Microcontroller Tips

Microcontroller engineering resources, new microcontroller products and electronics engineering news

Development Kits

LTE-M development kit speeds IoT connectivity projects

By Leave a Comment

Avnet makes the development of IoT devices more efficient with the new Monarch LTE-M Development Kit.

By providing developers with a complete set of components, software, and services from NXP Semiconductors, Sequans, Microsoft, Verizon, and Avnet, the kit speeds time to market for the development of IoT solutions using LTE-M connectivity. The kit is powered by the Sequans Monarch LTE-M modem, NXP’s LPC55S69 MCU microcontroller, Verizon’s SIM and ThingSpace IoT platform, Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform, and Avnet’s end-to-end engineering services.

LTE-M connectivity is a crucial feature for today’s IoT devices. Its wide availability, bandwidth, and speed are ideal for the always-on, reliable data connectivity that IoT applications demand, such as remote monitoring, asset tracking, and smart city/smart home applications. The Monarch LTE-M Development Kit has been designed to meet the needs of developers looking to incorporate LTE-M connectivity in their IoT devices, ensuring they can rely on Avnet’s end-to-end ecosystem to bring their projects from idea to design and design to production.

The connectivity in the kit is provided by the Sequans Monarch Go LTE-M modem. The modem is certified for end-use on the Verizon network, eliminating the need for certification testing and significantly improving time to market. Verizon’s ThingSpace IoT platform is also incorporated in the kit, simplifying device deployment on the Verizon LTE-M network and ensuring data integrity with reliable network connectivity.

The Monarch LTE-M Development Kit bundles the Monarch Go Arduino Shield with an NXP LPC55S69-EVK board and includes example code showing how it all works together to create a cellular-connected edge device-to-cloud connectivity. The kit’s evaluation board features an NXP LPC55S69 MCU, a secure microcontroller which balances high performance and power efficiency while incorporating TrustZone-M for enhanced security. Avnet is also offering the Monarch Go Arduino Shield as an accessory item for developers who may want to enable other Arduino-compatible MCU boards with LTE Cat-M1 connectivity.

Embedded developers can build upon the provided out-of-box cloud connectivity and dashboard examples using Microsoft’s Azure IoT Central and Avnet’s IoTConnect cloud platforms. From monitoring sensor data from the NXP MCU board to sending commands remotely via the Verizon network, these cloud-based examples will accelerate application development and time to market.

The Monarch LTE-M Development Kit is available for $99 and the Monarch Go Arduino Shield is available for $69.95.

Enterprise-grade 16-channel PCIe 4.0 NVMe hardware + firmware combo speeds SSD development

By Leave a Comment

Silicon Motion Technology Corporation announced the SM8266, a complete enterprise-grade 16-channel PCIe 4.0 NVMe hardware plus firmware turnkey SSD controller solution. Customers can rapidly develop and bring to market enterprise SSDs for data centers by using our complete development platform that includes a turnkey NVMe firmware stack and hardware reference design kit.

The SM8266 controller solution features Silicon Motion’s state-of-the-art firmware and hardware technology to provide consistent, low latency QoS domains. Offering capacity up to 16TB with 16 NAND flash channels, the SM8266 is designed to support the latest 3D TLC and QLC NAND flash technologies. To ensure enterprise-level reliability, data integrity, and retention at PCIe Gen4 performance, the SM8266 is equipped with Silicon Motion’s proprietary technologies including:

  • 6th generation NANDXtend technology, which incorporates machine learning algorithms supporting Silicon Motion’s proprietary high-performance LDPC error correction code (ECC) engine with RAID, ensuring better data integrity even in extreme operating environments.
  • End-to-end data path protection, which applies ECC to the SSD’s SRAM and DRAM buffers as well as to the primary NAND flash memory array. This maintains data integrity as data is transmitted between the host and the SSD, and between buffer memories and NAND flash.
  • Power loss protection, which eliminates the risk of data loss in the event of an unexpected power outage.

Other features of SM8266 include: High-performance PCIe Gen4 x4 & NVMe 1.4 compliance; Turnkey stacks enable standard NVMe SSD as well as proprietary Open-Channel and Key-Value SSD implementations; Support for up to 16TB of physical NAND capacity; Low and consistent latency enabled by physical and logical isolation; Ultra-high sequential read performance of up to 6.5GB/s and 950K sustained random read IOPS; Data security with AES 256-bit hardware supporting SED, Secure Boot, and TCG Opal

Modules sport 11th Gen Intel Core processors for outdoor/in-vehicle apps

By Leave a Comment

Congatec introduces six new Computer-on-Modules with 11th Gen Intel Core processors for the extended temperature range. Built with high-quality components designed to withstand extreme temperatures from -40 to +85°C, the new COM-HPC and COM Express Type 6 Computer-on-Modules provide all features and services required for reliable operation in the most challenging environments.

The value package includes rugged passive cooling options, optional conformal coating for protection against corrosion due to moisture or condensation, a list of recommended carrier board schematics, and suitable components for the extended temperature range for highest reliability. This impressive technical feature set is complemented by a comprehensive service offering that includes temperature screening, high-speed signal compliance testing along with design-in services, and all training sessions required to simplify the use of congatec’s embedded computer technologies.

Typical use cases for the new industrial-grade COM-HPC and COM Express modules can be found in any kind of rugged applications, outdoor edge devices, and in-vehicle installations, which increasingly leverage embedded vision and artificial intelligence (AI) functions for which congatec provides extensive support as well. Typical verticals are industrial automation, railway, and transportation, smart infrastructure including mission-critical applications such as the energy, oil and gas sector, mobile ambulance equipment, telecommunication, or security, and video surveillance, to name just a few.

Based on the new low-power high-density Tiger Lake SoCs, the new modules for wide temperature environments offer significantly greater CPU performance and nearly 3x higher GPU performance [1], along with state-of-the-art PCIe Gen4 and USB4 support. The most demanding graphics and compute workloads benefit from up to 4 cores, 8 threads, and up to 96 graphics execution units for massively parallel processing throughput in an ultra-rugged shape. The integrated graphics can be used as parallel processing units for convolutional neural networks (CNN) or as an AI and deep learning accelerator. Using the Intel OpenVINO software toolkit that includes optimized calls for OpenCV, OpenCL kernels, and other industry tools and libraries, workloads can be extended across CPU, GPU, and FPGA computes units to accelerate AI workloads, including computer vision, audio, speech, language, and recommendation systems.

The TDP is scalable from 12W to 28W, enabling truly immersive 4k UHD system designs with passive cooling only. The impressive performance of the ultra-rugged conga-HPC/cTLU COM-HPC module and the conga-TC570 COM Express Type 6 module has been made available in a real-time capable design and also includes real-time hypervisor support from Real-Time Systems for virtual machine deployments and workload consolidation in edge computing scenarios.

The conga-HPC/cTLU COM-HPC Client Size A module, as well as the conga-TC570 COM Express Compact module will be available with new scalable 11th Gen Intel Core processors for extreme temperatures ranging from -40 to +85°C. Both modules are the first to support PCIe x4 in Gen 4 performance to connect peripherals with massive bandwidth. In addition, designers can leverage 8x PCIe Gen 3.0 x1 lanes. Where the COM-HPC module offers the latest 2x USB 4.0, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, and 8x USB 2.0, the COM Express module offers 4x USB 3.2 Gen 2 and 8x USB 2.0 in compliance with the PICMG specification. For networking, the COM-HPC module offers 2x 2.5 GbE, whereas the COM Express module executes 1x GbE, with both supporting TSN. Sound is provided via I2S and SoundWire in the COM-HPC version and HDA on the COM Express modules. Comprehensive board support packages are provided for all leading RTOS, including hypervisor support from Real-Time Systems as well as Linux, Windows, and Android. 

Dev kit speeds industrial Ethernet comm projects for CC-Link IE TSN systems

By Leave a Comment

IAR Systems announces the availability of the new evaluation kit IAR KickStart Kit for Renesas’ R-IN32M4-CL3, assisting developers in the development and evaluation of R-IN32M4-CL3 IC for industrial Ethernet communication which supports CC-Link IE TSN targeted for smart factory applications.

The CC-Link IE TSN is an open Industrial Ethernet (IE) technology from CC-Link Partner Association. It combines gigabit Ethernet bandwidth with Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN). Renesas’ R-IN32M4-CL3 is tailored for CC-Link IE TSN and meets TSN specifications of less than one-millionth of a second-time synchronization accuracy between applications. The flexible design of R-IN32M4-CL3 allows one system to serve a diversity of networks and applications, which boosts overall factory productivity.

IAR KickStart Kit for R-IN32M4-CL3 includes everything developers need to get started evaluating and developing applications based on R-IN32M4-CL3, including an R-IN32M4-CL3-based evaluation board and evaluation licenses of the development toolchain IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm. The complete C/C++ compiler and debugger toolchain IAR Embedded Workbench for Arm is an ideal choice for application with strong requirements on high reliability, such as factory applications. The toolchain is available in several editions to suit different customer needs, including a functional safety edition certified by TÜV SÜD according to the requirements of several safety industry standards such as IEC 61508, the international umbrella standard for functional safety.

IAR Embedded Workbench offers development tools for the entire lineup of Renesas microcontrollers, including R-IN32, RA, RE, RZ, RX, RL78, RH850, 78K, SuperH, R8C, V850, R32C and M32C, H8, and M16C. More information is available at www.iar.com/renesas.

Development kit enables rapid development for 1 kW to 10 kW applications

By Leave a Comment

ON Semiconductor has introduced its advanced and flexible Motor Development Kit to accelerate the development of more efficient motor control solutions for applications ranging from less than 1 kW to over 10 kW.

Electric motors account for over half of all the power generated and consumed by industrialized countries. The majority of those motors are AC induction motors, which have an average efficiency of just 44%. In order to improve efficiency, motor drives designers must understand how these and other types of motors operate under all load conditions, and intelligently compensating for variable conditions. The Motor Development Kit addresses the urgent need for improved energy usage.

The Motor Development Kit (MDK) comprises one of a growing number of Power Boards, connected to a Universal Controller Board (UCB). The Power Boards feature various incarnations of ON Semiconductor inverter solutions for motor drive, from high voltage integrated modules to low voltage, discrete MOSFETs. The UCB is a common control platform that interfaces with any Power Board to enable engineers to evaluate alternative motor control techniques for various types of motors and at a wide variety of power levels.

Intelligent motor control requires a flexible and programmable approach. The UCB is based on the Zynq-7000 SoC family from Xilinx, Inc. This powerful device integrates two ARM Cortex-A9 processor cores alongside an FPGA fabric, providing the optimum combination of software and hardware configuration. The board also features a 10-channel differential ADC, 12 PWM channels, and a number of configurable digital peripherals. Communication ports include USB, JTAG, and UART, as well as a Gigabit Ethernet PHY.

Efficient motor control represents a major focus of ON Semiconductor. The company is applying its extensive experience and a large portfolio of discrete devices, Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) and Transfer Molded Power Integrated Modules (TMPIMs) to increase efficiency. The MDK brings together its expertise and technologies to help engineers quickly develop solutions that deliver greater energy efficiency, in any application that uses electric motors.

ON Semiconductor’s MDK provides an ‘out of the box’ experience for evaluating variable speed motor inverter solutions. To enable this, the modular ecosystem includes the UCB and a number of power evaluation boards, developed using ON Semiconductor’s best in class power components. Support for software development comes from Xilinx in the form of the Vivado Design Suite for High-Level Synthesis. The UCB can also be programmed using Python, through Xilinx’s open source project, PYNQ.

The MDK currently supports two motor power boards; the SECO-1KW-MCTRL-GEVB, which is suitable for driving motors up to 1 kW, and the SECO-MDK-4KW-65SMP31-GEVB, for driving motors up to 4 kW. Both of these power boards use ON Semiconductor’s IPM technology and will be available in Q4, 2020. An additional motor power board will be released in Q1, 2021, based on ON Semiconductor’s TMPIM technology, designed to drive motors up to 10 kW. Expect further power boards and expanded design support to be added to the MDK ecosystem.

Economical desktop computer based on Raspberry Pi

By Leave a Comment

Newark announced the availability of the new-to-market Raspberry Pi 400 desktop computer. Available in ready-to-use kit form, the competitively priced Raspberry Pi 400 is an ideal desktop computer for use in the home or education. Raspberry Pi 400 can also be purchased on its own for use in industrial and commercial applications including point-of-sale terminals and thin clients.

Raspberry Pi 400 kit integrates the keyboard and electronic components into a fully-enclosed compact unit and offers a clock speed of 1.8GHz, 20% higher than Raspberry Pi. The kitted variants comprise a Raspberry Pi 400, pre-programmed SD card, power supply, mouse, beginner’s guide, and micro HDMI cable; all that is required to start using Raspberry Pi 400 is a television monitor.

The Raspberry Pi 400 provides high performance and a rich feature, including a 28nm Broadcom BCM2711 quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 64-bit processor clocked at 1.8GHz, offering industry-leading performance and power efficiency; 4GB LPDDR4-3200 RAM, and a micro SD card slot for operating system, application, and data storage; dual-band 802.11ac wireless networking delivering real-world data rates of more than 100Mbps, Gigabit Ethernet, and Bluetooth 5.1. The two SuperSpeed USB 3.0 ports can be used to connect a wide range of peripherals; two micro-HDMI ports, supporting up to 4Kp60; customers can easily integrate Raspberry Pi 400 into embedded designs using the horizontal 40-Pin GPIO header

Raspberry Pi 400 is available in six keyboard languages for the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and North America.

FPGA family in ceramic quad flat pack option is QML-qualified

By Leave a Comment

Microchip Technology announced its RTG4 Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) family is the first in a Ceramic Quad Flat Pack (CQFP) option to achieve qualification to the industry’s Qualified Manufacturers List (QML). The achievement will enable space system developers to create systems using more reliable packages that simplify the layout and routing of Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) that are also easier to assemble and inspect.
 
Microchip’s CQFP package with 352 pins for RTG4 FPGAs simplifies system design in applications ranging from satellites and space probes to planet landers and vehicles. The CQFP package option is easier to assemble than Ceramic Column Grid Array packages, further improving reliability while enabling a more cost-effective system integration alternative to higher-pin-count alternatives. It is ideal for control applications that do not require a high number of inputs/outputs (I/Os) or need frequent switching and a high number of temperature cycles. 
 
RTG4 FPGAs give space systems new high-speed signal-processing capabilities and leverage reprogrammable flash memory to provide greater immunity to configuration Single Event Upsets (SEUs) while consuming 40 to 50 percent less power than competing Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) FPGAs. RTG4 FPGAs feature 150,000 Logic Elements (LEs), 462 multipliers, and 5.2 megabits (Mb) of memory. With this qualification, Microchip is now able to offer a full range of qualification and screening options for RTG4 FPGAs in the CQFP package suitable for a wide range of space missions from class 1 applications that require QML-V components, to low-cost New Space constellations with relaxed screening requirements.
 

Mounting base kit simplifies electronic prototyping tasks

By Leave a Comment

Digi-Key Electronics announced that it has expanded its product portfolio to include Phase Dock Inc.’s WorkBench project development kit. This distribution partnership is part of Digi-Key’s Marketplace initiative to broaden the product offerings now available for customers, making Digi-Key more of a one-stop-shop than ever before.

Phase Dock offers a unique project development kit series, the Phase Dock WorkBench, that helps engineers, makers, and students turbocharge prototyping and accelerate projects built with evaluation boards and breadboards. The kits improve productivity by speeding time to completion, greatly reducing work area clutter, and minimizing project setup time. The WorkBench can be used with many development boards, sensors, and actuators carried by Digi-Key.

The Phase Dock WorkBench eliminates many problems common to prototyping. It saves time previously lost constructing an ad hoc platform from cardboard, plywood, etc. It provides portability and protection to fragile hardware that otherwise might be loosely wired together on the desktop. And it allows engineers and hobbyists to dive into the heart of their projects more quickly, easily reconfigure working prototypes, and maintain an orderly work area at the same time.

For more information about Phase Dock and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website.

Development platform speeds 2K high-resolution imaging radar work

By Leave a Comment

Arbe announced the rollout of their Radar Development Platform empowering customers to revolutionize their imaging radar systems. Tier 1s, OEMs, and new mobility players are enhancing their perception algorithms based on the 2K high-resolution Imaging Radar Development Platform, or A Sample as referred to in the automotive industry.

Arbe is currently collaborating with over 20 tier-1 and OEM customers in The United States, Europe, China, Korea, and Japan that are developing their next-generation radar systems based on this Imaging Radar Development Platform. This launch will enable Arbe technology-based radars to be implemented in vehicles on the road as early as 2022.

Highlighting the advancement of Arbe’s Radar Development Platform, current radars on the market process 12 channels, and industry radars in development are promising 192 channels. Right now, Arbe’s chipset processes 2304 (48×48) channels, providing 2K ultra-high resolution, far beyond what any other radar can provide. Arbe’s imaging radar solution, with its superior resolution and object detection in all environment conditions prevents the causes of some of the recent ADAS road accidents, as it tracks vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, and can detect stationary objects like a parked vehicle in a lane, or road construction on the highway. It also eliminates false alarms, that are common with current generation radars, so that ADAS and AV systems can finally trust the reading from the radar.

Additionally, the Development Platform for 4D Imaging Radar serves as a base for advanced perception capabilities including accurate real-time inference of the vehicle’s ego-velocity and in lane localization. Post-processing the radar data allows tracking and classifying objects in the entire field of view of the vehicle and determines their orientation and motion vector, as well as provides precise and accurate free space mapping to distinguish drivable from non-drivable environments in any weather or lighting condition.

Arbe’s Imaging Radar Development Platform includes the entire Arbe imaging radar chipset with RF transmitter and receiver chips of 2K channels (48 receiving by 48 transmitting channels). And the patented imaging radar processor capable of processing 30Gbps of radar data. The patented chipset provides ultra-high resolution and supports over 100,000 detections per frame; A radar antenna with the densest channel array in the industry, delivering a form factor designed to perfectly fit automakers’ current sizing and vehicle mounting specifications; A software layer – that abstracts the hardware access and scheduling; A reference design to guide tier-1 and OEM customers’ radar system development.

Development kit focuses on Arduino-based, LTE-powered IoT apps

By Leave a Comment

Telit announced the launch of Charlie, a turnkey innovation kit for fast, inexpensive development of Arduino-based, LTE-powered IoT applications. The new kit is the latest example of Telit’s commitment to providing makers and other innovators with low-cost development solutions as they explore the burgeoning IoT market opportunity.

Telit designed Charlie to provide all of the key features and capabilities necessary to leverage Arduino and LTE: The Telit ME310 module, based on the Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem, provides full coverage of NB-IoT and Cat M1 LTE bands, as well as a fallback to 2G in those areas where the new technologies are not fully deployed yet; The microprocessor is compatible with the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) and easily programmable through Arduino libraries; The board’s Arduino MKR form factor lets developers use a wide variety of Arduino shields; The ultra-low-power Bosch Sensortec BMA400 acceleration sensor and Qualcomm Technologies’ ultra-low-power Qualcomm 9205 LTE modem, are both ideal for applications such as asset tracking; The ceramic GNSS antenna with a low-noise amplifier (LNA) enables location-based applications; A battery charger, USB access, and cellular antenna connector provide additional design flexibility, capabilities, and efficiency.