MIKROE has launched Click Shield for FRDM-MCXN947, a versatile expansion device for the NXP development board. The shield provides three mikroBUS sockets, enabling designers to prototype and develop using multiple Click boards. MIKROE releases one new Click board nearly every day: currently there are over 1700 of the compact add-on boards to choose from across categories such as: Audio & Voice; Clock & Timing; Display & LED; HMI; Interface; Mixed Signal; Motor Control; Power Management; Sensors; Storage and Wireless Connectivity.
NXP’s FRDM-MCXN947 is a powerful microcontroller board based on the MCX N947 microcontroller. It integrates the Arm Cortex-M33 TrustZone core, CoolFlux BSP32, and PowerQuad DSP Co-processor, operating at 150MHz. Ideal for consumer IoT, smart appliances, industrial control, and automotive accessories, it features Hi-Speed USB, CAN 2.0, and 10/100 Ethernet. The board includes an on-board MCU-Link debugger, FlexI/O for LCD control, and dual-bank flash for read-while-write operations, supporting large external serial memory configurations.
Comments Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE: “By providing multiple connection points for Click boards, Click Shield for FRDM-MCXN947 facilitates rapid prototyping and development of complex electronic systems. It has been specifically designed to work seamlessly with the FRDM-MCXN947 development board, and includes a GND hook for testing purposes, providing a convenient and reliable way to perform diagnostics.”
The NXP FRDM-MCXN947 development board and expansion shield with Click boards suit a wide variety of applications such as consumer IoT, smart appliances, industrial control, and automotive accessories. For example, designers could develop smart home, industrial automation, or wearable IoT devices by combining sensors, actuators, and wireless connectivity. They could collect and process data from various sensors using the Click Shield’s expansion capabilities. Or they could implement precise motor control applications leveraging the FRDM-MCXN947’s processing power and the Click Shield’s connectivity options.
IoT
New single board computer from Kontron with 13th Gen Intel Core U-Series processors
Kontron, has announced the latest generation of its 3.5”-SBC product family, named 3.5”-SBC-RPL. The 3.5”-SBC-RPL is a single board computer driven by hybrid-core 13th Gen Intel Core U-Series and Intel U-Series Processors (codenamed Raptor Lake U) which enable an optimal synergy between performance and efficiency. With integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, AI acceleration features and real-time computing capability on the same chip, the board can help system developers build a compact edge system that requires excellent graphics, efficient computing, real-time processing and / or AI acceleration for a variety of applications, such as smart manufacturing, healthcare, retail and smart city. Samples will be available to customers in January 2025.
The 3.5”-SBC-RPL leverages hybrid computing architecture, combining performance and efficiency cores within the 13th Gen Intel Core U-Series processors. This enables intelligent workload management by assigning demanding tasks to performance cores and energy-efficient tasks to efficiency cores, optimising performance per watt. The design allows smaller thermal solutions and is ideal for compact systems. The new 3.5”-SBC-RPL Single Board Computer offer multiple embedded controller features and uses advanced technology components.
With integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, the 3.5”-SBC-RPL supports 8K resolution at 60 fps via two DisplayPort connectors. It can extend to four displays through additional ports, ideal for video walls and control rooms. An eDP/LVDS combo connector is available for all-in-one systems. The GPU supports up to 96 execution units, enabling AI acceleration for edge devices, alongside Intel Deep Learning Boost and Intel® Gaussian & Neural Accelerator 3.0, delivering cost- and power-efficient AI computing.
The board incorporates two DDR5 SO-DIMM sockets (up to 5200 MHz), dual 2.5 GbE LAN Intel i226 controllers, and four USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (10 Gbps). Certain variants feature Intel Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) and IEEE 802.1 Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), ensuring real-time, low-latency communication within and between systems, critical for real-time AI processing. The configurable TDP (12 W to 28 W) allows flexibility in system design based on cooling solutions.
The 3.5”-SBC-RPL offers three M.2 slots for SSD, WLAN, Bluetooth, WWAN, and other expansions. A board-to-board connector allows developers to add one of the expansion boards, named 3.5″-eIO, for extra I/O ports or features, including additional display (DP & HDMI) connectors and LAN ports. The 3.5″-eIOs support both standard and industrial operating temperature ranges and are compatible with the 3.5”-SBC-RPL, 3.5”-SBC-ADN, 3.5”-SBC-AML as well as previous generations the 3.5″-SBC-EKL and the 3.5″-SBC-TGL. 3.5”-eIO Series expansion boards enable faster time-to-market and reduced development costs.
Designed for harsh environments, the 3.5”-SBC-RPL supports a wide input voltage range (9 V to 36 V) for unstable power conditions and integrates a TPM 2.0 security chip for enhanced hardware-level security, protecting user data, network access, and ensuring operational integrity against cyber threats. Some variants are designed for continuous operation (24/7) under harsh operating conditions and on high system load.
Seven variants are available, in both industrial-grade (-40 °C to 85 °C) and commercial-grade (0 °C to 60 °C) temperature ranges, using Intel® Core™ i7, i5, i3, and U300E processors.
3.5”-SBC-RPL ensures an extended long-term availability of up to 10 years from the release date, due to embedded key components and is CE, FCC, ICES, UKCA & UR (UL Recognised) compliant.
u-blox extends reach of PointPerfect GNSS correction service via RTCM RTK data format
u-blox extends the reach of its PointPerfect GNSS correction service by adding the Radio Technical Commission for Maritime Services (RTCM) data format standard, opening the service to use with all GNSS and real- time kinematics (RTK) receiver hardware.
PointPerfect has until now exclusively delivered the correction data using the SPARTN data format. Designed for increased flexibility, the addition of RTCM now lowers barriers to adoption and expands the addressable market of scaled-up high-precision positioning solutions. The high-precision service works seamlessly with any GNSS RTK receiver module, u-blox or non u-blox, and even with mixed device fleets without a need for integration expertise.
This expansion introduces RTCM users to PointPerfect’s uniquely flexible usage-based pricing plans as an affordable alternative to the rigid high annual service fees of conventional RTK suppliers. The pay-as-you-go plans allow users to pay only for the hours that they use. Pooled plans make it simple to optimise costs by sharing service hours across the whole device fleet.
This expansion of the PointPerfect GNSS correction service will address a broader range of devices in segments that utilise the RTCM data standard, such as robotic lawnmowers, service delivery robots, UAVs and precision agriculture.
The PointPerfect RTCM service expansion provides centimetre-level accuracy in seconds, is simple to use, cost effective, offers seamless coverage over entire continents, countries, and regions, and with 99.9% uptime availability for reliable performance.
Kontron announces its new 2.5” single board computer
Kontron has announced its new 2.5” Single Board Computer (Pico-ITX SBC) product line with the new 2.5”-SBC-AML/ADN. This board offers a compact and portable computing solution with enhanced processing and graphics performance, faster AI inference capabilities, low power consumption, and low latency. The new SBCs are ideal for critical real-time computing in industrial automation, smart cities, energy, retail, and healthcare applications. Samples will be available to customers in November 2024.
The 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML support standard or project-based all variants of low-power Intel Atom x7000E Series, Intel Core i3 N-Series, Intel N-Series (codenamed Alder Lake N) and Intel Atom x7000RE Series (code name Amston Lake) processors. These boards feature integrated Intel UHD Graphics (Gen12), AI acceleration, and real-time computing capabilities. The new Pico-ITX Single Board Computers provide multiple embedded controller features and advanced technology components, delivering nearly double (compared to the previous generations) graphics performance with up to 32 execution units in the iGPU for concurrent AI inference workloads. Combined with the Intel® Deep Learning Boost, the new SBC offer faster AI inference performance.
Despite its compact size of just 100 mm x 72 mm – slightly larger than a credit card – 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML deliver impressive graphics and media processing power. They support three 4K displays at 60 fps through an internal eDP interface and two external connectors: DisplayPort and DisplayPort over USB-C.
The 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML feature advanced components, including in-band ECC-enabled LPDDR5 soldered SDRAM (4, 8, or 16 GB) with speeds up to 4800 MHz, two 2.5 GbE LAN Intel I226 controllers, and three USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors (Type A and Type C) at up to 10 Gbps. These components enable ultra-low latency within the system and with peripheral devices. Additionally, some variants support Intel Time Coordinated Computing (TCC) and Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), providing real-time responsiveness with up to 1 microsecond accuracy over Ethernet.
The soldered eMMC storage (32 GB, 64 GB, or 128 GB), together with mounted LPDDR5, make 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML resistant to shock and vibration. 2.5”-SBC-AML is specifically designed for continuous 24/7 operation in harsh environments and high system loads. Both Single Board Computers are available in commercial (0 °C to 60 °C) and industrial (-40 °C to 85 °C) temperature variants to suit different applications.
The 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML support a wide input voltage range (DC 9 V to 20 V) for unstable power supplies. Additionally, a discrete TPM 2.0 security chip enhances user authentication, network access, and data protection compared to firmware TPM.
Despite its small footprint, the 2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML offer robust connectivity and expansion options, including two internal COM ports (two RS232 or two RS232/422/485) and eight digital I/O channels for industrial applications. The boards feature two M.2 expansion slots (Key B and Key E) for Wi-Fi, WWAN (3G, 4G, or 5G), and additional SSD storage, enhancing system reliability and versatility. All these features operate within a low power budget of 6 W to 15 W TDP.
2.5”-SBC-ADN and 2.5”-SBC-AML ensure an extended long-term availability of up to 10 years from the release date, due to embedded key components and is CE, FCC, ICES, UKCA & UR (UL Recognised)
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