WifiDuino for the Internet of Things

Powered by Atmel’s versatile ATmega32U4 microcontroller (MCU), the open source WiFiDuino is a chip-sized development board that packs a 28×64 OLED display.

“We designed WifiDuino based on our belief in the future of the Internet of Things (IoT) when everything is connected. We will be living in a world when every object can communicate with each other using WiFi,” a WiFiDuino rep explained in a recent Indiegogo post.

“With WifiDuino, you no longer need to worry about getting a WiFi shield. [We] have done the hard part for you. It’s great for people who are tired of buying WiFi shields every time you want the board to be connected.”

Aside from Atmel’s ATmega32U4 MCU, key WiFIDuino specs and features include:

• Supports Arduino IDE (Leonardo)
• STA, AP, ADHOC network modes
• Connects directly with smartphone
• 20 digit I/O
• 12 Analog I/O
• UART, I2C, SPI
• 5v power and I/O pin level

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

Atmel-powered shield measures air quality

Powered by a tinyAVR Atmel MCU (microcontroller), this Air Quality Sensor Shield measures temperature, humidity, carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Currently available on Tindie for $95, the shield can be connected to an Arduino board or Nanode to create a air quality station.

Developed by Wicked Device, the open source sensor shield is part of the Air Quality Egg project, which was chosen as one of the top KickStarters of 2012.

With this unit, users can make their air quality data available on the Internet, all while viewing related information other Air Quality Eggs and Shields have added in real time here.

It should be noted that air quality data is relayed in real-time to Xively, an open data service which both stores and provides free access to data. Xively offers embeddable graphs, the ability to generate triggers for tweets and SMS alerts as well as a robust API which allows devs and Makers to unlock the potential of this new dataset by building mashups, maps and applications.

Interested in learning more? You can check out the Air Quality Sensor Shield project here.

Creating a Dr. Who Handles replica

John F. has created a slick replica of Handles from Doctor Who that was recently featured on the official Adafruit blog.

The build uses an Atmel-based Arduino Uno (ATmega328 MCU), Wave Shield, Proto-Screw shield, triple axis accelerometer and a class D stereo amplifier. All of the components were purchased directly from Adafruit.

In related news, YouTube user Jamison Go is constructing an impressive Mercury Hammer that Debonair Jayce of League of Legends would be proud of! The cosplay hammer even transforms into a Mercury Canon – complete with lighting effects and moving parts.

According to the official Adafruit blog, Go’s iteration of the Mercury Hammer is packed with an RGB LED to change the prop’s colors between yellow and cyan, a servo to power the wings on the sides, solenoid valve to activate the extending rods and an Atmel-based Arduino board.

Interested in learning more? You can check out John F’s Handles replica here and Go’s Mercury Hammer here.

Building an ATtiny85 POV display

Persistence of vision (POV) is a phenomenon of the eye by which an afterimage is thought to persist for approximately one twenty-fifth of a second on the retina.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

Recently, a Maker by the name of Vishalapr created an inexpensive POV display using an Atmel ATtiny85 microcontroller (MCU) paired with a DC motor.

Aside from the Atmel-based ATtiny85 and DC motor, additional key components include:

• 5 LEDs
• 3V coin cell
• Coin cell holder
• USB header (a normal USB cord would do)
• A case/enclosure to keep the motor in
• A piece of wood or cardboard for the LED bar
• IC holder
• Protoboard
• Jumper cables

Vishalapr kicks off the project by making a simple LED board out of cardboard/wood. He then connects the ATtiny85 MCU and the motor/power supply, placing the various components in an enclosure.

Next up? Installing support for the ATtiny series and programming the ATtiny85.

“So now that you have built a 5 LED POV Display, why not try something bigger? How about a 10 LED POV Display with an Arduino instead of an ATTiny85 (supports only 5 outputs),” Vishalapr added.

“We can also make this wall mountable by adding a small hole through which you can hang it on a nail firmly. Using some tricolor LEDs and more pins, we can give out a multicolored display.”

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

Atmel | SMART MCUs are here!

Atmel Corporation, a global leader in microcontroller (MCU) and touch solutions, today announced the company has launched Atmel® | SMART™, the new brand of ARM®-based microcontrollers and has expanded its SMART portfolio with new SmartConnect SAM W23 modules, enabling Wi-Fi connectivity and the best of high performance and low power technology for Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Atmel® | SMART™ ARM-based microcontrollers deliver the platform for intelligent, connected devices in the era of IoT, wireless and energy efficiency. These solutions include embedded processing and connectivity—as well as software and tools, designed to make development faster and more cost-effective to bring the best-in-class products to market. Atmel® | SMART™ MCUs combine powerful 32-bit ARM cores with industry-leading low-power technology and intelligent peripherals.

“Through the convergence of Atmel’s ultra-low power MCUs and Wi-Fi solutions, Atmel continues to benefit through the vast range of products developed such as SmartConnect,” said Reza Kazerounian, senior vice president and general manager, microcontroller business unit at Atmel. “Encompassing our unique combination of high performance, power efficiency and design flexibility, Atmel® | SMART™ is a true testament to Atmel’s commitment to innovation and is poised to deliver breakthrough technologies and key ingredients powering The Internet of Things.”

As part of the Atmel® | SMART™ product offering, the SAM W23 module offers the ideal solution for designers seeking to integrate Wi-Fi connectivity even with limited experience with IEEE802.11, RTOS, IP Stack or RF. These modules are based on Atmel’s industry leading ultra-low-power Wi-Fi SoC (System on Chip) combined with Atmel’s ARM® Cortex®M0+ based microcontroller technology. This turnkey system provides an integrated software solution with application and security protocols such as TLS, integrated network services (TCP/IP stack) and a standard Real Time Operating System (RTOS) which are all available through a simple serial host interface (SPI, UART) within Atmel Studio 6’s integrated development platform (IDP).

“With the increasing demand for extended battery life and greater connectivity, the SAM W23 eliminates the complexities associated with using traditional Wi-Fi solutions with an ease of use ideal for a vast range of industrial and consumer markets,” said Kaivan Karimi, vice president and general manager of the wireless microcontroller business unit at Atmel. “Whether you are a OEM, a developer or a maker, the SAM W23 paired with our broad portfolio of MCUs enables you to accelerate your development of IoT products, providing increased seamless connectivity with a whole new world of device use cases.”

Evaluation Kit

To help accelerate a designer’s development, the SAM W23, mounted on an XPRO wing, and compatible with any existing Atmel Xplained PRO evaluation board, is available now. The SmartConnect library is a turnkey Software Framework available in Atmel Studio that removes the need to understand the Wi-Fi stack, allowing designers to focus on adding functions.

Availability

The SAM W23 is available both as a fully certified module, as well as a reference design kit for OEMS to build modules based on the SAM W23 chipset. Developers can use the SAM W23 platform as a standalone system or as an add-on solution to enable Wi-Fi connectivity in an existing design.

ATmega2560 powers UPS solar controller

Markus Loeffler has debuted an Atmel-based solar UPS controller.

Powered by the popular ATmega2560 microcontroller (MCU), the UPS controller comprises three primary blocks:

• 120V AC unit
• 12/24V DC unit
• Microcontroller and sensors

“The controller [is tasked with] transfer switching between the solar powered inverter and main utility power to optimize battery life and maximize solar energy usage,” Loeffler explained in a recent blog post.

“It is also monitoring phase shift between utility power and inverter and only switches in phase-sync to protect your equipment. [In addition], the controller offers a standby UPS mode to provide surge protection and battery backup around the clock.”

According to Loeffler, the run-time for the battery-operated UPS mode depends on the type and size of batteries and rate of discharge, as well as the efficiency of the inverter.

“A wide variety of inverters and battery sizes can be combined. You can setup a minimal system with 12V, 10AH and go up to 24V, 500AH using common lead-acid batteries. [Plus], the controller has a simple menu driven setup mode where levels for different kinds of battery types can be adjusted,” he noted.

“If you are a hacker, Maker, inventor or DIY person, and like to build your own prototypes this is a new platform you can use to build electronics that plug into 120V and control high power items like heaters, pumps, lights, etc.”

Aside from Atmel’s ATmega2560 MCU, key UPS solar controller feature and specs include:

• AC 2x inlet, 1x outlet 10A @ 120VAC, 60Hz
• Solar panel terminal 50A @ 12-50V
• Charge controller terminal 50A @ 12/24V
• Inverter terminal 50A @ 12/24V
• Battery capacity range 10-500AH @ 12/24V
• Temperature range -20 … 60C
• RGB display
• Two menu buttons and a slide switch for the operation mode
• 1.5A @ 5V USB connector (to charge phone, pad, etc directly)

“The controller is essentially an Automatic Transfer Switch (ATS) that switches a load between two sources. It automatically switches when it senses one of the sources has lost power. The type is called open transition transfer switch. It is a break before make transfer switch which breaks contact with one source of power before it makes contact with another,” Loeffler added.

“This prevents back-feeding from an inverter/generator back into the utility line. The ATS will automatically tell the inverter to start. Once the ATS sees that the inverter is ready to provide electric power, the ATS breaks the home’s connection to the utility grid and connects the inverter. The inverter supplies power to the electric load, but is not connected to the electric utility lines.”

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

Counting prime numbers with the ATtiny13A

Dave M. has created a prime number machine – TinyPrime – powered by Atmel’s ATtiny13A microcontroller (MCU).

“The ATtiny13A is a neat chip: AVR with 1K of flash, 64 bytes of RAM and 64 bytes of EEPROM,” Dave wrote in a recent blog post.

“I programmed it using a Teensy-2.0-based waldo running Ward Cunningham’s TXTZYME. Every time you push the button, the AVR retrieves the currently-displayed number (which is stored in EEPROM), and then increments it, clicks the counter and tests for primality.”

If the number isn’t prime, says Dave, the machine increments and clicks again.

“When a prime number is reached, it stops and waits for another button press,” he added.

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

Transforming fashion with tech

17-year-old Ella DiGregorio recently introduced a line of “Transforming Beauty” gowns that literally change from long skirts to short with the touch of a button.

Image Credit: MySuburbanLife.com

As Mari Grigaliunas of MySuburbanLife reports, DiGregorio’s sample dress uses threads that run from the bottom hem to the waist of the garment to shorten the skirt when she pushes the button of an Atmel-based Arduino board hidden in the back of the dress.

Additional designs sketched by the teen arrange the threads in various designs to create completely different looks including a high-low skirt, a layered look and an Angelina Jolie inspired slit that disappears.

“I really like the idea of technology and fashion. There’s so many possibilities.” DiGregorio said.

Image Credit: MySuburbanLife.com

“I’m kind of use to hiding things in clothing,”

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, quite a lot of wearable activity is currently centered around companies like Arduino and Adafruit. Both offer wearable electronic platforms powered by versatile Atmel microcontrollers (MCUs).

“Building electronics with your hands is certainly a fun brain exercise, but adding crafting into the mix really stretches your creativity,” says Becky Stern, Adafruit’s director of wearable electronics.

Image Credit: Adafruit

“Sewing is fun and relaxing, and adorning a plush toy, prom dress, or hat with a circuit of tiny parts can make you feel like you’re some kind of futuristic fashion designer. Playing with sensors and conductive textiles breaks electronics out of their hard shells and makes them more relatable.”

Just like their IoT DIY Maker counterparts, the soft electronics community has adapted various Atmel-powered platforms specifically for wearables, including the Arduino Lilypad (ATmega328V) (developed by MIT Media Lab professor Leah Buechley) and Adafruit’s very own Flora (ATmega32u4), which can be easily daisy chained with various sensors for GPS, motion and light.

Interested in learning more? You can check out our wearables article archives here.

Walltech SmartWatch tick-tocks with Atmel

After successfully designing and extensively documenting the open source OLED Watch (v 4.2), Walltech founder John Wall has moved on to version 6.0 of the Atmel-powered smartwatch.

The latest wearable device is built around the FemtoduinoBLE, which features an ATmega32u4 microcontroller (bootloaded as an Arduino Leonardo) paired with a BlueGiga Bluetooth 4.0 low energy module to link devices and receive notifications.

The newest Walltech also boasts a 1.5-inch full color OLED display as well as an on-board microSD card slot.

“A step up from the monochrome .96′ OLED display of v4.2, this screen also consumes very little power thanks to the OLED technology behind it and can show beautiful images that will be the GUI for the smart watch,” John explained in a recent blog post.

“Now that there’s an SD card on board, I can use fancy graphics and make it look professional and keep the code to the MCU, enabling more to be coded instead of storing images too.”

In addition, says the designer, the DS1307 and accompanying regulator make an appearance again, with the same battery charging IC from the previous model powering up the 500mah lithium ion battery.

“To make selections, there will be a surface mount three-way navigation switch in the top right that you can flick up, down and push in to make selections and scroll through faces and apps,” he added.

Interested in learning more? You can check out John’s completed OLED Watch (v 4.2) here and the Walltech Smart Watch v6.0 introductory blog post here.

ATxmega128A1U powers OpenAudioPal

OpenAudioPal – which recently made its Kickstarter debut – is an open source audio DSP development platform loaded with a number of algorithms, including feedback prevention.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1472566256/openaudiopal?ref=discovery

According to Fred Pulver of Matrix Microsystems, the feedback prevention algorithm was originally developed to solve a microphone feedback problem in a high powered military hailing unit.

“The concept was transferred to a commercial concept and the OpenAudioPal was created with the thought that a open source development board would be a item of interest,” said Pulver.

“While there are demonstration boards for various microprocessors and for various digital signal processors, the OpenAudioPal combines components for a developer to create a complete system.”

The OpenAudioPal is powered by an Atmel ATxmega128A1U microcontroller (MCU) paired with two Analog Devices ADAU1761 Sigma DSPs. Although the platform is equipped with two audio digital signal processors, only one is used in the feedback prevention application. Meanwhile, the ATxmega128A1U is tasked with switch sensing and control, as well as storing the signal processor software which it loads at startup.

“We used the Atmel ATJTAGICE3 to program the ATXMEGA128A1U and the EVAL-ADAU1761Z to develop the ADAU1761software,” Pulver added.

“The EVAL-ADAU1761Z kit comes with a USB to I2C adapter that provides a communication link between SigmaStudio and a target board such as the OpenAudioPal.”

In terms of the enclosure, the OpenAudioPal is protected by a rubber outer boot and measures approximately 3″ x 5.7″ x 1.2″. A 9Volt battery provides approximately 50 hours under normal use.

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