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Component carriers replace flexible printed circuit boards in linear measuring systems

Posted on by mixos

HARTING has developed a component carrier that can be used directly with electronic components eliminating manual assembly and replacing flexible PCBs. Increasing precision and reducing assembly costs

Component carriers are equipped with measuring sensors for detecting position

The component carrier serves as a connecting element between a printed circuit board (PCB) and electronic components (such as LEDs, ICs, photo–diodes or sensors).

The measuring sensors of a scanning head for position detection, for example on a linear slide with guide rails, are often mounted onto flex PCBs. As magnetic, optical or inductive systems, they record the exact position of the slide. To do this the sensors must be positioned exactly at a 90 degree angle. The capability to mount these as precisely as possible improves the accuracy of the measurement results. A second sensor is often installed in the measuring head for redundancy. In addition, the status of the evaluation electronics is displayed using LEDs; these are mounted onto a flex PCB.

Two sensors for detecting the position of a linear slide // Elimination of flex PCBs to implement a 90° angle between the IC and PCB (A) // Status LEDs integrated on a small component carrier (B) // Simplification of assembly

With HARTING’s component carrier the flexible PCB can be replaced completely. The injection-moulded plastic body already provides very precise 90-degree angles for mounting sensors. The component carrier eliminates the need for time-consuming manual assembly of the flex PCB. In addition, the sensors are positioned more precisely. Another advantage of the component carrier is that the width of the sensor modules can be further reduced to less than 8 mm.

By harnessing this all new HARTING development, electronic components can be fitted directly onto the component carrier, thereby replacing flexible circuit boards.

The component carrier with the assembled electronic components, comes in a blister pack for further processing in SMD assembly facilities, and the soldered components are secured with an adhesive so that they cannot detach from their position while in the reflow oven.

For more info visit:  www.3d-mid.ch

Sensirion SHT4x Smart Gadget measures Humidity and Temperature

Posted on by mixos

Sensirion SHT4x Smart Gadget is a simple reference design circuit board that demonstrates the performance and ease of use of Sensirion SHT4x Humidity and Temperature Sensors. This device features a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) with humidity and temperature information. It also is equipped with a BLUETOOTH® Low Energy (BLE) module that enables communication with BLE-capable devices such as smartphones. This kit includes the Sensirion SHT4x Smart Gadget equipped with an SHT40 sensor, LCD, push-button, and BLE-capable MCU module, including battery and supports, as well as app download information and detailed hardware design resources.

MyAmbience – App

Features

  • Simple reference design circuit board
  • For use with Sensirion SHT4x Humidity and Temperature Sensors
  • LCD with humidity, temperature, and dew point in °C and °F
  • BLE connectivity
  • iOS and Android MyAmbience app available for remote access
  • Data logging and export capabilities
  • Detailed hardware design resources available

more information: https://www.sensirion.com/en/environmental-sensors/humidity-sensors/smartgadget-sht4x/

Mighty Scope™ ClearVue Digital Microscope

Posted on by mixos

Aven’s digital microscope has an HDMI output for additional monitor viewing and can be mounted onto a variety of stands

Aven’s Mighty Scope ClearVue digital microscope has a built-in 5″ high resolution LED screen and offers a magnification range of 8x to 25x. The included rechargeable battery allows users to operate the microscope without a power supply for hours, making it suitable for field projects. The Mighty Scope ClearVue microscope can be connected to an external monitor via an HDMI output for viewing images on a larger screen. Images can be saved on the included microSD card. This digital microscope can be mounted onto a variety of stands for different types of applications.

Features

  • Compact all-in-one system
  • 1080 px full HD imaging at 60 FPS
  • HDMI output for additional monitor viewing
  • Save high-resolution image/video files directly to microSD card
  • 5” built-in HD screen
  • ezImageX3 software download included
  • Enhances productivity by eliminating eye strain and body fatigue

more information: https://www.aventools.com/products/microscopy-and-inspection/digital-microscopes

Bourns’ PER28/PER35/PER56 encoders feature a ring interface

Posted on by mixos

Bourns’ PER28/PER35/PER56 encoders feature a ring interface that allows illumination or installation of other components in the center

Bourns’ model PER28, PER35, and PER56 long-life incremental ring encoders come in sizes 28 mm, 35 mm, and 56 mm, respectively. These low-profile encoders are designed for use in professional audio and lighting applications, low/medium risk medical and laboratory equipment, industrial automation controls, and other applications where a menu select encoder is required. These models feature a ring interface that allows illumination or installation of other components in the center.

Features

  • Low-profile incremental encoders
  • THT mounting style
  • 50,000 rotational cycle rating
  • Haptic detent feedback
  • RoHS compliant

Applications

  • Professional lighting consoles
  • Consumer white goods
  • Low/medium risk medical and diagnostic equipment
  • Test and measurement equipment
  • Communications equipment
  • laboratory equipment
  • Industrial automation controls

more information: https://www.bourns.com/docs/technical-documents/featured-product-bulletins/Bourns_SC2050_PER28_PER35_PER56_NPR.pdf

The new TiePie engineering Handyscope HS6 is 4 channel 1 GSa/s low noise USB 3.0 oscilloscope

Posted on by mixos

The 4 channel 1 GSa/s low noise USB 3.0 oscilloscope packed with technology

TiePie engineering has introduced the Handyscope HS6, a USB 3.0 oscilloscope packed with technology. This new four channel high resolution low noise oscilloscope is available in models with 200 MSa/s up to 1 GSa/s sampling rate, with several features that are unique to TiePie engineering.

The Handyscope HS6 has a flexible resolution that can be set from 8 bit to 16 bit, allowing to perform high resolution measurements. With its high accuracy (0.25 %) and low noise (240 µVrms), measured signals are presented with high fidelitty.

The Handyscope HS6 features TiePie engineering’s unique CMI interface. It allows connecting more Handyscope HS6’s together to create an instrument with multiple measuring channels with the same sample frequency (0 ppm deviation!). Why: The user can easily expand the number of channels without changing software, difficult software settings or buying expensive hardware. CMI = Combining multiple instruments, meaning that the CMI interface offers the possibility of an 8, 16, 32 or even 128 channel oscilloscope or data recorder where all channels are measured fully synchronized with sampling rates up to 1 GSa/s and resolutions up to 16 bit.

Also unique to TiePie engineering is the SureConnect connection test option. While measuring, the revolutionary SureConnect technology checks in real-time whether a test probe is in physical and electrical contact with the test subject.

Why: Assuring a good connection of a probe with a test subject may not always be easy. The subject under measurement may be dirty, oxidized or an (invisible) protective layer may be present. Also, the test subject may be hidden, making visible contact confirmation impossible.
Capacitive coupling between test probe and test subject can result in measuring a distorted version of the actual signal, wrongly suggesting a connection. SureConnect however immediately shows you whether a good connection is present.

SureConnect is the right option for every engineer for performing quick and perfect measurements. The Handyscope HS6 features a USB 3.0 interface with 5Gb/s data transfer. Why: It offers a fast data transport of 200 MSamples per second USB streaming Data logger.
There are no other USB instruments that can stream faster.

Some other special points of the Handyscope HS6 are:

  • 1GSa/s sampling and flexible resolution of 8-16 bit.
  • Four input channels with up to 250 MHz analog bandwidth
  • Low noise: 240 µVrms at 14 bit resolution, 90 µVrms at 16 bit resolution
  • Highly accurate 1 ppm time base
  • DC Accuracy of 0.25 % and 0.1 % typical
  • Very fast 200 MSamples per second USB streaming Data logger
  • Up to 256 Mpoints memory per channel
  • SureConnect connection test on all channels
  • Spectrum analyzer with 32 million bins

Information on the Handyscope HS6 can be found at https://www.tiepie.com/HS6

Maker Pi RP2040 Robot Controller Board for Motion Control Projects

Posted on by Saumitra Jagdale

Maker Pi RP2040 Board

Cytron recently launched their second RP2040 board, the Maker Pi RP2040, designed for robots or motion-controlled applications. With this new RP2040 chip, you can now build your own interactive robot, the Otto DIY robot. The Maker Pi RP2040 combines the Raspberry Pi Pico with the Maker series goodness, as well as a robot controller and other features. It is a compact board with an RP2040 SoC featuring a dual Cortex-M0+ processor. The SoC operates at 133 MHz frequency and comes with a 264KB internal RAM and 2MB flash memory.

For getting started with this project, you’ll need to be familiar with RP2040 and Maker Pi Pico boards. The onboard Maker Pi RP2040 comes with a 2-channels DC motor driver (H-bridge), which can control two brushed DC motors or a single unipolar/bipolar stepper motor. The motor driver can be tested without writing any code by using the two quick test buttons and motor output LEDs.

Discussing further, the onboard features four servo motor channels, with the voltage of both DC and servo motors being determined by the board’s power source voltage. With automatic power input selection, the controller board and motor, however, require the same input power supply, which may be supplied through USB, LiPo/Li-Ion battery, or the Vin (3.6-6V) terminals. When the battery is overcharged or over-discharged, the single-cell LiPo/Li-Ion charger onboard protects the battery.

Labeled Components of Maker Pi RP2040

Maker Pi RP2040 Labelled Components

Additionally, unlike the Maker Pi Pico, this board allows you to control the power supply from all of these sources by using a power ON/OFF switch, and also it doesn’t offer you access to all of the GPIO pins. The status of 13 GPIO pins is shown by LEDs on the board. It features several LEDs that are handy for troubleshooting and creating visual effects.

The piezoelectric buzzer can be used to play a tone and a Buzzer mute switch to mute the piezo buzzer. In addition, it has 7 grove ports that support digital, analog, I2C, SPI, and UART for flexible connectivity. The user program has access to two programmable push buttons. These pushbuttons will detect your touch when you press them. Moreover, there are two user-programmable NeoPixels RGB LEDs. The NeoPixels are programmable allowing the user to indicate various parameters depending on the application.

MAKER Pi RP2040 Layout

Furthermore, for programming, like Maker Pi Pico, by default the board supports CircuitPython, making it simple for beginners. Other programming languages like MicroPython, Arduino, and C/C++ are also compatible with the board. If you have already worked on Raspberry Pi Pico, then it won’t be difficult to play with this hardware. This Pico-specific software, firmware, libraries, and resources should also work with Cytron Maker Pi RP2040.

The board comes with a form factor of 88 x 64 x 13mm and currently retails for $9.90 only. To learn more about Maker Pi RP2040 you can refer to the official product page or on Seeed Studio. All the technical specifications and images used are taken from the product page.

OpenRPNCalc: Custom scientific RPN calculator based on STM32

Posted on by DM

Reverse Polish Notation (RPN) is a popular method for representing mathematical expressions. In this notation, the operator symbol comes after the operands in contrast to the Polish notation, where the operators are placed preceding the operands. For example, the Polish notation for the addition of 2 and 5 is 2+5, while in reverse Polish notation, it is represented as 2 5 +. RPN is suited for lengthy calculations, and this notation leads to faster calculations. This is because the RPN calculators do not need expressions to be parenthesized. Therefore, to perform a typical calculation, fewer operations need to be performed. In addition, the RPN calculator users make fewer mistakes than the other type of calculator users.

Anton Poluektov, a Physicist from France, recently posted his custom open-source scientific RPN calculator. It is based on an STM32 microcontroller and can operate on a 3V CR2032 lithium battery for around a year. Anton says that the hardware is inspired by the SwissMicros DM42 calculator, but it has been designed from scratch. He further adds to it,

“Firmware-wise, however, there is no intention to simulate programmable HP series. Instead, I aim to create a device that fits my everyday needs at work, with a preprogrammed set of functions that are, possibly, rarely or never available in the commercial calculators.”

The device has an STM32L476RG ultra-low-power microcontroller. The microcontroller consists of a high-performance ARM Cortex-M4 32-bit RISC core operating at a frequency of up to 80 MHz. The STM32 microcontroller features high-speed memories (1MB flash memory and 128kB of SRAM) and an integrated LCD driver making it suitable for usage in calculators. The display is the Sharp 400×240 pixel monochrome LS027B7DH01 Memory LCD module. It is a TFT-type display with high longevity. The keyboard uses light-touch tactile switches from Panasonic, and the device runs from the 3V CR2032 lithium battery like most modern calculators. Anton mentions that it is sufficient to provide power to the calculator for around one year of operation.

The calculator includes the following features:

  • Reverse Polish notation with 4-element stack.
  • Double-precision arithmetic operations.
  • “Standard” scientific calculator functions (trigonometric, logarithms, exponentiation, square root, and power).
  • Error function (erf) and its inverse (erfinv).
  • Fixed, scientific (SCI), and engineering (ENG) display modes (including SI prefixes in ENG mode), variable 3-10 digits precision.
  • Calculations with uncertainties using error-propagation formulas (UNCERT mode). This is one of the unique features of the OpenRPNCalc which is very rarely present in firmware-based calculators.
  • Low power consumption (40-50 uA in standby mode with LCD on).

Anton recently also added relativistic kinematics functions, gamma and log gamma functions, and conversion between degrees and radians.

The casing is made of four 3D printed parts (top, bottom, keypad, and the switch spacer). The top and bottom are held together by snap-fit joints and the buttons are labeled with a simple printed sticker paper.

The source code, schematics, and 3D-printed case design files are released under an open license and can are available at GitHub.

YugenFlow v2: An easy-to-use, compact low-power thermal detection sensor

Posted on by DM

Thermal sensors are the sensors that sense the temperature of their environment, convert the input data into electronic data to record, monitor, or signal temperature changes. There are two types of thermal sensors: Contact and non-contact thermal sensors. Contact thermal sensors require direct contact with the physical object that is being monitored. On the other hand, non-contact thermal sensors can measure the temperature of an object indirectly. Non-contact thermal sensors are generally infrared (IR) sensors. These sensors detect the infrared energy emitted by an object, convert it into electrical signals, and sends it to a calibrated circuit for determining the temperature.

Infrared thermal sensors can detect the presence of stationary humans by detecting body heat and can therefore be used to automatically switch off unnecessary lighting, air conditioning, etc. when people are not present. They do not rely on motion detection for sensing the human presence and hence, are very accurate. IR thermal sensor also finds its application in contactless thermometers, in industries for early prevention of fire outbreaks, and many other situations.

About YugenFlow v2

YugenFlow v2 is a similar infrared thermal sensor for human detection. It is a compact, easy-to-use, low-power, intelligent thermal sensor board that uses a low-resolution thermal sensor to detect the presence of a person. Not only that, but it also determines if the person is moving in a given direction. It is fast and precise. Motion sensors, as mentioned earlier, can sense the human presence by sensing the slight vibrations and movements. Therefore, they are not as precise as these sensors. YugenFlow v2 does not require motion to detect the presence but uses it to determine direction. It can sense a movement along one axis, and the axis along which it measures depends on how the sensor is mounted. The YugenFlow v2 can sense up to two people simultaneously with a distance of about 40cm.

The YugenFlow v2 respects privacy. It cannot determine who the person is, its physical characteristics in detail, or any of their particular details. The team said that they have even verified this with a local privacy commissioner.

The team further added about privacy,

“The sensing is based on a temperature reading from a low resolution thermopile, which is unable to determine anything besides if a person has passed below the sensor in one direction or the other. This makes it perfect for any human sensing project where privacy is important.”

The sensor can be used in two modes:

PUSH: In this mode, the sensor sends the data in the range [-2,2] to indicate how many people have passed and in which direction. If an individual has passed along the axis, the data provided is +1 (-1 for the opposite direction).

PULL: An application can read the internal three counters that contain the number of people that have passed in a given direction and the difference from the last time the counters are reset.

YugenFlow v2 versions:

Source: https://www.crowdsupply.com/xetal/yugenflow-v2

YugenFlow thermal sensor comes in two versions

  • YugenFlow: Integrated: It comes with a fully integrated ESP32 board and additional firmware so that it can be connected to a Wi-Fi network. It can send data via an MQTT protocol, IFTTT, or a TCP protocol. It can be powered by the 220-240V mains power supply and has a detection angle of 110 degrees along the entrance.
  • YugenFlow: Grove: It is a sensor module that can communicate with the host board like Arduino. An Arduino library will be provided for the same.

The device is open-source and the project information can be found at https://github.com/orgs/xetal-nv/projects

Crowdsupply page: https://www.crowdsupply.com/xetal/yugenflow-v2

ECM-3455J: Micro Industrial motherboard based on Intel Celeron J3455

Posted on by DM

Industrial motherboards are the main controlling board for industrial computers that are used as a front-end to another control computer in a distributed processing environment. Industrial PCs have a small form factor, are highly dependable and precise. Industrial motherboards are the main PCBs controlling those PCs. They come in a wide range of form factors, including Nano ITX, Mini ITX, Micro ATX, and ATX motherboards. Due to their compactness, they are ideal for powering applications for kiosks, POS (Point Of Sale) systems, digital displays, vending machines, ATM banking machines, medical equipment, and gaming. They can also be employed for providing platforms for industrial, AI, and edge computing.

These motherboards are required to work in harsh and rugged environments reliably and consistently. Moreover, they must be expandable and have a long lifetime. BCM Advanced Research is going to release their new ECM-3455J industrial motherboard with a micro form factor. It is an Intel Celeron J3455 processor-based 3.5” SBC Micro Module.

Features of the industrial motherboard:

  • Intel® Celeron J3455 Quad Core SoC Processor 1.5 GHz up to 2.3GHz max
  • 1 x SoDIMM DDR3L 1600MHz up to 8GB
  • 32GB eMMC Onboard
  • Supports Dual Display: HDMI, LVDS
  • Supports Dual LAN
  • 1 x M.2, 1 x mini-PCIe with mSATA support & uSIM
  • TPM 2.0 to provide hardware-based, security-related functions
  • HDMI, 18/24-bit LVDS
  • 4 x USB 3.0, 4 x USB 2.0
  • 2 x COM
  • I²C, SMBus, GPIO
  • 2 x Gigabit LAN
  • Fanless Operation with Heatspreader
  • 9V-36V Wide Range DC-In

The motherboard features an Intel Celeron J3455 Quad-Core SoC Processor that has 1.5GHz of Base Frequency and 2.3GHz Burst Frequency. It is a low-power SoC processor with integrated Intel® HD Graphics 500. When running at base frequency, it dissipates a TDP power of 10W. There is a 32GB eMMC (embedded multimedia card) for convenience in an industrial environment. The ECM-3455J supports many cellular/WiFi/Bluetooth communication friendly I/O interfaces, including M.2, mini-PCIe with SATA, uSIM support, I²C, SMBus, plus two Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports, and TPM 2.0 for hardware-based security.

One of the unique features of this industrial motherboard is its fanless design. It uses the solid aluminum block heat-spreader to help heat transfer and release the heat reliably without a fan. Thus, this board is suited for applications where compactness and quiet, fanless operation is required.

The board supports a wide range of input DC voltage from 9V to 36V, which according to the BCM team, makes it suitable for a variety of embedded applications:

  • Industrial control
  • Human Machine Interface (HMI)
  • Digital Signage
  • Small Point-of-Sale Terminal, Retail Kiosk
  • Interactive Self-serve Kiosk
  • Medical and Healthcare equipment

The motherboard supports Windows 10, Linux, and Android operating systems.

The product website further mentions the supported operating systems,

“Besides common OS support for Windows 10 IoT for x86 platform SBC, ECM-3455J also supports Linux and Android OS for mobile devices that require more computing power, more expansion and I/O interfaces with low power consumptions.”

Overall, the ECM-3455J is a compact, low-power, reliable, and high-power industrial motherboard. It is fanless, supports various operating systems, provides many communication-friendly I/O pins, provides security, and much more. This makes the ECM-3455J appropriate for applications in industrial, medical, healthcare, factory, and retail markets.

Product Website: https://www.bcmcom.com/bcm_product_ECM-3455J.html

Toradex extends Torizon as DevOps platform for IoT Linux devices

Posted on by mixos

Toradex is extending its Torizon operating system for use as a full IoT development and operations (DevOps) platform for Linux devices. The operating system will now include free remotely hosted updates, device monitoring features, and a fleet management solution.

Torizon enables modern, iterative product development by seamlessly integrating hardware, a Linux OS, development tools, remote updates and fleet operations. The result is a scalable solution for devices requiring high reliability and security.

In a paper from May 2021, Forrester Consulting* found that traditional embedded development practices are insufficient when building smart, digital products. They also reported that that 79% of decision-makers say challenges with smart product development and delivery negatively impact their firms in delivering digital products. (*Footnote: Smarter Products Need Smarter Development)

Torizon brings state-of-the-art product development principles to demanding applications in such industries as industrial automation, healthcare, smart cities and transportation. Torizon allows businesses to ship products quickly, continuously improve the user experience, fix bugs, and patch security vulnerabilities securely and robustly.

Software developers can take advantage of TorizonCore, a ready-to-use Linux distribution that eliminates the complexity of maintaining a custom-built embedded Linux distribution. Smart options allow developers to tailor TorizonCore to accommodate purpose-built hardware and special product needs. Torizon provides optional integration with modern tools, such as Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, to speed up development.

Today, Toradex is announcing the extension of the Torizon platform to support not only development for IoT devices, but also the operation and maintenance of these devices. Torizon is seamlessly integrated with the latest Computer on Modules featuring NXP® i.MX 8, i.MX 7 and i.MX 6. Tight hardware and software integration offers excellent quality control and speeds up product development.

Torizon reduces the risk of device recalls: The device monitoring feature facilitates early detection of potential issues, and the upcoming remote access feature makes it possible to address those issues before they lead to device failures. Torizon also makes new business models possible, since businesses can offer software and features as paid add-ons, allow customers to monitor device fleets, and much more.

Toradex’s Computer on Modules and Linux offerings are proven in thousands of applications, many of which require extreme reliability. Torizon targets these same applications, and to meet these challenging requirements, Torizon offers a wide range of security and reliability features.

TorizonCore and development tools for it are offered for free. Cloud-based features, such as Over-the-Air Updates, Device Monitoring and Fleet Management are offered as subscriptions, including a free tier with basic features and support for unlimited devices.

To learn more and get started, please visit http://www.toradex.com/torizon.

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