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Variscite Releases New System on Module for Energy-Efficient Machine Learning Edge Devices

Posted on by mixos

The VAR-SOM-MX93 is based on NXP’s i.MX93 newest application processor, offers ML, power efficiency, and cost-effective advantages

Variscite, a leading worldwide System on Module (SoM) designer, developer, and manufacturer, today announced new, state-of-the-art SoM for energy-efficient machine learning edge devices. Variscite’s VAR-SOM-MX93 is based on NXP’s iMX93 processor, the industry’s first implementation of the Arm® neural processing unit, Ethos™-U65 microNPU, offers a rich set of features at an attractive price and targets markets like industrial, IoT, smart devices, and wearables.

The VAR-SOM-MX93 is designed to accelerate ML and offers an energy-flex architecture for efficient processing. It’s based on a 1.7GHz Dual Cortex™-A55 NXP iMX93 processor and an additional 250MHz Cortex-M33 real-time co-processor with a dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) 0.5 TOPS and built-in security features.

The VAR-SOM-MX93 is a member of the VAR-SOM Pin2Pin System on Module family that provides extended scalability options: from the entry point with the i.MX 6UltraLite platforms, through the i.MX 6 and i.MX 8M processors families, up to the high-performance i.MX 8X and i.MX 8QuadMax platforms. This broad Pin2Pin product family allows Variscite’s customers to enjoy extended longevity, as well as reduced development time, costs, and risks.

The SoM offers industrial features like 2x CAN bus, 2x GbE, and industrial temperature grade plus a wide range of features and connectivity options: camera inputs, audio in/out, ADC, 2x USB, certified dual-band Wi-Fi, BT/BLE, and display outputs.

“As a company dedicated to being first to market with innovative solutions, we are proud to deliver the VAR-SOM-MX93, which provides our customers with a high-quality, future-proof SoM that meets the market’s demand for energy-efficiency solution, especially for smart edge devices,” said Ofer Austerlitz, VP Business Development and Sales of Variscite. “This next generation of technology extends the coverage of Variscite solutions for the embedded market.”

VAR-SOM-MX93 Evaluation kit

The VAR-SOM-MX93 evaluation kits include the related SoM with the scalable Symphony carrier board and an optional LVDS display with a touch panel.

 Availability and longevity

Both the evaluation kits and the SoMs are now available to order for Variscite’s alpha customers. The VAR-SOM-MX93 is included in Variscite’s long-term longevity plan and will provide an expected availability of 15 years.

Launching MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 board with a Bosch SensorTech BME688

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

The Bosch SensorTech BME688 4-in-1 pressure, humidity, temperature, and gas sensor has replaced the HTS221 humidity sensor and the LP22HB barometric pressure sensor on the MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 board for Arduino MKR boards, and the LSM6DSOX has been replaced the LSM6DS3.

The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier, which first debuted as part of the Arduino Oplà IoT Kit, became available in February 2021, providing a display, sensors, and I/Os for Arduino MKR boards through wireless networks. To further serve its customers, the business has released an updated version of the Arduino MKR IoT Carrier, which includes additional sensors and the relocation of some of the original’s parts.

The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 has an impressive list of features and specifications. Connectivity options like WiFi, LoRa, NB-IoT, and 3G cellular are supported by Arduino MKR family boards. A microSD card slot is available for more storage. The OLED screen is a full circle and is 1.3 inches in diameter, with a resolution of 240 by 240. Two 24V relays (V23079) and three Grove connectors (two analog and one digital, I2C) serve as input/output devices. The Arduino Nicla Sense ME utilizes the same Bosch SensorTech BME688 4-in-1 pressure, humidity, temperature, and gas sensor. In addition to the 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis gyroscope included on the STMicro LSM6DSOX 6-axis IMU, it also features a digital RGB, light, gesture, and proximity sensor from Broadcom called the APDS-9960. In addition, there are 5x RGB LEDs, 5x capacitive touch buttons, a Buzzer, and a Reset button. MKR board featuring a slot for a 18650 Li-ion rechargeable battery provides the board’s power at 5V. It does not include a battery, and the dimension is 85 mm.

Aesthetically, the updated carrier board is not that different from the original design. There are a few alterations, such as the addition of a reset button, the rotation of the relay connections by ninety degrees, and the relocation of the light sensor (APDS-9960). The relays’ control pins have been switched to 1 and 2. In addition, swap the roles of pins A5 and A6 on the grove connection.

With the most recent version of the Arduino MKRIoTCarrier library, the new MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 should work with your existing program without modification. In the same vein as traditional projects, the carrier board may be used with Arduino MKR boards to build monitoring stations, graphical user interfaces for the internet of things, and controllers for other devices. The Arduino documentation page contains further technical insights and tools for getting started.

The Arduino MKR IoT Carrier Rev2 is available for purchase on the Arduino shop for $63.60 (or 60 Euros). The Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 or Arduino MKR WAN 1310 MKR board is also required.

Microchip Technology WBZ451 Curiosity Board

Posted on by mixos

Microchip Technology WBZ451 Curiosity Board is an efficient and modular development platform. It supports rapid prototyping and demonstrates the features, capabilities, and interfaces of Microchip’s BLUETOOTH® Low Energy and Zigbee RF Module (WBZ451PE).

Features

  • WBZ451PE BLUETOOTH® Low Energy and Zigbee RF module
  • USB or Li-Po battery powered
  • On-board programmer/debug circuit using PKoB4 based on Microchip SAME70 MCU
  • Microchip MCP73871 Li-Ion/LiPo battery charger with power path management
  • On-board USB to UART serial converter with hardware flow control based on Microchip MCP2200
  • mikroBUS socket to expand functionality using Mikroe Click adapter boards
  • RGB LED connected to Pulse Width Modulation (PWM)
  • One reset switch
  • One user-configurable switch
  • One user LED
  • 32.768kHz crystal
  • Microchip SST26VF064B, 64-Mbit external QSPI Flash memory
  • Microchip MCP9700A, low power analog voltage temperature sensor
  • 10-pin Arm® Serial Wire Debug (SWD) header for external programmer/debugger

The PIC32CX-BZ2 and WBZ451 Curiosity Board:

  • Offers integrated programming/debugging features using the PICkit™ On-board 4 (PKOB4) debugger interface.
  • Requires only a Micro USB cable to power-up and program the board.
  • Includes a mikroBUS™ Click™ header, which helps the users to expand the functionalities by connecting to various MikroElectronika mikroBUS Click adapter boards.
  • Performs rapid prototyping utilizing the Bluetooth Low Energy and Zigbee-enabled RF Module.

The PIC32CX-BZ2 and WBZ451 Curiosity Board supports a variety of applications:

  • Wireless lighting
  • Home automation or Internet of Things (IoT)
  • Industrial automation
  • Other Bluetooth Low Energy or Zigbee-related applications

more information: https://www.microchip.com/en-us/development-tool/EV96B94A

GNSS IC yields 50% greater IoT device accuracy

Posted on by mixos

Synaptics’ SYN4778 GNSS IC delivers 80% lower power consumption in a 30% smaller package with 50% greater accuracy.

Addressing the challenge of a GNSS receiver consuming a high percentage of available power in battery-based IoT devices, Synaptics Inc. unveiled its SYN4778, claimed as the smallest, lowest power, most accurate global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) IC. Targeting IoT applications, the SYN4778 draws 80% less power, provides a 50% improvement in accuracy, and is housed in a package 30% smaller than comparable devices.

For IoT applications, the solution extends battery life, reduces product size, and enhances performance of advanced location-based services (LBSs), said Synaptics. Applications include wearables, mobile accessories, asset tagging and tracking, drones, and transportation navigation.

According to Brandon Bae, Sr., Synaptics’ director of product marketing, the company can provide more location-based functionality as a significant differentiator for handheld and wearable IoT device developers. This enables the coupling of GPS with complementary localization features including Bluetooth’s high accuracy distance measurement (HADM).

In addition to the GNSS IC’s 7-nm semiconductor process and on-chip power management for reduced power draw, the chip uses both the L1 and L5 satellite bands, reducing the chip’s time to first fix (TTFF) by 35% and the power consumed for first fix by 72%. This enables designers to extend battery life and shrink the overall product design or add more functionality and features such as biometrics, movement, and ambient sensors, said Synaptics.

The GNSS IC provides advanced multipath interference mitigation, LTE jamming and signal filtering, and continuous search and track of the complete GNSS channels for greater positioning accuracy, particularly in urban environments. Other features include support for multiple operating systems and third-party software and a low-noise, high-linearity RF front-end that makes an external LNA and second SAW filter optional.

Housed in a 40-ball FCBGA package, measuring 2.4 × 2.7 mm, the SYN4778 is currently being sampled to select customers. Synaptics is showcasing the SYN4778 GNSS IC, along with other products, at CES 2023, in the Venetian Hotel, Bellini Ballroom #2105.

Meet Pixhawk RPI CM4 Baseboard from Holybro

Posted on by Emmanuel Odunlade

The Pixhawk RPI CM4 Baseboard is a controller board designed to interface with the Pixhawk flight controller and the Raspberry Pi single-board computer. It allows users to connect the Pixhawk flight controller to the Raspberry Pi, enabling the use of the Raspberry Pi as a companion computer on a drone or other unmanned vehicle. The baseboard includes connectors for the Pixhawk and Raspberry Pi, as well as a power management system that can power both devices from a single power source. It is manufactured by Holybro, a company that specializes in producing high-quality flight control and other electronics for unmanned systems.

Pixhawk 5X and 6X are reliable and powerful flight controllers which can be used to control a wide variety of vehicle systems such as drones, rovers, and submersibles. The Pixhawk is based on the PX4 open-source flight stack, which is developed by the PX4 project and designed to run on a variety of hardware platforms. The Pixhawk is widely used in the DIY drone community, as well as in commercial and research applications. It is known for its reliability, flexibility, and performance. Both the Pixhawk 5X and Pixhawk 6X have a variety of features and capabilities, including support for a wide range of sensors and peripherals, multiple communication interfaces, multiple flight modes, and support for different types of vehicles.

“The Holybro Pixhawk RPi CM4 Baseboard combines the Pixhawk FC module with the Raspberry Pi CM4 companion computer in a compact form factor with all the connections you need for development,” the company explains. “It follows the Pixhawk Connector and Autopilot Bus Standard, allowing easy swap of FC Module with any FC that follows the Pixhawk Bus Standard. The FC Module is internally connected to RPi CM4 through TELEM2, and can also be connected via ethernet cable with an external cable provided. It is compatible with the Pixhawk 5X & 6X flight controller module.”

Features and Specifications of the Holybro Pixhawk RPi CM4 Baseboard Include:

  • 1x CSI camera for the Raspberry CM4
  • 1x mini HDMI port for Raspberry Pi CM4
  • 1x 4-pin FC Ethernet port
  • 1x CM4 Ethernet port
  • 2x GPS ports
  • 1x each of I2C, SPI, UART/I2C ports
  • 2x CAN ports
  • 3x Telemetry ports
  • 1x DSM port
  • 2x CM4 Host and 1x CM4 Slave ports
  • 1 x FC port
  • 1x DIP switch to select the CM4 Host/Slave modes
  • 1x USB port
  • 1x I/O and 1x FMU Debug ports
  • 1x FAN connector
  • 4x CM4 and 1x FC status LEDs
  • 2x Power connectors and 1x USB Type-C for RPi CM4

The RPi CM4 is powered with the PM03D power module via a 4-pin to USB-C cable. The power module comes with up to six XT30 connectors for motor ESCs and battery and a selectable 8V/12V triple row pin header for powering peripheral devices. It is compatible with the Pixhawk 5X and 6X flight controllers.

The company is selling the product for $279 and it comes with the Pixhawk RPI CM4 Baseboard, a cable set and the PM03D Power Module. There’s a second option which is offered for $590 but it comes with a Pixhawk 6X Flight Controller Module. You can check the product page for more information on purchases.

Other useful details, however, including the installation guide, tutorials, and RPi CM4 Flash guide can be found here.

Flex Power Modules’ BMR473 digital PoL regulator now available as SMD horizontal-mount version

Posted on by mixos

The BMR473 digital non-isolated PoL converter from Flex Power Modules is now available in a surface-mount format with solder bump terminations. This new mechanical version is also suitable for reverse mounting during reflow-soldering. Dimensioned just 19 x 13 x 7.5 mm, the device operates from 6 – 15 V input and provides a fully regulated output adjustable from 0.6 – 5 V at up to 40 A. Up to four units can be paralleled with synchronization and phase-spreading for a maximum of 160 A output. Efficiency of the single-phase BMR473 is high, peaking at 96.2% at 12 Vin and 5 Vout at full load, with minimal temperature derating required due to excellent thermal management and a 125°C maximum hot spot temperature.

The BMR473 includes remote control, a power good signal and configuration and monitoring via PMBus, and is compatible with the ‘Flex Power Designer’ GUI. Protection features include input under- and over-voltage, over-temperature and output over-voltage, over-current and short-circuit. Tight regulation, low output noise and fast load transient response round up the class-leading performance figures of the BMR473, along with over 30 Mhrs MTBF according to Telcordia SR-332 standard.

Olle Hellgren, Director Product Management and Marketing at Flex Power Modules comments:

“This new surface-mount version of our BMR473 PoL regulator will be a welcome addition to customers in telecom and datacom who will see the benefits of automated placement and a low profile”

Introducing the all new Maker Feather AIoT S3 to program ESP32-S3 using CircuitPython

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

The Cytron Maker Feather AIoT S3 is an ESP32-S3 board that fits the Adafruit Feather form factor. It is good for makers and STEM education because it has LEDs for GPIOs, a buzzer, expansion headers and connectors, and support for CircuitPython and Arduino.

The WiFi and Bluetooth LE IoT board also work with LiPo and Li-Ion batteries. It has a USB Type-C port for power/charging and programming, as well as a few buttons. Thanks to the vector extensions in the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, it can be used for machine learning.

Maker Feather AIoT S3 has a wireless module called Espressif ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N8R8. It has an ESP32-S3 dual-core LX7 microprocessor with a Vector extension for machine learning, 8MB FLASH, 8MB PSRAM, WiFi 4, and Bluetooth 5 LE/Mesh. Power and programming come from the USB Type-C port. The Expansion has 2x GPIO headers compatible with Adafruit Feather form factor and FeatherWing add-on boards and 3x Maker Ports compatible with Qwiic, STEMMA QT, and Grove (via a conversion cable); 2x are connected to VPeripheral and the other to 3.3V.

Maker Feather AIoT S3 has Reset, BOOT, and User buttons, as well as a Power LED (3.3V), a Power LED (for VPeripheral, which can be turned off if needed), a charging LED, a user LED, LEDs for some of the GPIOs, and a User RGB LED (WS2812B), which is also used as a status indicator for CircuitPython and UF2 Bootloader. It also has a mute switch and a Piezo buzzer. It is powered by 5V through the USB-C port and a 2-pin battery connector for a single-cell LiPo or Li-Ion battery. It can be charged through the USB-C port and has a 3.3V peripheral output that can be turned off with the GPIO D11 pin. The size is 58.4 mm by 22.9 mm.

When you press the Reset button twice, you can reset the ESP32-S3 processor or enter UF2 Bootloader mode. The BOOT button lets you use esptool with the ROM Bootloader. Cytron says that the board works with Arduino, CircuitPython, MicroPython, and the Espressif ESP-IDF framework, but it looks like CircuitPython is the main firmware because the official website has a detailed tutorial and a link to download it. A few months ago, the board was also added to the Arduino core for the ESP32. There is also a tutorial with some Arduino sketches.

Including three Grove to JST-SH (Qwiic / STEMMA QT) cables, the feather-compatible ESP32-S3 board sells for $19.95 (without headers) and $21.20 (with headers), not including shipping or taxes.

Demonstrating Automate Safe Cracking with an ESP8266 and a Stepper Motor

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

To recover a lost combination, we may see how YouTuber Zach Hipps designed and built a completely automated safe-breaking robot. Zach Hipps, who runs the YouTube channel Byte Sized Engineering, has a brother-in-law who put his safe’s combination code inside the safe just before going on vacation. But when he got home, he realized he had forgotten the code and couldn’t get it back, even after calling the company that made it. Hipps thought that he could try to solve the problem by making a safe-cracking machine from scratch that would try all one million possible combinations until it found the right one.

Mechanical design

Hipps was looking into different kinds of robots that could open safes when he came across a video from the Lock Picking Lawyer that showed the ITL-2000. This is a robot that can automatically open a safe by turning the dial until the three inner rings line up. In order to improve the design and make it work better with other dials, Hipps kept the vertical placement of the stepper motor but replaced the chuck with a clamping mechanism that can adjust to different sizes. By doing this, damage to the safe is kept to a minimum, and it is also made very portable.

The components

A stepper motor was needed to move the dial with fine, repeatable precision. Also, since the dial stops when the right combination has been entered, the microcontroller needs to know when the motor can no longer move. Hipps chose a PD57-2-1076 stepper motor because it has a high torque and a built-in motor driver that can also tell when the motor has stalled. An Adafruit ESP8266 Feather runs everything, and a stackable OLED screen lets you look at motor debugging data.

Handling motor stalls

The Trinamic driver for the stepper motor is built in, and it comes with a software package that lets you set certain parameters on a PC and send them to the driver over UART. After setting up the configuration, Hipps could see the load value in real-time in the software. A lower value meant that there was more weight on the motor’s shaft, and a value of zero meant that the motor had completely stopped. He then told the ESP8266 to keep an eye on this value, show it on the screen, and stop sending commands to move when a zero appears.

Wiring and assembling the device

The 3D-printed adjustable chuck works like a screw clamp. When you turn the threaded rod, each jaw moves either in or out, depending on which way you turn it. Hipps attached a coupler to the stepper motor and then used the two UART pins on the ESP8266 to connect it to the stepper motor driver. This allowed him to send commands and get the load value. Lastly, he put in a digital logic analyzer in case he needed to do more advanced debugging.

Initial tests

Hipps found a safe like the one in the Lock Picking Lawyer’s video and clamped the auto-chuck dialer’s around the dial to see if it worked as planned. From here, he held the stepper motor while the dial turned over and over according to a combination that had already been set up. This made sure that everything lined up correctly. In part two, he plans to build a frame to make it more stable and change the code to make it work better. If you want to learn more, you can watch his build log video here on YouTube.

Exploring the PoE support of the M5Stack ESP32 module

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

A little module from M5Stack called the PoESP32 has an RJ45 connector that supports PoE (Power-over-Ethernet). Applications involving HTTP, MQTT, and related communication protocols can use the device. The ESP32-WROOM-32U modules are strong, generic Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth LE MCUs that are designed to target a broad range of applications. These applications may be as simple as low-power sensor networks or as complex as speech encoding, music streaming, and MP3 decoding. It also has dual-core (up to 240 MHz), and 600 DMIPS and is available with the PoESP32. Additionally, it includes a 4MB flash and 520 KB SRAM (without an inbuilt 3D antenna or compatibility for Wi-Fi or BLE).

PoESP32 top view

PoESP32 bottom view

Additionally, the product page states that PoESP32 incorporates a “built-in MAC and IP101G as physical layer transceiver.” The product’s default firmware is ESP-AT, and M5Stack has also offered some examples using TCP, HTTP, and MQTT. The PoESP32 may be programmed using ESP-IDE and Arduino, just like other ESP32 gadgets. It can connect to a server using simple AT commands sent through the serial port. This lets it send data and control it from a distance. With its PoE power supply, this module makes wiring easier and saves money on labor. It also leaves room for future development to meet your needs.

PoESP32 schematics

It also looks like UIFLOW, which is a platform similar to Scratch, will be supported in the future.

PoESP32 features

PoESP32 has a lot of different features, such as Ethernet, that is PoE IEEE 802.3 AF (Max 6W load), and an RJ45 port that can handle 10/100Mbps. 3.3V Logic Level and UART 9600bps 8N1 AT command control are some of the other features. It is powered by a 5V DC power supply (via HY2.0-4P) and 37-57V DC (PoE). Its dimensions are 72 x 26 x 19.5mm. The communication is carried out using a UART 9600bps 8N1 AT command control interface.

According to additional information, the M5Stack ESP32 Ethernet Unit with PoE is available for $25.90 on Mouser.com, AliExpress, and the M5Stack website. In addition to the PoE32 module, the product appears to come with an HY2.0-4P Cable and an instruction booklet.

Feature Loaded New Camera Modules from Raspberry Pi

Posted on by Rakesh Kumar, Ph.D.

The Sony IMX708 12MP sensor-based camera modules with HDR and autofocus were just released in four different variations by Raspberry Pi. To target various applications, the new Camera Module 3 is also offered in Wide and NoIR variants. A 12MP stacked CMOS Sony IMX708 sensor is featured in all of these modules, as stated in the product description.

Let us have a look at the features of Camera Module 3. First, it has a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with built-in 2D Dynamic Defect Pixel Correction (DPC) and Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) for fast autofocus. It also has CSI-2 serial data output and QBC Re-mosaic with HDR mode (up to 3-megapixel output). The camera module has extra features like 2-wire serial communication (which works with I2C fast mode and fast-mode plus) and 2-wire serial control of the focus mechanism.

Hardware specification table

In the announcement of the product, it says that the camera module “uses the Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF) capabilities of the IMX708 sensor, falling back to our own Contrast Detection Autofocus (CDAF) algorithm if a high-confidence PDAF result is not available.”

CM3 Standard & Wide

 CM3 NoIR Standard & Wide

The PDAF feature also lets the camera keep the object in focus even if it moves while recording video. It does this by constantly running the autofocus algorithm. See the short example here as a guide.

As seen in the scenario below, Camera Module 3 also has a high dynamic range capability to enhance and correct scenes with both bright and dark sections.

HDR example (left)

HQ Camera w/ M12-mount & C/CS-mount 

Raspberry Pi released a new version of its high-quality camera that works with lenses that have a native M12 mount. In the announcement, it was also said that these new modules would only work with libcamera and Picamera2, not with the old camera stack. Check out the libcamera page for more information. Online stores like CanaKit and PiShop. US sell the Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3 and the NoIR version for about $25. For $35.00, you can buy the “Wide” version of these modules. Look at the bottom of the product page to see who else sells it in the U.S. and around the world. The price of the HQ camera with an M12 mount will be around $50.

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