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EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 Comes with High-Performance Features that Provides You with All-in-One Automation Services

Posted on 13 December, 2022 by Emmanuel Odunlade

IoT hardware company, Seeed Studio, recently introduced a new board that targets the Industrial IoT and offers the greatest performance when it comes to the novel automation essentials. The new EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 is a Raspberry Pi-based industrial controller designed with powerful processors and flexible OS, a wide range of IO, multiple wireless capabilities and IT capabilities, and support for industrial software and cloud services. The industrial controller is actually a multifunctional device that can function as a PLC/PAC, an Industrial IoT gateway, a lightweight HMI, and an Industry PC.

“Seeed has launched EdgeLogix-RPI-1000, which extends the widely developed series of the industrial controller,” Jena Liang from Seeed Studio wrote. “We would say Raspberry Pi could be a choice for the industry since it supports a huge network of connections among devices, remote monitoring, communicating with devices from different brands, embedded software systems, and dealing with tons of data.”

The EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 is powered by the AI-enabled Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 offered with the standard 1.5GHz quad-core 64-bit Arm processor, 8GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage, and a Broadcom VideoCore multimedia processor. Equipped with the ability to process and manage complex systems and sophisticated machines, the equipment also features up to 24x isolated digital inputs and outputs, 3x GbE ports, RS485, RS232, and CAN-FD. Others include an integrated dual-band WiFi, mPCIe slot for LTE and LORAWAN modules, expansion modules offering additional DI & DO and ADC inputs, and a full-color 4.3-inch touchscreen user interface.

It’s interesting how the company in a short while released two Raspberry Pi-powered edge devices — the EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 and an earlier EdgeBox-RPI-200 — both of which are focused on the Industrial IoT and smart automation system. One major difference between the two however is that the EdgeBox-RPI-200 has fewer inputs and outputs and also lacks a built-in display.

Features and Specifications of the EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 Include:

Powered by Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4
Up to 8GB RAM and 32GB eMMC
3x GbE ports
High-speed local bus extension
Up to 24x Digital Input and Output, 5x RS485, 3x RS232, 2x CAN-FD
Integrated 2.4G/5G WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy
Mini PCIe slot for 4G LTE and LoRaWAN modules
Hefty aluminum heat sink
4.3-inch touchscreen user interface
Support for AWS and Azure Cloud services
Support IEC 61131-3 with CODESYS, Node-RED, and MQTT
OS: Debian, Linux, and Ubuntu

Seeed Studio is also offering a lightweight EdgeBox-ESP-100 industrial edge controller with many wireless capabilities and multiple Fieldbus. The compact device is powered by an Espressif ESP32 microcontroller and comes with Ethernet connectivity, WiFi, Bluetooth Low Energy, 4G LTE, DIO, AIO, etc. It can function as an independent PLC for field automation applications.

“It supports analog input, effectively monitoring and controlling in a remote environment and is ideal for PID control loops, logic sequencing control, or a gateway with flexible wireless and field sensors expansion,” Seeed Studio claims.

The EdgeLogix-RPI-1000 is offered at three different price levels — $459, $479, and $509 for models with 2GB/4GB/8GB CM4 respectively. The EdgeBox-ESP-100 on the other hand sells for $179. A $10 discount applies if you are buying more than 10 units.

AI Camera Dev Kit Designed for Accelerating AI Vision Prototyping Features NVIDIA Jetson Nano Module

Posted on 13 December, 202213 December, 2022 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Edge computing expert, ADLINK Technology, recently announced a new AI camera development kit designed for easy and accelerated AI vision prototyping. It is aimed at helping AI vision developers quickly develop proof-of-concept applications.

The pocket-sized vision developer kit is powered by an NVIDIA Jetson Nano module and equipped with a variety of peripherals alongside an 8MP color camera sensor with lens and industrial digital I/O to aid development start-up. There’s a Gigabit Ethernet port, a microSD memory card with Linux OS, and a USB Type C port for easy powering, data transmission, keyboard or mouse connection, and video. There’s also a microUSB port, as well as validated software drivers to get you started quickly with your computer vision applications.

Today’s market trend is to start project development from a developer kit that can quickly help developers test and demonstrate their concept,” said Kevin Hsu, a senior product manager at ADLINK. “Targeted for the booming AI vision market, ADLINK provides an image sensor integrated AI camera developer kit based on our popular NEON series AI smart camera. The AI Camera Dev Kit eliminates tedious integration effort with its built-in no-code GUI software (EVA) and two AI applications with sample code. This kit enables users to start their AI vision PoC in just five minutes.

The ADLINK EVA (edge vision analytics) software is the company’s exclusive little or no code GUI-based development environment with everything you need to build a PoC without AI expertise. The development kit is also compatible with the popular V4L2 video interface and leverages the company’s NEON series AI smart camera for a wide coverage of AI vision applications.

Specifications of the AI Camera Dev Kit Include:

ADLINK NEON-series camera module:
Sony IMX179 color image sensor with:
- Rolling shutter
- 8MP resolution
- Frame rate: 3280 x 2464 @ 15fps or 1920 x 1080 @ 30fps
- Pixel size: 1.4 x 1.4 µm
- Field of View: 72.9 degrees
NVIDIA Jetson Nano SoC with:
- Quad-core Arm Cortex-A57 processor
- NVIDIA Maxwell architecture with 128 NVIDIA cores
- 4GB 64-bit LPDDR4
- Up to 16 eMMC 5.1
1x microSD card slot
1x GbE RJ45 port
1x DP supporting up to 1920 x 1080 @30fps
1x USB 3.0 Type-C port for power, data, and video output up to 1080p30
1x micro USB port for flashing firmware
4x Digital Input, 4x Digital Output and 1x UART
Power:
- 12V – 24V DC (via power jack), or,
- 15V DC (via USB Type-C port)
Power consumptions: Less than 40W
Temperature
- Operating: 0 – 30°C
- Storage: -20°C – 70°C
Dimensions: 130 mm x 72 mm x 43.8 mm
OS: Ubuntu 18.04, Jetpack 4.6.1, OpenCV 4.1.1

Benefits

Gives users the opportunity for a low-cost, simple integration and fast development process of AI-accelerated computer vision applications.
Equipped with the powerful NVIDIA Jetson module and a host of other high-performance peripherals
Provides open access to selected AI models, tools, resources, tutorials, and templates for an effortless PoC development
Includes sample codes and a start-up guide for rapid AI vision prototyping. Users can start development straight away.
Users can easily convert the devkit to ADLINK edge AI systems

Nothing has been said about the price of ADLINK’s AI camera Dev Kit or its availability, but other useful details can be found on the product page and the EVA portal.

AAEON’s UP Xtreme i12 Offers up to 20% Greater CPU Performance and 2.47 x the Graphics Speed

Posted on 7 December, 20227 December, 2022 by mixos

Bringing 12th Gen Intel^® Core™ power, onboard LPDDR5, and wider expansion options, the UP Xtreme i12 sets a new standard for power, speed, and AI performance.

Adding to its incredibly popular UP Xtreme product line, industry leader AAEON has announced the release of the UP Xtreme i12, the next-generation developer board with 12th Generation Intel^® Core™ Processors (formerly Alder Lake-P).

Improving upon the 11th Generation Intel^® Core™ Processor SoC of its predecessor, the UP Xtreme i11, AAEON’s next-generation UP Xtreme i12 utilizes the 12-core, 16-thread hybrid architecture of 12th Generation Intel Core Processors, making it more energy-efficient despite possessing double the previous generation’s thread count. With these improvements, the UP Xtreme i12 offers up to 20% greater CPU performance, while also hosting 32GB onboard LPDDR5 system memory, which provides double the bandwidth and memory capacity of the previous generation.

The UP Xtreme i12’s configuration of HDMI 2.0b, eDP 1.4, and two DP 1.4 slots give it the necessary tools to host four simultaneous 4K displays, alongside USB 4.0 and 2.5GbE ports ensuring high-speed connectivity to peripheral cameras. Compounding this powerful, efficient function is the 2.47 x increase in graphics speed provided by Intel^® Iris^® Xe graphics, which makes the board an excellent candidate for smart retail deployments.

Highly expandable, the board supports Wi-Fi 6 and 5G via M.2 2230 E and 3052 B-Keys, alongside a further two M.2 2280 M-Keys for PCIe 4.0 storage and AI module support. AAEON feels that this accommodation of multiple expansion modules will lead to the UP Xtreme i12 being the standard-bearer for IoT and robotics applications. This is supported by the ancillary technologies the board has access to through its CPU, such as 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.

While the UP Xtreme i12’s specifications align perfectly with the needs of smart retail and IoT applications, its utility also extends to industrial use, with a wide 12~36V power input range enabling its deployment in more rugged environments such as smart manufacturing.

The UP Xtreme i12 is now available for purchase, with pricing depending on SKU, and will soon be followed up by the UP Xtreme i12 Edge, an embedded, fanless edge system for customers that prefer a more plug-and-play solution.

For more information about the UP Xtreme i12, please visit our product page. Alternatively, contact an AAEON representative directly.

Seeed Studio has the license to sell Grove for Scratch – An expansion board for various Grove sensors

Posted on 6 December, 20226 December, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Seeed Studio has received a license to sell Grove for Scratch, but technical support will be provided by Akadako. More interested manufacturers can get their products under Seeed Licensed Products Program, and Seeed Studio will fulfill the order with a hardware quality guarantee. Coming back to the Grove for Scratch expansion board, as the name suggests, it is designed to allow various other Grove sensor modules to be controlled from Scratch via a USB cable.

T-Fab Works collaborated with Akadako to solve the problems associated with teaching programming in elementary schools. As a result of this partnership, they developed Grove for Scratch expansion board that does not demand any installation application as the Akadako has a built-in WebSerial function, so it can be used with existing browsers out of the box. The expansion board is easy to use and does not require an external battery, and can be powered by connecting it to a host computer via a USB port.

Grove for Scratch expansion board allows the user to interface with various Grove sensors and actuators through the visual programming language Scratch. To avoid issues with interference, the Grove for Scratch connects to the computer via USB, as there are several sensors used for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity which can result in an unstable network or Bluetooth transmission.

Specifications of Grove for Scratch expansion board

Module: Grove for Scratch
Manufacturer: T-Fab Works and Akadako
System requirements: Windows 10/11, Chromebook, Mac, and Linux
Terminals: 1x analog input, 1x digital input/output, and 5V
Grove ports: 2x Grove analog port, 2x Grove digital port, 2x I2C port,
Programming: Scratch visual programming
Dimensions: 65x48x12 mm

As mentioned before, Grove for Scratch has a built-in WebSerial function feature so that the user can edit the Grove sensors right in the browser. The module was developed to reduce and mitigate the requirements for understanding programming languages. The web visual programming is considered to be very easy to learn and requires the user to simply connect the programmed blocks for their functionality.

If you are interested in purchasing this Grove for Scratch, head to the Seeed Studio product page, where it is sold at $49.90 USD. You can also add Grove sensors to your cart.

Ai Thinker has announced a development board with excellent RF performance

Posted on 6 December, 20226 December, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Ai Thinker is known for developing wireless connectivity modules, such as GPS modules and antennas, which are suitable for GNSS positioning and tracking. Ai Thinker has now announced the commercial availability of Ai-WB2-32S-Kit, powered by the company’s in-house Ai-WB2-32S module that supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

The module has a BL602 chip as the processor core and supports IEEE802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi protocols. The BL602 chip has a built-in 32-bit RISC-V central processing unit with low power consumption. The BL602 is tightly integrated with 276kB memory and supports a wide range of peripheral interfaces, including SDIO, SPI, UART, VDC, IR remote, PWM, ADC, DAC, PIR, and GPIOs.

BL602 is manufactured by Buffalo Labs as an IoT chip to support multiple security mechanisms and has low power consumption with low cost and high performance. As mentioned earlier, BL602 has a 32-bit RISC-V single-core processor with high cache and memory resources. The module is used as an industry-leading single-chip multipurpose solution for IoT applications. The onboard RISC-V CPU is clocked up to 192MHz frequency.

Specifications of Ai Thinker Ai-WB2-32S-Kit:

Onboard module: Buffalo Labs BL602 IoT system-on-chip featuring a single-core RISC-V processor
Memory: 276kB RAM
Flash storage: 4MByte
Wireless connectivity: IEEE802.11b/g/n/ Wi-Fi and BLE 5.0 protocol
Antenna: Onboard PCB antenna
Frequency: 2400 to 2483.5 MHz
Interfaces: UART, GPIOs, ADC, PWM, I2C, and SPI
GPIOs: 15x
Security: WPS/WEP/WPA/WPA2 Personal/WPA2 Enterprise/WPA3
Serial port rate: 115200bps
Operating temperature: -40 °C to +125 °C
Power supply: Type-C interface, 5V and GND, 3v3 and GND
Package: DIP-38
Dimensions: 55.05×25.4 mm

Thanks to the onboard BL602 system-on-chip, which enables the development board to maintain excellent RF performance even at higher operating temperatures to help IoT-connected devices with wider coverage and powerful application solutions. The development board features the coexistence of multiple working modes in wireless connectivity with the support for station + BLE and Station + SoftAP + BLE working modes.

When it comes to security, Ai Thinker has wisely chosen the BL602 chip due to its support for the use of ECC-256 signed images to provide secure boot protection and also supports QSPI flash instant AES decryption. The software provides signature and verification to ensure the security of the application program interface.

If you are interested in purchasing the Ai Thinker development board, head to the Seeed Studio product page, which sells at $3.50 USD.

Introduction to the Desktop Version of the 3D CRUMB Breadboard Circuit Simulator

Posted on 5 December, 20226 December, 2022 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Obviously, after Mike Bushell from Vital Group first introduced the CRUMB circuit simulator several months ago, the hardware design engineer did not rest on his oars as what we saw recently showed that he has been working on the progressive development of the circuit simulator. From expanding the number of components available for simulation, Bushell has now launched a desktop version that comes with a wider range of tools alongside deeper analysis and other extras. The first version of the simulator initially targeted mobile devices but this new version aims to give you a simulated 3D breadboard-building experience on both mobiles and desktops. It brings with it endless combinations and possibilities.

“Our modern world is dominated by electronics. With a diverse range of careers in electronics available for young and adult minds alike, CRUMB offers an easy to use and interactive introduction to electronic circuitry,” Bushell claims. “Fully realized in 3D, you can construct prototype circuits as you would at the workbench without the risk of terminal component failure or the hassle of ordering individual components.”

The CRUMB circuit simulator affords users to go from learning to mastering their understanding of circuitry. They start from the basics and expand using the many available components till they come to mastery. The three-dimensional circuit-building simulator is designed for education and hobbyists alike, to help them build surprisingly involved breadboard projects without needing any additional hardware.

It brings an impressive selection of starter components that allows users to jump straight in, to create prototype circuits. It also features multiple components as well as debugging tools including an analysis view and an oscilloscope with which you can clearly see the interaction between components from within the wires themselves.

“The core simulation is SPICE based, as is everything really these days,” Bushell continues. “Unity is used for the 3D display. The UI is built as a .NET app with Unity embedded as a window. The Arduino side uses a virtual machine and the C language code editor is AvalonEdit, embedded.”

The product page shows that there are still some planned features and upgrades for CRUMB, hopefully, those should also unfold in the coming weeks or months. Imagination is the only limit we have to what we should expect from Bushell.

Video

CRUMB is currently available on iOS, Android, and Windows. macOS and Linux ports are expected to follow shortly. You can visit the company’s website for the links to all the versions of CRUMB.

TIMI-96 – 0.96″ Revolutionary Breadboard Compatible IPS Display Development Module

Posted on 5 December, 20228 December, 2022 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Introduction

We recently featured the TIMI-96 display development module designed by Breadboard Mates, an Australian company focused on designing breadboard-friendly products. Just in case you missed that, you can quickly check it out on the link attached. This article however will focus on the details of the TIMI-96 breadboard-compatible development module, which is a smaller member of the TIMI family. The IPS mini display module came in a metal case along with the appropriate USB adapter required for programming and minimum paper pointing to the starting guide of the display.

Key Benefits of using a Timi-96 display module

The display module helps to save some valuable time and money — It comes straight out with many of the common components used in most breadboard-based projects, replacing messy wires and expensive components.
Has compatibility with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, PICO, STM, ARM, Beaglebone, ESP32/8266, etc.
It is quick and easy to use for debugging host software application
It adds an extra dimension to your project with vivid graphics, making your projects more interesting.
It helps to save valuable I/O pins on your host controller
You don’t need to waste time designing realistic GUIs as the module also comes with lots and lots of ready-to-use pre-designed pages.

TIMI-96 is a mini LCD display for everyone looking to save time and money testing, designing, and building electronics projects. Whether you are a hobbyist or engineer, the 0.96-inch full-color IPS smart display instrument will help to make breadboarding or project development easier. Its aim is to speed up and reinvent the way you build display projects, empowering you to build projects you never thought possible.

The display module replaces and simulates many typical components used in most breadboard-based projects, so you don’t have to deal with messy wires or deal with the extra cost that comes with ordering additional physical parts for your project.

According to the details released on Sparkfun’s product page,

“TIMI-96 was created as a flexible design aid, primarily to simulate components readouts and meters, which would otherwise be cumbersome or demanding on hardware resources for breadboard or electronics development. Simulating component readouts allows accelerated development and retains the often-limited GPIO hardware associated with many developments.”

The compact and feature-rich TIMI-96 is driven by a 4D Lab’s Pixxi-28 embedded graphics processor with 32KB of processor flash memory, 16MB Flash graphics memory, and 14KB of processor SRAM for user variables. The device weighs approximately 5 grams and boasts a 0.96-inch 160 x 80 pixel resolution TFT IPS LCD display as well as a simple and easy-to-use MatesBus interface ideal for breadboard applications or directly plugging into an adapter or a developed product. The display instrument is also equipped with 32MB flash memory for all the animations, images, and icons. The TIMI-96 is designed in a ‘T-shape’ form but it can be viewed either as portrait, landscape, or portrait reversed or landscape reversed. It is wrapped in a sleek metal frame and it can be used in stand-alone, host-interfaced, PC-tethered, or educational settings.

“TIMI-96’s main interface is a 3.3V level Asynchronous Serial UART and features 3 GPIO which can be used as Digital or Analog inputs, Digital Outputs, Master I2C Communication or PWM Audio output,” writes Breadboard Mates. “These interfaces arm TIMI with resources to be either a stand-alone computer, a Host driven slave or a tethered test instrument, while being capable of interfacing and powering external devices itself.”

Features and Specifications of TIMI-96 display development include

4D Labs Pixxi-28 graphics processor with 32KB flash and 14 KB of SRAM
32MB flash memory
TFT IPS LCD display with 160 x 80-pixel resolution
RGB display (65K vivid colors)
2x standard breadboard compatible 2.54 mm pitch headers with:
- 2x analog or I2C and 1x PWM Audio
- Master I2C interface bus
- 3.3V serial UART interface (300 – 2187500 Baud)
- 5V DC supply input
- Dedicated 3.3V 500mA power output
Weight: Approximately 5.0 g
Compliance: RoHS and REACH, PCB is UL 94V-0 flammability rated

TIMI-96 utilizes the BBM MatesBus, which is a unique interface pinout designed to be simple and easy to use.

Here are some key benefits that come with using TIMI-96:

The vivid graphics add an extra dimension to your projects making them more exciting.
Access to many ready-to-use pre-designed pages so there’s no need to waste time trying to design realistic GUIs
You also get to save money too because the display module comes straight out with many typical components used in most breadboard-based projects.
The module helps to reduce clutter on the Breadboard by simulating buttons, LED matrices, gauges, meters, bar graphs, switches, knobs and sliders, notification icons, and other widgets.
It is easy to use for debugging host software application
It has compatibility with Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ARM, Beaglebone, PICO, and many more.

Development Environment

The company also designed a software development suite for its products. Mates Studio is an integrated development environment for TIMI-96 (and other displays) with several options for graphical applications. The IDE has up to four feature-rich development environments that can be used to write custom applications and also used to create new user interface designs. Mate Studio is available here.

More Information

More useful details on the TIMI-96 including links to the datasheet, tutorials, manuals, and project examples can be found on the company’s product page. The TIMI-96 goes for $29 but the company recommends a Starter Kit version for those using the module for the first time as the Programmer is useful for all development work. It goes for an extra $10 though, making a total of $39. The TIMI-96 display development module alongside hookup accessories is also available on Sparkfun’s page.

Inkplate 2 — Arduino-compatible Board with 2.13″ E-paper Display

Posted on 5 December, 20225 December, 2022 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Soldered Electronics, which specialized in the designing and manufacturing of electronic products, has unveiled its Inkplate 2 on Kickstarter for crowdfunding. Inkplate 2 is not the first of its kind that the company will be introducing. They had successfully crowdfunded four other models of the Inkplate. However, while previous models rely on larger-inch ePaper displays, the Inkplate 2 features a 2.13-inch 3-color ePaper display. It is by far the smallest the company has ever designed.

“The Inkplate 2 is an Arduino-compatible board that features a 2.13″ three-color e-paper display,” the company explains. It is a ‘Plug ‘n’ play device, programmable via USB port, and controller by ESP32 microcontroller. Moreover, it connects to the internet via WiFi or Bluetooth. Since it uses only 8uA in low-power mode, it can last months on a single Li-ion battery charge. It’s simple enough to be used by beginners, but it also offers plenty of features and a simple platform for advanced users. Simply said – it’s the easiest way to add an e-paper display to your project.”

The simple, easy-to-use Arduino-compatible device has a lot packed in a small factor board. It is driven by a low-cost low-power ESP32 dual-core microcontroller with integrated WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has 8MB PSRAM and 4MB flash storage as well as a USB-UART converter with a Type-C port for easy programming. The board can be programmed with Arduino IDE or Micropython.

The device’s hardware is plug ‘n’ play; simply connect it to your computer using the USB cable that comes with it and it starts working, nothing more. There’s also an onboard Li-ion charger that charges your battery and makes it last for a long.

The 2.13-inch e-paper display has a natural look with high contrast and beautifully clean lines. It works well in any environment and has a really wide viewing angle (almost 180°). It has a 212 x 104-pixel resolution, 15-second full-screen refresh time, and is able to show text and images in three different colors at the same time (red, black, and white).

Specifications:

ESP32-WROVER-E wireless module equipped with ESP32 dual-core MCU with WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, 8MB PSRAM, 4MB flash
External flexible IPX antenna
2.13-inch ePaper display with:
- Screen resolution: 212 x 104 pixel
- Screen colors: Black, white and red
- Pixel size: 0.229 mm x 0.228 mm
- Pixel density: 111 dpi
- Full screen refresh time: 15 seconds
1x USB Type-C port
20-pin header with GPIOs, I2C, UART, 3.3V and GND
easyC I2C connector with the Qwiic connector
Power Supply:
- 5V via USB Type-C port
- Li-ion battery, MCP73831 charger IC
Power consumption: 8uA
Dimensions: 65.2 mm x 35.3 mm

Applications

Inkplate 2 offers makers the opportunity to program and develop a wide range of projects from scratch. It has amazing flexibility, so there is almost no limit to what you can use it for. It can be used to display weather reports, investment or stock tracking, sensor dashboard, or just as a simple e-paper picture frame.

Soldered Electronics launched the Inkplate 2 on Kickstarter this time with a $10,000 funding goal. The project has surpassed its target by far and still has more days for fundraising. Rewards are listed from $35 for a standard package comprising the Inkplate 2 board and a USB cable. You could pledge $45 if you want a 3D enclosure to be included, or, $55 if you want the kit with the enclosure and a 500mAh Li-ion battery. An additional $12 or $15 shipping fees apply to customers within the European Union or USA respectively. Others outside these places will pay $19. Deliveries are scheduled to start in April next year.

T-Mobile has launched aν IoT developer kit to connect to T-Mobile network with no strings attached

Posted on 5 December, 20225 December, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Earlier this year, the company launched T-Mobile DevEdge, a self-serve developer platform that gives developers access to T-Mobile networks to create connected wireless solutions. T-Mobile, under the hood of DevEdge and has now launched an IoT developer kit that will let the developer connect to and build for T-Mobile network.

The company believes that due to bureaucratic processes, access to the carrier network was impossible. However, with the availability of DevEdge and IoT developer kit, the carrier provided believes that developers will now have access to one of the leading networks to create an ecosystem that accelerates wireless development.

T-Mobile lists some of the earlier developers on to their network– Pano AI and InDro Robotics, who have been building smart connected wireless applications. The T-Mobile IoT developer kit comes with fully functional out-of-the-box capabilities that automatically connect to the T-Mobile network without demanding any software development. It has a complete software development kit built on the Zephyr real-time operating system for quick integration with cloud services and flexibility in resource-constrained environments.

“T-Mobile is opening doors for innovators of all kinds, making building for wireless simple and easy… the way it should be. As the Un-carrier, we’re empowering developers, no matter their size or what stage of the development process they’re in, to create innovative connected solutions,” said Rob Roy, SVP of Emerging Products at T-Mobile.

T-Mobile gives access to free APIs, like device location, SMS notifications, and diagnostic tools. There is also an option for a CAT-M IoT network SIM with speed support of up to 375 kbps. The SIM includes 500MB of data, which is enough to last a full development cycle. The company also provides 200 SMS messages for testing throughout the development process. There are some onboard embedded sensors and radios which let the user start building applications without wanting to buy and connect them separately.

As for wireless connectivity, the IoT developer kit supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi wireless connectivity and has companion web and mobile applications for faster prototyping. Self-serve access to DevEdge platform makes it easier for developers to start building applications. It has built-in debugging capabilities for real-time programming and does not require any add-on devices.

“Our IoT Developer Kit, a fully functional out-of-the-box kit that connects seamlessly to our leading network, is our next big step in driving that innovation forward.”

T-Mobile IoT developer kit is currently sold for $99.00 with free shipping. The company states that the reduced pricing will be there for a limited time.

MOKO Smart developed a smart plug for monitoring energy consumption of remote IoT applications

Posted on 5 December, 20225 December, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Chinese designer and manufacturer of IoT hardware MOKO Smart has developed a smart plug for energy management applications in smart home ecosystems. The company chose to integrate Nordic Semiconductors’ nRF52833 system-on-chip as the device’s main processor for running sensor-based algorithms which will monitor energy consumption. The system-on-chip module is also capable of measuring parameters such as instant voltage, current, active power, power factor, and frequency with high accuracy.

MOKO Smart MK117NB smart plug is aimed towards monitoring energy usage and reducing power consumption by remotely controlling the load switches. The device features a power and energy meter with a measurement accuracy of ±0.5 percent. The enterprise customer can monitor these parameters of total energy consumption through a smartphone application. The MK117NB smart plug supports a range of plug types and can be used in many countries.

“It allows ordinary electrical devices to become IoT enabled, providing users with the ability to better understand their energy usage and convert real-time electricity consumption into accurate billing data. For example, the device can easily manage all electrical equipment such that it turns off during non-working hours and then automatically turns on during working hours, reducing unnecessary power consumption and manual labor.”

Nordic Semiconductors’ nRF52833 system-on-chip features an Arm Cortex-M4 processor core clocked up to a frequency of 64MHz with a floating-point unit microprocessor. The general-purpose multiprotocol system-on-chip has a Bluetooth direction-finding capable radio and is qualified for operating in an extended temperature range of -40°C to 105°C. The module has integrated 512kB of flash storage and 128kB of RAM available for higher-value applications.

MOKO Smart has also integrated Nordic Semiconductors’ nRF9160 system-in-package with integrated LTE-M and NB-IoT modem and GNSS to enable wireless connectivity for low-power consumption wireless data communication over a cellular IoT network. Utilizing this, the MOKO Smart MK117NB smart plug can connect to third-party customer Cloud servers and smartphone applications through MQTT servers.

“From the pre-research of the product based on the development board, to the later prototype test, Nordic has provided us with a lot of help, including chip introduction, SDK [Software Development Kit] technical support, layout precautions, and rapid progress after applying for samples.”

If you are interested in understanding the smart plug in-detail, head to the official product page.