Page 226 – Electronics-Lab.com

Meet the Newest and Easy-to-Use Move-Shoot-Move (MSM) Star Tracker

Posted on 9 September, 2021 by Emmanuel Odunlade

The new Move-Shoot-Move (MSM) Star Tracker is a device that can be used to capture clean and clear astro pictures. It is compact, easy to setup (in two minutes); and can do time-lapsed movements, 5-minute exposures with no trails, and Polar Alignment. This makes it capable of capturing excellent pictures; thanks to its compatibility with any camera type available, using the hot-shoe port or the intervalometer.

It is designed for wide-angle Astro-landscape, with a maximum 135mm focal length for best results, except the effect of torque has been carefully considered. The maximum lens length of 305mm (12 inches) allows for better capturing and expression.

With a seamless mechanism of operation, the MSM defies the 500 rule and allows exposure of more than 60 seconds, using polar alignment. The 500 rule limits exposure time to 25s, maximum. Longer time exposures result in ugly star trails, noise, and the missing of many faint stars in the photo.

MSM star tracker beats the odds because it rotates at the same speed as the Earth, but in the opposite direction. This means that the stars can be tracked and remain in the viewfinder, an exposure time up to minutes in duration is possible, faint stars are visible, star trails disappear, and lower ISO helps to reduce noise. So you see, clear, pinpoint photos of stars and the night sky can be taken easily due to its unparalleled working mechanism.

The 1.7″ x 3.15″ x 3.9″ (4.3cm x 8cm x 9.9cm) MSM works by adjusting the angle of rotation and not the speed of rotation, making four options available for use: Star Tracking Mode, Move Shoot Move mode of 0.05, 0.075, 0.1, and 0.125 degrees per picture. The camera’s rotation can be controlled based upon the angle selected, and the interval set on the timer (A separate timer/intervalometer is needed for time-lapse shots).

The longer the interval set, the slower the rotation. Once a picture has been taken (this is made obvious to the rotator by the hot-shoe cable), the rotator turns the defined angle. This invariably means the camera will not turn while the picture is being taken.

The MSM star tracker also sports an innovative worm gear system that presents two key benefits: Top-Level Move Shoot Move performance and Super Long Battery Life. Amazing!

With the new button model of this beauty, we now have a sturdy device that has a button 15% smaller than the knob, an added 1/2 speed star tracking mode (which makes taking photos of the Milkyway in one shot possible), no panorama mode due to the small frequency of its use, and an illuminator added to the polar scope. It is also easier to install with the new stopper screws.

What’s more? The MSM is made with Aluminium alloy, has a 450g weight, a maximum 3kg load, Star Tracking Mode (360° in 24hrs) | 0.05°/step, 0.075°/step, 0.1°/step, 0.125°/step, DC 5.0V 1.0A Max input, battery life of 5hrs for star tracking or 3000 shots for time-lapse, and a 1 year warranty period.

You can place your order for the various MSM star tracker options on their official website, here: https://www.moveshootmove.com/collections/sifo-rotator/products/sifo-rotator-for-star-tracking-time-lapse-panorama-photography?aff=13

Elkhart Lake Processors Power Thin Mini-ITX motherboards for IoT applications

Posted on 9 September, 20219 September, 2021 by Saumitra Jagdale

To support the next generation of IoT edge devices, Intel has developed a new line of processors enhanced for IoT. In comparison to 14nm generation processors, the new Elkhart Lake processor offers up to 1.7x better single thread, 1.5x better multi-thread, and 2x better graphic performance thanks to 10nm SuperFin fabrication technology. These next-generation solutions offer real-time performance, flexibility, and a slew of Intel technologies to power edge computing.

With the release of these Intel Elkhart Lake processors, many third-party manufacturers have come up with hardware based on this chip, such as MiTac’s PD10EHI, DFI’s EHL171/EHL173, and ASRock’s IMB-1004 thin Mini-ITX boards. Mini-ITX offers the optimal blend of functionality and performance with its extensive I/O ports and interfaces that can quickly fulfill diverse applications required by a wide range of industries. Thus, they provide an ideal solution for AGV/AMR, KIOSK, digital signage, and gaming.

MiTac’s PD10EHI Elkhart Lake Processor thin mini-ITX motherboard

MiTac, a global pioneer in industrial computing and an Intel Titanium Partner, has developed the PD10EHI, a high-performance, low-power Elkhart Lake industrial motherboard.

With the Intel Programmable Services Engine, the PD10EHI takes advantage of a dedicated offload engine. It is powered by an ArmCortex-M7 microcontroller and offers independent, low-DMIPs computing as well as low-speed I/Os for IoT applications. It also includes additional features such as remote, out-of-band device administration, network proxy, embedded controller, and sensor hub.

The quad-core Atom x6413E / Celeron J6413 processor is clocked at 1.5GHz / 1.8GHz with 3.0GHz Turbo Burst for the high-end SKUs of the board. Intel UHD Graphics are also included, which support up to 16EU (Execution Units) of graphic processing capability. The PD10EHI has two DDR4 SO-DIMM sockets, allowing it to use up to 32GB of non-ECC memory with a 3200 MHz maximum clock frequency.

For storage installation, it also has two SATAIII ports which are multiplexed with M.2 and mSATA connections. Internal slots include PCIe Gen3 for add-on cards, sufficient storage, or LTE/5G expansion through M.2 B key 2280/2260/2242/3052/3042 and E key 2230 for WiFi/Bluetooth. It also has 1x mini PCIe and a maximum of 6 COM ports for expansion to maintain flexibility in multiple applications.

Block Diagram of PD10EHI

In addition, the integrated 10th generation Intel HD graphics unit supports Triple Display at a maximum resolution of 4K. An HDMI port with a resolution of up to 4096×2160 pixels, a display port with a maximum of 4096×2160 pixels, and an LVDS port with a Full HD 1920×1200 pixel resolution is available for connecting displays. The LVDS port can be replaced with an eDP port with a resolution of 4096×2160 pixels. Hence, it is ideal for multimedia applications like Kiosk, Signage, or Factory automation like HMI.

The MiAPI pin header additionally features 10 GPIOs, a watchdog, SMBUS, UART, and mainboard monitoring functionality. The PD10EHI can operate in a voltage range of 8 to 24 volts DC and temperatures ranging from 0 to 60 °C. The wide voltage power input makes this motherboard ideal for industrial embedded systems with longevity, stability, and reliability.

DFI’s EHL171/EHL173 Motherboard

DFI’s EHL171/EHL173 is the only model that includes one of the 10nm-fabricated Elkhart Lake’s “FE” variants. Thus, it provides Intel Safety Island technology with functional safety (FuSa). DFI’s embedded industrial motherboards with a high-class lifespan deliver value-added services to a wide range of embedded applications based on cutting-edge platforms and technologies.

In addition to the quad-core Atom x6427FE with a clock speed of up to 1.9GHz, there is a quad-core 2GHz/3GHz Atom x6425E and a quad-core Pentium J6413. Dual slots support up to 32GB DDR4-3200 memory, and the board also includes two 2.5GbE ports. The board comes with two M.2 slots (B- and E-key), a nano-SIM socket, and PCIe x4 support (PCIe x2 signal).

It can support up to 4K resolution and has a triple display. This includes eDP/LVDS as well as HDMI and DP++ ports. Onboard there are 2x USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 ports and 6x USB 2.0 headers. It additionally provides GPIO or DIO, a watchdog, and a TPM option. The manufacturer also offers an LCD inverter connector.

DFI is the only board that can withstand temperatures ranging from -40 to 85°C. Except for the Pentium J6413 SKU, which supports -5 to 65°C, this is standard. The main difference between the EHL171 and the EHL173 is that the EHL173 has a 9-36V input instead of 12V. Only two of the three EHL173 models have a 9-36V input: the Atom x6425E and the J6413.

ASROCK’s IMB-1004

ASRock Industrial’s Mini-ITX motherboards powered by Elkhart Lake processors are the most popular form factor (6.7-inx 6.7-in) with extensive I/O expansion and good performance. ASRock doesn’t have any Atom models, although it does have dual-core and quad-core Celeron and Pentium chips.

The IMB-1004 also supports up to 32GB DDR4 memory with a 3200Mhz clock frequency. It features two SATAIII connectors, 2.5GbE and 1GbE ports. Furthermore, it includes three M.2 slots (M-, B-, and E-key), as well as a SIM card slot and a PCIe x1 interface.

Like PD10EHI and EHL171/EHL173, the IMB-1004 also offers triple-independent displays. HDMI, VGA, eDP/LVDS, and a speaker header are all provided by the firm. Additionally the board includes 2x USB 3.2 Gen1 and 2x USB 2.0 ports, as well as 2x Gen1 and 6x USB 2.0 internal headers. Similarly, this board also supplies GPIO or DIO, a watchdog, and a TPM option.

Discussing further, the DFI’s EHL171/EHL173 is compatible with both Linux and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. While the PD10EHI from MiTac supports Windows 10, and Linux is only available on request. ASRock Industrial does not specify an operating system. However, unlike ASRock’s Windows-oriented commercial unit, ASRock Industrial usually supports Linux.

MiTac’s PD10EHI is available from ICP Germany, which does not list pricing; however, ChirpLabs sells it for $300 with a Pentium N6415. DFI’s EHL171/EHL173 and ASRock Industrial’s IMB-1004 have no pricing or availability information at this point in time.

Via LinuxGizmos

Small, high-brightness RGB LEDs boast improved color mixing

Posted on 7 September, 20217 September, 2021 by mixos

Upward-lighting multicolor LEDs in the CL-V501 Series from Citizen Electronics have improved color mixing, come in a small package, and exhibit high brightness. Multicolor LEDs have three dies of RGB (red, green and blue) in one package. This lets them generate various colors, including white, and are used for illumination or as indicators in many kinds of products such as digital devices. In recent years, applications for illumination in-game devices, keyboards for personal computers and amusement devices have been expanding. The number of devices that contain a lens and light guide to create a complicated lighting expression has increased. With this background, smaller, high-brightness LEDs are required, and good color mixing properties when more than two dies are lighted simultaneously is an important factor so as not to damage the design and functionality of the device.

Through our unique packaging technology based on high-density packaging, we have realized a high color mixing property that conventional packages were unable to achieve. Downsizing and high-brightness are also achieved enabling customers to use a wide variety of expressions they require.

Main LED characteristics include:

Natural white color realized by high color mixing property. White color generated by lighting RGB dies in conventional multicolor LEDs had poor color mixing. Thus, in some cases, a RGBW LED was used in which a white (W) LED is added to an RGB device. This solution makes the LED package larger and circuit design of the device complicated and was expensive. However, by developing the composition of raw materials and adopting a new manufacturing method, we have succeeded in controlling directivity in the device itself. The natural white color is realized with this high color mixing property. As the light source does not generate color breakup, the design is improved. Even in cases where a lens and light guide plate are used, it is easier for developers to create designs because the light source itself has color mixing.
Both high-brightness and small size are realized, and luminous efficacy per unit area is doubled. We have further developed our high-density packaging technology to achieve a small package with good color mixing properties. Compared with our conventional product, the area of the LED is reduced by 30%, and luminous area is reduced by 50%.

This downsizing contributes to space-saving of the mounting area of the device, and the doubling in luminous efficacy per unit area can reduce energy consumption.

The CL-V501 dimensions are 1.6×1.4 ｍｍ. Mounting area is 2.24 mm^２ (Luminous area is 1.34^２).

Applications include illumination and indicators for game devices, keyboards for personal computers, home appliances, hobby goods, displays, ambient lighting for automobiles, and colored lighting. Mass production begins in January 2022.

Citizen Electronics Co., Ltd., https://ce.citizen.co.jp/e/

Bosch Application Board 3.0 accelerates development

Posted on 7 September, 20217 September, 2021 by mixos

Bosch Application Board 3.0 is a versatile and sensor-independent development platform for evaluating various sensors. The Application Board 3.0 shuttle board socket allows a wide range of Bosch Sensortec’s sensors to be plugged in. The application board 3.0 and shuttle board 3.0 evaluate sensors and builds prototypes to test use cases.

The Bosch Sensortec Application Board 3.0 is a closed system used to configure sensor parameters and plot and log the resulting sensor readings through PC-based software (Desktop Development) and COINES.

The Application Board 3.0 uses the uBIox NINA-B302 Bluetooth Low Energy module based on the nRF52840 chipset from Nordic Semiconductor. The nRF52840, among other features, supports USB 2.0 and Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0. It is based on an Arm^® Cortex^®-M4F CPU and flash program memory.

Specifications

Length 37mm x width 47mm x height 7mm
5V DC USB, 3.7V Li-ion battery supply voltage
256KB RAM, 1MB internal flash, 2Gb external flash memory capacity (user data memory)
BLE 5.0 / USB 2.0
2.4GHz, 40 channels BLUETOOTH^® low energy frequency band
+0dBm Typical conducted output power
+2dBm Radiated output power (EIRP)

more information: https://www.bosch-sensortec.com/software-tools/tools/application-board-3-0/

Teledyne Relays DIP Packaged Reed Relays

Posted on 7 September, 2021 by mixos

Teledyne DIP Packaged Reed Relays provide both the consistency and reliability of a sealed reed switch with the convenience of a Dual-In-Line package relay. The industry-standard 14-pin DIL package allows soldering directly into a PCB or inserted into sockets for convenient replacement. Rhodium switch contacts are hermetically sealed in glass, mounted on an integral lead frame, then encapsulated in thermoset plastic for easy handling. These DIP Packaged Reed Relays are available in multiple contact forms, with several coil voltages and with/without an internal suppression diode.

Features

Hermetically sealed contacts
Industry-standard DIL package
1A, 1B, 1C, and 2A contact forms
Multiple coil voltage options
Long life
RoHS compliant

Specifications

Coil characteristics
- Coil voltage
  - 5V_DC to 24V_DC nominal
  - 16V_DC to 32V_DC maximum
- 200Ω to 2150Ω ±10% coil resistance at +20°C
- 3.75V_DC to 18V_DC maximum operating voltage range
- 0.6V_DC to 2V_DC minimum release voltage range
Relay characteristics
- 10¹⁰Ω minimum insulation resistance
- 150V_DC to 1400V_DC dielectric strength range
- 1ms or 1.5ms typical operating time
- 0.05ms or 2ms typical release time
+85°C/W thermal resistance
Contact characteristics
- Rhodium contact material
- Any operating position
- 100V switching voltage
- 0.25A or 0.5A switching current
- 0.5A or 1A carry current
- 3W or 10W contact rating
- 150Hz or 200Hz maximum switching frequency
- 0.15Ω maximum contact resistance
Temperature ranges
- -40°C to +70°C operating (up to +85°C for the DIP2-1A)
- -40°C to +105°C storage

more information: https://www.teledynedefenseelectronics.com/relays/ourproducts/reedrelays/Pages/Reed-Relays.aspx

AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000-based MI989 Mini-ITX Motherboard

Posted on 7 September, 2021 by mixos

IBASE Technology Inc., a leading manufacturer of industrial motherboards and AIoT solutions, has released the MI989 Mini-ITX motherboard with AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V2000 Series processor that offers up to eight CPU cores and 16 threads, providing unprecedented speed and power efficiency for embedded applications in retail, healthcare, industrial automation, and smart cities. The AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 family is built with 7nm process technology, achieving up to 30% better CPU performance and up to 40% faster graphics performance than previous-generation counterparts.

“By partnering with AMD, we are able to deliver powerful embedded boards and solutions to our customers. The AMD Ryzen V2000-based MI989 boasts system performance improvements, system security features, and an excellent performance-per-watt ratio with a TDP range between 10W to 54W,”

said Wilson Lin, Director of IBASE Product Planning Department.

MI989 FEATURES:

AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V2000 processor on board
2x DDR4 SO-DIMM, Max. 64GB, ECC compatible
Dual Intel® Gigabit LAN
4x DisplayPort 1.4
3x USB 3.1, 2x USB 2.0, 4x COM, 1x SATA III
1x PCI-E(x16), 3x M.2 (5G-compatible B-Key 3052, E-Key and M-Key)
Watchdog timer, Digital I/O, TPM 2.0

The MI989 features a 5G-compatible M.2 3052 socket and is packed with advanced graphics capabilities and versatile I/O connectivity. The integrated new generation AMD Radeon Vega graphics can drive four independent displays in full 4K resolution. The board also features support for up to 64GB DDR4-3200 modules, two GbE LAN controllers, TPM 2.0 hardware security, and expansion slots such as PCI-e(x16), M.2 E-key, M.2 B-key, and M.2 M-key.

Measuring 170x170mm, MI989 has external ports for 2x COM, 4x DP (1.4), 2x USB 2.0, 2x LAN, 2x USB 3.0, and jacks for HD audio. For more information, please visit www.ibase.com.tw

PICO-TGU4: Powering Edge AI Evolution with 11th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors

Posted on 7 September, 20217 September, 2021 by mixos

The PICO-TGU4 brings the power of 11th Generation Intel® Core™ U processors and combines it with the expandability and flexibility to deploy the next generation of AI Edge Computing applications.

AAEON, an industry leader in AI Edge Computing solutions, announces the PICO-TGU4 compact PICO-ITX board powered by the 11th Generation Intel® Core™ U processors. By leveraging AAEON’s expertise and the cutting-edge technologies offered with this latest generation of processors, the PICO-TGU4 delivers performance and flexibility to power the next generation of industrial AI and machine vision applications.

The 11th Generation Intel Core processors (formerly Tiger Lake) are the third generation of Intel’s 10nm microarchitecture, delivering up to 15~20% better performance than the previous generation processors. The PICO-TGU4 offers users the choice of Intel Core U i3/i5/i7 or Intel Celeron® processors to power their projects. These processors support a range of technologies to ensure data integrity, accuracy and security, including on-board TPM 2.0 and in-band memory ECC (with select SKUs). Combined with up to 32GB of on-board LPDDR4x memory, the PICO-TGU4 helps unlock the performance needed to deploy a wide range of embedded and edge computing applications.

One of the core features of the PICO-TGU4 are its two expansion slots, allowing developers to quickly add on functionality to power their AI Edge applications. The M.2 2280 slot delivers PCIe 4.0 (x4) speeds, perfect for AI accelerator cards such as the AI Core XM2280, as well as providing the throughput needed to support the next generation of AI accelerators. The full-sized Mini Card (mPCIe) slot offers additional versatility with support for AI accelerators, wireless modules such as Wi-Fi or LTE, expanded storage with mSATA support and even more, including 30-bit DIO cards. This flexible expandability allows the PICO-TGU4 to be right at home with power AI and Edge Computing applications.

The PICO-TGU4 offers a broad I/O layout allowing the board to easily connect to a wide range of sensors and devices, or easily integrate with projects. The board features a total of eight USB connections, with two USB3.2 Gen 2 type A ports, two USB3.2 Gen 1 headers and four USB2.0 headers. The board also includes two serial port headers, as well as 8-bit GPIO and I2C/SMBUS connectors, allowing connections to an even wider range of devices.

The PICO-TGU4 also features dual LAN ports, one Intel i225 2.5 Gbps port for ultra-fast LAN connectivity, and on Intel i219 port with support for Intel vPro, enabling remote system monitoring. Additionally, the PICO-TGU4 offers storage flexibility with both SATA III (6.0 Gbps) and support for Mini Card mSATA storage. It also includes eDP and HDMI 2.0 delivering brilliant 4K 60Hz resolution.

“The PICO-TGU4 offers a combination of performance, flexibility and scalability support that is not often seen on the compact PICO-ITX form factor,” said Ariel Long, Product Manager with AAEON’s Embedded Computing Division. “The 11th Generation Intel Core U processors allows the PICO-TGU4 to leverage both performance and new technologies to power applications from robotics and machine vision to Smart Factories and AI Edge Computing.”

The PICO-TGU4 is backed by AAEON’s expertise in building compact, rugged solutions designed to operate in a wide range of industrial and other environments. AAEON also offers a range of manufacturer and OEM/ODM services, from customizing board layouts to helping developers create a board-level solution that fits the requirements of their applications.

Dual +5 V/-5V @ 200 mA Regulated Linear Power Supply

Posted on 6 September, 2021 by mixos

The project presented here is a dual AC to DC output linear power supply. This power supply provides low ripple low noise DC regulated output. Usually, transformer-based linear power supplies are considered very bulky and inefficient, but this power supply still is very important for sensitive applications such as analog circuits, communications devices, radio devices, audio circuits, OPAMP-based projects etc.

Dual +5 V/-5V @ 200 mA Regulated Linear Power Supply – [Link]

Dual +12V/-12V @ 400mA Regulated Linear Power Supply with AC input

Posted on 6 September, 2021 by mixos

The project presented here is a dual output linear power supply. This power supply provides low ripple low noise DC regulated output. It is a very useful tool to power Audio, Video, OPAMP-based circuits, and projects. The circuit provides regulated +/-12V DC output @ 400mA + 400mA. The project supports AC input supply 230V or 115V. On-board jumpers are provided for AC230V or AC115V selection. Besides regulated output, the board also has provisions to output the unregulated supply using CN2.

Dual +12V/-12V @ 400mA Regulated Linear Power Supply with AC input – [Link]

Dual Output Adjustable Linear Power Supply +/-1.2V to +/-12V @ 250mA

Posted on 6 September, 2021 by mixos

This project is a solution to power up most devices or projects requiring dual (+/-) adjustable power. The circuit consists of a stepdown transformer, bridge rectifier, DC filter capacitors, LM317 positive and LM337 negative adjustable voltage regulators, 2 x trimmer pot for independent output voltage adjust, and power LEDs.

Dual Output Adjustable Linear Power Supply +/-1.2V to +/-12V @ 250mA – [Link]