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Software development kit by XMOS addresses AI for the IOT

Thu, Oct 08, 2020

Tools and resources to accelerate the development of devices that can think for themselves in an intelligent IoT have been collated by XMOS. The software development kit (SDK) for the artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) includes TensorFlowLite for Microcontroller development tools. The SDK is designed to harness xcore.ai and make it easier for engineers to develop connected products that can sense, think, decide and act.

The kit has standardised tools and resources developers can used to create devices that absorb contextual data from their environment, infer meaning from that data, and translate the results into action.

AIoT tools include scripts, tools and libraries to convert TensorFlowLite for Microcontroller models into a format that targets accelerated operations on the xcore.ai platform. There are also libraries to support FreeRTOS operation on xcore.ai, for a standard industry programming environment.

Examples show a variety of operations based on bare-metal and FreeRTOS operation, including smart microphone sensing. There is also documentation (getting started guides, example builds and execution walkthroughs) and access to XMOS’ open-source libraries of interfaces and signal processing algorithms.

The tools are designed to enable developers to rapidly deploy custom or off-the-shelf AI models using a standard framework alongside all of the control, communications, signal and I/O processing required to create a complete and secure application, says XMOS.

“Our AIoT SDK enables developers to create intelligent endpoint-AI solutions for a huge variety of applications,” said Mark Lippett, CEO of XMOS. “The flexibility of the xcore.ai architecture enables our customers to create truly differentiated solutions using standard embedded software techniques like TensorFlowLite for MCU in a fraction of the time required using traditional hardware approaches.”

Early access to the XMOS AIoT SDK will be available on the GitHub open source platform, designed to be used in conjunction with the xcore.ai Explorer Kit, which is available on limited release via xmos.ai.

Future releases will include other xcore.ai hardware platforms, targeting specific use case applications. An example is a smart home platform. This small form factor reference design with additional Wi-Fi capability is designed to demonstrate the capabilities of voice at the edge of networks. It is due to be released in early 2021.

http://www.xmos.ai

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DAC includes non-volatile memory to simplify handheld designs, says Microchip

Wed, Oct 07, 2020

Microchip claims to have overcome the problems of implementing multi-channel system control or signal outputs using DACs in portable and handheld industrial, communications, consumer or medical systems. To overcome the need for significant processor overhead for device configuration during power-up, the MCP47/48FxBx8 family of octal 12-bit DACs include non volatile memory and an integrated voltage reference (Vref) source so they can be pre-configured for safe and efficient power-up without relying on the system processor.

“Handhelds and other portable systems are expected to deliver more capabilities in smaller, simpler designs,” said Bryan J. Liddiard, vice president of Microchip’s mixed-signal and linear business unit. “We help achieve this goal with the first DACs that eliminate processor overhead during power-up and provide the channel density, low power consumption and integrated features that today’s compact systems need so they can operate over longer periods using smaller, lighter batteries,” he added.

The inclusion of non-volatile memory means that the MCP47/48FxBx8 DACs can store user-customised configuration data even when powered down. At power-up, all eight channels are then configured to the pre-defined state without burdening the system processor with this overhead.

Integrating a Vref source into the DACs reduces overall system size and complexity while providing the control to meet critical timing for safely driving all power outputs. The devices also have both SPI and I2C serial interfaces for a choice of device communication.

Operating voltage range is 1.8V to 5.5V and the DACs’ low minimum operating voltage and its power efficiency are claimed to improve thermal performance and reliability. The DACs also provide power-on/brown-out reset protection and what is claimed to be one of the industry’s fastest settling times at five micro seconds. They also operate in the extended temperature range (i.e. -40 to +125 degrees C) for industrial and automotive applications.

The MCP47/48FxBx8 family of DACs is available for volume orders. The family includes 8-, 10- and 12-bit resolution devices in a 20-lead VQFN 5.0 x 5.0mm package and a 20-lead TSSOP package.

http://www.microchip.com

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Renesas says RA6M4 MCU family advances security for IoT

Wed, Oct 07, 2020

RA6 series microcontrollers (MCUs) from Renesas now include nine new RA6M4 group MCUs. These additions bring the RA family up to 42 MCUs. The latest 32-bit MCUs boost operating performance up to 200MHz using the Arm Cortex-M33 core based on Armv8-M architecture with Arm TrustZone technology.

The RA6M4 MCUs are supported by the Flexible Software Package (FSP) and Renesas’ partner ecosystem of software and hardware building blocks for RA6M4 MCUs and FSP to address industry 4.0, building automation, metering, healthcare, and home appliance applications.

The MCUs have large embedded RAM with parity/ECC, low power consumption, and benefit from the Arm developer and tools ecosystem. According to Renesas, the RA6M4 MCUs speed the development of intelligent IoT edge and endpoint devices. Renesas’ enhanced Secure Crypto Engine incorporates multiple symmetric and asymmetric cryptography accelerators, advanced key management, security lifecycle management, tamper detection, and increased resistance to side-channel attack, in addition to Arm TrustZone technology. These integrated security features enable customers to realise lower bill of materials (BoM) cost and secure element functionality in IoT designs, Renesas says.

“[The RA6M4 MCUs] offer customers best-in-class performance and security enhancements built with Arm Cortex-M33 cores that clearly deliver more memory, memory interface expansion, better power efficiency and wake-up time, and more connectivity options,” said Roger Wendelken, senior vice president of Renesas’ IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit. “

“IoT edge and endpoint technologies are opening up new opportunities for developers to build smaller devices, with greater privacy and less dependence on the cloud,” said Dipti Vachani, senior vice president and general manager, Automotive and IoT Line of Business at Arm. “The RA6M4 MCUs move intelligence closer to the data, with Arm TrustZone technology built in to ensure privacy and data integrity, helping securely accelerate the growth of IoT,” he added.

The RA6M4 MCUs are built on an efficient 40nm process, to drive power consumption down to 99 microA/MHz while running the CoreMark algorithm from flash. The MCUs also support fast wakeup times of 30 micro seconds from standby using an on-chip oscillator. The high integration up to 1Mbyte code flash memory and 256kbyte of SRAM (64kbyte with ECC) also make the RA6M4 MCUs well suited for low power and safety applications.

The RA6M4 with Flexible Software Package (FSP) allows customers to re-use their legacy code and combine it with software from partners across the Arm ecosystem to speed implementation of complex connectivity and security functions. The FSP includes FreeRTOS and middleware, offering a premium device-to-cloud option for developers. These out-of-box options can be easily replaced and expanded with any other RTOS or middleware. It also provides a host of efficiency enhancing tools for developing projects targeting the RA6M4 MCUs. The e2 studio integrated development environment (IDE) provides a familiar development cockpit from which the key steps of project creation, module selection and configuration, code development, code generation, and debugging are all managed. FSP uses a GUI to simplify the process and dramatically accelerate the development process.

The RA6M4 MCUs are available now from Renesas’ worldwide distributors.

http://www.renesas.com

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Data processing units will elevate data centre performance, says Nvidia

Wed, Oct 07, 2020

At GTC, a virtual, global event hosted by Nvidia, the BlueField-2 family of data processing units (DPUs) was introduced. They are supported by DOCA, a data centre infrastructure on a chip architecture that raises networking, storage and security performance, says the company.

The BlueField-2 DPU can deliver the same data centre services that could consume up to 125 CPU cores, said the company, to free up the CPU cores to run other applications.

The Nvidia BlueField-2 DPU has the same capabilities as the company’s Mellanox ConnectX-6 Dx SmartNIC, with Arm cores. The fully programmable PCIe module delivers data transfer rates of 200Gbits per second and accelerates key data centre security, networking and storage tasks, including isolation, root trust, key management, RDMA/RoCE, GPUDirect, elastic block storage and data compression.

The BlueField-2X DPU, additionally has an Nvidia Ampere GPU with AI capabilities that can be applied to data centre security, networking and storage. Third generation Tensor Cores enable it to use AI for real time security analytics, including identifying abnormal traffic, which could indicate an intruder, together with host introspection to identify malicious activity, and dynamic security orchestration and automated response.

An Nvidia DOCA software development kit is also available to enable developers to build applications on DPU-accelerated data centre infrastructure services.

DOCA provides developers a comprehensive, open platform for building software-defined, hardware-accelerated networking, storage, security and management applications running on the BlueField family of DPUs.

Server manufacturers worldwide including ASUS, Atos, Dell Technologies, Fujitsu, GIGABYTE, H3C, Inspur, Lenovo, Quanta/QCT and Supermicro, have confirmed plans to integrate the DPUs into their enterprise server offerings.

Software support includes VMware (VMware Cloud Foundation), Red Hat (Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat OpenShift) and Canonical (Ubuntu Linux). Cybersecurity provider, Check Point Software Technologies, is integrating BlueField-2 DPUs into its technologies, which more than 100,000 organisations worldwide.

BlueField-2 DPUs are sampling now and BlueField-2X DPUs are under development and expected to become available in 2021.

DOCA is available for early access partners now.

http://www.nvidia.com

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Software development kit by XMOS addresses AI for the IOT

DAC includes non-volatile memory to simplify handheld designs, says Microchip

Renesas says RA6M4 MCU family advances security for IoT

Data processing units will elevate data centre performance, says Nvidia

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