The OpenCV AI Kit “OAK-D” now has a little brother with the OpenCV AI Kit Lite equipped with the same Intel Myriad X-based DepthAI solution with three cameras, but in a much compact form factor and a price slashed to as low as $79 and up. Like its predecessor, the OpenCV AI Kit leverage the Myriad X AI accelerator’s capabilities to provide a wide range of real-time computer vision applications, and can be programmed with C++ or Python APIs, as well as graphical user interfaces. OpenCV AI Kit Lite (OAK-D Lite) specifications: Intel Myriad X-based DepthAI with 4 TOPS of AI performance Cameras (made by ArduCam) Color Camera IMX214 (PLCC) with 4208×3120 resolution, 1.348:1 aspect ratio 1/3.1 inch Lens size 81.3 degrees DFOV Focus range 8cm – ∞ Stereo Camera specifications: Omnivision OV07251-G04A-1E (COB) with 640 x 480 resolution, 1.333:1 aspect ratio 1/7.5 inch lens size DFOV: 85.6,HFOV: 72.9, VFOV: […]
ADLINK COM-HPC Ampere Altra 80-core Arm server module targets embedded applications
ADLINK has integrated Ampere Altra, an up to 80-core Armv8.2 server processor with up to 175W TDP, into a COM-HPC module designed for embedded applications, together with the AVA Developer Platform equipped with a 32-core processor and housed in an “ultra-silent liquid-cooled tower system”. Both the ADLINK COM-HPC Ampere Altra module and the developer kit are compliant with the just-announced Arm’s Scalable Open Architecture for Embedded Edge (SOAFEE), a “software initiative and reference implementation providing a cloud-native environment for embedded edge development”. ADLINK COM-HPC Ampere Altra COM-HPC Ampere Altra key features and specifications: SoC – Ampere Altra with 32x to 80x Armv8.2 Neoverse N1-based cores with up to 3.3 GHz frequency, up to 128 lanes of high-speed PCIe Gen4 and 8×72 ECC protected DDR4 3200 memory; TDP: 60 to 175 Watts depending on the number of cores System Memory – Up to 768GB DDR4 with 6x individual memory channels Networking […]
Digi ConnectCore 8M Mini SOM and Mini Development Kit for Industrial IoT Applications
Digi International has announced the Digi ConnectCore 8M Mini System-on-Module (SOM) which is an addition to its ConnectCore family modules. We saw the Android application development kit featuring earlier Digi Wireless modules based Freescale i.MX51 (ConnectCore Wi-i.MX51) and i.MX53 (ConnectCore Wi-i.MX53) in early 2012. The new Digi ConnectCore 8M Mini comes with a built-in Video Processing Unit specialising in vision use cases. The Digi ConnectCore 8M Mini SOM is an industrial i.MX 8M Mini quad-core system-on-module that comes with Arm Cortex-A53 cores, one Cortex-M4 core, and the Cortex-M0-based Digi Microcontroller Assist. This enables optimal power consumption while simultaneous maintenance of highly efficient performance. Main benefits of Digi Connect Core 8M Mini SOM Digi SMTplus form factor (40 x 45 mm) for flexibility and reliability while designing. Power management with both hardware and software support for low-power designs. Display and camera capabilities with graphics and video hardware acceleration make it suitable […]
Cellular system-on-module integrates Quectel BG95-M3 Cat M1, NB-IoT, GPS module
Most systems-on-module come with a processor, memory, storage, and maybe a PMIC and some extra chips such as an Ethernet PHY. Some add wireless connectivity with a WiFi & Bluetooth module, but TT Electronics S-2Connect Creo SoM is more unusual as a Linux-powered SO-DIMM module with built-in Cat M1 & NB-IoT cellular connectivity, as well as GPS. This is implemented through Quectel BG95-M3 multi-mode LPWA module and an eSIM and a micro SIM socket in combination with an NXP i.MX 6UL processor Cortex-A7 processor along with 256MB RAM and a 4GB eMMC flash. S-2Connect Creo SoM specifications: SoC – NXP i.MX6UL Cortex-A7 System Memory – 256MB DDR3L Storaage – 4GB eMMC flash Connectivity LTE Cat M1 (eMTC), Cat NB2 (NB-IoT) 2G/EGPRS fallback via Quectel BG95-M3 module based on Cortex-A7 processor running ThreadX Bands LTE – 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 27, 28, […]
Arm/Intel Windows systems-on-module come with modular eMMC or/and RAM modules
It’s been a long time since I’ve written about a Windows CE (WinCE) compatible module, but apparently, those are still being developed with China-based UNERON offering eSOM335x Windows CE system-on-module based on Texas Instruments AM335x Arm Cortex-A8 processor, and eSOM3735z Windows 10 module equipped with an Intel Atom Z3735G processor. What’s even more intriguing is that the company relies on replaceable & upgradable eMMC flash and RAM modules for the Arm SoM, and while the 1GB RAM is soldered on the Intel module, it’s still possible to upgrade the eMMC flash that way. We’ve seen eMMC modules on several single board computers in the past including ODROID-C4 or Renegade SBC, but I think it’s the first time I see this option on a system-on-module. UNERON eSOM335x AM335x system-on-module Specifications: SoC – Texas Instrumentx Sitara AM3358BZCZA100 Arm Cortex-A8 up to 1GHz with PowerVR SGX530 3D GPU (optional AM3359, AM3354, or AM3352) […]
NXP’s Ultra-Wideband (UWB) evaluation kits work with Apple U1 chip
The Fira Consortium was established in 2019 to provide an Ultra Wide-Band (UWB) ecosystem for real-time centimeter accuracy indoor positioning with companies such as NXP Semiconductors and Samsung Electronics on board. More companies have joined since then including Apple which designed its own UWB chip – the Apple U1 – found in recent iPhone 11 & 12 smartphones, as well as Apple Watch Series 6 to enable “Nearby Interaction“. If you’d like to develop UWB-enabled IoT applications, NXP has announced two beta UWB evaluation kits – developed with partners – compatible with Apple U1: Murata Type2BP EVK and MobileKnowledge’s UWB Kit Mobile Edition. Murata Type2BP EVK Specifications: Wireless chips/modules Murata’s Type2BP ultra-small UWB module based on NXP Trimension SR150 Arm Cortex-M chip for IoT devices. 802.15.4z compatible and supports 3D AoA (Angle-of-Arrival) for extra precision. NXP QN9090 Arm Cortex-M4 Bluetooth 5.0 LE SoC with 640 KB flash, 152 KB RAM, […]
PICOmputer connects Raspberry Pi Pico to QWERTY keyboard, display, and optional LoRa module
Peter Misenko (aka Bobricius) has found an interesting use case for the Raspberry Pi Pico board with its PICOmputer, a compact terminal with a QWERTY keyboard, a small IPS display, and even footprint for an RFM95 LoRa module that would allow messaging/texting over LoRaWAN. Note the open-source hardware project is only offered as a kit with either the main board only, or the main board plus a gold or silver front panel, all without components, but fully assembled units are out of stock at this time. So read on, if you’re ready for some soldering and even some rework of the PCB, more on that latter. PICOmputer key features and specifications: Compatible with Raspberry Pi Pico board Storage – MicroSD card slot Display – Three types supported: 1.3-inch ST7789 IPS 240×240 display via 12-pin flex cable 1.54-inch ST7789 IPS 240×240 display via 12-pin flex cable ST7789 IPS 240×240 display via […]
Xilinx Introduces Kria K26 SoM and vision AI devkit based on Zynq Ultrascale+ XCK26 FPGA MPSoC
Silicon vendors will usually focus on chip design, and provide an expensive evaluation kit to early customers, leaving the design of cost-optimized boards and system-on-modules to embedded systems companies. But Xilinx has decided to enter the latter market with the Kria portfolio of adaptive system-on-modules (SOMs) and production-ready small form factor embedded boards starting with Kria K26 SoM powered by Zynq UltraScale+ XCK26 FPGA MPSoC with a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor, up to 250 thousand logic cells, and a H.264/265 video codec designed for Edge AI applications, as well as computer vision development kit. Kria K26 System-on-Module Kria K26 module specifications: MPSoC – Xilinx Zynq Ultrascale+ custom-built XCK26 with quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor up to 1.5GHz, dual-core Arm Cortex-R5F real-time processor up to 600MHz, Mali-400 MP2 GPU up to 667MHz, 4Kp60 VPU, 26.6Mb On-Chip SRAM, 256K logic cells, 1,248 DSP slices System Memory – 4GB 64-bit DDR4 (non-ECC) Storage – […]