Wireless modules for embedded systems now available from Tria Technologies

Tria Technologies, an Avnet company has announced the availability of two new wireless modules, the SPB611 and SPB209. These modules support multiple short-range protocols and help speed the development of wireless-enabled embedded systems.

The SPB611 supports Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax 80 MHz) dual-band and Bluetooth 5.2, while the SPB209 offers Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.2. The SPB611 (Wi-Fi 6) module also offers a tri-radio option to add 802.15.4-2020 (Thread and ZigBee) mesh networking capabilities. Both modules can be supplied with an LTE filter and PCB antenna to reduce system size.

These 3.3V modules are supplied in a compact 14 x 14 mm (196 mm2) 41-pin form factor. A 4-bit SDIO 3.0 and HS-UART provide the external interface for WLAN and Bluetooth data respectively, supported by extensive DMA hardware to minimise the processing load on the host CPU. Sleep and standby modes enhance the low power design, and the broad temperature operating range of -40 to +85°C makes the modules ideal for a wide range of industrial applications.

Both modules were previously available in custom Tria System Solutions and pre-integrated on Tria SMARC compute modules. Now they are also offered as stand-alone products under the Tria brand, providing engineers complete flexibility to meet wireless connectivity needs using SMARC compute modules, custom Tria system or by deploying the modules as stand-alone devices on their own hardware or custom carrier board.

“As the only leading embedded compute board manufacturer that also designs and manufactures wireless modules, we are uniquely positioned to provide unified software and support for both compute and RF components,” said Thomas Staudinger, President of Tria. “The benefits to customers of buying from a single supplier include simplified software upgrades, ensured software compatibility and direct support to help engineers comply with security requirements such as the RED DA and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). Working with Tria also ensures that the wireless module lifecycle will match the compute module, eliminating the expense of wireless modules reaching end of life before the compute board.”

The modules also benefit from Tria bringing over 10 years of experience in integrating RF connectivity for embedded compute. They are pre-certified, fast-tracking time to market and reducing certification costs. A BlueZ software stack qualification avoids test effort and ensures full compliance, facilitating a much faster and cost-effective listing and logo license.

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Mouser sponsors 2026 Global “Create the Future” design contest

Mouser has announced that it is once again a Platinum sponsor of the Create the Future Design Contest. Create the Future is a global challenge for engineers and innovators to design the next great thing, with a chance to win the grand prize. Mouser, which has sponsored the contest for over a decade, is joined again by valued manufacturers Intel and Analog Devices, as co-sponsors. The competition is produced by SAE Media Group, an SAE International Company, and Tech Briefs magazine. COMSOL is also a principal sponsor of the contest.

The contest opened for entries on March 2 and closes on July 1, 2026. The grand prize winner receives worldwide recognition and a $25,000 cash prize for an innovative product that benefits society and the economy. Previous contests have produced more than 16,000 design ideas from engineers, entrepreneurs, and students in more than 100 countries.

The Create the Future Design Contest highlights product designs that enhance humanity, improve healthcare quality, or help provide sustainable solutions. Previous grand prize-winning entries include self-destructing plastics, a self-contained organ and limb transport device, and an economical, rapid screening device to prevent food-borne illness.

The contest was created in 2002 by the publishers of Tech Briefs magazine to help stimulate and reward engineering innovation. The grand prize winner will be chosen from the winners in seven entry categories: Aerospace and Defence, Automotive/Transportation, Electronics, Energy, Power and Propulsion, Manufacturing and Materials, Medical, and Robotics and Automation.

mouser.com

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u-blox introduces the F11 platform for ultra-low power meter-level GNSS

u-blox has announced the launch of the u-blox F11 platform. The new L1/L5 dual-band standard-precision GNSS platform is designed to improve positioning accuracy while reducing power consumption to as low as 7 mW in typical configurations using Low Energy Accurate Positioning (LEAP) mode for tracking and wearable applications.

The u-blox F11 platform marks a step forward in meter-level GNSS positioning, combining ultra-low power operation with intelligent signal management to meet the evolving demands of tracking, wearables, telematics and mobility applications – including micromobility solutions and drones – as well as other industrial use cases. The platform enables device manufacturers to achieve longer battery life, faster and more reliable position fixes, and greater design flexibility.

Expanding power saving capabilities, the u-blox F11 platform is a new situationally aware GNSS architecture (with integrated geofencing and indoor detections) that dynamically balances accuracy and power consumption. By selectively using dual-band L1/L5 operation only when it helps maintain the positioning performance, u-blox F11 platform reduces energy use while providing resilience and maintaining confidence in location data.

Compared to previous generations, the platform delivers up to 40% lower power consumption during signal acquisition and up to 30% lower power consumption in continuous tracking modes, while improving position accuracy by up to 30% in challenging environments such as dense urban areas. For long-life tracking applications (assets, livestock, pets, and people), optimised first-fix performance further reduces GNSS on-time, enabling multi-year battery operation.

The platform supports both single-band and dual-band operation within a single footprint, allowing device manufacturers to simplify designs and scale products across multiple market segments.

Key application areas include:

Asset and fleet tracking
Consumer and fitness wearables
Aftermarket telematics
Livestock tracking
People/pet tracking
Industrial sensing and IoT
Micromobility and mobility services
Consumer drones and action cameras

u-blox.com

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Intel expands Edge AI portfolio with Core Series 2 Processor

Intel has launched the Intel Core processor Series 2 with P-cores, an industrial-ready platform engineered for mission-critical edge applications. Intel also announced its latest Edge AI suite for Health & Life Sciences, providing validated reference pipelines and benchmarking tools for AI-powered patient monitoring solutions.

Intel Core Series 2 processors address the critical challenges facing modern industrial operations, which demand processors that can handle multiple critical workloads simultaneously—from safety-critical control systems to real-time data processing—all while maintaining precise timing and deterministic performance.

Traditional processors often force manufacturers to choose between computational power and real-time reliability, leading to complex multi-processor architectures that increase costs and system complexity. Intel Core Series 2 processor take these challenges head-on.

Intel previewed its Health & Life Sciences AI Suite, focused on AI-enabled patient monitoring. As healthcare systems face growing patient volumes and staffing constraints, patient monitoring is evolving from isolated devices to intelligent, connected ecosystems that demand AI-enabled solutions for earlier insights and reliable real-world operation. The suite showcases concurrent, multimodal workloads running locally on Intel processors—including AI-based electrocardiogram (ECG) arrhythmia detection, remote photoplethysmography, and anonymous 3D visual tracking—helping original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs), and independent software vendors (ISVs) evaluate platforms using representative scenarios rather than synthetic benchmarks.

Together with the recently launched Core Ultra Series 3 processors, Intel Core Series 2 processors with P-cores and the new Health & Life Sciences Edge AI Suite demonstrate Intel’s edge portfolio that addresses the full spectrum of customer requirements—from deterministic real-time control to advanced AI acceleration—enabling faster innovation across manufacturing, healthcare, and emerging edge applications.

intel.com

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