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.
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
ASRock Industrial is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest innovation, the SBC-262M-WT3.5” SBC Motherboard, a new benchmark in edge computing, powered by the advanced Intel® Atom® x7433RE Processor (Amston Lake). Designed with enhanced CPU and GPU performance, this motherboard ensures an optimal balance between performance, cost-efficiency, and versatility for various computing needs at the edge. Supporting of DDR5 4800 MHz memory, the SBC-262M-WT features an extensive array of I/O capabilities, including triple 4K display outputs, featuring dual LAN one support up to 2.5G with Intel® TSN/TCC for real-time computing, one Gigabit LAN and versatile storage options with SATA 3.0 and M.2 Key M, along with expansion slots like M.2 KeyE and M.2 Key B. With wide operating temperature support from -40 to 85 °C, the SBC-262M-WT is ideal for a wide range of applications, from smart retail, and smart cities to embedded industrial environments, setting a new standard for industrial motherboards.
Core Features Supporting SBC-262M-WT Motherboard
Superior Performance: Powered by Intel® Atom® x7433RE Processor (Amston Lake) up to 4-core, boosting both CPU and GPU efficiency, alongside significant enhancements in AI inference capabilities.
High-Speed Memory Support: The motherboard is equipped with a 262-pin SO-DIMM slot for DDR5 4800 MHz memory, supporting up to 48GB. This ensures fast and efficient performance for data-intensive applications, enabling smooth multitasking and quick data processing.
Extensive Connectivity Options: With two USB 3.2 Gen2, four USB 2.0, four COM ports, one M.2 Key E (2230) for WiFi, and one M.2 Key B (3042/3052) for 4G/5G connectivity, the SBC-262M-WT offers a wide range of connection possibilities. This allows for flexible expansion and customization according to specific project requirements.
Dual Storages Support: Featuring one M.2 Key M (2242/2280) for SSDs and one SATA3 for storage, the motherboard supports a variety of devices and data management solutions.
Advanced Networking Capabilities: Equipped with one Intel® 1 Gigabit LAN and one Intel® 2.5 Gigabit LAN, the SBC-262M-WT facilitates high-speed network connections and real-time computing with Intel® TSN/TCC, ensuring reliable and fast communication for industrial applications.
Triple Display Support: The motherboard supports triple display via one HDMI 2.0b, one DP 1.4b, and one LVDS and one eDP, offering versatile display options for enhanced productivity and immersive visual experiences in various industrial settings.
Wide Operating Temperature: The motherboard comes prepared to endure severe temperatures, spanning from -40 °C to 85 °C, and provides 9~36V DC-In PWR, guaranteeing operational resilience and durability in challenging conditions.
The SBC-262M-WT motherboard enhances edge computing capabilities, leveraging cutting-edge Intel® Atom® x7433RE Processor for unparalleled efficiency and performance. This integration underscores our commitment to advancing edge IoT technology, providing robust and reliable solutions for complex industrial environments.
For more product information about the new SBC-262M-WT motherboard, please check our Website Product Page and contact us at Product Inquiry.
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/
The Noni module, powered by Qualcomm’s QCA9274/QCA6274 chipsets, revolutionizes wireless connectivity with advanced WiFi-7 capabilities packed into a versatile M.2 A+E form factor. Tailored for a diverse range of applications, this module thrives in both commercial and industrial environments, delivering consistent performance across various conditions.
In adherence to the IEEE 802.11be standard, the Noni module achieves remarkable data rates of up to 11 Gbps. Its flexible MIMO arrangements, available in 4×4 or split 2×2 + 2×2 setups, accommodate diverse network configurations, while support for channel sizes up to 320 MHz and 4K QAM modulation elevates both efficiency and quality of wireless connections.
Equipped with Multi-Link operation for simultaneous multi-frequency communication and adaptive interference puncturing, the Noni module optimizes bandwidth utilization even in challenging environments. Its dual-band support across 5GHz and 6GHz spectrums ensures adaptability to evolving wireless demands.
Key specifications include wide frequency band support and a PCI Express 3.0 dual-lane interface, enhancing compatibility across various form factors like mini-PCIe, System on Module (SoM), and M.2 A+E. Security remains paramount with support for robust protocols like WPA3 and comprehensive encryption standards including AES-CCMP/GCMP, ensuring secure wireless communication. For seamless software integration, the Noni module offers support for both FirmUx and QSDK, providing developers the flexibility to choose between open-source or proprietary drivers. This dual compatibility streamlines firmware development and facilitates effective device operation management.
Available on the 8devices website, the Noni module comes in several variants. The Noni 56 M2-4×4-I is priced at $85.00, offering advanced features for specialized applications. Meanwhile, the standard Noni 56 M2-4×4 is available for $79.00 catering to general-purpose wireless needs. For budget-conscious projects, the Noni 56 M2-4×4-B variant is offered at $74.00, providing reliable connectivity at an affordable price point.
Bulgarian open hardware specialist Olimex has revealed its latest innovation, the ESP32-H2-DevKit-LiPo. This compact, cost-effective development board is specifically crafted for individuals keen on delving into Matter devices and the Internet of Things (IoT).
At the heart of the ESP32-H2-DevKit-LiPo lies the Espressif ESP32-H2 microcontroller. Sporting a single 32-bit core clocked at up to 96MHz, this chip boasts 32kB of static RAM, 128kB of on-chip ROM, 4kB of low-power RAM (LPRAM), and 4MB of flash memory, ensuring ample resources for diverse IoT applications.
The board’s versatility is further enhanced by its array of 19 GPIO pins and integrated peripherals, including ADC, SPI, I2C, I2S, UART buses, and PWM support. Such features empower users to customize and expand their projects with ease.
However, the ESP32-H2-DevKit-LiPo truly shines in its wireless capabilities. It boasts support for Bluetooth 5 Low Energy and IEEE 802.15.4 LR-WPAN, encompassing protocols like Thread, Zigbee, and the emerging Matter standard. This enables seamless connectivity and communication across IoT devices, paving the way for innovative applications.
Practicality meets convenience with the board’s design, featuring two USB Type-C connectors for programming and debugging, a lithium-polymer (LiPo) battery connector with charging circuitry, and connectors like Qwiic/STEMMA QT and UEXT for hassle-free expansion.
Despite its advanced features, the ESP32-H2-DevKit-LiPo remains remarkably affordable, priced at just €8 (approximately $8.66). Orders are now open on the Olimex store, with shipping slated to commence by the end of the month. Additionally, the hardware design files are available on GitHub under the reciprocal GNU General Public License 3, fostering a culture of openness and collaboration in the IoT community.
In a previous post, we discussed the Radxa Zero 3W & 3E, both powered by the Rockchip RK3566 and designed to mimic the form factor of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2W and Orange Pi Zero 2W. At that time, Radxa had not disclosed its pricing. However, they have recently announced that these models will be available exclusively at the Arace Tech online store with competitive pricing.
The SBC is powered by an RK3566-based SBC which is a quad-core 64-bit Cortex-A55 CPU (up to 1.8GHz) with an ARM Mali G52 2EE GPU. They support OpenGL ES versions up to 3.2, Vulkan 1.1, and OpenCL 2.0, enhancing their graphical processing capabilities.
The SBC is versatile and can be configured with 1,2,4 and 8GB LPDDR4 RAM options. It also has a Micro SD slot along with multiple connectivity options including Gigabit Ethernet with PoE (extra HAT required), USB-C OTG, USB 3.0, and Micro HDMI (1080P@60fps). Additionally, it features a 40-pin header for extensive interfacing (UARTs, SPI, I2C, etc.), and dual power inputs (5V DC, 3.3V).
Radxa ZERO 3E SBC Specifications
SoC: Rockchip RK3566
CPU: Quad-core Arm Cortex-A55 (ARMv8) 64-bit @ 1.6GHz
GPU: Arm Mali-G52-2EE, supporting OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1/3.2, Vulkan 1.1, and OpenCL 2.0
RAM: Options for 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, or 8GB LPDDR4
Storage: Micro SD card slot
Ethernet: Gigabit Ethernet port with PoE support (additional PoE HAT required)
USB: USB 2.0 Type C OTG and USB 3.0 Type C Host
Display: Micro HDMI port supporting 1080P@60fps
Camera Interface: MIPI CSI camera port
GPIO: 40-pin header supporting various interfaces including:
Up to 5 UARTs
1 SPI bus
Up to 2 I2C buses
1 PCM/I2S
Up to 6 PWMs
Up to 28 GPIOs
Power: 2 x 5V DC inputs, 2 x 3.3V power pins
Operating Conditions: Optimal between 0°C to 50°C; throttles at 80°C to prevent overheating
Cooling: External cooling (heat sinks, fans) is recommended for continuous high-performance operation
Certifications: CE, FCC
Dimensions: 72 mm x 30 mm
Radxa indicates that the ZERO 3E will be compatible with operating systems like Debian, Ubuntu, and Android, catering to various uses. Last time when we wrote about this there was no documentation available but this time around the company has provided us with reliable documentation, you can check that out on the company docs page.
The Radxa Zero 3E comes in three variants: 1GB RAM for $15.99, 2GB RAM for $20.99, and 4GB RAM for $30.99, available only at the Arace Tech online store.
In a recent announcement, orange has recently announced some key details about their latest Orange Pi 5 Pro SBC. From that, we know this new board will be built around the RK3588S SoC and It will have a GbE port with PoE+ support, M.2 Key slot for expansion, and Wi-Fi5/BT5.0 connectivity 6 TOPS NPU 16GB of LPDDR5 eMMC 5V/5A DC
The RK3588S SoC features a quad-core Cortex-A76 CPU (up to 2.4GHz) and a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU (up to 1.8GHz), alongside an ARM Mali-G610 quad-core GPU (up to 1GHz) and a 6-TOPS NPU for enhanced AI capabilities.
The RK3588S is the latest and greatest SoC that Radex has to offer, and this is not the first board to utilize this SoC. Previously, the ROCK 5C used this SoC to power their SBC, and the trend is likely to continue.
The SoC also features a Mali-G610 GPU, along with a 6 TOPS NPU. On top of that, It supports LPDDR5 RAM options (4GB, 8GB, or 16GB) and versatile storage including eMMC, MicroSD, and M.2 slots. Supporting HDMI 2.1 for 8K at 60Hz and HDMI 2.0 for 4K at 60Hz, it also features DP1.4 ALT. With MIPI 4-Lane for high-res video, ES8388 codec for audio, and a 40-pin GPIO header, it’s a flexible, multimedia-centric board.
Upgraded Orange Pi Pro Specifications
SOC: Rockchip RK3588S (8nm LP process)
CPU: 8-core 64-bit processor utilizing big.LITTLE architecture with four Cortex-A76 cores at 2.4GHz and four Cortex-A55 cores at 1.8GHz
GPU: Arm Mali-G610, supports OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2, OpenCL 2.2, and Vulkan 1.2
NPU: Embedded with up to 6 TOPS computing power, supports INT4/INT8/INT16 mixed operations
Power Outputs: Supports DC 5V and 3.3V from the expansion port
Other Features:
Buttons: MaskROM, RESET, POWER
Indicators: RGB LED tri-color
Cooling: 5V 2PIN 1.25mm fan socket
Real-Time Clock: 3V 2PIN 1.25mm socket
Debugging: UART via 40PIN expansion port
Supported Operating Systems:
Orangepi OS (Droid), Orangepi OS (Arch), Ubuntu, Debian, Android 12
Physical Specs:
Dimensions: 89mm x 56mm x 1.6mm
Weight: 62g
Power Supply: Type-C, 5V @ 5A
The Orange Pi RK3588S board offers multiple Orange Pi OS variants including OH, Arch, and Droid OpenWRT for network projects, mainstream Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Debian, and an Android image for graphical applications. Additionally, the Linux source code is available for custom development, accommodating a wide range of use cases and developer needs.
At the time of writing orange Pi has not disclosed the pricing for any variants of these boards yet. For further details, please visit the product page.
Ambiq, renowned for low-power “intelligent devices,” has introduced its cutting-edge Apollo510 system-on-chip (SoC), heralding a significant advancement in energy efficiency and performance for edge AI applications.
The Apollo510 brings forth a remarkable 30-fold improvement in power efficiency compared to its predecessors, setting new benchmarks for energy conservation in the industry. Powered by an Arm Cortex-M55 core with Helium acceleration extensions, this chip ensures enhanced performance with a tenfold reduction in latency and halved energy consumption.
With 3.75MB of on-chip static RAM (SRAM) and tightly-coupled memory (TCM), along with 4MB of non-volatile memory, the Apollo510 guarantees seamless data handling and processing. Its high-bandwidth interfaces enable efficient communication with external memories, facilitating swift information exchange.
Built on Arm’s TrustZone technology, the Apollo510 prioritizes security with features like a trusted execution environment (TEE) and tamper-resistant one-time programming. This ensures robust protection for on-device AI applications, meeting the stringent security requirements of modern industries.
The Apollo510 addresses the evolving needs of various sectors, including health, industrial, and smart home applications. With its promise of significant performance gains, developers and device manufacturers are empowered to embrace the AI era with confidence.
Sampling with selected customers now, the Apollo510 is scheduled for general availability in the fourth quarter of the year. Ambiq will showcase the chip’s capabilities live at the Embedded World conference from April 9th to 11th. More information is available on the Ambiq website.
Espressif Systems has recently introduced the ESP32-C5 a MCU with dual-band (2.4 & 5.0 GHz) WiFi-6 and Bluetooth 5.0LE support.
Previously we have seen Espressif release many MCU such as the ESP32-C6, and ESP32-C61, both of which are capable of handling 2.4GHz radio connectivity, but this is the first module from Espressif that will support both the 2.4 & 5.0 GHz radio.
Support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi on the ESP32-C5 enhances IoT devices with OFDMA and MU-MIMO for efficient, low-latency connectivity in crowded settings, and there will also be support for TWT which will add to extended battery life. This MCU can support 5G speeds so this setup will enable applications like live streaming, Wi–Fi dongles, and IPcameras. Espressif ensures software continuity with the ESP-IDF, supporting both ESP32 and ESP8266 devices, and offers options for using ESP32–C5 as a co-processor via ESP-AT or ESp-hosted SDKs.
ESP32-C5 Specifications:
CPU: Single-core 32-bit RISC-V processor, up to 240 MHz
Memory: 400KB SRAM on-chip
Storage: 384KB ROM on-chip, supports external flash
Connectivity:
Dual-band 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 (2.4GHz & 5GHz)
Backward compatible with 802.11b/g/n (Wi-Fi 4)
20MHz bandwidth in 802.11ax mode
20/40MHz bandwidth in 802.11b/g/n mode
OFDMA for uplink and downlink
Downlink MU-MIMO
Extended device sleep periods with TWT for improved battery life
Bluetooth 5.0 LE
I/O Capabilities:
Over 20 programmable GPIOs
Interfaces: SPI, UART, ADC
SDIO 2.0 Slave interface
Miscellaneous: Temperature sensor, Real-Time Clock (RTC)
At the time of writing the company has not provided us with pricing information for the ESP32-C5, so more details can be found on their press release page.
Adafruit has recently added two new members to the Trinkeyfamily, the AdafruitSHT45Trinkey and the Adafruit SHT41 Trinkey both of those are designed to add temperature and humidity-sensing capabilities to any USB HOST device.
The main difference between the two boards lies in their accuracy and cost. The SHT45 Trinkey offers higher precision, with ±1.0% RH accuracy from 25 to 75% and ±0.1°C temperature accuracy from 0 to 75°C. The SHT41 Trinkey provides ±1.8% RH accuracy from 25 to 75% and ±0.2°C temperature accuracy from 0 to 75°C.
Both the boards are designed around a Microchip ATSAMD21E18 microcontroller. They are designed to slip into any USB A port on a computer or laptop. Additionally, they feature a NeoPixel LED, capacitive touch input, and a reset button, with minimal extra circuitry for streamlined operation.
The boards are designed for seamless use with any USB host device and automatically present temperature, and humidity data to the host device. It can also provide data in CSV format via a virtual serial port upon connection. Their compatibility with various USB-host devices extends beyond PCs and Raspberry Pis, thanks to using a standard USB profile.
Adafruit Trinkey USB Temperature and Humidity Sensor Specifications
Connectivity: Native USB, supports serial console, MIDI, Keyboard/Mouse HID, disk drive for Python scripts
Compatibility: Arduino IDE, CircuitPython
LED: 1x RGB NeoPixel
Input: Capacitive Touchpad
Sensors: SHT41 Temperature + Humidity sensor with thermal isolation
Utility: Reset switch for code restart or bootloader mode
Design: Slim, keychain-friendly
Reprogramming the USB Temperature and Humidity Sensor Trinkey is easy. Adafruit provides CircuitPython and Arduino IDE libraries for all Trinkey components, allowing for customization of data output, format, or functionality.
Adafruit offers two versions of the USB Temperature and Humidity Sensor Adafruit Trinkey – one with the SHT41 sensor named SHT41 Trinkey sells for $10.95 and a more accurate version with the SHT45 sensor named SHT45 Trinkey sells for $17.95.