Low-power flagship for artificial intelligence – congatec is expanding its SMARC platform with a new module with an NXP i.MX 8M Plus processor especially for embedded AI applications. Thanks to the extensive ecosystem with an application-ready 3.5-inch carrier board, Basler cameras, and AI software stack, fast proof of concept is possible. That hasn’t always been so easy. Previously, it was usually much more difficult to use the latest processor technology from the Arm environment as a finished system than to implement the x86 environment. This is because, as a result of the historically large range of individually tailored custom designs used in large quantities, the ecosystem of system platforms is not that extensive. However, with the modular approach based on the SMARC computer-on-modules specification, it is now also possible to obtain standard form factors from the x86 box PC range with ARM processors. For example, the embedded computing specialist congatec […]
Viomi V3 Max – A 3-in-1 sweep, mop and vacuum cleaner robot (Sponsored)
The Viomi V3 Max Robot Vacuum offers more than your typical Lidar robot vacuum cleaner as it features three functions, namely sweep, mop, and vacuum cleaner. It can even combine sweep & mop modes to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, water stains, crumbs, pet hair, and footprints on diversified floors. The Viomi V3 Max is born for mopping with an exclusive deep cleaning algorithm running on the Cortex-A35 processor powering the appliances, mimicking the manual way of mopping with 97.5% of cleaning coverage in order to ensure stubborn stains are removed without damaging the floor. An Auto Boost Mode enables perfect carpet cleaning with suction power automatically boosted to 2700Pa. The vacuum cleaner can either be fitted with 2-in-1 dust and water tank (400ml dust bin + 200ml water tank) to enable sweeping and mopping at the same time or an optional super-sized 700ml water tank that is large enough to […]
NextPCB acquires KIKIPCB, celebrates with midsummer sale (Sponsored)
In the PCB manufacturing business, scale matters with larger companies being able to source materials at a cheaper price, and get discounts on shipping. In order to provide even more cost-effective services, a wider range of options, as well as shorter turnaround times, NextPCB has recently acquired KIKIPCB. This will allow the companies to share all services, factories, and talents they have such as PCB prototyping, small and medium volume production, PCB assembly service and PCB & SMT factories, let alone all component inventory, and hundreds of engineers. To celebrate their new acquisition, NextPCB is organizing a midsummer sale with up to 30% discount for PCB orders. and up to 20% off for PCBA orders. Specifically, the company offers a 30% discount when the PCB area is less than 3 m², and 20% for larger orders. For PCB manufacturing and assembly services, the price is reduced by 15% for orders […]
A customer’s review of NextPCB PCB manufacturing service (Sponsored)
This article is based on the feedback from “Fix Until Broken”, one of NextPCB customers who details his experience with their PCB manufacturing service, including the ordering process, pricing, customer service, available options, and quality of the boards ordered. Ordering with NextPCB Ordering is a very simple process. First, check your design rules just like you would with any board manufacturer. If you want to check it yourself or set it into your design rules with your EDA/CAD, you can find PCB capabilities on their website. Alternatively, NextPCB also offers a free program to check your Gerber files for free. NextDFM is great for checking Gerber files. This is especially true when using files from an open-source design that you got from Github. After checking your design rules you can start the ordering process. For the free trial just make sure you are using 1-2 layers, ordering no more than […]
Toradex extends Torizon to Development and Operation (DevOps) Platform for IoT Linux Devices (Sponsored)
Toradex is extending its Torizon to a full IoT Development and Operations (DevOps) Platform for Linux Devices, including free hosted remote updates, device monitoring, and fleet management solution. Torizon enables modern, iterative product development by seamlessly integrating hardware, a Linux OS, development tools, remote updates, and fleet operations. Thereby creating a scalable solution for devices requiring high reliability and security. In a paper from May 2021, Forrester Consulting finds that Traditional embedded development practices are insufficient when building smarter, digital products and that 79% of decision-makers say challenges with smart product development and delivery negatively impact their firms in delivering digital products. Torizon brings state-of-the-art product development principles to demanding applications in industries such as Industrial Automation, Healthcare, Smart City, and Transportation. Torizon allows for faster shipping of products, continuous improvements in customers’ user experience, bug fixes, and patching of security vulnerabilities in a secure and robust way. Software Developers […]
How to get Windows 10 cheaply & legally at $6.84 per PC!!! (Sponsored)
Windows and Office have become part of our career and digital life. Windows 10 and Office 2019 are commonly used but considered their hefty price, some free alternatives like pirated copies and activator software have become alternative choices to consumers. For many years, manufacturers have been allowed to sell their equipment without Windows 10 OS, and the difference of price between a laptop or desktop with Windows 10 or with FreeDOS is approximately 100 Euros. However, there are also inevitable weaknesses of these free solutions: the lack of support, potential malware in activator software, and security problems. Actually, there is a safe way to get a Windows 10 key at a much cheaper price, which takes into account both safety and budget. So let’s get into the further step and show you how to get Windows 10 Key economically. Types of Windows product keys The keys can be classified by […]
ANYbotics’ ANYmal C robot is a multi-module machine (Sponsored)
Rugged four-legged robot with three brains ANYbotics provides solutions for robot applications with the most advanced mobility and autonomy requirements in challenging terrains. The massive embedded computing performance for the key tasks – situational awareness, motion control and mission fulfillment – is delivered by three COM Express Computer-on-Modules from congatec. Due to the advancements in computer-based intelligence and sensor technology, previously stationary robots unaware of their environment are now evolving into smart autonomous mobile robots. This will not only help to relieve humans of potentially dangerous tasks but also to optimize repetitive tasks in real-life environments from an economic point of view. Such robots can autonomously fulfill many jobs that previously required human labor and significantly extend the list of feasible tasks. With such a perspective, it is not surprising that robot applications are a booming market. The overall global smart robot market is expected to grow with a CAGR […]
AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 series on COM Express Compact (Sponsored)
8 cores for heterogeneous edge computing Tasks at the embedded edge are getting more and more complex. Supporting up to 8 cores and 16 threads, the recently-launched AMD Ryzen Embedded V2000 processors are paving the way for x86-based embedded designs with unprecedented compute density and performance per watt. congatec is offering the new Zen 2 based processor generation, which complements V1000 processor technology with 6- and 8-core versions, on COM Express Compact modules. As the trend towards more IIoT connectivity and digitization continues, embedded systems must handle a growing number of tasks. Additional tasks include the collection of application data that needs to be transcoded, and sometimes analyzed locally using artificial intelligence (AI). In parallel, data must be exchanged with customers’ enterprise clouds and other OEM apps, and this communication must be highly secure, because new pay-per-use models turn the devices, machines, and systems into an OEM revenue source that […]