TI LCDK

The new TI LCDK development kit comes in two models for $195 each.  Choose an OMAP-L138 with ARM9 and floating point DSP, or the pin compatible TI TMS320C6748 DSP.

Both boards are available from the TI eStore and on-line distributors.  The OMAP-L138 is part number TMDXLCDK138 (TI eStore link), and the single core DSP version is part number TMDXLCDK6748 (TI eStore link).  Two software development kits are available for the board, a Linux SDK and the BIOS C6 SDK that uses SysBIOS 6.3.33 and Starterware.

This board is an alternative to the hawkboard that also used the OMAP-L138 but had stability problems with DDR memory.

The board has a few interesting interfaces like the LCD port that uses Beagleboard XM connectors, a leopard imaging camera sensor input, and an on-board fingerprint sensor.  Standard interfaces include 100Mbps Ethernet, USB 1.1 Host, USB 2.0 OTG, SATA, VGA, Audio, Video Composite IN, and an FTDI USB to serial interface.

Synthesizers

Today's Google Doodle honors Robert Moog with a working Synthesizer.  Here are a few more that you can buy, make, or run as an app.

You can purchase a modern Moog directly from moogmusic.com like the one in this video comparing the Doodle to the real thing.

Moog also has an iPhone App synth, the Animoog, on sale for $0.99 for the next few days.  Unfortunately, my iPhone 3G is too old to run this (I'm stuck at iOS 4.21 which isn't compatible with Animoog).

An open hardware hackable digital synth is available from MeeBlip starting at only $39 for the basic board, up to a complete ready to assemble kit for $149.

Teenage engineering sells a musical experimental board called Oplab ($299) and an all-in-one portable synth with USB connectivity, the OP-1 ($849) shown in this video.

Something a little different is the x0xb0x from LadyAda, you can build one yourself from her manual or buy a complete kit or finished synth from WILLZYX and a few other online sources.

Free Renesas Kits

Renesas is offering some free development boards and a 25% discount on other kits and tools from Avnet Memec. The free boards with avnet part number are shown below.

RX62N promotion board (YRPBRX62N) 

RX-Stick for RX610 (R0K5RXTKTZ003BR)

RX210 Promotion Board (YRPBRX210)

RL78 Promotion Board (YRPBRL78G13)

V850ES/Jx3-L Low Power Demonstrator Kit (V850ES-JX3L-LPD)

To get them free from Avnet use the coupon code and checkout at the Avnet/Renesas promotion site.

Renesas Green Energy Challenge

Renesas is giving away hundreds of development kits to contestants in the RL78 Green Energy Challenge.  Qualified applicants will receive the RL78G12 Renesas Demonstration Kit (RDK) including IAR Kickstart edition development tools. The contest runs from March 26 to August 31, 2012 with prizes of $17,500 US.  Additional prizes will be given away on a weekly basis such as development tools, Wi-Fi modules, and embedded systems books.

Silicon Labs ARM-USB Development Kit Giveaway

Silicon Labs is running a web drawing to give away the Precision32 SiM3U1xx-B-DK USB development kit.  The $99US Kit features an ARM Cortex-M3 based SiM3u167 processor.  

Processors in this family have a flexible I/O mapping capability called the Precision32 crossbar architecture for details see app note Precision32 Port I/O Crossbar Decoder (AN671.pdf).  The peripheral pin mapping can be configured with the AppBuilder GUI utililty, a part of the free Precision32 Development Suite.

ARM Announces Ultra Low Power Cortex-M0+

Today ARM introduced the Cortex-M0+ as the "world's most energy-efficient processor" in a press release.  Both Freescale and NXP have announced they will license the core in today's press releases that coincide with ARM's announcement.

Freescale is introducing the Kinetis L series as the first microcontroller to be built on the Cortex-M0+.
They list some new features of the ore including reducing the pipeline to two stages, single-cycle access to I/O, faster access to program memory, linear address space and a micro trace buffer.  Freescale has functional silicon today according to the following YouTube video.

NXP's announcement talks about the success they have had with the predecessor Cortex-M0 core.  They currently have the lowest power Cortex-M0 at 110uA/MHz, licensing the new Cortex-M0+ will enable them to continue to offer the lowest power ARM processors.  The new license is part of NXP's strategy to offer the widest range of ARM solutions as you can see in this interview.

NXP Android Accessory Kit Includes Two ARM Development Boards

Embedded Artists and NXP have developed the Android Open Accessory Application Kit (AOAA).  The kit implements a USB host interface and the Android accessory protocol used by the Android Open Accessory Development Kit (ADK)  An added bonus to this $79 US development kit is an ARM Cortex-M0 board that is detachable from the main board and features the  NXP LPC11C24 microcontroller  The main board uses an ARM Cortex-M4 NXP LPC1769 that interfaces with the second ARM through a CAN interface.

Here is a video presentation from NXP about the kit.

To purchase the kit visit the embedded artists AOAA page, it can be purchased direct or through distributors including Digi-Key and Mouser.   The embedded artists page also includes documentation and software downloads.  In addition, there is a kit resource page at the LPCware NXP community.

Tiny Serial WiFi Module Includes ARM Cortex M3

The Inventek Systems 802.11 b/g/n Serial to WiFi module makes it easy to add Wi-Fi to your embedded design.  It can be programmed from a host with a choice of serial interfaces using a simple AT command set.

These serial interfaces are provided by an STM32 ARM Cortex M3 processor as shown on the block diagram.  No software development is required for the STM32, the AT command set interface is resident in firmware.  This means your host microcontroller does not need a TCP/IP stack or RTOS.  This simplifies software development for your application - you only need to write serial I/O code to send the AT commands and process data.

An embedded wireless evaluation board is available that make it easy to connect the module to your microcontroller board for development of your WiFi application.  Both the evaluation board and the module are available from the Inventek Systems online store.

For more information on the module and evaluation board watch this video that includes a description of the functional block diagram above.

Tesla Coil Guitar Amplifier

High voltage is not just the name of a song and album from AC/DC.  The latest Another Geek Moment Video from Digi-Key shows how to use a Tesla coil to see and hear "high voltage rock and roll" without an amp or speaker.

This doesn't look safe to build for most DIYers, but I see from videos on YouTube a few people have tried this before.  It sounds a little harsh, with distortion a bit beyond a heavy metal sound, but the Digi-Key setup sounds better than most.  I wonder if you could use a tube amplifier somewhere in the circuit for a smoother sound.... If it didn't sound better, at least it would look even more extreme with the lights off.

Google Honors Heinrich Hertz Discoverer of Radio Waves

Today's Google Doodle honors the Physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz who discovered what are now called radio waves in November 11, 1886.  He name is well known because of a previous commemoration for this discovery.   The Hertz is the SI unit of frequency (which is why the abbreviation is capitalized as Hz).  Hertz made this discovery conducting experiments based on the work of James Clerk Maxwell.

Introduction to Radio Waves

Lec 27  MIT 8.02 Electricity and Magnetism, Spring 2002

Electromagnetic Spectrum Poster by UniHedron - click for links to online retailers