The beginning of this guide is based upon
Get Started With Machine Learning on Arduino | Arduino Documentation
and
Wake-Word Detection - TinyML Notes.
Up through the speech recognition example, it follows mostly the same steps. I've added steps for clarity and detail,
for anyone starting from scratch. Additionally, I encountered an issue with the Windows Machine I'm using crashing
due to the GameInput Application, which will be addressed at the end.
The examples in this guide are part of the field of TinyML. TinyML is machine learning done on low-power devices
such as the Arduino Nano we are using. One potential use case for TinyML is wake-word detection.
I have written this guide so that the program can be run and tested in the Arduino IDE as of June 2024.
This is Part 1 of 2 in this series of posts. In
part 2,
I will show how to change the keywords using Edge Impulse.
The STMicroelectronics eStore is offering free worldwide delivery for the remainder of August. No code or minimum purchase is required. There are also a few buy-one-get-one-free offers with a code.
Ezurio (formerly Laird Connectivity) is offering a development kit giveaway that includes a System on Module (SOM), a carrier board, a wireless module, and an antenna. Ezurio specializes in SOMs featuring NXP i.MX processors, including the i.MX 8M Mini, 8M Plus, and i.MX 93, with support for both Android and Linux. The giveaway also includes Sona WiFi 6/6E and Bluetooth LE modules.
My name is Maxwell Clarke, I am an embedded systems engineer at Aaron Clarke where I am researching machine learning application development. An easy way to get started with machine learning development is to use an off-the-shelf development board. Here are some development boards I've identified that support machine learning. I will be posting tutorials for some of these boards in the upcoming weeks.
This kit's main purpose is to run TinyML projects by using TensorFLowLite on the board included. It contains an Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense board, which features the 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 microcontroller in an nRF52840 processor from Nordic Semiconductors. The board also has sensors for proximity, motion, and many other measurements. The kit costs $60 from the Arduino Store.
The BeagleBone AI-64 has great computing power as it contains a Texas Instruments TDA4VM SoC with a dual 64-Bit Arm Cortex-A72 microprocessor. It interfaces via a M.2E-key PCIe USB 3.0 connector for WiFi, Ethernet, and USB 3.0. Also included are 4-Lane CSI and DSI connectors for cameras and displays, respectively. It is available for about $190 from online distributors such as Digi-Key.
This board uses a TI AM67A Arm- based vision processor, which contains a 64-bit Arm Cortex-A53 Microcontroller. It also has a BM3301 BLE module for networking over BLE. Other features include 3 displays including touchscreen support, a 10-pin Tag-Connect and 4 USB3 ports. It is less expensive than the AI-64 as it has a cost of around $70.
This kit contains the Jetson Orin Nano 8GB, which features an Ampere GPU and a 6-core ARM CPU. It has a processing ability of up to 40 TOPS, making it the most powerful board on this list. Due to its top performance capabilities, it cost $500 from online distributors such as SparkFun.
In December 2024, NVIDIA unveiled a new and improved version of this Jetson Kit, the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit with an improved processing power of up to 67 TOPS. This board retailed for $250 and quickly sold out. Owners of the previous Jetson Orin Nano Developer Kit can also access the super capabilities of the new kit by upgrading the SDK, more instructions can be found on this page: Jetpack SDK For more information on Super developer kit, check out my post reviewing its key features, NVIDIA's Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit The following video is from NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, showcasing the kit's small size and high performance capabilities.
Renesas currently has a Reality AI Software which is useful for all sorts of ML applications. They also have a wide range of microcontrollers which are compatible with their software. For example, there are RH850 Automotive MCUs for automotive applications, and RL78 Low Power 8 & 16-bit MCUs |which are good for getting started. Many of the microcontrollers such as the R7F7015813AFP-C#AA3 , which has a cost of $17, can be purchased from online distributors.
Currently, St Microelectronics has a vast library of Edge AI tools including MEMS Studio. These software libraries can be used for developing ML applications with STM32 boards. For example, the X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1 is a sensor kit forSTM32 boards that can be used with MEMS Studio. Both the kit and development boards can be purchased directly from STMicro. The X-NUCLEO-IKS4A1 costs about $33, and a new compatible board, the NUCLEO-G491RE costs about $16.
Edge Impulse is a suite of tools for conducting machine learning on edge devices. It has different ways to get started for beginners, ML practitioners, and embedded engineers. The getting started for beginners is a good way to begin with machine learning, without much coding required.
I haven't found as many Black Friday promotions this year for electronics - probably due to the ongoing supply chain issues. If you see a good deal that is not in the list, please leave a comment.
Adafruit has a code for 15% off all weekend here. It's also Feather Friday which means 20% off all Feather (mainboards) and wing (daughterboards) with the code shown in the site header today.
Parts Express (audio components) has 10% of sitewide.
The 2021 Adaptive Computing Challenge at hackster.io will reward top Xilinx development projects up to $10,000 (prizes are all Visa gift cards). You can apply for free hardware to compete in the contest until October 15, 2021. Final submissions are due February 28, 2022. The Xilinx University Program is sponsoring an additional $2500 prize for college students.
There are three main categories in the contest: Edge Computing, Data Center AI and Big Data Analytics. The edge computing requires a solution running on the Xilinx Kria KV260 Vision AI Starter Kit. Data center AI must use the Xilinx VCK5000 development card. Big data analytics requires the Xilinx Big Data Analytics card (not much information on this board).
The Kria KV260 Vision AI Starter Kit is listed at $199 but currently out of stock at most distributors. It is meant for vision application development for Edge computing. It has multiple camera interfaces including support for the Raspberry Pi camera module. Multiple cameras are supported by using additional interfaces such as IAS or USB. A power supply is also required. One is also included in the basic accessory pack which also includes a 13MP camera module, available from Xilinx for $59.
KV260 Vision AI Starter Kit with Basic Accessory Pack
The first prize includes an exhibition booth and free advertising at the 2022 NAMM show. Other prizes to be announced. Submissions of existing commercialized products and art installations are also eligible. For more details see the Music Hackspace Innovation Awards page.
Arduino and Seeed have released the Arduino Sensor Kit for $23 (USD). The kit includes 10 modules and sensors including light, sound, air pressure, temperature, an accelerometer, buzzer, button, and a small OLED screen. The Arduino sensor kit base is an Arduino Shield (daughterboard) so you will need an Arduino UNO or compatible board to use it. If you buy both from Arduino you can get them bundled for a discounted price ($38.70). The Arduino Sensor Kit can be purchased directly from Arduino or Seeed and Arduino has developed a step-by-step tutorial to go with it and the Arduino UNO.
MikroE is having deals until Tuesday December 1st on many products. This includes 25% off most Click Boards. These are small accessory boards that use the microBUS socket available on many different development boards including the low cost Microchip Curiosity Development Boards. MicroBus Click Boards are great for prototyping or general DIY projects. You can add just about any sensor, analog or digital interface, or communications module you would need.
RobotShop is discounting specific products from 5% to 50% for it's Cyber Monday sale. Of course this includes robot kits and parts, but you can also find Arduino boards, electronic learning kits, drones and Raspberry Pi development boards.
Black Friday is a great time to get a new development board or some parts for a DIY electronics project. Here are a few great online electronics stores where you can find deals.
Adafruit is having two sales, one is for 15% all items in stock with the code ADATHX see more details in the Adafruit Thanksgiving Weekend Sale blog post. The Adafruit Feather line of development boards is 20% off today only with the same code, see Adafruit Feather Friday Sale for details.
Polulu has a few different Black Friday deals. There are coupons for individual products, discounts on your entire order and the unique design your own deal sale. Follow this link to Pololu Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale 2020 for the details.
The design your own deal allows you to propose propose a discount for up to three products. Last year I was able to get even bigger discounts than I asked for. I don't recall the original prices but I was pleasantly surprised that they were all approved and discounted further. Here are my three wishes and the deals I was offered.
At the Black Friday Sale on Tindie many development boards are discounted. Tindie is a unique online store featuring independent sellers of all kinds of development boards and accessories for unique applications. If you haven't been to this site before it's a great time to look around.
