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Nordic Semicondutor nRF5340 SoC

Posted on 27 November, 2019 by mixos

nRF5340 – Dual processor System-on-Chip (SoC) supporting Bluetooth 5.1, Bluetooth mesh, NFC, Thread and Zigbee

The nRF5340 is the world’s first wireless SoC with two Arm® Cortex®-M33 processors. It is truly secure, and the combination of two flexible processors, the advanced feature set, and an operating temperature up to 105 °C, make it the ideal choice for professional lighting, advanced wearables, and other complex IoT applications.

The nRF5340 is an all-in-one SoC, including a superset of the most prominent nRF52® Series features. Features like Bluetooth® 5.1, high-speed SPI, QSPI, USB, up to 105 °C operating temperature, and more, are combined with more performance, memory and integration, while minimizing current consumption.

The application processor is optimized for performance and can be clocked at either 128 or 64 MHz, using voltage-frequency scaling. It has 1 MB Flash, 512 KB RAM, a floating-point unit (FPU), an 8 KB 2-way associative cache and DSP instruction capabilities. The network processor is clocked at 64 MHz and is optimized for low power and efficiency (101 CoreMark/mA). It has 256 KB Flash and 64 KB RAM.

The nRF5340 is a truly secure SoC, offering trusted execution, root-of-trust and secure key storage security features. Arm TrustZone provides trusted execution by implementing a division between secure and non-secure Flash, RAM, peripherals and GPIOs. The state-of-the-art Arm CryptoCell-312 provides hardware-accelerated cryptography, and together with the key management unit (KMU) peripheral, root-of-trust and secure key storage are implemented.

Key features

128/64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 application processor with 1 MB Flash & 512 KB RAM
64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 network processor with 256 KB Flash & 64 KB RAM
Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth mesh
Thread, Zigbee
NFC
Advanced security
USB, QSPI, HS-SPI
105 °C extended operating temperature
1.7-5.5 V supply voltage range

The nRF5340 SoC supports an extensive range of wireless protocols. It supports Bluetooth Low Energy, and is capable of all AoA and AoD roles in Bluetooth 5.1 Direction Finding, in addition to all Bluetooth 5 features, including Long Range. Mesh protocols like Bluetooth mesh, Thread and Zigbee can be run concurrently with Bluetooth LE, enabling smartphones to provision, commission, configure and control mesh nodes. NFC, ANT, 802.15.4 and 2.4 GHz proprietary protocols are also supported.

The nRF Connect SDK is the software development kit for the nRF5340 SoC, offering a complete solution that integrates the Zephyr RTOS, protocol stacks, application samples and hardware drivers.

Nordic Semiconductor nRF5340 PDK

Preview development kit for the nRF5340, a dual processor SoC supporting Bluetooth 5.1, Bluetooth mesh, NFC, Thread & Zigbee

The nRF5340 PDK includes an NFC antenna that quickly enables testing of nRF5340 SoC’s NFC-A tag peripheral. A SEGGER J-Link debugger is on the board, enabling full-blown programming and debugging, of both the nR5340 SoC and external targets.

All analog and digital interfaces, and GPIOs are available via connectors. The PDK is Arduino Uno Rev3 hardware compatible, it can be easily interfaced with external device shields, including the Power Profiler Kit.

It can be powered by USB or by an external source, but also includes a CR2032 battery holder and a Li-Po battery connector, for in-field testing. Power consumption can be measured with dedicated power measurement pins.

The nRF Connect SDK is the software development kit for the nRF5340 SoC and has board support for the nRF5340 PDK. It offers a complete solution that integrates the Zephyr RTOS, protocol stacks, application examples and hardware drivers. nRF Connect SDK is publicly hosted on GitHub, offers source code management with Git and has free SEGGER Embedded Studio IDE support.

The nRF5340 PDK is for evaluation purposes only, it is a preview development kit, and will be replaced by the nRF5340 DK.
The box includes an nRF5340 PDK, an NFC antenna and a CR2032 battery.

Key features

Affordable, versatile preview development kit for nRF5340 SoC
Arduino Rev3 compatible
2.4 GHz and NFC antennas
SWF RF connector
SEGGER J-Link OB programmer/debugger
User-programmable LEDs (4) and buttons (4)
Pins for measuring power consumption
1.7-5.0 V supply from USB, external, Li-Po battery or CR2032 coin cell battery
- nRF5340 SoC
- High performance 128 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 application processor with 1 MB Flash and 256 KB RAM
- Fully programmable, ultra-low power 64 MHz Arm Cortex-M33 network processor with 256 KB Flash and 64 KB RAM
- Bluetooth 5.1 Direction Finding and Long Range
- Thread and Zigbee
- Trusted execution with Arm TrustZone
- Root-of-trust with Arm CryptoCell 312
- 105°C extended operating temperature

The nRF5340 PDK is the preview development kit for the nRF5340 SoC, and has everything needed for development on a single board.

ACS711 Hall Effect Linear Current Sensor

Posted on 27 November, 201927 November, 2019 by mixos

Allegro Microsystems’ device consists of a linear Hall sensor circuit with a copper conduction path located near the surface of the die.

The Allegro ACS711 provides economical and precise solutions for AC or DC current sensing in <100 V audio, communications systems, and white goods.

The device consists of a linear Hall sensor circuit with a copper conduction path located near the surface of the die. Applied current flowing through this copper conduction path generates a magnetic field that is sensed by the integrated Hall IC and converted into a proportional voltage. Device accuracy is optimized through the close proximity of the magnetic signal to the Hall transducer.

The output of the device has a positive slope proportional to the current flow from IP+ to IP- (pins 1 and 2 to pins 3 and 4). The internal resistance of this conductive path is 0.6 mΩ for the EX package, and 1.2 mΩ for the LC package, providing a non-intrusive measurement interface that saves power in applications that require energy efficiency.

The ACS711 is optimized for low-side current sensing applications, although the terminals of the conductive path are electrically isolated from the sensor IC leads, providing sufficient internal creepage and clearance dimensions for a low AC or DC working voltage applications. The thickness of the copper conductor allows the survival of the device at up to 5× overcurrent conditions.

The ACS711 is provided in small, surface-mount packages: SOIC8 and QFN12. The lead frame is plated with 100% matte tin, which is compatible with standard lead (Pb) free printed circuit board assembly processes. Internally, the device is Pb-free, except for flip-chip high-temperature Pb-based solder balls, currently exempt from RoHS. The device is fully calibrated prior to shipment from the factory.

Features

No external sense resistor required; single package solution
Economical low- and high-side current sensing
Output voltage proportional to AC or DC currents
±12.5 A and ±25 A full-scale sensing ranges on LC package
±15.5 A and ±31 A full-scale sensing ranges on EX package
Overcurrent FAULT trips and latches at 100% of full-scale current
Low-noise analog signal path
100 kHz bandwidth
3.0 V to 5.5 V, single-supply operation
Integrated electrostatic shield for output stability
Factory-trimmed for accuracy
Extremely stable output offset voltage
Zero magnetic hysteresis
Ratiometric output from supply voltage

more information: www.allegromicro.com

HelTec’s new CubeCell series focuses on LoRa IoT Applications

Posted on 27 November, 2019 by Rik

HelTec CubeCell is a new product series made by HelTec. CubeCell series is based on ASR605x ICs (ASR6501, ASR6502), those chips are already blended with the PSoC 4000 series MCU (ARM Cortex M0+ Core) and Semtech SX1262 transceiver. It is perfectly Arduino-compatible and can run the LoRaWAN protocol reliably. Connecting lithium batteries and solar panels are also a notable feature that comes with this new CubeCell series.

LoRa (short for long range) devices, using LoRa Technology have a long-range, very power efficient wireless platform that is becoming the go-to technology for Internet of Things (IoT) networks worldwide. LoRa Technology and the open LoRaWAN protocol enable many smart IoT applications.

CubeCell series has three branches that can be listed as Module, Dev-Board and Capsule Sensor. The Dev-board can be controlled with AT commands. As mentioned earlier it also supports Arduino programming in Windows, Mac OS, and Linux.

CubeCell LoRa board specifications List:

SoC – ASR Microelectronics ASR6501 with
- MCU – Cypress PSoC 4 Arm Cortex-M0+ @ 48 MHz with 128KB flash, 16KB SRAM
- LoRa Transceiver – Semtech SX1262
LoRa Connectivity Specification –
- Bands – EU433, CN470-510, EU863-870, US920-928
- Output Power – 21 dB +/- 1 dB max
- LoRaWAN standard protocol support
USB – 1x Micro USB port for power and programming
Expansion – 2x 11-pin headers with GPIO’s, UART, I2C, SPI, ADC, Reset, and VIN, 5V, 3.3V, and GND power signals
Misc – User and boot buttons, RGB LED
Power Supply – 5V via micro USB port or LiPo battery via 2-pin header
Power Consumption for 3.3V(module)
- 3.5 uA in deep sleep
- 10 mA in LoRa Rx mode
- 70 mA for LoRa Tx @ 10 dBm
- 90 mA for LoRa Tx @ 14 dBm
- 100 mA for LoRa Tx @ 17 dBm
- 105 mA for LoRa Tx @ 20 dBm

Dimensions – Module: 18 x 18 x 2 mm ; development board: 41.5 x 24.1 x 7.2 mm

The third part of the HelTec CubeCell is a capsule of 30 mm in diameter and 67 mm in length. It houses a CubeCell module or another AR6501 based module.

The module currently sells for $6.90, but it costs $9.90 along with the dev-board. The full price for the capsule housing a battery, an antenna, and a sensor board is $13.90. It also comes with IP67 rating. All three products are available on the same Aliexpress page.

LCSC.com – your online electronic part distributor

Posted on 27 November, 201913 December, 2019 by Tope Oluyemi

LCSC Electronics is a Shenzhen-based electronic component distributor, and one of the largest electronic component distributors in China. Founded in 2011, and starting as a small business, LCSC has grown to over 900,000 customers and over 310 employees, with around $150 million in sales. LCSC boasts of over 200,000 different products being distributed, ranging from semiconductors to transistors to providing design-chain services with EasyEDA, which is a powerful online PCB design tool incorporated with lots of components. LCSC has been awarded ELEXCON Outstanding E-commerce Platform Top 3 in 2018, ASPENCORE Outstanding E-commerce Platform 2018 , Hc360 Outstanding E-commerce Distributor Award 2017, and Aspencore Outstanding E-commerce Platform 2017. LCSC has also been certified by ISO 9001:2015. LCSC is Planning on expanding their operations by building a new warehouse of 60,000 square meters, fully equipped with pick-and-ship systems, expected by the end of 2019. Presently, LCSC already has a 350,000 square meter LCSC Electronics Technology Industry, consisting of funding from Galaxy Supply Chain.

Their website is clean, clear, and easy to navigate. The search result is accurate, and returns the exact components you are looking for in the results page. The search results are narrowed down using the built in filters and this help you to choose quickly the parts you need. the website has a video link that shows you all about LCSC, and a section shows you how to pick up parts at LCSC warehouse.

With 114 authorized brands, 176 international brands and 571 Made In Asia brands that LCSC stocks components from many vendors and shipping internationally or locally is easy for them. They offer a global shipping service through a series of mail carriers, like DHL, FedEx, EMS, Singapore Post and others, all varying in delivery time and price, depending on your needs. There are three payment options, which includes Paypal, Credit Card (VISA, Master or American Express) or Wire Transfer (valid for an order value of over $500). While trying out the payment process, I can say payment with LCSC is a fast, effortless process as they guide you on what to do next along the way. LCSC’s payment page is very instinctive to use for all payment methods. Also, payment through LCSC is safe, because all payments are SSL encrypted. Payments must be made in US dollars. LCSC only accept USD through those three methods. LCSC supplies electronic components from a massive variety of popular brands like Texas Instruments, Uni-Trend Technologies (often known as Uni-T) and Samsung Electro-Mechanics, which are all well-known manufacturers among electronic hobbyists.

I will describe some basic steps on how to order electronic components with LCSC Electronics in a few simple clicks:

First, you don’t need a registered account on LCSC to check out products. Just select the product (s) which you want to purchase. Make sure you select the quantity of every product(s) which you want and press the “Add to Cart” button.
Once you are through with selection, click the cart icon found on the top right corner of any LCSC website page, and you will be directed to a checkout page where you will see every product you added to the cart for confirmation of your order before payment.
If you are not a registered user (which you can sign up for with an email), you will have to provide your email address to continue as a guest user, then you will have to fill in your address, shipment, order and payment information.
Once you are through with inserting all of the details mentioned above, the products you select will be shipped to your address as soon as LCSC stocks your parts and sends it out within 1-3 days depending on the quantity of your order. Then, they will package it up and ship it to your address with a tracking number provided.
LCSC’s website has an order details page, where buyers are updated on what stage their order is at, all the way from the order submission to the final delivery process. In this page, you can view your invoice and BOM listing as well, as well as leave a review of your order once it has been delivered.
When you click on the “Review Rating” or “Rate Us” button, you will be redirected to a rating page where you can drop feedback to LCSC Electronics about your order and their services, as well as their website, support and logistics.

In summary, my experience with LCSC Electronics and their services is a good one. From searching for products i need, to payment, and monitoring of the status of the order everything was good. It has a simple website design, easy to navigate, and their rapid delivery service is to be commended. The availability of massive variety of products from countless manufacturers is amazing, and helps in satisfying your every need for electronic projects.

If you want to purchase components from LCSC Electronics or want to get more information about LCSC Electronics, visit their page by clicking the link here. You can also find more information about how to pay with LCSC with this link here. More information about shipping and delivery can be found here. You can view all the manufacturers which LCSC distributes components from, clicking here.

Panasonic Industry Europe presents new Bluetooth 5.0 Low Energy Module PAN1740A

Posted on 26 November, 2019 by mixos

Panasonic Industry launches the successor of the PAN1740 Bluetooth module. The new PAN1740A is the optimized version, offering a quicker boot time and supporting up to eight connections to allow greater flexibility to create more advanced applications. It can be used as a standalone application processor or as a data pump in hosted systems. The device is optimized for remote control units (RCU) requiring support for voice commands and motion/gesture recognition.

PAN1740 is the next generation Bluetooth Low Energy Module from Panasonic with reduced form factor, significantly lower power consumption and embedded Software Stack. The Singlemode Bluetooth Smart System-on-Chip module is optimized for low power, small size and low system cost products. It reduces external component count, development effort and time to market.

The Module is manufactured in a very small 9.0* 9.5* 1.8 mm3 SMD package with shielded case and chip antenna. The power consumption of only 4.9mA in Tx and Rx mode makes the use of coin cell batteries possible or reduces the needed battery capacity and cost of existing solution by at least 50%. It is qualified according to Bluetooth 4.2 standard. FCC, IC and CE approvals are under preparation. The PAN1740 comes with a complete software development platform, which includes a qualified Bluetooth Smart single-mode stack on chip. Multiple Bluetooth Smart profiles for consumer wellness, sport, fitness, security and proximity applications are supplied as standard, while additional customer profiles can be developed and added as needed.

Specifications

Single-mode Bluetooth Smart System-on-Chip
ARM CORTEX M0 CPU
Small 9.0 x 9.5 x 1.8 mm SMD package with antenna
Includes 16MHz and 32.768kHz crystal
Temperature Range from -40°C to +85°C
Power consumption 4.9mA Rx and Tx
Link budget 93dBm (Rx Sensitivity -93, Tx 0 dBm)

Interfaces

GPIO, UART, SPI, I²C, 3-axis QD, ADC

Memory

42k SRAM
32k OTP Memory for Profiles and Apps (delivered blank)
84k ROM for LE Host and Boot ROM

more information: panasonic.de

Thin clients run Linux-based eLux on Gemini Lake Refresh chips

Posted on 26 November, 201926 November, 2019 by Emmanuel Odunlade

Fujitsu recently announced the expansion of its Futro thin client line with the addition of three new models;

Futro S9010 — Pentium Silver J5040 (4x Goldmont Plus cores @ 2.0GHz/3.2GHz); Intel UHD Graphics 605 — D3543-A2 (Mini-ITX)
Futro S7010 — Celeron J4125 — (4x Goldmont Plus cores @ 2.0GHz/2.7GHz); Intel UHD Graphics 600 — D3544-A2 (Mini-STX
Futro S5010 — Celeron J4025 — (2x Goldmont Plus cores @ 2.0GHz/2.9GHz); Intel UHD Graphics 600 — D3544-B2 (Mini-STX)

The three new thin clients are based on the recently announced Gemini Lake Refresh SoCs from Intel and are intended to run the Linux-based eLux RP 6.7.0 CR from Unicon Software, but they will also bear support to enable them to run the Windows 10 IoT Enterprise. When running elux, the new thin clients will benefit greatly from the regular security patch updates of the Scout Enterprise management suite that is packaged with it.

In terms of features, the new thin clients will benefit from the 10W TDPs which is associated with all the new Gemini Lake Refresh Processors along with a higher burst rate compared with Gen-1 Gemini Lake models. Asides this, all the three new thin client models come with standard features which include; a GbE port, an optional Intel Wireless-AX200 WLAN module with 802.11-ac/ax (WiFi 6), and a Bluetooth 5.0. The three boards also come with a 2x DP 1.2a, 2x front-facing USB 3.1 Gen 1 (USB 3.0), and 4x USB 2.0 ports plus dual USB 2.0 headers. There’s also an option for a front-facing USB 3.1 Type-C port.

All the three clients have the have triple Realtek ALC671 driven audio jacks — mic-in, headphone-out, and line-out — with the Futro S9010 model possessing a line-out jack along with dual RS-232 DB9 ports compared to the S7010 which has an option for a single serial port and the S5010 which has none. The S9010 also adds a pair of PS/2 ports and an M.2 slot along with 2-16GB DDR4-2400, on a 250 x 193 x 52mm footprint while the other two models sit on a 165 x 147 x 36mm footprint and ship with 2-8GB DDR4-2400.

All three models offer 100-240V power supplies and operate between 10 to 35°C temperature with relative humidity between 5-85 %. The systems support Citrix Receiver and VMware Horizon Client desktop virtualization environments, and for security, supports Kensington locks with optional TPM 2.0 security chips.

No pricing or availability information is currently available for the thin clients but more information on them can be found on the product page for each of them (Futro S9010, Futro S7010, Futro S5010) on Fujitsu’s website.

Precision Motor Control for Robotics and Automation

Posted on 26 November, 2019 by mixos

STMicroelectronics and maxon jointly created a plug-and-play servo control development kit for drives, robotics and automation. by Wisse Hettinga @ eenewsembedded.com

The EVALKIT-ROBOT-1 is a plug-and-play solution aimed to help users easily approach the world of precise positioning and high-end motion in servo drives and robotics. A maxon 100-Watt BLDC motor with built-on 1024-pulse incremental encoder is included in the kit, embodying the company’s expertise in magnetic design in motors that ensures smoothness and balance to allow fine control even at low rotor speeds.

The servo control board supplied with the kit contains ST’s STSPIN32F0A intelligent 3-phase motor controller and a complete inverter stage built with ST power transistors ready to connect to the motor. Motor-control firmware is also included, making it easy for users to start the motor and begin sending commands.

ST’s STSPIN32F0A system-in package contains critical circuitry for motor control, including an STM32F031C6* microcontroller and three-phase inverter driver in a compact 7mm x 7mm VFQFPN package. The microcontroller comes loaded with plug-and-play firmware for MODBUS communication and field-oriented control (FOC) with precise positioning capabilities. Power management and current sensing circuitry are also embedded in the device making it more flexible and versatile.

The maxon EC-i 40, 40mm-diameter, 100-Watt brushless (BLDC) motor embeds a maxon ENX 16 EASY 1024-pulse incremental encoder for precision control. Hall sensors for detecting rotor position are included. The motor features an optimized design for high output torque with low cogging torque, which permits smooth motion across the speed range and enhances positioning precision.

The 3-phase BLDC inverter power stage features ST’s STL7DN6LF3 60V, low on-resistance, N-channel MOSFETs, capable of 6A maximum output for driving the motor.

More information at www.st.com and www.maxongroup.com

BOXER-8220AI: Powering AI with NVIDIA Jetson Nano

Posted on 26 November, 2019 by mixos

AAEON, an award-winning developer of AI edge computing platforms, announces the BOXER-8220AI box PC powered by NVIDIA® Jetson Nano™. With the latest SoC from NVIDIA built for AI, the BOXER-8220AI offers stable, reliable performance at a price which is competitive and budget friendly.

The BOXER-8220AI is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson Nano, the latest in edge computing technology from NVIDIA. The Jetson Nano SoC combines the quad-core ARM® Cortex®-A57 MPCore processor with NVIDIA Maxwell™ GPU architecture featuring 128 NVIDIA CUDA® cores. This innovative design allows processing speeds up to 472 GFLOPs and is capable of operating multiple neural networks or processing several high-resolution images at the same time. The NVIDIA Jetson Nano also provides the BOXER-8220AI with 4GB RAM and 16 GB eMMC storage.

With the NVIDIA Jetson Nano, the BOXER-8220AI is able to provide both performance and price suitable for entry to mid-level deployment of AI and edge computing applications. With five Gigabit Ethernet ports, the BOXER-8220AI supports up to five input cameras or sensors, and four USB 3.0 ports allow even greater flexibility to integrate with projects.

The BOXER-8220AI is designed with AAEON’s dedication to providing rugged embedded PCs for industrial use. Its fanless design ensures long reliable operation, preventing dust or other contaminants from interfering with components. The BOXER-8220AI thermal design also allows the system to operate in temperatures from -20°C up to 60°C without a loss in performance, perfect for stable operation in almost every work environment.

As with all AAEON solutions, the BOXER-8220AI is backed by AAEON support, including AAEON OEM/ODM and Manufacturer services. Whether it’s configuring the OS, software support, or providing customized configurations, AAEON provide end-to-end support to help bring customer projects to life.

“The BOXER-8220AI is the perfect solution for customers looking for an economical solution with an NVIDIA SoC,” said Ken Pan, Product Manager for AAEON System Platform Division. “Our design offers stable, reliable performance not matched by other systems currently on the market.”

more www.aaeon.com.

SparkFun RED-V RedBoard – SiFive RISC-V

Posted on 25 November, 201925 November, 2019 by mixos

The SparkFun RED-V (pronounced “red-five”) RedBoard is a low-cost, development board featuring the Freedom E310 SoC which brings with it the RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA).

The RED-V RedBoard comes in the familiar Arduino Uno R3 form factor and includes the SiFive Freedom E310 core, 32MB of QSPI flash, an NXP K22 ARM Cortex-M4 for USB connectivity and operating as a JTAG interface, and a Qwiic connector to make future I2C offerings easy*. The modern USB-C connector makes it easy to program and for more advanced users who prefer to use the power and speed of professional tools, we’ve also exposed the JTAG connector. Additionally, it comes programmed with a simple bootloader making the RED-V the best way to start prototyping and developing your RISC‑V applications.

The on board Freedom E310 (FE310) is the first member of the Freedom Everywhere family of customizable SoCs from SiFive. Designed for microcontroller, embedded, IoT, and wearable applications, the FE310 features SiFive’s E31 CPU Coreplex, a high-performance, 32-bit RV32IMAC core. Capable of running at 320+ MHz, the FE310 is among the fastest microcontrollers in the market. Additional features include a 16KB L1 Instruction Cache, a 16KB Data SRAM scratchpad, hardware multiply/divide, a debug module, flexible clock generation with on-chip oscillators and PLLs, and a wide variety of peripherals including UARTs, QSPI, PWMs, and timers. Multiple power domains and a low-power standby mode ensure a wide variety of applications can benefit from the FE310. The RED-V requires Freedom Studio software or a Zephyr RTOS build environment set up to program the board and interface with it.

What sets the RED-V RedBoard apart from the rest is the completely open-source approach from hardware to ISA. That means anyone can make full use the microcontroller without requiring royalties, licenses, or non-disclosure agreements.

More information at www.sparkfun.com

Multi-output Power Supply Based on LM2576HV-ADJ

Posted on 25 November, 2019 by mixos

This is a multi-output power supply based on LM2576HV-ADJ and LM317 IC. The power supply provides 3 outputs with input supply up to 55V DC. Output (O1) is adjustable up to 24V DC and load current of 2A, Output (O2) is adjustable to 1.2V-24V with load current up to 500mA and Output (O3) adjustable 1.2V-24V @ 500mA. High voltage LM2576HV-ADJ converts 55V in 24V DC. This output is adjustable but advisable to set the output to 24V DC with help of Trimmer Pot PR1.

Multi-output Power Supply Based on LM2576HV-ADJ – [Link]