Latest Bluetooth module from Panasonic now in mass production and supporting Bluetooth 6.0

Now in mass production, the PAN B611-1 Bluetooth module from Panasonic Industry is based on the powerful Nordic nRF54L15 single chip controller. The product now also supports Bluetooth 6.0 and the cutting-edge Bluetooth Channel Sounding feature, enabling precise distance measurement and improved wireless communication.

All 32 pins available on nRF54L15 are routed out on to a hybrid packaging consisting of castellated edges and LGA in a hybrid layout such that a dedicated number of pins positioned at the edge lending for easy prototyping, with the rest of the GPIOs located at the bottom that allows leveraging the full potential of the wireless SoC platform.

The module benefits from very small dimensions of only 10.35 mm × 9.8 mm × 1.9 mm. This way, it combines the advantages of both worlds without compromising on size and enables one of the best pin-to-size ratios for Bluetooth modules currently on the market. Its edge pins facilitate easier hand-soldering and support the use of inexpensive 2-layer PCB designs and optical inspection methods, eliminating the need for costly X-ray machines.

Based on nRF54L15, the module is shipped with an open embedded application processor based on ARM Cortex-M33 processor clocking up to 128 MHz for high performance embedded applications with a 256 kB RAM. Furthermore, the module has a non-volatile memory of 1.5 MB as available on the SoC.

However, Panasonic adds further features above and beyond those available on the SoC. Pascal Maier, Head of IOT Devices at Panasonic Industry comments: “Our latest PAN B611-1 Bluetooth module is a versatile device that can support a variety of applications – from ultra-low power battery driven solution to very complex applications like Matter, as well as sophisticated algorithm-heavy features like Channel Sounding. This is why we offer different spec variants to enable a variety of applications. The modules are for example available with additional integrated slow clock crystal for energy efficient battery powered operation and additional 4 MB Flash Memory for more complex applications. We think our clients will love this module for its versatility and power at a competitive price point.”

An output power of 8dbm makes the module ideally suited for the European market. The main target applications are lighting, home appliances, industrial sensors, medical devices, healthcare wearables and energy management devices and solar farms.

Furthermore, the PAN B611-1 is ideally suited for Matter applications, as dedicated variants exist with additional flash memory, and is fully compatible with the PAN MAX Service that facilitates the production and launch of Matter production. Apart from Matter, the highly versatile module also supports a variety of wireless protocols in the 2.4 GHz spectrum including Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth Mesh and IEEE 802.15.4 – enabling Zigbee and Thread as well as other third-party proprietary technologies, which make it effortless to develop products for smart home standards like Matter and Zigbee and even allow running multiple wireless protocols concurrently.

The PAN B611-1 Bluetooth module is available with an integrated chip antenna (-1C) or as bottom pad version (-1B) to cater to diverse project needs. It is certified for Europe (CE RED), UK (UKCA), USA (FCC), Canada (ISED), Japan (MIC).

https://industry.panasonic.eu

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AAEON introduce an Intel Core Ultra 200H-powered developer board

AAEON’s UP brand has announced the release of the UP Xtreme ARL, its first product to feature the new Intel Core Ultra 200H Series platform (formerly Arrow Lake). The platform’s enhanced integrated CPU, GPU, and NPU provide up to 97 TOPs of AI performance, one of the reasons AAEON has positioned the product as a platform for professional developers to build advanced industrial robotics and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) applications.

The board is the first Arrow Lake-powered embedded product to have obtained Intel ESQ (Edge Solution Qualification). This qualification ensures validated hardware and software integration for high-performance, reliable, and scalable AI edge computing applications.

The UP Xtreme ARL’s enhanced chip architecture sees the board leverage performance advancements through both a power-optimised core microarchitecture and Intel DL Boost-accelerated integrated Intel Arc 140T GPU. In addition, its Intel AI Boost NPU offers extensive software framework support, something that the brand’s UP Community will see as a big plus for streamlined model development.

As expected, the UP Xtreme ARL is equipped with a Raspberry Pi-compatible 40-pin GPIO, while also offering dual RS-232/422/485 pin headers, as well as MIPI-CSI camera support via a 61-Pin FPC connector. The board provides two USB 3.2 Gen 2 interfaces via two Type-A ports, alongside three USB 2.0 interfaces via one Type-A port and an internal 10-pin header offering an additional two. Alongside its varied USB configuration is two ethernet ports, one providing 2.5GbE and one Gigabit Ethernet speed. The board offers substantial expansion options, with two M.2 2280 M-Key slots joining one SATA drive for storage, alongside both M.2 2230 E-Key and M.2 3052 B-Key slots for wireless module support.

For OS support, the UP Xtreme ARL is compatible with Windows 10/11 LTSC, Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, and Yocto 5+. AAEON also provides a variety of drivers and setup documentation for GPU, NPU, and IPU functionality on its website product page.

https://www.aaeon.com.

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With new standards for AI inference, Axelera Metis AI accelerators now at Rutronik

Rutronik has recently added Axelera AI, a European pioneer in AI and edge computing, to its franchise partners. Axelera Metis products offer an alternative to traditional GPU-based solutions. The Metis AI platform is a holistic AI solution that combines state-of-the-art hardware and software. The hardware portfolio includes the Metis M.2 AI Inference Acceleration Card and the Metis PCIe AI Inference Acceleration Card.

At the heart of the Metis AI platform is the Metis AIPU (AI Processing Unit), a quad-core chip based on a proprietary RISC-V architecture and Digital In-Memory Computing (D-IMC). This architecture enables AI inference performance of up to 214 TOPS with energy efficiency of 15 TOPS/W. This makes it ideal for computer vision inference on the edge and provides scalable technology to meet the future demands of AI acceleration workloads.

The hardware is complemented by the Voyager SDK, a software package that simplifies model deployment, optimisation and integration.

Metis M.2 AI Inference Acceleration Card
This card, powered by the Metis AIPU, is ideal for applications with limited space that require powerful AI inference. In addition, the M.2 card has 1 GB of dedicated DRAM memory, which helps reduce power consumption and enables easier integration into systems. Its inference performance is up to 214 TOPS with 5 to 9 W typical application performance. A PCIe Gen3 x4 interface and security features (Secure Boot, Root of Trust) round out the product. The Metis M.2 AI Inference Acceleration Card is optionally available with an active cooling solution.

Target applications:
• Surveillance: easy deployment in buildings, construction sites or event venues
• Robotics: high-resolution advanced gesture recognition, pose estimation and decoding of human
intentions
• Medical: improved accuracy of real-time diagnosis, monitoring, imaging and analysis
• Agritech: crop analysis, smart irrigation, pest control, automated harvesting
• Drones: navigation, object detection and monitoring in lightweight, battery-powered UAV systems

Metis PCIe AI Inference Acceleration Card
The PCIe single slot cards in HHHL form factor with PCIe Gen3 x4 interface are also powered by the Metis AIPU. The PCIe version features up to 3,200 FPS for ResNet- 50, up to 214 TOPS with typical application performance of 8 W to 15 W, and active air cooling. Security features such as Secure Boot and Root of Trust are also integrated. It is available with 4 GB and 16 GB memory configurations.

Additional options with four Metis chips will be available soon, enabling up to 856 TOPS. These will then be available with 16 GB and 64 GB memory.
Target applications:
• Security: faster detection of incidents such as break-ins, falls or abandoned luggage
• Industry 4.0: fault detection, quality control, occupational safety
• Retail: customer behaviour, inventory monitoring, automated checkout systems
• Mobility: toll collection, enforcement and parking management
• Logistics: improving operational efficiency and safety in logistics centres

Both products support simultaneous inference on multiple cameras and enable the parallel use of independent neural networks. They offer a wide range of end-to-end AI pipelines and pre-trained models for a wide variety of applications. Advanced quantisation tools also ensure high prediction accuracy without compromising performance.

https://rutronik-tec.com

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Ibase announce new ultra-compact rugged embedded edge computer

IBASE Technology has released the CP100 ultra-compact rugged embedded edge computer, purpose-built for high-reliability and long-term operation in space-limited environments. Powered by the AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 Series processor, the CP100 offers three chipset configurations, allowing users to tailor computing performance to specific application needs.

Engineered for minimal footprint, the CP100 adopts a 2.5-inch SBC design with a compact system size of just 94(W) x 133(D) x 51(H)mm, making it ideal for industrial and embedded edge applications requiring efficient, multi-threaded performance in tight spaces. It also supports DIN-rail mounting, enabling easy deployment in various automation systems and equipment architectures.

The CP100 features dual HDMI 2.0 ports, supporting simultaneous dual 4K display output for consistent, high-quality video performance. It supports PDPC (Peripheral Device Power Control) function, optimising power efficiency for connected peripherals. With four configurable RS-232/422/485 serial ports, the system enables seamless connectivity with a wide range of industrial sensors and devices, making it well-suited for smart manufacturing, industrial automation, smart retail, and intelligent logistics applications.

To meet the demands of high-speed networking and flexible storage expansion, the CP100 includes multiple M.2 slots (E-Key and M-Key), supporting WiFi, Bluetooth, LTE/5G wireless modules, and high-performance NVMe storage devices, delivering scalability and future-proofing for evolving system requirements.

Key Features of CP100:

• Powered by AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 processors with scalable performance options
• Ultra-compact design with DIN-rail support for easy deployment in tight spaces
• Dual HDMI 2.0 outputs for simultaneous 4K video display
• Four configurable COM ports for versatile industrial device integration
• Multiple M.2 expansion slots for wireless connectivity and high-speed storage

http://www.ibase.com.tw

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