Hitting the electric race track with Atmel MCUs

Written by Stuart Cording

Motorsport: the smell of fuel and oil, permanently in the air; highly-tuned, multi-cylinder engines radiating heat; and the incessant drone and whine, earsplitting at times, as cars come tearing around the track.

None of which you will experience at a race where municHMotorsport e.v. is competing with the PWe4.13, its latest high-performance, all-electric Formula Student Car. The team, comprised of students from the Fachhochschule München, Germany, has many successes behind them and grand plans for the upcoming season which kicks-off summer 2014. The vehicle has an impressive array of specifications, including: acceleration 0-100km/h of <4 seconds; top speed of 110km/h; single-piece monocoque body; and two 60kW electric motors.

The team competes in “Formula Student Germany” which defines the rules and provides the infrastructure for the racing events. Other countries have similar organizations allowing teams to compete all across the world. Electric vehicles have been included as a category for the last four years, perhaps reflecting not only the raised level of interest in “green technologies” but also the maturity and low price-of-entry for the technology needed to build an all-electric racing vehicle.

Racing against one-another is considered too dangerous for self-built vehicles and amateur drivers selected from the available teams. Thus, the competition focuses on areas such as vehicle acceleration, maneuverability and endurance. In 2012 the team suffered a bitter blow in the 22km (13.6 miles) endurance test as the vehicle rolled to a halt just 100m (330 feet) from the finish line. In 2013, however, they bounced back delivering a first place in the Spanish competition in Barcelona. The season ended with the team ranked number 5 worldwide in the electric vehicles category.

Atmel has provided the Control/Electrical System department with ATmega32M1 automotive microcontrollers to support them in their efforts this year. The MCU was selected to fulfill two applications in the vehicle. One MCU sits snugly in the carbon-fiber steering wheel, where control switches and LEDs provide the driver interface, controlled by the on-chip CAN interface. Meanwhile, the second MCU functions as an aggregator for many of the analogue sensors built into the vehicle. Information, such as wheel rotation and tire temperature, are collected and forwarded to one of the vehicle’s four CAN networks.

Like any racing team, telemetry data during testing and racing is essential for the team to understand how and where to improve the vehicle.

Talking to Maximilian Werner (Sponsoring) and Christian Schenk (Teamleader Control & Electrical Systems), the two described the project as a never ending search toward the perfect solution. As this year’s vehicle sits on the starting grid, a new group of students will join the team and the graduates will leave, meaning that valuable knowledge and know-how will have to be passed on if the team is to remain successful.

The team is also made up of cross-discipline students, with electronics and mechanical engineers focusing mainly on design and construction and business studies students undertaking marketing, sponsoring and cost analysis roles.

As I leave the electronics development team behind, we cast an eye over what the mechanical design group is doing.

The smell of glue and epoxy wafts over me as students fill moulds with carbon-fiber matting, sand surfaces to perfection and let finished parts cure. Six crushed nose cones hang on the wall. Maximilian explains that they are proof positive that the car is not only fast, but safe – the result of the mandatory crash testing required before participating.

From left to right: Maximilian Werner (Sponsoring); Andreas Welzmiller (Team Leader High-Voltage System); Tanja Elischer (Media/PR); Fabian Sengl (Braking Lights/TSAL); Manfred Brandstetter (Energy Recuperation); Christian Schenk (Team Leader Control & Electrical Systems)

I am left feeling amazed at the immense focus, drive and passion of a group of people, determined to do their best and deliver at every event. We wish them all the best for the coming season and hope they are first to cross the finish line at every event.

Infographic: Visualizing the IoT

The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a future world where all types of electronic devices link to each other via the Internet. In 2009, there were 2.5 billion connected devices; most of these were mobile phones, PCs and tablets. By 2020, there will be over 30 billion connected devices of far greater variety.

Recently, the folks at BestComputerScienceDegrees put together a comprehensive infographic depicting the rapidly growing IoT.

Source: BestComputerScienceDegrees.com

As Reza Kazerounian, Senior VP and GM of the Microcontroller Business Unit at Atmel notes, the IoT is a combination of multiple market segments, tens of thousands of OEMs and hundreds of thousands of products.

“It is seen by many as the next wave of dramatic market growth for semiconductors. If you look at the different estimates made by market analysts, the IoT market will be worth trillions of dollars to a variety of industries from the consumer to financial, industrial, white goods and other market segments,” he told EEWeb in February. 

“Companies that provide cloud-based services, service providers and semiconductor companies will also benefit from this market. The number of small or new companies that are showcasing connective devices has increased – there will be 50 billion connected devices by 2020. These nodes will have characteristics such as low-power embedded processing, a human-machine interface and connectivity.”

Reza also noted 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,” he 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.”

Atmel’s Kaivan Karimi expressed similar sentiments during a recent a Tech on Tour (ToT) panel discussion in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood. More specifically, he focused on how rapidly the Internet of Things is evolving by integrating various connected capabilities in our daily lives that range from consumer and health to intelligent, autonomous Google cars.

“For the IoT to thrive, the industry must continue to consolidate standards across multiple connected segments. In addition, security and privacy can definitely make or break the IoT, at least from a mass market perspective,” he said. ”Of course there are always going to be people with evil intent. That isn’t the question. Rather, the challenge is how to best manage and protect the terabytes of valuable data generated by various IoT devices. I personally believe the need for comprehensive security and privacy policies are so pressing that it will prompt our legislators to take appropriate action.”

According to Karimi, future IoT models will likely see individuals opting in and out of specific data collection options, ranging from devices tasked with glucose monitoring to platforms like real time breathalyzers and wearables that measure physical responses to specific activities.

“In addition to wearables, cars are also going through a massive transformation, no less significant than the migration from analog to digital,” he added. “We are entering an age where drivers will not only step up their interaction with their vehicles, but cars will also start talking to each other to avoid fatalities, as well as monitor the weather in real time and even alert drivers to natural disasters such as tsunamis and flooded roads.”

Interested in learning more about Atmel and the IoT? You can check out our article archive on the subject here.

Atmel-powered MicroView is a Kickstarter champion

The Atmel-powered MicroView – which made its first official Kickstarter appearance last week – has already raised nearly $260,000 from over 3,000 enthusiastic backers.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1516846343/microview-chip-sized-arduino-with-built-in-oled-di?ref=live

For the uninitiated, MicroView is a chip-sized platform with a built-in OLED (64×48) display that allows Makers to see what the Atmel-based board is “thinking” without having to link with a PC.

 The device, designed by the Geek Ammo crew, is built around Atmel’s versatile ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Additional key features and specs include:

• Support for the Arduino IDE 1.0+ (OSX/Win/Linux)
• Direct 3.3VDC – 16VDC power input, no power regulator required
• Standard DIP package
• Breadboard friendly or direct solder
• Operating Voltage: 5V
• Input Voltage: 3.3VDC – 16VDC
• Digital I/O Pins: 12 (of which 3 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins: 6
• Flash Memory: 32 KB
• SRAM: 2 KB
• EEPROM: 1 Kilobyte
• Clock Speed: 16 Mhz

In addition to providing a wide range of tutorials, the Geek Ammo crew has developed a cross-platform MicroView course that takes Makers through a step-by-step process of building 11 different circuits including:

• Blinking LEDs and creating various colors on an RGB LED
• Obtaining readings from a potentiometer
• Taking the input from a push button
• Sensing temperature and light
• Controlling actuators relays, motors and servos
• Generating sound

The MicroView can be powered via a number of sources, including a coin cell battery, AA or AAA, USB, 9V (Square) and 12V (car).

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered MicroView? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here and Makezine’s recent write-up here.

Agricultural monitoring with Atmel AVR

Calibit is a digital caliper equipped with an AVR-powered data logger that allows the device to efficiently monitor hectares of orchards.

The datalogger – based on an 8-bit Atmel microcontroller (MCU) – features 128Kb EEPROM memory, LCD display, USB/UART slots, watch/calendar, as well as a rechargeable lithium battery with integrated safety system and temperature control.

“[This] new technology promotes the monitoring of fruit growth as it simplifies data collection – 15-20 minutes is all it takes to gather enough data to monitor each hectare,” a FreshPlaza writer explained in a recent article.

“[Plus, users can] create multiple measuring sessions to group data and improve management, [with] the USB cable and software enabling data downloads in CSV format.”

Although Calibit was originally designed to monitor fruit growth, the platform is capable of supporting a wide-range of applications including:

• Cooperatives and collection warehouses to sample fruit before processing
• Plant nurseries to verify the diameter of striplings, branches and trunks
• Mechanical and carpentry workshops
• Scientific laboratories

Interested in learning more? You can check out Calibit’s official product site here. Readers may also want to browse through some of our previous stories on technology and farming including “The Internet of Things, Stalk by Stalk,” “Smart Urban Aquaponics in West Oakland“, “DIY Farming with Atmel and Arduino” and “Open Source Aquaponics with APDuino.”

Video: This vuvuzela is also a (soccer) remote

beIN has introduced a fully-functioning (and loud) vuvuzela that can also be used as a remote control.

When the aptly-named GameChanger is blown, a mini microphone recognizes the vuvuzela sound signature, instructing the platform’s 8-bit, Atmel-based microcontroller (MCU) to respond. The MCU then sends IR LED signals to a cable box – commanding it to change the channel to beIN sports.

The GameChanger was designed by BeIN’s agency, TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and prototyped on an Atmel-based Arduino board.

“Soccer fans are diehard fans, they will get up at any hour of the morning to watch a game, but in the U.S. soccer is kind of like the ugly stepchild of sports compared to football or basketball,” Ed Rogers, account executive at TBWA\Chiat\Day New York told DigiDay.

“We wanted to create something that shows soccer fans that we really understand their passion.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out the GameChanger’s official page here and DigiDay’s full write up here.

Video: AVR raves modded Prophet synth

Atmel microcontrollers (MCUs) have tipped up in a number of synthesizer projects over the past few months including the ATmega328 synth kit and the Atmegatron (8-bit mono).

Today, we’re going to be taking a close look at a recent AVR hack by “Gligli” that skillfully recreates the Prophet 600 – which also just happens to be the world’s very first MIDI synthesizer.

Indeed, at the January, 1983 NAMM convention, the 600 was successfully linked with a Roland Jupiter-6 synthesizer in the first public demonstration of the MIDI protocol. According to Wikipedia, the link was facilitated by a MidiMate hardware interface and MidiTrack program, both developed by Moore and his partner, Paul Rother.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

As the original 600 was powered by a Zilog Z80 microprocessor that controlled modular analog voice chips, Gligli soon discovered that most of the synthesizer’s limitations in the 600 were due to the processor. After creating a PC-based emulator to better acquaint himself with the circuits, Gligli bought a used Prophet and started hacking.

“The [AVR-based] Teensy++ 2.0 (AT90USB1286) required a few hardware mods to fill the Z80’s shoes, including cutting off a pin and adding a few jumper wires. We really like the fact that no changes to the Prophet 600 itself were required,” explained HackADay’s Adam Fabio.

“Pull out the Teensy++, drop in the Z80, and you’re ready to party like it’s 1982 again,. The new processor interfaces directly with the Z80’s 8-bit bus. Since the AVR on the Teensy has built-in RAM and ROM, it simply ignores the ROM and RAM address spaces of the original system.”

Of course, interfacing a fast micro with older parts like an 8253 timer and a 68B50 UART does require some tweaking. More specifically, the system bus has to run slow enough not to violate timing requirements of various peripheral chips. As such, Gligli added wait statements to the upgraded firmware.

“Once the system was working, Gligli was free to start adding new features. He began by smoothing out the stepped envelope and filter generators, as well as adding new exponential modes,” said Fabio.

“From there he added new keyboard polyphony modes as well as pitch and mod wheel changes. Since this is an open source project, adding a feature is as simple as cracking open your favorite editor and writing it up.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out all the relevant project files on GitHub here.

PAVA 9 is a sleek ATmega328P-based tracker

Anthony Stirk – a member of The Register’s Low Orbit Helium Assisted Navigator (LOHAN) project – has designed a sleek miniature tracker powered by Atmel’s ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Dubbed Pava 9, the platform was inspired by Stirk’s goal to create the lightest tracker possible, with a run time suitable for long-distance High Altitude Ballooning (HAB) flights.

“The heart of the tracker is [Atmel’s] ATmega328P microcontroller as favored by the Arduino Uno, however in this guise it’s underclocked running at 2MHz to help with power consumption,” Stirk told Lester Haines of The Register.

“A snap-off programming header reduces the overall weight to 2.5g. Connected to the board is a u-blox MAX7C GPS module. The whole thing runs at 1.8V and can be powered either by a separate step-up or a LiPo+solar charger board… Power savings over the previous board are quite significant, giving 40 per cent more run time.”

According to Stirk, the original Pava utilized an off-the-shelf RFM22B radio transmitter, which experienced a number of issues with frequency drift due to temperature. Plus, it lacked support for modes such as DominoEX and THOR.

“[So] I decided to make a custom radio for this tracker based around SI’s 4060 transmitter chip. Making it myself meant I could choose all the components and ensure they work at the lower temperatures,” he explained.

“A TCXO (temperature-compensated crystal oscillator) ensures a stable frequency. The choice of frequency, although out of spec for the radio module, opens up the board to doing MFSK DominoEX and THOR modes.”

Before launching stratowards aboard the Vulture 2, the PAVA 9 is scheduled to relay telemetry during LOHAN’s “Punch” and “Judy” upcoming test flights.

Interested in learning more? You can check out The Register’s full write up here, the LOHAN project page here and Anthony Stirk’s PAVA project page here.

Uber-mini MicroView dev board has a built-in OLED

The MicroView – which recently made its Kickstarter debut – is a chip-sized platform with a built-in OLED (64×48) display.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1516846343/microview-chip-sized-arduino-with-built-in-oled-di

Essentially, the MicroView allows Makers to see what the Atmel-based board is “thinking” without having to link with a PC. The device, designed by the Geek Ammo crew, is powered by Atmel’s versatile ATmega328P microcontroller (MCU).

Additional key features and specs include:

• Support for the Arduino IDE 1.0+ (OSX/Win/Linux)
• Direct 3.3VDC – 16VDC power input, no power regulator required
• Standard DIP package
• Breadboard friendly or direct solder
• Operating Voltage: 5V
• Input Voltage: 3.3VDC – 16VDC
• Digital I/O Pins: 12 (of which 3 provide PWM output)
• Analog Input Pins: 6
• Flash Memory: 32 KB
• SRAM: 2 KB
• EEPROM: 1 Kilobyte
• Clock Speed: 16 Mhz

“No more cryptic ‘Hello World’ LED blink sequences or shoehorning oversized displays,” a Geek Ammo rep explained.

“Development is much easier when you can [actually] see what’s going on.”

In addition to providing a wide range of tutorials, the Geek Ammo crew has developed a cross-platform MicroView course that takes Makers through a step-by-step process of building 11 different circuits including:

• Blinking LEDs and creating various colors on an RGB LED
• Obtaining readings from a potentiometer
• Taking the input from a push button
• Sensing temperature and light
• Controlling actuators relays, motors and servos
• Generating sound

The MicroView can be powered via a number of sources, including a coin cell battery, AA or AAA, USB, 9V (Square) and 12V (car).

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered MicroView? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.

Playing retro Tetris with Atmel and Adafruit

Eduardo Zola has created a retro Tetris game using Adafruit’s Neopixel Matrix (8×8, x2) paired with an Atmel-based Arduino Pro (ATmega328 MCU).

“The first thing I needed was an RGB display, push buttons or a small joystick and an enclosure. After some research, I found the Adafruit Neopixel Matrix 8×8, which is very easy to apply because it uses a just a single wire interface and simple handy library,” Zola explained in a recent YouTube post.

“So, I used two, which gave me a display of 16 rows and 8 columns of RGB LED (or pixels). For power, I used a LI battery of 3.7V 4400mAh. It was really necessary to put a capacitor (1000 µF, 6.3V or higher) across the positive and negative terminals of neopixel matrix.”

The next step? Determining how to control each Tetris “piece” in the game.

“Moves like left, right, down, fall and rotate – this could be done with five push-buttons – or just one small component [with a] 5-way navigation switch. For the enclosure I used an old plastic box, but any kind of box [will do],” Zola continued.

“After that, I added some sound effects [with] a small speaker 8 Ohm, [as well as] a vibrating motor, which is turned on for each completed line in the game. I also [included] a bar LED display to show the actual level of the game and another one to [display countdown info for the next level].”

On the software side, Zola employed a variation of Valentin Ivanov’s Tetris algorithm with a number of logic modifications to solve a specific memory allocation issue.

“You can create your own version, and add extras features like background music, or an alpha-numeric segment display to show the next coming piece in the game,” Zola concluded.

Interested in learning more? You can check out Zola’s lab page here.

Arduino powers these solar-tracking blinds


Yesterday, Bits & Pieces took a closer look at an Instructable that described how to automate smart window blinds with an Arduino Fio. Today, we’re going to be covering a solar-tracking automatic motorized window blind project powered by an Atmel-based Arduino Uno (ATmega328 MCU).

“Sunlight can be broken into essentially two components: direct and diffuse. The direct component comes straight from the sun, whereas the diffuse component is created when a portion of direct sunlight scatters due to molecules in the atmosphere,” project creator Nickzibin explained in a recent Instructables post.

“This project aims to control shade position to always block direct sunlight when present and maximize the diffuse component entering the workspace.”

As such, the motor moves the shade position depending on the of the location of the sun and the amount of light hitting a specific (targeted area). One of the best parts of this Instructable? Makers don’t need to purchase a brand new roller shade to make it work.

Aside from the Atmel-powered Arduino board, key project specs include:

• Adafruit motor shield
• Headers
• Digital luminosity sensor
• 
Stepper motor with planetary gear box
• Power supply (12V)
• 
3D printed gear via shapeways.com
• 
Elastic band
• Parametric CAD file of ball-chain gear

Perhaps the most important part of Nickzibin’s retrofitted solar-tracking blinds project is the control strategy algorithm based on the Tzempelikos method, where the shade height is controlled based on the calculated position of the sun and corresponding brightness.

“Their algorithm was based on open loop procedures which moved shade height to the position where it just blocks direct sunlight from falling on the workplane. The code in this project adopted their open loop aspects and added closed loop control during certain conditions,” said Nickzibin.

“The position of the sun is known in terms of its solar altitude (α) and solar surface azimuth (γ). The solar altitude is the angle between the horizon and the sun. The solar surface azimuth is the angle between the outward normal of a surface (e.g., vertical window) and the sun.”

More specifically, Nickzibin’s code calculated α and γ based on latitude, longitude altitude and angle from south to outward normal of vertical surface (azimuth) – all based on the following variables:

• The sun is on the window surface: α > 0° & |γ| < 90°
• The sun is not on the window surface: α > 0° & γ > 90°
• The sun is below the horizontal α < 0°

“Developing prototypes using Arduino specific to building technology has [significant] potential to substantially reduce energy use in buildings,” Nickzibin added.

“This project can be easily integrated with a lighting system. In the future, the system could also be integrated with an HVAC system in order to minimize cooling and heating loads.”

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