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iWave OBD II Secured Edge Analytics Enabling IoT in Fleet Management

Posted on 30 April, 2020 by mixos

Everyone desires to own a vehicle, but the business of leading a fleet of vehicles is never an easy task. From the safety of the fleet, route optimizing, trip analysis to timely maintenance, fleet owners have a lot in their hands to deal with regularly. With the ever-increasing prices of vehicles and fuel, enterprises are often under pressure to utilize fleet efficiently and optimize their useful life.

iWave presents a smart IoT solution to address all fleet management concerns and help differentiate businesses with improved administration and efficiency.

iWave’s revolutionary OBD II secured edge analytics offers an innovative way to transform traditional fleet management practices. The device provides quality real-time insights that help fleet managers make smart decisions and drive profitable outcomes for their business.

The OBD II IoT solution offers high accuracy location tracking, real-time vehicle diagnostics, driving condition analysis, and enhanced safety features that make fleet management a cakewalk. The industry winning OBD II device is now updated with CE/FCC, GCF, E-Mark, KOMINFO Certifications and supports new features such as CAN FD, SAE J1939 Protocol and Secure FOTA.

The OBD II device opens up a multitude of interesting possibilities in fleet management.

An X-ray vision into your fleet ensures vehicle uptime

The device reads diagnostics trouble codes (DTC) that can be analysed to determine vehicle parameters such as fuel efficiency, mileage and engine performance. The data can be examined to detect faults precisely and helps to implement corrective measures on time. Minor defects can be corrected in-house, thereby reducing maintenance costs and ensuring vehicle uptime.

Be in touch with your fleet anytime, anywhere.

High-accuracy location tracking facilitates complete visibility over your fleet activities. Access to up to four concurrent GNSS constellations including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou enhances the overall tracking performance of the module. Accurate real-time insights helps remotely monitor distance, speed, time, route, idling etc. and enable optimal utilization of the fleet.

Ensure your fleet are in right hands always

Analysing driving habits helps track common practices and monitor harmful behavior. The device features an advanced 9 axis sensors support that help detect harsh driving patterns such as over speeding, hurried braking, engine revving, etc. Drivers are encouraged to follow safe driving, thereby ensuring fewer accidents on the road.

Keep theft and unforeseen incident in check

One of the biggest concerns that fleet organizations have to deal with is the safety of their assets from organized theft attacks.iWave’s OBD II device help implement an advanced anti-theft feature through Geofencing and Immobilization of the vehicle in case of unauthorized entry or the vehicle surpass the defined geographical boundary. The device further ensures safety with an anti-theft alarm that helps quickly avert theft and damages.

Ease of Optimizing routes

Get access to live traffic updates and road conditions. With this information at hand, fleet managers can identify the most cost-effective routes and intelligently assign the resources, thereby reducing unnecessary fuel wastage and delays.

Following are the hardware features of iWave OBD II Device:

What is unique about the iWave OBD II solution?

Intelligent edge computing:

For an OBD system to be efficient, there needs to be an effective balance between real-time computing and cloud-based data processing. What if there is a spark in the engine, and the user is not warned on time? The result can be fatal.

iWave adds value with the help of an intelligent hardware platform that intuitively processes various real-time parameters at the edge, while passing on the non-critical tasks to the Cloud for advanced analysis.

Equipped with a powerful 792MHz ARM Cortex A7 CPU, the OBD II module facilitates real-time processing, advanced analytics, power efficiency, and secure communication with Cloud platforms.

End to end Security:

An OBD system can easily become a target for cyber-attacks, if not secured well enough with up to date, reliable security mechanisms. At iWave, we guarantee chain of trust from chipset level to Cloud with high assurance boot (HAB), secured memory and a dedicated HSM (Hardware Security Module) that ensure software authentication, cryptography and secured communications.

Secure and reliable Firmware Over the Air Update (FOTA)

To ensure the complete robustness of the OBD II device, it is important to update the firmware with advanced features and security enhancements. But, how can this be done regularly and without human intervention? The answer is Over the Air Update (OTA).

iWave incorporates multi-levels OTA update solution using Mender open-source software update manager that guarantees secure over- the- air updates of the module. https://www.iwavesystems.com/linux-ota-update-solution.

Wide-ranging sensors & CAN interface support

Customize the platform to support wide-ranging sensors based on the application requirements. iWave OBD II module can support various sensor options including humidity sensor, temperature, motion sensor etc.

iWave’s OBD II module supports various CAN interface such as LS CAN, HS CAN, SW CAN, RAW CAN, and the latest CAN FD.

Simultaneous support for CAN FD, LS CAN & HS CAN, provides flexibility to use any/ combinations of CAN as per requirements. The device is further enhanced with the SAE J1939 protocol that enables convenient management of heavy-duty vehicles by providing access to retrieve real-time ECU data.

Multi-Cloud Integration:

The OBD II device is integrated and tested with various Cloud platforms like Amazon AWS, IBM Bluemix, Oracle, Microsoft Azure, Siemen’s Mindsphere, and TCP/IP Server through MQTT, HTTPs and TCP/IP protocols. Support for wide-ranging Cloud ensures flexibility to integrate the platform with customer supported Cloud and with their applications/analytics partner.

Advantages of using iWave OBD II Platforms:

CE,GCF ,E24-Mark ,KOMINFO Certifications supported
Open to customization/certification as per customer requirement
iWave provide the APIs guide to develop customer application
Detailed user manual, Linux binary as part of deliverables
Strong technical support

For further information and inquiries, please write to mktg@iwavesystems.com

20 Non-Contact Infrared Reflective Sensor for Line Follower Robots

This project consists of 20 non-contact infrared reflective sensors and each sensor provides an analog output. QRD114 sensor is the heart of the project which includes Infrared LED and photosensor. The output of each sensor is high and goes low as objects or lines detected. The analog output voltage is proportional to IR reflected back to the sensor. The project has been designed to be used in robotics applications for line follower or multi-object sensor. Sensor requires 5V DC to work, all LEDs have current limiting resistors, each output has a pull resistor, and the normal output of each sensor is high due to the pull-up resistor and goes low as object or line is detected. IR LEDs power ON/OFF can be controlled using Q1 BD140 PNP BJT transistor which requires a low voltage for normal operation or all IR LED and can be powered up to 5V DC with help of VL input pin. Two 3mm mountings provided for easy mounting on robot chassis. By reflected infrared light, it can detect transitions from light to dark or any objected comes across the sensor.

Features

Supply 5V DC
IR LED Supply 5V DC
20 Sensors
Each Sensor Output Separately
Distance Between Each Sensor 6.75MM
IR LED ON/OFF Through input signal or 5V DC
IR LED Trigger Voltage 2-5V DC
PCB Dimensions 136.06 x 17.06mm

Schematic

Parts List

Connections

Photos

QRD114 Datasheet

New Arduino-compatible Music Visualizer board based on ATmega328p-au makes music really beautiful

Posted on 28 April, 2020 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Music and Electronics end up beautifully when they are perfectly combined: if you are looking for a way to synchronize RGB LEDs to music, then you have a new tool in your hands.

After releasing a detailed DIY report on how to create a music visualizer with an Arduino Uno and a Sparkfun Spectrum Shield, “justcallmekoko” goes a step further to build an Arduino compatible music visualizer powered by an ATmega328p microcontroller. Courtesy of the 255 RGB LEDs, the new music visualizer makes creating awesome light effects with sound possible; the board generates visual RGB effects on a matrix of WS2812B LED strip.

“I love Arduino, but I also love making things as simple and intuitive as possible. For these reasons, I have designed the Arduino compatible Music Visualizer based on the ATmega328p-au. It is the single board version of the original Arduino Music Visualizer from my previous project with a few other changes. Rather than using the FastLED library, I have employed the Adafruit NeoPixel library which made for some more simple code in the end. I have opted for the surface mount version of the ATmega328p for a more compact package. There is no need for any soldering or jumper wires as the connections between the spectrum analyzer, Arduino and RGB strip are already included on the board. Pretty much, this project is as plug and play as possible”, says Koko.

With configurable reaction intensities and small footprint in-line between audio source and speakers, the Arduino compatible music visualizer is described as being “special”.

Key Features of the compact board include:

MCU : Atmel ATmega328p –au
2x MSGEQ7 audio spectrum analyzers for right and left audio
Hardware Protector: 3D printed enclosure
Pre-soldered RGB JST connector
Onboard Cycle Button used to navigate through a variety of pre-programmed visualization patterns
Reset button
Micro USB port for power
3.5mm audio jack

Meanwhile, this new board from Koko alongside the 3D printed enclosure is already on sale on his Tindle store at $35.

“There are no extra wires needed and no extra boards or shields to add. You simply connect your WS2812B strip to the pre-soldered JST connector, plug in your audio source and speaker to the 3.5mm jacks, and plug in a micro USB cable for power”.

More on the schematics, source codes, design files, and usage are also available on his Github repository.

AAEON BOXER-8120AI: AI Monitoring for Fever and PPE Compliance

Posted on 28 April, 202028 April, 2020 by mixos

In light of the ongoing pandemic, nations around the world are putting into place various practices to help curtail the spread of COVID-19. One common rule among these is the requirement to wear masks or personal protective equipment (PPE) out in public, as well as barring anyone with a fever. However, observing large numbers of people in such detail can be overwhelming for security teams and staff. AAEON’s BOXER-8120AI is being deployed by developers to assist in monitoring for such breaches of newly imposed rules.

On April 3rd, the task force in charge of the Taiwan CDC’s efforts, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC), imposed new rules requiring the wearing of masks on public transportation, with stiff fines for failing to comply. Also included were rules restricting access to those whose body temperature is above 37.5°C (99.5°F). With an average of over two million passengers each day, monitoring and enforcing these rules on Taipei’s Metro system is daunting to say the least.

Utilizing artificial intelligence, authorities can reduce the workload of the task, allowing security and staff to effectively monitor passengers without requiring a ramping up of personnel. Some developers are deploying the BOXER-8120AI embedded edge platform to power this innovative and important role.

Features

Nvidia Jetson TX2
HMP Dual Denver 2 + Quad ARM A57
Support AAEON ACLinux 4.9, Compliance with Ubuntu 18.04
8GB LPDDR4, 32GB eMMC 5.1
RS-232 x 2, USB3.0 x 2, OTG x1
HDMI 2.0 x 1, LAN x 4 (Intel i211*3, Native*1)
Micro-SD x 1, Remote On/Off
Power input: 10~24V

Traditional monitoring equipment usually involves only using infrared cameras. However, the surrounding environment can interfere with readings, leading to missed reports and false alarms, with the requirement to adjust data afterwards. Utilizing AI technology with deep learning, the application can combine both facial recognition with thermal detection to accurately detect those who are violating mask requirements, or have fevers.

The BOXER-8120AI is currently deployed in several hospitals, providing monitoring of hospital entrances. In this role, it is crucial to detect potential patients, allowing hospital staff to separate and administer the appropriate treatments. Despite wearing a mask, the facial recognition models can still accurately identify people and features, allowing hospital staff to quickly locate and address anyone with abnormally high body temperature. Operating at the edge, the system is able to identify and measure the temperature of up to 240 people per minute and can allow for the monitoring of multiple entrances, greatly reducing the workload of staff.

The BOXER-8120AI is one of AAEON’s most popular AI Edge Computing solutions. It’s compact size and rugged, fanless design are perfect for use and deployment in just about any role or application. Powered by the NVIDIA Jetson TX2 SOC with 256 CUDA cores, it supports AI frameworks such as TensorFlow, Caffe2, and can support custom AI inference software. With four Ethernet ports, two USB 3.0 and two COM ports, the BOXER-8120AI provides flexible I/O to easily integrate with most projects.

“The BOXER-8120AI provides a flexible platform that can power new projects or easily integrate into existing equipment or infrastructure, whether it’s transportation, retail, factories, parking lots, schools, or wherever your project demands,” said Alex Hsueh, Senior Director of AAEON’s System Platform Division. “One of our customers have refined this application to contact relevant personnel in real-time via mobile phones or text messages; as well as provide quick interpretation after the fact to prevent future incidents. At present, this customer has completed prototyping and is set to order 1,000 units for their application,”

Alex Hsueh added.

Trinamic Introduces the TMCM-1617 Servo Controller Module

Posted on 28 April, 2020 by mixos

TRINAMIC Motion Control GmbH & Co. KG announced the TMCM-1617 single-axis servo controller module designed for servo drives with 18A RMS and 8 to 28V DC supply voltage.

Achieving high-current loop frequencies to minimize current ripple, the potted module enables smaller electric drives with high dynamics, according to the company. The TMCM-1617 also supports a range of encoders for position feedback, including incremental encoders, analog encoders, and digital hall sensors as position feedback.

According to the company, the TMCM-1617 completed a highly accelerated life test (HALT) with operational temperatures ranging from -40°C to 85°C and mechanical vibrations of up to 30 GRMS.

Features and benefits:

Servo drive for 3-phase BLDC motors
8V to 28V DC supply voltage
Up to 18A RMS motor current
RS485, CAN and EtherCAT interfaces
CANopen and TMCL protocol
Incremental and analog encoder feedback
Digital HALL sensor feedback
Reference Switch Inputs
Cooling via aluminum housing
L/W/H: 36.8mm x 26.8mm x 11.1mm
Weight: ca. 24g

The drive can be configured for soldering to a custom baseboard. Trinamic also offers customization of the TMCM-1617 carrier board or integration services to meet application-specific designs. The TMCM-1617 is now available through Trinamic’s distribution channels.

For more information, visit: https://www.trinamic.com/

Saelig Introduces Aaronia AARTOS Drone/UAV Detection System

Posted on 28 April, 2020 by mixos

Customizable drone detection systems with 360deg coverage, wideband sensing to 20GHz, and AI software to avoid false alarms

Saelig Company, Inc. has introduced the Aaronia AARTOS Drone Detection System, which can sense airborne drone activity with a virtually unlimited detection range. The AARTOS DDS monitors the entire frequency spectrum (e.g. 100MHz – 20GHz) hundreds of times per second with 360° dome coverage for airborne activity, and is fully customizable depending on the application and situation. It can be configured as a portable or mobile system, or a fixed station with an unlimited number of sensors to form a network covering large areas, and there are no inherent limitations in terms of altitude and elevation. All systems can be linked to a single monitoring center with remote-control for each individual setup. The latest AARTOS DDS V6 generation can detect a DJI Phantom 4 FCC drone at 50 km or more, but the specific range depends on factors such as drone type and topography. The AARTOS DDS uses AI techniques to distinguish between drones and other airborne objects, minimizing the likelihood of false alarms. It is an entirely passive system and does not emit any radiation which could interfere with other infrastructure.

Detecting a drone may take the DDS system between 10μs to 500ms, depending on the configuration and the number of IsoLOG 3D DF antenna arrays. A drone even can be detected as soon as its operator establishes a radio link (i.e. the drone and/or the remote control are switched on). The process of pairing, radio link, take-off, and climb usually takes between 30 seconds and five minutes, depending on the drone model (e.g. the DJI Mavic Pro). This allows the AARTOS DDS a unique early-warning capability by detecting the drone even before it can take off. Optical, acoustic or radar-based drone detection solutions are not able to perform this kind of early-warning detection. The AARTOS DDS can even detect the drone operator’s location. It can track the operator’s movements even if drone and operator are operating at different frequencies or bands. With two systems it is possible to accurately estimate the distance of the drone, and an AARTOS DDS system with two or more antennas can also estimate the drone’s altitude.

Traditional RF-based drone detection solutions only monitor specific bands, such as WiFi 2,4/5,8GHz or ISM 433/868MHz, where most commercial drones have operated previously. But the latest commercial and custom drones will connect at any (mostly illegal) frequencies. This is why the AARTOS DDS’ unique all-band-monitoring receiver and ultra-wide-band tracking antenna work so successfully, sensing the complete frequency range. It can be covered with a camouflage covering without impacting its detection capabilities, unlike optical, acoustic or radar-based drone detection systems. When mounted on a vehicle, the AARTOS DDS resembles a common TV or satellite antenna.

Features

Real-time monitoring to 20GHz
Up to 48THz/s sweep speed
360° gapless full-dome coverage
Detects 3G, 4G and 5G drones
AI multi-target image and RF pattern recognition
Ultra-high range of up to 50km
Locates drone swarms and drone operators
Scalable for huge sites and borders
Real-time AI monitoring; 3D DF + height

Made in Germany by Aaronia, an RF spectrum equipment expert, the AARTOS DDS drone detection system can benefit the automotive and chemical industry, critical infrastructures such as nuclear power plants, correctional facilities, governments, operators of airports, stadiums and concerts, military branches, security firms as well as private individuals seeking to protect their homes and properties. A system has recently been deployed at London’s Heathrow Airport.

Combat Covin-19, JLCPCB will be here with you!

Posted on 28 April, 202028 April, 2020 by mixos

JLCPCB is a leading PCB Prototype company in China are attracting increasing people around the world to be our customer and at the same time, we also get much support from them to be the Better JLCPCB, especially during such a tough period due to COVID-19.

1. JLCPCB is in production

JLCPCB tried all we can do to maintain business operations to assist in providing these valuable services to combat the COVID-19 outbreak.

In order to reduce the concentration of staff, we arrange staff to implement shift system; To ensure a healthy working environment, we disinfect the factory twice a day. To ensure the health of the staff, all workers can enter the workshop only when their temperature is measured and confirmed healthy. Also, we will insure two masks for the production staff every day.

2. JLCPCB is shipping

Until now, human beings are still suffering from the COVID-19, many countries adopt the state lockdown policy against the COVID-19 outbreak which also causes the rapid decrease of flight quantity.

Our shipping is facing enormous challenges.

But we didn’t give up, we are constantly developing a variety of logistics channels to adjust the policies to ensure that our customers can receive the goods on time during the outbreak, due to vacation collided with the epidemic situation, a serious shortage of manpower, many employees in JLCPCB volunteer to go to the factory to help the delivery.

3. Public benefit activities

In addition to these efforts, JLCPCB does whatever can be used for workforce recovery and disease prevention and we have deemed an essential service to manufacturer PCB boards and electronics for essential life-saving/preserving equipment and development which is needed in Wuhan, China and all over the world. Also, we began work on public benefit activities that can be used for workforce recovery and disease prevention like donating money to our local medical agency and delivering mouth masks to our collaborator other countries to their local residents and medical agency.

4. More coupons provided to our customers to combat the economic recession caused by COVID-19

The management of JLCPCB decides to lower the profit margin to help our customers get PCB and PCBA samples at a lower price. We provide Serial coupons $7 for our customers.

All our human beings are in suffering, but we have to believe that there must be a good reason for what we are suffering, we JLCPCB will always be there stand with you! #world Strong#

SparkFun launches SparkX Qwiic Compatible Board to Enable Stepper Motor Control

Posted on 27 April, 202027 April, 2020 by Tope Oluyemi

SparkFun has announced another experimental SparkX board design, which enables higher motor control on a Qwiic-compatible I2C bus, with support for a built-in emergency stop button, and the capability to drive motors requiring up to 2A.

The Qwiic Step is the latest of SparkFun’s entry in the SparkX board family, which are ranges of experimental designs marketed as fully-operational devices, but without guaranteeing them being manufactured regularly in the company’s range, following the release of the Qwiic GPIO add-on board and BlackBoard C Arduino-compatible development board. The Qwiic Step is designed to enable additional functionality to a microcontroller’s I2C bus, which offers Simple control of stepper motors.

The company gives explanations behind the idea of the board:

“Ever found controlling stepper motors confusing? There are a huge variety of wires to get connected right: power, motor coils, and control lines. And the tiny screwdriver to adjust the terminals is never where it should be. Qwiic Step simplifies the tangle. Just connect your motor to Qwiic Step using the ergonomic latch terminals, apply 8 – 35V to the barrel jack, and plug in Qwiic Step to your favourite RedBoard with a Qwiic cable.”

The company continues:

“Qwiic Step comes preprogrammed to accept simple I2C commands, handling all the complex stepper motor calculations and control. This firmware leverages the AccelStepper library to fine tune each step of the motor. The speed, acceleration, position, and micro-step mode can be configured by the user. Additionally, the hold and run voltage of the motor is adjustable. This allows the user to specify maximum hold and run currents.”

Qwiic Step supports open-drain bussed limit switches and the addition and configuration of an emergency EStop button. A variety of interrupts are available including when the motor has reached its destination, limit switch activation, and EStop activation. Qwiic Step can also operate a motor headlessly: a certain motor position or speed can be programmed and Qwiic Step will ‘run’ the command automatically at power-up. This makes a variety of simple movements achievable without the need for a master controller.

The Qwiic Step is based on the A4988 stepper motor driver, which is capable of running motors up to 2A with power supplied via barrel-jack or a latching two-pin terminal. Heat is dispersed through a large ground plane, with the option to add heatsinks. The heatsink is not supplied, but available on order. The board offers a range of interrupt options, and can run entirely standalone: Once programmed, the Qwiic Step can replay commands automatically at power-on.

The SparkX Qwiic Step is available now for $34.95. More information can be found on the SparkFun store.

Seeed Launches an innovative All-in-one Grove Beginner Kit for Arduino

Posted on 27 April, 202027 April, 2020 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Open-Source Hardware manufacturing super-power, Seeed Studio recently announced the launch of a new All-in-one Arduino Kit for Beginners.

Designed for both learners and educators, the Grove beginner kit for Arduino aims to make learning Arduino programming fun and simple. According to Seeed, the new kit was designed to help beginners overcome some of the challenges related to learning new things. In their words:

Learning new things is always difficult, and it’s the same for Arduino beginners. You need to learn hardware knowledge, programming code, need to know connection methods of various complex interfaces, and even need to master welding skills. Tons of things are needed before you actually start learning Arduino programming. Well, we feel your pain, so we made the Grove Beginner Kit for Arduino, it will bring you the simplest way to get started with Arduino.

The all-in-one beginner kit for Arduino, powered by an Arduino Uno compatible board (ATmega328p Seeeduino Lotus) comes with 10 additional modules pre-wired on a single PCB and up to 12 step-by-step tutorials that make it ideal and super friendly for beginners and STEAM education. The Grove beginner kit is compatible with over 300 Grove modules that cover a large range of applications and has a plug and play unboxing demo that gives a wonderful experience into all its sensors at a go.

Unlike most kits, the Beginner kit requires no breadboard, soldering, or jumper cables for connection since all modules are already connected to the microcontroller through the PCB stamp holes. However, if you choose to break out the modules and connect them with the Groves cables, you can check the Breakout Guide for a step-by-step guide on how to go about it.

Hardware specifications include:

MCU unit: 1x ATmega328p Seeeduino Lotus
Adjustable Rotary Potentiometer
1x Grove Air pressure sensor
Grove OLED Display 0.96” (SSD1315)
1x Simple Grove LED module
1x Grove Buzzer
1x Momentary Push Button
1x Temperature and Humidity Sensor (DHT11)
Light and Sound sensors
3-Axis accelerator
Dimension: 17.69 * 11.64 * 1.88 cm

Meanwhile, the new Grove Beginner kit makes it easy to:

Learn the basics of Arduino programming,
Learn the basics and hands-on implementation of open-source hardware systems and projects, and
Become conversant with the various methods and communication principles of sensors.

The Grove Beginner kit for Arduino is sold for $19.90 with a 4GB USB flash drive giveaway for the first 1000 buyers. The flash drive contains Arduino learning content and support materials for the kit.

More details about getting started with the Grove Beginner kit including documentation and support can be found on the wiki page.

Driving multiple loads with 32 kHz Nano-Power MEMS oscillators

Posted on 27 April, 2020 by mixos

Driving multiple loads from a single oscillator output discussed in this app note from SiTime.

Optimizing board space and managing power consumption of wearable devices is critical in sustaining competitiveness within this fast growing consumer segment. With less power consumed, battery life is extended or provides the option to reduce the battery size. MEMSbased reference clocks offer an alternate to traditional quartz crystal timekeeping components, with advantages including a significant footprint reduction, improved accuracy, and lower system power. In addition, the capability to drive multiple loads with one ultra-small, nano-power oscillator is one way in which MEMS are supporting these improvements.

Driving multiple loads with 32 kHz Nano-Power MEMS oscillators – [PDF]