automation News - Page 14 of 56 - CNX Software

July 22, 2022July 22, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 5 Comments

Theengs open-source tools to decode BLE sensors work on ESP32, Raspberry Pi, Android phone, etc…

Theengs is a manufacturer agnostic open-source set of tools to decode BLE sensors and integrate those into smart home and IoT solutions such as Home Assistant with notably support for autodiscovery to automatically create the sensor. Theengs can be installed on various hardware from ESP32 to an Android phone or a Raspberry Pi SBC, and the solution currently supports close to forty BLE sensors from various companies including Xiaomi, Honeywell, and RuuviTag. There are six components: The Theengs Decoder library developed in C++ for portability and translating data from sensors into human-readable data using the JSON format. The Python-based Theengs Gateway acting as a BLE to MQTT bridge for Home Assistant, OpenHAB, and NodeRED integration. It relies on the Theengs Decoder library and publishes the sensors broadcasted BLE information to an MQTT broker. The OpenMQTTGateway is also BLE to MQTT bridge, but instead of targetting Linux-capable hardware like Raspberry […]

July 15, 2022July 19, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 2 Comments

ASRock Industrial iEPF-9010S/iEP-9010E Edge AIoT platforms feature Alder Lake S CPU, up to 128GB RAM

ASRock Industrial iEPF-9010S & iEP-9010E Alder Lake S Edge AIoT platform

ASRock Industrial has released the iEPF-9010S and iEP-9010E high-end, rugged Edge AIoT platforms powered by 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake S processors, equipped with up to 128GB RAM, 4G LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and real-time TSN/TCC networking. The I/O rich embedded computers are designed for highly demanding workloads and mission-critical industrial applications such as factory automation, machine automation, robotic control, AI-enabled AOI (automated optical inspection), autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and more. The ASRock iEPF-9010S Expandable AIoT Edge platforms come with the following specifications: SoC – Intel 12th Gen Core, Pentium or Celeron “Alder Lake S” hybrid processor with up to 16 cores and 24 threads, Intel Xe or UHD Graphics fitting in an LGA 1700 socket Chipset iEPF-9010S-EY4 model – Intel R680E iEPF-9012S-EY4 model – Intel H610 System Memory iEPF-9010S-EY4 model – 4x 260-pin SO-DIMM DDR4 3200MHz up to 128GB (32 GB per SO-DIMM) iEPF-9012S-EY4 model – […]

July 11, 2022July 11, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 17 Comments

UP 4000 SBC is a Raspberry Pi lookalike with an Intel Apollo Lake processor

AAEON has unveiled the UP 4000 single board computer with a form factor and ports arrangement similar to Raspberry Pi 2/3, but powered by a choice of x86 processors, namely the Intel Atom E3900 series, Celeron N3350, or Pentium N4200 all parts of the Apollo Lake family. The first UP Board was introduced in 2015 as a device offering an x86 alternative to the Raspberry Pi 2 with an Intel Atom x5-Z8300/Z8350 “Cherry Trail” processor, but later “UP bridge the gap” boards from the company used larger “Squared” (85.6 x 90 mm) or “Xtreme” (122 x 120 mm) form factors. The UP 4000 SBC brings us back to the original business card form factor but with a boost in performance and various specifications improvements. UP 4000 vs UP Board specifications AAEON says the new board is able to deliver 30% faster CPU performance and twice the 3D graphics performance […]

July 1, 2022July 1, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 10 Comments

ZigUNO – An Arduino UNO-sized Zigbee board that works with PTVO firmware

ZigUNO Zigbee development board comes with an Ebyte E18-MS1 module equipped with Texas Instruments SimpleLink CC2530 8051 Zigbee microcontroller and follows Arduino UNO form for Arduino Shield compatibility. The board works with PTVO Zigbee firmware that comes with a graphical configuration tool to select the Zigbee chip used (CC2530), configure I/O behavior (input/output, pull-up, etc…), and more. The developers also suggest using DIYRuZ projects as examples to get started. ZigUNO board specifications: Zigbee module – Ebyte E18-MS1-PCB module with TI SimpleLink CC2530 8051 microcontroller with Zigbee 3.0 (and IEEE 802.15.4) connectivity, 256kB Flash and 8kB RAM, PCB antenna Expansion – Arduino UNO headers (3.3V only, not 5V tolerant) Power Supply – 5V up to 1.5A via 5.5/2.1mm DC jack, 2-pin terminal block, or micro USB port Dimensions – 82x54x13 (Arduino UNO form factor) Temperature Range – 0 to 50°C You’ll find the hardware design files including EasyEDA PDF schematics, BoM, […]

June 29, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

NORVI GSM industrial controller with WiFi and cellular connectivity supports Arduino or ESP-IDF programming

NORVI GSM ESP32 cellular industrial controller

We’ve already seen ESP32 WiFI & Bluetooth SoC combined with a cellular modem several times already, and a couple of days ago, I wrote about LILYGO T-A7068X ESP23 board with a 4G LTE modem. Iconic Devices team has made another cellular ESP32 product with the NORVI GSM industrial controller. The DIN-Rail mountable USB programmable controller is offered with a choice of SIMCOM SIM800L 2G-only modem or QUECTEL EC21-G modem adding 3G UMTS/HSPDA+ and 4G LTE cellular connectivity. It also offers Ethernet connectivity, digital and analog inputs, relay outputs, and a small 0.96-inch OLED information display with options varying depending on the exact model. NORVI GSM specifications: Main module – ESP32-WROOM-32 with ESP32-D0WDQ6 dual-core microcontroller @ up to 160 MHz with 520 KB SRAM, 4 MB flash, 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity Cellular module (one or the other) SIMCom SIM800L quad-band GSM/GPRS module Quectel E21-G worldwide 4G LTE, […]

June 22, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment

SolidRun RZ/G2LC SOM is powered by Renesas RZ/G2LC processor for AI-enhanced HMI applications

SolidRun RZ/G2LC SOM is a system-on-module based on Renesas RZ/G2LC single or dual-core Cortex-A55/M33 processor and designed for AI-enhanced human-machine-interface (HMI) applications, industrial and building automation, video surveillance, IoT, etc… The module is also equipped with 1GB DDR4 RAM, 8GB eMMC flash, and a wireless module with dual-band WiFi 4 and with Bluetooth 4.2 all packed into a tiny footprint measuring just 47 x 30mm that makes it suitable for space-constrained devices such as video doorbells and compact IP cameras. SolidRun RZ/G2LC SOM specifications: SoC – Renesas RZ/G2LC single or dual-core Arm Cortex-A55 processor @ up to 1.2 GHz with, 1x Cortex-M33 real-time core, Arm Mali-G31 GPU, H.264 video decoder System Memory – 1GB DDR4 with inline ECC (up to 2GB) Storage – 8GB eMMC flash (up to 64GB), QSPI Networking Wired – Analog Devices ADIN1200 10/100 Mbps Ethernet PHY (CNXSoft remark: As shown in the block diagram below, but […]

June 17, 2022September 5, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 13 Comments

SONOFF POW Elite ESP32 WiFi power meter switch handles up to 20A load

SONOFF POW Elite is an ESP32-powered smart power meter switch that can handle up to 20A max load to monitor the power consumption of all appliances in a whole room. The data can be visualized in real-time on the built-in LCD or via the eWelink app, up to six-month of hourly power consumption history can be saved, and the system can also be integrated with third-party solutions such as a Home Assistant, IFTTT, and Alexa Energy dashboard. SONOFF POW Elite specifications: WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32 dual-core Xtenxa processor @ up to 240 MHz with 2.4 GHz WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity Wireless – 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g/n WiFi 4 (Bluetooth does not seem to be used) Power Input/Output POWR316D model – 100-240V~ 50/60Hz 16A Max POWR320D model – 100-240V~50/60Hz 20A Max Dimensions – 98 x 54 x 31mm (DIN Rail mountable) Casing Material – PC V0 (Tested with UL94v-0 […]

June 13, 2022June 13, 2022 by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments

Fingerbot Sense Zigbee or Bluetooth LE button pusher adds touchless control (Crowdfunding)

When we first wrote about Fingerbot Bluetooth mechanical button pusher to add automation control to (dumb) home appliances over two years ago, I was not convinced about the solution. But it must have gained enough traction, as Adaprox has now launched a sensor version – the Fingerbot Sense – with either Zigbee or Bluetooth connectivity, plus a new touchless control function. It works just the same way as before, simply place the Fingerbot Sense on top of a physical button, and control it with your smartphone, a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, or with the new touchless control, simply wave your hand in front of the button without having to touch it. Fingerbot Sense specifications: Connectivity – Bluetooth LE 4.2 or Zigbee 3.0 Stall torque – 2.0 kgf.cm Maximum movement – 12 mm Optional Toolpack with short, medium, long straight arms, rocker arm, ring arm, cushion blocks […]