MORE ABOUT IoT

SiFive has released an open-source RISC-V architecture, 64-bit, quad-core application processor aimed at full-featured operating systems such as Linux. According to SiFive, “The release of the U54-MC Coreplex marks the architecture’s expansion into the application processor space — opening entirely new use cases for RISC-V. It is ideal for applications which need full operating system support such as AI, machine learning, networking, gateways and smart IoT devices.” The standard U54-MC contains four U54 CPUs along with a single E51 CPU and supports cache coherence. Each U54 CPU has a five-stage in-order pipeline, and supports the RV64GC ISA. The 64-bit E51 CPU serves as a management core and is fully-coherent with the main U54 cores.

AppMyProduct is a new concept that focuses on delivering an easy way to remote control IoT devices directly via apps on smartphone and tablet. AppMyProduct is aiming at apps such as turning on and off a summerhouse heating remotely, or viewing a live stream from a camera wherever on the globe.

Elektor Business Magazine (EBM) Edition 5/2017 is now available for Elektor GREEN and GOLD Members and has a strong focus on IoT & Industry 4.0.  EBM offers innovators, electronics engineers and startup companies, essential information and insights into the latest products, research and intelligence from the industry.

French company Netatmo has launched the latest addition to the smart home – an IoT-enabled radiator valve. The product is claimed to help users to make major savings – up to 37% – on the energy they use to heat their homes by controlling heat on a room-by-room basis. Netatmo, which has previously launched products including smart security cameras and indoor climate monitors, said the new Smart Valve can be fitted on any hot-water radiator and then set a heating schedule for each room based on the habits of their occupants. Users can then customise the temperature of each room in the house from an app.

There are already many articles, projects and videos featuring the red Pretzel board which consists of an Arduino Nano with an integrated Wi-Fi module. The popular board designed by Fabian Kainka is available from Elektor and Franzis. Now there is a Bluetooth version available... meet Bluething.

u?blox, a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, announces the SARA?R410M?02B, a configurable LTE Cat M1/NB1 multi?mode module with worldwide coverage. It is the industry’s smallest module available in the market today (16 x 26 mm), to offer both LTE Cat M1 and Cat NB1 in a single hardware package.

13.7 nW/Mbit is claimed by Renesas as a record low stand-by power for embedded SRAM. Speed has been retained at 1.8 ns for an active read-out. The firm said it used its in-house 65-nm silicon-on-thin buried oxide (SOTB) process for the prototype, and used substrate biasing to adjust the leakage/speed compromise. The technology is claimed overcome challenges with conventional CMOS, such as the increased leakage with low-threshold transistors and high variability in gate threshold voltage.

In the last installment, we implemented a small actuator project where we are able to switch a remote LED using MQTT. Now and then the link is interrupted, here we show how we can automatically re-establish the link. All the Arduino functions are available from the last installment...

Microchip is reaching out to Apple users with their Wi-Fi Software Development Kit (SDK). The SDK supports the Apple HomeKit platform which is known for the ease with which Apple MFi licensees can create fast, cryptography-enabled low-power designs. The new Wi-Fi SDK combines hardware cryptography suites within the CEC1702 system chip and associated protocols. In terms of hardware, the system consists mainly of an ARM Cortex-M4-based micro interfaced to the well-established WINC1510 low-power 802.11 b/g/n certified Wi-Fi module.

Pycom is a young company producing small modules supporting multiple network topologies. Partly funded through a few Kickstarter campaigns they are now up and running. The goal of their products is to enable easy access to the Internet of Things (IoT). To achieve this goal they have crammed as much wireless network technology as possible into a few small modules and made them programmable with MicroPython.