This Week's Focus: IoT Technology Focus
Get more with Circuit Cellar magazine!
Circuit Cellar's ongoing mission is to provide important information to help you make smart choices with your engineering projects, from prototype to production.

Your feedback is always welcome. - Jeff Child (
JChild@circuitcellar.com)



MPU-Based SOM Meets Industrial IoT Linux Needs
 
Microchip Technology has unveiled a new System on Module (SOM) featuring the SAMA5D2 microprocessor (MPU). The ATSAMA5D27-SOM1 contains the recently released ATSAMA5D27C-D1G-CU System in Package (SiP). The SOM simplifies IoT design by integrating the power management, non-volatile boot memory, Ethernet PHY and high-speed DDR2 memory onto a small, single-sided printed circuit board (PCB). There is a great deal of design effort and complexity associated with creating an industrial-grade MPU-based system running a Linux operating system. Even developers with expertise in the area spend a lot of time on PCB layout to guarantee signal integrity for the high-speed interfaces to DDR memory and PHY while complying with EMC standards.
The Arm Cortex-A5-based SAMA5D2 SiP, mounted on the SOM PCB or available separately, integrates 1 Gbit of DDR2 memory, further simplifying the design by removing the high- speed memory interface constraints from the PCB. The impedance matching is done in the package, not manually during development, so the system will function properly at normal and low- speed operation. Three DDR2 memory sizes (128 Mb, 512 Mb and 1 Gb) are available for the SAMA5D2 SiP and optimized for bare metal, RTOS and Linux implementations.
 
 
 
New England's Largest
Embedded Systems Conference Returns!
 

Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) Boston is back! It's your once-a-year opportunity to explore the latest innovations, learn from renowned industry experts, and connect with the peers and partners that can advance your projects---and your career. Get your free expo pass today for the nation's largest embedded systems event.

PLUS! Use promo code KCK when you register to save 20% on an ESC Boston Conference pass. From embedded hardware/software to IoT and connected devices, get up to speed with the strategies and techniques that turn concepts into competitive products.
 
REGISTER NOW


Semtech LoRa Technology Tapped
for Smart Agriculture System


Semtech announced that WaterBit, a venture backed precision agriculture irrigation company and National Science Foundation (NSF) grant winner, has incorporated Semtech's LoRa devices and wireless radio frequency technology (LoRa Technology) into its Autonomous Irrigation Solution (AIS).
WaterBit provides irrigation automation for growers based on analysis of granular, ground-truth data collected through the WaterBit system, including line pressure and flow, soil moisture and temperature and more. With WaterBit's AIS, growers maximize yield across soil types, while optimizing the use of labor and other input resources. The complete solution is used across a wide variety of crops including grapes, berries, tree nuts, cotton, corn and leafy greens.

WaterBit's goal when developing its solution was to create the highest quality and most reliable networking product in agriculture. To achieve this, WaterBit eliminated batteries in its production units and enabled duplex communications as well as better control with LoRa Technology.

CONTINUE READING 
 
Current Issue
 
   

 
Learn More

Shop

Advertise 
We can get your message out to the professional engineering community. 

Contact Hugh Heinsohn today at Hugh@circuitcellar.com!

Stay Connected

Like us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterView our profile on LinkedIn



















































LTE Cat M1, NB-IoT Module Provides 2G Fallback
 
U-blox has announced the SARA-R412M, an LTE Cat M1, NB-IoT, and quad-band 2G (EGPRS) module with worldwide coverage. Measuring just 16 mm x 26 mm, U-blox claims it as the world's smallest to provide both LTE and quad-band EGPRS support in a single design. The flexibility extends further with dynamic system selection as Cat M1, NB-IoT and EGPRS in single mode or as a preferred connection that does not require a module reboot to switch between modes. It brings a rich feature suite optimized for LPWA (low-power wide-area) IoT applications that require the assurance of 2G connectivity to guarantee broad geographic coverage, even in areas where LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT are not widely available yet. New IoT devices deployed in the field today can activate on existing 2G networks and still leverage the benefits of LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT technology once it becomes available.

The SARA-R4 series covers a whole host of IoT applications, especially those reliant on long-term, low power use or requiring connectivity deep within buildings. Examples include gas, water and electricity metering, city street lighting, building automation, HVAC, industrial monitoring and control, telematics, insurance, asset and vehicle tracking, security systems, alarm panels, outpatient monitoring and many consumer wearables.
     

 
Win a Free Book: ADuC841 Microcontroller Design Manual!
 
 This week's newsletter raffle is for a fantastic and informative book: ADuC841 Microcontroller Design Manual by Shlomo Engelberg, Normally $35, it delivers a comprehensive guide to designing and programming with Analog Devices' ADuC841 microcontroller and other microcontrollers in the 8051 family. Drawing ends at midnight this Friday.
 

And congratulations to last week's raffle winner, Tony S., who won a 1 year subscription to Circuit Cellar. Thanks to all who participated! 

Axiomtek has introduced its latest RISC-based, DIN-rail industrial IoT gateway, the IFB125. It is powered by the Freescale i.MX6UL processor with the ARM Cortex-A7 microarchitecture. This compact IoT gateway is designed for versatility of use and quick deployment. The IFB125 is suitable for a variety of applications including applications that require remote control and monitoring management functions such as unmanned control, industrial automation, automatic parking lot control, traffic light control and more.

The IFB125 comes with multiple I/O connections including one RS-232/422/485 port, two 10/100 Mbps LAN ports, one USB 2.0 port, one 2-IN/1-OUT DIO, one I2C and one SPI. This embedded IoT gateway platform is equipped with one PCI Express Mini Card slot and one SIM card slot for wireless connectivity. It has a 256 MB onboard memory that features a fast data transfer rate of DDR3-1600. The robust IFB125 has an extended operating temperature range from -40°C to 70°C and can withstand vibration up to 5G. Its wide voltage range of 9 V  to 48 V DC power input with a lockable terminal block-type connector makes it suitable for use in harsh environments. The IFB125 comes with an embedded Linux operating system (Yocto) to provide an open standard OS for software program development.


Industry News & Recent Posts
  
02-19-2018 16:57:27 PM
STMicroelectronics has announced the availability to all-including students, makers, and budding engineers and computer scientists-of the online "Introduction to Embedded Systems with SensorTile" course. With a curriculum developed by Professor William Kaiser at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and used to teach his freshman engineering class, the online course resources provide a foundation to understand the fundamentals of a sensor-based Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled embedded system.... Continue reading →...»
 
02-16-2018 15:53:37 PM
Analog Devices has announced the Power by Linear LTM4646, a dual 10 A or single 20 A output, step-down µModule point-of-load regulator from 5V or 12V input supply rails. The LTM4646 includes the inductors, MOSFETs, a DC/DC controller and supporting components and is housed in a 11.25 mm x 15 mm x 5.01 mm BGA package. ... Continue reading →...»
 
02-16-2018 15:01:28 PM
Cypress Semiconductor has announced its single-chip solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) are Bluetooth mesh connectivity certified by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) to a consumer product. LEDVANCE announced the market's first Bluetooth mesh qualified LED lighting products, which leverage Cypress' Bluetooth mesh technology. ... Continue reading →...»
 
02-14-2018 15:14:18 PM
Lauterbach has announced that it has extended the kernel awareness for the embOS RTOS from SEGGER Microcontroller to the RH850 Family of microprocessors from Renesas Electronics. TRACE32, the class leading debug tools from Lauterbach, already supports embOS on ARM, PowerPC, RX, SH and NIOS-II families and this tried and tested technology has now been extended to include RH850. ... Continue reading →...»
 
02-14-2018 08:51:49 AM
Renesas Electronics has announced two new fully encapsulated digital DC/DC PMBus power modules that board high power density and efficiency. The dual ISL8274M operates from a 5 V or 12 V power rail, provides two 30 A outputs and up to 95.5% peak efficiency in a compact 18 mm x 23 mm-squared footprint.... Continue reading →...»
More at CircuitCellar.com