The project presented here is made for applications such as Animatronics, Puppeteer, sound-responsive toys, and robotics. The board is Arduino compatible and consists of LM358 OPAMP, ATMEGA328 microcontroller, microphone, and a few other components. The project moves the RC servo once receives any kind of sound. The rotation angle depends on the sound level, the higher the sound level the biggest the movement, in other words, the movement of the servo is proportional to the sound level. The microphone picks up the soundwave and converts it to an electrical signal, this signal is amplified by LM358 op-amp-based dual-stage amplifier, D1 helps to rectify the sinewave into DC, and C8 works as a filter capacitor that smooths the DC voltage. ATmega328 microcontroller converts this DC voltage into a suitable RC PWM signal.
The project is Arduino compatible and an onboard connector is provided for the boot-loader and Arduino IDE programming. Arduino code is available as a download, and Atmega328 chips need to be programmed with a bootloader before uploading the code. Users may modify the code as per requirement. More information on burning the bootloader is here: https://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/BuiltInExamples/ArduinoToBreadboard
Direct Audio Input: The audio input signal should not exceed 5V, It is important to maintain the input audio signal at this maximum level, otherwise it can damage the ADC of ATMEGA328.
Features
Supply 5V to 6V DC (Battery Power Advisable)
RC Servo Movement 180 Degrees with Loud sound
Direct Sound Input Facility Using 3.5MM RC Jack
On Board Jumper Selection for Micro-Phone Audio or External Audio Signal
On Board Trimmer Potentiometer to Adjust the Signal Sensitivity
Flexible Operation, Parameters Can be Changed using Arduino Code
/*
Controlling a servo position using a potentiometer (variable resistor)
by Michal Rinott <http://people.interaction-ivrea.it/m.rinott>
modified on 8 Nov 2013
by Scott Fitzgerald
http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Knob
*/
#include <Servo.h>
Servo myservo; // create servo object to control a servo
int potpin = A2; // analog pin used to connect the potentiometer
int val; // variable to read the value from the analog pin
void setup() {
myservo.attach(6); // attaches the servo on pin 6 to the servo object
}
void loop() {
val = analogRead(potpin); // reads the value of the potentiometer (value between 0 and 60)
val = map(val, 0, 60, 0, 180); // scale it for use with the servo (value between 0 and 180)
myservo.write(val); // sets the servo position according to the scaled value
delay(15); // waits for the servo to get there
}
The LILYGO T5 4.7 inchE-Paper ESP32 Development Board is an exciting 4.7″ e-paper display integrated with an ESP32 WiFi/Bluetooth module. The board’s processor is ESP32-WROVER-E with 16MB of FLASH memory and 8MB of PSRAM. The ESP32 module supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth V4.2+BLE and can easily be programmed with Arduino IDE, VS Code, or ESP-IDF. The board can be purchased on Alliexpress for 38.33 EUR + shipping or Tindie for 28.13 + shipping. This display is ideal for building a weather station that will fetch weather data from OpenWeatherMap via simple API usage. So in this tutorial, we will follow the steps to make a weather station like the photo above. We will work on a Windows PC to program the display, but the same can be done in Linux or Mac OS.
Specifications
MCU: ESP32-WROVER-E (ESP32-D0WDQ6 V3)
FLASH: 16MB
PRAM: 8MB
USB to TTL: CP2104
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n & Bluetooth V4.2+BLE
Onboard functions: Buttons: IO39+IO34+IO35+IO0, Battery Power Detection
Power Supply: 18650 Battery or 3.7V lithium Battery (PH 2.0 pitch)
First of all, we will need to install the USB to Serial (CH343) Drivers if we don’t have this done previously. Depending on your Windows version you will need:
Next click Tools, and select Boards: -> Boards Manager . It will open the left pane with a list of boards. Type ESP32 into the search field. Find ESP32 by Espressif Systems, and click Install.
Preparing the Code
Download LilyGo-EPD47 library to the C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\Documents\Arduino\libraries folder on your system:
Download and extract LilyGo-EPD-4-7-OWM-Weather-Display to your directory with Arduino projects. This directory is normally located in C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\Documents\Arduino.
The project folder name should match the name of the source code file (OWM_EPD47_epaper_v2.5). This is done to avoid the unnecessary step of moving the files later.
Open Arduino IDE 2.0, click File, -> Sketchbook, -> OWM_EPD47_epaper_v2.5.
The sketch requires ArduinoJson Library to successfully build.
Click Tools, ->Manage libraries. The pane with Library Manager will open, then type ArduinoJson into the search field. Find ArduinoJson by Benoit Blanchon, click Install.
Then click the tick button on the top menu to compile the code. If everything is successful it should show:
Once you verify that the code is compiled you can move on to the next step.
Configuring Parameters
Open the file owm_credentials.h and configure ssid, password, apikey, City, and Country.
The project is fetching data from openweathermap.org so you will need to create a new free account in order to get API key.
Power Saving
The project code supports power saving, so if you’re flashing in the early before 08.00 or after 23.00, you might notice that nothing appears on the display.
To change the power-saving options open file OWM_EPD47_epaper_v2.5.ino and change WakeupHour and SleepHour to a value that suits your schedule.
Uploading the Code
Connect the LilyGO T5 4.7-inch e-paper display to your PC-> Select the board from the dropdown in the toolbar. Search for the ESP32 Wrover module and click Ok.
Click the Upload button.
If the flashing is successful, your weather will be displayed on the e-paper like the photos below.
This is an original design of a GPS tracker designed on Elab and it is intended to be used as a security device for beehives, but it is not limited to this. It can be used everywhere a motion-activated GPS tracker is needed, like your car, bike, or even your boat. It is a GPS tracker controlled by simple SMS commands and designed for reliability,low power consumption, and easeof use. It features a MEMS accelerometer that is used to intelligently detect movement and once triggered it will power on the GPS module and will try to acquire the current coordinates. The location details will be transmitted to the owner’s smartphone via a simple SMS and then follow update the coordinates at predefined intervals.
Key Features:
Remote management via simple SMS commands
High reliability – no need to babysit the tracker due to crashes and resets
Long battery life – over 1 year standby on a single charge (2500mAh battery)
3-axis high-sensitivity MEMS Accelerometer
Intelligent Triggering – it will not be triggered by accidental movement
Selectable Trigger Sensitivity Level
Description of Operation
The tracker has 3 main modes of operation, detailed below:
Standby
Ready
Tracking
Standby mode
In standby mode, the GSM and GPS modules are powered down and the microcontroller is in sleep mode, resulting in a current draw of approximately 70uA, mainly by the accelerometer (MMA7660). The accelerometer is used to detect movement caused by a possible thief. If the accelerometer is triggered 1 or 2 or 3 times (depending on the sensitivity level) inside of a 60-second window then the device will enter tracking mode. While in standby mode the tracker will also enter ready mode approximately every 12 hours, triggered by the microcontroller’s internal RTC. This is to check for incoming commands and battery status etc.
Ready mode
The ready mode is entered by the microcontroller’s internal RTC and when the tracker is first powered on. In this mode, the tracker will power up the GSM module and wait for any SMSs to come in and process them. The tracker will stay in ready mode for 5 minutes before returning to standby mode unless an SMS command has instructed the device to enter tracking mode (BEE+TRIGGER).
Tracking mode
Tracking mode is entered when manually instructed to by the BEE+TRIGGER command or after the accelerometer triggers (1 or 2 or 3 movements detect depending on sensitivity level) within a 60-second window, from either standby or ready modes. In tracking mode, the tracker will power up both the GSM and GPS modules and begin to send tracking alert SMSs to the number configured by the BEE+NUMBER command. The device will continue to stay in tracking mode until the BEE+CLEAR command is received or while the accelerometer is detecting movement and/or the GPS module has a lock and the speed is greater than 10KPH. If neither of these conditions is met for 6 minutes then the tracker will send a tracking stopped SMS and return to standby mode, or ready mode if the RTC was triggered within the last 5 minutes.
Power up and Battery Status
In ready and tracking modes if the battery voltage falls below the threshold voltage (3650mV default) then a low battery alert SMS will be sent to the number configured by BEE+NUMBER. Approximately every 30 days (60 RTC triggers) an automated status SMS is also sent to the number configured by BEE+NUMBER.
When power is first applied to the device the tracker will be in ready mode and it will check for incoming SMS and then go to sleep. This is the ideal time to configure the tracker with the BEE+NUMBER number. This is the number that tracking messages, monthly status reports, and low battery alerts will be sent. The phone number is stored in the microcontroller’s FLASH memory and it will be permanently saved, even if battery power is removed. At power-up, the tracker will send a status SMS and also ignore any movement detected by the accelerometer for the first 60 seconds.
The Hardware
Hover images for details
Block Diagram
MCU
The tracker uses an ST STM32F030K6 microcontroller (ARM Cortex-M0, 32-bit RISC core), with 32KB of flash, and 4KB of RAM, and operates at up to 48MHz. The STM32F030K6 microcontroller operates in the -40 to +85 °C temperature range from a 2.4 to 3.6V power supply. A comprehensive set of power-saving modes allows the design of low-power applications. Currently, the firmware is taking roughly 24KB of flash (with debugging output enabled) and 1.7KB of RAM. The microcontroller is running at 8MHz and is supplied with 3V.
GSM module
The GSM module is a SIMCom SIM800C and uses the UART bus to communicate with the MCU. The GSM module is power-gated with a P-MOSFET, controlled by the MCU, as its own low-power modes are not sufficient for this project. SIM800C supports Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz, it can transmit Voice, SMS and data information with low power consumption. With a tiny size of 17.6*15.7*2.3mm, it can smoothly fit into our small board. The module is controlled via AT commands and has a supply voltage range 3.4 ~ 4.4V.
GPS module
The GPS module is a u-blox NEO-6M and uses the I2C bus to communicate with the MCU. There is also a UART connection to the microcontroller as a fallback if the I2C interface does not work (usually the case with Chinese fakes). So, the tracker will work with the original NEO-6M as well as Chinese fake modules. The microcontroller implements the UART interface in software (via timer interrupts), operating at 9600 baud. The GPS module is power-gated with a P-MOSFET, controlled by the MCU, as its own low-power modes are not sufficient. The NEO-6M is powered in the range of 2.7 – 3.6V and has a size of 12.2 x 16 x 2.4mm. More details and design considerations can be found in the Hardware Integration Manual of NEO-6 GPS Modules Series and u-blox 6Receiver Description.
Supported GPS modules:
U-blox NEO-5M
U-blox NEO-6M
U-blox NEO-7M
U-blox NEO-M8N
Various Chinese fakes using AT6558 and similar (if the PCB footprint is the same then it will probably work)
Accelerometer
The accelerometer IC is the MMA7660FC and uses the I2C bus to communicate with the MCU. The MMA7660FC is a ±1.5g 3-Axis Accelerometer with Digital Output (I2C). It is a very low power, low profile capacitive MEMS sensor featuring a low pass filter, compensation for 0g offset and gain errors, and conversion to 6-bit digital values at a user-configurable sample per second. In OFF Mode it consumes 0.4 μA, in Standby Mode: 2 μA, in Active mode 47 μA and is powered in the range 2.4 V – 3.6 V. The accelerometer is always active, set up to create an interrupt whenever a shake or orientation change is detected, and is configured with a sampling rate of 8Hz (higher sampling rates improve detection, but also increase power consumption). The interrupt will wake up the microcontroller, where it will run through the main loop. In this loop it checks the interrupt status, and if set it will clear the interrupt and increment a counter at a maximum of once per second. The counter is reset every minute. If the counter reaches 3 the tracker is activated.
Battery Charger
The Li-Ion battery charging IC is MCP73832, which has a user-programmable charge current and the battery charge rate is set to 450mA. It includes an integrated pass transistor, integrated current sensing, and reverse discharge protection. It is usually recommended to charge Lithium batteries at no more than 0.5C, so the recommended minimum battery capacity to use with the tracker is 900mAh.
With a 2500mAh battery, standby current of 70uA, and waking up every 12 hours for 5 minutes with an estimated average current of 15mA the battery life should be approximately 1.5 years. A poor GSM signal can reduce battery life.
Status LEDs
LED
Description
States
LED1
Battery charging state
OFF: Battery not charging (no USB power or battery fully charged) ON: Charging
LED2
GSM state
OFF: GSM is powered off FAST BLINK: GSM is not connected to a network (usually no signal or no SIM) SLOW BLINK: GSM is connected to the network
LED3
MCU Operating mode
OFF: Standby mode ON: Ready or tracking mode
LED4
GPS state
OFF: GPS is powered off FAST BLINK: GPS is acquiring a lock SLOW BLINK: GPS has a lock
SMS Commands
Command
Description
BEE+STATUS
Returns battery voltage - temperature - GSM signal strength - tracking enabled - is tracking - last GPS coordinates -sensitivity level.
BEE+CLEAR
If the tracker has been triggered this will clear it and stop tracking until the next trigger.
BEE+TRIGGER
Manually trigger tracking (will trigger even if disabled with BEE+DISABLE). Tracking will stay enabled until BEE+CLEAR is received.
BEE+ENABLE
Enable tracking triggers
BEE+DISABLE
Disable tracking triggers.
BEE+NUMBER=0123499988
This sets the mobile number to send tracking - low battery warning and monthly status SMSs to. Other command replies are sent to the number that the command was sent from.
BEE+NUMBER=+441234999888
International numbers must start with + then the country code.
BEE+SENSE=1/2/3
This is the sensitivity level - 1 high sensitivity - 2 medium sensitivity - 3 low sensitivity.
LOW BATTERY: (battery voltage)mV (threshold voltage mV)
LOW BATTERY: 3400mV (3650mV)
Programming
The device firmware can be programmed via the SWD interface, which is the 4-pin programming header on the PCB marked RST (reset), SWD (SWDIO), SWC (SWCLK) and GND (ground). An ST-LINK/V2 USB adapter is needed to program the device, which is available from ebay, aliexpress, and other places for less than £3.
3D Render
Debugging
Debugging data is sent out of the UART interface through the TX pin of the debugging header on the PCB, at 115200 baud. This pin is also shared with the SWD interface (SWC). The RX pin is unused but made available for possible use in the future.
Format
(<time>)(<module>)<message>
“time” is in milliseconds and only increments while the microcontroller is not in standby mode. “module” is either “DBG” (general messages), “TRK” (tracker), “GSM”, “GPS”, “SMS”, “MGR” (MGR is the SMS manager which controls when queued SMSs are sent, retried etc.)
A 3D model of the enclosure is designed using Solidworks with overall dimensions of 60 x 20 x 112 mm. The enclosure has two holes, one for the charging micro USB connector and one to fit a mini rocker power switch. The provided design files (download .STEP and .STL files below) can be used to print your own enclosure in your desired color and material. The screws used to secure the enclosure are M3 x 10mm countersunk screws. Design is made by professional engineer janangachandima and you can find his services on the Fiverr page.
This is a DC-DC step-up converter based on LM2585-ADJ regulator manufactured by Texas Instruments. This IC was chosen for its simplicity of use, requiring minimal external components and for its ability to control the output voltage by defining the feedback resistors (R1,R2). NPN switching/power transistor is integrated inside the regulator and is able to withstand 3A maximum current and 65V maximum voltage. Switching frequency is defined by internal oscillator and it’s fixed at 100KHz.
The power switch is a 3-A NPN device that can standoff 65 V. Protecting the power switch are current and thermal limiting circuits and an under-voltage lockout circuit. This IC contains a 100-kHz fixed-frequency internal oscillator that permits the use of small magnetics. Other features include soft start mode to reduce in-rush current during start-up, current mode control for improved rejection of input voltage, and output load transients and cycle-by-cycle current limiting. An output voltage tolerance of ±4%, within specified input voltages and output load conditions, is specified for the power supply system.
Specifications
Vin: 10-15V DC
Vout: 24V DC
Iout: 1A (can go up to 1.5A with forced cooling)
Switching Frequency: 100KHz
Schematic is a simple boost topology arrangement based on datasheet. Input capacitors and diode should be placed close enough to the regulator to minimize the inductance effects of PCB traces. IC1, L1, D1, C1,C2 and C5,C6 are the main parts used in voltage conversion. Capacitor C3 is a high-frequency bypass capacitor and should be placed as close to IC1 as possible.
All components are selected for their low loss characteristics. So capacitors selected have low ESR and inductor selected has low DC resistance.
At maximum output power, there is significant heat produced by IC1 and for that reason, we mounted it directly on the ground plane to achieve maximum heat dissipation.
Block Diagram
Measurements
Thermal Performance
Photos
If you would like to receive a PCB, we can ship you one for 6$ (worldwide shipping) click here to contact us
Parts List
Part
Value
Package
MPN
Mouser No
C1 C2
33uF 25V 1Ω
6.3 x 5.4mm
UWX1E330MCL1GB
647-UWX1E330MCL1
C3
0.1uF 50V 0Ω
1206
C1206C104J5RACTU
80-C1206C104J5R
C4
1uF 25V
1206
C1206C105K3RACTU
80-C1206C105K3R
C5 C6
220uF 35V 0.15Ω
10 x 10.2mm
EEE-FC1V221P
667-EEE-FC1V221P
D1
0.45 V 3A 40V Schottky
SMB
B340LB-13-F
621-B340LB-F
IC1
LM2585S-ADJ
TO-263
LM2585S-ADJ/NOPB
926-LM2585S-ADJ/NOPB
L1
120 uH 0.04Ω
30.5 x 25.4 x 22.1 mm
PM2120-121K-RC
542-PM2120-121K-RC
R1
28 KΩ
1206
ERJ-8ENF2802V
667-ERJ-8ENF2802V
R2 R3
1.5 KΩ
1206
ERJ-8ENF1501V
667-ERJ-8ENF1501V
R4
1 KΩ
1206
RT1206FRE07931KL
603-RT1206FRE07931KL
LED1
RED LED 20mA 2.1V
0805
599-0120-007F
645-599-0120-007F
Connections
Gerber View
Simulation
We’ve done a simulation of the LM2585 step-up DC-DC converter using the TI’s WEBENCH online software tools and some of the results are presented here.
The first graph is the open-loop BODE graph. In this graph, we see a plot of GAIN vs FREQUENCY in the range 1Hz – 1M and PHASE vs FREQUENCY in the same range. This plot is useful as it gives us a detailed view of the stability of the loop and thus the stability and performance of our DC-DC converter.
Bode plot of open control loop
What’s interesting on this plot is the “phase margin” and “gain margin“. The gain margin is the gain for -180deg phase shift and phase margin is the phase difference from 180deg for 0db gain as shown in the plot above. For the system to be considered stable there should be enough phase margin (>30deg) for 0db gain or when phase is -180deg the gain should be less than 0db.
On the plot above we see that the phase margin is ~90deg and that ensures that the DC-DC converter will be stable over the measured range.
The next simulation graph is the Input Transient plot over time.
Input Transient simulation
In this plot, we see how the output voltage is recovering when the input voltage is stepped from 10V to 15V. We see that 4ms after the input voltage is stepped the output has recovered to the normal output voltage of 24V.
The next graph is the Load Transient.
Load Transient simulation
Load transient is the response of output voltage to sudden changes of load or Iout. We see that the output current suddenly changes from 0,1A to 1A and that the output voltage drops down to 23,2V until it recovers in about 3ms. We also see that when the load is reduced from 1A to 0,1A, output voltage spikes up to ~25,5V, then rings until it recovers to 24V in about 4ms.
The last graph shows the Steady State operation of DC-DC converter @ 1A output.
This graph shows the simulated output voltage ripple and inductor current. We see that output voltage ripple is ~0,6Vpp and the inductor current has a peak current of 2,4A. The inductor we used is rated at max 5,6A DC so it can easily withstand such operating current and without much heating of the coil.
Operating point data (Vin=13V, Iout=1A)
Operating Values
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) frequency
Frequency
100 kHz
Continuous or Discontinuous Conduction mode
Mode
Cont
Total Output Power
Pout
24.0 W
Vin operating point
Vin Op
13.00 V
Iout operating point
Iout Op
1.00 A
Operating Point at Vin= 13.00 V,1.00 A
Bode Plot Crossover Frequency, indication of bandwidth of supply
Cross Freq
819 Hz
Steady State PWM Duty Cycle, range limits from 0 to 100
Duty Cycle
48.3 %
Steady State Efficiency
Efficiency
93.2 %
IC Junction Temperature
IC Tj
65.2 °C
IC Junction to Ambient Thermal Resistance
IC ThetaJA
34.9 °C/W
Current Analysis
Input Capacitor RMS ripple current
Cin IRMS
0.14 A
Output Capacitor RMS ripple current
Cout IRMS
0.48 A
Peak Current in IC for Steady State Operating Point
IC Ipk
2.2 A
ICs Maximum rated peak current
IC Ipk Max
3.0 A
Average input current
Iin Avg
2.0 A
Inductor ripple current, peak-to-peak value
L Ipp
0.50 A
Power Dissipation Analysis
Input Capacitor Power Dissipation
Cin Pd
0.01 W
Output Capacitor Power Dissipation
Cout Pd
0.035 W
Diode Power Dissipation
Diode Pd
0.45 W
IC Power Dissipation
IC Pd
1.0 W
Inductor Power Dissipation
L Pd
0.16 W
Configuring Output Voltage
The output voltage is configured by R1, R2 according to the following expression (Vref=1,23V)
VOUT = VREF (1 + R1/R2)
If R2 has a value between 1k and 5k we can use this expression to calculate R1:
R1 = R2 (VOUT/VREF − 1)
For better thermal response and stability it is suggested to use 1% metal film resistors.
Nixie tubes need about ~180Vdc to light up and thus on most devices, a DC-DC converter is needed. Here we designed a simple DC-DC switching regulator capable of powering most of Nixie tubes. The board accepts 12Vdc input and gives an output of 150-250Vdc. The board is heavily inspired by Nick de Smith’s design.
Description
The module is based on the MAX1771 Step-Up DC-DC Controller. The controller works up to 300kHz switching frequency and that allows the usage of miniature surface mount components. In the default configuration, it accepts an input voltage from 2V to Vout and outputs 12V, but in this module, the output voltage is selected using the onboard potentiometer and it’s in the range 150-250Vdc. The maximum output current is 50mA @ 180Vdc.
The MAX1771 is driving an external N-channel MOSFET (IRF740) and with the help of the inductor and a fast diode, high voltage is produced.
MOSFET has to be low RDSon, the diode has to be fast Mttr, typically < 50nS, and capacitors have to be low ESR type to have good efficiency.
Precautions must be taken as this power supply uses high voltages. Build it only if you know what you are dealing with. Don’t touch any of the parts while in use.
Pay attention on the placement of C1 tantalum capacitor, as the bar indicates the anode (positive lead)
Schematic
Parts List
Part
Value
LCSC.com
R1
1.5M - 0805 SMD
C118025
R3
10k 0805
C269724
R4
5k trimmer SMD
C128557
Rs
0.05 Ohm - 0805 SMD
C149662
C1
100uF Tantalium SMD
C122302
C2, C3
100nF - 0805 SMD
C396718
C4
4.7uF / 250V SMD
C88702
C5
100nF / 250V SMD 1210
C52020
IC
MAX1771 SO-8
C407903
L1
100uH / 2.5 A
C2962892
Q1
IRF740 D2PAK (TO-263-2)
C39238
D2
ES2F-E3, ES2GB
C145321, C2844160
X1, X2
Screw Terminal - P=3.5mm
C474892
Oscilloscope Measurements
Efficiency
The module’s efficiency is calculated for two output currents (50mA and 25mA) at 180Vdc voltage output and 12V input. In the first case, the Pout = 8.1W while the Pin=10.96W, so efficiency is calculated at 73.9%. In the second case, the Pout = 4.1W while the Pin=5.52W, so efficiency is calculated at 74.2%. We see that for lower currents efficiency is a little greater than for the maximum current of 50mA.
This is a minimal and small clock based on PIC16F628A microcontroller and DS1307 RTC IC. It is able to only show the time on a small 7-segment display with a total of 4 segments. The display we used is a 0.28″ SR440281N RED common cathode display bought from LCSC.com, but you can use other displays as well such as the 0.56″ Kingbright CC56-21SRWA. This project is heavily inspired by the “Simple Digital Clock with PIC16F628A and DS1307” in the case of schematic and we also used the same .hex as”Christo”.
Schematic
The schematic is straight forward. The heart is the PIC16F628A microcontroller running on the internal 4MHz oscillator, so no external crystal is needed. This saves us 2 additional IOs. The RESET Pin (MCLR) is also used as input for one of the buttons. All display segments are connected to PORTB and COMs are connected to PORTA. The RTC chip is also connected to PORTA using the I2C bus.
The refresh rate of the digits is about 53Hz and there is no visible flickering. The display segments are time-multiplexed and this makes them appear dimmer than the specifications. To compensate we are going to use some low resistors on the anodes. “Christo” tested it with different values for current limiting resistors R1-R7 and below 220Ω the microcontroller starts to misbehave (some of the digits start to flicker) above 220 Ohm everything seems OK. On the display we used the two middle dots are not connected to any pin on the package, so for the seconds’ indicators, we used the “comma” dots. These pins are connected to the SQW pin of the DS1307, which provides a square wave output with 1 sec period. The SQW pin is open drain, so we need to add a pull-up resistor. Τhe value of this resistor is chosen at 470Ω, after some trial and error testing. On the input side of the MCU, there are two buttons for adjusting the MINUTES and HOURS of the clock as indicated on the schematic. Onboard there is also an ICSP Programming connector, to help with the firmware upload. Finally, there is one unused pin left (RB7), which can be used for additional functionality, like adding a buzzer or an additional LED.
The DS1307 RTC needs an external crystal to keep the internal clock running and a backup battery to keep it running while the main power is OFF. So, the next time you power ON the clock the time would be current. To keep the overall board dimensions small we used a CR1220 battery holder with the appropriate 3V battery. Power consumption is about 35-40mA @ 5V input.
Code
According to the author, the code is written and compiled with MikroC Pro and uses the build-in software I2C library for communicating with RTC chip. If you want to use MPLAB IDE for compiling the code you should write your own I2C library from scratch. For programming the board we used PICkit 3 programmer and software. In this case, in the “Tools” menu check the option “Use VPP First Program Entry“.
The code for this project is listed below. Additionally, you will need the “Digital Clock (PIC16F628A, DS1307, v2).h” file which can be found on the .zip in downloads below. Compiled .hex file is also provided on the same .zip file.
#include "Digital Clock (PIC16F628A, DS1307, v2).h"
#define b1 RA6_bit
#define b2 RA5_bit
// b1_old, b2_old - old state of button pins
// hour10, hour1 - tens and ones of the hour
// min10, min1 = tens and ones of the minutes
byte b1_old, b2_old, hour1, hour10, min1, min10;
// definitions for Software_I2C library
sbit Soft_I2C_Scl at RA0_bit;
sbit Soft_I2C_Sda at RA7_bit;
sbit Soft_I2C_Scl_Direction at TRISA0_bit;
sbit Soft_I2C_Sda_Direction at TRISA7_bit;
// correct bits for each digit
// RB6 RB5 RB4 RB3 RB2 RB1 RB0
// g f e d c b a
// 0: 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 0x3F
// 1: 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0x06
// 2: 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0x5B
// 3: 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 0x4F
// 4: 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0x66
// 5: 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0x6D
// 6: 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0x7D
// 7: 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0x07
// 8: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0x7F
// 9: 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 0x6F
// BL: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0x00
const byte segments[11] = {0x3F, 0x06, 0x5B, 0x4F, 0x66, 0x6D, 0x7D, 0x07, 0x7F, 0x6F, 0x00};
//***********************************************//
// Sets read or write mode at select address //
//***********************************************//
void DS1307_Select(byte Read, byte address) {
Soft_I2C_Start();
Soft_I2C_Write(0xD0); // start write mode
Soft_I2C_Write(address); // write the initial address
if (Read) {
Soft_I2C_Stop();
Soft_I2C_Start();
Soft_I2C_Write(0xD1); // start read mode
}
}
//********************************//
// Initialize the DS1307 chip //
//********************************//
void DS1307_Init() {
byte sec, m, h;
DS1307_Select(1, 0); // start reading at address 0
sec = Soft_I2C_Read(1); // read seconds byte
m = Soft_I2C_Read(1); // read minute byte
h = Soft_I2C_Read(0); // read hour byte
Soft_I2C_Stop();
if (sec > 127) { // if the clock is not running (bit 7 == 1)
DS1307_Select(0, 0); // start writing at address 0
Soft_I2C_Write(0); // start the clock (bit 7 = 0)
Soft_I2C_Stop();
DS1307_Select(0, 7); // start writing at address 7
Soft_I2C_Write(0b00010000); // enable square wave output 1 Hz
Soft_I2C_Stop();
}
m = (m >> 4)*10 + (m & 0b00001111); // converting from BCD format to decimal
if (m > 59) {
DS1307_Select(0, 1); // start writing at address 1
Soft_I2C_Write(0); // reset the minutes to 0
Soft_I2C_Stop();
}
if (h & 0b01000000) { // if 12h mode (bit 6 == 1)
if (h & 0b00100000) // if PM (bit 5 == 1)
h = 12 + ((h >> 4) & 1)*10 + (h & 0b00001111);
else
h = ((h >> 4) & 1)*10 + (h & 0b00001111);
}
else
h = ((h >> 4) & 3)*10 + (h & 0b00001111);
if (h > 23) {
DS1307_Select(0, 2); // start writing at address 2
Soft_I2C_Write(0); // reset the hours to 0 in 24h mode
Soft_I2C_Stop();
}
}
void incrementH() { // increments hours and write it to DS1307
hour1++;
if ((hour10 < 2 && hour1 > 9) || (hour10 == 2 && hour1 > 3)) {
hour1 = 0;
hour10++;
if (hour10 > 2)
hour10 = 0;
}
DS1307_Select(0, 2);
Soft_I2C_Write((hour10 << 4) + hour1);
Soft_I2C_Stop();
}
void incrementM() { // increments minutes and write it to DS1307
min1++;
if (min1 > 9) {
min1 = 0;
min10++;
if (min10 > 5)
min10 = 0;
}
DS1307_Select(0, 0);
Soft_I2C_Write(0); // reset seconds to 0
Soft_I2C_Write((min10 << 4) + min1); // write minutes
Soft_I2C_Stop();
}
void main(){
// pos: current digit position;
// counter1, counter2: used as flag and for repeat functionality for the buttons
// COM[]: drive the common pins for the LED display
byte pos, counter1, counter2, COM[4] = {0b11101111, 0b11110111, 0b11111011, 0b11111101};
CMCON = 0b00000111; // comparator off
TRISA = 0b01100000;
TRISB = 0b00000000;
b1_old = 1;
b2_old = 1;
counter1 = 0;
counter2 = 0;
pos = 0;
Soft_I2C_Init();
DS1307_Init();
while (1) {
DS1307_Select(1, 1); // select reading at address 1
min1 = Soft_I2C_Read(1); // read minutes byte
hour1 = Soft_I2C_Read(0); // read houts byte
Soft_I2C_Stop();
min10 = min1 >> 4;
min1 = min1 & 0b00001111;
hour10 = hour1 >> 4;
hour1 = hour1 & 0b00001111;
if (b1 != b1_old) { // if the button1 is pressed or released
b1_old = b1;
counter1 = 0;
}
if (!b1_old) { // if the button1 is pressed
if (counter1 == 0)
incrementH(); // increment hour
counter1++;
if (counter1 > 50) // this is repeat functionality for the button1
counter1 = 0;
}
if (b2 != b2_old) { // if the button2 is pressed or released
b2_old = b2;
counter2 = 0;
}
if (!b2_old) { // if the button2 is pressed
if (counter2 == 0)
incrementM(); // increment minutes and reset the seconds to 0
counter2++;
if (counter2 > 50) // this is repeat functionality for the button2
counter2 = 0;
}
TRISA = TRISA | 0b00011110; // set all 4 pins as inputs
switch (pos) { // set proper segments high
case 0: PORTB = segments[hour10]; break;
case 1: PORTB = segments[hour1]; break;
case 2: PORTB = segments[min10]; break;
case 3: PORTB = segments[min1]; break;
}
TRISA = TRISA & COM[pos]; // set pin at current position as output
PORTA = PORTA & COM[pos]; // set pin at current position low
pos++; // move to next position
if (pos > 3) pos = 0;
}
}
PCB
PCB is designed with Autodesk EAGLE and design files are available in downloads below. The overall dimensions of the board are 35.56 x 36.61 mm and we used almost SMD components.
Spare PCBs are available for shipment around the world. If you would like to get some drop us a line.
This is a 60V to 5V – 3.5A step down DC-DC converter based on TPS54360B from Texas Instruments. Sample applications are: 12 V, 24 V and 48 V industrial, Automotive and Communications Power Systems. The TPS54360 is a 60V, 3.5A, step down regulator with an integrated high side MOSFET. The device survives load dump pulses up to 65V per ISO 7637. Current mode control provides simple external compensation and flexible component selection. A low ripple pulse skip mode reduces the no load supply current to 146 μA. Shutdown supply current is reduced to 2 μA when the enable pin is pulled low.
Under-voltage lockout is internally set at 4.3 V but can be increased using the enable pin. The output voltage start up ramp is internally controlled to provide a controlled start up and eliminate overshoot. A wide switching frequency range allows either efficiency or external component size to be optimized. Frequency fold back and thermal shutdown protects internal and external components during an overload condition.
Note: The output voltage is set by a resistor divider from the output node to the FB terminal. It is recommended to use 1% tolerance or better divider resistors, choose R5, R6 for other output voltages.
It is strongly recommended to use adequate air flow over the board to ensure it doesn’t go at thermal shutdown. See thermal profile below.
Setting Output Voltage
The following table lists the R5 values for some common output voltages assuming R6= 10.0kΩ
Features
Supply Input 8.5V-60V
Output 5V (Output Voltage adjustable with R5, R6)
Output Current 3.5A
100 kHz to 2.5 MHz Switching Frequency
Optional JST connector for 5V Fan
Current Mode Control DC-DC Converter
Integrated 90-mΩ High Side N-Channel MOSFET
High Efficiency at Light Loads with Pulse Skipping Eco-mode™
Low Dropout at Light Loads with Integrated BOOT Recharge FET
146 μA Operating Quiescent Current
1 µA Shutdown Current
Internal Soft-Start
Accurate Cycle-by-Cycle Current Limit
Thermal, Overvoltage, and Frequency Fold back Protection
PCB Dimensions 55.50mm x 24.64mm
Schematic
Parts List
PCB
Thermal Image
You can see on the thermal images below that at 60V input – 5V @2A output the IC gets too hot (>105ºC) and if we go for higher outputs (2.5-3A) the IC gets in thermal cut-off. To avoid this situation you can use a small 5V FAN to blow air on the board or probably use a heatsink attached to the board.
Measurements
The efficiency is calculated based on the (Pout/Pin)*100%. For 60V input and 5V @3A output the input current is 0.32A, so Pin=19.38W. Pout=5V*3A=15W, so e=77.39% with Pdis = 4.58W
This tiny board is designed to drive a bidirectional DC brushed motor of large current. DC supply is up to 50V DC. A3941 gate driver IC and 4X N Channel Mosfet IRLR024 used as H-Bridge. The project can handle a load of up to 10A. Screw terminals are provided to connect the load and load supply, and 9 Pin header connector is provided for easy interface with the microcontroller. An on board, shunt resistor provides current feedback.
The A3941 is a full-bridge controller for use with external N-channel power MOSFETs and is specifically designed for automotive applications with high-power inductive loads, such as brush DC motors. A unique charge pump regulator provides full (>10 V) gate drive for battery voltages down to 7 V and allows the A3941 to operate with a reduced gate drive, down to 5.5 V. A bootstrap capacitor is used to provide the above-battery supply voltage required for N-channel MOSFETs. An internal charge pump for the high-side drive allows DC (100% duty cycle) operation.
The full bridge can be driven in fast or slow decay modes using diode or synchronous rectification. In the slow decay mode, current recirculation can be through the high-side or the low side FETs. The power FETs are protected from shoot-through by resistor R7 adjustable dead time. Integrated diagnostics provide an indication of under voltage, over temperature, and power bridge faults, and can be configured to protect the power MOSFETs under most short circuit conditions.
The A3941 is a full-bridge MOSFET driver (pre-driver) requiring a single unregulated supply of 7 to 50 V. It includes an integrated 5 V logic supply regulator. The four high current gate drives are capable of driving a wide range of N-channel power MOSFETs, and are configured as two high-side drives and two low-side drives. The A3941 provides all the necessary circuits to ensure that the gate-source voltage of both high-side and low-side external FETs are above 10 V, at supply voltages down to 7 V. For extreme battery voltage drop conditions, correct functional operation is guaranteed at supply voltages down to 5.5 V, but with a reduced gate drive voltage. The A3941 can be driven with a single PWM input from a Microcontroller and can be configured for fast or slow decay. Fast decay can provide four-quadrant motor control, while slow decay is suitable for two-quadrant motor control or simple inductive loads. In slow decay, current recirculation can be through the high-side or the low-side MOSFETs. In either case, bridge efficiency can be enhanced by synchronous rectification. Cross conduction (shoot through) in the external bridge is avoided by an adjustable dead time. A low-power sleep mode allows the A3941, the power bridge, and the load to remain connected to a vehicle battery supply without the need for an additional supply switch. The A3941 includes a number of protection features against under voltage, over temperature, and Power Bridge faults. Fault states enable responses by the device or by the external controller, depending on the fault condition and logic settings. Two fault flag outputs, FF1 and FF2, are provided to signal detected faults to an external controller.
Features
High current gate drive for N-channel MOSFET full bridge
High-side or low-side PWM switching
Charge pump for low supply voltage operation
Top-off charge pump for 100% PWM
Cross-conduction protection with adjustable dead time
6V Lead acid (SLA) battery charger project is based on BQ24450 IC from Texas instruments. This charger takes all the guesswork out of charging and maintaining your battery, no matter what season it is. Whether you have a Bike, Robot, RC Car, Truck, Boat, RV, Emergency Light, or any other vehicle with a 6v battery, simply hook this charger maintainer up to the battery. The BQ24450 contains all the necessary circuitry to optimally control the charging of lead-acid batteries. The IC controls the charging current as well as the charging voltage to safely and efficiently charge the battery, maximizing battery capacity and life. The IC is configured as a simple constant-voltage float charge controller. The built-in precision voltage reference is especially temperature-compensated to track the characteristics of lead-acid cells, and maintains optimum charging voltage over an extended temperature range without using any external components. The low current consumption of the IC allows for accurate temperature monitoring by minimizing self-heating effects. In addition to the voltage- and current-regulating amplifiers, the IC features comparators that monitor the charging voltage and current. These comparators feed into an internal state machine that sequences the charge cycle.
For low charging current, you can use SMD Q1 transistor on the bottom of PCB, for higher charging currents you should use a through-hole (TO247) transistor, like TIP147 on the top of PCB.
The circuit has been designed for PNP transistor (Q1) that’s why the PCB jumper is shorted to R8 by default. You can also use an NPN transistor, in this case, Omit R6, Use R2, Jumper has to be shorted the other way.
The DRV101 is a low-side power switch employing a pulse-width modulated (PWM) output. Its rugged design is optimized for driving electromechanical devices such as valves, solenoids, relays, actuators, and positioners. The DRV101 module is also ideal for driving thermal devices such as heaters and lamps. PWM operation conserves power and reduces heat rise, resulting in higher reliability. In addition, an adjustable PWM potentiometer allows fine control of the power delivered to the load. Time from dc output to PWM output is externally adjustable. The DRV101 can be set to provide a strong initial closure, automatically switching to a soft hold mode for power savings. The duty cycle can be controlled by a potentiometer, analog voltage, or digital-to-analog converter for versatility. A flag output LED D2 indicates thermal shutdown and over/under current limit. A wide supply range allows use with a variety of actuators.
Heat activated cooling fan controller is a simple project which operates a brushless fan when the temperature in a particular area goes above a set point, when temperature return normal, fan automatically turns off. The project is built using LM358 Op-amp and LM35 temperature Sensor. Project requires 12V DC supply and can drive 12V Fan. This project is useful in application like Heat sink temperature controller, PC, heat sensitive equipment, Power supply, Audio Amplifiers, Battery chargers, Oven etc
The SMD SO8 LM35 used as temperature sensor, LM358 act as comparator and provides high output when temperature rise above set point, high output drive the Fan through driver transistor. The LM35 series are precision integrated-circuit temperature devices with an output voltage linearly-proportional to the Centigrade temperature. The LM35 device has an advantage over linear temperature sensors calibrated in Kelvin, as the user is not required to subtract a large constant voltage from the output to obtain convenient Centigrade scaling. The LM35 device does not require any external calibration or trimming to provide typical accuracy of ±¼°C at room temperature. Temperature sensing range 2 to 150 centigrade. LM35 provides output of 10mV/Centigrade.
8devices TobuFi is a System on Module (SoM) powered by Qualcomm QCS405 SoC. The module features 1GB LPDDR3, and 8GB of eMMC storage with USB 3.0, HDMI, I2S, DMIC, SDC, UART, SPI, I2C, and GPIO. Networking options include dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 capabilities, Ethernet and Bluetooth. The features make this suitable for drones, robotics, advanced audio systems, and home assistants.
The QCS405 is a quad-core ArmCortex A53 processor that can clock up to 1.4GHz which is great for general computing. Its integrated Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU handles graphics demands, while the Qualcomm Hexagon QDSP6 v66 brings specialized audio and voice processing capabilities. This chip also includes a Low Power Island mode for energy-efficient handling of always-on tasks.
The most unique feature of this chip is that the module features two Wi-Fi chips the Qualcomm QCN9074(Wi-Fi 6) chip and the Qualcomm WCN9380(Wi-Fi 5). The Wi-Fi 5 chip is responsible for standard wi-fi communications whereas the QCN9074 (Wi-Fi 6) is a special module that supports extended frequency ranges from 2312-3000 MHz and 4900-5925 MHz. With this module, the device supports an extended communication range of 10 kilometers and beyond.
8devices TobuFi SoM Specifications:
CPU: Qualcomm QCS405 Arm Cortex A53 quad-core; 1.4GHz; 64-bit
Memory: LPDDR3 1GB + eMMC 8GB
Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU with 64-bit addressing; 600MHz
DSP: Qualcomm Hexagon QDSP6 v66 with Low Power Island and Voice accelerators
Audio: Serial low-power inter-chip media bus (SLIMbus); MI2S
Display:
General display interfaces: One 4-lane MIPI DSI port, DSI support up to 720P, HDMIv1.4a support up to 1080p 30fps, RGB support, SPI
WIFI:
Qualcomm QCN9074 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11a/g/n/ac/ax) 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with 2×4 MU-MIMO 20/40/80/160 MHz, 2.4 GHz up to 28dBm; 5 GHz 27dBm RF output power per chain
Qualcomm WCN9380 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11a/g/n/ac) 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz with 1×1 MU-MIMO 20/40/80 2.4 GHz up to 22dBm; 5 GHz 20dBm RF output power per chain
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0 and FM RDS/RBDS
USB: USB 2.0, USB 3.0
Ethernet: RGMI
SD: One 8-bit (SDC1, 1.8 V) and one 4-bit (SDC2, 1.8/2.95 V)
Other interfaces: I2S; DMIC; SDC; UART; SPI; I2C; GPIO
Size: 36.6 x 76.6 mm
To get started with this SoM the company offers a development Kit and a details page, where you can find all the essential components of the board. 8devices also provides a datasheet and a product brief for the SoM. The datasheet includes a Block Diagram of the SoM, which is very useful when working with the device.
TobuFi utilizes OpenEmbedded/Yocto, offering a customizable platform with the necessary tools and packages. The SDK features image recipes for creating custom applications and system configurations, along with integrated ADB tools and fast boot support to streamline development. Further details are available on the GitHub page.
TobuFi SoM is available for pre-order at $159.00, while the TobuFi Development Kit is priced at $399.00. The estimated delivery date for these products is June 2024.
In a recent update, Hardkernel added three new SBCs to their ODROID series the ODROID H4, ODROID H4+, and ODROID H4 Ultra. The ODROID H4 and the H4+ features a 4-core Intel N97 processor, while the flagship H4 Ultra utilizes the 8-core Intel i3 N305 processor.
The N97 is an Intel processor with 4 cores (4C) operating at a clock speed range of 2.0 – 3.6 GHz. It has 6MB of cache memory, a low power consumption of 12W TDP, and integrated Intel UHD Graphics (reaching up to 1.20 GHz) with 24 Execution Units.
In comparison, the Core i3-N305 boasts 8 cores and 8 threads (8C/8T), a clock speed range of 1.8 – 3.8 GHz, 6MB of Smart Cache, slightly higher power consumption at 15W TDP, and Intel UHD Graphics (peaking at 1.25 GHz) with a greater number of Execution Units at 32.
The units have DDR5 SO-DIMM slots supporting up to 4800 MT/s and 48GB capacity. Storage includes eMMC connectors and options for SATA3 ports and an M.2 slot. Networking features two 2.5 GbE LAN ports with Wake-On-LAN. Display support includes triple 4K@60Hz. Audio capabilities include dual 3.5mm jacks and SPDIF out. Connectivity offers USB 3.0, USB 2.0 ports, and a 24-pin expansion header for UART and I2C.
Hardkernel’s ODROID H4, H4+ and H4 Ultra Specifications
Specifications
ODROID H4
ODROID H4+
ODROID H4 Ultra
CPU (Intel)
Processor N97
Processor N97
Core™ i3 Processor N305
Code name
Alder Lake-N
Alder Lake-N
Alder Lake-N
Launch date
Q1’23
Q1’23
Q1’23
Microarchitecture
Gracemont
Gracemont
Gracemont
Cores / Threads
4C4T
4C4T
8C8T
Cache
6 MB
6 MB
6 MB
AVX2 (Advanced Vector Extensions)
Yes
Yes
Yes
TDP
12W
12W
15W
Single Thread Burst Frequency (GHz)
3.6
3.6
3.8
Max. Memory address space (GB)
48
48
48
Max. Memory Speed (MT/s)
DDR5-4800
DDR5-4800
DDR5-4800
Burst Frequency (MHz)
1200
1200
1250
Execution Units
24
24
32
Video outputs
HDMI
1
1
1
DisplayPort
2
2
2
PCIe (via NVMe slot)
Generation
Gen 3
Gen 3
Gen 3
Lanes
4
4
4
Compatibility with optional 4-ports 2.5GbE and Net Card
Yes
Yes
Yes
USB 2.0
2 ports
2 ports
2 ports
USB 3.0
2 ports
2 ports
2 ports
2.5GbE
1 port
2 ports
2 ports
SATA III
No
4 ports
4 ports
24pin IO Expansion ports
I2C x 2, USB 2.0 x 3, UART x 1, HDMI-CEC x 1, Ext. Power Button x 1
I2C x 2, USB 2.0 x 3, UART x 1, HDMI-CEC x 1, Ext. Power Button x 1
I2C x 2, USB 2.0 x 3, UART x 1, HDMI-CEC x 1, Ext. Power Button x 1
Optional Cooling Fan
Slim 92-15 or thick 92-25 mm 12 Volt standard PC 4-pin fan - slim fan fits inside the new cases.
Slim 92-15 or thick 92-25 mm 12 Volt standard PC 4-pin fan - slim fan fits inside the new cases.
Slim 92-15 or thick 92-25 mm 12 Volt standard PC 4-pin fan - slim fan fits inside the new cases.
Recommended Power Supply 1
60W
60W
60W
Recommended Power Supply 2
133W
133W
133W
Unlimited Performance Mode
Yes
Yes
Yes
Security (TPM 2.0)
-
-
-
Hardkernel H-series cases
DIY assembly The cases are made of solid and sturdy PCBs.
DIY assembly The cases are made of solid and sturdy PCBs.
DIY assembly The cases are made of solid and sturdy PCBs.
A classic GameCube-style case will be released in May or June separately.
A classic GameCube-style case will be released in May or June separately.
A classic GameCube-style case will be released in May or June separately.
Certifications
FCC/CE/KC/RoHS
FCC/CE/KC/RoHS
FCC/CE/KC/RoHS
Pricing
99
139
220
Dimensions
120x120mm (4.7×4.7 in)
120x120mm (4.7×4.7 in)
120x120mm (4.7×4.7 in)
The series has passive heatsinks and optional cooling fans for efficient thermal management. It supports 15V/4A or 19V/7A power adapters in a compact 120mm x 120mm x 47mm size. In Unlimited Performance mode, H4 and H4+ show a 36% improvement over H3+, while H4 Ultra shows an 83% improvement due to advanced cooling and design.
The ODROID-H4 series offers versatility and customization with various memory, storage, and connectivity options. Additionally, it supports Windows, Linux, and Android, catering to diverse user needs.
The base model of the Hardkernel’s ODROID H4 will cost you only $99.00. The H4+ can be bought for $139.00, the CPU, RAM, and Networking options make it suitable for a NAS and the $220.00H4 Ultra is suitable for those who are going to use this in CPU and GPU-intensive tasks. The company also provides technical documentation, code examples, and others which can be found on their Wiki page. For additional details, check the product announcement on the Odroid forum.
The RadxaFogwise AirBox is a compact, embedded multimedia device powered by the octa-core SOPHON SG2300x SoC. This small yet powerful device features Gigabit Ethernet and an M.2 E Key for wireless connectivity, along with an M.2 M Key for SSD storage. With up to 16GB LPDDR4X RAM and 64GB onboard eMMC, plus a Micro SD Card slot, it offers ample storage and memory capacity.
Inside the sleek case of the AirBox, you’ll find the RADXA AICore SG2300x, boasting 2 x quad-core Arm Cortex A53-powered processors with 1MB of L2 cache for each core. This SOC delivers a formidable 32 TOPS (INT8) and supports various deep learning frameworks, including TensorFlow, Caffe, and PyTorch.
Decodes 32 channels of H.265/H.264 1080p@25fps video
Fully processes 32 channels of high-definition 1080P@25fps videos, including decoding and AI analysis
Encodes 12 channels of H.265/H.264 1080p@25fps videos
JPEG: 1080P@600fps, supporting a maximum of 32768 x 32768 resolution
Supports video post-processing: image CSC, resize, crop, padding, border, font, contrast, and brightness adjustments
Wireless: M.2 E Key for Wireless Module (WiFi & BT)
Ethernet: 2x Gigabit Ethernet without PoE support
USB:
2x USB 3.0 HOST
1x USB Type-C Debug UART
Power: 1x USB Type-C 20V Power, at least 65W
Operating Temperature: 0°C to +45°C
Compliance Certification: FCC / CE
Dimensions: 104mm x 84mm x 52mm
Official technical documentation for the Radxa Fogwise AirBox is not available at the time of writing, but the Radxa Fogwise AirBox is available for $321.00 through the Arace Tech store. For more details, you can also check out the official products page.
The CWWKX86P5 is a versatile mini PC and development board powered by the 12th Gen AlderLake-N Series of SoCs. It is available in three variants featuring the N100 (quad-core), N200 (quad-core), or Core i3-N305 (octa-core) processors. Equipped with dual 2.5GbE ports using Intel i226V controller, HDMI 2.0 ports, two USB 3.2 ports, and up to four USB 2.0 ports, it offers flexibility to run various operating systems. This makes it suitable for running Proxmox alongside both desktop OS options like Windows 11 or Ubuntu 22.04 and networking OS alternatives such as pfSense or OpenWrt.
In addition to its development board features, an unnamed HAT board accompanies it, supporting up to four NVMe SSDs. This is very interesting because previously we have seen boards like the Pimoroni’s NVMe Base Duo and Geekworm X1004 HAT+ only support two SSDs. With this capability, the CWWK X86 P5 can be used to built NAS, or can be used as a data server
CWWK X86 P5 Specifications
Processor Options:
Alder Lake-N SoC with options:
Intel Processor N100: Quad-core processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo), 6MB cache, 24EU Intel UHD graphics; TDP: 6W
Intel Core i3-N305: Octa-core processor @ up to 3.8 GHz (Turbo), 6MB cache, 32EU Intel UHD Graphics; TDP: 15W
System Memory:
Up to 32GB DDR5 4800 MHz via SO-DIMM socket
Storage:
M.2 M-key 2242/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x2) socket for NVMe SSD
2x 12-pin non-standard SATA connectors
Video Output:
2x HDMI 2.0 up to 4Kp60
Networking:
2x 2.5GbE RJ45 ports via Intel i226V 2.5GbE controllers
M.2 E-Key2230 socket for WiFi 6 wireless module
USB Ports:
2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) ports
Optional 4x USB 2.0 on the front panel
Miscellaneous:
Power button
Buzzer
RTC with battery
Optional external fan for cooling
AMI BIOS/UEFI with support for auto power on, Wake-on-LAN (WoL), network boot (PXE), and GPIO control
Internal Connectors:
10-pin GPIO interface (4x DI, 4x DO)
COM port header
2x USB 2.0 headers
2x 4-pin header for 12V CPU fan
Power Supply:
12V via DC jack
Dimensions:
Motherboard: 90 x 90 mm
Device: 112 x 100 x 40mm (aluminum alloy chassis)
Temperature Range:
-10°C to +70°C
Relative Humidity:
5%-90% non-condensing
The CWWK x86-P5 development board doesn’t come with a pre-installed operating system, but it supports a wide range of options for users to install. These options include FreeNAS, Home Assistant (OS), Debian, CentOS, Ubuntu, RedHat, Android x86, pfSense, Windows, CasaOS, Node-RED, Proxmox, UnRAID, Kodi, and others. Some of these options may not be standalone operating systems but can be installed within a compatible operating system environment. For instance, LibreELEC, a minimal OS based on Kodi, can be installed through a suitable OS setup.
The x86-P5 mini PC/router is available for purchase on AliExpress or Amazon, starting from $219.99 in a barebone configuration. The price goes up to $692.51 for the version with an Intel Core i3-N305 processor, 32GB DDR5 RAM, a 1TB NVMe SSD, and four USB 2.0 ports at the front.
The Module and the NVME board are on the CWWK website.
Introducing the Industrial grade Isolated USB to UART Converter, a solution developed by CAPUF Embedded. This converter is essential in embedded systems, facilitating tasks like viewing debug messages, flashing programs, and configuring devices via command/response protocol.
The Industrial Grade Isolated USB to UART Converter is designed to meet diverse industry needs. It’s particularly useful in scenarios involving high-voltage AC/DC circuits, ensuring safe connections between high-voltage circuits and laptops or PCs, and protecting against potential damage or induced leakage currents.
This converter provides a reliable solution for low-power embedded designs requiring voltage levels as low as 2.5V or 1.8V. It caters to battery-powered devices like asset trackers and wearables, ensuring seamless connectivity while maintaining optimal voltage levels.
The isolated USB to UART converter shines in medical electronics and noise-sensitive circuits, where safety and noise reduction are critical concerns. It offers galvanic isolation to safeguard both power and I/O signals, providing a secure connection between embedded boards and external devices.
USB to UART Bridge: Supports data rates of up to 3Mbps.
Isolated Power: Capable of supplying up to 100mA and short-circuit protection.
Isolated RX, TX, RTS, CTS, DTR, DSR, and all IOs: Ensures comprehensive protection against ESD.
Signal Voltage Level Selection: Easily configurable via DIP switch (1.8V/2.5V/3.3V/5.0V).
Power Selection Jumper: Allows for flexible powering options.
LED Indication: Provides visual feedback for RX, TX, and Power status.
Compact Size: Measuring 30.5mm x 70.5mm, it offers a space-efficient solution.
With its robust design, versatile features, and exceptional performance, the Industrial Grade Isolated USB to UART Converter from CAPUF Embedded is the ideal choice for demanding industrial applications. Head to the product page if you want more information.
The X-Sense SC07-WX is a battery-powered smoke and carbon monoxide detector that combines Wi-Fi connectivity with a smartphone app for remote monitoring and alerts. The sensor uses a photoelectric smoke sensor and an advanced electrochemical carbon monoxide sensor for fast and accurate detection.
The device has its own Android and iOS application and directly connects to the smartphone so there’s no need for a docking station of some sort. The application also will send you push notifications in case it detects any smoke in the area, other than that it also sends you a notification when there’s low battery, faults, and others.
The overall life cycle of the product is about 10 years and is powered by a single CR123A3V Lithium Battery. Let me be obvious – the device has a life cycle of 10 years, meaning some internal counters inside the device will make the device unusable after 10 years! like it or not but is per the law in major countries. But the battery inside it will not last for that long and you may have to change it periodically.
There is also a small screen in front of the module that helps you stay informed by indicating the carbon monoxide level in parts per million (PPM), showing the battery life, and displaying the device’s status on the go, there’s also a LED bar just under the display that also is an indicator it flashes up green yellow for fault and alarm.
In the package, you’ll find everything you need to set up and utilize the SC07-WX smoke and carbon monoxide detector efficiently. Alongside the detector itself, there’s a mounting base for easy installation. There also be a user manual that provides clear instructions for setting up a warranty card, and carbon monoxide reference stickers. These stickers serve as helpful reminders to stay alert to potential carbon monoxide dangers. To mount it on your rooftop or wall you just need to mount the back plate and the module just gets screwed into the plate.
Note! Before installing the device you need to make sure that you are in your router’s wifi range, the module gets connected to your wifi through your 2.4GHz link so you also need to make sure that your 2.4GHz is enabled.
X-SENSE SC07-WX Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Allerm Specifications
Model: SC07-WX
Manufacturer: X-Sense
Transmission Range: Covers up to 170 feet (50 meters)
Wi-Fi: Operates on 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n network (not compatible with 5GHz network)
Batteries: 1 CR123A battery required (included)
Size: 1-Pack
Style: Wi-Fi Connected Model
Shape: Circular
Power Source: Battery Powered
Installation Method: Screw-In
Mounting Type: Protruding
Usage: Inside
Batteries Included?: Yes
Batteries Required?: Yes
Item Weight: 1.06 pounds
Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 5.7 x 2 inches
Video
In the package, you’ll find everything you need to set up and utilize the SC07-WX smoke and carbon monoxide detector efficiently. Alongside the detector itself, there’s a mounting base for easy installation. There also be a user manual that provides clear instructions for setting up a warranty card, and carbon monoxide reference stickers. These stickers serve as helpful reminders to stay alert to potential carbon monoxide dangers. To mount it on your rooftop or wall you just need to mount the back plate and the module just gets screwed into the plate.
If you like this device and want to purchase one for your home, apartment, dwelling, hovel, or shack you can get them on both Amazon and X-Sense’s website. On Amazon, you can buy a single pack for $44.99 or opt for a three-pack at a discounted price of $129.99. Similarly, on X-Sense’s website, the pricing remains consistent.
Arm Targets the AIoT with High-Performance Ethos-U85 NPU and Corstone-320 Platform New accelerator boasts four times the peak performance and a 20 percent power efficiency boost over its predecessors. Arm has announced its latest designs for the Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) and edge artificial intelligence (edge AI): the new, faster Ethos-U85 neural processing unit (NPU) and a reference design platform, the Corstone-320, which combines it with an Arm Cortex-M85 CPU and a Mali-C55 image signal processor.
“Our family of Ethos-U NPUs were the world’s first embedded AI accelerators and they’re already in silicon from leading players,” Arm’s Paul Williamson told us during a pre-launch briefing on the company’s latest designs.
“[The] Ethos-U85 delivers a 4x performance uplift for high-performance edge AI applications. Along with the 4x performance improvement, the U85 also delivers 20 percent higher power efficiency over the previous generation, is scalable from 128 to 2,048 MAC units, and delivers four TOPS [Tera-Operations Per Second at INT8 precision] at the highest performance configuration.”
The Ethos-U85 not only offers increased power but also introduces support for transformer networks, which allows for quicker customization and optimization of edge AI applications. This feature enables transformer-based models to be easily adapted to various tasks compared to convolutional networks, making efficient use of hardware resources and suitable for deployment on edge devices with limited computing capabilities. Additionally, the Ethos-U85 maintains backward compatibility with earlier Ethos-U NPU models, ensuring seamless integration with existing toolchains. Meanwhile, the Corstone-320 reference design platform combines the Ethos-U85 NPU with Arm’s Cortex-M85 CPU core and Mali-C55 image signal processor to provide a ready-to-use solution for edge AI development, including virtual hardware support before silicon availability.
However, the Ethos-U85 is not restricted to Arm’s Cortex-M microcontroller-class components alone. Williamson indicated that the NPU is also compatible with Cortex-A application-class cores, allowing for acceleration of machine learning and artificial intelligence tasks in various applications such as robotics, industrial machine vision, and wearables.
Arm has not yet shared detailed benchmarks or power measurements for the Ethos-U85, which will vary by configuration, but Williamson has positioned it as “a milliwatts-level power envelope” design. The company has confirmed it is licensing the NPU to “early adopters” including Alif and Infineon now, with Williamson telling us that silicon is expected to land on the market sometime in 2025.
More information on the Ethos-U85 is available on the Arm blog.
Seeed Studio’s SenseCAP Watcher Combines Local TinyML with Cloud LLMs to Deliver Smart Monitoring
Seeed Studio’s SenseCAP Watcher is a cutting-edge device that merges the power of local TinyML (Tiny Machine Learning) with cloud-based Large Language Models (LLMs) to provide intelligent monitoring solutions. This innovative gadget acts as a “physical AI agent” designed to enhance the functionality of various spaces, leveraging advanced AI technology and IoT connectivity.
The SenseCAP Watcher integrates locally executed TinyML models with cloud-based LLMs, allowing it to analyze data efficiently while benefiting from the vast computational resources available in the cloud. By combining these two approaches, the device can deliver smart monitoring capabilities that enable users to gather insights and make informed decisions in real-time.
Seeed Studio has opened applications for alpha testers, signaling its commitment to refining and enhancing the SenseCAP Watcher before its official launch. With this initiative, the company aims to democratize access to modern artificial intelligence, making it accessible and applicable in diverse environments and settings.
“We are incredibly excited to launch the SenseCAP Watcher at Embedded World 2024,”
says Seeed Studio Eric Pan, of the company’s latest hardware release.
“With the SenseCAP Watcher, we envision a more effortless way of interacting with and managing the physical world. It pushes the boundaries of what a combination of tinyML at the edge and LLMs can enable while retaining an open source and extensible design.”
Designed for versatile use, the SenseCAP Watcher offers both wall mount and desktop operation options. Its feature set includes a 1.46″ circular color touchscreen display, a front-facing camera and microphone, a speaker, programmable RGB light, wheel interface, and two USB Type-C connectors for power and charging its internal battery. Additionally, it boasts a Grove expansion slot for attaching external add-on hardware, enhancing its functionality and customization possibilities. This gadget serves as a key component of Seeed’s SenseCraft, toolkit, which seamlessly integrates on-device tinyML models with remote large language models. These models can run either on remote cloud servers or on local edge devices, such as Seeed’s Edge AI Box reComputer devices based on the NVIDIA Jetson system-on-module family.
While Seeed showed the device at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg, it has yet to announce pricing and availability — but is taking applications for alpha testers on its website, where interested parties can also interact with a simulated version of the SenseCAP Watcher dubbed “Nobody.”
The ArmSoM-Sige7 is a compact single-board computer (SBC) powered by the RK3588, an octa-core 64-bit SoC clocked at 2.4 GHz. The SoC features a 6TOPS NPU for AI tasks and supports up to 32GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB of eMMC flash storage. It includes an M.2 2280 socket for NVMe SSDs. It offers three display interfaces (HDMI, USB-C, MIPI DSI) and two camera connectors. Connectivity options include dual 2.5GbE, WiFi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2, plus multiple USB ports and a 40-pin GPIO header for expansion.
The SoC features the ARM Mali-G610MP4 GPU clocked at 1GHz, which delivers high-performance graphic capabilities so much so that it can play or stream 4K very smoothly. This GPU also features enhanced 3D rendering which allows for lag-free gameplay in major open-world online games, console games, and even some AAA titles, this feature makes this device suitable for a broad spectrum of gaming enthusiasts looking for a powerful, compact computing solution.
RK3588 Features:
8K video encoding/decoding support
Abundant interfaces support
Dual 2.5G Ethernet support
WiFi 6 & BT 5 support
Multiple video outputs support
Multiple operating systems support
Triple Display Interface
The most interesting feature for me is the triple display interface, When you think about applications where you will need a triple display like video editing graphic design 3d modeling, the board is not powerful enough to run that application. But it will shine when it comes to Trading, you can just use this device as a multiple equities monitoring device.
Neural Processing Unit
The RK3588 processor includes a powerful Neural ProcessingUnit (NPU) capable of performing up to 6 trillion operations per second, enhancing its ability to handle AI tasks efficiently. This NPU supports well-known deep learning frameworks like TensorFlow, PyTorch, and MxNET, broadening its application in various AI fields. With this capability, the RK3588 is optimized for AI applications, offering improved performance in tasks such as image and voice recognition, making it a versatile choice for AI-driven projects.
8K UHD support
Among other features, this board also has advanced video encoding and decoding capabilities with 8KUHDsupport. This allows for ultra-high-definition video playback and recording, enhancing applications in digital signage, entertainment, and gaming with its capacity to deliver sharp, detailed visuals. It’s designed to create immersive display experiences across different settings, significantly enhancing user engagement.
OS Support
The board supports Debian 11 and Android 12, based on Linux 5.10, and is compatible with the Buildroot build system. Additionally, third-party Armbian images (Ubuntu 20.04, Ubuntu 22.04) and Kylin OS are available. The wiki currently has direct links to these images.
Update! In a recent update, the company tells electronics-lab.com that they have “successfully integrated Linux into the mainline” meaning the developers have ensured that their ArmSoM-Sige7 device will be compatible with the widest range of standard Linux distributions and software. This avoids the need to maintain custom versions of Linux. Mainline support ensures that the Sige7 will benefit from future bug fixes, security patches, and new features added to the Linux kernel over time.
Connectivity
The board features the AP6275P Wi-Fi BT module that offers advanced wireless capabilities, including support for the latest 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards for Wi-Fi and BT including 2×2 MIMO technology for better signal quality and reliability. All and all this module is designed for robust wireless connectivity, enabling high-speed internet access and efficient data transmission across a wide range of applications and devices.
Resources and Development
The ArmSom Sige7, also known as the Banana Pi BPi-M7, offers detailed resources for developers and users, this includes links to kernel and u-boot sources hosted on the ArmSom GitHub account, highlighting the collaborative and open-source nature of the project. Other than that, ArmSom provides an array of in-development documentation, firmware images, and essential development tools, all accessible via Google Drive.
Multiple Use Cases
The board has a lot of use cases, which makes it perfect for a bunch of projects. You can use it as a mini-computer whether you’re at home, at work, or on the move. It’s also great for setting up a tiny server to manage web services or files. For those into AI and robotics, this board has the chops to handle complex projects. Plus, with edge computing capabilities, it can process data super fast, cutting down on lag. It’s a little powerhouse for any tech project you’ve got in mind.
Packaging
Board Outline
The company also offers a handy hardware description for the board, highlighting all the key components. This guide makes it easier for both developers and users to get started with the board smoothly and effectively.
More information & Purchase
The Sige7 documentation includes a product introduction, a detailed manual, performance benchmarks, and access to a user forum and Discord. This comprehensive set of resources is designed to help both developers and users quickly get up to speed with the board, for more information on the board you can check out the ArmSom Sige7 docs page or other store page & Aliexpress.
Exciting Update! The company also confirms the launch of ArmSoM’s RK3588 AI Module (AIM7) on Crowdsupply. Stay tuned for updates and your chance to support this project!
The CrowVision is an 11.6” IPS Capacitive Touchscreen Display module specially designed to be attached to most single-board computers(SBC) with adjustable mounting holes in the back.
The display features a resolution of 1366×768, so for an 11.6” it translates to 135ppi. It offers a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees. Connectivity options include a USB micro socket for touch functionality, with a mini HDMI port as the display input.
Unboxing
Once the box arrives at your doorstep you will find a 12V/2A power supply, USB Type-C and micro USB cords, HDMI to mini HDMI and micro HDMI to mini HDMI connectors, two cable organization “ribbons,” a screwdriver, an on-screen display (OSD) control panel with five buttons, and a guide for users all available in the box.
Package List
1x 11.6 inch capacitive Touch Screen
1x USB-A to USB-C cable
1x USB-A to Micro B cable
1x HD to Mini HD cable
1x Micro HD to Mini HD cable
1x OSD Control Board
1x Power Adapter
1x Screwdriver
2x Ribbon
1x User Manual
Display Driver
The company provides a detailed description of the control board, for you to get started easily, in the same image you can see other brass mounting holes through which you can attach supported SBC just with three screws. Speaking of the display, after a close inspection I found out that the display is built around an RTD2556 display controller which is quite a popular controller and used often as a display driver. While the RP4 was booting we saw some artifacts on the small fonts on the screen, and we thought this was due to the low resolution of the device.
Specifications
Size: 11.6 Inch
Touch Type: 5-point Capacitive Touch
Resolution: 1366*768
Color Depth: 16M
Viewing angle: 178°Wide Viewing Angle
Display Type: IPS Panel
Screen Type: TFT-LCD
External power supply: 12V-2A
Digital input: HDMI-compatible interface
Interface: 1xKeypad interface, 1x Power supply 5V output, 1x Mini HD interface, 1xTouch interface, 1x Speaker interface, 1x Headphone socket,1x Power supply 12V input
CompatibilitySystem: Raspbian, Ubuntu, Windows, Android, MAC OS, and Chrome OS,etc.
Active Area: 256.13*144mm(L*W)
Dimension Size: 290.8*184.2mm(L*W)
The display will not come with an enclosed instead on the sides of the display you will have 3M adhesive tape which will be useful if you are making your custom enclosure for the board.
Features
11.6-inch high-resolution screen with 1366*768 resolution, IPS panel, and 178° wide viewing angle provides a better visual experience
Unique rear fixing structure with sliding fixing pillars, compatible with most single-board computer models, easy to assemble
Wide compatibility, compatible with multiple operating systems (Raspbian, Ubuntu, Windows, Android, MAC OS, and Chrome OS)
Supports audio, video, and capacitive touch, plug and play
Integrates a variety of peripheral interfaces (such as speakers, headphones, keypads, touchscreens) and onboard OSD adjustment keys
The mainboard is equipped with power conversion function of output 5V/3A, not need to separately connect an external power supply for the single-board computer.
Support various SBCs
For convenience, the company also provides a list of supported SBCs along with mounting instructions, once you secure your SBC in the back of the display you need to connect, a mini HDMI to micro HDMI cable for video output, and a USB to USB-C cable for power. One downside of this setup is that as this board offers versatility there will always be a cable mess of cable when using this board. You can see the mess in the following photo. This could be managed with smaller or specially designed cables, but we use generic ones.
Power Delivery
Although it’s theoretically possible to connect various SBCs within the supported dimensions, one thing to note is the power output from its control board. It maxes out at 5V/3A, which, for the most part, does the job. But, if you’re planning on hooking up some of the more power-hungry models, you might find it falling short. It’s not that important but something to keep in mind. I had to dig out an extra power source for one of my setups, but once that was sorted, it was smooth sailing.
Plug n Play
Elecrow’s done their homework, testing many computing devices to ensure they play nice with the CrowVision. It’s reassuring to see a company not just throw tech specs around but back them up with real-world testing. For the devices that are directly supported, it’s pretty much a plug-and-play experience, which is fantastic.
Conclusions
The board is good but there are two small problems with this display module, the first one is that they do not provide an enclosure for the display but for those who want to get an enclosure quickly they provide .OBJ files for easy going. You can always print the enclosure or you can give it to the fab house for them to print. The second is the low resolution of the display which makes the smaller elements not to seen clearly.
In summary, if you’re into tinkering with SBCs or looking for a reliable control board for your projects, the CrowVision is worth considering.
More information
The company also provides a wiki page for further details but note thing to be careful of is its power output limitations with certain models, and you should be good to go.
Purchasing
If you want to purchase this cool and new little display module you can find the display module for $119.90 on Elecrow store. Happy tinkering!