SAMA5D3 Xplained for the IoT in India

element14 has introduced Atmel’s new SAMA5D3 Xplained evaluation kit for Internet of Things (IoT) development in India.

“The Internet of Things is one of the most important trends globally that will boost the electronics industry in India. Within these few years it will impact nearly every segment of the economy and society,” said element14 exec Ravi Pagar. 

”[We are] excited to be bringing such a wide range of ground-breaking IoT-enabling solutions to India geared towards inspiring engineers with the ideas and building blocks to turn the Internet of Things into a reality.”

The board – built around 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. 

The platform is also a perfect target for headless Android projects, while a Linux distribution and software package facilitates rapid software development.

Aside from Atmel’s ARM-based SAMA5D36 Cortex-A5 microprocessor (MPU), key specs include:

• 2GBit DDR2 – Micron
• 2GBit Flash – Micron
• 1- Ethernet 10/100/1000 (- Phy + connector)
• 1- Ethernet 10/100 (-Phy + connector)
1- USB Device connector, 2- USB Host connectors
• Active Semi PMIC
• Power measurement straps
• SD/MMCPlus 8-bit card slot
• 1- Micro SDCard 4-bit slot footprint
• 1- 6-lead 3V3-level serial port
• 10-pin J-TAG connector
• 2- push buttons, reset and startup
• 1- general purpose push button
• 2- general purpose LEDs
• Arduino R3-compatible header plus LCD connectors mounted
• Linux distribution
• Bare Metal C code example
• Headless Android support

Simply put, the new board offers features such as mid-range graphical user interfaces, capacitive touch capability, wired and wireless communication, free of charge Linux distribution and a QT developer’s kit.

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the ARM-based SAMA5D3 series is ideal for wearable computing and mobile applications where low power and a small footprint are critical.

Atmel’s new SAMA5D3 Xplained eval kit can be snapped up for Rs.6,719.00 here.

Video: Designing an Uno-based energy meter

Electrical engineer Debasish Dutta has designed an energy meter built around an Atmel-powered Arduino Uno (ATmega328 MCU).

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“I [come from the] village of Odisha, India, where frequent power cut are very common. Continuing studies after dusk was a real challenge [so] I designed a solar system for my home on a experimental basis,” Dutta explained in a recent Instructables blog post.

“I used a solar panel of 10 Watt, 6V for lighting few bright LEDs. Then I decided to monitor the voltage, current, power and energy involved in the system, [which inspired] the idea of designing an energy meter.”

Dutta said he chose Arduino as “the heart” of his energy meter due to the numerous available open source libraries and intuitive IDE environment.

Aside from the Arduino Uno, key project features and specs include:

• 16×2 character LCD display
• Arduino Ethernet shield
• ACS 712 current sensor
• Resistors (10K,330ohm)
• Potentiometer (10K)
• Jumper wires
• Ethernet cable (CAT-5E)
• Bread board
• Supports Xively upload
• SD card data logging

The energy meter uses three primary parameters to measure energy consumption: voltage, current and time.

“Voltage is measured by the help of a voltage divider circuit. As the Arduino analog pin input voltage is restricted to 5V I designed the voltage divider in such a way that the output voltage from it should be less than 5V. My battery used for storing the power from the solar panel is rated 6v, 5.5Ah. So I have to step down the 6.5v to a voltage lower than 5V,” said Dutta.

“I used R1=10k and R2 =10K. The value of R1 and R2 can be lower (one), but the problem is that when resistance is low, higher current flow through it. As a result, a large amount of power (P = I^2R) is dissipated in the form of heat. So different resistance value can be chosen but care should be taken to minimize the power loss across the resistance.”

For current measurement, Dutta used a Hall Effect current sensor ACS 712 (20 A), while leveraging the Uno’s built-in timer. The collected data is then uploaded to Xively.com for additional analysis.

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

The Sharkbot-Arduino Mega link

Fifteen-year-old Angad Daryani has developed a number of open source projects in recent years, including an e-reader for the blind, a solar-powered boat, an automated gardening system (Garduino) and Sharkbot, a 3D printer powered by the Atmel-based Arduino Mega (ATmega1280).

Daryani, who is also the co-founder of Makers Asylum in Mumbai, recently told DNA that he plans on making SharkBot the most affordable 3D printer in India.

“We have designed almost every part ourselves. We will have different models of SharkBot at different prices- but the goal is to sell 3D printers and expose everyone to 3D printing at a very low cost,” he explained.

 “The logistics and business of Sharkbot will be handled by my dad’s nationwide computer peripherals company – Kunhar Peripherals. We have offices all over the country and thus we are looking at creating a nationwide revolution.”

Daryani also noted that he specifically chose an Arduino Mega to power the SharkBot.

“One needs a lot of I/O pins for a 3D printer. [You] need pins to drive 4-5 stepper motors, 2 mosphets, a graphic lcd, a digital encoder and several other sensors and switches,” he said. “The board we have developed is an all in one, single sided PCB board for 2,000 INR. It’s [specifically designed to] control 3D printers.”

Last, but certainly not least, Daryani emphasized that he will not be only be focusing on the SharkBot, but rather, looking to create a Maker Movement revolution in India.

“Everything that I make, is open sourced so that everyone else can learn how it works or re-make it,” he concluded.