iWave launches a compact and secure Telematics Connect Hub powering fleet management and telematics in Electric Vehicles, Racing motorbikes, industrial machinery, and off-road machinery. Powered by an Arm Cortex-A7 Micro-Processor, the telematics hub features 2 CAN-FD Ports, GNSS, an Accelerometer and Gyroscope, and an integrated Hardware Secure Element.
Integrated with LTE Cat-1 Bis. and Bluetooth wireless connectivity options, the telematics hub enables seamless connectivity between vehicles and networks. The Telematics Hub is built in a rugged enclosure with an IP67 protection class, offering robust protection against shock, vibration, dust, and water. The integrated hardware secure element on the hub ensures the important security block in connected vehicles and in-vehicle networking applications. This security component supports Secure firmware Updates, CAN Message Authentication, High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) Cryptographic Support, and Electric Vehicle (EV) Battery Authentication in automotive systems.
“The cost-optimized Telematics Connect hub is built to power telematics applications in electric vehicles, two-wheelers, passenger cars and off-highway vehicles with the required security” said Tawfeeq Ahmed, Associate Director – Marketing at iWave. “Featuring CAN-FD ports, inertial sensors, LTE and Bluetooth connectivity element, the hub helps customers make better decisions on their fleet and actionable insights through data.”
The telematics connect hub in electric vehicles helps visualize driver and vehicle performance while gathering actionable insights on battery health, charging schedule, EV Station’s analytics, routing, and dispatch workflows. In two-wheelers, off-highway vehicles, and industrial machinery, the telematics hub is built to enable use cases such as fleet management, navigation analytics, and vehicle diagnostics.
With the support for a Linux BSP with APIs for all peripherals of the connect hub, customers are provided with the versatility and transparency needed to construct their customized software and analytics applications. Customers can port their custom data logging and edge logic, analytics and telemetry application layer, integration with a cloud platform of their choice, and device management and OTA software layer.
Key features of Telematics Connect Hub
Arm Cortex – A7 Core Micro-Processor
2 CAN-FD Ports
Integrated Hardware Secure Element
Cellular Connectivity: LTE Cat 1 bis
Bluetooth 5.0
GNSS, Accelerometer and Gyroscope
IP67 Protection Class
LINUX 5.15 BSP Support
iWave also offers complementary protocol stacks such as UDS Client, UDS Server, ISO 11898, J1939, and ISO 15675-4, which can be ported on the Telematics Connect Hub, making the solution compatible with different vehicle standards, architectures, and use cases.
iWave, an embedded system engineering and solutions company, specializes in the design and manufacturing of telematics control units, telematics gateways, and connected automotive solutions. With a strategic focus on the automotive vertical market, iWave empowers automotive OEMs with edge computing platforms, telematics solutions, and ODM design services.
More information on Telematics Connect Hub can be found here.
IceWhale Technologies, the creators of ZimaBoard, have unveiled their latest product, the ZimaCube. In their recent Kickstarter campaign, they have raised nearly $800,000, surpassing their initial goal of $9,990. The ZimaCube will be available in two variants: the ZimaCube and the ZimaCube Pro. Retailing at $599 and $1,199, the company has announced that they will start delivering the products in March 2024.
In late 2021, IceWhale Technologies entered the market by introducing its latest product, the ZimaBoard. Now, with the launch of the ZimaCube, they aim to establish a strong foothold in the storage solution market. According to the product page, the ZimaCube features an Intel Alder Lake-N100 processor, whereas a robust 12th Gen i5-1235U processor powers the ZimaCube Pro.
Both the models support up to six 3.5-inch SATA Drives, and they also have support for M.2 NVMe SSD. It also features a 2.5GbE network port and PCIe expansion, enabling users to add more powerful network cards or graphics cards according to their needs.
The standard ZimaCube has 8GB of DDR4 RAM, upgradable to 32GB for more demanding tasks. The ZimaCube Pro, on the other hand, starts with 16GB of DDR5 RAM, with an upgrade option to 32GB, and offers more storage flexibility with additional NVMe slots.
The NAS comes pre-installed with the company’s ZimaOS V1.1 software and is compatible with other software like TrueNAS and UnRAID. Additionally, it supports a range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The ZimaCube Pro ships with an accessory pack, an AC power cord, and a user manual.
Comparative Specifications of ZimaCube and ZimaCube Pro
4x Type-A 3.0 Gen 1, 2x Type-A 2.0 Gen 1, 1x Type-C 3.0 Gen 1
6x Type-A 3.0 Gen 1, 2x Thunderbolt 4
Other Features
TPM, internal USB system disk slot
TPM, internal USB system disk slot
Power
19V DC, 220W
19V DC, 220W
Mechanical
240x221x220mm, 5.4kg, 2x 80mm fans
240x221x220mm, 5.4kg, 2x 80mm fans
The ZimaCube starts at $500 and the Pro version at $900 for early backers, without storage, while the expected retail prices are $699 and $1,199. They’re also offering special rewards, like a bundle with an NVIDIA Quadro RTX A2000 12GB GPU for video creators. Remember, shipping costs around $38-$39, and deliveries are planned for March 2024.
Axiomtek – a world-renowned leader relentlessly devoted to the research, development, and manufacture of series of innovative and reliable industrial computer products of high efficiency – is pleased to introduce the AIE900A-AO, a new edge AI computing system powered by the NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Orin™ platform which features an Arm® Cortex®-A78AE v8.2 64-bit CPU delivering up to 200 TOPS of AI performance and integrates an advanced 1792-core NVIDIA Ampere™ GPU with 56 Tensor Cores. The next-level AI system comes with eight PoE ports (60 W) and two 2.5 GbE LAN ports for 3D LiDAR, IP cameras, and more vision navigation sensors. It comes with E-mark compliance and supports 24VDC with ignition power control plus 5G and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity with M.2 slots, which is also a great stride for higher efficiency of next-gen robotics. The AIE900A-AO is a perfect platform for deploying AI-powered robots, drones, AMRs, and other autonomous machines.
“Businesses now face the pressure to move faster, more intelligent, and meet varying user expectations while realizing higher levels of efficiency. Artificial intelligence and autonomous machines can respond to these ever-changing demands,” said Annie Fu, a Product Manager of the AIoT Team at Axiomtek. “Axiomtek’s AIE900A-AO is specifically built around the NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Orin™ System-on-Module, integrating the latest NVIDIA Ampere GPU and NVIDIA deep learning accelerators, delivering an 8x performance boost over the previous generation. Along with the external fan kit, the AIE900A-AO can withstand an extended operating temperature as well as maximize the AI performance. Its design also prioritizes vision applications by featuring lockable USB interfaces for seamless connectivity with USB3 Vision cameras. This ready-to-use edge AI embedded system also comes with 8 PoE and GMSL for camera and LiDAR connectivity, getting a head start to provide advanced opportunities to our customers developing and deploying AI-driven autonomous machines.”
The AIE900A-AO has a rugged design for harsh environments, allowing it to operate over a wide temperature range from -25°C to +50°C and at vibrations up to 3 Grms. The AIE900A-AO has 32GB of LPDDR5 memory and 64GB eMMC onboard. One M.2 Key M 2280 SSD socket with a high-speed PCIe x4 NVMe interface and one Micro SD slot are available for extensive storage needs. For the benefit of low-latency data transmission, the AIE900A-AO supports two 2.5GbE LAN ports for high-speed wired connectivity, an M.2 Key E 2230 slot for Wi-Fi 6E, and an M.2 Key B 3052/3042 slot for 5G/LTE, as well as one Nano SIM slot. The AIE900A-AO also comes with 24 VDC with ignition power control. More I/O options include one lockable HDMI 2.1 with 4K2K supported, six USB ports, one GbE LAN, two DB9 for RS-232/422/485/CAN (selected by command line), 8-CH DI/DO, and five SMA-type antenna openings. The AIE900A-AO bundles with the Linux Ubuntu 20.04 OS environment and supports the NVIDIA JetPack 5.1.1 software development kit to foster the development of cross-industry AI-assisted operations. In addition, the AIE900A-AO has reserved the MIPI CSI-2 interface, offering compatibility with GMSL, FPD-LINK, and V-by-One cameras to enhance its capabilities for autonomous machine applications.
Advanced Features of AIE900-AO
NVIDIA® Jetson AGX Orin™ 32GB (200 TOPS)
Seamless speed: 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, and 2.5 GbE combined
24 VDC with Ignition power control
Supports 8 PoE and GMSL for camera and LiDAR connectivity
Wide operating temperature range from -25°C to +50°C
Supports device management and optional OTA deployment powered by Allxon
E-Mark compliance
As a preferred partner in the NVIDIA Partner Network, Axiomtek has been in close collaboration with NVIDIA to drive AI innovation at the edge. Combining its strong edge computing expertise with NVIDIA’s AI and deep learning technologies, Axiomtek has rolled out a series of edge AI embedded systems specifically built around the NVIDIA® Jetson platform to deliver exceptional AI computing performance at the edge. Axiomtek’s flagship edge AI platforms will be available soon. For more product information or pricing, please visit Axiomtek’s global website at www.axiomtek.com or contact our sales representatives at info@axiomtek.com.tw.
Walter is an ESP32-S3-based IoT system-on-module supporting LTE-M/NB-IoT 5G and GNSS. This compact device is certified for FCC, CE, Australia SDoC, and New Zealand SDoC, so this module can be used for prototyping and production.
This compact little board is built around the ESP32-S3, which has dual-core Xtensa LX7,2megabytes of PSRAM, and 16 megabytes of flash memory. The board supports various peripherals, including UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, Wi-Fib/g/n, and Bluetooth 5.
Walter also features the second-generation GM02SP with the LTE-M/NB-IoT 5G modem and GNSS receiver. You need to connect an external antenna for the GNSS and LET-M radio to stable operations.
The device is specifically designed for the IoT market and has various power optimization features designed for this module. The device not only offers multiple deep sleep features that the ESP has. Additionally, it allows control over the peripherals with built-in MOSFETs. With the MOSFET, you can turn sensor actuators on or off according to your power budget.
DPTechnics is developing an open-source simple-to-use Arduino library for the ESP32-S3 module. That will also support features like NB-IoT, LTE-M, and GPS. They are also considering MicroPython and Espuino JavaScript support based on user demand. For detailed hardware control, the ESP-IDF framework is always an option. They plan to put a guide and the necessary software and designs on GitHub under a free license, but it’s not ready yet.
Walter specifications:
ESP32-S3-WROOM-1-N16R2 Microcontroller:
Dual-core LX7 CPU, 16 MiB flash, 2 MiB PSRAM
Wi-Fi 4 (150 Mbps), Bluetooth 5 LE
Sequans GM02SP 5G Modem:
LTE-M/NB-IoT, 3GPP LTE up to release 17
Ultra-low deep-sleep mode, adaptive output power
GNSS with GPS and Galileo, integrated LNA, SAW filter
Integrated & Nano SIM, u.FL RF connectors
I/O & Connectivity:
24 GPIO, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, I2S, SD
ADC, DAC, PWM, 3.3V output, USB Type-C
Reset button, 22 test points
Power Supply:
5V via USB-C, 3.0-5.5V via Vin
Low quiescent current design
Form Factor & Compatibility:
55 mm x 24.8 mm, 2.54 mm headers
Breadboard friendly, Pycom GPy compatible
Software & Platform:
Supports Espressif IDF, Arduino, Micropython
Future support for Toit, BlueCherry.io compatible
Certifications & Guarantee:
Industrial temp range -40°C to +85°C
Pending global certifications
Manufactured in EU, 10-year availability
The Walter board is made in the EU for long-term availability. It costs 49.95 Euros for the bare module, 69.95 Euros for the modulewith certified antennas, and 250 Euros for a developer kit with extras. DPTechnics is starting a Kickstarter for approvals and mass production.
More details about the product can be found on QuickSpot.io or you can check out crowdsupply for the same.
The Dusun Pi4, powered by the Rockchip RK3568, is a high-performance Smart Hub Controller with a Quad-core CPU, Mali-G52 GPU, and a 1TOPs NPU. With its robust features and specifications, it can be considered an alternative to the Raspberry Pi.
Previously we have covered many Rockchip RK3568-powered SBCs like the YOUYEETOO YY3568, the MIXTILE EDGE 2, RADXA ROCK 3A, and many other SBCs. However, what sets this device apart is its enhanced support for IoT integrations, a wide range of connectivity options, and its powerful yet energy-efficient performance.
Take a look at the RK3568 CPU – it features a 64-bit quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 with a max clock speed of 1.8GHz. For GPU it uses Arm Mali-G52 GPU and a 1TOPs NPU. The product page of the device tells us that the device can be configured with 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and optionally 8GB DDR4 memory. Alongside that, it also features multiple storage options including 64GB eMMC, 1x microSD card slot, and an M.2 SSD slot that supports up to a 512GB SSD.
The product page clearly compares the Raspberry Pi4 and the Dusun Pi4, with key features highlighted in orange for quick reference.
Looking at the features list it supports dual-band Wi-Fi, dual GbE ports, Bluetooth 5.2, and to enhance IoT capabilities it includes onboard Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Sub-GHz modules. Other than that the board features USB-C for power and a restart switch.
With a robust hardware design, it supports dual 4K video output at 60FPS. Other video features include decoding 4K VP9 and 10-bit H.265/H.264 video at up to 60fps. For 1080P video, it supports video encoding and video post-processing for improved video quality.
The device uses the 4.19.232 Linux Kernel and has built-in drivers with SDK support. The product page also gives us additional development tools, device Drivers, predefined configuration profiles, and sample applications.
Specifications for the DSGW-290 Smart Home Controller:
Processor:
RK3568 ARM® Quad-core 64-bit processor
Speeds up to 2.0 GHz
Graphicsand Media:
ARM G52 GPU
1TOPs NPU
Supports up to 800M pixel cameras with MIPI CSI interface
Connectivity:
Gigabit Ethernet port * 2
Bluetooth 5.2
Onboard Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Sub-GHz modules
4G LTE SIM card slot
Storage:
Up to 128GB eMMC
Expansion options: TF card slot and M.2 SSD via PCIe interface
Wireless Features:
Zigbee, OpenThread, Matter, Z-WAVE: All Supported
LTE CatM1 and Wi-Fi 2.4/5G
Ports:
2x Gigabit Ethernet Ports
1xUSB 3.0, 1x USB 2.0, 1x USB Type-C Ports
1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm Audio, 1x MIPI-CSI camera,
1x PCIe 2.1, 1x M.2 SSD (up to 512GB)
Display:
1 x HDMI 2.0 (supports 4K@60HZ output)
1 x MIPI-DSI (dual channel 2560×1600@60fps output)
Power Supply:
DC12V/3A
Power over Ethernet (PoE-enabled)
At the time of writing the article, Dusun has not disclosed any pricing details for the product. For more information, you can visit the DSGW-290 Product Page.
The LicheeConsole4A is a compact laptop powered by a Lichee Pi 4A RISC-V processor. It comes with 16GB of RAM, multiple storage options, and built-in Wi-Fi, all starting at just $299.
The Alibaba T-Head TH1520 is a RISC-V 64GCV C910 processor with four cores that can run up to 2.0 GHz. Additionally, it features an NPU with a performance of 4 TOPs running at 1GHz clock.
The product page states that the LicheeConsole4A features a 7-inch 1280 x 800 LCD with a capacitive touchscreen. It comes with 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage.
The compact product offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4 for wireless connectivity. For those seeking a wired connection, there’s an optional Gigabit Ethernet port. Additionally, the device features USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, available in both Type-A and Type-C configurations.
Display/Audio: 7-inch 1280×800 Touch LCD, Mini HDMI, 3.5mm port, microphone and stereo speakers.
Camera: 2MP front-facing Camera.
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, optional Gigabit Ethernet.
USB Ports: USB 3.0 Type-A, USB 2.0 Type-A, USB 3.0 Type-C.
I/O: 72-key keyboard, RedPoint input.
Power: 3000 mAh battery at 7.6V.
Mechanical: Aluminum build, 18x14x2 cm dimensions, weighs 650g.
This thin and light laptop now can be ordered from AliExpress. The basic package costs $252.00. There’s a model with 8GB RAM and 32GB storage for $355.00, while the 16GB RAM with 128GB storage version is $399.00. An enhanced version with 16GB RAM, 128GB eMMC, and an extra 1TB SSD is priced at $445.00. For more information, you can check out the product page.
The Portenta Hat Carrier is a new accessory that lets you use Raspberry Pi HATs with your Portenta mini-computer. With it, any Portenta device can easily be connected to Pi HATs, as well as to other peripherals like the Ethernet, microSD, and USB ports.
The Portenta Hat Carrier is the latest and greatest accessory that Arduino has to offer. With this accessory, your Portenta X8, Portenta H7, and Portenta C33 can easily use HATs made for Raspberry Pi model B. Not only that you can utilize the onboard Ethernet, microSD, and USB for various other applications. You can simply say this product is a fusion of the single-board computer (SBC) and microcontroller unit (MCU), expanding the industry-grade Portenta range.
Taking a look at the feature list, the key takeaway is obviously the ability to use Raspberry Pi hats with the Portenta ecosystem. However, it offers a lot more in terms of features. You can use various peripherals like CAN, USB, and Ethernet, and benefit from the onboard MicroSD for data logging. It also has dedicated JTAG pins for debugging, and 16x analog I/Os for critical actuator control. Additionally, there’s an onboard camera connector for ML applications.
Arduino’s co-founder, chairman, and CMO, Massimo Banzi, remarks:
Portenta Hat Carrier provides a unique bridge between the Arduino and Raspberry Pi ecosystems, offering professionals a modular platform for prototyping full-fledged industrial applications.
Key Features of the Portenta Connector Board
Connectors:
High-density connectors are compatible with Portenta products.
The popularity of CFD Modeling Software has been on the rise over the last few years. Multiple companies worldwide finally noticed its massive potential and implemented it into their design processes to improve accuracy and efficiency.
Currently, CFD Modeling Software is extensively used to conduct fluid flow and heat transfer simulations, making it an essential tool for engineers across various industries.
Let’s then check what CFD Software exactly is and what its capabilities, benefits and applications are.
What is CFD Modeling Software?
CFD Modeling Software is a sophisticated computer program that employs numerical methods and algorithms to simulate fluid flow and heat transfers in various scenarios.
Therefore, CFD Simulations can entail:
single or multiphase fluid flows,
heat transfers,
complex geometries,
turbulent flows,
miscible fluid flows,
chemical reactions and phase changes.
By creating these simulations, engineers and scientists are capable of gaining meaningful insights into fluid behavior and heat transfer dynamics under changing conditions. As a result, such analyses pave the way for optimizing designs and improving performance in a wide selection of applications.
Created with GIMP
What are the key elements of CFD Modeling Software?
Basic CFD Modeling Software should always have a selection of elements that enable designers to perform a comprehensive CFD analysis. As a result, they need a user-friendly and reliable CFD Software package with a few key features that enable them to create complex fluid flows with high accuracy and speed.
These key capabilities are:
Meshing capabilities,
Physics models,
High-Performance Computing,
Post-processing capabilities,
User-friendly interface.
Meshing capabilities
First of all, high-quality CFD Modeling Software must be capable of generating precise meshes that can capture the geometry of the fluid flow domain.
Moreover, meshes must possess the capability to accurately capture intricate flow characteristics, such as vortices and turbulence, allowing for precise representation and analysis of these complex features.
Generating a boundary layer mesh is highly beneficial in various Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) applications. This particular mesh feature offers improved adaptability to the geometry and allows for capturing the flow characteristic within the wall layer more effectively.
Physics models
Secondly, an effective CFD Modeling Software package should always include a selection of physics models to precisely simulate fluid behaviors, including, among others:
multiphase flows,
turbulence,
heat transfers,
combustion,
mesh motion,
solid particle modeling.
Nevertheless, to efficiently solve all these physical phenomena, it needs to use solvers. These numerical algorithms empower engineers to precisely solve the equations of fluid flows and heat transfers with high precision and stability.
High-Performance Computing
High-Performance Computing (HPC) is another essential feature of state-of-the-art CFD Modeling Software.
With HPC capabilities, CFD Modeling Software enables engineers to conduct compound simulations while limiting the computational time.
Moreover, with HPC, the efficiency of simulations generated with the software is higher as the software equips engineers with parallel processing, so they can execute multiple tasks simultaneously.
Post-processing capabilities
What is more, powerful CFD Modeling Software should also include post-processing tools that enable visualization and analysis of CFD simulations results. These include tools for:
creating contour plots, streamlines, and vector plots,
calculating flow statistics,
performing optimization processes.
User-friendly interface
Last but not least, high-quality CFD Modeling Software needs to have a user-friendly interface. It allows engineers, designers, and non-expert users to set up and run simulations easily. As a result, there is no need to undergo extensive and costly training before starting to use CFD Software.
It is also worth mentioning that modern CFD Modeling Software should also entail advanced features, such as sophisticated meshing techniques, high-performance computing, enhanced turbulence modeling, or multiphysics integrations.
What are the key benefits of CFD Modeling Software?
All in all, all the above elements make CFD Modeling Software a powerful tool for engineers and designers but also beneficial for organizations.
Let’s explore the advantages of CFD Software for both technical users and management across diverse industries.
Enhanced designs
Firstly, CFD Modeling Software can assist designers and engineers in producing highly efficient and optimized designs.
Engineers are empowered to thoroughly analyze the fluid flow, pressure, and temperature distributions. Consequently, they can easily identify areas of high stress and inefficiency and optimize them accordingly.
Cost-effectiveness
From a management point of view, CFD Modeling Software’s great advantage is cost-effectiveness.
In fact, CFD Software can contribute to the cost reduction of physical testing and prototyping. Engineers can use CFD simulations to test various designs and, as a result, eliminate the need for costly physical prototyping.
Time savings
What is more, CFD Modeling Software can speed up the process of designing and testing products. Since it generates simulations of a product’s behavior, engineers are capable of quickly detecting design flaws or potential issues without the need for physical testing.
Enhanced understanding of fluid dynamics
CFD Modeling Software also assists researchers and engineers in better understanding the complex flows of fluids, gases, and heat in various systems.
Such capability can result in new discoveries and enhanced quality of designs for a wide selection of products and systems.
Processes optimization
Last but not least, CFD Modeling Software can also contribute to optimizing various processes, for example, in manufacturing goods and products. By producing simulations of fluid flows, turbulence, and heat transfers, engineers can identify methods to increase efficiency and reduce waste.
What are the applications of CFD Modeling Software?
As already stated, CFD Modeling Software can be applied to multiple industries. These are, for example:
Aerospace industry to optimize the designs of aircraft and spacecraft,
Automotive sector to improve the designs of vehicles and vehicle components (for example, engines, exhaust, and cooling systems),
Construction sector to produce simulations of heat transfer and fluid flow in buildings and component designs,
Energy sector to optimize the designs of energy systems (for example, wind turbines and solar panels).
In conclusion, CFD Modeling Software is a valuable and indispensable tool for engineers, designers, and researchers across diverse industries.
It empowers them to model and analyze fluid flow dynamics under various conditions, leading to design optimization and enhanced performance. By leveraging the power of CFD Software, professionals can make informed decisions, drive innovation, and achieve remarkable advancements.
Toradex, a leader in Industrial IoT, Edge, and embedded computing solutions, today announced the start of the early access program in collaboration with NXP® Semiconductors for the i.MX 95 Titan EVK – Toradex’s Evaluation Kit (EVK) based on NXP’s flagship i.MX 95 applications processors family – featuring NXP eIQ® Neutron NPU, Arm® Mali™ GPU, NXP image signal processor, and multiple compute domains in a functional safety development platform- at the NXP Tech Day held in Detroit, Michigan. Toradex was chosen by NXP to support its Early Access Program to accelerate the adoption of the i.MX 95 applications processor in key markets and applications.
Toradex’s Titan EVK empowers developers to kickstart projects and smoothly transition from proof-of-concept to large-scale production with ease, speed, and advanced security – enabling a wide range of machine vision and advanced edge applications across several markets including automotive edge, industry 4.0, robotics, healthcare, transportation and smart office. The Titan EVK has been carefully engineered to cater to evolving needs such as functional safety, security compliance, edge AI solutions, real-time processing, machine learning performance, and power efficiency.
“We are excited to have Toradex as the first early access embedded solution partner for i.MX 95 applications processors. The Toradex i.MX 95 Titan EVK will allow access to our latest i.MX 9 family with the most advanced features we have offered on the platform to date,” said Dan Loop Vice President and GM, Automotive Edge Processing at NXP. “Toradex has been a strategic embedded solutions partner for i.MX since 2014 and together we have enabled more than 25 i.MX products to provide developers with a highly optimized platform to begin their development.”
The Titan EVK comes with some key features including extensive scalability options that go beyond the typical offerings of evaluation boards. This flexibility provides ample room for customization, making it a perfect fit for a wide array of applications. The inclusion of an M.2 and mini-PCIe slot ensures effortless integration of Wi-Fi/ Bluetooth, cellular modems, high-speed storage and other peripherals. Toradex will soon make available Dual-band 1×1 Wi-Fi 6/Bluetooth/Matter Tri-Radio module based on NXP’s IW612 and future Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity solutions. The Titan EVK also introduces LPDDR5 memory elevating memory performance and graphics capabilities to a new level. In addition to the two TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet ports, one of the stand-out key features is an optional 10 Gigabit Ethernet port, a feature not commonly found in other industrial IoT evaluation kits. This addition enhances connectivity and throughput for data-intensive edge applications.
Toradex has carefully chosen components to enable customers with the flexibility to switch to automotive-grade components in their custom designs, seamlessly transitioning from development to production.
“This reinforces NXP’s continued validation of our role as a strategic partner within their ecosystem. The Titan Evaluation Kit promises to accelerate innovation while enabling ease-of-use, and faster time-to-market without compromising on security. We’ve listened to the requirements of our strategic customers and partners in the industry and, as a result, designed this evaluation kit that integrates scalability, modern high-performance features, low development risk, and cost-efficiency.” said Samuel Imgrueth, CEO of Toradex.
“Toradex’s early access program for the i.MX 95 Titan EVK, in collaboration with NXP Semiconductors, is a pivotal step in streamlining the path from prototype to production for industrial IoT and edge computing applications,” said Steven Dickens, VP and Practice Leader from the Futurum Group. “This initiative not only accelerates adoption in key sectors but also addresses critical requirements for functional safety, security, and machine learning at the edge, marking a significant evolution in embedded computing platforms,” he added.
Early Access to Toradex’s i.MX 95 Titan Evaluation Kit starts today. As this is in Early Access Availability is restricted. Please head to the Toradex Website to Apply for i.MX 95 Titan Evaluation Kit.
With millions of Toradex compute products deployed across thousands of demanding applications worldwide, Toradex has provided highly reliable System on Modules (SoMs) and embedded software since 2004 and has been an NXP partner since 2014.
Toradex reduces the complexity and cost of designing and maintaining products using NXP’s i.MX applications processors. Toradex SoMs are pin- and software-compatible, allowing customers to switch seamlessly between NXP’s i.MX 6, i.MX 7, i.MX 8 series thereby scaling application performance, features and cost. Torizon, by Toradex, offers a ready-to-use, simple-to-configure industrial-embedded Linux OS and a complete IoT Platform, including features such as full-stack remote updates (OTA), device monitoring, remote IoT device management platform, remote access, and more.
This is complemented by Toradex’s extensive online resources, active community, strong partner ecosystem, and support offices around the globe.
There is a new era of multi-frequency astronomy, in which equipment for observing different types of radio waves is used together to reveal more than they could do individually. In much the same way that you tune the radio to a particular station, radio astronomers can tune their telescopes to pick up radio waves millions of light years from Earth. Using sophisticated computer programming, they can unravel signals to study the birth and death of stars, the formation of galaxies, and the various kinds of matter in the Universe.
A radio telescope is a specialized astronomical instrument designed to detect and study radio-frequency radiation between wavelengths of about 10 meters (30 megahertz [MHz]) and 1 mm (300 gigahertz [GHz]) emitted by extraterrestrial sources, such as pulsars, stars, galaxies, and quasars. Detecting faint radio emissions relies on the antenna’s size and efficiency, along with the receiver’s sensitivity for signal amplification and detection. A digital backend receiver is a vital component in a radio telescope system, responsible for digitization, signal processing, and high-speed data transmission.
Radio telescopes typically have three basic components,
One or more antennas pointed to the sky to collect the radio waves
A receiver and an amplifier to boost the very weak radio signal to a measurable level
A recorder to keep a record of the signal
RFSoC: A Building Block for Radio Telescopes
The RFSoC unifies RF data converters, programmable logic, and microcontrollers, providing essential functions for radio astronomy backends like real-time signal processing, digitization, high-speed interfacing, and software control. This highly integrated and power-efficient RFSoC streamlines astronomical backend system design, simplifying the architecture and reducing hardware development costs.
The Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC offers high-performance analog-to-digital conversion, real-time signal processing capabilities, and extensive bandwidth coverage, making it an ideal solution for designing radio telescope backend receivers.
High-Speed Analog-to-Digital Conversion (ADC) The RFSoC integrates high-speed ADCs capable of digitizing radio signals with high precision and speed. Pulsar signals are often faint and require sensitive receivers with fast sampling rates.
Real-Time Signal Processing The integration of FPGA and ARM processors within the RFSoC enables real-time processing of radio signals. This feature is invaluable in radio astronomy, allowing for the rapid analysis of celestial data and the detection of transient events, such as fast radio bursts and pulsar emissions.
Versatility and Adaptability FPGAs are known for their reconfigurability. Radio astronomy often involves implementing various algorithms to detect weak signals, perform pulsar searching, and conduct interference mitigation.
Energy Efficiency
Radio telescopes are often located in remote or off-grid areas to minimize interference from human-generated radio signals. The energy-efficient design of the RFSoC is crucial for maintaining these observatories and ensuring their uninterrupted operation.
High-Speed Data Transfer
The inclusion of high-speed serial transceivers facilitates the efficient transfer of large datasets from radio telescopes to data processing facilities. This is essential for interferometry applications and the creation of high-resolution images using data from multiple telescopes.
RFSoC-based Backend Design
To ensure high-fidelity observational data and meet diverse scientific objectives, a multi-function digital backend can be designed with cutting-edge technologies like ZU49DR Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC development boards. This advanced system directly samples RF signals at the receiver’s front end and offers flexible processing modes. This approach effectively mitigates signal gain and phase fluctuations caused by environmental factors during transmission.
The figure below provides an overview of the radio telescope backend system, which is built on a heterogeneous architecture incorporating RFSoC, CPU, and GPU components. It includes a Signal acquisition and pre-processing block, a multi-function post-processing block, and a recorder/storage.
The signal acquisition and preprocessing unit utilize high-performance, low-power RFSoC technology with integrated high-speed 2.5 GSPS ADCs at 12-bit precision. RF multiplexers switch signals from various receivers, covering the entire passband with a maximum simultaneous bandwidth of 14 GHz. It also possesses local storage capabilities for retaining received signals, which can be transmitted to a post-processing unit when necessary for further processing.
The multifunctional post-processing unit accepts high-speed digital signals via a 100 GbE data exchange network. It enables the selection and loading of signal processing modes, including pulsar, spectral line, continuum, and baseband modes. The system offers Radio Frequency interference (RFI) mitigation options tailored to the observed electromagnetic environment. This unit comprises multiple high-performance computer (HPC) nodes that dynamically adjust CPU and GPU computing cores to match signal processing bandwidth and complexity, ensuring flexibility and scalability. Processed high-speed data is buffered into the storage, capable of handling data at a maximum rate of 4 GB/s.
The RF data converters are laid out in tiles, each containing up to four RF-DACs or RF-ADCs. There are multiple tiles available in RFSoC, such that each tile also includes a block, clock handling logic, and distribution routing. This hierarchy of tiles and blocks simplifies the data converter design and implementation.
Designing Radio Telescope Digital Backends using iW-RainboW-G42M System on Module: Powered by AMD Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC
iWave has designed a powerful System on Module, powered by the ZU49DR RFSoC, that can speed up the design of radio telescopes and utilize the feature-rich RFSoC. The RFSoC SoM features the industry’s highest RF channel count with 16 Channel RF-DACs @ 10GSPS and 16 Channel RF-ADCs @ 2.5GSPS.
iW-RainboW-G42M System on Module features the ZU49DR and is compatible with the ZU39 and ZU29. The SoM offers a multi-element processing system, including an FPGA, Arm Cortex-A53 processor, and a real-time dual-core Arm Cortex-R5, and high-speed ADC & DAC channels, which makes it able to acquire, process, and act on RF signals. The RFSoC SoM offers onboard 8GB 64bit DDR4 RAM with an error correction code for the processing system and 8GB 64bit DDR4 RAM for programmable logic.
The integrated ultra-low noise programmable RF PLL simplifies the utilization of the SoM in the end product, eliminating concerns about complex clocking architecture. This integration also empowers the system with the highest signal processing bandwidth throughout the comprehensive RF signal chain. Furthermore, it boasts support for SyncE and PTP network synchronization, ensuring a high degree of synchronization.
The module leverages the AMD Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC Gen3 device, making it ideal to be deployed into RF systems that demand small footprint, low power, and real-time processing. Furthermore, the SoM brings in a drop-in solution for customers who want to simplify the design architecture, expedite the implementation process of astronomical digital backends for radio telescopes, and reduce device power consumption and hardware development costs.
iWave has also engineered an innovative RFSoC PCIe ADC DAC data acquisition card, driven by the G42M Zynq UltraScale+ RFSoC SoM. The 3/4 Length PCIe Gen3 x8 Host Interface on the board connects the RFSoC PCIe Card to the computer/server.
This card incorporates state-of-the-art RF and signal integrity design techniques to ensure high-speed connectivity. Its adaptability enables users to seamlessly integrate this technology into their specific applications, offering a versatile solution for field deployment.
Complementing the RFSoC’s on-chip resources, the iWave RFSoC ADC DAC PCIe Card adds,
16 ADC Channels
4 x Right Angle SMA connectors on the Front Panel with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-700MHz-1.6GHz)
4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-10MHz-3GHz)
16 DAC Channels
4 x Right Angle SMA connectors on the Front Panel with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-800MHz-1GHz)
4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-700MHz-1.6GHz)
4 x Straight SMA connectors with Balun (BW-10MHz-3GHz)
NVMe PCIe Gen2 x2/x4 M.2 Connector
FMC+ HSPC Connector
The System on Module and the PCIe Card are go-to-market and production-ready complete with documentation, software drivers, and a board support package. iWave maintains a product longevity program that ensures that modules are available for long periods of time (10+ years).
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