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UP Xtreme SBC Features Intel Whiskey Lake Processor

Posted on 20 March, 201920 March, 2019 by mixos

AAEON launched their UP board family back in 2015 with the original board featuring an Atom X5 Cherry Trail processor. Since then they’ve launched more models all based on processors with 10W or lower TDP (Thermal Design Power) such as UP Squared Apollo Lake development board. Now, they have introduced an Intel Core-U series Whiskey Lake processor (15W TDP) based SBC named “UP Xtreme” that will feature some of those Core i3/i5/i7 processors.

Combine the raw power of the 8th generation Core i3, i5 or i7 processor of your UP Xtreme board with AI CORE X. Meet the most complete product family of neural network accelerators for Edge devices. The expansion boards are available in MiniCard/mPCIe, M.2 2242 and M.2 2280. With just a few watts of power consumption, each chip delivers up to four trillion operations per second (TOPS) with a Neural Compute Engine capable of delivering up to one TOPS for the ultimate modern Edge solution.

UP Xtreme specifications:

SoC- Intel Dual/Quad Core “Whiskey Lake” Core i3/i5/i7 processor @ 1.8 GHz (Boost frequnecy up to 3.9GHz for i3/i5, up to 4.6 GHz for i7) with Intel UHD graphics 620; 15W TDP
System Memory – Up to 16GB dual-channel DDR4 memory (soldered on-board)
Storage – 16GB to 128GB eMMC 5.1 flash, 1x SATA connector with power connector
Video Output
- 1x eDP with backlight control header
- 1x HDMI/DisplayPort Stack connector
Audio – ALC887 for 3.5mm Audio Out/Mic In jack, I2S
Network Connectivity – Dual Gigabit Ethernet via Intel i210/i211, and i219LM PHY’s
USB – 4x USB3.0 ports, 2x USB2.0 ports
Serial Ports – 2x 10-pin RS232/422/485 headers via Fintech F81801
Expansion Slot
- 1x Minicard with 1x PCIex1 (option mSATA), 1x USB2.0, and SIM card slot
- 1x M.2 2230 E Key socket (1x PCIe x1, 1x USB2.0)
- 1x M.2 2242/2280 B/M Key socket (2 x PCIe / 2xSATA)
- Expansion HAT (40pin) – 28xGPIO, 2xSPI, 2x I2C, 1x ADC, 1x I2S, 2x PWM, 1x UART, 3V3, 5V, GND via Intel MAX V CPLD
- 100-pin Docking Connector with 12V, GND, 3x PCIe x1, 2x PCIe x1 or USB 3.0, and 2x USB2.0
- STM32 /O header
Misc – Power Button / LED, RTC battery
Power Supply – 12~65V DC-IN via lockable connector
Dimensions – 120 x 120mm
Temperature Range – 0-60°C
Humidity – 0% ~ 90% relative humidity, non-condensing
Certifications – CE, FCC

Features

Block Diagram

The company lists Windows 10, Linux (Ubuntu, Yocto), and Android as supported operating systems.

You may find a few more details in the product page, but at the time of writing pricing and availability information has not been made public.

SBC-C20 – SBC with NXP i.MX 8M Applications Processors in 3.5” form factor

Posted on 20 March, 201920 March, 2019 by mixos

SBC-C20 is an SBC built upon the NXP i.MX 8M Application Processors characterized by HEVC/VP9 decoding in 4Kp60 as well as HDR. As for the memory, it features a DDR3L RAM. Moreover, it provides an optimized IoT stack with preinstalled Wind River Linux 10. The range of connectivity options is particularly broad, with optional Wi-Fi and BT LE 4.2 module, M.2 socket 2 Key B for WWAN modules. Interestingly, it also features a Cortex-M4 for RTOS, the real-time operating system for serving real-time applications that process data as it comes in without buffer delays.

Specifications listed for the SBC-C20 include:

Processor — NXP i.MX8M Dual, QuadLite, or Quad (2x or 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5GHz); Vivante GC7000Lite GPU; VPU on all but QuadLite; Cortex-M4F @ 266MHz
Memory/storage:
- Up to 2GB DDR3L RAM
- Optional up to 16GB eMMC
- MicroSD slot
Networking/wireless:
- 10/100/1000 Ethernet port
- Optional WiFi and Bluetooth 4.2 LE
- Optional U.FL ant. connectors
- M.2 Socket 2 2260 / 3042 Key B slot for WWAN modules
- Micro-SIM slot
Media I/O:
- eDP port or HDMI 2.0a port for up to 4k@60 with HDR
- Optional LVDS for up to 1080p60 with I2C touch support
- MIPI-CSI (4-lane)
- I2S Audio Codec
- Line-out, mic-in via combo TRRS audio jack
- Speaker, mic, and earphone headers
- Optional 10W amp
Other I/O:
- USB 3.0 host port (or USB 2.0 touch controller)
- Micro-USB 2.0 OTG port (recovery only)
- 2x USB 2.0 host ports
- RS-232 port
- CAN port
- Debug UART header
- SPI and I2C connectors
- 8x GPIO
Other features — RTC with battery
Power — 12V DC input
Operating temperature — 0 to 60°C; optional -40 to 85°C
Dimensions — 147 x 101.6mm (3.5-inch)
Operating system — Yocto, Wind River Linux, Android; BSP with wiki

Block Diagram

No pricing or availability information was provided for the SBC-C20. More information may be found on Seco’s SBC-C20 product page and i.MX8M wiki and BSP.

Split Home Energy Meter features ESP32 with Microchip ATM90E32

Posted on 20 March, 20198 May, 2019 by mixos

Split Single Phase Energy Meter. Affordable remote energy monitoring for your entire home

The Split Single Phase Energy Meter can monitor the energy usage in your entire home in real time. It can easily be hooked up to an ESP8266 or ESP32 to wirelessly transmit energy usage data into a program like EmonCMS. It can also be used to monitor solar power generation to keep track of how much power you are making.

With the Split Single Phase Energy Meter you can:

Save Money!
- See exactly how much money is being spent on energy in real time
- Find appliances that are using too much electricity
View & Gather Energy Data
- View the energy usage of your entire home
- Or track solar power generation
- Review and graph historical energy data
- View usage data in the EmonCMS Android or iOS apps
Be Informed!
- Independent of your power company’s meter
- Set up alerts for over or under usage
Not spend a ton on energy monitoring!
- Built to be inexpensive but very accurate
- Costs hundreds less than some other solutions

Specifications

Samples two current channels & one voltage channel (expandable to two voltage)
Calculates:
- Active Power
- Reactive Power
- Apparent Power
- Power Factor
- Frequency
- Temperature
Uses standard current transformer clamps to sample current
Includes built-in buck converter to power ESP8266, or ESP32
Two IRQ interrupts, and 1 Warning output
Energy pulse output (pulses correspond to 4 LEDs)
Zero crossing output
SPI Interface
Measurement Error: 0.1%
Dynamic Range: 6000:1
Gain Selection: Up to 4x
Voltage Reference Drift Typical (ppm/°C): 6
ADC Resolution (bits): 16
Compact size at only 40 mm x 50 mm

The project is going to be launched soon on www.crowdsupply.com. For updates, you can subscribe to the form on landing page.

Update 08/05/2019: Split single-phase energy meter just launched on Crowd Supply with a $6,300 funding target. If you only need the energy meter breakout board a $29 pledge will suffice, but most people will likely go with the $59 energy monitoring kit that adds two YHDC SCT-016 120A CT Sensors, a pre-programmed ESP32 module, an ABS plastic box, the adapter board, and mounting screws. The power supply is not included, and can be added for $12 (120V, US only), or you may use your own.

Highly Integrated USB-C Buck Charger from Maxim Reduces Size by 30 Percent

Posted on 20 March, 201920 March, 2019 by mixos

Designers of portable Li-ion battery-powered electronics now have a simplified and more flexible way to add a USB Type-C (USB-C) charging system to their products with the MAX77860 3A switch-mode charger from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM). This USB-C buck charger provides the industry’s first integrated USB-C port controller and charger to eliminate the need for a separate host controller, simplify software development and reduce overall bill-of-materials (BOM) costs for applications such as financial point-of-sale terminals, power banks, industrial computers, scanners, radios, medical devices, charging cradles, portable speakers and game players.

A wide range of consumer electronic devices are migrating to USB-C interfaces to support rapidly advancing communication and battery-charging capabilities, as well as smaller design size. In current designs, the host microprocessor is needed to detect the current level and configure the charger’s input current limit. While PCs, laptops and cell phones have driven early adoption, USB-C adoption rates are expected to grow at 8.5 percent a year through 2020 thanks to useage in other classes of portable devices, according to IDTechEx.

To reduce design size as well as simplify the system hardware and software design, the MAX77860 integrates USB-C configuration channel (CC) port detection and a battery charger for 15W applications. These integrated functions allow battery charging at the fastest rate possible under the USB-C specification and contribute to 30 percent smaller design size while also simplifying software development. The CC pin detection feature also shortens the design effort by eliminating the need to support end-to-end USB port connection and allowing charging to start automatically.

Key Advantages

Highly Integrated: Eliminates a separate port controller and many discrete components. Reduces the size of an inductor and a capacitor due to a high switching frequency of 2MHz/4MHz, resulting in a solution size that is 30 percent smaller than the closest competitive device. This high level of integration also reduces overall BOM costs.
High Efficiency: High-efficiency buck reduces heat dissipation with more than 93 percent efficiency and up to 3A charging capability.
Design Flexibility: Backward compatibility allows designs to work with both USB-C and legacy BC1.2 or proprietary adapters. Integrated analog-to-digital converter (ADC) frees up resources in the microcontroller, while providing accurate voltage and current measurements.

Commentary

The new MAX77860 from Maxim provides real advantages to design engineers working in the growing internet of things market,” said Kimberly Majkowski, global product manager, Power Management ICs at Premier Farnell. “It reduces cost and design time while delivering super-fast battery-charging capabilities demanded by today’s consumers.

The MAX77860 dramatically reduces system complexity by integrating the charger, the power path, the low-dropout regulator, the ADC and the USB-C CC detection in a small 3.9mm x 4.0mm package,” said Perry Tsao, executive director, Mobile Solutions Business Unit at Maxim Integrated. “This level of integration simplifies the design, enabling the delivery of more power and more functionality in minimal printed circuit board space.

Availability and Pricing

The MAX77860 is available at Maxim’s website for $3.03 (1000-up, FOB USA); also available with select authorized distributors
The MAX77860EVKIT# evaluation kit is available for $70

Further Information

Details about MAX77860: www.maximintegrated.com/products/MAX77860
Hi-res image: http://bit.ly/MAX77860_Image
Block diagram: http://bit.ly/MAX77860_Block_Diagram

With the new R&S NRX RF power meter, even complex test setups can be configured quickly

Posted on 19 March, 201919 March, 2019 by mixos

Rohde & Schwarz has equipped the new RF power meter with a touchscreen based operating concept that guides the user through configuration. The R&S NRX has up to four measurement channels, for which Rohde & Schwarz offers a wide range of power sensors. For the first time, both terminating and directional power sensors are supported in a single instrument.

High-precision RF power measurement for modern applications is a challenge. Rohde & Schwarz is launching the R&S NRX on the market so that users can transparently configure their measurements and perform them conveniently. The R&S NRX even makes it possible to perform triggered and synchronized multichannel measurements with different power sensors.

The user operates the instrument via the integrated high-resolution 5″ touchscreen. Measurements are configured using large buttons. The system supports the user with a logical calibration and draws attention to conflicts in case of doubt. If required, the instrument can also be operated using the buttons on its front panel.

The R&S NRX comes as standard with two robust sensor ports, which can be optionally upgraded to four. In addition, sensors can also be connected via USB or Ethernet.

Key Facts

Intuitive operation with touch screen based GUI
Supports up to four R&S®NRP and R&S®NRQ6 power sensors
Supports all sensor-dependent measurement functions
Optional high-precision CW and pulse mode reference source module
Optional power reflection measurements with NRT-Zxx sensors

Wide range of power sensors

The user can connect all terminating power sensors from the Rohde & Schwarz portfolio to the sensor connectors. The R&S NRX-B9 sensor interface module integrates the directional power sensors of the R&S NRT-Z family into the measurement to determine power in both transmission directions.

Reference generator integrated as a module

With the optional R&S NRX-B1 sensor check source module, users can test sensors for a pending measurement. The high-precision 50 MHz/1 GHz reference generator module generates continuous-wave signals as well as pulsed steep-slope signals.

Rohde & Schwarz will present the R&S NRX power meter from March 19 to 21, 2019, at EMV 2019 in Stuttgart (hall C2, booth 619). It is available now from Rohde & Schwarz, and will soon be available from select distributors. The R&S NRX is superseding the proven R&S NRP2 power meter. For more information, visit www.rohde-schwarz.com/ad/press/nrx.

Arrow launches electronics services marketplace

Posted on 19 March, 2019 by mixos

Arrow Electronics and Freelancer.com have worked together to launch ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer.com, a marketplace for electrical and electronics services. By Ally Winning @ eenewsembedded.com

The new platform is intended to close the skills gap by providing companies and individuals with access to over half a million skilled electronic and electrical engineers. ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer is also intended to cut research and development time from years to months through access to a global network of highly diverse technical skills. Arrow’s existing Certified Engineering network will help customers identify the correct people with the skills and experience to fit each requirement.

Freelancer.com is the world’s largest freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace with more than 32 million users around the world and over 15 million jobs posted in over 1,350 skill areas.

Businesses that need technology help can leverage ArrowPlus powered by Freelancer to find highly qualified experts, and then utilize Arrow technology concierge services to help ensure project success.

more information: www.arrow.com

SniffPhone – Screening for cancer made easy

Posted on 19 March, 201919 March, 2019 by mixos

A newly developed handheld medical diagnostic tool called the SniffPhone, analyses exhaled breath and is able to detect early signs of gastric cancer. The SniffPhone links via Bluetooth to a smartphone and is a totally novel application using nanotech chemical sensors, offering enormous benefits to clinicians and patients alike.

Its development has been supported by the Horizon 2020 funding program of the EU. Altogether a total of nine partners have contributed to the development of the device. SniffPhone is held in front of the mouth and the patient exhales to supply a breath sample to the sensor. The device measures volatile organic compounds contained in the sample using highly sensitive nanotechnology chemical sensors. The measurement results are sent via Bluetooth using a smartphone to a dedicated cloud platform where the data can be accessed for analysis and diagnosis by medical staff.

Electronic diagnosis

This new cancer screening procedure has many advantages over traditional methods. The hand-held device is user-friendly and provides a simple, fast and cost-effective method to detect bio-markers produced by many types of gastro-intestinal conditions. The SniffPhone prototypes have been proven in a series of clinical trials and the team are now looking for financial support to fund production.

The Finnish research centre VTT are one of the project partners; their primary job was to implement the communication links and they are also developing analysis tools to identify high-risk patients for certain medical conditions to assist diagnosis.=

by Thomas Scherer @ elektormagazine.com

NVIDIA Announces Jetson Nano: $99 Tiny Developer Kit

Posted on 19 March, 201926 April, 2019 by mixos

NVIDIA today announced the Jetson Nano™, an AI computer that makes it possible to create millions of intelligent systems.

The small but powerful CUDA-X™ AI computer delivers 472 GFLOPS of compute performance for running modern AI workloads and is highly power-efficient, consuming as little as 5 watts.

Unveiled at the GPU Technology Conference by NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang, Jetson Nano comes in two versions — the $99 devkit for developers, makers and enthusiasts and the $129 production-ready module for companies looking to create mass-market edge systems.

Jetson Nano supports high-resolution sensors, can process many sensors in parallel and can run multiple modern neural networks on each sensor stream. It also supports many popular AI frameworks, making it easy for developers to integrate their preferred models and frameworks into the product.

Jetson Nano joins the Jetson™ family lineup, which also includes the powerful Jetson AGX Xavier™ for fully autonomous machines and Jetson TX2 for AI at the edge. Ideal for enterprises, startups and researchers, the Jetson platform now extends its reach with Jetson Nano to 30 million makers, developers, inventors and students globally.

Jetson Nano makes AI more accessible to everyone — and is supported by the same underlying architecture and software that powers our nation’s supercomputers,” said Deepu Talla, vice president and general manager of Autonomous Machines at NVIDIA. “Bringing AI to the maker movement opens up a whole new world of innovation, inspiring people to create the next big thing.

Jetson Nano Developer Kit

The power of AI is largely out of reach for the maker community and in education because typical technologies do not pack enough computing power and lack an AI software platform.

At $99, the Jetson Nano Developer Kit brings the power of modern AI to a low-cost platform, enabling a new wave of innovation from makers, inventors, developers and students. They can build AI projects that weren’t previously possible and take existing projects to the next level — mobile robots and drones, digital assistants, automated appliances and more.

The kit comes with out-of-the-box support for full desktop Linux, compatibility with many popular peripherals and accessories, and ready-to-use projects and tutorials that help makers get started with AI fast. NVIDIA also manages the Jetson developer forum, where people can get answers to technical questions.

The Jetson Nano Developer Kit is exciting because it brings advanced AI to the DIY movement in a really easy-to-use way,” said Chris Anderson of DIY Robocars, DIY Drones and the Linux Foundation’s Dronecode project. “We’re planning to introduce this technology to our maker communities because it’s a powerful, fun and affordable platform that’s a great way to teach deep learning and robotics to a broader audience.

Jetson Nano System Specs and Software

Key features of Jetson Nano include:

GPU: 128-core NVIDIA Maxwell™ architecture-based GPU
CPU: Quad-core ARM® A57
Video: 4K @ 30 fps (H.264/H.265) / 4K @ 60 fps (H.264/H.265) encode and decode
Camera: MIPI CSI-2 DPHY lanes, 12x (Module) and 1x (Developer Kit)
Memory: 4 GB 64-bit LPDDR4; 25.6 gigabytes/second
Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet
OS Support: Linux for Tegra®
Module Size: 70mm x 45mm
Developer Kit Size: 100mm x 80mm

Availability

The NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit is available now for $99. The Jetson Nano module is $129 (in quantities of 1,000 or more) and will begin shipping in June. Both will be sold through NVIDIA’s main global distributors. Developer kits can also be purchased from maker channels, Seeed Studio and SparkFun.

[18/04/2019 Update] You may want to check this great article on Getting Started with the NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit.

Free Tech Start-up Infographic and 15% discount code from Farnell

Posted on 19 March, 201919 March, 2019 by mixos

Successful tech entrepreneurs share the lessons learned from starting a new business with expert contributions from Pi Supply, Matrix Labs and futurehome.

Download the free infographic for step-by-step advice on taking the first leap all the way through to learning from failure.

Whether you plan on customising existing platforms or designing from scratch, the experts at Farnell have a proven track record in

Optimising cost
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For more information regarding how Farnell can support your start-up initiative, simply head over to startup.farnell.com

Discount valid until 31/03/2019. Minimum order value of £150. Exclusions apply.

Convert a $20 Router To Home Automation Gateway For IoT Devices

Posted on 18 March, 201918 March, 2019 by Rik

WiFi based home automation products are cheaper compared to ZigBee or Z-Wave products, but the downside is that WiFi devices need an internet connection to perform their function. A lot of those IoT devices don’t just communicate on your local network, they also talk to the outside world via the internet. IoT devices like simple smart plugs, sensors, and all kinds of home automation gadgets don’t always have a good reason to connect to the outside world. Letting your home devices controlled by a bunch of cloud servers on the internet may not be the best idea.

Internet connectivity for home devices should be optional – the user should be in charge of deciding whether he/she wants to expose the home-devices to the internet – may be for remote monitoring or controlling purpose. This can be done by making a local gateway for your home automation devices using a cheap $20 pocket router. Here is a guide on how to do this clever hack.

This hack depend on the IoT devices themselves, but many of them simply won’t function without access to the internet, but a lot of popular products like sonoff, blitzwolf, teckin etc have been hacked by the open source community to get around that. But jailbreaking solves part of the problem. Still, the need for a home-automation gateway is a challenge and requires some advanced knowledge of setting-up WiFi access point + MQTT broker + automation gateway server.

Albert David (@albert-david.blogspot.com) solved this challenge by modifying the firmware of a GL-MT300Nv2 (a $20 travel router) and converting it to a full-automation-gateway to support following functionalities:

wifi-access-point
DHCP and DNS server
MQTT broker (mosquitto)
domoticz

All he did was build his own variant of OpenWRT firmware that includes all necessary components like domoticz and MQTT-broker. Follow the step-by-step method to overwrite the OEM firmware of the router with Albert’s all-in-one custom firmware.

1 – Download the autom8box binary from here.
2 – Power ON your GL-MT300N-V2 box and wait for the device’s SSID to show up on your PC.
3 – With OEM firmware, this device’s SSID is shown as “GL-MT300N-V2-xxx”.
4 – Connect to the AP with default password “goodlife“.
5 – If connected, you can see the IP near the WiFi option. Or by using “ipconfig” (Windows) or “ifconfig” (Linux) command in cmd/terminal.

6 – Open a browser, and enter the following address in the URL field:
http://192.168.8.1/cgi-bin/luci/admin/system/flashops
7 – Login with username “root” and leave the password field empty. After logging in, you’ll see the flashing page.
8 – In the page, make sure the “keep settings” option is unchecked. Select the firmware binary (autom8box-mt300nv2.bin) that you have downloaded already. Click the “Flash Image” button.

9 – Next, click on the “Proceed” button and the flashing process will start. Wait patiently and don’t turn off your router in the middle of flashing.
10 – After 2minutes, check on your PC’s wifi-list, new SSID “autom8box” will show up. “goodlife” is the password.
11 – Open the following URL in the browser – there you go! your new domoticz UI
http://192.168.8.1:8080

You are all set by now. You have your own home-automation gateway. Configure your IoT devices on domoticz as per your need. You have full control over the devices and can flexibly configure all the settings.