Latest News

Farnell provides access to two versions of Ardunio Uno R4

Fri, Aug 11, 2023

Two new Arduino Uno R4 boards are now available from Farnell, in an expansion of the Uno family portfolio. 

The Uno R4 Minima and Uno R4 Wi-Fi are suitable for use by beginners and experienced developers. They introduce a 32-bit architecture with new capabilities for makers, explained Farnell.

The Uno R4 is powered by Renesas RA4M1 32-bit Cortex-M4 processor running at 48MHz, providing a three fold performance increase over the Uno R3.

These enhancements are fully backward-compatible, however, and do not compromise working with existing shields and accessories, said Farnell. The SRAM has been upgraded from 2kbyte to 32kbyte and flash memory is 256kbyte, compared to 32kbyte, in order to support more complex projects. There is also a 12-bit analogue DAC, an on board op amp, a USB-C port and maximum power supply voltage of 24V with an enhanced thermal design. Other features include a CAN bus and an SPI port, enabling users to reduce wiring and perform parallel tasks by connecting multiple shields. There is also an HID device to emulate a mouse or keyboard

The Uno R4 Minima provides powerful and affordable technology for designers who want the power and speed the Renesas processor can bring but do not have any need for additional features. Onboard SWD pins provide a simple way to connect third-party debugging probes for system operation.

The Uno R4 Wi-Fi features an Espressif ESP32-S3-mini co-processor and offers Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, providing robust internet accessibility for IoT projects.

The Uno R4 Wi-Fi additionally includes low energy Bluetooth / Wi-Fi, a fully addressable 12×8 LED matrix, a Qwic 12C connector for external I2C connectivity, a real time clock with support for a buffer battery and runtime errors diagnostics.

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software which has built up a worldwide community of makers, including students, hobbyists, artists, programmers, and professionals, contributing accessible knowledge that can greatly help novices and experts alike.

The new Arduino Uno R4 boards is available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

https://uk.farnell.com/

> Read More

PIR motion sensors have wide and long detection ranges

Thu, Aug 10, 2023

PaPIRs are compact, long range, passive infra red motion sensors by Panasonic Industry. They are designed to ease the use of motion sensing in street lighting and aisle applications.

According to Panasonic Industry they are the world’s most compact long range PIR motion sensors and now include the Ultra Wide and the Long Distance Detection type which is able to be installed at heights up to 15 metres and with a maximum field of view of 91.6 x 45.4 degrees. These capabilities set new standards in terms of lens size, detection area and integration options, said Panasonic.

The small size possible with PIR technology contributes to the miniaturisation of motion detectors and the pyroelectric sensor elements are extremely sensitive explained the company. The lens diameter is only 32.6mm yet with a detection area of 30.9 x 12.6 meters at an installation height of 15 meters, the new Ultra Wide and Long Distance Detection Type can be used in high ceiling installations. 

The configuration of the 188 detection zones enables detection of radial movement and minimises blind spots, added Panasonic. By precisely identifying human presence, the sensor provides accurate data for lighting control, resulting in not just optimal illumination but also significant energy savings.

The motion sensor is also easy to install and integrate into existing lighting systems, claimed Panasonic Industry. the design features both digital (open-drain output) and analogue (op amp output) interfaces. It also supports seamless integration with various lighting control protocols. The robust and UV-stabilised lens makes the sensor suitable for both indoor and outdoor environments.

Panasonic Industry Europe is part of the global Panasonic Industry organisation, one of the five major operating companies within Panasonic Holding. Panasonic Industry Europe provides products and services for industrial customers all over Europe.

Panasonic Industry Europe serves customers in a broad range of industrial sectors such as mobility, infrastructure, automation, medical, appliances, smart living and security. Its broad and diverse product portfolio encompasses key electronic component sectors including electromechanical and passive components, batteries and other energy products, sensors and wireless connectivity modules, thermal management materials and custom solutions, as well as automation devices and solutions.

http://industry.panasonic.eu

> Read More

Qualcomm claims world record with Snapdragon X75 5G downlink

Thu, Aug 10, 2023

The Snapdragon X75 has achieved a downlink rate of 7.5Gbits per second, the world’s fastest 5G speed record with sub-6GHz spectrum, said Qualcomm.

The sixth generation modem-RF system’s advanced 5G capabilities of 4x carrier aggregation (CA) on TDD bands and 1024 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) enable the high downlink speeds in sub-6GHz with a 5G standalone network configuration.

Aggregation of four TDD channels enables operators to combine diverse spectrum assets to achieve higher data rates, advised Qualcomm. In addition, 1024 QAM improves spectral efficiency by incorporating more data into each transmission, compared to 256 QAM systems, which allows for increased data throughput and improved spectrum efficiency.

“Snapdragon X75 5G Modem-RF System is the smartest wireless modem we have ever created and is designed for the future, with a 5G Advanced ready architecture, made to help operators define the next generation of networks around the world,” said Sunil Patil, vice president product management, Qualcomm Technologies. It has applications for connectivity across many industry sectors, including consumer, enterprise and industrial use cases, he added.

Snapdragon X75 is currently sampling to customers. Commercial devices are expected to launch in the second half of this year.

The Snapdragon platforms from Qualcomm and the company’s technology roadmap allows it to efficiently scale the technologies for mobile applications, including advanced connectivity, high performance, low power compute, on device intelligence, to the next generation of connected smart devices across industries. Innovations will help enable cloud-edge convergence, transform industries, accelerate the digital economy, the company believes.

http://www.qualcomm.com

> Read More

Arm-based SBC is robust and expandable for the IIoT

Thu, Aug 10, 2023

ASUS IoT has based the Tinker Board 3N single board computer (SBC) on the 64-bit, quad core Arm Rockchip RK3568 processor. The company said it is robust and ready for the industrial IoT (IIoT).

Built on the Arm v8 architecture, the Rockchip RK3568 is claimed to generate a GPU performance capable of seamless graphics processing with low power consumption. In-house test results shows that Tinker Board 3N delivers up to 17 per cent higher GPU performance and up to 31 per cent increased UX scores, encompassing data security, processing capabilities and image and video processing. According to ASUS IoT, the Tinker Board 3N is suitable for applications such as an IoT gateway, human machine interfacing (HMI) and factory automation.
The SBC also incorporates several mechanical design enhancements to facilitate embedded application use. For example, it features a low profile push pin heatsink and SoC placement on the back of the board. This adds strength and eases installation, said ASUS IoT with its diminutive NUC-scale dimensions allowing for use in SWaP-constrained deployments. The Tinker Board 3N is also engineered to operate smoothly in harsh industrial environments over a wide temperature range of  -40 to +85 degrees C to fulfill industrial automation needs.

Tinker Board 3N-series devices are equipped with PoE, LVDS, COM and CAN bus interfaces, and M.2 E and M.2 B slots to accommodate WiFi 5/6 and 4G/5G expansion modules for cloud computing. The onboard LVDS supports FHD output via dual channels, making it suitable for multiple display solutions. Embedded COM headers and CAN bus can be utilised in controllers and robotic arms, for example. 

The SBC also supports a variety of operating systems, catering to different development environment needs. Users can choose from Linux Debian, Yocto, and Android OS. The latest ASUS IoT SBC supports firmware over the air (FOTA) for both Android and Linux, ensuring regular software updates and system maintenance for efficient and optimal performance.

There are three Tinker Board 3N SBCs, the Tinker Board 3N PLUS, Tinker Board 3N and Tinker Board 3N LITE.

https://tinker-board.asus.com/product/tinker-board-3N.html

> Read More

About Smart Cities

This news story is brought to you by smartcitieselectronics.com, the specialist site dedicated to delivering information about what’s new in the Smart City Electronics industry, with daily news updates, new products and industry news. To stay up-to-date, register to receive our weekly newsletters and keep yourself informed on the latest technology news and new products from around the globe. Simply click this link to register here: Smart Cities Registration