ATmega328 powers paper-thin Printoo board

Printoo – powered by Atmel’s ATmega328 microcontroller (MCU) – is a lineup of paper-thin, low-power boards and modules that offer Makers and devs new levels of creative flexibility.

The open source platform, created by the Ynvisible crew, made its Kickstarter debut this week.

“Printoo is the first development board that is flexible and light enough to bring any of your 3D printed objects to life – no matter what shape it is. Add Internet and Bluetooth connectivity, input, output, motorization, light and motion sensing and power. Even solar, to almost any configuration or weird shape you print,” a Ynvisible rep explained.

“Plug the modules together, tinker with the Arduino sketches we are making available, and use the apps to connect and control Printoo – bringing your ideas to life. [Plus], we built the apps you need to connect Printoo to the Internet. You’ll be able to remotely control your Printoo creations or use them to trigger or perform action on the Web – from your smartphone, tablet or laptop, from anywhere in the world.”

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the core Printoo module is powered by Atmel’s ATmega328 microcontroller (MCU).

Additional hardware modules include a display driver, battery connector, batteries (soft and ultra-thin), battery holder, sensor module, solar cell connector, conductive ink adapter, DC motor drivers, electrochromic display, organic photodetector slider, polymer solar cell and LED strip.

The Ynvisible crew has also created a number of Printoo-powered demos such as a Bluetooth fan, 3D printed watercraft, solar powered 3D printed hovercraft, “girlfriend communicator,” electronic voter and the Printoo Man.

Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.

Reza Kazerounian talks IoT and MCUs (Part 2)

EEWeb recently conducted an interview with Reza Kazerounian, Senior VP and GM of the Microcontroller Business Unit at Atmel. In part one of our synopsis, we reviewed how Kazerounian defined the Internet of Things, detailed the company’s comprehensive IoT portfolio and discussed Atmel’s relationship with the rapidly growing DIY Maker Movement.

Kazerounian went on to confirm that Atmel is currently working with a number of customers to market various IoT applications.

“These customers range from smart metering, to industrial, consumer applications similar to Nest, [as well as] medical and white goods. Many of these customers have been working with Atmel for years and are in production with our technologies today,” he explained.

“With the dawn of the Internet of Things, these products are being categorized under a broader market—the IoT. An example includes connected thermostats in the home and building automation sector, [which] have [actually] been around for a while.”

However, says Kazerounian, it was not until recently that such devices were considered mainstream.

“It took mass adoption of smart tablets, smartphones and other smart consumer devices to enable more of these ‘connected’ devices to be easily accessible to the Internet and available at a cost-effective price point,” he added.

Indeed, “separate” technologies for IoT have been around for some time, but the requirements to seamlessly run numerous technologies simultaneously took longer to achieve.

“For example, connecting your smartphone at home to control your lighting is becoming a reality today. Another important factor for the IoT is wireless connectivity. These connectivity solutions operate on a number of different standards including Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, and others,” Reza continued.

“For IoT applications, it’s important to adopt the right wireless standard based on the application and consumer requirements. For example, if you want a device that is connected to a wireless network at home and can traffic the data with a high data rate, Wi-Fi is the most viable type of technology. For wearable devices, you would need a wireless connection with the lowest power consumption available since many of today’s wearable devices run on batteries.”

Kazerounian also noted that the IoT landscape is populated by applications with embedded processing and connectivity requirements that offer companies such as Atmel an advantage.

“[Indeed, we] made a recent investment in our connectivity portfolio over a year ago [by] acquiring Ozmo Devices, a Wi-Fi connectivity company. Adding to our broad wireless product portfolio, this strategic acquisition helped us enhance our Wi-Fi connectivity solutions, an important part of our strategy for targeting the IoT market,” he said.

“Atmel also has a broad portfolio of touch technologies, from capacitive touch buttons, sliders and wheels to touchscreens. As sensors and sensing nodes become an important part of the IoT ecosystem, our embedded processing solutions can combine input from multiple sensors to provide real-time direction, orientation and inclination data to bring visibly superior performance to gaming, navigation, augmented reality and more.”

Reza concluded his interview with EE Web by emphasizing that Atmel views microcontrollers (MCUs) as an essential building block for every PC, consumer device, industrial machine, home connectivity device and automobile. To be sure, MCUs are playing an increasingly critical role in the lucrative space.

“As the semiconductor industry has transitioned from PCs to mobile, IoT will now rise to become the predominant market,” Kazerounian explained. 

”This transition will favor ultra-low power and integration of microcontrollers, wireless connectivity, security, touch technologies and sensor management products. Atmel is uniquely positioned and fully committed to maintaining our leadership position in the microcontroller industry – and to do so requires winning in the IoT.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out Atmel’s AVR MCU portfolio here and our ARM lineup here.

Note: This is part two of a two-part series. Part one can be read here.

Designing a DIY smartwatch with Arduino Pro Mini

A DIY open source smartwatch powered by an Arduino Pro Mini (ATmega328 MCU) running at 3.3v recently surfaced on Instructables. Designed by GodsTale, the RetroWatch is equipped with Bluetooth, a small Adafruit OLED display and a LiPo battery.

Assembly? Bluetooth-> Arduino, OLED-> Arduino, USB to UART module-> Arduino, a button (10k-ohm resistance) and a battery (+) -> RAW, GND -> GND.

On the software side, the watch runs Android 4.3 which supports advanced notification services. Makers will also need to install graphic libraries (Adafruit_SSD1306, Adafruit-GFX-Library) to draw images, shapes and fonts on the OLED, as well the RetroWatch Arduino source code from GitHub.

“You must copy the header file that contains bitmap images to load and use them. You should copy bitmap.h in RetroWatchArduino folder to /Arduino install folder/Arduino/hardware/libraries/RetroWatch. If there’s no such folder, simply [create] it,” GodsTale explained in his Instructables post.

“Open Arduino IDE and load RetroWtchArduino.ino. Next, set pin numbers that you used when you connect the watch. It’s not necessary to modify if you use Arduino pins that are [detailed] in this instruction. SoftwareSerialBTSerial(2,3); // Input your TX, RX pin numbers int buttonPin = 5; // Input your button pin number.”

The DIY RetoWatch features a number of basic modes or displays such as clock, emergency messages, normal messages and idle. Additional key features include:

• 65 icons
• Stores 7 normal messages, three emergency
• Supports RSS feeds
• Counts unread emails
• 
Clock style can be easily altered
• 7 hour battery (140mAh)

Interested in learning more? You can check out the official RetroWatch Instructables page here.

Atmel powers this 2D-Lux smart LED disk (SLEDD)

NliteN has unveiled the 2D-Lux Smart LED Disk (SLEDD), a dimmable 60W-incandescent-replacement LED smart “bulb” with an Atmel AVR microcontroller (ATtiny85), USB interface and hardware-expansion pins. Currently on IndieGoGo, the Atmel-powered SLEDD allows backers to easily adjust the 2D-Lux by running various light-bulb control apps, including smartphone control.

“The low power sleep modes found in Atmel’s AVR, as well as its wide voltage operating range, has allowed NliteN to eliminate expensive AC to DC power supplies, as well as eliminating the need for large electrolytic capacitors which are a huge reliability and lifetime concern in Solid State Lighting today,” explained Andreas Eieland, Atmel’s Sr. Product Marketing Manager of Standard Microcontrollers. “The AVR’s high processing throughput allows inexpensive, direct, USB interfacing to the AVR, facilitating the ability of an owner to download apps by simply attaching a PC’s USB cable to the integrated connector on the bulb.”

In addition, Atmel’s low noise, high precision, on-chip analog to digital converters enabled NliteN designers to measure system temperatures to prevent system overheating in enclosed fixtures – as well as monitor AC power waveforms and implement a planned low-cost powerline receiver communications capability similar to the BSR X10.

It should also be noted that users can add shields, or plug-in circuit board modules to SLEDD, facilitating additional hardware functions via microphones (clap on, clap off, clap dim, loudness sensitive brightness, etc), motion sensors, Zigbee, Bluetooth, WiFi, Linux web appliance and battery-backed-up clock-calendars.

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered 2D-Lux Smart LED Disk? Be sure to check out the project’s official page on IndieGoGo.

ATMega32u4 powers Hex ‘copter

Hex – powered by Atmel’s ATMega32u4 – is a 3D-printed nanocopter that can be controlled using the gravity sensors in a mobile device.

“Hex imitates the movement of the smartphone or a tablet in the air. In addition, traditional throttle, elevator, aileron, rudder control systems can be used to operate your Hex,” the HexAirBot team explained in a recent Kickstarter post.

“Hex’s flight control system is paired with various sensors help to make flying more safe and steady. These components massively reduce the risk of crashing. The sophisticated electronics in the copter allow it to sense when Hex is not balanced and adjust the motor speeds accordingly.”

The Hex team also noted that the open-hardware ‘copter allows users to view the world from a different perspective, as a camera can be easily attached to the ‘copter for aerial photography and videography. Plus, with FPV (first person view) glasses provided in the Hex Spy Kit, aerial navigators can realistically experience the thrills and joys of being in the air.

Last, but certainly not least, Hex’s autopilot system allows the craft to auto-balance itself in mid-air, although the sam circuit board can be modded to balance other devices such as a two-wheeled robot car, fixed-wing aircrafts, camera gimbals and submarines.

In addition to Atmel’s versatile ATMega32u4, key Hex hardware specs include:

• Propellers (size: 56×8.5 mm, fits shaft: 1.0 mm)
• Motors (diameter: 7.0 mm, length: 20 mm, over 50,000 RPM)
• Flight control system (Microwii Copter, MPU6050)
• Flight Time: 7 minutes
• Communication protocol: Bluetooth 4.0 (WiFi module for webcam)

Additional information about the 3D-printed Hex can be found on the official Kickstarter page here.

Video: Arduino controls this slick labyrinth

Three Makers – Filipp, Saluka and Michael – recently participated in a 24-hour hackathon hosted by Microsoft. In just one day, the talented trio managed to build a complex labyrinth game powered by an Arduino board and controlled by a Nexus 4 smartphone.

As the HackADay crew notes, the slick game is mounted in a gimbaled frame which tilts to and fro using Arduino-controlled servos.

“There are several elastic bands connecting the base to the maze. These act as shock absorbers to help keep the movement smooth and to prevent any oscillations from the frame flexing,” HackADay’s Mike Szczys explained. “For us this is an important design element that we’ll keep in mind just in case we need to win another competition by designing a labyrinth.”

As we mentioned previously, a versatile Atmel-powered Arduino controls the servos via Bluetooth, linking the board with the Nexus 4 Android handset.

Interested in learning more? Be sure to watch the video above for additional details.

Atmel-powered Arduinos in action!

In recent months, Bits & Pieces has introduced our readers to numerous technical books related to Atmel-powered Arduinos. So far, we’ve taken a closer look at “Arduino Robot Bonanza,” “Arduino and Lego Projects,” “Arduino Workshop: A Hands-On Introduction with 65 Projects,” “Practical AVR Microcontrollers” and “Exploring Arduino: Tools and Techniques for Engineering Wizardry.”

And today we’re going to talking about “Arduino in Action,” a book written by Martin Evans, Joshua Noble and Jordan Hochenbaum. According to the tech trio, the title offers readers a hands-on guide to prototyping and building electronics with everyone’s favorite platform.

“Suitable for both beginners and advanced users, this easy-to-follow book begins with the basics and then systematically guides you through projects ranging from your first blinking LED through connecting Arduino to devices like game controllers or your [smart]phone,” Evans, Noble and Hochenbaum explained in an official Amazon synopsis.

“[The book] is a hands-on guide to prototyping and building DIY electronics. Progressively more complex projects [are presented] as you connect Arduino to motors, LCD displays, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. [For example], you’ll explore input/output sensors, including ultrasound, infrared, and light, and then use them for tasks like robotic obstacle avoidance.”

A full chapter breakdown is as follows:

• Chapter 1 Hello Arduino
• Chapter 2 Digital input and output
• Chapter 3 Simple projects: input and output
• Chapter 4 Extending Arduino
• Chapter 5 Arduino in motion
• Chapter 6 Object detection
• Chapter 7 LCD displays
• Chapter 8 Communications
• Chapter 9 Game on
• Chapter 10 Integrating the Arduino with iOS
• Chapter 11 Making wearables
• Chapter 12 Adding shields
• Chapter 13 Software integration

It should be noted that purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle and ePub formats from Manning Publications.

“Arduino in Action,” written by Martin Evans, Joshua Noble and Jordan Hochenbaum, is currently available on Amazon (Prime) for $26.10.

Arduino talks, Android listens

How does an Arduino board “talk” to an Android device without OS instructional code? With the Bluetooth-based (2.1 module WT11i by Bluegiga) Annikken Andee – which can be mounted on an Arduino Uno (Atmel ATmega328), Mega (ATmega1280) or Leonardo (ATmega32u4).

“With the free Annikken Andee Library and Android app, you can create your very own monitor and control UI on Android devices from the Arduino IDE,” the Anniken Andee crew wrote in a recent IndieGoGo post. “This means you are NOT required to develop any Android apps at all.”

So how does it work? Well, the shield communicates with Arduino via the ICSP header (SPI) and pin 8.

On the software side, you simply download the Annikken Andee library for Arduino, unpack the content and copy the ‘Andee’ folder into Arduino IDE library folder. This library contains all the necessary functions to create the user interface on your Android device.

You then download and install the Annikken Andee Android Application from the Google Play Store. Connect your phone to your Arduino via the installed app and voila – you now have a smartphone UI for Arduino.

Additional information about the Annikken Andee is available here on IndieGoGo.

Atmel-powered Babuino connects smartphones to digital devices

The Atmel-powered Babuino (USB) stick allows users to easily control multiple electronic devices from their smartphones.

Babuino, designed by OpenJungle, is also capable of the reverse – controlling a smartphone from a PC or Mac.

There are currently two versions of the open source Babuino: one enclosed in a case (stick) and the other, as a board, sans case with fully accessible ports. As noted above, both iterations of the device are powered by an Atmel MCU.

Specifically, original prototypes are equipped with an ATMega32U4 microcontroller, although the final versions of Babuino are expected to boast the ATXMega128A1U MCU. Additional hardware specs include a Bluetooth module, infrared RX/TX and 128KB Flash Memory (without bootloader).

More information about Babuino can be found here on IndieGoGo.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is going to the dogs with Whistle

The Whistle Activity Monitor is an on-collar device that measures a dog’s activities including walks, play and rest. The device is designed to give canine parents a new perspective on day-to-day behavior and long-term health trends.

The Wifi and Bluetooth enabled Whistle allows users to check-in from their phones, share memorable moments and send detailed reports to a veterinarian. Basically, the device uses information including weight, age, breed and location to provide rich, individualized insights about a pe by precisely tracking activity trends over time.

“Whistle was inspired by my love of dogs,” co-founder and chief executive Ben Jacobs told the AFP. “We’re introducing a window into their lives; creating a way for owners and veterinarians to take a preventative approach to our pets’ health.”

According to Dr. Jeff Werber, a veterinarian at the Century Group in Los Angeles, there has always been a gap between what he can see in his office and what’s really going on with a dog.

“The thing is, animals act very differently behind closed doors, when they are alone, than they do around people, especially their owners. Often, an owner will notice a dog is limping. But when he examines the animal at his office, it walks normally. All the adrenaline and the desire to show off overcome the injury,” Werber told The Verge.

“By the time most owners see the problem, it has gotten quite acute. Dogs are very good at hiding the signs from owners. If you can see a change in activity or sleep, it makes it possible to spot problems sooner, and get them treated with less expensive, more preventative measures.”

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the industry is beginning to see more electronic
devices – like the Whistle – join the growing ranks of Internet of Things (IoT) by becoming smart and connected.

To be sure, it is currently estimated that there are nearly 10 billion devices in the world connected to the Internet, a figure that is expected to triple when it hits approximately 30 billion devices by 2020. Clearly, the Internet of Things represents the greatest potential growth market for semiconductors and the embedded space over the next several years.