the capability to process DNNs locally, without the need to send data to the cloud for processing. The use of microcontrollers is particularly well-suited for “hearables” (i.e. wireless earbuds), wearables, smart home devices, and industrial internet of things (IIoT) devices.

The NDP115 retails at $3.25 per chip in 10,00 unit tray quantities. For more information, you can visit the product site.

ePulse Feather – Low Power ESP32 development board

Posted on by mixos

Low power ESP32 development board. The ePulse from ThingPulse is the perfect companion for your battery-powered IoT projects.

Optimized for Low Power Consumption

ePulse Feather, the low power ESP32 development board, is optimized for applications where a low sleep current and LiPo battery support is required. The VIN pin accepts voltages between 3V3 and 6V. When the ePulse board is in deep sleep it only consumes between 12uA (above 3.3V) and 27uA (below 3.3V). Most ESP32 and ESP8266 board consume around 100 – 130uA.

This low sleep consumption is perfect for applications where the device sleeps most of the time and only wakes up from time to time to complete a task. For instance, a WiFi remote control for home automation can sleep until the user presses one of the buttons. The device wakes up, connects to WiFi, sends the command over MQTT and goes back to sleep until the next time a button is pressed.

Features

  • 12-27uA in deep sleep
  • VIN: 3.3 – 6V
  • ESP32-WROVER-E
  • 8MB PSRAM
  • 8MB Flash
  • Access to 20 GPIO pins
  • LiPo charging circuit
  • Follows Adafruit Feather form factor specification
  • Includes male header pins (1×12 and 1×16)

Easy Programming

The onboard UART CH9102F by WCH lets you easily program the ESP32 from your Windows, Mac or Linux computer. In our tests, we could use the highest transmission rates of 921600 bauds to re-program the chip within seconds. Regular ESP32 upload programs can automatically set the module into flashing mode.

Powerful ESP32 Module

This board takes advantage of the ESP32-WROVER-E module which breaks out many of the ESP32’s pins. It also comes with 8MB PSRAM which enables you to implement memory-hungry applications like embedded machine learning or using a graphics driver with a frame buffer. Please note that current software stacks might limit the PSRAM usage to 4MB. The WROVER-E module has passed several certification programs like FCC and CE. 

The ePulse development board gives you access to no less than 20 GPIO pins.

Documents

Order

The ePulse Feather can be preordered for $12.50 (pre-order discount) from ThingPulse.com. Shipping is expected to start by the end of February 2023.

Hamamatsu Photonic’s subminature new detector

Posted on by mixos

Hamamatsu Photonic has developed a new InAsSb photovoltaic detector (P16702-011MN) with built-in preamplifier offering high sensitivity to mid-infrared light, up to 11μm in wavelength. We achieved this by combining the latest InAsSb (indium arsenide antimonide) mid-infrared models with our unique circuit design technology. Compared to our previous modules with same level of sensitivity, the P16702-011MN size and cost is drastically reduced, and it exhibits fast response time. This makes it an ideal choice for portable gas analysers able to immediately analyse exhaust gas components at measurement sites around factories.

Product overview

The P16702-011MN is a compound semiconductor photodetector with a built-in preamplifier for electrical signal amplification.

Each molecule has its own vibration and absorbs infrared light at a specific wavelength determined by its energy. This property can be used to analyze and identify the type and quantity of chemical components contained in a sample. Therefore, mid-infrared light is widely utilized in the analysis of nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides contained in exhaust gases from factories, etc.

To meet needs in applications such as gas analysis and monitoring of processing laser equipment, we develop and sell InAsSb mid-infrared detectors and detector module products with enhanced sensitivity, by integrating these with electronic circuits and components including preamplifiers. To keep up with the growing market demand of further downsizing equipment, we have been working on a subminiature, low-cost mid-infrared detector device that also offers high-speed response.

In designing this new device, we adopted the latest back-illuminated type InAsSb mid-infrared detector with a sensitivity 1.5x higher than the regular type. We encapsulated it into a small cylindrical package with a diameter of approximately 9mm. The device was drastically downsized to about 1/200th the volume of our module products, yet it still offers the same level of sensitivity capable of detecting mid-infrared light at wavelengths up to 11μm. What’s more, the wiring in the package is optimised to increase the response speed up to 100MHz, which is twice as high as our module products, thus improving measurement accuracy. It also has a lower manufacturing cost since we reduced the number of required components.

The P16702-011MN will speed up the replacement of mercury-cadmium-telluride (MCT) infrared detectors which is currently the mainstream in high-precision mid-infrared spectroscopy but contains toxic substances restricted by the RoHS Directive. Hamamatsu Photonics is one of the few companies that manufacture both photodetectors and light sources. Using the P16702-011MN in conjunction with a quantum cascade laser, which we also manufacture, allows making measurements at even higher speeds, resolution, and sensitivity.

Sales of the P16702-011MN will begin on 1st February 2023 to domestic and overseas manufacturers of environmental measurement and analysis equipment. We will also have the P16702-011MN on show at the “SPIE Photonics West 2023”, an international conference on photonics and related technologies, held in San Francisco, California, USA from 31st January to 2nd February 2023.

AAEON’s Up Xtreme i12 comes with support for AI, 5G, WiFi 6 and PCIe 4.0

Posted on by Emmanuel Odunlade

UP Xtreme i12 is a new generation power efficient development board designed by AAEON, one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of AI edge computing platforms. The new development board is a smarter, stronger, and faster one compared to its predecessors.

One unique feature of the development board is that it can be powered with a choice of one of four powerful Intel i-core 12th generation SoCs (see specifications below). Power input ranges from 12V to 36V, meaning the development board is well suited for extended use for industrial applications. This, with the high-performing processor, means the board still offers continuous and efficient operation even in challenging environments.

Alongside having a fast processor, the Up Xtreme i12 board can also support up to 32GB of onboard LPDDR5, some expansion interfaces, and several serial ports including three USB 3.2 Gen Type-A ports, one USB 4.0 Type-C port, and two USB 2.0 ports. There’s an RJ45 port that supports 1GbE and another which supports 2.5GbE.

“The UP Xtreme i12 offers unprecedented expandability,” the product page explains. “Supporting Wi-Fi 6 and 5G via M.2 2230 E and 3052 B-Keys, the UP Xtreme i12 also contains two M.2 2280 M-Keys for PCIe 4.0 storage and AI module support. Its AI performance is augmented by Intel DL Boost and the Intel distribution of OpenVINO toolkit, which yields up to 2.81 x the GPU image classification inferencing performance of the previous generation.”

The Up Xtreme i12 board is perfect for a lot of application scenarios. It offers accelerated data processing ability and ensures high-speed connectivity to peripheral cameras and sensors.  It also has the ability to handle up to four simultaneous displays with 4K resolution at 60Hz (one HDMI 2.0, one DP 1.4a, one eDP 1.4b connector, and one Type-C port with display support).

Features and Specifications Include:

  • 12th Generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Celeron SoC:
    • Core i7-1270PE 12C/16T, 3.30GHz – 4.50GHz; Iris Xe Graphics
    • Core i5-1250PE 12C/16T, 3.20GHz – 4.40GHz; Iris Xe Graphics
    • Core i3-1220PE 8C/12T, 3.2GHz – 4.4GHz; Intel UHD graphics
    • Celeron 7305E 5C/5T, up to 1.0GHz; Intel UHD Graphics
  • Up to 32 GB onboard Dual channel LPDDR5  4800MHz
  • 4x independent displays supported with up to 4K at 60GHz
  • 2x M.2 2280 Key M (PCIe Gen 4.0 x 4)
  • 1x SATA 3
  • 1x M.2 2230 E-key
  • 1x M.2 3052 B-key
  • 5G supported via M.2 3052
  • Intel AX210 WiFi 6 supported
  • TPM 2.0
  • 1x audio jack (mic-in, Line out)
  • Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2
  • 40-pin HAT connector
  • 2x LAN ports
  • 1x 2.5Gbps LAN speed
  • 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 2.0 Type-A
  • 3x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
  • 1x USB 4.0 Type-C
  • 1x power button/LED
  • 1x DC connector
  • 1x Nano SIM slot
  • 1x 40-pin GPIO
  • 2x 10-pin RS232/422/485 connectors
  • Power: 12 – 36V DC input
  • Operating Temperature: 0°C – 60°C (32°F – 140°F)
  • Operating Humidity: 0 – 90% relative humidity, non-condensing
  • Dimensions: 120.35 mm x 122.5 mm
  • Weight: 389 grams
  • Operating System: Windows 10 Enterprise, Ubuntu 22.04, Yocto (TBD)
  • Certifications: CE/FCC class A, RoHS Compliant, REACH

The company did not provide details on pricing and availability yet but other Useful information including links to the datasheet and user’s manual can be found on their product page.

Step-Up Your Projects with Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 featuring 4-in-1 Bosch BME688 Sensor

Posted on by Saumitra Jagdale

Arduino has launched a second version of their Arduino MKR family which features a range of sensors. The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 is designed for Internet of Things projects. It provides a range of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, cellular, and LoRa, as well as a variety of sensors like humidity, temperature, and pressure sensor. The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 uses ST LSM6DSOXTR which is a 6-axis inertial measurement unit(IMU). The LSM6DSOX is a replacement for LSM6DS3 from the previous version.

Technical Specifications of Carrier Rev2

  • The ST LSM6DSOXTR is a 3D digital accelerometer and gyroscope sensor with a full-scale acceleration range of ±2/±4/±8/±16 g and an angular rate range of ±125/±250/±500/±1000/±2000 DPS.
  • The display used in the board is the KD013QVFMD002-01 which is a 1.3-inch rounded OLED display with 240×240 resolution. The pros of OLED displays are that they consume very minimal energy while giving sharp display quality.
  • For ambient light, proximity and gesture detection Broadcom APDS-9960 is used. The package does not include a 18650 Li-Ion rechargeable battery, but it powers the board.
  • 5x capacitive buttons are available on board. SD card slot is available for storage and data processing.
  • The MKR IoT Carrier comes with three grove connectors (2 analog and an I2C) that enables us to easily connect external sensors. The type of connector is labeled clearly on the back of the carrier.

The board also has a Bosch BME688 which is the first gas sensor with AI and integrated high-linearity and high-accuracy pressure, humidity, and temperature sensor. It can detect gases like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), volatile sulfur compounds (VSCs), and other gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the part per billion (ppb) range.

 

Connectivity Features and software support

The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 is compatible with Arduino MKR family boards. The board features Wi-Fi, Narrowband (NB-IoT) or 3G cellular connectivity. Low-power design makes NB-IoT devices suitable for battery-powered devices that need to last for long periods of time. NB-IoT networks have a wide coverage area and can penetrate deep into buildings, making them suitable for indoor use.

Users can program the board using Arduino IDE and use the Arduino_MKRIoTCarrier library for the MKR family. The library will allow users to control the IoT MKR carrier and all components included in exploring IoT kit.

The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev 2 retails at $63.60 or 60 Euro on the official Arduino store. For more information visit the product page.

Elevate your TinyML Projects with Arduino Nicla Voice Featuring Syntiant NDP120

Posted on by Saumitra Jagdale

In a world where voice assistants can be activated by just a simple activation voice command line like “Ok Google” or “Alexa”, the importance of vocal input is crucial. Nicla Voice is a development board designed to help developers create and deploy machine learning models on edge devices, specifically for voice applications. Powered by the Syntiant NDP120, a neural decision processor, the boards can handle AI algorithms, speech recognition, and natural language processing seamlessly. With its low-power microcontroller, the board is well-suited for building and testing a wide range of voice-controlled devices like smart speakers, voice assistants, and other tinyML projects.

Technical Specifications of Nicla Voice

  • The Nicla Voice uses Syntiant NDP120 Neural Decision Processor which uses 1x Syntiant Core which is an ultra-low power deep neural network interference engine; 1x Hi-Fi Audio digital signal processor(DSP) and 1x Arm Cortex M0 core which works at 48MHz.
  • The board also features nRF52832 which is a general-purpose multiprotocol SoC. It is packed with Arm Cortex-M4 running at 64 MHz, 512/256 KB Flash, 64/32 KB RAM and Bluetooth 5.3(BLE).
  • The sensors used are IM69D130 which is a high-performance microphone. Board also features BMI270 which is a 6-Axis IMU and a 3-axis magnetometer BMM150
  • The Nicla Voice is just 22.86 x 22.86 mm and weighs just 2g. The module has an operating temperature range of 0° C to +70° C.

The Syntiant NDP120 is a special-purpose processor for deep learning and is ideal for always-on applications in battery-powered devices. It is built using Synthia Core 2 programmable deep learning architecture. Core 2 delivers 25 times better performance than its predecessor Synthia Core 1. It’s designed to run deep neural networks on various architectures natively.

Connectivity, software support, and more about the board

The Nicla Voice features Bluetooth low energy which is aimed at novel applications in the healthcare, fitness and home entertainment industries. The Nicla Voice is intended to consume low energy while having a stable wireless connection. It features two analog-to-digital converter pins, an SPI bus, and an  I2C bus. A five-pin ESLOV connector connects the device, along with a single UART, USB B. An external microphone that can be used with the ZIF connector.  You can use a JST 3-pin connector to connect a Li-ion/Li-Po single cell of 3.7V to the device. The board can be programmed using Arduino IDE.

The Nicla Voice has a huge variety of applications. The applications are voice recognition, speech synthesis, voice-enabled IoT devices, smart home automation, and much more. The board retails at $82 and for more information visit the product page.

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