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.
MYIR Remi Pi is a Renesas RZ/G2L-based SBC, with dual Gigabit Ethernet ports, dual display support, and a MIPI-CSI camera interface. It also features 3D graphics functions powered by Arm Mali-G31. Additionally, it features HDMI, LVDS, and MIPI-CSI for seamless connectivity with various display devices
The specific SoC that powers this SBC is called the R9A07G044L23GBG it features a dual-core ARM Cortex-A55 processor, running at speeds of up to 1.2GHz with FPU support, along with a single Arm Cortex-M33 processor clocked at up to 200MHz. The Arm Mali-G31 in the SoC is clocked to 500MHz. It also includes a video codec supporting H.264 for efficient multimedia processing across various applications.
MYIR’s SBC is Linux 5.10.83 compatible, offering configurations like myir-image-full for HMI and myir-image-core for industrial use which all can be found on their downloads page, including RT-Linux and FreeRTOS. Ubuntu and Debian support is forthcoming. The company also offers additional modules like the MY-CAM003M Camera Module and MY-LVDS070C LCD to enhance compatibility with Pi extension modules for versatile project adaptation.
The MYIR Remi Pi SBC offers detailed technical specifications and purchasing options on its website. priced at $55.00 you can get the board from their products page.
The MINIX Z100-AERO is a compact mini PC powered by the Intel N100 CPU, designed to serve efficiently as a router when paired with software like Untangle or OPNsense. This device stands out due to its dual Ethernet ports: a 2.5GbE port managed by the TL8125BG-CG NIC and a 1GbE port handled by the RTL8111H chip.
This mini PC supports DDR4 3200MHz SO-DIMM memory, upgradeable to 32GB, and offers storage options up to 4TB. It features the Wireless-AC 9560 module, providing Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity. For high-speed data transfer, there is support for M.2 PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe SSDs.
The device includes robust connectivity options with an HDMI 2.1 port, one DisplayPort, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port. Additionally, its anti-static design enhances durability, making the MINIX Z100-AERO a versatile and robust choice for various applications.
In the past, we’ve explored a variety of mini PCs similar to the MINIX Z100-AERO Mini PC,. Notable mentions include the MINIX NEO Z100-0dB, a silent mini PC, that is renowned for its silent operation, the ASUS Mini PC PL64, and the widely acclaimed Pantera Pico PC. If you are interested in mini PCs, we recommend checking out these reviews for a broader perspective on the available options.
MINIX Z100-AERO Mini PC Specification
Processor: Intel® Alder Lake-N Quad-Core N100 (Base Frequency 0.8 GHz, Max Turbo Frequency 3.40 GHz)
Graphics Engine: Intel® UHD Graphics
Display Outputs:
1 x HDMI® 2.1, 3840×2160@60Hz
1 x DP (4K@60Hz)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (4K@60Hz)
Memory Slot: 1 x 260-pin DDR4 3200MHz SO-DIMM 4/8/16GB, upgradeable to 32GB Max
Storage: 128/256/512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 x1 NVMe SSD, upgradeable to 4TB Max
Ethernet:
1 x Realtek® RTL8125BG-CG for 2.5G Ethernet
1 x Realtek® RTL8111H for 1G Ethernet
LED Indicators: LEDs for Power, LAN (Active, Status)
WIFI/BT: Intel® Wireless-AC 9560 Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.1
LAN Ports: 2 x RJ45, 1G + 2.5G Dual Ethernet
USB-A Ports: 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, support up to 5Gbps
USB-C Ports: 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (data transfer up to 5Gbps, PD-enabled, video output up to 4K@60Hz, Audio)
DP Ports: 1 x DisplayPort (4K@60Hz)
Audio Jack: 3.5mm Mic-in and Headphone-out Combo Jack
Antennas: 2 x External Wi-Fi Antennas
Buttons:
1 x Power Button
1 x Clear CMOS Button (Reset BIOS)
BIOS: AMI EFI X64
Power Requirement: 12V/3A DC-IN
Power Consumption: 10-12W (Typical), 25-27W (Turbo)
Certifications: CE, FCC, RCM, RoHS
Form Factor: Mini PC
Enclosure: Plastic Housing
Weight: 0.8 kg
Dimensions: 127 x 127 x 43 mm (5″ x 5″ x 1.69″)
The Z100-AERO Mini PC is available in two versions: one with 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD, priced at $219, currently out of stock; and another with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, available for $249 on the MINIX website and Amazon. Both configurations include Windows 11 Professional.
Hailo’s funding now exceeds $340 million as the company introduces its newest AI accelerator specifically designed to process LLMs at low power consumption for the personal computer and automotive industries, bringing generative AI to the edge.
Hailo, the pioneering chipmaker of edge artificial intelligence (AI) processors, today announced it has extended its series C fundraising round with an additional investment of $120 million. At the same time, the company announced the introduction of its innovative Hailo-10 high-performance generative AI (GenAI) accelerators that usher in an era where users can own and run GenAI applications locally without registering to cloud-based GenAI services.
The new funding round was led by current and new investors including the Zisapel family, Gil Agmon, Delek Motors, Alfred Akirov, DCLBA, Vasuki, OurCrowd, Talcar, Comasco, Automotive Equipment (AEV), and Poalim Equity. To date the company has raised more than $340 million.
“The closing of our new funding round enables us to leverage all the exciting opportunities in our pipeline, while setting the stage for our long-term future growth. Together with the introduction of our Hailo-10 GenAI accelerator, it strategically positions us to bring classic and generative AI to edge devices in ways that will significantly expand the reach and impact of this remarkable new technology,” said Hailo CEO and Co-Founder Orr Danon. “We designed Hailo-10 to seamlessly integrate GenAI capabilities into users’ daily lives, freeing users from cloud network constraints. This empowers them to utilize chatbots, copilots, and other emerging content generation tools with unparalleled flexibility and immediacy, enhancing productivity and enriching lives,” he emphasized.
Hailo-10: Generative AI at the Edge
The new Hailo-10 GenAI accelerator enables a whole spectrum of applications that maintain Hailo’s leadership in both performance-to-cost ratio and performance-to-power consumption ratio. Hailo-10 leverages the same comprehensive software suite used across the Hailo-8 AI accelerators and the Hailo-15 AI vision processors, enabling seamless integration of AI capabilities across multiple edge devices and platforms.
Enabling GenAI at the edge ensures continuous access to GenAI services, regardless of network connectivity; obviates network latency concerns, which can otherwise impact GenAI performance; promotes privacy by keeping personal information anonymized and enhances sustainability by reducing reliance on the substantial processing power of cloud data centers.
By unlocking the power of GenAI on edge devices, such as personal computers, smart vehicles, and commercial robots, Hailo-10 allows users to completely own their GenAI experiences, making them an integral part of their daily routine. Hailo accomplishes this immersive GenAI experience through a Hailo-10 architecture that supports maximum GenAI performance with minimum required power.
“As GenAI on the edge becomes immersive, the focus turns to handling large LLMs in the smallest possible power envelope — essentially less than five watts,” Danon continued.
Among popular GenAI platforms, Hailo-10 can run Llama2-7B with up to 10 tokens per second (TPS) at under 5W of power. In processing Stable Diffusion 2.1, a popular model that produces images from text prompts, Hailo-10 is rated at under 5 seconds per image in the same ultra-low power envelope.
Hailo-10 is capable of up to 40 TOPS (tera operations per second), a new performance standard for edge AI accelerators. Hailo-10 is faster and more energy efficient than integrated neural processing unit (NPU) solutions and delivers at least 2X more performance at half the power of Intel’s Core Ultra NPU, according to recently published benchmarks.
Early applications of Hailo-10 GenAI accelerators will be targeting PCs and automotive infotainment systems, empowering current and future CPUs that cannot by themselves power the chatbots, copilots, personal assistants, and speech-operated operating systems that have become standard today. Hailo will begin shipping samples of the Hailo-10 GenAI accelerator in Q2 of 2024.
“Whether users employ GenAI to automate real-time translation or summarization services, generate software code, or images and videos from text prompts, Hailo-10 lets them do it directly on their PCs or other edge systems, without straining the CPU or draining the battery,” Danon concluded.
Since its founding in Israel in 2017, Hailo has become a leading global supplier of intelligent AI chips that serves more than 300 customers around the world. The company has offices in the United States, Europe, Japan, South Korea, China, and Taiwan.
For more information about Hailo’s AI processors for edge devices, visit www.hailo.ai. Hailo will be present at the Embedded World exhibition in Nuremberg, April 9-11, Booth 126, Hall 1, and at the ISC West exhibition in Las Vegas, April 10-12, Booth #31065. To schedule a meeting with Hailo at these events visit: https://hailo.ai/company-overview/newsroom/
At Embedded World 2024, Digi International unveiled the Digi ConnectCore MP25, an ultra-compact System-on-Module (SoM) powered by the STMicroelectronics STM32MP25 SoC. This module is equipped with advanced connectivity features including 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2, options for cellular integration, and supports up to three Gigabit Ethernet ports with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). Additionally, it boasts a powerful 1.35 TOPS Neural Processing Unit (NPU) and an Image Signal Processor (ISP), enhancing its capabilities for complex IoT applications.
The Digi ConnectCore MP25 also includes interfaces for PCIe Gen2, USB 3.0, and triple CAN-FD, housed within a compact 30 x 30 mm form factor. This versatility makes it ideal for a wide range of IoT applications, from industrial automation to smart energy solutions, where performance, connectivity, and size are critical.
In previous articles, we have explored a variety of compact SoMs and development boards from STMicroelectronics, including the WeAct STM32G4,STM32H5 Discovery kit, and MicroGEA SoM among others. If you are interested in similar solutions, feel free to check out these reviews for more options in this category.
The company also offers a kit in which you will have access to features like HDMI, LVDS, and MIPI display options, a MIPI CSI-2 camera connector, and up to three Gigabit Ethernet ports. It also has one USB 3.0 OTG (Type-C), two USB 2.0 hosts, dual CAN-FD interfaces, and a MicroSD card socket. Expansion capabilities include a PCIe mini-card with SIM support, MikroE Click boards connector, and dual Digi XBee slots for cellular connectivity. Additional features are audio ports (microphone and headphones), user buttons, and LEDs, making it well-suited for diverse development needs.
Digi ConnectCore MP25 SoM and Specifications
Processor: Dual Cortex-A35 cores at 1.5GHz, with additional Cortex-M33 and Cortex-M0+ cores.
AI and ML: Integrated NPU delivering 1.35 TOPS and an image signal processor (ISP).
Wireless: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Bluetooth 5.2, and cellular integration options.
Memory and Storage: External memory and storage support tailored for industrial use.
Multimedia: Enhanced multimedia capabilities for graphics and video processing.
Networking: Supports Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) and up to 3 Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Interfaces: Includes PCIe Gen2, USB 3.0, and 3 x CAN-FD.
Form Factor: Ultra-compact Digi SMTplus (30 x 30 mm).
Temperature Range: Industrial operating range from -40 to +85 °C
The SoM is supported by a 10-year+ longevity program and a 3-year warranty, accompanied by global technical support, ensuring long-term reliability. It features advanced security for Industry 4.0 applications and offers extensive development tools and community support, streamlining integration and enhancing innovation in various projects.
The Digi ConnectCore MP25 features a seamless cellular modem and Digi XBee® integration, supported by Digi ConnectCore® Cloud Services for remote management and OTA updates. It runs on Digi Embedded Yocto Linux with Digi TrustFence® security, and turnkey development services are available from Digi WDS to accelerate integration and deployment.
Olimex has recently featured a new board named VGA2HDMI It is a VGA to HDMI converter board that can take in VGA signals and convert them into HDMI signals. The reason it’s news is because one search will give you many HDMI toVGA converted and not the other way around.
The company announced this board because their old boards like the CERBERUS 2100, AgonLight 2, and Agon Origins boards all use A VGA connection as output and as that standard is getting obsolete the company specially designed and tested this convert to work with the old board.
Olimex is not the first company to design a VGA to HDMI converter; a quick search on Amazon search will reveal many such devices. However, the Olimex converter stands out as an excellent choice. It is competitively priced and is open-sourced, which means you can access schematics and KiCad source files directly on its product page. Additionally, more information and resources are available on its GitHub page under the reciprocal GNU General Public License 3.
The Olimex VGA to HDMI converter, built around the CV8986 IC, supports 1080p video and 24-bit audio ADC, potentially allowing audio transmission over HDMI when properly designed. The datasheet confirms these capabilities, alongside features like HDCP 1.3 and CEC 1.3 support. Curiously, it lacks a 3.5 mm audio jack. This 56-pin IC measures 7mm x 7mm, operates from -30 to 85 degrees Celsius, and includes a 32-bit Cortex M0+ core.
The company also provides an enclosed for the Board but that costs a little bit more than the original product.
The Olimex VGA2HDMI board, compatible with any VGA and HDMI interfaces, is now on sale. It is priced at €15 to €17 (about $16 to $18.50) and is available through the Olimex store with an optional plastic case.
Avnet introduces the MaaXBoard OSM93, a Raspberry Pi-style semi-single-board computer designed to cater to energy-efficient edge artificial intelligence (edge AI) tasks. The board leverages the NXP i.MX 93 system-on-chip (SoC) to power its capabilities, offering a versatile platform for developers and embedded designers alike.
“The MaaXBoard OSM93 Development Kit is a great way for embedded designers to quickly evaluate and prototype both the i.MX 93 applications processor from NXP and the Avnet Embedded OSM-SF-IMX93 OSM,” highlights Jim Beneke from Avnet, emphasizing the board’s potential for high-volume applications. With its OSM-standard module and production-ready SBC form factor, the MaaXBoard suits various project scales and assembly needs efficiently.
The NXP i.MX 93 SoC boasts two Arm Cortex-A55 application-class processors clocked at up to 1.7GHz, complemented by a Cortex-M33 real-time core running at up to 250MHz. Additionally, it features an Ethos-U65 neural processing unit running at 1GHz, delivering up to 0.5 tera-operations per second (TOPS) for edge AI and machine learning tasks. The inclusion of an EdgeLock secure enclave system ensures robust security measures, making the MaaXBoard OSM93 a compelling choice for IoT applications requiring both performance and reliability.
Elsewhere on the board, users will find a robust set of features, including 2GB of LPDDR4 memory for smooth multitasking and performance, complemented by 640kB of on-chip RAM (OCRAM) for efficient data processing. Storage needs are addressed with 16GB of eMMC 5.1 storage and 16MB of QSPI NOR flash, ensuring ample space for applications and data.
Connectivity options abound, with two USB 2.0 Type-A host ports and a USB 2.0 Type-C port for versatile peripheral connections. Display and camera interfaces include four-lane MIPI Display Serial Interface (DSI) and two-lane Camera Serial Interface (CSI) connectors, catering to diverse multimedia requirements. Network connectivity is robust with two gigabit Ethernet ports, while an M.2 E-key connector offers flexibility for optional wireless modules.
Additionally, the board features a 40-pin Raspberry Pi-style general-purpose input/output (GPIO) header, enabling easy interfacing with external devices and expansion boards. Debugging capabilities are enhanced with a JTAG debugging header, while analog input needs are met with a four-pin header. Moreover, a six-pin CAN-FD header and SAI digital audio header, combined with onboard PDM microphone sensors, further extend the board’s functionality for a wide range of applications.
Avnet has confirmed it will be showing off the MaaXBoard OSM93 at Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany, April 9-11 at Booth 1-510; the board and module will both become generally available in the second quarter, with pricing yet to be confirmed. More information is available on the Avnet website.
The BeagleBoard.org Foundation has recently released BeagleY-AI a Texas Instruments AM67A SoC powered SBC which promises open-source hardware in a standard form factor.
The AM67A SoC features a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 CPU, and dual DSPs with Matrix Multiply Accelerator, achieving a total of 4 TOPS Edge Acceleration. other than that this setup also supports real-time deep learning and vision tasks, vision accelerators, a GPU for video processing, and Arm Cortex-R5 cores for rapid control.
The AI race is heating and recently we have seen many products, development boards, and camera modules coming preloaded with Edge AI capabilities. We’ve covered several of these in our previous posts, including the Toradex SoM, Avnet MaaXBoard OSM93, Toybrick TB-RK3588SD, and very recently Espressif has launched the ESP32-P4 MCU their first AI-enabled MUC without a Radio Module. If you’re interested in AI-related SBCs and MCUs, feel free to explore those articles for more in-depth information.
BeagleY-AI’s open-source design offers flexibility beyond typical constraints, allowing for custom modifications in industrial uses and giving businesses control over product development and supply chains. It’s also ideal for researchers and educators for consistent, customizable experimentation and teaching.
DSP: Dual C7x DSPs with Matrix Multiply Accelerator (MMA), capable of 4 TOPs
Control Subsystem: Arm Cortex-R5 for low-latency I/O and control
Graphics and Video:
Integrated GPU
Dedicated video and vision accelerators
High-Speed Interfaces:
PCI-Express Gen3 single-lane controller
USB3.1-Gen1 port
Gigabit Ethernet
Memory:
4GB LPDDR4
MicroSD card socket
Board identifier EEPROM
Networking:
BeagleBoard.org BM3301 module (TI CC3301 chipset)
WiFi 6 (IEEE802.11ax)
Bluetooth 5.4 with BLE
Gigabit Ethernet with PoE+ support (addon required)
Display Interfaces:
Micro HDMI
OLDI (LVDS) with touchscreen support
MIPI-DSI with touchscreen support (shared with MIPI-CSI)
Camera Interfaces:
2x MIPI CSI
Expansion and Peripheral Interfaces:
PCI-Express Gen3 x1 (external adapter needed)
4x USB3 (5Gbps) Type-A host ports
1x USB2 (480Mbps) Type-C device port and power input
40-pin expansion header
Fan power and control connector
Debugging Ports:
3-pin JST-SH console UART
10-pin TAG-CONNECT for JTAG
At the time of writing the company does not talk about software support or any related documentation, when available we will release an update to this post.
As of now, the BeagleY-AI is priced at $70 but is currently on backorder. Those interested can purchase it from SeeedStudio, Farnell, Newark, and other online retailers, with prices ranging from $70 to $75.
The company has announced that the product will be available starting June 2024.
The MeLE PCG02 Pro, known for its ultra-slim and fanless design, has received an upgrade with the latest Intel Processor N100 Alder Lake-N CPU. Initially introduced with an Intel Celeron J4125 (Gemini Lake Refresh) or Celeron N5105 (Jasper Lake) processor in 2022, the PC stick now boasts enhanced performance with the new chipset.
Featuring a sleek and slim profile measuring just 20mm thick, the MeLE PCG02 Pro offers impressive specifications. It supports up to 16GB of RAM and includes up to 256GB of eMMC flash storage. Equipped with two 4K-capable HDMI ports, users can enjoy high-definition multimedia content effortlessly. Connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet and WiFi 5 for seamless network access, along with three USB 3.2 ports for versatile peripheral connectivity. Additionally, a microSD card slot and a USB-C port for power only further enhance its usability.
Similar to the MINIX Z100-0dB mini PC, the MeLE PCG02 Pro boasts a fanless design, ensuring silent operation and efficient heat dissipation. With its compact form factor and powerful performance, the upgraded MeLE PCG02 Pro offers a compelling solution for various computing needs.
MeLE PCG02 Pro “Surpass” specifications:
SoC – Intel Processor N100 quad-core Alder Lake-N processor @ up to 3.4 GHz (Turbo) with 6MB cache, 24EU Intel HD graphics @ 750 MHz; TDP: 6W
System Memory – 8GB or 16GB LPDDR4x @ 4266 MHz
Storage – 128GB or 256GB eMMC flash
Video Output – 2x HDMI 2.0 ports up to 4K @ 60 Hz
Audio Output – 3.5mm earphone jack, digital audio output via HDMI
Connectivity
Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port with support for PXE and Wake-on-LAN (WoL)
Wireless – WiFi 5 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.1
USB – 2x USB 3.2 ports (10 Gbps), 1x USB 3.2 Type-C port (5 Gbps)
Misc – Kensington lock slot, reset CMOS pinhole, BIOS with auto power and RTC wake support
Power Supply – 12V/2A via USB Type-C port
Dimensions – 146 x 61 x 20mm
Weight – About 182 grams
The MeLE PCG02 Pro mini PC stick arrives with a power supply featuring EU/US/UK/AU plug adapters, a VESA mount kit, and a user manual. While the MeLE PCG02 Pro Surpass ships with Windows 11 Pro, Ubuntu Linux is also compatible. Ian’s review in December 2022 found satisfactory performance with both Windows 11 Pro and Ubuntu 22.04, although the N5105 model exhibited subpar WiFi 5 performance. The “Classic” variant features an M.2 slot, but it’s absent in the “Outperform” and “Surpass” models due to space constraints. Users desiring a fanless N100 system with an M.2 socket may consider the MeLE Quieter4C.
Signaloid Ltd., a startup specializing in uncertainty processing, has released a unique FPGA development board in the format of a microSD card. Called the Signaloid C0-microSD, the board aims to Simplify FPGA development and offer access to Signaloid’s uncertainty analysis technology.
As per specifications the C0-microSD is a compact device and will fit into any standard micro SD card socket. But as it is an FPGA board it contains an iCE40UP5K FPGA along with 128Mbit of SPI flash memory This FPGA comes preloaded with Signaloid’s proprietary RISC-V processor core, allowing users to execute RISC-V applications and upload alternative FPGA bitstreams.
Now while reading about this the sentence struct me was there “uncertainty analysis technology” – The key innovation lies in Signaloid’s approach to data representation. They extend traditional integer and real-valued data types to include probability distribution information. This means that instead of treating data as fixed values, Signaloid’s technology maintains information about the uncertainty associated with each piece of data.
By incorporating probability distribution information directly into the computation, Signaloid’s technology outperforms traditional methods like Monte Carlo analysis. This advantage persists even when running unmodified software, making it a powerful tool for a wide range of applications.
Signaloid’s FPGA Board Specification
Lattice iCE40UP5K FPGA
Compact and power-efficient FPGA solution
Offers up to 5K logic cells for flexible customization
Supports low-power operation ideal for battery-powered applications
Integrated SPI flash memory for convenient storage of configuration data
Enables rapid prototyping and development of various embedded systems
Compatible with open-source toolchains for easy development integration
128Mbit SPI Flash: Offers storage space for FPGA bitstreams and other data.
Preloaded Signaloid C0 RISC-V Core: Enables users to run RISC-V applications and experiment with Signaloid’s uncertainty-tracking features.
MicroSD Interface: Simplifies programming and integration, allowing direct connection to host systems with microSD slots.
With this unique design, you can rapidly test and iterate FPGA designs using breadboards or custom PCBs with microSD slots. Additionally, you can easily add FPGA functionality to larger systems with microSD slots. Plus, leverage their Uncertainty Analysis tool to process uncertain data dynamically.
IBASE Technology Inc., a leading innovator in industrial PC solutions, unveils the MI1000 Mini-ITX motherboard today. Engineered to support the latest 14th/13th/12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9/i7/i5/i3 DT processors (RPL-S Refresh Platform) with up to 65W TDP, these motherboards excel in handling the most demanding processing tasks. They are optimally designed for high-performance computing applications, including advanced gaming and data-intensive analytics, making them an excellent choice for technology-driven solutions.
The MI1000 showcases the seamless integration of the Intel R680E PCH, enhancing the motherboards’ connectivity, speed, and efficiency to unmatched levels. Key features include support for 2x DDR5 SO-DIMM sockets, enabling up to 64GB of memory with ECC for data-intensive applications. Graphics outputs such as eDP, LVDS, and 2x DisplayPort (1.4a) (DP++) are supported for superior visual performance. Furthermore, dual LAN ports offer robust 2.5G connectivity and iAMT support, enhancing networking capabilities.
MI1000 Features:
14th/13th/12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9/i7/i5/i3 DT processors, up to 65W
1x PCI-E (x16) [Gen.5.0]; 3x M.2 (1x E-Key for WiFi/BT and 2x M-Key for NVMe)
Supports watchdog timer, Digital I/O, iAMT (16.1), TPM (2.0)
The motherboard also boasts comprehensive connectivity options with 6x USB 3.2 and 4x USB 2.0 ports, alongside 2x COM and 4x SATA III interfaces, providing extensive possibilities for peripherals and storage expansion. With robust expansion capabilities featuring a PCI-E (x16) [Gen.5.0] slot and multiple M.2 slots, the MI1000 is designed to cater to a wide array of use cases, making it versatile for comprehensive system builds.
For more information on the MI1000 motherboard and other IBASE technology solutions designed for today’s technology-driven world, please visit www.ibase.com.tw