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Axiomtek’s Outdoor AI Inference System with NVIDIA® Jetson™ Xavier™ NX for AIoT Applications – AIE800-904-FL

Posted on 11 March, 202111 March, 2021 by mixos

Axiomtek – a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted in the research, development, and manufacture of series of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency – is pleased to introduce the AIE800-904-FL, its latest robust Artificial Intelligence (AI) embedded system. This AI inference system adopts the NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier™ NX platform which has a powerful 6-core NVIDIA Carmel ARM® v8.2 (64-bit) processor and 384-core NVIDIA Volta™ GPU. In addition to the superior performance and power advantage of accelerated computing, the AIE800-904-FL is designed with a high IP67 degree of protection from water and dust ingress. Moreover, it comes with a wide operating temperature range of -30°C to 50°C and a vibration endurance for up to 3Grms. It also features M12 type I/O connectors and four waterproof N-jack antenna openings for operational stability in rugged environments. The NVIDIA Jetson-based outdoor edge AI system is the perfect platform for traffic management, city security, smart manufacturing, and more.

Advanced Features:

IP67-rated design, specifically for outdoor environments
NVIDIA® Jetson Xavier™ NX with Volta™ GPU architecture with 384 NVIDIA CUDA® cores
High performance, GPU accelerated computing
-30°C to +50°C operating temperature range
100 to 240 VAC wide range power input with 10kV surge protection
4 N-jack antenna openings with waterproof design
Features M12 lockable I/Os
1 IEEE 802.3at GbE PoE (30W)
Supports Allxon Device Management Solutions (Allxon DMS)

The AIE800-904-FL has 8GB of LPDDR4x memory and 16GB eMMC onboard. It comes with a wide range 100 to 240V AC power input with 10kV surge protection. The AI inference system features one M.2 Key B 2242 SSD socket with a high-speed PCIe 2.0 x2 NVMe interface for extensive storage needs. In addition, the embedded box PC is equipped with one GbE PoE port for IP camera video surveillance solutions including traffic flow monitoring, license plate recognition, vehicle recognition, intrusion detection and access control.

“Axiomtek is dedicated to creating opportunities with the emergence of IoT, AI and machine learning. By bringing powerful computing capacity to the edge, our outstanding AIE800-904-FL enables AI applications directly on field devices. Featuring IP67-rated housing, industrial-grade anti-vibration, wide operating temperature capabilities and wide voltage AC input, plus multiple M12-type I/Os, the AIE800-904-FL is suitable for severe applications in outdoor environments. Taking traffic management as an example, a high-performance system that can accurately detect, record, process, and transmit huge streams of data is indispensable for a smart city.”

said Annie Fu, a product manager of the Product PM Division at Axiomtek.

The AIE800-904-FL is an excellent AI embedded system that supports one C3 USB 2.0 port, one M12 X-Code Gigabit PoE port, one M12 S-Code connector for AC power supply and one C3 HDMI port supporting full HD. The four waterproof N-jack antenna openings provide flexibility for WLAN or WWAN usage. Furthermore, the AI rugged computer has a full-size PCI Express Mini Card as well as a SIM card slot for 4G/LTE/GPRS connections. In addition, it supports the open-source operating system Linux Ubuntu 18.04 which is highly customizable to serve different needs. Apart from supporting Linux Ubuntu 18.04, it integrates Allxon Device Management Solutions (Allxon DMS) to provide a cost-effective and simplified device management solution with comprehensive remote management capabilities. Its flexible mounting options including wall mount and VESA mount.

Axiomtek’s AI-powered AIE800-904-FL is now available for purchase. For more product information or customization services, please visit our global website at www.axiomtek.com or contact one of our sales representatives at info@axiomtek.com.tw.

Epishine, Ynvisible and Evonik showcase a self-powered smart signage solution

Posted on 10 March, 2021 by mixos

Joint technology demonstrator showcases new solutions for retail, supply-chain and in-home devices.

Epishine AB, Ynvisible Interactive (a leading company in printed and flexible displays) and Creavis (the strategic innovation unit of Evonik Industries AG – an Essen, Germany headquartered global specialty chemicals group) announce the creation of a new joint demonstrator featuring Evonik’s TAeTTOOz® printed battery, Epishine’s solar cells, and Ynvisible’s electrochromic display.

All technologies can be printed and when they are assembled together, they can create self-powered signage, functional packaging or device solutions. The joint demonstrator will be featured at LOPEC, TechBlick and on the partner’s individual communications channels.

“Our new demonstrator is a clear evolution on our journey with Ynvisible, started in May 2020. We are demonstrating the potential use-cases and advantages of this combined solution – energy independence, scaleable manufacturing and design freedom.” Says Dr. Michael Korell, Head of New Growth Area Energy Storage

“Epishine’s light energy harvesting cells have unique efficiency at indoor light conditions and enable small connected electronics, like electronic shelf labels, without the burden of costly battery maintenance. This collaboration is also an important opportunity to highlight the unique material properties of our thin and flexible printed solar cell.” says Jesper Nilsson, Head of Solutions, Epishine.

“Most active electronic devices need a visual interface and a power supply. Our joint demonstrator makes rechargeability, modularity and a dynamic user experience reality.” says Michael Robinson, CEO of Ynvisible. “We’re proud to showcase how our partners’ technologies can come together to deliver holistic and value-added solutions – truly a Display PLUS.”

JOIN US AT JOIN US ON LOPEC, TECHBLICK, AND INTERACTIVE CO-HOSTED WEBINAR

Epishine, Ynvisible, and Evonik will host a joint webinar on April 8th to delve deeper into the details of the Self-Powered Smart Signage Solution and provide a broader idea of what the three technologies will enable. Follow this link to participate in an interactive webinar.

Ynvisible will be exhibiting on TechBlick on the 10th and 11th of March using a virtual booth and showcase the joint demonstrator. Carolina Gioscio, Marketing Manager Sustainable Solutions at Evonik, is an invited speaker and will present more details related to the Self-Powered Smart Signage Solution on March 10th, 05:10pm CET.

Advantech’s COMe Mini Type 10, SOM-7583

Posted on 10 March, 202110 March, 2021 by mixos

11th Gen. Intel® Core™ Processors in the Size of a Business Card

Advantech, a global embedded IoT market leader, launches SOM-7583, an innovative COMe mini Type 10 module with the latest 11th Gen. Intel® Core™ processors with up to 4-cores Core i7 for a myriad of high performance applications. This tiny, but mighty module features on-board LPDDR4 memory and NVMe SSD. It supports multiple I/O and displays, including 2.5 GbE LAN supporting TSN, 1x PCIe Gen 3 x4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), 2x SATA Gen3, and 2x independent 4K displays. Meanwhile, this platform is known for its AI Acceleration with Intel® Deep Learning Boost engine, VNNI, which can improve the efficiency and increase the inferencing performance dramatically. To help partners to accelerate the AI revolution, Advantech will offer Edge AI Suite software, Intel OpenVINO toolkit based on the demand. The SOM-7583 is an excellent solution for applications that are requiring powerful computing in a compact design, such as aerospace, defense, industrial control, and transportation.

Ultimate Computing Performance Coming with Fan-less Thermal Solution

Despite being smaller than a business card, the SOM-7583 yields 40% higher CPU performance, 60% better graphics and 5X AI performance than its previous generation. It integrates with LPDDR4X 4266Mt/s IBECC RAM, up to 16GB and on-board NVMe SSD which achieves a 10 times increase in the sequential reading and writing speed compared with eMMC 5.1. With the above enhanced performance, Advantech is also excited to introduce the leading fan-less thermal solution, designed to dissipate heat and keep the system running under TDP 15W at 60°C ambient temperature. With total height at only 27mm, the thermal module comes with a copper block to directly contact CPU, then transfers the heat to the ambient via heat pipes soldered with stacked fins.

High Speed I/O for Efficient Data Transmission

The SOM-7583 features USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10GT/s) and PCIe Gen 3 (8.0GT/s), which are considerably faster than the previous COMe mini solutions. It is designed to enable low-latency networking performance in factory automation applications via 2.5 GbE LAN with TSN. This solution improves the precision of data synchronization over the network, and minimizes jitter to reduce latency during real time device communication. Similarly, the SOM-7583 enables USB4 compliance via its carrier board design. Advantech offers a reference design to help partners integrate USB-C to the carrier board yielding a solution uniquely applicable to portable devices, test equipment, and defense applications.

Intelligent Software Enhances Security and Enables Remote Management

The SOM-7583 provides multi-layer security via BIOS secure boot and Intel’s FW TPM to protect user’s data. Advantech also offers a free trial of WISE-DeviceOn to facilitate SSD health, memory loading, CPU temperature, and measurement monitoring via an optimized UI. The combination of WISE-DeviceOn OTA (over-the-air) and WOL (wake-on-LAN) enables customers to remotely schedule BIOS and software updates for factory capacity optimization. Moreover, customized software bundling with on board NVMe SSD enables fast data formatting — removing confidential information from internal storage to meet military and aerospace requirements.

Robust Reliability for Harsh Environments

Besides its high performance and speedy I/O, the SOM-7583 is a rugged product designed to enhance product reliability. With all key components on board, it is an ideal anti-vibration solution for transportation applications. Additionally, it supports a wide range power input (8.5 ~ 20V) and extended temperature SKU (-40 ~ 85 °C /-40 ~ 185 °F) capable of enduring applications in harsh environments such as aerospace and other outdoor applications.

Key Features

COMe Mini Type-10 with Intel® 11th Gen. Core™ processors
16GB LPDDR4X 4266MT/s and IBECC support
Fanless thermal module to withstand TDP 15W under 60C ambient temperature
USB4 Compliance supported by carrier board design
NVMe SSD on board
Operating temp.: Standard 0 ~ 60 °C (32 ~140 °F) or Extended -40 ~ 85 °C (-40 ~ 185 °F)

Advantech’s SOM-7583 is available now. For more information regarding SOM-7583 or other Advantech products and services, please contact your local sales support team or visit our website at www.advantech.eu.

TMCS1107 420 V Isolated Hall-Effect Current Sensor

Posted on 9 March, 20219 March, 2021 by mixos

Texas Instruments’ sensor is optimized for high accuracy and temperature stability

Texas Instruments‘ TMCS1107 is a galvanically isolated Hall-effect current sensor capable of DC or AC current measurement with high accuracy, excellent linearity, and temperature stability. A low-drift, temperature compensated signal chain provides <3% full-scale error across the device temperature range. The input current flows through an internal 1.8 mΩ conductor that generates a magnetic field measured by an integrated Hall-effect sensor. This structure eliminates external concentrators and simplifies design. Low conductor resistance minimizes power loss and thermal dissipation. Inherent galvanic insulation provides a 420 V lifetime working voltage and 3 kV_RMS basic isolation between the current path and circuitry.

Integrated electrical shielding enables excellent common-mode rejection and transient immunity. The output voltage is proportional to the input current with multiple sensitivity options. Fixed sensitivity allows the TMCS1107 to operate from a single 3 V to 5.5 V power supply, eliminates ratiometry errors, and improves supply noise rejection. The current polarity is considered positive when flowing into the positive input pin. Unidirectional and bidirectional sensing variants are available. The TMCS1107 draws a maximum supply current of 6 mA and the sensitivity options are specified over the operating temperature range of -40°C to +125°C.

Total error: ±1% (typ.), ±3% (max.), -40°C to +125°C
- Sensitivity error: ±0.9%
- Offset error: 40 mA
- Offset drift: 0.2 mA/°C
- Linearity error: 0.5%
Multiple sensitivity options:
- TMCS1107A1B/U: 50 mV/A
- TMCS1107A2B/U: 100 mV/A
- TMCS1107A3B/U: 200 mV/A
- TMCS1107A4B/U: 400 mV/A

Zero-drift internal reference
Bidirectional and unidirectional current sensing
Operating supply range: 3 V to 5.5 V
Signal bandwidth: 80 kHz
Isolation rating: 3 kV_RMS
Robust lifetime working voltage: 420 V
Safety related certifications:
- UL 1577 component recognition program
- IEC/CB 62368-1

more information: https://www.ti.com/product/TMCS1107

OKW’s Elegant New SLIM-CASE for Mobile OEM Electronics

Posted on 9 March, 2021 by mixos

New SLIM-CASE is available in different versions to suit a wide range of applications

OKW has launched an innovative and elegant new SLIM-CASE for the latest generation of handheld touchscreen and wireless data transfer devices.

Ergonomic SLIM-CASE (IP 54/65) is ideal for measuring and control, wireless communications, IoT/IIoT, healthcare, laboratories, offices, safety engineering and environmental technology.

SLIM-CASE’s low-profile and virtually frameless design makes it compact and comfortable to hold – but provides plenty of space for PCBs, plug connectors, interfaces and sensors.

Six versions are available at launch. They offer the choice of a smooth top, a 0.04” (1 mm) recessed top (for product labels) and a 0.06” (1.6 mm) recessed top (for a touchscreen or membrane keypad). Each is available either with or without a soft-touch TPE intermediate ring (IP 54) for added comfort and superior impact protection.

All six versions feature soft contours for enhanced ergonomics and optimum aesthetics. They can accommodate inductive charging (with the correct coil) and NFC technology (with Qi chargers). Power can be supplied by a flat battery mounted on the PCB.

SLIM-CASE is available in one plan size (M) – 5.82” x 2.91” – and two heights: 0.75” (without TPE ring) and 0.86” (with TPE ring). Inside there are PCB mounting pillars in both the top and base. The enclosures are molded from robust and UV-stable ASA+PC-FR (UL 94 V-0) for indoor and outdoor use. For added security, the enclosures are assembled using Torx T8 stainless steel screws. The cases’ standard color is off-white (RAL 9002). Prices start at $17.

Accessories include an IP 65 seal for versions I, II and III without the TPE ring, a transparent front screen (for use with touchscreens), an adhesive foil (for securing the screen), self-tapping PCB screws (PZ1 and Torx T8) and a Torx T8 screwdriver.

OKW can supply SLIM-CASE fully customized. Services include custom colors for the main case and TPE ring, machining, lacquering, printing, laser marking, product labels, RFI/EMI shielding and installation/assembly of accessories.

Visit the OKW website for more information: https://www.okwenclosures.com/en/Plastic-enclosures/Slim-Case.htm

PicoScope 2-Channel 5 and 16GHz Sampler-Extended Real-Time Oscilloscopes

Posted on 9 March, 20219 March, 2021 by mixos

The PicoScope 9402-5 and -16 bring very high-speed performance at less than half the cost of other traditional benchtop solutions with two high-resolution 12-bit channels driven by up to 2.5TSa/s (0.4ps) equivalent-time sampling

Saelig Company, Inc. has introduced the PicoScope 2-channel 9402 Sampler-Extended Real-time Oscilloscope (SXRTO) series with two models available: the 9402-05 and the 9402-16 with 5 GHz and 16 GHz bandwidth respectively. They complement the already available 4-channel models at a lower price point. Designed to analyze repetitive or clock-derived signals, they feature two high-resolution 12-bit channels driven by the equivalent-time sampling (ETS) of up to 1.0TSa/s (1.0ps) for the 5GHz model and 2.5TSa/s (0.4ps) for the 16GHz version. The wide-band inputs can accurately measure transitions as fast as 22ps, pulses down to 45ps wide, and permits clock performance and eye diagram analysis of up to 11Gb/s signals (to third harmonic). In addition, the real-time broadband sampling modes can support analysis for other common RF signals such as wireless frequencies of 900MHz, 2.4 and 5.5GHz and upwards. Pico’s SXRTO instrument architecture reduces the cost of broadband time-domain sampling for repetitive signal or clock-related applications.

In contrast to conventional “sampling oscilloscopes”, the ETS technique supports trigger and pre-trigger capture and the familiarity, convenience and ease of real-time oscilloscope operation. Pico’s SXRTO technology seamlessly transitions to single-event, real-time waveform capture at sampling rates at and below 500MS/s. Both sampling modes capture to memory of 250,000 samples, beneficial for capturing slower system signals, modulation envelopes, and repetitive pulse patterns.

The USB-controlled PicoScope 9402-5&16 are supplied with PicoSample 4 software, a free touch-compatible GUI, which controls the instrument and presents waveforms, measurements, and statistics on an attached PC display. There is full support for available Windows display resolutions, allowing the inspection of waveform detail or presentation of measurements, for example on 4K monitors or projection, or across multiple monitors.

A wide range of automated and user-configurable signal integrity measurements, mathematics, statistical views, and limits test facilities are included for validation and trending of pulse and timing performance, jitter, RZ and NRZ eye diagrams. Industry-standard communications mask tests such as PCIe, GB Ethernet and Serial ATA are included as standard. PicoConnect® 900 Series gigabit and microwave passive test probes are recommended for use with the 9402-x, offering a range of bandwidths, division ratios and AC and DC coupling for diverse applications. The PicoScope 9402-x scopes have an active SMA interface to support future configurations and accessories on this product architecture.

Typical applications include: telecom and radar test, service and manufacturing, optical fiber, transceiver and laser testing, RF, microwave and gigabit digital system measurements, signal, eye, pulse and impulse characterization, precision timing and phase analysis, digital system design and characterization, eye diagram with mask and limits test up to 8 Gb/s, clock and data recovery at up to 8 Gb/s, Ethernet, HDMI 1, PCI, SATA and USB 2.0, semiconductor characterization, signal, data and pulse/impulse integrity and pre-compliance testing, etc.

The 9402-x is compact enough to place on a workbench in close proximity to a device under test. Made by Pico Technology, Europe’s award-winning test and measurement manufacturer, the PicoScope 9402-5 and -16 oscilloscopes are available now from Saelig Company, Inc. their USA technical distributor.

Free access to OEMsecrets BOM tool

Posted on 9 March, 20219 March, 2021 by mixos

Since their last update, they’ve made further changes to enhance the BOM Tool. Oemsecrets BOM Management Tool has a brand new look, with metrics such as price differences (target price vs best market price) that will help you to make those purchasing decisions easily. They’ve created a simple way to upload a list of parts and get the best price, with customizable options for each line and a link to purchase from each distributor.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the key features to the oemsecrets BOM Tool:

Upload up to 250 lines for free
Store and view historic BOMs
Find the best price or best match
Filter results with your preferred distributors
Add multiple parts to a distributor’s cart
Include a target price to view cost savings

This XPI-3288 Development Board Comes With Same Form Factor As Raspberry Pi

Posted on 9 March, 202110 March, 2021 by Abhishek Jadhav

If you love Raspberry Pi for its medium-sized form factor, then you would like to know that China-based OEM/ODM service provider Geniatech has developed a similar sized development board that should have you clamoring. This XPI-3288 development board designed to boosts its performance through the powerful Rockchip RK3288 with Quad-core Cortex-A17 clocked up to 1.6GHz.

Looking at the recent developments at Geniatech, you’d realize that the company has been designing development boards on the famous Rockchip RK3568 and RK3566. It shouldn’t be surprising to see yet another release by Geniatech that is built around Rockchip but this time it is RK3288.

One such similar board is the ASUS Tinker Edge T but comes with 1GB LPDDR4 RAM, which is less than the newly launched XPI-3288 integrated with 2GB RAM. This board might be somewhat better than the ASUS board but totally depends on your AI workload. Pay more for the ASUS Tinker Edge T as it has independent AI inference engines which lack on this development board.

Technical Specifications:

CPU: Rockchip RK3288 with Quad-core Cortex-A17 up to 1.6GHz
GPU: Mali-T764
Memory: 2G RAM
Storage: 16GB eMMc flash, Micro SD card with up to 64GB
Interfaces: 4x USB2.0, 1x HDMI Out, 1x Micro USB, 1x UART, and 1x GPIO
Connectivity: WiFi 2.4G/5G Dual Band and Bluetooth 4.0
Serial Communication Support: I2S, I2C, SPI, UART
Software: Android 7.1/Linux optional
Power Supply: DC5V / 3A
Dimensions: 85 mm x 56 mm
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 70°C

One of the major factors while considering this board is the support for video codec. If you are into video transmission or similar projects, this might aid your application as it supports MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, AVS, VC-1, VP8, MVC, which is incredible.

This credit card-sized high-performance development board is a DIY product specially for teenagers. However, the XPI-3288 development board is priced at $75 and is currently available for sale on the official product page.

18650 LiPo Battery Manager for Remote Applications

Posted on 9 March, 2021 by Abhishek Jadhav

The 18650 LiPo battery manager comes with a fuel gauge and a dual-rail power supply. The dual-rail power provides a 5V rail along with a 3.3V rail dedicated to powering the microcontroller and the display ports of the system. It is termed as an “all-in-one single-cell LiPo battery manager” by Manuel Alfonso for its flexible compatibility with all types of single cells and its various functionalities for battery monitoring operations. However, the 18650 LiPo Battery Manager is dedicated to a form factor that can act as an add-on at the back of the 18650 battery box. Hence, it can be used as a power bank for various projects.

18650 LiPo battery manager features a bq24075 IC from Texas Instruments for battery management and monitoring functionality. The maximum charge current can be controlled via the DIP switch, which outputs 1A, 500mA, and 100mA current readings. The combination of the pin status determines the maximum current value is shown in the table below:

The bq24075 chip’s Dynamic Power Path Management (DPPM) makes the output active “whenever a source is connected to USB or BAT, guaranteeing power to the project even if the battery has died. The input current from USB is shared and balanced between charging the battery and powering the system load at OUT.” In Battery Supplement Mode, if the output current exceeds the limit configured by the DIP switch during the charging process, then the battery provides the system load without any regulation. Hence, the maximum current can be drawn in any condition.

The 18650 LiPo battery manager supports the BQ27441-G1A fuel gauge featuring the Impedance Track Technology. It efficiently predicts battery capacity and other operational characteristics with utmost accuracy. There is a delay of a few seconds for the display of accurate data after powering the board because the IC is in sleep mode and it takes some time to wake up. When there is no load on the output pins, the actual consumption by the MCU and OLED display is shown on the display.

The source code for the system is written on STM32CubeIDE. Toolchain and IDE could be altered from the project manager tab for switching the IDE using a different file from STM32CubeMX. For more information regarding software support, you can visit the GitHub repository for 18650 Manager.

The 18650 LiPo battery manager board is available for $20 USD on Tindie. For more information, visit the product page on Tindie.

E-radionica’s Inkplate 10 is suited for your e-paper typewriter

Posted on 9 March, 202122 March, 2021 by Abhishek Jadhav

After raising 926% funding on e-radionica’s new design of its first e-paper display – Inkplate 6, the manufacturer has continued its product range to announce the Inkplate 10, an upcoming low-power, easy-to-program open hardware that can come with Wi-Fi support. This upgraded e-paper display is listed for crowdfunding on CrowdSupply with the goal of $12,900.

Compared to its predecessor, the hardware comes with a 9.7-inch display and high screen resolution of 1200×825 pixels with 1.61 second refresh time in black & white mode, and 1.81 second refresh time in grayscale mode. This powerful and energy-efficient design is based around the famous ESP 32 WROVER module, a dual-core microprocessor providing 8 MB RAM, 4 MB of flash memory, and support various wireless communication protocols, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0.

With its minimalistic design, the e-paper display packs a rich set of interfaces including the USB Type-C port that can be used for programming as well as to power the hardware. The display has additional GPIO pins that come along with support for I²C, SPI, and easyC/Qwiic connectivity. To increase storage, you get an optional MicroSD card reader for storing images to be displayed.

Thanks to the low power consumption that achieves 22 µA sleep states allowing it to last for months on a single battery. To add more to the hardware part, boost with three capacitive touchpads – usable through the optional enclosure. At just 23 x 18 x 1 cm and weighing 260 g, it adds more features than you would ever want at $139.

With easy-to-use experience in mind, the designer has supported the display with Arduino IDE, MicroPython, ESP-IDF, allowing you to just “plug in a USB cable, open the IDE, pull up some sample code, and click upload”.

If you like a good old-fashioned Arduino IDE, our library will have you rendering your own images in five minutes. For higher level programming, we also maintain a MicroPython module that’s just as easy to use. And for the hardened ESP32 programmers out there, we also support ESP-IDF.

If you are interested, the product is up for crowdfunding via Crowd Supply, priced at $179 for the display with a 3D printed enclosure.