robotics

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on Zalmotek RA6M1, RA8M1, and RZ/A3U SoMs follow Adafruit Feather form factor, support carrier board for robotics and industrial control

Zalmotek RA6M1, RA8M1, and RZ/A3U SoMs follow Adafruit Feather form factor, support carrier board for robotics and industrial control

Zalmotek RZ A3UL, RA8M1, and RA6M1 SoM

Romanian company Zalmotek has recently introduced three new SoMs, the RA6M1, RA8M1, and RZ/A3UL, and a modular carrier board designed for embedded applications such as robotics, industrial control, and edge computing. There are a few things that I find interesting about this setup. The SoM comes in Adafruit Feather form factor and, as a result, supports various Adafruit FeatherWings. The modular carrier board supports the Dynamixel motor driver module, the Particle M-SoM breakout module, Ethernet, and CAN modules. The RA6M1 Feather SoM is powered by a Renesas RA6M1 Arm Cortex-M4 CPU at up to 120 MHz, with 512 KB flash and 96 KB SRAM while the RA8M1 Feather SoM features a Renesas RA8M1 64-bit Arm Cortex-M85 running at up to 360 MHz with 128 Mbit SPI flash, the RZ/A3UL Feather SoM is based on a Renesas RZ/A3UL 64-bit Arm Cortex-A55 CPU at up to 1 GHz, with 512 Mbit OctaFlash […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - No Comments on IBASE EC3100 – A fanless NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX/Nano embedded computer with up to 6x GbE ports (4x with PoE)

IBASE EC3100 – A fanless NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX/Nano embedded computer with up to 6x GbE ports (4x with PoE)

IBASE EC3100 Fanless Embedded Computer

IBASE EC3100 is a fanless edge AI computer powered by NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX or Orin Nano module with up to six GbE ports, including four with PoE for cameras, a wide 9V to 36V DC input, and a -20°C to 70°C temperature range for industrial environments. The EC3100 is equipped with a choice of modules from the Jetson Orin Nano 4GB up to the Jetson Orin NX 16GB, delivering a maximum of 157 TOPS of AI performance. The embedded system also features an HDMI 2.1 video output, audio input and output jacks, optional WiFi and/or 4G LTE/5G cellular connectivity, RS232 and CAN Bus DB9 connectors, and several digital inputs and outputs. EC3100 specifications: System-on-Module (one or the other) EC3100-NANO-4 – NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano 4GB with 8-core Arm Cortex-A78AE CPU @ 1.5 GHz, 512-core NVIDIA Ampere architecture GPU with 16 Tensor Cores; 34 TOPS max EC3100-NANO-8 – NVIDIA Jetson […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on ESPuno Pi Zero ESP32-C6 board takes up to 60V DC input, offers RS-485 interface (Crowdfunding)

ESPuno Pi Zero ESP32-C6 board takes up to 60V DC input, offers RS-485 interface (Crowdfunding)

ESPuno Pi Zero

ESPuno Pi Zero is a Raspberry Pi Zero-sized board based on an ESP32-C6-MINI-1 WiFI 6, BLE, and 802.15.4 wireless module and an SMPS that allows up to 60V DC input via a 2-pin terminal block. The board also features two USB-C ports, one connected to the ESP32-C6 and the other to a CH343P USB-to-serial chip, a 40-pin GPIO header, a Grove connector, a 3-pin terminal block for RS-485, DMX, Profibus, and a few buttons and LEDs. ESPuno Pi Zero specifications: ESP32-C6-MINI-1-N4 or ESP32-C6-MINI-1U-N4 SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-C6 single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz 320KB ROM, 512KB SRAM, low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz CPU Single-core 32-bit RISC-V clocked up to 160 MHz Low-power RISC-V core @ up to 20 MHz Memory/Storage – 320KB ROM, 512KB SRAM Wireless – 2.4 GHz WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and 802.15.4 radio (for Thread/Zigbee) Storage – 4MB flash Antenna ESP32-C6-MINI-1-N4 […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 3 Comments on Sony AS-DT1 tiny industrial LiDAR depth sensor can operate under bright conditions (up to 100,000 lux)

Sony AS-DT1 tiny industrial LiDAR depth sensor can operate under bright conditions (up to 100,000 lux)

Sony AS DT1 LiDAR sensor

Sony AS-DT1 is a tiny and precise LiDAR depth sensor, which the company claims is the world’s smallest at just 31 x 29 x 29mm and the world’s lightest at 50 grams compared to other solutions with a range of 10 meters or more. It is designed for applications such as drones for inspections and surveys, autonomous mobile robots, food service robots, and warehouse automation. The LiDAR module uses Direct Time of Flight (dToF) LiDAR technology with a Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) sensor to deliver fast, accurate three-dimensional distance measurements both indoors and outdoors. According to the company, the sensor can measure a range of up to 40 meters indoors and 20 meters outdoors, even in bright light, with ±0.2-inch (+/-0.5mm) accuracy at 10 meters, and a distance resolution of 0.98 inches (2.5cm). Featuring a rugged yet lightweight aluminum alloy housing, two USB-C ports, and connectors for external power, […]

Posted on by Debashis Das - 1 Comment on Raspberry Pi Pico-sized RP2350 CAN development board features a clone of the MCP2515 CAN Bus controller

Raspberry Pi Pico-sized RP2350 CAN development board features a clone of the MCP2515 CAN Bus controller

Waveshare RP2350 CAN Development Board

Waveshare has recently launched RP2350-CAN, a Raspberry Pi RP2350-powered CAN development board with onboard XL2515 CAN Bus controller and a SIT65HVD230 CAN transceiver. The board supports the CAN V2.0B protocol at up to 1 Mbps, and the XL2515 chip appears to be a clone of the popular Microchip MCP2515 CAN controller. The board includes the same 26 multi-function GPIO pins and USB-C port as found on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2. Other features include a DC-DC buck-boost converter (MP28164), BOOT and RESET buttons, a user LED, a selectable 120Ω CAN termination resistor, and CAN screw terminals. The CAN Bus board targets automotive, industrial control, and robotics applications. Waveshare RP2350 CAN specifications: SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350A CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz with Arm Trustzone, Secure boot OR Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz Up to two cores can be used in any combination Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM […]

Posted on by Sponsored Post - No Comments on Harnessing the Power of AI in Industrial Automation (Sponsored)

Harnessing the Power of AI in Industrial Automation (Sponsored)

ModBerry 500 CM5 AI predictive maintenance

The industrial IoT (IIoT) landscape is undergoing a transformative shift, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI). Among the frontrunners of this revolution is the ModBerry 500 CM5, a cutting-edge IoT platform enhanced by optional AI modules like the Hailo-8L and Geniatech AIM-M2. With the integration of these modules, the ModBerry 500 CM5 becomes a powerhouse for industrial automation, offering unparalleled performance and scalability. Let’s dive into the exciting capabilities of this innovative combination and explore the current and future applications of AI in IIoT. ModBerry 500 CM5: The Core of Smart Industrial Automation At the heart of the ModBerry 500 CM5 is the powerful Raspberry Pi Compute Module 5, featuring a quad-core Cortex-A76 processor and support for up to 16GB of RAM. When paired with AI acceleration modules like the Hailo-8L and Geniatech AIM-M2, the ModBerry 500 CM5 evolves from an IoT hub into a sophisticated AI-enabled system capable […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Cervoz M.2 SFP Ethernet expansion modules support long cables (up to several kilometers) for robotics

Cervoz M.2 SFP Ethernet expansion modules support long cables (up to several kilometers) for robotics

Cervoz M.2 SFP Ethernet module

Cervoz M.2 MEC-LAN-2001-SFP and MEC-LAN-2002-SFP are M.2 SFP Ethernet expansion modules delivering gigabit Ethernet speed over long distances for robotics using an Intel i210-IS controller compliant with IEEE 802.3x and 802.3z standards. Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP/SFP+) cages are usually associated with high-speed Ethernet connections of over 10 Gbps, but another advantage of SFP cages over RJ45 jacks is that they allow for data transmission over several kilometers, while RJ45 Ethernet is typically limited to about 100 meters. The Cervoz M.2 SFP Ethernet expansion modules would allow laying out long cables in logistics centers, smart factories, transportation hubs, and energy management facilities where Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) operate across long distances. Cervoz M.2 MEC-LAN-2001-SFP and MEC-LAN-2002-SFP specifications: Ethernet 1x or 2x Gigabit Ethernet connectors via Intel i210-IS controller(s) Support Wake-on-LAN and Hot-Swap function 1x or 2x SFP cages via MEC daughter board Host interface – M.2 B+M Key edge connector with […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on Aerium Lumen – An NVIDIA Jetson carrier board for drones and robots

Aerium Lumen – An NVIDIA Jetson carrier board for drones and robots

NVIDIA Jetson Carrier Board for drones

Aerium System’s Lumen is a carrier board for NVIDIA Jetson SO-DIMM modules designed specifically for drones and robots with a range of low-profile connectors for I/Os for USB, UART, I2C, etc…, and three M.2 sockets for storage and wireless expansion. It targets the same applications as ARK Electronics’ NDAA-compliant Jetson Orin Nano/NX carrier board for drones we covered last year, but it’s not sold as a full kit and lacks NDAA-compliance. On the positive side, it is quite smaller and lighter, so it might be better suited to smaller and/or less complex drones or robots that may still benefit from Vision AI acceleration. Aerium Lumen specifications: Compatible system-on-modules NVIDIA Jetson Nano NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano NVIDIA Jetson Xavier NX NVIDIA Jetson TX2 NX Potentially other Jetson-compatible SO-DIMM modules like the Mixtile Core 3588E, but those are not listed by the company. Storage MicroSD card slot M.2 Key-B […]

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