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Advantech unveils palm-size intelligent edge computers

Fri, May 24, 2024

Advantech has announced the release of the ARK-1125 series, a new line of palm-size fanless box PCs powered by Intel’s latest N200 (from the N-series) and X7211E (from the X-series) processors. The ARK-1125 series features ultra-compact, ruggedised units designed to operate in a wide temperature range (-30 ~ 60°C; -22 ~ 140°F). Despite their small size (133 x 46.4 x 94.2mm; 5.24″ x 1.83″ x 3.71″), these box PCs offer plenty of connectivity options to link with various devices and peripherals, making them suitable for most factory automation needs.

The ARK-1125 series also supports integration with M.2 AI accelerator cards, 5G/LTE, Wi-Fi modules, and NVMe SSDs, enabling real-time intelligence and boosting efficiency and productivity in factory and smart city applications. On top of all that, on-board TPM 2.0 and DeviceOn software provide one more layer of security and remote management capabilities. With their palm-size form factor, rugged design, wide operating temperature range, and IP4X rating, these box PCs are perfect for space-constrained applications such as manufacturing conveyors and kiosks.

The ARK-1125 series comes in two configurations with varying I/O to suit different application scenarios.

Human Machine Interfaces: ARK-1125H
The ARK-1125H model features an Intel® N200 (Alder Lake N) processor and supports 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory. It offers plenty of external I/O options for connecting peripherals, including 2 x GbE (up to 2500 Mbps), 2 x RS-232/422/485, 2 x USB 3.2, 2 x USB 2.0, and 2 x HDMI ports. Additionally, the ARK-1125H supports Wi-Fi and 5G modules and includes selected wireless modules certified by RED for EU countries. This version is also certified for ChromeOS Flex, ARK-1125H, making it suitable for a range of businesses and enterprise applications, including interactive AI applications. The compact size of the ARK-1125H allows it to be installed in space-limited environments like kiosks. It features dual GbE and dual HDMI ports for network and display connections. Its wireless communication capabilities are perfectly suited to meet the demands of data upload and download for kiosk applications.

Industrial Automation: ARK-1125C
The ARK-1125C model features an Intel® x7211E (Alder Lake N) processor and supports 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory. Its versatile external I/O options enable various connections, including 4 x RS-232/422/4851, 1 x GbE (up to 2500 Mbps), 2 x USB 3.2, 2 x USB 2.0, and 1 x HDMI port. Internal interfaces include M.2 2230 E-Key, 2242 M-Key and 2280 B-Key slots, supporting NVMe SSDs, wireless modules, and AI accelerator cards such as the HAILO 8, with an M.2 form factor, enabling AI applications at the edge in smart factories. Moreover, ARK-1125C, with its selected memory and SSD, is Energy Star certified, ensuring power and cost savings while promoting environmentally friendliness.

Customisation services
For customers requiring customised solutions, Advantech’s European DMS team offers a wide range of local design and manufacturing services.

https://www.advantech.com/

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TimeProvider from Microchip offers embedded BlueSky firewall technology to detect security threats

Thu, May 23, 2024

Critical infrastructure such as public utilities, transportation and mobile networks depend on time to synchronise their networks. The primary source of time comes from national timing systems like Global Position Satellite (GPS), but GPS signals are susceptible to jamming and spoofing attacks. To continue to provide critical infrastructure operators with a secure timing solution, Microchip has announced the release of version 2.4 of the TimeProvider 4100 grandmaster firmware with an embedded BlueSky firewall function to detect potential threats and validate GNSS before using the signal as a time reference.

The TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 also implements IEEE 1588 power profiles, which enables gateway capabilities between PTP telecom and power profiles. With this device, utility companies can connect the communication and substation networks to support the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) networks as operators continue to modernise.

The growth of emerging private networks continues to increase in a variety of locations like factories, stadiums and mines. These private networks can now be synchronised with the TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 equipped with the Time Sensitive Network (TSN) profile 802.1.AS. This functionality provides private networks with a more accurate and autonomous time system to coordinate private network Internet of Things (IoT) devices.

Depending on their unique deployment requirements, operators need grandmasters that can scale to support very few clients up to many clients. The TP4100 v2.4 can serve 2,000 Precise Time Protocol (PTP) clients, providing the capability to synchronise a large number of base stations with precise time without having to deploy multiple grandmasters.

As existing legacy communication signal deployments age, there is a need to migrate these installations to a modern and modular architecture. The TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 provides a new operation mode that includes the filtering of legacy input signals and provides the ability to serve as a Synchronisation Supply Unit (SSU), enabling the migration of large SSU environments to a TimeProvider server architecture. This presents a combination of new protocols such as PTP, NTP, SyncE and legacy signals at a large scale, allowing operators to ensure legacy services remain, while affording the capability to provide modern synchronisation signals to support the newer network architectures.

Resiliency is necessary for synchronisation solutions serving critical infrastructures. A failure can lead to degradation or a complete loss of service, thereby affecting customer satisfaction. Software redundancy contributes to the resiliency of the TimeProvider 4100 series because it enables two grandmasters to be synchronised in an Active/Standby model so network clients can be served by the Standby unit if the Active unit encounters a disruption. Another important and valuable feature of the TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 is the additional model for redundancy, allowing two units to operate in Active/Active mode, providing flexibility depending on the customer’s preference. Customers employing the Active/Active mode can benefit from the two grandmasters designed to operate at all times, as compared to the Active/Standby configuration where one device is not used while remaining in the standby mode.

The TimeProvider 4100 series v2.4 is integrated with the TimePictra Synchronisation Management System to provide users a complete view of their synchronisation operation and health across their network.

https://www.microchip.com

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New demonstration board from ST kickstarts dual-motor designs

Thu, May 23, 2024

ST’ EVSPIN32G4-DUAL demonstration board controls two motors from a single STSPIN32G4 integrated driver, accelerating product development and simplifying the PCB design and bill of materials.

The EVSPIN32G4-DUAL board cuts the time to market for advanced industrial and consumer products such as robots, multi-axis factory automation systems, garden equipment, and power tools. The STSPIN32G4 motor controller contains an Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller (MCU) with the processing power to manage both motors simultaneously, executing complex algorithms like field-oriented control (FOC) in real-time. In addition, MCU peripherals support sensored or sensorless FOC and advanced position and torque-control algorithms, including motor-control and general-purpose timers, analog functions including operational amplifiers and comparators.

The EVSPIN32G4-DUAL demonstration board leverages an advanced three-phase gate driver integrated in the STSPIN32G4 and an additional STDRIVE101 gate driver to control two three-phase inverters delivering up to 10A with a maximum supply voltage of 74V. Both gate drivers have their own bootstrap circuitry and safety features including drain-source voltage monitoring, cross-conduction prevention, several thermal protection mechanisms, and under-voltage lockout (UVLO).

EVSPIN32G4-DUAL also leverages the STSPIN32G4’s built-in power-management circuitry, permitting a compact design with a low BOM that is easy to procure and permits rapid assembly in production. The power management includes a programmable buck converter for gate drivers VCC supply, a low-dropout linear regulator, and a special regulator with low quiescent current to supply the MCU during standby.

The STSPIN32G4 is included in the STM32 ecosystem that provides extensive support for application development, including tools for starting the project, middleware packs, and software examples. The X-CUBE-MCSDK (motor control software development kit) has firmware libraries for algorithms including FOC and STM32 motor-control workbench. This is an easy-to-use graphical tool that lets the user select and automatically configure the EVSPIN32G4-DUAL directly from a menu.

https://www.st.com

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New adapter board from Rutronik for radar-based applications in distance measurement and people detection

Wed, May 15, 2024

Reliable solutions for distance measurement as well as people and surface detection play a key role in IoT applications. With the RAB3, Rutronik System Solutions are expanding their board family with an Adapter Board to test the use of a fully integrated module as well as the possibility of a discrete development. By accelerating the pre-development phase and reducing costs, the RAB3 helps to bring radar-based applications to market faster.

IoT control applications have become a trend and with it the demand for sensing devices to collect information. Here radar sensing is highly robust and stable with respect to external conditions such as temperature changes and ambient light. “Furthermore, radar detects motion, but does not use the actual images, thus providing a real privacy benefit. With our RAB3, you benefit from a development environment to test compact and lower power radar applications,” notes Stephan Menze, Head of Global Innovation Management at Rutronik.

The Nisshinbo 60 GHz Smart Sensor Micro-Module offers a non-contact and highly accurate measurement solution. Radar sensing at 60 GHz is a non-contact and highly accurate measurement solution. This is beneficial for realising applications for distance measurement or people counting with the distance, angle, and state detection sensor using 60 GHz band millimetre wave. With the Infineon XENSIVTM 60 GHz Radar Sensor, a discrete radar IC complements the latest radar technology provided with the RAB3 to work on your application. Thanks to its small form factor and low power consumption, this 60GHz radar sensor comes with one transmitting and three receiving antennas. The L-shaped antenna can be used for array, horizontal, and vertical angular measurement. This enables advanced radar sensing.

Thanks to the Arduino interface, the RAB3 is easy to combine with all other Base Boards and Adapter Boards from Rutronik System Solutions. The modular concept opens up various development approaches that you can implement quickly, cost-effectively, and simply, but in a technically sophisticated way. By combining the RAB3 with the Base Board RDK3, it is possible to implement both detection without privacy issues and also in badly lit and dark surroundings and localized use via Bluetooth Low Energy, which is sufficient for some applications such as people detection and presence detection in factories, conference and exhibitions halls, shopping malls or similar. It is also possible, for example, to connect it to the Text To Speech Adapter Board, which is based on Epson core hardware and software. This second Adapter Board makes it then possible to use the voice output to communicate that a maximum of people are in a room or hall. With the Text To Speech Adapter Board up to twelve languages can be realized as voice output.

https://www.rutronik.com.

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Advantech unveils palm-size intelligent edge computers

TimeProvider from Microchip offers embedded BlueSky firewall technology to detect security threats

New demonstration board from ST kickstarts dual-motor designs

New adapter board from Rutronik for radar-based applications in distance measurement and people detection

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