🍓 Raspberry foundation has released an affordable AI Kit

The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched the Raspberry Pi AI Kit, priced at $70, in collaboration with Hailo. This kit, featuring an M.2 HAT+ board preassembled with a Hailo-8L AI accelerator module, is designed to enhance the Raspberry Pi 5's capabilities in neural networks (NN), artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning.

Key features of the kit:
➡️13 tera-operations per second (TOPS)
➡️Single-lane PCIe 3.0 connection running at 8Gbps
➡️Full integration with Raspberry Pi's software ecosystem
➡️Support for multiple cameras and NN configurations

The kit supports a range of AI applications, such as object detection and pose estimation, by running complex AI models on the Hailo-8L co-processor, thus freeing up the Raspberry Pi's CPU for other tasks.

⛓ More information...

#news #raspberry #artificial_intelligence

🖥 LVGL with ESP32 TFT LCD Touchscreen Display (Arduino IDE)

In this guide, you'll learn to use the LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) with a 2.8 inch TFT LCD touchscreen display and an ESP32 board using the ♾ Arduino IDE. The guide covers wiring the display to the ESP32, understanding the SPI communication protocol, and utilizing the ILI9341 driver.

You'll explore LVGL's features, including creating graphical user interfaces with buttons, sliders, images, and animations. By following the detailed instructions, you'll gain the skills to develop sophisticated, interactive displays for your microcontroller projects.

⛓ More information...

#articles #arduino #esp32

💻 5 best practices for writing ISRs

Interrupt Service Routines (ISRs) are essential for embedded systems, but poorly written ISRs can cause race conditions, poor responsiveness, and high CPU usage.

To write effective ISRs, it's crucial to keep them short and fast to minimize CPU cycle consumption and avoid timing issues. Avoid calling functions within ISRs to reduce execution time and prevent system instability. Instead, use static compilation, preprocessor, and inline functions to streamline ISR code without compromising modularity.

Additionally, offload intensive processes to other threads by using flags, queues, and proper synchronization to ensure efficient and responsive ISRs. Declaring shared variables as volatile prevents compiler optimizations that might lead to unpredictable behavior. Customize default ISR handlers to set diagnostic flags instead of infinite loops to handle unexpected interrupts safely. By following these best practices, you can enhance the performance and reliability of your embedded systems.

⛓ More information...

#programming

©️ Strategies for Handling Padding in C Programming

In C programming, padding refers to the extra memory space added between members of a structure to align the data in a way that the CPU can access it more efficiently. Normally, the compiler adds padding to structures to align data members according to their natural boundaries. Consider the following structure in a firmware written for a 32-bit system:

struct foo {
  uint32_t i;
  uint8_t b;
};

In this example, the compiler adds 3 bytes of padding after "b" to ensure the structure’s total size is a multiple of 4 bytes, making it 8 bytes in total.

To address this issue the referred article proposes several strategies regarding structure padding to optimize memory layout and access efficiency, particularly focusing on packed structures.

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#programming

🍏 New Embedded Programming Language by Apple

The last week at WWDC 2024, Apple showed its new programming language for resource-constrained systems. Embedded Swift is a specialized version of Apple's 🖥 Swift programming language designed for microcontrollers like the 🇨🇳 ESP32, 🍓 Raspberry Pi RP2040, 🦋 STM32. It enables the development of IoT and low-power devices with Swift's familiar syntax and features.

Features of the language:
➡️Supports value and reference types, closures, optionals, and error handling
➡️Designed for the constrained environments of microcontrollers
➡️Seamlessly integrates with existing C and C++ SDKs
➡️Wide range of supported microcontrollers and plenty of code examples

Embedded Swift brings the benefits of Swift's ergonomics, safety features, and ease of use to embedded development, making it accessible for both hobbyists and professional developers familiar with 🖥 Swift language.

More information:
🔗 The main article
😹 The GitHub repository
📺 The YouTube video

#news #swift #programming

💻 Qt vs. Flutter: Which Framework is Right for Your Embedded Project?

Choosing between Qt and Flutter for embedded project development depends on the specific technical needs of the project.

Qt, built on C++, excels in native performance and efficiency, making it ideal for complex, high-performance applications. It offers extensive libraries and robust community support, catering to projects that require sophisticated functionalities and direct hardware access, such as medical devices and low-end hardware without GPU support.

On the other hand, Flutter focuses on rapid development and cost-effectiveness, utilizing Dart for an accessible programming experience. Key features like hot reload enable quick iteration, and a single codebase ensures consistent UI across platforms.

To sum up, Qt is suited for intricate, performance-critical applications, while Flutter is ideal for projects prioritizing speed, cost-efficiency, and cross-platform consistency.

⛓ More information...

#articles #qt #flutter #programming

🇸🇬 Singaporian Researchers developed a flexible battery for smart contact lenses

A team from Nanyang Technological University has developed a flexible and thin battery for smart contact lenses that can be powered by a wearer’s tears.

The development overcomes the limitations of current rechargeable batteries that depend on metal electrodes or induction coils. Offering a safer and more efficient alternative, this new battery can produce enough power for smart contact lenses which might be used in augmented reality, health monitoring, and disease treatment.

Right now researchers are working towards commercializing their invention and collaborating with contact lens companies to further enhance the technology.

⛓ More information...

#news #battery

📺 Comparing Fake vs. Genuine Power Semiconductors

In this video, the author shows the significant performance differences between genuine and fake power semiconductors using advanced testing equipment.

Viewers will learn that fake semiconductors have much higher on-resistance and lower gate charge, resulting in poorer efficiency and higher temperatures in practical applications like a DC/DC converter.

The video demonstrates static tests with a curve tracer and dynamic tests with a double pulse tester, highlighting the critical importance of using genuine components for reliable and efficient device operation.

⛓ https://youtu.be/3BIpCOOiHKw

#video #electronics

💻 What happens to the semiconductor industry If China invades Taiwan?

As the tensions in the Asia region continue to grow, the industry analysts are trying to foresee any possible scenario. As such, if China invades Taiwan, the global semiconductor industry would face severe disruptions due to Taiwan's dominance in chip manufacturing. Taiwan produces over 60% of the world's chips and 70% of advanced chips smaller than 7 nanometers.

TSMC, a major Taiwanese company, supplies chips to tech giants like Apple and Google and has started diversifying production to the US, Japan, and Germany to mitigate risks. Nonetheless, any conflict disrupting Taiwan's chip production could cause a global shortage, skyrocketing prices, and significant economic impact.

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#news

📺 Fusion Power: Inside the ITER Project

This new documentary explores the ambitious ITER project in 🇫🇷 France, where scientists and engineers are working tirelessly to harness nuclear fusion, a technology that could be a potential solution to the global energy crisis.

The video beautifully captures the construction of the fusion reactor, showcasing impressive infrastructure, cutting-edge engineering, and the most complex equipment in the world, highlighting the extraordinary human endeavor behind this monumental project.

⛓ https://youtu.be/sBaU4BVM5h8

#video #energy #fusion

💻 C++ Design Patterns for Low-latency Applications Including High-frequency Trading

This paper focuses on optimizing C++ code for low-latency applications, specifically targeting high-frequency trading (HFT) systems. The research highlights key design patterns and techniques to reduce latency in critical software systems.

Features of the article:
➡️Provides with a Low-Latency Programming Repository with statistical benchmarks, available on 😹 GitHub.
➡️Optimization of a market-neutral statistical arbitrage pairs trading strategy.
➡️Implementation of the Disruptor pattern in C++ for enhanced performance.
➡️Techniques like cache warming, constexpr, loop unrolling, and hotpath vs. coldpath code separation.

This research is valuable for both academics and industry professionals aiming to improve performance in latency-sensitive applications. It addresses a gap in publicly available resources on ultra-low-latency code optimization, offering practical implementations and benchmarking insights.

More information:
😹 GitHub repository
✈️ Download the paper

#articles #programming #design