HiSilicon and Hoperun introduces their new HiKey 970 development board, 10nm HiSilicon Kirin 970 based (same chipset that is in the recent Huawei Mate 10) quad ARM Cortex-A73 at 2.36GHz with quad ARM Cortex-A53 at 1.8GHz with Mali-G72MP12 and their new Dedicated Neural-network Processing Unit (NPU) with 256MAC/cycle @ 960MHz performance. To be available next month for $299 on Amazon and at http://hihope.org this is their Super Edge AI Computing Platform with Huawei HiAI SDK that can provide up to 25X Performance and 50X better Power Efficiency compared with doing the AI tasks by CPU or GPU. This enables the Heterogeneous multi processing Resource Management for use in applications such as Deep Learning, Robots, Automobile, Smart City. The NPU provides frequently used artificial intelligence function APIs, model management APIs and basic operator computing APIs, so developers can focus on developing new AI applications instead of focusing on performance tuning. The HiKey970’s dedicated AI processor has a rich set of imaging and I/Os that enables developers to build highly integrated flexible products for AI-based intelligent cameras in smart cities.
Features include:
UEFI + ARM Trusted Firmware
Kernel 4.9
CAN driver
CSI/CSI-2 driver
WiFi enable
Video Codec enable
PCIe enable for storage and LTE connect
4 lanes CSI + 2 lanes CSI
CAN V2.0B up to 1Mbps
Video Dec up to H.265 3840×2160@60fps
6GB 1866MHz, 4 Channel LPDDR4x
GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou
wolfSSL is a commercial grade TLS library available in open-source GPL form on GitHub (http://github.com/wolfSSL/wolfssl) written in C and designed for Embedded use because its modular design. They provide build-time options for enabling and disabling all algorithms and TLS features. They support progressive algorithms such as Ed25519/Curve25519, ChaCha20/Poly1035 and SHA-3 using TLS 1.2/TLS 1.3. The part used for the demo is an STM32F777ZI. They are going to add support for ARMv8-M TrustZone-M hardware security when chipsets become available in the near future.
ST Microelectronics Booth Tour at Embedded World 2018 featuring their major new product announcements (STM32WB, STM32C2C and ST25DVW), featuring ST partners in the ST fanzone with Photon with ToF (Time-of-flight), Conrad robotics, Style spinner, universities and research organisations that ST collaborates with: the CEA-leti for self-flying drones (360 sensor fusion), INSA from Toulouse France for some gameboy projects to teach students about system integration, software defined instrumentation with the CTU university from Prague.
STM32WB is a dual-core MCU with wireless support based on an Arm Cortex‐M4 core running at 64 MHz (application processor) and an Arm Cortex‐M0+ core at 32 MHz (network processor). With two totally independent cores, this innovative architecture is optimized for real‑time execution (radio‑related software processing), resource use flexibility, power management, and a low BOM cost, to bring better user experience. The STM32WB platform is an evolution of the well‐known market-leading STM32L4 ultra‑low‑power series of MCUs. It provides the same digital and analog peripherals suitable for applications requiring extended battery life and complex functionalities. STM32WB proposes a variety of communication assets, a practical crystal-less USB2.0 FS interface, audio support, an LCD driver, up to 72 GPIOs, an integrated SMPS for power consumption optimization, and multiple low-power modes to maximize battery life. On top of wireless and ultra‐low‐power aspects, a particular focus was placed on embedding security hardware functions such as a 256‐bit AES, PCROP, JTAG Fuse, PKA (elliptic curve encryption engine), and Root Secure Services (RSS). The RSS allows authenticating OTA communications, regardless of the radio stack or application.
The STM32WB55 Bluetooth 5 -certified device offers Mesh 1.0 software support, multiple profiles and flexibility to integrate proprietary BLE stacks.
ST25DV-W series of dynamic NFC/RFID tags offers a 13.56 MHz long-range interface compatible with NFC phones and readers. Based on an ISO/IEC 15693 and NFC Forum Type 5 tag, ST25DV tag ICs can be operated from an RFID reader or an NFC phone. They also include an I²C interface that lets them connect to a host (MCU, MPU, etc.). These tags feature an innovative fast transfer mode between an embedded host and an NFC phone or reader thanks to their half-duplex 256-byte buffer. ST25DV dynamic NFC/RFID tags can be used in a wide variety of applications including consumer electronics, industrial, metering, electronic shelf labels, IoT objects and more.
STM32C2C P-L496G-CELL01 STM32 discovery pack for 2G/3G cellular to cloud (STM32-C2C/2G-3G) is a turnkey development platform for cellular and cloud technology based solutions. The pack is composed of an STM32L496AGI6-based low-power discovery mother board with preloaded firmware, and an STMod+ cellular expansion board with antenna. The P-L496G-CELL02 discovery pack for LTE IoT cellular to cloud (STM32-C2C/LTE IoT) is a turnkey development platform for cellular and cloud technology based solutions. The pack is composed of an STM32L496AGI6-based low-power discovery mother board with preloaded firmware, and an STMod+ cellular expansion board with antenna.
TechNexion shows off its Android Things development kits, modules, embedded systems and more new products at the Embedded World 2018. The TechNexion product lineup has grown once again in size. The company is showcasing Android Things development kits based on PICO-PI-IMX7 Low-cost system on modules that are modular, scalable and versatile. The Android Things development boards are based on the NXP i.MX7 applications processor. TechNexion is also launching several wireless communication modules, including PIXI-41Z and the PIXI-9377 low-cost, certified, 1×1 802.11 AC/BT4.1 module that deliver high transmission rates, low latency and improved range.
TechNexion is a provider of embedded systems and system-on-modules, in 2017, TechNexion was chosen by Google as a partner to develop the reference design for its Android Things development kit. That kit based on the PICO-PI-IMX7 board has been the go-to development kit distributed at developer shows and used for demoing the potential of Android Things.
The New TechNexion PIXI series is a communication module that delivers all IoT multi-mode communication needs in one ultra-compact and secure module series. It is specifically designed to enable better transmission rates, lower latency, better range and higher resistance to interference when two or more communication protocols – for example, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Thread – are needed to run concurrently on one system-on-chip. Multiple communication protocols in one chip means users can collect more data from disparate communication protocols, while also having the flexibility to use the right protocol to suit the type of data and distance from your hub.
Panel PCs – TechNexion has three human-machine-interface (HMI) panel computing series: TC, TEP and TWP. The TEP Series is available with either ARM or x86 architecture and has an IP65 anodized aluminum enclosure and a flux mounted projective capacitive touch, high brightness LCD display – ranging from 5 to 15.6 inches. The TWP Series is a fully waterproof, IP69K, panel PC designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high vibration, and cleaning with a jet spray. It is also available with either ARM or x86 architecture – ranging from 10 to 15.6 inches. The TEP-1560-IMX6 is their 15” panel computer based on i.MX6 and the TWP-1560-IMX6 is their NEW model that is waterproof, stainless steel, panel computer.
Fanless Box PCs – The TEK Series fanless computing systems are enclosed in a compact, fully ruggedized enclosure, and are perfect for controlling versatile end-equipment.
System-on-Modules – TechNexion continues to expand its SoM options through its two series, EDM and PICO. These series have an exhaustive range of options around size, processor capability and connector type enabling the creation of almost any kind of embedded device. They are designed to be scalable and come with fully open source software – Linux and Android – and schematics.
WandPi-8M community board – TechNexion were also showing the latest version of their community development board. It is based on NXP’s i.MX8M Quad application processor with ARM Cortex-A53 + M4 architecture to deliver 4K UltraHD with HDR video quality with pro audio fidelity. The WandPi-8M is available for pre-order and is expected to ship in Spring of this year.
Diamond Systems founder Jonathan Miller shows the company’s newest products at Embedded World 2018 including the COM-based Zeta SBC, EPSM-10GX (used to connect to a carrier board) and EPS-24G2X Ethernet switch solutions. As Miller explains, the EPS-24G2X brings out all the signals including those for the two 10G SFI ports. There is a lot of Ethernet available via this solution. It’s all about communication, sharing information and so some people want more ports. The switches discussed are examples of those found in unmanned vehicles as well as many other rugged applications. Included in these new products is the EPS-12GMini, one of the world’s smallest 12-port Ethernet switches is a two-board design enabling its small form factor for on-board vehicle use (military and industrial).
The rugged enclosure called SABRE is the newest of Diamond Systems’ enclosures, this rugged box provides protection in the harshest environments and enables complete solutions for their customers. The one on display, Sabre, at this show is for the COM Express Mini form factor and it accommodates the 12-port switch. On the front is a set of three military connectors. Next is a an Industrial MIDI enclosure with a variety of I/O brought out to the front which accommodates an Eagle SBC which uses Toradex Apalis ARM modules and Diamond Eagle carrier board that goes inside along with a variety of I/O (serial ports, CAN ports, connectors, display, analog). Diamond has an ongoing relationship with partner Toradex who I also filmed at EW2018 here
More boards on display in their booth includes the Analog I/O modules: DMM-16-AT along with DMM-16RP-AT which is bus agnostic. Eaglet, a more compact version of the earlier noted Eagle SBC. The discussion turns to PC/104 where Miller notes the longevity of the product and long value it has had as a form factor. A little later, PCIe MiniCards are shown and discussed as used: I/O; CAN module, Analog I/O module; Ethernet and digital I/O.
Pandora box with connectors on the board for connecting directly into the box. Plug in and go. Typically used on a controller.
Products shown on the right half of the booth are proven designs that they have had on the market now already for a while. A large part of the sales are based on these designs and are custom in some fashion depending on customer’s request.
Next for Diamond are more small things, COM Express, small form factors and more. You can read more about their solutions at http://diamondsystems.com
Toradex booth tour at Embedded World 2018 featuring their new Toradex Apalis iMX8 QM System on Module (SoM) based on the NXP’s i.MX 8QuadMax processor. Toradex’s demos featuring the Apalis iMX8QM includes one with Qt 3D Studio. The Apalis iMX8QM offers one click OS installation via the Toradex Easy Installer and offers 2x Arm Cortex-A72 cores, 4x Cortex-A53 cores, and 2x Cortex-M4 cores. The Apalis iMX8QM also contains on-board dual-band 802.11ac 2×2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi and is Bluetooth 5 ready. This SoM offers advanced hardware security and safety features, and is ideal for signal processing, computer vision and HMI applications. Interested third parties can sign up for early access for the Apalis iMX8QM here
In addition, Toradex is also showing their soon to be available Toradex Colibri iMX8X SoM, based on NXP’s i.MX 8X processor. With 2-4x Arm Cortex-A35 cores and 1x Cortex-M4 core, the SoM is ideal for industrial automation, HMI, robotics, building applications and healthcare. The Colibri iMX8X also contains on-board dual-band 802.11ac 2×2 MU-MIMO Wi-Fi and is Bluetooth 5 ready.
Toradex also showcases some of their other demos such as a Deep Learning demo featuring its Toradex Apalis TK1 SoM in collaboration with its partner Vertex.AI, the demo highlights Vertex.AI’s Vision deep learning and object detection software, and is a complete end-to-end deep learning demo, showcasing pasta detection. Additionally, Toradex has a demo in collaboration with its partner, Roboception, which integrates Toradex’s Apalis TK1 SoM for high-performance onboard processing, the demo has onboard SLAM for indoor and outdoor navigation, accurate visual-intertial motion estimation, and standard interfaces for an intuitive WEB-GUI.
Toradex also has a range of demos highlighting its Toradex partner ecosystem. From CODESYS’ real-time SoftPLC with EtherCAT, Crank’s low- and high-end UI, DiSTI’s safety focused HMI, Green Hills’ INTEGRITY RTOS on Colibri iMX6, Antmicro’s Android on Vision Kit, Acontis’ optimized EtherCAT, TES’ 3D Surround View/Guiliani, Mender.io’s over-the-air updates, Christmann’s Apalis computer cluster, Gumstix’s voice control carrier board, MVTec’s HPeek and more.
Geniatech shows their Tablet Dock for use with 96Boards compatible/sized development boards, where the board can just be swapped into the Tablet Dock to power it, including with touch support. To be distributed by Arrow at an affordable price.
Geniatech also provides a range of 96Board sized open source Qualcomm 410, 820 based development boards which you can see some of them featured in this video filmed at Embedded World 2017:
Here’s the upcoming Qualcomm Dragonboard 820c shown off doing some multimedia streaming running Debian with VLC, Icecast and a USB Radios dongle. Filmed at the Linaro Connect.
Cavium engineers are showing the Cavium Octeon TX 24-core 64bit ARMv8 platform handling the IPsec tunnel for future base stations to be used for the 5G backhaul, to increase bandwidth, increase coverage for cellular networks around the world. Filmed at Linaro Connect.
Poplar is the first development board compliant with the 96Boards Enterprise Edition TV Platform specification. Developed by HiSilicon, the board features the Hi3798C V200 with an integrated quad-core 64bit ARM Cortex A53 processor and high performance Mali-T720 GPU, making it capable of running any commercial set-top solution based on Linux or Android. Its high performance specification also supports a premium user experience with up to H.265 HEVC decoding of 4K video at 60 frames per second. It’s available for $79 at Aliexpress.com
First demo of EdgeX on ARM in cross-host setup featuring Ubuntu Core and Ubuntu systems both running the EdgeX cluster. The Dell 5k Edge Gateway, based on Ubuntu Core Snappy, has been running the core EdgeX services (basically 11 out of 12) using the official Docker snap. The RPi3, based on Ubuntu, has been running EdgeX device virtual service.
The EdgeX Foundry Project is a vendor-neutral project launched by the Linux Foundation, aligned around a common goal: the simplification and standardization of the foundation for edge computing architectures in the Industrial IoT market, while still allowing the ecosystem to add significant value. The seed for the new project is a fully-functional, Alpha-grade edge platform based on over 125,000 lines of code donated by Dell with references to other open source projects and developed with feedback from their partners, customers, and even competitors. The EdgeX project has already garnered a diverse and experienced membership base of supporting companies that is continuing the development of the architecture and code base. The goals of EdgeX include to provide a flexible microservices architecture that can support the use of any combination of heterogeneous ingredients plugged into a common interoperability foundation, to be agnostic to hardware CPU (e.g., x86, ARM), OS (e.g., Linux, Windows, Mac OS), and application environment (e.g., Java, JavaScript, Python, Go Lang, C/C++) to support customer preferences for differentiation, to allow services to scale up and down based on device capability and use case and more.
Arrow shows the Dragonboard 410c, a Qualcomm Snapdragon based development platform for IOT and industrial platforms. The 410c is based upon a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410E (Quad Core Cortex A53 and Qualcomm Adreno 306), has 1gb of ram and 8gb flash storage plus sd expansion. The 410c supports Android 5.1 (Lollipop) on Linux Kernel 3.10, Linux based on Debian 8.0,Open Embedded, Ubuntu Core, and Windows 10 IoT Core. The 410c in terms of connectivity has a ; One 40-pin low speed expansion connector: UART, SPI, I2S, I2C x2, GPIO x12, DC power; HDMI Full-size Type A connector, one micro USB (device mode only), two USB 2.0 (host mode only), micro SD card slot; 60-pin high speed expansion connector: 4L MIPI-DSI, USB, I2C x2, 2L+4L MIPI-CSI and Footprint for one optional 16-pin analog expansion connector for stereo headset/line-out, speaker and analog line-in.
Open Source Foundries is a spin off company off of Linaro, composed of a talented group of engineers to work more directly with companies, OEMs, ODMs, small, medium to large companies to bring new open source products and solutions more rapidly to the market. Leveraging all the work done by Linaro and speeding up the time to market, enable rapid product development, here demonstrating some of the open source IoT solutions provided based on Zephyr on ARM Cortex-M and Linux on ARM Cortex-A using the Linaro Technologies Division (LTD) microPlatforms system.
The lack of a secure IoT solution has the industry scrambling. The Open Source Foundries team believes that a world can exist in which all connected devices can be secured and updated in a timely fashion. In this demonstration shown at the Linaro Connect San Francisco 2017, the team showcases its secure end to end FOTA (firmware over the air) solution implementing the latest in connected technologies.
At Open Source Foundries, software is their passion, hacking hardware is their favorite past time, so they have created the OSLight project to convert off the shelf hardware into secure connected devices. They have inserted a Red Bear NRF52 BLE Nano 2 into these lamps, to allow them to communicate over BLE with various cloud services. In the first demo, they demonstrate creating a secure BLE mesh network with these lamps. They show the ability to securely pass messages through the mesh network to control the state of the LED lamp. The next demo shows a set of 96Boards Nitrogens sending temperature data to the SoftBank IoT Cloud with the ONEM2M protocol using 6lowpan over BLE. The third and final demo introduces a variant of the OSLight project, a fully 3D printed light bulb. Instead of a simple LED array it has a 12 LED WRGB NeoPixel which is powered by line voltage, stepped down to 5VDC.
For microcontrollers, they offer their Zephyr microplatform, an open source software reference based on Zephyr RTOS and MCUboot. This software stack implements secure boot, unified microkernel, and IP (TCP or UDP) using 6lowpan over BLE. At the protocol level they’ve embraced industry standards such as LWM2M/ONEM2M/HTTPS/MQTT to provide an array of options for their customers, whilst ensuring no vendor lock in. Open Source Foundries subscribers are offered continuous validated software updates throughout the life of their product for a fixed monthly subscription fee.
On the gateway, they offer their Linux microplatform, which is again, an open source reference based on the latest Linux kernel version, and a minimal Yocto based userspace with a container runtime (Docker). By isolated the OS from the containers, each can be updated independently while providing limitless potential for the applications it can run. For updates they again implement standards, and stay vendor neutral to allow their customers to choose the solution that is right for them. Continuous validated updates for the OS and containers are also offered for this platform for a reasonable fixed monthly fee.
Gordon Kruberg, President, CEO and Founder of Gumstix Inc. In 2004, they launched the world’s first HDMI Stick Computer and they also invented the first SOM running Linux and computers were officially introduced with Gumstix first motherboard alongside the Waysmall computer, about the size of a stick of gum. Apple bought many of these to do their initial testing of iOS on ARM to try to have a smooth UI to work on ARM early. Gumstix now has an online tool called Geppetto that allows users to design their own PCB boards which can be used in combination with boards from TechNexion and Toradex, in 2013 it started a crowd-funding service to allow a group of users that want to get a custom design manufactured to share the costs to start manufacturing any new PCB idea. A new PCB idea can be made through Gumstix Gepetto for a $2000 setup manufacturing fee then payments for each board. They estimate that any project needing to design and manufacture custom PCB boards in quantities lower than 20 thousand pieces, that they are providing the most cost effective and fastest time to market.
Sahaj Sarup of the Geek Till It Hertz youtube channel, which he created 4 years ago with a goal to share his Raspberry Pi projects and experiments with the world. Soon it grew and he started featuring other development boards and technologies. His goal is to share projects that he does or the projects that gets him excited. Recently he has also featured a few unique operating systems such as Google’s Fuchsia OS and Redox OS (written entirely in rust language). He’s also maintaining a blog at http://geektillithertz.com/wordpress This video also features 96Boards Application Engineer Manivannan Sadhasivam who I also filmed featuring some of his projects at here and PCB designer Michael Welling who I interviewed here.
The MIT Supply Response Supercomputing Lab has been investigating opportunities to get cycles when they are cheapest, either through an innovative sensor system that utilizes a hyperlocal weather monitoring application that watches clouds, or a clever scraping of PUC utility websites to ramp compute resources up when electricity is inexpensive. They are currently testing a number of projects that are based around ARM and utilizes every bit of the energy-aware programmability of big.LITTLE and Slurm Workload Manager.
#DIV/0! Is their Solar-Powered Supercomputing cluster. It is named for the error they got in Excel when they tried to calculate their performance per dollar.
IoTNet is the network in Boston and Cambridge which only handles IoT comms. It is low bandwidth, high latency and lossy which they are hoping will keep humans, with their real-time protocols, off. Machines and CPS like it because it is asynchronous, asymmetric and low power. If you have a key dongle for your car you are probably already using the TTN in your city.
Bero (Bernhard Rosenkränzer) from the Linaro Mobile Group set out this week as you can see in my previous video to build and bring up his ARM Desktop based on the Quad-core ARM Cortex-A72 Marvell MACCHIATObin development board with a Radeon or Nvidia GPU. Bero also built his own ARM Laptop based on the Dragonboard 820 running Open Mandriva Linux.
Mark Gregotski, DIrector of the Linaro Digital Home Group, provides an update on the latest work in open source for the Digital Home Group that LHG is working on including the adoption of OP-TEE (Open Portable Trusted Execution Environment) with DRM integrations including PlayReady DRM PK v3.3 on AOSP 8.0 on the HiKey960 development board and Widevine for Linux and for Android AOSP. NXP demonstrates some of their work, NXP has recently joined the Linaro Digital Home Group. The LHG group has worked to integrate V4L2 with gstreamer and ffmpeg to improve media playback on ARM offloading all the computation onto the video codec hardware of the SoC.
Manivannan Sadhasivam is an Applications Engineer at Linaro on the 96Boards team here Demonstrating some of his latest projects created out of 96Boards Consumer Edition such as the Self Balancing Bot capable of balancing itself using the MPU6050 IMU controlled by Dragonboard 410c. You can find that project at github and a Home Surveillance Kit powered by Dragonboard 410c. OpenCV is used to identify the faces, combined with AWS and servo control to create a home surveillance solution. You can find that project at github
This development board runs the TI CC3220 is for IoT applications featuring an ARM Cortex-M4 with an associated network processor that runs the whole Wi-Fi, TCP/IP and TLS stack so the main chipset doesn’t have to do any of the networking or security freeing up the whole ARM Cortex-M4 for the IoT application use. At Linaro Connect San Francisco 2017 they are showing it running TI RTOS and Zephyr. This board also features the LiPo battery connector. Adding also IPv6 support and TLS suite, an ARM Cortex-M4 with 1MB Flash, 256KB RAM running at 80Mhz. It’s very low power it can run for years off 2 AAA battery cells with the right duty cycle.
