Page 147 – Electronics-Lab.com

Hexadecimal Numbers

The Hexadecimal (16) number is a base-16 numbering system that uses sixteen (16) numbers to represent its digit’s value. The hexadecimal number uses a group or set of four (4) binary digits to form a hexadecimal digit. In other words, a hexadecimal digit is equivalent to a nibble and we know, from the previous article, that a nibble is a four-bit binary number. The right-most nibble forms the least significant hexadecimal digit and nibbles can be added to the left of it to represent a larger hexadecimal number.

The architecture of digital systems is designed for 8, 16, 32, and 64-bit, etc. binary numbers and the presentation of these numbers in zeros (0) and ones (1) become quite confusing and complex. The reading and writing of larger binary numbers could lead to errors and information may become doubtful, indeed. The representation of larger binary numbers can be managed by using a higher base value numbering system which will accommodate more value in single-digit compared to the binary digit (bit). The octal (base-8) digit can use eight (8) numbers (0 to 7) and can accommodate a 3-bit binary number. The 3-bit binary number is quite small and not suitable for 8, 16, 32, and 64-bit architectures, etc. Likewise, the decimal number is suitable to represent a 3-bit binary number but wastes two (8 & 9) number values. In other words, an octal numbering system is more suitable compared to decimal (denary) numbers when it comes to representing binary numbers.

A suitable and appropriate numbering system is one that could accommodate a 4-bit binary number. As we know, a 4-bit number can hold sixteen (16) values (two raised to the power of four). This requires a numbering system having a set of sixteen values i.e. from 0 to 15. A digit of decimal has a range of numbers from 0 to 9 and above numbers such as 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15 cannot be represented as it involves the usage of previously used numbers. In hexadecimal, the values above nine (9) are represented by English alphabets such as A, B, and C, etc. Usage of these alphabets overcomes the problem of number repetition for ten (10) and above values.

This means A, B, C, D, E, and F in hexadecimal represent decimal numbers of ten (10), eleven (11), twelve (12), thirteen (13), fourteen (14), and fifteen (15). The same holds to represent equivalent binary numbers of “1010”, “1011”, “1100”, “1101”, “1110.” and “1111”, respectively. The difficulty of representing a larger binary number can be eased by splitting the binary number into groups of 4-bits. For example, consider (1101100111001010₂) which is a 16-bit binary number and the same can be written as (1101 1001 1100 1010₂). The latter is achieved by splitting into a group or set of 4-bits and the resultant binary number is much easier to read.

The length and complexity of binary numbers can further be reduced by converting them to equivalent hexadecimal numbers. However, hexadecimal numbers are complex compared to decimal numbers and are used only in digital systems. The 4-bit binary numbers “0000”, “0001”, “0010”, …, and “1111” are represented by a single hexadecimal digit. The 4-bit binary number is called a “nibble” which is equivalent to a hexadecimal digit. The byte is made up of 8-bits or two nibbles and as two hexadecimal digits represent such its equivalent. For example, the binary number (10100111₂) is split into two halves/ nibbles (1010 0111₂). Wherein, (1010₂) is equivalent to (10₁₀) in decimal and to (A₁₆) in hexadecimal. Similarly, the second nibble (0111₂), is equivalent to (7) in decimal and hexadecimal. So, altogether, the binary number (10100111₂) is equivalent to (A7₁₆) in hexadecimal.

Hexadecimal Numbers

The following table lists the decimal numbers from 0 to 15 against their equivalents in binary and hexadecimal numbers.

The table above shows the equivalent decimal numbers from 0 to 15 for hexadecimal digits. For counting the numbers beyond fifteen (F) in hexadecimal, the procedure similar to other numbering systems is adopted i.e. including a significant digit to the left. For example, the “16” converted to binary is (0001 0000)₂ and its equivalent hexadecimal is (10₁₆). Similarly, the 17’s equivalent in hexadecimal is the (11₁₆), and following the same procedure, the hexadecimal number can be extended to the desired value. Using the above table, any binary number can be easily converted to its equivalent hexadecimal number. For example, a 16-bit number (1010 1100 0111 1011₂) converted to hexadecimal is (AC7B₁₆). It is much easier to write and remember this hexadecimal number than a 16-bit long row of 0’s and 1’s. Hence, it is a good practice to write binary numbers in a hexadecimal numbering system in order to avoid errors, etc.

In digital systems, especially when writing programs, a “#” (hash) sign is used after the most significant digit to denote the hexadecimal value. For example, the above hexadecimal number (AC7B₁₆) can also be written as (#AC7B).

Counting in Hexadecimal

As described above, the value of a hexadecimal number can be extended by using additional significant digits. A single hexadecimal digit, starting from “0”, can count up to #F (15 X 16⁰ = 15₁₀) which extended to two digits can count up to #FF (15 X 16¹+15 X 16⁰ = 255₁₀). Similarly, #FFF and #FFFF can count up to 4095₁₀ and 65535₁₀, respectively. The following table lists the weight of each digit in a hexadecimal number.

Addition of 0’s to a Binary Number

As the binary number is split into groups comprising of 4-bits in order to determine its equivalent hexadecimal number. This requires a binary number consisting of bits that are multiples of four (4) e.g. 4, 18, 12, 16, and 20, etc. However, this may not be the case when dealing with binary numbers and binary numbers can vary in bit lengths. The solution is to start splitting binary numbers, in groups of 4-bits, from the least significant bit (LSB), and, eventually, we will be left with less than 4-bits at the end. The leading zeros are added to leftover bits extending their length up to 4-bits. This group of 4-bits constitutes the most significant digit (MSD) of hexadecimal numbers. In the following table, a non-standard 13-bit binary number (1 0101 1101 1010₁₀) is converted to a 16-bit (divisible by 4) binary number by adding leading zeros, and then its equivalent hexadecimal number is determined.

In the above example, a 13-bit number requires 3-bits having zero values to be added to the left-most side in order to make it a 16-bit binary number. Similarly, a 10-bit binary number would require six (6) zero bits to be added. The usage of hexadecimal numbers reduces the length of binary numbers by four (4) times and conversion from binary to hexadecimal or from hexadecimal to binary is easy and quick.

Hexadecimal to Decimal Conversion

The conversion of hexadecimal to decimal value is achieved by using the weighted sum of digits method described in the previous article. In the following example, a hexadecimal number (#7DE5) is converted to a decimal number.

Decimal to Hexadecimal Conversion

The conversion from decimal to hexadecimal requires the application of the repeated-division-by-16 method which was used to convert a decimal number to its equivalent binary value in the previous article. The same decimal number (238₁₀) is used to obtain its equivalent hexadecimal number in the following example.

Binary to Hexadecimal Conversion Example

The conversion of an 8-bit binary number (11011001₂) to a hexadecimal number is shown below.

Hexadecimal to Binary and Decimal Example

The conversion of #8C4A to its equivalent binary and decimal number is shown below as an example.

Conclusion

The Hexadecimal number uses a base-16 numbering system and its digits can have sixteen (16) numbers from 0 to 15. In hexadecimal, the capitalized alphabets: A, B, C, D, E, and F are used as equivalent to 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, respectively.
In Hexadecimal numbers, each digit is a group or set of 4 bits. The equivalent of a binary number in hexadecimal is obtained by splitting the binary number into groups having 4 bits and then, depending on each 4-bit group’s value, an equivalent Hexadecimal value from “0” to “F” is assigned to each group.
The binary numbers may require the addition of leading zeros on the left most (most significant) side in order to form 4-bit groups.
The Hexadecimal number is represented by using “16” as a subscript or a hash (#) at the left-most side e.g. 2A7E₁₆ or #2A7E.
The Hexadecimal number can be converted to a decimal number by using the weighted sum of digits method. The conversion from decimal to hexadecimal requires the application of the repeated-division-by-16 method.
The Hexadecimal numbers are useful in representing larger binary numbers. The Hexadecimal number reduces the length of its equivalent binary number by a factor of four (4). Moreover, the conversion from binary to hexadecimal and from hexadecimal to binary is easy and quick.

VOOPOO Gene Chip is AI Enabled

Posted on 2 July, 20224 July, 2022 by mixos

In 2017, VOOPOO acquired the American chip brand GENE. After that VOOPOO independently developed and created two types of gene chips called GENE.AI and GENE.TT that are used in their products. Below are some of their highlights.

GENE AI Chip

Artificial Intelligence
Smart chip, enjoy the interaction
Novice Friendly
Intelligent matching and precise control of power make the service time more lasting
Puff record, manage your suction life everywhere and every time
Automatic suction, suction has never been so simple

GENE AI, as the name suggests, means “artificial intelligence”. It aims to provide users with an intelligent and convenient experience, and supports “intelligent identification”, “intelligent power matching”, and “puff record”. GENE AI is primarily used in VOOPOO’s POD and POD MOD products. The two novel VMATE products we launched today are based on GENE AI.

Representative product:

VMATE E (the new product from VOOPOO)
GENE TT
Turbo Tech
Super explosive, multi-experience
Necessary for enthusiasts
In just 0.001 seconds, the ultimate second suction experience
Strong explosion, feel the power of smoke
Smart / RBA / turbo / TC multi-mode, experience more possibilities

In GENE.TT, “TT” is the abbreviation of “turbo tech”. Its core is to provide users with an experience of blasting power. Compared with GENE AI, GENE.TT is more professional, more playable, and more expansible. GENE.TT is primarily used in VOOPOO’s POD and POD MOD products. The three flagship products of ARGUS MOD FAMILY are based on GENE.TT.

Representative product:

VOOPOO ARGUS GT 2 (the product which has won the title of “BEST MOD” for many times)

How to Program an Ultrasonic Humidifier

Posted on 1 July, 2022 by mixos

Author: Marian Hryntsiv, Senior Technical Documentation Apps Engineer, Renesas Electronics

1. System Overview

Nowadays, humidifiers have become popular devices. They are frequently used to increase the level of humidity in rooms in many houses across continents. Ultrasonic humidifiers use a piezoelectric transducer to create a high-frequency mechanical oscillation in a water film. This forms an extremely fine mist of droplets, about one micron in diameter, that is quickly evaporated into the airflow.

SLG47105 can be used to implement the basic functionality of the ultrasonic humidifier (see Figure 1).

In this article, the piezoelectric transducer with a resonant frequency equal to 108 kHz is used. SLG47105 has an oscillator OSC1 with a flexible divider, which allows to accurately set the desired frequency.

Figure 2. Signal between Transformer Inputs

Additionally, D Flip-Flop (DFF0) is used to get a 108 kHz clock signal from the oscillator’s output signal. HV_GPO0_HD and HV_GPO1_HD are high voltage and high drive pins that allow to get the desired output power (see pins output signal in Figure 2). A transformer has a turns ratio of 5:1. It allows getting from 5 V the required voltage for the operation of the piezo converter.

2. GreenPAK™ Design

Figure 3 shows an internal design of the project created in GreenPAK Designer software (a part of Go Configure™ Software Hub). The complete design file can be downloaded here

2.1 Humidifier Modes of Operation

For flexibility in use, the humidifier has three modes of operation: OFF state, ON state, and intermittent operation. The last mode means that the humidifier works for 5 s and then waits for 5 s, and so on alternately. Digital logic macrocells were used to implement these modes. An external button is used to select a mode of operation. It produces noisy output oscillations due to switch bouncing. To eliminate that noise 30 ms delay is used. With every pressing of the button, Ripple Counter generates a digital code for the appropriate mode. There are three modes of work and, respectively, three digital codes: 00, 01, 10. The output signal from Ripple Counter goes to select inputs of cascaded multiplexers (3-L1 and 3-L2) and thus allows to choose which signal will pass to the output: LOW level signal (OFF mode), HIGH level signal (ON mode), or clock signal with frequency 0.1 Hz (Intermittent mode). And, if there is water inside the humidifier, multiplexer 3-L0 allows passing one of the signals from cascaded multiplexers on the Enable input of the HV OUT Control macrocell.

For Intermittent mode, Reset Counter2 and DFF1 form a 0.1 Hz clock signal.

LEDs indicate mode of operation: red LED – OFF mode, green LED – ON mode, blue LED – Intermittent operation. LUT3, LUT4, and LUT5 detect each mode and turn on the corresponding LED with the help of pins. Pins work as 3-state outputs. When a HIGH level signal appears on the pin’s Output Enable input then the pin goes from a high impedance state to a logic 0 state. This LOW-level signal causes the corresponding LED to turn on. For a more advanced experience, when the humidifier is in OFF mode, it can be used as a night light with a red glow.

2.2 Water Level Detection

One of the negative features of ultrasonic humidifiers is that the piezoelectric disc can be destroyed if the humidifier runs out of water. That’s why it is very important to implement an automatic shut-off of the humidifier when the disc is dry. In this project, probes immersed in water were used. When there is no water between the probes, an analog comparator’s output is HIGH, which disables high voltage pins and stops piezo disc oscillation.

3 Humidifier Prototyping

The humidifier developed in this project can replace a finished product on the market. For this purpose, a portable ultrasonic humidifier was bought and analyzed (see Figure 4).

Figure 4. Ultrasonic Humidifier General View

The dimensions of the PCB and the location of the main components of interaction with the user were measured. Based on these data, the PCB for the SLG47105-based humidifier was developed (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Humidifier PCB Top and Bottom View

The humidifier based on the SLG47105 has some advantages over the purchased humidifier because it has water level detection. This function is very important because it can prevent the humidifier from failing. In addition, the number of electronic components has been reduced when using SLG47105.

4. Conclusions

The SLG47105 has two high drive H-Bridges, which can be used as four Half Bridges or two Full Bridges. One of the Full Bridges is used in this project to drive the ultrasonic piezoelectric disc. Its resonant frequency is set by the oscillator and flexible divider. This allows the piezoelectric disk to oscillate and form cool fog. Additionally, the availability of many versatile digital macrocells made it possible to add some additional features, like detection of no water, backlight control, and three operation modes. This design can be a functional replacement for popular standard portable ultrasonic humidifiers. Furthermore, GreenPAK is a cost-effective solution, which allows for minimizing components count and board space.

MYIR Introduces ARM SoM Powered by ALLWINNER T507-H

Posted on 1 July, 20221 July, 2022 by mixos

MYIR introduces a cost-effective MYC-YT507H CPU Module powered by ALLWINNER’s T507-H industrial processor which among Allwinner T5 series with a 1.5GHz quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU and a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU. The module is ready to run Linux OS and targets a wide variety of applications like power IoT, automotive electronics, commercial display, industrial control, medical devices, intelligent terminals and more other professional or industrial applications which require rich performance and professional visual effect.

Measuring 43mm by 45mm, the MYC-YT507H CPU Module is a compact System-on Module (SoM) that combines the Allwinner T507-H processor, a dedicated Power-Management IC AXP853T also from Allwinner, 1GB/2GB LPDDR4, 8GB eMMC and 32Kbit EEPROM. A number of peripherals and IO signals are brought out through 1.0 mm pitch 222-pin stamp-hole (Castellated-Hole) expansion interface to make the module an excellent embedded controller for system integration.

MYD-YT507H Development Board Top-view (delivered with shieldinig cover by default)

MYIR provides theMYD-YT507H Development Board for evaluating the MYC-YT507H CPU Module, its base board has explored a rich set of peripherals and interfaces such as Serial ports, one Gigabit Ethernet and one 10/100M bps Ethernet, two USB 2.0 HOST and one USB 2.0 OTG, one TF card slot as well as a USB based 4G Mini PCIE interface. It has a DVP camera interface and a MIPI-CSI interface to allow connecting with camera modules. It also supports multi video output interfaces such as dual LVDS, HDMI and CVBS OUT, to achieve different display in dual screens. The board is delivered with necessary accessories, detailed documentations as well as optional MY-CAM002U USB Camera Module, MY-CAM011B DVP Camera Module, MY-CAM003M MIPI Camera Module, MY-WIREDCOM RPI Module (RS232/RS485), MY-WF005S WiFi/BT Module and MY-LVDS070C LCD Module, which makes it ideal for evaluating and prototyping based on ALLWINNER’s T507-H processor.

MYD-YT507H Development Board Bottom-view

The MYC-YT507H Module is ready to run Linux OS. MYIR provides abundant software resources for Linux 4.9 based MYIR MEasy HMI V2.0 system with QT5.12.5, Ubuntu 18.04.5 system, including kernel, driver source codes and compilation tools to enable users to start their development rapidly and easily.

MYIR offers RAM options for CPU Modules and Development boards. The prices are economic. Discount is to be offered for volume quantities.

More information about the MYC-YT507H CPU Module can be found at: http://www.myirtech.com/list.asp?id=684

iWave Systems launches a System on Module based on Intel® Stratix® 10 SOC FPGA at the Embedded World 2022

Posted on 30 June, 2022 by mixos

iWave Systems unveils the first look of Intel® Stratix® 10 powered System on Module at embedded world 2022. The System on Module is compatible with the SX and GX series of Stratix 10 SoC and FPGA, and is available in a form factor of 110mm x 75mm.

Stratix 10 brings about a revolutionary Intel® Hyperflex™ FPGA Architecture delivering the embedded performance, adaptability, power efficiency, density, and system integration essential for a broad range of high-performance embedded applications. Featuring a hard processor system (HPS) with an integrated 64-bit quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 processor with a feature-rich set of peripherals such as a system memory management unit, external memory controllers, and high-speed communication interfaces.

The Stratix® 10 Stems on Module provides for up to 2.7 million logic elements in a monolithic die, up to 48 transceivers deliver 4X serial bandwidth over the previous generation, Hard floating-point DSP enables single-precision operations up to 9.2 TFLOPS. The System on Module is compatible with GX850 to GX2800 and SX850 to SX2800 with a form factor of 110mm x 75mm.

Key Features of the Module

Compatible Stratix 10 SoC and FPGAs
- SX850, SX1100, SX1650, SX2100, SX2500 & SX2800
- GX850, GX1100, GX1650, GX2100, GX2500 & GX2800
Quad ARM Cortex -A53 Core @ 1500MHz
32GB eMMC & 1Gbit QSPI Flash
2 x 8GB DDR4 for FPGA (64bit + 64bit) (Upgradable)
8GB DDR4 for HPS with ECC (64bit + 8bit) (Upgradable)
Up to 2753K Logic Cells
16 GXT Transceiver Channels up to 28.3Gbps
32 GX Transceiver Channels up to 17.4Gbps
100 LVDS/200SE FPGA Ios
On SOM Clock Synthesizer
Form Factor: 110mm x 75mm

Stratix® 10 SoCs and FPGAs are built using Intel’s 14nm Tri-Gate transistor technology, offering next-level flexibility and user-selected configuration control with the Secure Device Manager (SDM), which provides security to protect sensitive intellectual property (IP) and data in both SoC and FPGA devices. This level of security makes Stratix 10 FPGAs and SoCs an ideal solution for use in military, cloud security and IoT infrastructure, where multi-layered security and partitioned IP protection are dominant.

“Embedding the high-performance Stratix 10 GX FPGA or Stratix 10 SX SoC into a compact SOM helps in providing high versatility for the Transceiver and FPGA capabilities” said Ahmed Shameem M H, Hardware Project Manager at iWave. “It also helps in drastically reducing the design and development time required for intelligent and complex FPGA solutions.”

Target markets of Stratix® 10 include HPC & analytics, acceleration, prototyping, high-speed communications, motion control, intelligent vision & video processing, digital signal processing, AI & deep learning, and many more.

The Stratix® 10 development kit delivers a complete design variable that includes all software and hardware which can be used to evaluate device features and performance, and also to begin the development of hardware and software design.

iWave provides for custom design and manufacturing services around the Stratix® 10 SoC FPGA System on Module, offering all of the hardware, software, and support materials offering a jump-start for application and product development with the Stratix® 10 GX/SX FPGA.

Learn More:

iWave Systems is an established product engineering company focused on the design and development of a wide range of powerful and flexible FPGA solutions. With over 22 years of diverse experience in the FPGA domain and a strong design-to-deployment competence, iWave strives to transform your ideas into time-to-market products with reliability, cost, and performance balance.

For further information or inquiries, please write to mktg@iwavesystems.com.

Raspberry Pi Pico W greets with wireless networking capabilities, here more…

Posted on 30 June, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Last year, the Raspberry Pi Foundation announced a new microcontroller board equipped with an in-house RP2040 microcontroller– Raspberry Pi Pico. The hardware platform is one of the most famous Raspberry Pi microcontroller-class products that have reached over two million sales. RP2040 has also seen massive adoption with several manufacturers wanting to integrate the microcontroller SoC into their custom development boards. One of the reasons Raspberry Pi Foundation thinks of the huge success of RP2040 is the elimination of the supply chain problem. With the growing semiconductor shortages, several microcontrollers are out-of-stock, but this does not stop developers and makers from developing next-gen applications. The Raspberry Pi Foundation also announced the commercial availability of the RP2040 microcontroller for sale.

The company witnessed immense success with the first-in-the-line Raspberry Pi Pico module. With the increased adoption and continuous tweaking for the module to be in-line with the growing edge device needs, Raspberry Pi Foundation finally released a new Pico family product with wireless networking– Raspberry Pi Pico W. The name seems very similar to the Raspberry Pi Zero W, wherein the hardware is an extension of the Pi Zero family with added wireless LAN and Bluetooth connectivity. Following the same naming standard, Raspberry Pi Pico W will now be available for sale starting at $6.00 USD. Alongside the Raspberry Pi Pico W, the manufacturer has also decided to reveal more versions of the hardware platform, depending on customer requirements. Other versions include the Pico H for $5.00 USD and Pico WH for $7.00 USD with pre-populated headers and 3-pin debug connector. Raspberry Pi Pico H and Pico W will be available for sale starting today, while Pico WH will be available starting August 2022.

When it comes to the internal components for the all-new Raspberry Pi Pico W module, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has decided to stick with the original RP2040 microcontroller featuring Arm Cortex-M0+ processor core clocked at a frequency of 133MHz and a 264kB of on-chip SRAM and programmable IOs. Other than the basic SMT components and LEDs, the key highlight of the Raspberry Pi Pico W is the wireless networking capabilities leveraging the onboard Infineon CYW43439 wireless chip. However, if you carefully look at the CYW43439 module, the chip supports Wi-Fi 802.11n 2.4GHz wireless interface and Bluetooth Classic and Bluetooth Low-Energy. The manufacturer has clearly mentioned that the current Raspberry Pi Pico W hardware won’t be enabled for Bluetooth wireless connectivity, but the developers and makers can expect the manufacturer to do so in the near future.

Raspberry Pi Pico W will offer wireless LAN support along with an onboard antenna and modular compliance certification. The hardware will be able to operate in both station and access-point modes. Complete access to the network functionality is available to both C and MicroPython developers, giving them the flexibility to choose between the software environments. On the storage side, the Raspberry Pi Pico W paired with RP2040 will come with 2MB of flash memory, a power supply chip to support voltages from 1.8V to 5.5V and provide 26 GPIO pins with three for analogue inputs. The supported peripherals are UART, SPI, I2C, PWM and a UBS1.1 controller and PHY along with an 8x programmable IOs state machine. Also, the company promises to keep the production of Raspberry Pi Pico W until at least January 2028, which is approximately eight years from now.

The software documentation for the Raspberry Pi Pico W is very interesting as the Raspberry Pi Foundation has also released the Pico SDK which includes wireless networking support. The network stack is built around the IwIP and also uses libcyw43 from Damien George to communicate with the wireless chip. The libcyw43 is licensed for non-commercial use, however, with Raspberry Pi Pico W, users can build applications benefiting from a free commercial use license. The Raspberry Pi Pico SDK provides headers, libraries and build systems necessary to write programs for the RP2040-based Raspberry Pi Pico W hardware in C, C++ and/or assembly language. The SDK provides an API and programming environment for both non-embedded C developers as well as embedded C developers. A single code can run on the device at a time and starts with a conventional main(). Additionally, the Raspberry Pi Pico SDK also provides higher-level libraries for dealing with timers, synchronization, USD, and multi-core programming along with other utilities.

There are several interesting things about to happen with Raspberry Pi Pico W at $6.00 USD, and stay tuned with us for more updates. Meanwhile, you can consider purchasing the hardware from the official product page as well as look for detailed documentation for more information.

Arduino Edge Control Enclosure Kit is IP40-certified and fits DIN rail

Posted on 30 June, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

After more than a year of Arduino Edge Control introduction, the team has unveiled an enclosure kit, which is IP40-certified and compatible with DIN rails, to make it easy to fit into any standard rack. The edge control enclosure kit will be operating at industrial temperature ranges of -40°C to +85°C and does not require any external cooling system. The cover is IP40-rated which means it protects the edge control against solid objects of over 1 mm. Also, the enclosure kit includes a breakout board with an LCD display and a push-button so that the developer can use this to display data in the 2×16 LCD display and interact through the push-button.

Arduino Edge Control is designed for precision farming, smart agriculture, and other applications that require intelligent control in remote areas. Hardware supports power to be supplied through solar panels and DC inputs. The hardware platform can be controlled using Arduino Cloud or third-party services of your choice for various connectivity options. Arduino Edge Control features built-in Bluetooth wireless connectivity and other options can be expanded with 2G3/3G/CatM1/NB-IoT modems, LoRa, Sigfox, and Wi-Fi by adding MKR boards.

Specifications of Edge Control Enclosure Kit:

Type: Arduino Edge Control Enclosure Kit
Standard: IP40-certified
Mounting system: DIN rail
Operating temperature: -40°C to +85°C
Weight: 165 grams
Dimensions: 11x9x6 mm
Breakout:
- LCD: 2×16 pixels
- Button type: Push-button
- Flat cable: IDC cable wires both display and push-button

Arduino Edge Control comes with an nRF52840 microcontroller featuring Arm Cortex-M4F clocked up to a frequency of 64MHz. The integrated memory is 1MB onboard flash and 2MB onboard QSPI flash memory with an interface for SD card connector through expansion port only. The peripherals include full-speed 12Mbps USB, Arm CryptoCell CC310 security subsystem, high-speed SPI, quad SPI interface, ADC, and 128-bit AES co-processor.

Arduino Edge Control enclosure kit is available for purchase at $54.00 and more details are available on the official product page.

UPduino v3.1 is a Compact Cost-efficient FPGA

Posted on 30 June, 2022 by Saumitra Jagdale

UPduino v3.1 is a compact and cost-efficient open-source FPGA board dedicated to applications that involve sensitive signal conditioning. It comprises of FTDI FPGA programmer, flash memory, a 3-color LED and FPGA pins for quick prototyping. The all-new UPduino v3.1 is an updated version of its predecessor where it improves on the shortcomings and limitations of its predecessors. The feedback from the discord community users is taken into consideration, and hence the changes to the board have been done accordingly.

The feedback from the users highlights the following:

To fix the 12MHz and Ground silkscreen bug
The users were also facing an evident burning issue in the ferrite bead while shorting the 5v to the ground. So the users recommended replacing the USB filter ferrite bead with PTC in order to eliminate the burning issue. For more details visit the blog

To mark the changes made for issues mentioned above, the company has added a sticker denoting v3.1. The upgrades are visible in the APIO board files as well as the EEPROM to show v3.1, indicating the most recent version.

Features of UPduino v3.1:

A Lattice UltraPlus ICE40UP5K edge intelligent FPGA strengths the UPduino v3.1 for low-power machine learning and AI connectivity. It features 8 multipliers, 1Mb SRAM and 120kb DRAM, making memory operations more efficient.
It has 3.3v and 1.2v regulators, 5.3k LUTs (LookUp Tables) and FTDI FT232H USB. FTDI FT232H operates at 400Mbps and is a fast single-channel bridge chip that allows for flexible serial/parallel connectivity.
UPdunio v3.1 comes with 39 GPIO (General Purpose Input/Output) pins to perform digital input/output functions. It requires 5V/3.3V/Ground to supply project DC power (<200mA).
The oscillator running at 12MHz generates a clock by itself when the UPduino powers up. An optional jumper routes the generating clock to the FTDI, an external pin, and a global buffer on the FPGA board.
The board’s PMOD (Peripheral Module Interface) compatibility makes it an ideal technique for enhancing its capabilities.
Furthermore, it consists of 4MB QSPI (Quad Serial Peripheral Interface) Flash memory essentially providing 8x the bandwidth on the SPI bus. In reality, this bandwidth boost will only occur for burst read/writes. It also includes an RGB LED indicating the operation of the board.

After detecting the connectors ripping off from the board when interfacing, the quality of the USB footprint has grown. Speaking of the USB, please note that the package does not include a USB cable, in order to optimize worldwide shipping. The dimensions of 2.2 cm x 6.2cm x 0.5cm make it a compact and efficient FPGA board. UPduino v3.1 also offers an Open source schematic and layout using KiCAD to make programming easier. The package includes UPduino v3.1 and two 24-pin 0.1″ headers, the user can solder them as per the convenience. The Company tests and programs the UPduino v3.1 with a blinking LED image, before shipping it. The only motive of this test is to keep a track of quality control and ensure the working of the product.

With UPduino v3.1 you can introduce yourself to programming FPGAs since its low cost and the assistance provided by the open-source toolchain. This open-source toolchain is made publicly available enabling the users to experiment and learn about hardware programming. This UPduino v3.1 is available for sale at $25, making it a true cost-efficient FPGA. For more details on the new UPduino v3.1, visit tinyVision.ai

Enhanced Debugging With USB-Cereal

Posted on 30 June, 2022 by Saumitra Jagdale

The USB-C plays an important role in introducing several innovations in the upcoming devices. Despite its high price, USB-C is popular among all consumers due to its fast charging capabilities and reversibility. The 24-pin USB-C consists of two sideband use (SBU) pins that enable serial communication while developing USB-C devices. Originally developed as open-source by Google, the extensive distribution and utilization of the USB-Cereal have successfully taken place after its release. By the courtesy of OxDA, after a complete redesign and cost optimization, this device is now available for all the developers with the same robust capabilities. The company guarantees that all high-speed traces will route on internal layers to prevent issues with emissions testing.

USB-Cereal is absolutely an open-source development tool that enhances the debugging, manufacturing, as well as testing of USB-C devices. This powerful and one-of-a-kind hardware takes use of USB-C’s expanded capabilities to improve debugging, factory log capture, and simplify the complexity of command-line interfaces and firmware upgrades. USB-Cereal permits UART serial communication with the host device using the SBU pins which are dedicated for device-specific applications making it a beneficial device. With the increasing popularity of USB across the globe, the company believes that the significant methodology employed by USB-Cereal will gain popularity and usefulness over time. The aim of USB-Cereal is to decrease the debugging, developing, and testing time along with making it cost-efficient for USB-C users.

USB-Cereal Block Diagram

USB-Cereal features three USB-C connectors and a basic SPST-style slider. One of the three USB-C connectors supports the interfacing of the testing devices or target devices. The two connectors on the opposite side include a pass-through port to the target port and a debugging port. The debugging port links the SBU1 and SBU2 pins of the USB-C to FTDI’s FT232R a USB UART integrated circuit (IC). It offers a serial to USB conversion between the device under test and the host debug computer. USB-Cereal is compatible with devices that use 1v8 or 3v3 signaling. With the slider, a user can select the appropriate voltage level for the connected device.

USB-Cereal’s Features

USB-Cereal made it possible to capture the development logs with the device under test (DUT) closed up. This log development does not require any extra connectors or jumper wires.
The DUT does not require any additional USB drivers installed or booted up to communicate. Therefore it requires the least effort to capture the lowest level log.
Connecting a USB-C peripheral that supports DUT via the pass-through port enables developers to detect bugs that occur while interfacing. USB-Cereal supports signal levels of 1.8v and 3.3v up to a 3M Baud rate.
Green and orange LEDs are provided on board to indicate transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx).

USB-Cereal can do a variety of important tasks that make working with USB-C much easier. It may function as a complementary communication channel profiting the devices using USB-C terminals for power delivery. This open-source development tool is development-oriented, therefore it is not USB-C compliant.

Overall USB-Cereal is a great powerful package for performing general close-case debugging/testing/data capture on devices with USB-C. The open-source information including the details of the hardware and the design files is available on GitHub. To get useful updates and to be notified when the campaign for this powerful product launches you can simply visit crowdsupply’s website and sign up for useful information.

Wilderness Labs Project Lab reference board has several onboard sensors for prototyping

Posted on 30 June, 2022 by Abhishek Jadhav

Wilderness Labs has launched a new hardware platform that supports various standard interface ecosystems, such as Seeed Studio Grove, Adafruit STEMMA, SparkFun Qwiic and MIKROE mikroBUS– Project Lab Board. This reference board is designed for its Meadow F7v2 Feather development board to enable faster time to market through rapid prototyping of IoT applications without having to do any breadboard circuitry and soldering. Through onboard peripherals, the Project Lab board provides flexibility to interface with hundreds and thousands of external modules and sensors. The Project Lab hardware platform is packed with tons of integrated sensors and peripherals.

The Project Lab looks like a baseboard with a lot of interfaces and onboard sensors, with some of the sensors, including BMI270 accelerometer/inertial measurement unit, BME688 temperature/pressure/humidity/air quality index sensor, and many more. The BMI270 is a state-of-the-art accelerometer that has been integrated into various embedded development boards to provide accelerometer functionality and has built-in gesture recognition. The second onboard sensor is the BME688 to offers best-in-class atmospheric data, including gas and air quality.

“You can go from zero to prototype with no more hardware integration effort than it takes to plug in peripherals. And because it’s packed with a wide array of state-of-the-art, built-in peripherals, you can build an endless number of solutions without even having to plug anything in.”

Specifications of the Project Lab board:

Module: Meadow F7v2 Feather Development Board
- MCU: STM32F7 microcontroller
- Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Low Energy
- Memory: 32MB RAM
- Storage: 64MB flash
- Peripherals: GPIO, PWM, I2C, SPI, I2S, CAN, UART
- Power supply: Integrated LiPo battery charger
Onboard sensors: BMI270 accelerometer, BME688 temperature/pressure/humidity/air quality index sensor, BH1750 light sensor
LCD screen: 1.54-inch LCD display with 240×240 pixels and directional pad buttons
Interfaces: Seeed Studio Grove, Adafruit STEMMA, SparkFun Qwiic and MIKROE mikroBUS

The Project Lab carrier board fits the upgraded Meadow F7 development board designed for .NET programmers and witnessed a wide range of upgrades from its previous version. Some of the upgrades include 2x flash storage than in v1, an upgraded antenna to give 10x better performance, and a fully SMT-compatible to allow use as both a through-pole device and surface mount device. Other upgrades include the addition of I2S sound to enable both I2C microphone input and sound output. There also comes an upgraded power component, which is a fixed battery voltage to full 3V3.

The Project Lab board is currently sold on Wilderness Labs’ e-commerce website for $250.00. If you are interested in bulk purchases, you might be eligible for 10% and 20% discount on the Project Lab reference board.