Video: ARM interviews Atmel’s Jacko Wilbrink

Earlier today, the ARM crew interviewed Atmel exec Jacko Wilbrink on the sidelines of Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany.

Wilbrink discussed Atmel’s popular ARM-based SAMA5D3 microprocessor, confirming that the MPU has been a “tremendous success for Atmel.”

Wilbrink also said Atmel will continue to offer scalable ARM-based MPUs, with an eye on introducing more dual-core implementations in the future. 

Last, but certainly not least, Wilbrink showcased Newark’s (element14) new $79 Atmel SAMA5D3 Xplained evaluation kit – a low-cost, fast prototyping and evaluation platform for microprocessor-based design.

The board, which is powered by Atmel’s SAMA5D3 ARM Cortex-A5 processor-based MPU, is packed with a rich set of ready-to-use connectivity and storage peripherals, along with Arduino shield-compatible expansion headers for easy customization. In addition, the platform is a perfect target for headless Android projects, while a Linux distribution and software package facilitates rapid software development.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the SAMA5D3 series is ideal for wearable computing and mobile applications where low power and a small footprint are critical. Key SAMA5D3 Xplained features include:

• Fully documented and readily available Cortex-A5 based MPU solution
• Rich set of peripherals, specifically on connectivity
• USB power (no need for power adaptor)
• Flexibility – Arduino-compatible connectors, enabling the user to leverage the extensive Arduino shields ecosystem
• Open Source hardware – All design files available; easy to reuse in customer projects
Software package with drivers and examples for bare metal developers
• Qt developers kit and Linux distribution free of charge

The new SAMA5D3 Xplained evaluation kit – priced at $79 – is slated to ship in mid-March 2014 from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in APAC. You can pre-register for the board here.

Atmel’s SAM4Cx clinches ACE awards nomination

Atmel’s ARM-based SAM4Cx platform had been nominated as one of the 2014 ACE award finalists in the category of energy technology.

The 2014 ACE Awards, presented by EE Times and EDN, showcases the best of the best in today’s electronics industry, including the hottest new products, start-up companies, design teams, executives and more. Winners will be announced April 1 at the ACE Awards event held in conjunction with EE Live.

“One of the many joys of working with ARM Partners is to witness their technologies and teams recognized for their hard work,” an ARM rep told Bits & Pieces.

“We look forward to reviewing the ACE Awards each year to see which Partners have been nominated as a finalist. It makes us proud each year to see the pervasiveness of the ARM technology in so many categories.”

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel’s ARM-based SAM4Cx is a comprehensive smart energy platform designed specifically for next-gen grid communications, electricity, gas and water metering systems and energy measurement applications.

The Atmel SAM4Cx platform includes several system-on-chip (SoC) devices built around a dual-core ARM Cortex-M4 architecture with advanced security, metrology, wireless and power-line communications (PLC) options.

Key features of Atmel’s smart energy platform include best-in-class metrology with class 0.2 accuracy and dynamic range of up to 6000:1 for single and poly-phase applications; low-power PRIME PLC connectivity with integrated line driver; advanced cryptography; the ability to integrate application, communication and metrology; up to 2Mbytes of embedded Flash and 304Kbytes of SRAM with external memory expansion option.

Additional specs include low-power RTC, LCD and anti-tamper feature sets designed to reduce smart meter BOM by as much as 40 percent.

Interested in learning more about Atmel’s new and comprehensive smart energy platform? Be sure to check out our official product page here and Atmel’s SAM4Cx deep dive here.

Day 2: Atmel @ Embedded World

Day 2 of Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany has drawn to a successful close. Our jam-packed booth hosted numerous journalists, analysts and industry insiders throughout an exciting day.

Atmel’s booth was also the site of several technical sessions, including embedded Internet technologies, web services and cloud computing, intelligent lighting control networks and ultra-low power system design.

In addition, we showcased a plethora of demos, including a lighting system with secure communication and cryptographic information exchange, capacitive sensing with dual functionality per button, car access systems, embedded microprocessors based on the ARM Cortex core, a battery-powered drill and anti-cloning protection.

Stay tuned for more Atmel Embedded World 2014 updates!

We’ll be back tomorrow for Day 3 of Embedded World in Nuremberg, Germany.

Day 1: Atmel @ Embedded World (Part 2)

Atmel is currently showcasing a wide range of products at Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg, Germany. Don’t forget to stop by and visit the official Atmel booth at Hall 4A/4A-220.

Note: This is part two of Day 1: Atmel @ Embedded World. Part one can be viewed here.

Day 1: Atmel @ Embedded World (Part 1)

Atmel kicked off Day 1 of Embedded World with a media event on the train between Munich and Nuremberg.

It wasn’t long before Atmel’s booth, located in Hall 4A/4A-220, was also jam-packed with industry insiders, analysts and journalists who came to check out our recently launched products and extensive lineup of interactive demos.

To be sure, Atmel announced a slew of new products at the show including a SAMA5D3 Xplained board with Newwark element14, 6 new 4k-16k Flash devices for its flagship AVR Mega MCU family, an expanded SAM D Cortex M0+ portfolio, SmartConnect for the IoT, a low-power LIN System Basis Chip (SBC) and two new maXTouch touchscreen controllers.

In addition, Atmel announced the winners of its AVR Hero Design Contest: Sumit Grover, Juan Luis Gonzalez, Rahul Karr and Pamungkas Sumasta, who received the grand prize for his AVR-Arduino Inertial Mobile Phone Unit.

Tomorrow, Atmel’s low-power MCU Expert Bob Martin is scheduled to present “Differentiating and Optimizing for Static and Active Microcontroller Modes” during the hands-on workshop: “Applying Optimizing Techniques for Ultra-low Power Microcontrollers” (Class 07, Wednesday, February 26). In this 9:00 am – 5:00 pm CET day-long session, Martin will be presenting at 9:15 am CET. So be sure to stay tuned for more updates from Bits & Pieces! Note: Part two of this series can be viewed here.

Video: Atmel @ Embedded World (Day 0)

Atmel is at Embedded World 2014 in Nuremberg Germany, where the company has launched a number of new products to drive smart, connected devices in the era of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Some of the new products, along with interactive demos, will be showcased on Days 1-3 of the show at the official Atmel booth located in Hall 4A / #4A-220. Exhibits and demos include:

• Capacitive touch capability with Atmel’s QTouch technologies – Highlights various home appliances to demonstrate conductive immunity and moisture tolerance, along with an Xplained Pro board and capacitive touch extension board.
• New ARM MCU solutions – A SAM4E data logger with signal processing based on Atmel’s ARM Cortex-M4 MCUs and a SAM D20 global positioning system tracker based on Atmel’s ARM Cortex-M0+ MCUs.
• SAM A5 MPU applications – A new SAMA5D3 Xplained board, a low-cost ARM Cortex A5 processor kit, a smart thermostat, a home automation and smart fridge demo with a 7” capacitive touch panel.
• 

Atmel’s Wi-Fi connectivity solutions – A Turtle Beach i60 headset and Roku 3 box used on a Vizio M-Series flat panel on display.
• Atmel SmartConnect – Integrates the company’s Wi-Fi technology with a Cortex M0+ core.
• 
The new SAMR21 family of wireless MCUs (supported by the new SAMR21 Xplained PRO evaluation kits).
• ZigBee and open-source 6LoWPAN solutions with cloud services.

Other notable demos include Ivee Sleek Wi-Fi, a voice-activated assistance for the home that helps manage and control connected devices without hands; a finger print, voice-search, secure Bluetooth / USB drive that displays passwords; a tiny automatic camera and app that boasts a searchable and shareable photographic memory and a 5mm x 5mm Cortex-A5 System on Module card. 

A polyphase smart e-metering board based on a dual ARM Cortex-M4 core system-on-chip with an integrated metrology AFE will also be on display in the booth.

Along with the new Atmel Studio 6.2 and Atmel-ICE, we will be demoing our latest integrated development platform and advanced debug probe. We will also be highlighting a new SAMA5D3 Xplained cost-effective kit based on the ARM Cortex-A5 processor MPU, as well as the new Xplained Mini ultra-low cost evaluation kit with an Atmel 8-bit AVR, low pin-count MCU for less than USD $10. 

In addition, we plan on hosting several Arduino board demonstrations based onAtmel MCUs for our Maker community.

And, by popular demand, Atmel will also be showcasing its advanced AvantCar demo, a next-generation automotive center console concept with curved touchscreens that illustrates the combined use of Atmel’s XSense, maXTouch, QTouch and 8-bit AVR MCU technologies.

Meanwhile, Atmel’s low-power MCU Expert Bob Martin is scheduled to present “Differentiating and Optimizing for Static and Active Microcontroller Modes” during the hands-on workshop: “Applying Optimizing Techniques for Ultra-low Power Microcontrollers” (Class 07) on Wednesday, February 26. In this 9:00 am – 5:00 pm CET day-long session, Martin will be presenting at 9:15 am CET. Last, but certainly not least, Atmel will be announcing winners from its AVR Hero Design contest at the show.

IoT sensor fusion with ARM and Atmel on Google+

Sensors convert physical world characteristics into raw data that is subsequently processed by various hardware and software platforms. As the name implies, sensor fusion combines sensory data from multiple sources to improve the overall state of the system being observed.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, ensuring an extended battery life is perhaps the most important criterion for any device with integrated sensors.

On Tuesday, February 18, ARM will be hosting a live Google+ Hangout panel with executives from Atmel, Freescale and Sensor Platforms. 

The panelists are slated to discuss various software and hardware design techniques that can help IoT developers achieve a precise balance between low power sipping and high software complexity.

You can follow the panel discussion and access the live video feed from the following links:

• ARM Google+ page – A video link will be posted once the Hangout kicks off
• Google+ event page – If you have a Google account you can RSVP and receive a reminder before the hangout
• ARM Facebook event page
• ARM’s original blog post, in the comments section
• @ARMCommunity and @ARMEmbedded Twitter channels

Panelists include:

• 

Diya Soubra – CPU Product Marketing Manager for Cortex-M ARM Processors at ARM
• Adrian Woolley – Director of Strategy and Business Development at Atmel’s Microcontroller Business Unit
• 

Mike Stanley – Manager of Freescale’s Sensor Solutions Division
• 
Kevin A. Shaw – CTO of Sensor Platforms
• Will Tu – Director of Embedded Segment Marketing at ARM

We’ll see you on Tuesday, February 18!!!

White House to host upcoming Maker Faire

The Obama Administration has announced that the White House will be hosting its very first Maker Faire later this year.

According to administration officials Tom Kalil and Jason Miller, the event will be an opportunity to highlight both the remarkable stories of Makers and commitments by leading organizations to help more students and entrepreneurs get involved in making things.

“By democratizing the tools and skills necessary to design and make just about anything, Maker Faires and similar events can inspire more people to become entrepreneurs and to pursue careers in design, advanced manufacturing, and the related fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” Kalil and Miller explained in an official White House blog post.

“The Administration is already partnering with companies, non-profits, and communities to make the most of this emerging movement. The Defense Advanced Projects Agency, or DARPA, collaborated with the Veteran’s Administration to support the creation of a TechShop in Pittsburgh, where members can access cutting-edge tools for making, and provided memberships for thousands of veterans.”

Meanwhile, with funding from the Department of Labor, the AFL-CIO and Carnegie Mellon University are partnering with TechShop Pittsburgh to create an apprenticeship program for 21st-century manufacturing and encourage startups to manufacture domestically. 

Similarly, with support from Americorps and leading companies and foundations, the Maker Education Initiative is working with schools and youth-serving organizations to provide students with access to Making.

“Later this year, the Administration will launch an all-hands-on-deck effort to provide even more students and entrepreneurs access to the tools, spaces, and mentors needed to Make,” Kalil and Miller continued. 

”There are many ways in which, in addition to the contributions of thousands of individual Makers, companies, universities, mayors and communities, and foundations, and philanthropists can get involved… Working together, we can prove that in America, the future really is what we make of it.”

Interested in learning more? You can get involved in President Obama’s initiative by sending pictures or videos of your creations or a description of how you are working to advance the Maker Movement to maker@ostp.gov, or on Twitter using the hashtag #IMadeThis.

DesignCon 2014, even the badges are cool

So I got to pop into DesignCon 2014, the signal integrity, test, and high-speed schematic and PCB design show here in Silicon Valley. In addition to seeing some great panels and vendor displays, I got to see industry favorites like Dave Bursky, Martin Rowe, and Patrick Mannion. Sure EDN has lots of nice coverage, here, here, here, and here. Most of my analog pals love DesignCon. It’s not just a show with hundreds of exhibitors; it is a conference with keynotes, classes, and panel discussions.

But the thing I love about these UBM shows is that even the badges can teach you something. I noticed the printed part of my badge was paper.

This badge from DesignCon 2014 is printed on paper.

Thing is, when I looked on the backside of the paper there was a thin plastic disk covering up something with a small bump.

In the backside, you can see a small disk in the center. What caught my eye was the small bump at the bottom of the disk.

So what is an analog guy to do but peel back the disk?

Peeling back the plastic cover reveals a spiral antenna and an RFID chip.

The RFID chip spans the end of the loop antenna, while the other side of the circle has the underside connection with 9 vias to complete the loop.

The white cover disk is applied over a clear disk that has a spiral antenna and an RFID chip. The clear disk is printed on both sides so the spiral can form a loop with a back-side connection with 9 vias on each end.

Here you can see that the RFID system is itself printed on a clear disk.

Here is a close-up of the underside trace and the vias on each end. This is all made from conductive ink that is printed on fast and cheap.

A close-up of the chip. It’s made by a competitor to Atmel, so I have covered up the logo or cropped it out from the previous pics. It’s not just a competitor; it is where my boss worked previously.

The RFID chip may not have encryption like Atmel’s RFID chips, not sure if show badges are a secure application. But it still astounds me we can afford to print antennas and chips on paper badges meant to be thrown away after the event.

Here is a side-shot of the RFID chip. It is powered by an RF field you apply to the spiral, and then modulates the energy received to communicate with the transmitter. There is no battery in the badge.

So there you have it. A show so cool even the badges can teach you electronics. The next big UMB Tech show  here in the Valley is EE|Live! which is a super-show that has the Embedded Systems Conference along with some other major attractions. Atmel is a sponsor of the IoT (Internet of Things) track and we are submitting at least one paper. I will be sure to attend as will the hundreds of embedded engineering pals I know in the Valley. And my own Analog Aficionados party is Sunday, February 9^th2014. Steve Taranovich is signed up, as is EDN VP/Brand Director Patrick Mannion.

Sir Mix-A-Lot visits Atmel HQ

The famous ’90s rapper turned music producer Sir Mix-A-Lot recently visited Atmel headquarters in San Jose to check out our newly-unveiled Tech on Tour mobile trailer.

 While there, we had the opportunity to discuss various product demos, particularly Sir Mix-A-Lot’s impression of Atmel’s smart WiFi and XSense.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, Atmel’s XSense is a high-performance, highly flexible touch sensor which allows engineers to design devices with curved surfaces and even add functionality along product edges.

Essentially, this means manufacturers now have the capability to build light-weight, sleek, edgeless smartphones, tablets and other touch-enabled devices.

The founder of the Nastymix record label, Sir Mix-A-Lot debuted in 1988 with Swass. The rapper is perhaps best known for his 1992 album Mack Daddy and its Grammy Award-winning single “Baby Got Back.”

You can check out additional photos of Sir Mix-A-Lot’s visit below.