Page 363 – Electronics-Lab.com

Hugen Launches Portable TinySA Spectrum Analyser

Posted on 17 September, 2020 by Tope Oluyemi

RF testing is getting quite popular these days, with many devices featuring wireless capabilities. However, RF test devices are quite expensive, therefore slowing down it’s popularity. However, there’s a new RF test device in town which is very affordable, called the TinySA. Under development since February, the RF is now available for pre-order. The tinySA is a small spectrum analyzer having dual inputs. One of the input enables working frequencies over the MF/HF/VHF bands of 100KHz to 350MHz and the second input enables a lower quality frequency measurements over the UHF band of 240MHz to 960MHz. The tinySA is part of Huyen’s stable of products aimed at radio amateurs, students, and electronic enthusiasts.

It features a switchable resolution bandpass filters for both ranges between 2.6kHz and 640kHz. The tinySA also features a 2.8” color display screen showing 290 scan points covering up to the full low or high-frequency range. It Input Step attenuator can be set from 0dB to 31dB for the MF/HF/VHF input, but the UHF input cannot exceed 10dBm. Another key feature of the tinySA is that when not used as Spectrum Analyzer it can be used as Signal Generator, MF/HF/VHF sinus output between 0.1MHZ-350MHz, it can output a sinusoid with harmonics lower than -40dB of fundamental at an output point that is pickable in 1 dB steps between -76dBm and -6dBm. It also features an optional AM and FM module or a moderate brush over the selective frequency range (UHF square wave output between 240MHz-960MHz).

The tinySA also features a built-in calibration signal generator that is used for automatic self-test and low input calibration. The tinySA can be connected to a PC via USB it becomes a PC controlled Spectrum Analyzer. The device also features a rechargeable battery allowing a minimum of at least 2 hours of portable use. Priced at just $49, the tinySA is a perfect device that enables the user to get a full experience of what an individual can derive from a controller like a microcontroller and a few distinct RF components. There are a lot of scopes and PC-based scopes that can do spectrum analysis, but at this price, having a tinySA instrument might be worth it to you, especially if you don’t care about frequency below 100 MHz. If TinySA is as competent as it is touted, it will be a winner and a very useful item for hobbyists and developers.

Specifications

Display resolution 320*240 pixels
Screen diagonal 2.8″
16 bits per RGB pixels
Resistive touch control
Jog switch control
USB serial port control
Optional TTL USART port (SW not yet implemented) on the internal PCB
Linear power supply to avoid switching noise.
- The input/output specification of the tinySA is split over the 4 modes
- Low input mode spec: Input frequency range from 100kHz to 350MHz
- High input mode spec:Input frequency range from 240MHz to 960MHz
- Low output mode spec:Sinus output with harmonics below -40dB of fundamental
- High output mode spec:Square wave output. Output frequency range from 240MHz to 960MHz
Battery
- Charging time max 1 hour on 500mA minimum USB port or USB charger
- Operation on fully charged battery for at least 2 hours
Package inclued:
1x TinySA 2.8″ Spectrum analyzer
2x 20cm sma-sma rg174 rf cabe
1x USB Type-C Data Cable
1x Hand rope
1x SMA female to female connector
1x SMA telescopic antenna

There is currently no clone of tinySA. All are genuine and manufactured by Huyen. About pre-order, the company says

“Pre-order means there is currently no stock but a next batch of tinySA is being manufactured and as soon as these are available (usually within one month) the pre-ordered products will be shipped in order sequence.”

Due to the low cost and very small form factor, there are certain relevant limitations, which you can find here. You can pre-order the TinySA on Alibaba. For more information, visit the announcement page for full specs and a 7-minute video.

MYIR Introduces FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box and Accelerator Card

Posted on 17 September, 2020 by mixos

MYIR introduces FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box which is a rugged and fanless AI (Artificial intelligence) edge computing box with a built-in FZ5 AI Accelerator Card. The AI Box is based on Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ ZU5EV MPSoC which features a 1.5 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 64-bit application processor, a 600MHz dual-core real-time ARM Cortex-R5 processor, a Mali400 embedded GPU, a H.264/H.265 Video Codec Unit (VCU) and rich FPGA fabric. It has memory and storage capacities of 4GB/8GB DDR4, 32GB eMMC, 64MB QSPI Flash and 32KB EEPROM as well as a Micro SD card slot for extension. It has exposed rich communication and transmission interfaces to the Box enclosure including 4 x USB 3.0, Gigabit Ethernet, RS232, RS485, CAN, Debug, HDMI Input and Mini DisplayPort (DP).

The FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box is able to run PetaLinux and supports PaddlePaddle AI framework which is fully compatible to use Baidu Brain’s AI development tools like EasyDL, AI Studio and EasyEdge to enable developers and engineers to quickly leverage Baidu-proven technology or deploy self-defined models, enabling faster deployment.

The FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box has Computing Power up to 2.4TOPS and can run at 55 FPS for ResNet-50 in actual measurement. Power consumption is within 10W to 20W under typical working conditions. Measured data for some models are shown as below:

The FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box has powerful AI capabilities to provide massive and iterative models to realize the image recognition of face, human body, animal, object, text, logo and various customized scenes. It can support 8- to 16-channel video decoding and 4- to 8-channel intelligent analysis and can be used directly in many fields such as multimedia, automotive ADAS, surveillance, industrial quality inspection, medical diagnosis and more others with creation of customers’ own applications.

The inside FZ5 Card has provided a wonderful solution for AI Applications. MYIR also sell the card along for those customers who may expect to use it for their own AI box or many other embedded designs.

FZ5 Card Top View (delivered with active heat sink by default)

MYIR offers 4GB or 8GB RAM selections for the FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box and FZ5 Card.

More information about the new products can be found at:

http://www.myirtech.com/list.asp?id=639 (FZ5 EdgeBoard AI Box)
http://www.myirtech.com/list.asp?id=638 (FZ5 Card)

Advantech Introduces High-Performance 3.5″ SBC MIO-5393 with 9th Gen. Intel® Xeon®/Core™

Posted on 17 September, 2020 by mixos

Advantech, a leading global provider of IoT systems and embedded platforms, is pleased to announce the latest 3.5″ SBC MIO-5393 powered by 9^th Gen. Intel® Xeon®/Core™. Featuring a compact 146 x 102 mm (5.78 x 4.01 in) design, this single board computer offers impressive I/O functionality and domain-focused features like CANBus. Advantech’s embedded small form-factor SBC’s are designed to support wide operating temperature ranges (-40 ~ 85°C / -40 ~ 185°F) and harsh environments, making it an excellent choice for applications that require high processing speeds, such as Automated optical inspection machines, passenger information systems, outdoor kiosks, surveillance and medical devices.

High-performance Computing and Rapid NVMe Storage

Advantech’s platform is the first 3.5″ SBC to feature the latest 9^th Gen. Intel® Xeon®/Core™ with six core computing power. This new generation SBC doubles USB speed by utilizing USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps). Using a built-in Gen9LP graphics engine, MIO-5393 supports three simultaneous displays with 48bit LVDS (eDP optional), HDMI (up to 4k@30Hz), and DisplayPort (up to 4k@60Hz). MIO-5393 supports up to 32GB(64GB*) memory size dual-channel DDR4 2400MHz and features a M.2 M-Key 2280 slot for NVMe/PCIE Gen3x4 high-speed PCIe SSD storage, providing high data rates for computing and storage. This makes the MIO-5393 an excellent solution for performance demanding applications that require computing power in a compact 3.5″ form-factor.

Innovative Thermal Design Supports Wide Operating Temperatures

Advantech’s MIO-5393 features the innovative Quadro Flow Cooling System (QFCS) thermal solution for excellent temperature management. This advanced high-efficiency low profile cooling solution facilitates extreme computing performance. This thin and light thermal solution features a silent fan, enabling heavy CPU loading without CPU speed throttling. MIO-5393 utilizes two different TDP (25W/45W) SKUs with either active or passive heatsink to support extended temperature operation (-40 ~ 85°C / -40 ~ 185°F). Advantech’s advanced thermal-solution leverages four symmetrical screw holes around the CPU to drastically reduce the thermal resistance and to dissipate the heat quickly. Advantech’s 3.5″ SBC effectively solves the temperature and thermal issues confronting outdoor kiosks, railway applications and factory environments.

Domain-Focused I/O Facilitates Flexible Expansion

MIO-5393’s built-in iManager 3.0 is based on Advantech’s EIO-201 embedded board management controller. iManager 3.0 integrates power sequence control to improve reliability and enable GPIO, hardware monitoring, smart fan control and watchdog timer functions. iManager 3.0 also supports domain-focused features like high-speed RS-232/422/485 up to 1Mbps, I²C (100kb/400kb/1Mb) and CANBus. MIO-5393 facilitates two M.2 expansions: E-Key for WiFi+BT wireless modules or AI acceleration cards, and a B-Key for 3G/LTE modules or SATA SSD’s (optional with M-key for high-speed NVMe/PCIex4 SSD’s). Additionally, Advantech’s MIOe extension interface provides 4x PCIe x1 / DDI / USB / LPC / SMBus connectivity for vertically-focused or customized expansion. For example, MIO-5393 supports Advantech’s MIOe-260 I/O expansion module and provides additional 2x GbE, 8x UART, 4x USB, 2x isolated CANBus, 1x miniPCIe socket and 1x M.2 B-key socket. This diverse and expansive I/O capacity is suitable for factory-based AGV or CNC automation and medical applications.

Featuring Value-Added Software and Cloud-Based Manageability

MIO-5393 provides ready-to-use Windows 10 and Ubuntu 18.04 LTS images as well as iManager software API and SUSI utility. Advantech’s WISE-DeviceOn – an IoT device operations management and remote monitoring software – makes it easy to integrate, visualize and manage industrial IoT devices through a public or private cloud. WISE-DeviceOn’s easy-to-use interface enables users to monitor device health, to control in real-time the power on/off, to troubleshoot and to perform updates over-the-air (OTA), on-site and remotely.

*64GB DDR4 memory supported with selected SO-DIMM modules

Key Features:

9^th /8^th Intel® Xeon®/Core™ Processor supports up to 6 cores and TDP 45W/25W
Dual-channel DDR4-2400, with up to 64GB*, ECC for Xeon SKU
Triple simultaneous displays with 48-bit LVDS+HDMI+DP
USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps), TPM 2.0 & NVMe/PCIe Gen3x4 SSD
Dual GbE, SATA III, RS-232/422/485, CANBus, SMBus, I2C
2 B-Key 2280/3042 (optional M-Key 2280) and M.2 E-Key 2230
Supports iManager 3.0, SW APIs, and WISE-DeviceOn

Advantech’s 3.5″ SBC MIO-5393 is available now. For more information regarding 3.5″ SBC MIO-5393 or other Advantech products and services, please contact your local sales support team or visit our website at www.advantech.eu.

i.MX 8M Plus-based SoM with Integrated Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI/ML)

Posted on 16 September, 202016 September, 2020 by mixos

Variscite, a global System on Module and embedded solutions provider, revealed its new System on Module (SoM) platforms based on the NXP i.MX 8M Plus processor. This is the first generation of SoM solution with dedicated Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning (AI / ML) capabilities within an integrated NPU engine.

Upcoming i.MX 8M Plus based modules

Variscite’s upcoming VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS and DART-MX8M-PLUS platforms are both powered by i.MX 8M Plus, the latest addition to NXP’s i.MX 8M application processors family. The modules are running on a 1.8GHz quad Cortex™-A53 ARM 64-bit core with 800MHz Cortex™-M7 real-time co-processor.

VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS and DART-MX8M-PLUS Features

The modules provided by Variscite include an intelligent vision system with Image Signal Processor (ISP), an integrated 2.3 TOPS Neural Processing Unit (NPU), and dual camera interfaces. These features provide the foundation for the moduls’ unique Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning capabilities.

The modules also offer advanced multimedia capabilities along with extensive connectivity options such as H.265 HD video encode/decode, high performance 2D/3D GPU, up to 4K HDMI, HD LVDS, high-quality voice processing, DSI certified dual-band Wi-Fi, BT/BLE, dual USB3, dual GbE, dual CAN-FD, and PCIe.

Variscite’s Pin-to-Pin compatibility

The VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS and the DART-MX8M-PLUS differ in dimensions and their Pin-to-Pin family compatibility. The VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS is a member of the VAR-SOM Pin2Pin product family, providing extensive scalability options; starting from i.MX6UL/6ULL modules, through i.MX 6, i.MX 8M Nano, i.MX 8M Mini, up to i.MX 8X and i.MX 8QuadMax based modules.

The DART-MX8M-PLUS SoM is a small size SoM measuring only 55x30mm. The SoM is a member of the DART Pin2Pin product family that offers Pin-to-Pin compatibility with the i.MX 8M Mini and i.MX 8M based modules.

These broad Pin-to-Pin System on Module families allow Variscite’s customers to benefit from extensive scalability options and extended lifetime, as well as reduced development time, costs, and risks. Read about the Pin2Pin System on Module families on Variscite’s website.

Evaluation Kits

The evaluation kits of the VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS and the DART-MX8M-PLUS will include the SoM with the related scalable carrier board: the Symphony Board and the VAR-DT8M Custom Board, respectively, as well as an optional LVDS display with touch panel.

Availability and longevity:

Based on Variscite’s announcement, both evaluation kits and modules are now available for orders. The VAR-SOM-MX8M-PLUS and DART-MX8M-PLUS are included in Variscite’s long-term longevity plan and will provide an expected availability of 15 years.

For more information, please contact Variscite’s sales team at sales@variscite.com or https://www.variscite.com/contact-us/

Save 10% on Arrow.com orders through e-lab and Oemsecrets.com

Posted on 16 September, 202016 September, 2020 by mixos

Would you like to get 10% off your next order from Arrow.com? Just use our simple Search Parts section to find your favorite parts and checkout with the following code. Instead, you may use the OEMsecrets.com more advanced search engine to locate your parts.

Get the components you need for less on Arrow.com. Stock up and save by entering code OEM10 at checkout.

> START SAVING

Offer valid until 9/25/20. See Site for Details.

PSpice for TI tool offers system-level circuit simulation

Posted on 16 September, 202027 May, 2024 by mixos

Texas Instruments (TI) has announced a new custom version of the PSpice simulator from Cadence Design Systems that enables engineers to simulate complex analog circuits with unlimited analysis of TI power and signal-chain products. By Rich Pell @ smart2zero.com

Available for download at no cost, PSpice for TI offers full-featured circuit simulation with a growing library of more than 5,700 TI analog integrated circuit (IC) models. The tool, says the company, makes it easier than ever for engineers to evaluate components for new designs.

“Cadence PSpice is the trusted signoff simulator for power supplies, internet of things devices, and other electronics in a wide range of markets, including healthcare, aerospace and defense, and automotive,” says Tom Beckley, senior vice president and general manager of the Custom IC and PCB Group at Cadence. “Our ongoing investment in PSpice and collaboration with TI aligns with our Intelligent System Design strategy by enabling TI customers to simulate their system-level designs faster, reducing development time and accelerating time to market.”

PSpice for TI enables designers to reduce the risk of circuit errors with full validation of system-level designs before the prototype, going beyond the analysis capabilities of many other simulators on the market. TI also provides open access to one of the industry’s largest libraries of IC models, which are automatically synced into the tool.

In a landscape where innovation is key, companies like Bay Power are revolutionizing the electrical industry. Unlike traditional manufacturers and distributors, they offers a service that goes beyond mere product provision. Their expertise lies in providing comprehensive solutions for electrical distribution and protection systems, tailored to the unique needs of each client.

With a commitment to efficiency and reliability, Bay Power ensures that businesses have access to cutting-edge technology and expert guidance every step of the way. Their approach mirrors the ethos of continuous improvement, aligning seamlessly with the ever-evolving demands of the market.

With PSpice for TI, engineers can build a complete schematic without size limitations using a built-in library of TI power and signal chain models, as well as PSpice analog behavioral models, enhanced primitives, and a new capability for power designers with configurable power field-effect transistors and power diodes. Advanced capabilities include automatic measurements and post-processing, as well as Monte Carlo and worst-case analysis, enabling engineers to fully validate their designs over a wide range of operating conditions and device tolerances with just a few clicks.

After completing validation of a simulated design in PSpice for TI, users can open the design in commercial versions of PSpice Designer, and then transfer the design to other Cadence printed circuit board (PCB) tools such as OrCAD/Allegro PCB Designer without having to recreate their schematic. Product evaluation takes less time with synchronized library updates, which eliminate the need to manually import the latest TI models individually.

Within the tool, users also have quick access to TI data sheets, product information, reference design test circuits and relevant search queries from TI E2E technical support forums. For more, see, ” How to simulate complex analog power and signal-chain circuits with PSpice for TI .”

Resources

Step into the future with Trenton Systems’ next-gen dual Xeon® 3U BAM Server

Posted on 16 September, 2020 by mixos

Trenton Systems, a manufacturer of rugged servers, workstations, blade servers, JBOD storage systems, mini PCs, processor boards, and PCIe backplanes, is excited to announce the upcoming release of its most powerful rugged computer yet, the 3U BAM Server, featuring the company’s high-performance, next-gen, dual Intel® Xeon® SP motherboard.

Scheduled for release in early 2021, the 3U BAM Server is truly the rugged server of the future, sporting not only yet-to-be-released Intel® Xeon® SP processors, but also 11 PCIe Gen 4 slots, 24 next-gen ECC RDIMM slots, and MiniSAS HD storage capabilities, perfect for high-speed expansion, turbocharged application performance, and lightning-fast read and write speeds.

Ruggedized, certified, and wielding immense power, the 3U BAM is the perfect choice for mission-critical and industrial applications everywhere.

Whether your focus is defense, space, aviation, aerospace, telecommunications, industrial automation, video surveillance, oil and gas, data acquisition and signal processing, construction, cloud computing, communications, media or entertainment, the 3U BAM Server will take your operation beyond the call of duty, and then some.

Will you step into the future with us?

Visit our 3U BAM Server product page to learn more about the BAM or join our BAM VIP List for all the latest pre-release updates.

The 3U BAM Server is proudly designed, manufactured, assembled, integrated, tested, and supported in the USA, and most importantly, its configuration lies directly in the hands of the customer.

“One of our design goals for the BAM product line was giving customers as much flexibility as possible,” said Michael Bowling, CEO of Trenton Systems. “It is truly unique how agnostic and nimble the electrical, mechanical, and BIOS design is. The BAM motherboard and chassis can be configured to fit almost any compute requirement across a wide array of markets while being the most cost-effective dual Xeon® product Trenton has ever designed.”

Cost-effectiveness and customization are just two parts of the complete 3U BAM package. Baked right onto the BAM’s motherboard is a TPM 2.0 cryptoprocessor for an added boost to system security, as well as on-board IPMI to BMC for remote monitoring of server health. Cyberattacks and technical problems can be devastating, but we believe in securing and protecting your system for the long haul.

In addition, your favorite peripherals and high-speed network connections don’t have to take the backseat with the 3U BAM Server. Customers will find no shortage of input / output options, as the BAM’s next-gen dual Xeon® motherboard is equipped with:

4 USB 3.0 Ports
1 VGA Port
Audio Line In, Line Out
1 RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet LAN Port
1 RJ-45 Shared IPMI Lan Port
1 RS232 Serial Port

High-speed storage options were also at the top of the design list for Trenton Systems’ talented engineers. Customers will be able to take advantage of:

6 SATA ports that allow customers to connect 6 Gbps storage devices
2 MiniSAS HD ports for up to 12 Gbps connections

But what about front-access storage options?

Customizable front-access drive bay options are yet another way Trenton Systems is putting customization into the hands of the customer. The standard BAM model features the following front-access configuration:

1 optical disc drive
Two 3.5-inch drive bays with up to 5 SATA SSDs in total

Customers may also choose from the following configurations:

1 optical disc drive
One 3.5-inch drive bay with up to 2 MiniSAS NVMe SSDs
One 3.5-inch drive bay with up to 3 SATA SSDs
5 storage drives in total

One 3.5-inch drive bay with up to 2 MiniSAS NVMe SSDs
Two 3.5-inch drive bays with up to 3 SATA SSDs each
8 storage drives in total

“The 3U BAM Server provides flexibility and scalability with various storage form factors,” said Yazz Krdzalic, Director of Marketing and Business Development at Trenton Systems. “From standard SATA drives to NVMe SSDs and even the latest Intel® Optane™ drives, you get to pick what part of your application utilizes which technology. You’re not locked into one or the other. That’s a huge plus for our customers across the military and industrial sectors.”

And as always, you can pair the 3U BAM Server with our PCIe backplanes or NVMe JBOD Storage Enclosures to equip your system with any extras it may need.

If you’re interested in learning more about what the BAM can do for your program or application, join Trenton Systems’ BAM VIP List for all the latest pre-release updates. You’ll receive the most up-to-date developments as we continue to design the rugged server of the future.

You can also subscribe to our company blog to stay informed of all things Trenton Systems.

We’ll see you and the 3U BAM Server in 2021.

Axiomtek’s Low Power COM Express Type 6 Compact Module with AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V1000

Posted on 16 September, 2020 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 CEM130, its new COM Express Type 6 Compact module powered by the onboard AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V1000 processor with AMD Radeon™ RX Vega graphics for embedded solutions that require a high-resolution display and full-graphics feature. The industrial-grade system on module also supports Trusted Platform Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) for efficient hardware-based data protection. The feature-rich CEM130 was designed for graphics-intensive Industrial IoT applications including automation control, medical imaging, digital signage, and gaming machines.

The CEM130 has a quad display capability through one VGA, one LVDS (or eDP 1.3 for option) and two DDI port for HDMI 1.4, DVI and DisplayPort 1.2. The COM Express Type 10 Mini module is equipped with two DDR-2400/3200 SO-DIMM slots with up to 32GB of system memory. To ensure reliability and stability, hardware monitoring and Watchdog Timer are in place. “Since image processing is now widely employed for diverse applications, Axiomtek’s advanced CEM130 was designed with superior graphics computing performance with low power consumption. It supports a maximum of seven PCIe x1 slots via PCIe bridges to ensure the expandability of system and realize the multi-display applications,” said Kevin Lin, a product manager of the Product Planning Division at Axiomtek. ”

We offer the CEB94011, a development baseboard designed to operate with the CEM130 for fast turnkey evaluation. In addition, this industrial-grade module can operate under wide voltage input from +8V to +20V and wide temperature ranging from -20°C to 60°C (-4°F to 140°F), making it an optimal solution for use in rugged and harsh environments.”

The CEM130 offers multiple I/O interfaces including two SATA-600 ports, three USB 3.0 ports, eight USB 2.0 ports, two serial TX/RX, one Gigabit LAN port with Intel® i210 Ethernet controller, one VGA, one LVDS (or eDP 1.3 for option), two DDI, HD Codec audio and 4-IN/OUT DIO. It also has one LPC bus, one SPI and one I2C expansion buses. The industrial embedded module supports 12V power in AT mode and 12V or 5VSB power in ATX mode. In addition, it is compatible with Windows® 10 and Linux operating systems.

Advanced Features:

AMD Ryzen™ Embedded V1000 processors
2 DDR-2400/3200 SO-DIMM for up to 32GB of memory
up to 7 lanes of PCI Express
2 SATA-600, 3 USB 3.0 and 8 USB 2.0
TPM 2.0 supported
Wide voltage input from +8V to +20V

The CEM130 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.

Educational training and project kit for micro:bit

Posted on 15 September, 202030 September, 2020 by Micael Coutinho

Are you having trouble finding ways to entertain your children at home and motivate them to learn new skills that will be valuable to their future at the same time? Then, meet EDU:BIT!

EDU:BIT is an educational toy designed with the purpose of simplifying STEM education and empower children with coding habilities, though a series of creative, hands-on activities. It consists of a PCB with multiple interesting components, such as LED’s (in all forms and shapes, even a matrix of them), motors, a potentiometer, push-buttons, a sound sensor, a piezo buzzer, and even cables, everything you need to connect the circuits. The PCB is very well thought-out, avoiding the need for messy wires that come with breadboard projects, and some incredible attention to detail, containing even LED indicators for all the I/O pins. Besides, it is snappable, so that the sensors and the other components can be used separately on other projects and supports up to 2 DC motors and 3 servo motors.

The PCB is paired with a small book with a few coding games so that even young children can follow and code all by themselves. From these games, there are the popular twister wheel, rock paper scissors, snakes and ladders, and penalty shootout, where a cardboard goalkeeper is controlled by a servo motor to stop you from scoring. In the end, the children are presented with an application challenge that requires them to apply everything they have learned to build a useful project.

EDU:BIT stealing the show in a kindergarten

In the book, there are sections with flowcharts that show how to “break the code”, in a cartoon-ish style that seems very appealing. The coding itself is provided by building blocks, providing a high-level representation of the underlying Javascript or Python. This is where an adult can aid the learning process of their children, by making sure they are taking a glance at the language and engaging with it, not just dragging and dropping the block code. Speaking of engaging, the interface seems easy to use and suitable for kids.

The product itself is currently a Kickstarter project, launching later this month. The early backers receive a 47% discount, to if you fancy picking it up for your kids, this might be just the perfect time! On the website, there are a bunch of testimonials that describe this product as colorful and fun, simple, and enjoyable. Some reviews even touch on the potential it provides for teachers in schools, not just it teaches you to code or how the technologies work, but because it does so in such a fun, versatile and creative way.

EDU:BIT website: https://edubit.cytron.io

UPDATE 22/09/2020: The campaign will go live next Tuesday, 29th September 2020 at 8.30pm (GMT+8) on kickstarter.com

UPDATE 30/09/2020: The campaign is live on kickstarter.com

Legally Track Smartphones users with ESP8266

Posted on 15 September, 2020 by Emmanuel Odunlade

With a vast majority of the world population owning a smartphone, being able to track someone through their phone is not such a bad idea after all, especially if it is done within legal limits. This is the end result of a recent project developed by engineering student Amine Mehdi Mansouri, whose initial efforts on creating a quick project to check the connection status of plant sensors, has resulted in the development of a tiny little custom device that is able to track over 500 people legally.

Speaking on the project and its morphing, Amine said his curiosity heightened when he discovered that devices use probe requests frames sent by mobile devices to announce the SSID they were connected to. So, phones, laptops, and WiFi devices constantly search for all WiFi networks that you must have connected with in the past and share the information with anyone who is listening for those public packets, well except if you changed as “saved”. Else, anyone can get access to where you have been before and your unique device MAC address.

The tracker board, according to Mansouri, is made up of 12 components, all of which are surface mount and easy to solder with an 0805 package. For proper device operation, Mansouri had to create a mesh-like network with eight of these boards, along with a series of Kortex Xtend Lite NAT (Wi-Fi) repeaters used to get the list of those connected to the Wi-Fi.

For tests, Mansouri used his local library, with the boards set up in different places. The devices were used to collect addresses from mobile phones based on which of the devices they were connected to or had been connected to. In two days, Mansouri had been able to target 526 MAC addresses, with their respective RSSI values that indicated the proximity of each person to the nearest device.

“I just had to sit and watch how my database was getting filled with new unique (not randomized) MAC addresses,” says Mansouri.

A perfect hacker device, the device comes in a very small form factor and can fit into hidden places like pockets, books, or shelves. To indicate its status the board comes with a green led that indicates when the device is on and a reset button that can be used to update SSID and pass.

While Mansouri acknowledges that the device at its current state could be useful to people, he mentioned the need to still carry our some coding and that the project will be made open-source on GitHub when all of that is done.

You can get more details about the project and follow his build process via the project’s page on Hackaday