Sector News

Kria ODM ecosystem accelerates time to market for adaptive computing

Thu, Jan 19, 2023

Building on the successful reception of the Kria range of adaptive system on modules (SoMs), AMD has announced an ecosystem program designed to deliver production-grade, fully functional Kria SOM-based products that help customers get to market faster without the need for dedicated chip-design resources.

Developers can enjoy a turnkey experience with a full software stack and application support backed by established partners, said AMD.

Currently available ODM partner products developed via the Kria ODM Ecosystem, and powered by the K26 SoM, include, the Ectron IIoT edge gateway, the Optomotive industrial smart camera and the VVDN edge AI appliance.

The Ectron IIoT edge gateway allows users to deploy edge analytics and advanced machine control to optimise big data from smart factories.

The Optomotive industrial smart camera is a programmable, high-speed, industrial camera which can be added to system and used for laser triangulation, motion capture, industrial process automation and industrial quality control.

The VVDN edge AI appliance can be used to deploy an eight-channel AI edge appliance (the Kria K26 SoM and Kinara Ara-1 processors) with support for high-performance vision AI applications at a fraction of the cost of competitive GPU options, claimed AMD. It has application potential in smart city and retail applications.

Initially targeting smart cities, security, retail, industrial IoT and machine vision applications, these and other Kria SoM-based solutions developed by AMD’s industry partners will allow users to take advantage of the processing power and adaptability of Kria SoMs in pre-built, deployment-ready platforms that can quickly be customized, branded and taken to market. 

Featuring adaptive computing with software and hardware re-programmability, users can quickly add features over the air and optimise system performance according to each task’s needs. AMD continued that this provides unparalleled flexibility. 

https://www.xilinx.com/

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Stroll on – an AI pram rocks baby to sleep

Thu, Jan 19, 2023

The sensation of CES 2023, the Ella smart stroller, presented by Canadian start-up Glüxkind, is powered by Nvidia Jetson Edge AI.

There is a rock-a-baby feature and a push and brake assist allowing a parent or guardian to hold the occupant while the pram navigates itself.

Just as modern cars are equipped with systems that ensure they do no roll backward when they stop on a hill, Glüxkind founder and CEO, Kevin Huang envisioned a pram (or stroller) that would do the same.

Glüxkind is a member of Nvidia Inception, a free program designed to help start ups evolve faster by providing access to technology and Nvidia experts, as well as opportunities to connect with venture capitalists and co-marketing support.

The Ella pram is powered by Nvidia’s Jetson edge AI platform to power the AI stack.

Jetson enables the pram / stroller to use computer vision to map its surroundings, using Jetson’s GPU and CPU to process and execute pathfinding.

This means that when the child is not in the stroller, parents can activate Ella’s intelligent hands-free strolling mode. It is able to follow someone holding the child, so parents do not have to negotiate their precious bundle while steering the stroller. It also ensure that it does not roll away when the carer’s releases their grip. At the same time the intelligent pram is not designed to operate independently. It has adaptive push and brake assistance for effortless walking no matter the terrain. It can navigate uphill, downhill or even when fully loaded with shopping or toys and baby’s changing equipment.

A Rock-My-Baby mode helps send infants to sleep and there is also built-in white noise playback.

“We’re trying to make it so the technology we’re building is augmentative to the parents’ experience to make parenting easier and safer,” Huang said.

Glüxkind was named a CES 2023 Innovation Awards Honoree for the AI-powered Ella smart stroller. 

http://www.nvidia.com

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Virtual I/O expansion module helps deploy AI, says Innodisk

Tue, Jan 17, 2023

The burgeoning AI and AIoT markets could result in 29 billion IoT edge devices by 2030, reports Innodisk. Such a large volume of edge devices means it is necessary to consider not only remote management, but also how to deploy devices more effectively in order to efficiently implement applications. In response, the company has introduced the InnoEx Virtual I/O expansion module, which helps global industries efficiently deploy various AI smart applications through the integration of software and hardware using virtual I/O expansion technology. 

The integration helps enterprises effectively control computer equipment budgets and solve the issue of complicated circuits that cannot be cut and arranged, said Innodisk. It can be extended through virtual I/O technology using only a single computer system and a single network line, and can be connected with the InnoEx modules in series to flexibly expand the number and distance of terminal devices.

Miniaturisation in the computer world means the space for I/O expansion slots has been greatly reduced. If integrators want to increase the number of I/O expansion devices, they often have to redesign the motherboard, which can be time-consuming and not always economical. Embedded expansion cards by Innodisk can solve these issues but not all motherboards can use expansion cards. Innodisk has therefore launched InnoEx virtual I/O expansion. It allows for a single route to connect a single computer system and functions like a multi-function transfer port, effectively expanding the number and distance of external devices through virtual signals. 

Benefits include high system compatibility and it does not occupy the I/O slots on the original computer system. Another advantage is that it does not require changes to the mechanism design. It can also be integrated into the existing network architecture to achieve borderless I/O expansion through networking.

The InnoEx virtual I/O expansion module supports interfaces such as HDMI and USB.  It is suitable for applications such as smart retail, smart image recognition, digital display, and AGV smart handling. It can also realise various industrial applications and advanced AI intelligent applications.

Innodisk has also announced that it will launch Serial and CANbus versions in the second quarter of 2023.

https://www.innodisk.com

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Renesas introduces eight-pin package for RL78 / G15 MCU 

Fri, Jan 13, 2023

A general purpose microcontroller (MCU) has been added to the Renesas Electronics low power RL78 family. The small, eight-pin package size targets eight-bit MCU applications, advised Renesas.

The versatile RL78 / G15 packs many peripheral functions and four to 8kbyte of code flash memory in package sizes ranging from eight to 20 pins, with the smallest eight-pin device measuring only 3.0 x 3.0mm. They are designed to keep system size small and reduce the cost of end systems, such as industrial, consumer, sensor control, lighting, and inverter applications. The maximum operating ambient temperature of 125 degree C covers a wide temperature range and allowing the MCU to be used near heat-generating components such as inverter motors.

All pins can be used for general-purpose I/O, except VDD and VSS power supply pins. In addition to up to 8kbyte of code flash memory, the MCU has 1kbyte of code flash memory, 1kbyte of data flash and 1kbyte of SRAM.

It supports operating voltages from 2.4 to 5.5V and supports CSI, UART, Simple I2C, and multi-master I2C serial interfaces. The MCU has a high-precision oscillator (±1.0 per cent) and a built-in comparator.

Engineers designing with the RL78 / G15 can use the GUI-based Smart Configurator to generate driver code for peripheral functions. Renesas also offers the Fast Prototyping Board (FPB) for evaluation, which comes with Arduino Uno and Pmod Type 6A interfaces with access to all pins. Debugging and programming are possible using only a USB cable. Developers can gain access to RL78 development resources using just an Arduino library that can run on the FPB. They can also access the resources offered through the Arduino ecosystem.

The RL78 / G15 is available today in volume production. 

Renesas Electronics combines embedded processing, analogue, power and connectivity expertise to deliver semiconductors for the automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT market sectors.

http://www.renesas.com

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