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Raspberry Pi CM3+ Based DevTerm Kit Features keyboard computer

Posted on 10 December, 2020 by Tope Oluyemi

Clockwork has launched an open-source device, which runs Linux on a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+ Lite (CM3+ Lite) housed inside a keyboard chassis. ClockworkPi v3.14 integrates up to 12 interfaces in the ultra-small size of 95x77mm, ensuring sufficient connectivity for your work and entertainment. Following an easy-to-upgrade modular design of CPU and memory, CockworkPi v3.14 enables you to freely choose a suitable “Core” for various application scenarios. ClockworkPi v3.14 is compatible with the Raspberry Pi CM3 series, which means that your work on the Raspberry Pi can be “teleported” to a portable terminal in seconds!

The team writes:

“The A-04 series and RPI-CM3 are suitable for general purposes with longer usage time, such as writing, coding, e-mails, making indie-games, running most video game emulators, etc. If you usually use “Web Applications,” the A-0402 core module provides you with more memory to improve the experience. For users who require high performance and computing power, such as for AI/algorithm development and tuning, rapid prototyping of embedded devices, speeding up your compile-time, etc. The A-06 series will provide you a better solution. We also provide you with an option of the “DevTerm Kit” without the “Core Module.”

The 189 x 78mm DevTerm features the GameShell’s retro gameplay theme, with a retro-style gamepad integrated into the classical 67-key keyboard. The keyboard enables a mini-trackball with an OK function and 3x mouse buttons. The keyboard is powered by a Cortex-M3 MCU, which is compatible with the Arduino STM32 development environment. You can also customize the keyboard’s firmware via a micro-USB serial debug port available. Mounted above the keyboard is an ultra-wide, 6.8-inch, 1280 x 480-pixel IPS screen. The MIPI-DSI powered screen features a retro-style 16:6 ratio that can be scrolled via knobs on either side. The screen is protected with a removable cover. For media, the DevTerm features a micro-HDMI port, 3.5mm audio I/O jack, and a stereo amp chip. The board is connected to the keyboard via a USB-based POGO pin interface and enables a PMU chip that supports a dual battery holder compatible with various 18650 battery sizes.

The ClockworkPi v3.14 board enables connection via a 52-pin mini-PCIe interface to a separate “Ext. module” that is placed alongside it inside the keyboard. The Ext. module enables dual speakers, a MIPI-CSI interface, a micro-USB debug port, and two more USB 2.0 host ports. The Ext. module is also equipped with a 6000RPM fan which is aimed directly at the CM3+ module for rapid cooling. The DevTerm also features a thermal printer interface for a 58mm, 200dpi thermal printer. The printer is connected at the top of the screen and enables an input tray for storing printed copy.

Specifications include:

CPI v3.14 uses a compact design, the size is reduced to 95x77mm.
PMU chip which supports reliable and complete lithium battery charge and discharge management
Integrated 5G-WIFI (802.11ac) + Bluetooth 5.0
High-gain antenna
Standard USB-A 2.0 interface x 3 and, an internal contact interface for the Keyboard module
USB-C* charging port
TF card (Micro SD card) slot**
40 Pins MIPI screen interface
Micro-HDMI interface
3.5 headphone jack, supports microphone input
Onboard stereo audio power amplifier chip
40 Pins GPIOs expansion interface (using standard 0.5mm FPC connector)
52 Pins extension module interface (using standard Mini PCI-E connector) for the “EXT. module”
Standard DDR2-SODIMM 200 Pins interface: connects CPI v3.14 to the “Core module”

Visit clockwork’s shopping page to pre-order the DevTerm Kit RPI-CM3 for $219 or $249 for the Raspberry Pi CM3+ equipped board.

More information can be found on Clockwork’s DevTerm product page and GitHub page.

ThermoDuino – OLED Display Thermometer and Tiny Arduino Board

Posted on 9 December, 2020 by mixos

ThermoDuino is a mini Arduino compatible board that consists of LM35 temperature sensor, ATMEGA328 chip, and 0.96″ OLED display. The board has been designed to measure temperature. We have used the LM35 SO8 SMD sensor which is connected to A0 analog pin of the chip, and the OLED display is connected to A4 and A5 pin of MCU. LM35 senses the temperature and the microcontroller displays the temperature value on the OLED display. CN2 connector helps to program the microcontroller using Arduino IDE and boot-loader burning. This low profile and small board can fit in a very small case. Example code will help you to display the temperature in Centigrade and Fahrenheit. It is an open-source Arduino compatible hardware and it is easy to create your own code using Arduino IDE.

ThermoDuino – OLED Display Thermometer and Tiny Arduino Board – [Link]

TTGO T5: ESP32-Based Development Kit with 4.7-inch e-Paper Display

Posted on 9 December, 2020 by Micael Coutinho

We have been seeing some interesting packages when it comes to e-ink displays. As they establish themselves further on the market, by claiming some space that was once material for the LCD displays, the industry keeps on delivering more and more options for us, makers, to tinker with. An example of this was the M5Paper from MStack. Now, we will take a look at a cheaper option, the TTGO T5, and check how it keeps up with the former.

So, what is it about the TTGO T5? It is a development kit based on the ESP32 platform, with a 4.7” e-ink display (are you having a déjà vu feeling about the M5Paper?). Talking about the display, there are multiple options, ranging from 1.02” to 4.7”, with 16 gray levels and no support for the touch screen, although there is a 6-pin FPC connector for it. Just a reminder, the M5Paper takes the lead slightly here, with multi-touch support and extra robustness due to the enclosure. The M5Paper also comes with an enclosure, which you will not find here.

Regarding specifications, here is what you will find on the TTGO T5:

ESP32 WROVER-E dual-core MCU, with Bluetooth, BLE and Wi-Fi support
Memories: 16 MB Flash and 8 MB PSRAM
4.7” e-ink display with a resolution of 540 x 960, 16 gray levels and partial refresh support (and a 6-pin FPC touch screen connector, but no current touch screen support)
3x 4-pin molex connectors for GPIOs and 5 buttons (4x for custom function and 1x for reset)
Sleep mode current of 170 uA
Power supply options:
- USB Type-C (5 V / 1 A)
- Metal connector for 18650 mAh battery (optional) and 2-pin connector for LiPo battery, with battery charge and discharge protection circuitry

When it comes to programming, you have the expected options for programming it, such as Arduino, MicroPython and the IDF from Espressif, if you can handle it well. There are also some examples on Github to give you some guidance, if needed.

Now that we have that out of the way, we can compare it with the M5Paper from M5Stack a little bit: firstly, there is more room for memory in the M5Paper, with the Micro SD card slot, and also an EEPROM. The second part would the the downgrade on the screen, where the M5Paper provides touch support and its tampered glass enclosure puts it one step closer to deployment. Speaking of enclosures, the TTGO T5 does not have one. Battery-wise, you have slightly more options on the TTGO T5. Aside from those differences, there is one obvious, the price, where the TTGO T5 comes at around $25 (or less, if you opt for a smaller screen), even though it is not available right now. So, which one takes the upper hand, or is it not a battle?

TTGO T5 Aliexpress link: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001835564831.html

M5Paper article link: https://www.electronics-lab.com/?p=102310&preview=true

Armachat NANO, an Alternative Communications Device for Catastrophes

Posted on 9 December, 2020 by Micael Coutinho

We have seen some alternatives in the past to provide an alternative to the complex communication stack, provided via the internet through social networks or the cellular communication that our cellphones have been allowing us to do for a long time. These devices are especially useful when the internet is down or in case of catastrophe unless you want to turn your back on the conventional messaging services. In that case, you have the Armachat NANO, produced by Peter Misenko to consider!

The Armachat NANO is a new iteration on the Armachat platform, which already counted with the desktop and pocket Armachat versions, communication devices, making use of the LoRa physical layer for peer to peer messaging, without relying on an infrastructure service at all. Unfortunately, it does not implement a mesh network, which would be a nice thing to have. There are some configurable parameters for the network, allowing you to change the spreading factor and transmission power, for example, and provides a line of sight of around 500 meters without a direct line of sight. This is another place where there is room for improvement: by mangling with the bandwidth, for instance, one can drastically increase the communication range of the LoRa communication, at the cost of longer ToA (Time on Air).

But enough talking about the specifics of the Armachat platform, let us discuss the new addition to the lineup, the Armachat NANO. It solves a major problem with the other devices, by downsizing the platform and making it more pocket friendly, to the point where you can almost place it on your wallet and forget about it until you need it. The way they accomplished it was by layering the PCB and using connectors on the side, which is a very cool idea in order to save space. When doing so, the fully functional keyboard was switched for a capacitive touch keypad, which is enabled easily by the hardware peripherals of the device (SAM D21 MCU from Microchip, more on that later). The device itself has some tinkering options, so you can add a tiny USB keyboard if that bothers you too much, but considering what it is for, I think ditching the keyboard for a smaller device is worth it.

A dissected view at the Armachat NANO — A dissected look at the Armachat NANO

Regarding specifications, we are looking at:

0.96” IPS RGB panel (no touch screen capability)
38 mm x 38 mm dimensions (approximate)
SAM D1-based Cortex-M0 MCU from Microchip

As you see, there is not a lot known about the device, and it is not yet available for sale, but will be soon, on Tindie. You can also access more information about this project on Peter Misenko’s Patreon, the mind behind this interesting project!

Bobricius’s Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/bobricius
Bobricius Tindie Store link: https://www.tindie.com/stores/bobricius/

Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2) is a Second-Generation Current Measurement Tool for Embedded Development

Posted on 9 December, 20209 December, 2020 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Nordic Semiconductor has announced an enhanced Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2) for profiling power consumption in embedded solutions with support for their nRF51, nRF52, nRF53 short-range wireless SoCs, and nRF91 low power cellular SiP.

Since it is important to optimize applications to consume as little power as possible while developing battery-powered products, PPK2 is one right tool for easy and affordable power measurement during wireless product development. It is a cost-effective development tool that provides a simple way for both software and hardware engineers to measure average and dynamic power consumption in embedded solutions. It can measure and optionally supply currents up to 1A on all Nordic DKs and external hardware.

With the PPK2, no external power source is required as it can be powered via a standard 5V USB port. The device under test can either be powered from the 1A capable power supply built into the PPK2 or from an external source. Either way, the voltage has to be between 0.8 volts to 5 volts so that PPK2 can measure or optionally supply current without needing an external power source.

Key Features include:

Instantaneous and average current measurement for all Nordic DKs and custom hardware
200nA to 1A measurement range
Current resolution between 100nA and 1mA depending on the input range.
Eliminates the need for a bench power supply since it can provide an output adjustable voltage from 0.8 to 5V and up to 1A dynamic current supply.
Support for ampere meter only mode and source mode
Samples 100,000 times per second (10x greater than the previous generation),
Offers 8 digital inputs (low-end logic analyzer that can assist with profiling current consumption by code).
Powered via a standard 5V USB cable (Two USB cables should be used in order to supply up to 1A of current since one of them can supply up to 500mA).

PPK2 is supported through nRF Connect for Desktop’s Power Profiler app that provides ways of assessing both the instantaneous and average power consumption over a set time period. You can also export measurement data for post-processing. The app supports the PPK2 and the original PPK as well, and is available for Windows 7/8/10, Mac OS 10.10 or later and Ubuntu 18.04.

The Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2) is available and currently sells for $89 (ordering code is nRF-PPK2). The board comes alongside a 10-pin logic port cable required for using the PPK2 digital inputs and a 4-pin current measurement cable.

More information:

M5Paper – Touch Enabled e-ink Device to Bring Your IoT Projects to Life

Posted on 9 December, 2020 by Micael Coutinho

We have seen e-ink displays taking over in some areas where the regular ones struggle, especially on battery-powered devices, due to their power-conservative nature in comparison to their LCD counterparts. Of course, they are different, but in many projects e-ink displays just fit! Now, today we will take a look at a very unique and complete package that takes advantage of this kind of display and does much more, the M5Paper, from M5Stack.

The M5Paper, from M5Stack sort of gives you a mobile phone vibe, with its 4.7” display and its tiny, component packed package. It is astonishing to look at it, and developing on it must be extra motivating. But can this device be more than just the looks? It certainly can! Regarding its internals, you have more than just an e-ink display at your fingertips (even though it supports 16-level grayscale with 180º viewing angles, providing a stunning visual experience, and is a GT911 touch screen, with multi-touch support and many gesture controls). At its core, you have a 240 MHz, dual-core ESP32-D0WDQ6-V3, with 520 kB of SRAM, Wi-Fi, and dual-mode Bluetooth. You also get 16 MB of Flash and 8 MB of PSRAM memories and a MicroSD card slot, which may come in handy for the display. Regarding other peripherals, you have at your disposal a BM8563 RTC, an SHT30 humidity sensor, and a built-in magnet. When it comes to power, there are two options: its internal 1150 mAh battery or USB (5 V @ 500 mA), but the battery should not leave you hanging, considering the low power nature of the e-ink display and the ESP32 core. Lastly, you also have some room for upgrades, where the 3 HY2.0-4P external expansion ports will come in handy to accommodate existing sensors of the M5Stack ecosystem.

A rather deceiving look for such a feature-packed device, the M5Paper — A rather discrete look for such a feature-packed device, the M5Paper

Regarding software, you can use good old Arduino with the M5Paper or MicroPython, which has gained a lot of popularity in recent times. Besides that, you can use the UIFlow from M5Stack, which is a web-based IoT programming system developed by M5Stack, acting as a combination of Google Blocky and Micropython, and provides you with a very intuitive visual programming interface.

Now, for whom is the M5Paper for? That is an easy answer. If you are on the market for a development ecosystem that requires a display, communication and low power capabilities, without compromising on features, this is an exact match. Some possible applications are IoT terminals, E-book readers, smart home panels and industrial control interfaces, but it does not end there. Lastly, the M5Paper is available for $69, which is more than a fair price, for the same amount of features you get.

M5Paper Link: https://m5stack.com/products/m5paper-esp32-development-kit-960×540-4-7-eink-display-235-ppi?variant=37595977908396

Collect and Export Data From Bluetooth Devices

Posted on 8 December, 2020 by mixos

This project will show how to collect Bluetooth low energy data and export it as. csv.

For this project, I am using a Bluetooth Low Energy USB dongle called BlueIO, which will act as a central device to retrieve data. Hibou Air Quality Monitor which will serve as a peripheral device to transmit the data. The script is simple to use and can be used for other purposes such as store the data in a database or cloud.

Things we need:

Google Chrome version 78 or later (windows)
BleuIO — Bluetooth Low Energy Adapter
Hibou Air Quality Monitor sensor device

Before we start

The article assumes you have some general knowledge of how Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) work. Since the Chrome Serial specification on Google Chrome is not finalized yet, you will have to go to enable the highlighted flag, and restart Chrome.

open chrome://flags/#enable-experimental-web-platform-features in chrome browser.

In this example, we are going to use JavaScript + html (and some CSS for styling) to setup the BleuIO and quickly start scanning.

Step:

Clone the git repository.
git clone https://github.com/smart-sensor-devices-ab/export_ble_data.git
Connect the Bleuio dongle to your computer.
Open index.html file
Click connect and wait for the device to load on your com port.
Select your com port.
Scan for BLE devices. (this script only scans for Hibou Devices. You can change the manufacturer value at script.js file)
Select the device and start getting data. You will get real-time value on the screen.
Once you click on stop getting data. you will see all the data showing on a table between the time period. You can view data or export in csv.

Download: export_ble_data-master.zip

Follow the video for a better understanding

Littelfuse IX4351NE SiC MOSFET & IGBT Driver Wins Annual Power Product Award

Posted on 8 December, 2020 by mixos

Littelfuse, Inc., a global manufacturer of leading technologies in circuit protection, power control, and sensing, announced its IX4351NE SiC MOSFET and IGBT Driver has been named a Green Energy Award Winner for 21ic.com’s 2020 Annual Power Product Awards. Held for the last 17 years, these awards recognize and honor the best products throughout the world that succeed in energy conservation and environmental protection.

The power supply technologies of tomorrow are more than energy porters. Highly-efficient power supply technologies are drivers of innovation, allowing for better products and more advanced systems. The IX4351NE offers one of the highest energy efficiency ratios in its class, making it one of the most energy-conscious and environmentally-friendly drivers available today.

The Annual Power Product Awards presented by 21ic.com serves as one of the best display platforms for today’s power supply technologies due to the number of participating manufacturers and the wide range of product categories. For the 2020 selection, the Littelfuse IX4351NE SiC MOSFET and IGBT Driver was chosen as one of the only two winners of the Green Energy Award due to its superior green energy savings capabilities and improved cost performance.

Designed specifically to drive SiC MOSFETs and high power IGBT, the IX4351NE offers a separate 9 A source and sink outputs, allowing for tailored turn on and turn off timing while minimizing switching losses. The device’s internal negative charge regulator provides a selectable negative gate drive bias, delivering improved dV/dt immunity and a faster turn off. This driver eliminates the need for a separate negative supply, with an operating voltage range of -10 V to +25 V.

“On behalf of everyone at Littelfuse, we are honored to receive the Green Energy Award for the IX4351NE,” said David Zha, China electronics sales director at Littelfuse. “This award means a lot to our team, as it recognizes our innovation in the power supply category, and our ongoing commitment to greener and more energy-efficient products.”

Additional information is available on the IX4351NE product page.

Miniature Frequency Probe measures 1Hz to 5MHz

Posted on 8 December, 20208 December, 2020 by mixos

David Johnson-Davies shared another great and mini project on his blog. He writes:

The Frequency Probe is a handheld tool designed to help you debug your circuits by giving a visual indication of the frequency or voltage at the probe. For a periodic waveform it gives a digital readout of the frequency, with a range of about 1Hz to 5MHz and an accuracy of better than 0.3%. For a voltage level it gives a readout of the voltage. It is based on an ATtiny84A, and is powered from a small Lipo cell.

Miniature Frequency Probe measures 1Hz to 5MHz – [Link]

ThermoDuino – OLED Display Thermometer and Tiny Arduino Board

The LM35 is a precision temperature sensor IC with an output voltage linearly proportional to the Centigrade temperature. We have used the SMD SO8 sensor which can directly mount on board. The device can measure temperature from –55 to +150 degrees Celsius. The voltage output of the LM35 increases by 10mV per degree Celsius in the rising temperature.

Programming the board with Arduino IDE

A new Atmega328 chip requires Boot-Loader burning before uploading the Arduino code. Follow the link for more info on Boot-loader burning and Programming.