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).
NECTO’s latest upgrade The NECTO Studio 5 now features a Visual Studio(VS) Code-powered editor, integrates the tinyUSB library for enhanced USB functionality, and supports the CycloneTCP stack for advanced networking.
Necto Studio is a cross-platform integrated developing environment(IDE) developed and maintained by MikroElektronika. It features integrated C compilers, mikroSDK 2.0, a package manager, and debuggers with USB/WiFi support. The IDE also offers smart code completion, auto-brackets, and visual drag-and-drop elements.
MikroElektronika is best recognized for its signature product, the Click Boards. Now with the new package manager, users can access Click Board libraries and examples. They can also install them effortlessly with a single click and receive updates through this interface. With all these features MikroElektronika offers a generous three-month free trial for newcomers to delve into its features.
The NECTO Studio 5 has recently transitioned to the Monaco Editor. For those who might not know, Monaco is the backbone behind the Visual Studio Code. with these changes, you can get smarter coding suggestions, pinpoint error detection, versatile cursor capabilities, and efficient search tools, making coding easy in NECTO Studio.
NECTO has also added the tinyUSB library, making it easier for developers to work with USB driver development for small devices. This new feature simplifies the USB integration process while offering support for things like audio, Bluetooth, and storage.
NECTO also integrated the CycloneTCPlibrary to enhance networking. CycloneTCP is designed for devices with limited resources and supports both IPv4 and IPv6. With this addition, building IoT solutions in NECTO becomes much simpler.
NECTO has improved how it handles “interrupts” and made it easier to manage with new tools. Also, they’ve added support for more hardware, including new boards like the Clicker 4 for STM32F4 and MCU cards for ATmega2560/ ATmega1280 models.
Supports IPv4, IPv6, TCP, UDP, ICMP, DHCP, DNS, etc.
Expanded Hardware Support:
New boards: Clicker 4 for STM32F4
New MCUs: SiBRAIN for ATmega2560/1280
Improvements:
Advanced “interrupts” control & unified APIs
The new NECTO update has improved the editor and added helpful tools for building IoT projects. There’s also an Ethernet Stack and a USB library in the mikroSDK now. More features, like LVGL support and new compilers, are coming soon. For all the details, you can check out the NECTO Studio page.
In an attempt to unleash the potential of the ESP32 microcontroller developer and tinkerer, Chris Greening has built an ESP32 Mini TV and explained how he did it in a detailed video.
In recent years, ESP32 has become very popular among the maker community simply due to its superior performance, low price, and not to mention its innate ability to support wifi and Bluetooth. So Youtuber Taylor Galbraith AKA atomic14 used that power to build this ESP32 Mini TV and explained how he did it.
In his video, he explains before even building the server, he needs to figure out how fast an ESP32 can display an image onto the display. To do so, he hard-coded an uncompressed image so he could verify the frame rate; in his test, the ESP was able to update the screen every 17ms which translates to 59FPS.
Now all that the ESP needs to do is download the images over Wi-Fi and display them. However, there is an issue with this method an uncompressed image size is 132KB, and if we add in the download time with the display time the frame rate drops to 15FPS. So, to fix this issue he he used the JPEGDEC library to compress the image. Next, he used the DMA to display the image, giving him a decent refresh time of 36ms which translates to around 30FPS.
For sound, he pulled the audio data from the server and used the 8–bit PCM over the I2S bus to get the sound out from the ESP32. The problem with this approach was that the audio could get out of the sink if there was a delay in streaming the audio or the compressed images from the server.
Video
According to Galbraith, the solution to this problem was pretty obvious – he could use the output audio stream to calculate elapsed time. “Every time the I2S peripheral pushes data out we know how much time has passed so we can use this to keep the images in sync”. With this, he developed himself a fully function video streaming system.
Now, one thing every TV should have is a Remote Controller; Greening solves this issue by adding an IR Receiver to the ESP32 with the help of the Arduino-IRremote library.
At the end of the project, everything worked as expected; now you can turn on/off the TV with the remote you can also change the volume, and as a finishing touch, he also added a channel change animation. Overall, it was a great project, and if you want to try out the i project yourself, everything is freely available in his GitHub repo.
Home Assistant Yellow is a cutting-edge home automation platform that revolutionizes the way smart devices around the home are managed and controlled. If you have been struggling with dealing with complex integrated home automation systems that sometimes leave you feeling exhausted and frustrated, then you probably need a Home Assistant to help you control various aspects of your home — easily and conveniently.
The Home Assistant Yellow is a compact and energy-efficient hardware designed to automate and control a wide range of home devices and services including lights, thermostats, TV, security systems, etc. The all-in-one smart home hub is a ready-to-use device that is fully supported. It is powered by the Raspberry Pi CM4 has well over 2,000 built-in integrations and boasts ample storage as well as smart home wireless connectivity.
Features
With Home Assistant Yellow, everything in the home can easily be automated. You can send a notification to turn on the lights of your home at a particular time, turn it off when you are about to sleep, or even confirm that your garage door which you left open should be closed. However you want to control your home devices, the Home Assistant Yellow will handle it. You can either use the pre-made automation templates that have been provided or you customize your own automations using the advanced automation editor. Also, you are not only able to integrate your devices but can get other useful details such as the air quality in your locality, the latest exchange rates, etc.
Another unique feature aside from allowing you to create powerful automations for nearly all your home devices and services, is that it gives insight into your energy usage. With Home Assistant Yellow, you can track and monitor your energy consumption and trends over time; solar panel, gas usage, or home batteries. It will be done using an interface that is easy to operate and runs 100% locally without anything in the cloud.
The Home Assistant Yellow also supports expandability and Scalability. It comes pre-installed with the 16GB of eMMC flash from the CM4, but as your devices grow and you begin to install more apps and collect more sensor data, you may need to upgrade the CM4 to a higher variant that has a larger storage capacity of 32GB eMMC flash or just install an NVMe SSD in the device’s M.2 extension port. You can also consider installing the CM4 that uses both WiFi and Bluetooth as the Home Assistant Yellow does not integrate any of these. It uses the most recent and greatest ZigBee radio chip for smart home wireless connectivity.
Specifications
Carrier Board
Raspberry Pi CM4 board-to-board connector
Direct boot from NVMe devices
Size: 12cm x 12cm
Compatibility with all CM4 variants with 64-bit Quad-Core Cortex-A72 processor running at 1.5GHz; up to 8GB RAM and up to 32 eMMC
Smart-Home MGM210P Mighty Gecko Wireless Module
Supports Zigbee 3.0 and OpenThread
2.4GHz radio with TX power of +20 dBm
1MB flash memory
96KB RAM memory
Upgradeable Zigbee 3.0 firmware preinstalled
Other Specs:
Gigabit Ethernet
Expansion slot for NVMe SSDs, M.2 socket M-key, PCIe
2x USB 2.0 Type-A host port; 1x USB-C 2.0 device port
Stereo audio DAC
RTC backed by CR2032 battery
2x Push Button
Status LED
Power: 12V / 2A through barrel DC power jack
Enclosure: 123 mm x 123 mm x 36 mm; includes custom heatsink
Applications
The Home Assistant Yellow can be used in different situations including smart home automation, energy management, HVAC automation, environmental monitoring, etc. There is a PoE variant of the Home Assistant Yellow that ensures you communicate and power the device over a single cable.
An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is an electronic circuit that is used to convert a real-world signal into a digital or binary code. Real-world signals are usually taken from a sensory system which are generally analog in nature and represent instantaneous value of the measured entity. The sensory system may represent any real-world data such as temperature, pressure, light, sound, level, position, etc. In order to process, manipulate, or store these signals, it is feasible to convert them into a binary code or digital signal which is understandable by a microprocessor/ microcontroller unit. This process of conversion from analog (real-world) signals into a digital value is referred to as an Analog to Digital Conversion and the device or electronic circuity performing this action is called an Analog to Digital Converter.
The converted digital signal or binary comprises a number of bits and characterizes the “Resolution” of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). A larger binary number or a high-resolution ADC can accommodate more converted values compared to a low-resolution ADC. For example, a 4-bit ADC has 16 (24) values from 0 to 15 for representing an analog signal. Whereas, an 8-bit ADC has 256 (28) values from 0 to 255 for representation.
Before proceeding further, it is essential to first understand the major difference of continuity between an analog and digital signal.
Analog and Digital Signals
In the following figure, a potentiometer is used to select different voltage levels from 0 to VMAX depending on the position of the potentiometer’s knob. Whilst, moving through this range there is no obvious step or abrupt change in output voltage and finer values can be selected, carefully. In other words, it can be said that whilst moving from 0 to VMAX or any in-between positions of the potentiometer’s knob, the change in the output signal is continuous. This resembles analog signals generated by real-world sensors such as temperature, pressure, sound, and light intensity levels.
Figure 1: A potentiometer and its analog output
In contrast, the following figure shows different selectable positions of a rotary switch. Here, the range from 0 to VMAX, has been divided into different stages or levels which are selectable by rotary switch. Each stage comprises a resistor which is in series with preceding levels. This arrangement causes a voltage drop of a fixed level due to a fixed resistor at each level and as the resistors are also the same in values, therefore, each stage drops 1V. Hence, this kind of rotary switch has selectable voltage levels of 0V, 1V, 2V, 3V, 4V, and 5V. The output of such a rotary switch is discrete or non-continuous. Similarly, a “LOW” or a “HIGH” value, in the case of binary, is referred to as a digital signal as it represents discrete values.
Figure 2: A rotary switch and its discrete output
Analog to Digital Converter
There are many ways to convert an analog signal into a digital equivalent and, as such, different electronic circuits can be constructed to achieve the conversion process. The easiest and more understandable ADC circuit can be constructed using discrete components such as multiple comparator converters or flash converters. In this, a number of comparator circuits are utilized to detect various voltage levels and are fed into an encoder. A comparison of an input signal is made against a reference voltage level to decide its voltage level or bin.
Comparator Circuit
A single-bit comparator circuit can be constructed using an operational amplifier (op-am), such as LM339. An op-amp has two inputs: positive and negative and are used for comparing signals. An input signal (VIN) is applied on one pin whilst VREF is connected to the other pin. The comparison yields either “+V” or “0V” which can be translated into “HIGH” or “LOW”, respectively.
Figure 3: A comparator circuit
In case, an input (VIN) is less than (VREF) or (VIN < VREF) then the output is “LOW” and if an input (VIN) is greater than (VREF) or (VIN > VREF) then the output is “HIGH”. In the above figure, VREF is the output of a voltage divider circuit. As both resistors have the same value (ideally), therefore, voltage is divided into half (V/2) which is fed into the comparator as a VREF. So, an input signal in the voltage range of 0 to V/2 will yield an “0” output and an input signal’s voltage falling from V/2 to V gives a “1” output. So, a 1-bit is generated from such a comparator indicating the voltage category of an input signal. Generally, a (2n – 1) comparator would be required to generate a binary output comprising n-bits.
2-bit Analog to Digital Converter Circuit
In the following figure, a 2-bit DAC has been shown comprising of 3 comparators and that could be verified also using the formula (2n – 1) which gives a result of 3 for n = 2. In this circuit, four resistors of the same values are used that produce ideally equal voltage drops at the input of comparators. The input signal is compared by all comparators with these respective voltage drops.
Figure 4: A circuit of 2-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
In order to ease the understanding process, VREF is kept at 4V so there is an ideally 1V drop across each of these four (04) resistors. So, when the input voltage is (0 < VIN <1V) then the output of all three comparators is zero i.e. D1 = D2 = D3 = 0, and the priority encoder outputs “00”. A priority encoder such as TTL 74LS148 uses priorities that are allocated to each input. In simple words, a priority encoder here converts or encodes three (03) inputs into a 2-bit digital number.
Likewise, continuing with the comparison process of the input signal, if the input voltage is (1 < VIN < 2V) then comparator (U1) will output a “HIGH” signal as, in this case, input voltage (VIN) is greater than the (VREF1 = 1V). The inputs at the priority encoder will be D1 = D2 = 0 and D3 = 1 which generates an output of “01”.
The same comparison procedure is followed for input voltages falling within ranges of 2 to 3V & 3 to 4V. The following table illustrates the input & output conditions of input voltage, comparator outputs, and digital outputs of the priority encoder.
The priority encoders are usually available commercially for 8-to-3-bit devices i.e. TTL 74LS148, whereas, in the above 2-bit ADC, a 4-to-2-bit priority encoder is used. A 4-to-2-bit priority encoder can be constructed using discrete components as shown in the following figure.
Figure 5: A circuit of a 2-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) using discrete logic gates
In the above circuit, Exclusive-OR (XOR) gates are used to generate output by comparing the outputs of adjacent comparators. In case, there are differentiating inputs i.e. “HIGH” and “LOW” or vice versa then XOR generates a “HIGH” signal and, a “LOW”, whenever both inputs are the same. The diodes are used to allow uni-directional flow of signal and pull-down resistors ensuring that none of the outputs floats to give erroneous digital outputs.
However, the resolution of this circuit is somewhat low i.e. 1V, and this can be improved by using higher resolution ADC such as a 3-bit ADC.
3-bit Analog to Digital Converter
In a 3-bit ADC, a total of seven (07) comparators are required according to (2n – 1) using n = 3, and the voltage drop circuit will contain eight (08) resistors, accordingly. This means that stages of comparison have been increased from three (03) to seven (07) and the voltage comparison level has reduced from 1V to 0.5V (4V/8). So, this 3-bit ADC will be able to sense a change in voltage of 0.5V compared to 1V of a 2-bit ADC, consequently, yielding a high-resolution performance.
Figure 6: A circuit of 3-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC)
The following table depicts the comparator and digital outputs compared to input signal ranges for a 3-bit ADC.
Similarly, the construction of a 4-bit ADC requires 15 (24 – 1) comparators, and, likewise, 255 (28 – 1) & 1023 (210 – 1) comparators are required for 8-bit & 10-bit ADCs, respectively. So, with the increase in resolution, the circuitry becomes more and more complex. However, the parallel or flash-type analog to digital converters has the advantage of processing comparisons in parallel yielding a faster conversion result at its outputs.
Conclusion
A digital-to-analog converter is an electronic circuit that interfaces with real-world signals and encodes them into a digital signal that is more suitable for data manipulation, storage, and transmission.
The real-world signals generally represent physical quantities that are measured using different sensory systems such as temperature, pressure, electric & magnetic fields, sound & light intensity levels, etc. These real-world signals are analog signals that are continuous and contain infinite information.
A digital signal is discrete in nature and has fixed steps or levels. Such as a binary signal has only zeros and ones or 0V & 5V in terms of voltage levels. The digital or binary signals are suitable for processing in digital systems with capabilities of manipulating, storing, and transmitting this digital data.
A simple and widely used analog-to-digital converter is a flash or multiple comparators-based circuit that processes signal comparison in parallel using (2n – 1) comparators. Where “n” represents the number of digital output bits.
The number of bits (n) defines the resolution of an ADC and a high-resolution ADC is more accurate in converting analog to digital signals because of the higher sensitivity to the magnitude of analog signal.
The circuity of a flash or parallel comparator type ADC becomes more and more complex with the increase of resolution or number of output bits it produces. However, its conversion process is faster due to the simultaneous comparison of input signals across all comparators.
With impressive graphics, advanced security and safety features, rich connectivity, and AI/ML capabilities
Variscite, a leading worldwide System on Module (SoM) designer, developer and manufacturer, today announced the upcoming release of the new DART-MX95 for high-performance edge applications including industrial, medical, aviation, IoT, robotics, vision-capable and smart edge devices.
Designed for high-end scalable computing, DART-MX95 is based on NXP’s i.MX 95 application processor family. This energy flex architecture includes multiple heterogeneous processing domains with up to 6 cores, 2.0 GHz Arm Cortex®-A55, two independent real-time co-processors for safety/low-power, and real-time use, consisting of 250 MHz Arm Cortex-M7 and 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M33.
DART-MX95 key features:
Up to 6 cores 2.0 GHz Arm Cortex®-A55
Real-time co-processors 250 MHz Arm Cortex-M7 and 800 MHz Arm Cortex-M33
High-performance NPU for AI/ML operations
Up to 16 GB LPDDR5 and 128 eMMC
Wireless: Certified dual-band 802.11ax/ac/a/b/g/n with optional 802.15.4 + BT/BLE5.3
Connectivity: 2x GbE + 10GbE, 2x PCIe Gen 3.0, 2x USB 3.0/2.0, CAN FD, UART/USART, I2C/I3C, SPI/QSPI and ADC
2D/3D GPU with support for OpenGL®ES 3.2, Vulkan®2, OpenCL™ 3.0
The platform presents an impressive 2D/3D graphics accelerator powered by Arm Mali™, advanced multimedia, integrated NPU accelerator and ISP, high safety and security capabilities that meet the ASIL-B and SIL2 compliances, and a rich high-speed connectivity set.
“As a Platinum partner with early access to NXP’s technology, Variscite has an enormous advantage in developing the next-gen System on Modules that give our customers the ability to create embedded devices of the future today,” said Ofer Austerlitz, VP Business Development and Sales of Variscite. “The DART-MX95 is a powerful addition to Variscite’s DART Pin2Pin family. It expands the scalability options this product family offers and future-proof customer’s applications.”
DART-MX95 is part of Variscite’s DART Pin2Pin family which enables compatibility with modules based on the i.MX 8M/ 8M Plus/ 8M Mini. The Pin2Pin family provides an extended lifespan, reduced development time, costs, and risks as well as scalability to additional modules.
The MIX-ALPSD1 provides the foundation for flexible, discreet integration.
AAEON, a leading producer of industrial motherboards, has announced the release of the MIX-ALPSD1, a Mini-ITX that supports up to 45W CPUs from the 12th Generation Intel® Core™ Processors for IoT Edge platform (formerly Alder Lake PS).
In choosing this CPU range, the MIX-ALPSD1 benefits from the strong processing power and efficient performance hybrid architecture that characterizes the 12th generation’s mobile processor line, while retaining the flexibility of its LGA1700 socket-type desktop CPU range.
Targeting the smart kiosk market, the MIX-ALPSD1 is available with a fanless thermal dissipation options when paired with a 15W CPU (UL SKU) from the platform’s lineup. This has the benefit of providing quieter operation and lower power consumption, while also maintaining substantial processing power of up to 10 cores (2 P-cores, 8 E-cores) and 12 threads.
The MIX-ALPSD1 offers three simultaneous 4K displays at 60Hz, courtesy of two HDMI 2.0 ports and eDP pin header. LVDS is also available via internal connector, colayed with the aforementioned eDP. The board’s support for Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics with up to 96 graphics execution units and CPU-derived AI acceleration features via Intel® Deep Learning Boost mean it can provide sophisticated display outputs across multiple screens, again conducive to powering applications within its target market.
For data acquisition and security, the MIX-ALPSD1 contains an external I/O made up of three USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports and two RJ-45 ports for Realtek® RTL8111H-CG gigabit ethernet. It also hosts multiple internal connectors, including an AAFP header for HD audio, a digital I/O header, and four COM box headers providing one RS-232/422/485 and three RS-232 interfaces.
To expedite data transmission while utilizing these communication protocols, the board has two SODIMM slots for 4800MHz DDR5, while it also boosts data security with onboard TPM 2.0.
For storage, the MIX-ALPSD1 can accommodate a 6Gb/s SATA SSD, as well as possessing an M.2 2280 M-Key slot for NVMe. Further expansion is available in the form of an M.2 3042 B-Key and M.2 2230 E-Key slot, which opens the door to 5G and Wi-Fi module installation.
The MIX-ALPSD1 is now in mass production and available on the eShop as a barebone kit, while further pricing information and components are available through AAEON’s contact form.
For more information about the MIX-ALPSD1, please visit its product page.
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