Figure 1 Let’s have better control and put AM335x based system in package into all these Air Conditioner units!
Some applications of IoT are still being debated. Does your refrigerator really need an operating system and be connected to the internet? Should it try to detect when you’re out of milk and automatically order more? What if there’s an error and 50 gallons shows up on your doorstep? Just like many others, I do not know the answers to all these questions. One thing I know for sure is that IoT does belong in air conditioning and the control systems of medium-to-large buildings. The OSD335x family of System-in-Package products featuring the AM335x, provides an excellent foundation for the design of an Open-Hardware Building Automation System Controller. This article introduces a series of technical application notes for building a reference design with the OSD335x-SM.
Sometimes 512MB of DDR memory just isn’t enough. No matter how hard you try your application just needs more space. Maybe you are trying to process large datasets gathered from thousands of sensors around a building. Perhaps you developed a platform that is capable of running many completely different applications at the same time, or you have some awesome graphics you are trying to render. Whatever your software dilemma or creative idea for your embedded product may be, you just want to have more memory coupled with your computing system. Octavo Systems has heard your requests. We are happy to announce the general availability of a 1GB DDR memory option for the OSD335x-SM family of devices.
The OSD3358-SM-RED is our Reference, Evaluation and Development platform for the OSD335x Family of System-in-Package (SiP) devices. It was designed to make it easy for anybody with some knowledge or a desire to learn to begin developing applications on the OSD335x family of SiPs. In fact, it is so easy to use even a Marketing Person like me can quickly develop on it!
Here at Octavo Systems, we pride ourselves in making our devices easy to use. This extends to reducing the challenges that designers have in laying out a new printed circuit board (PCB). Our System-in-Package devices by their very nature will reduce a bill of materials (BOM) from over one hundred discreet devices to only one. This saves enormous amounts of layout time and effort purely from a component placement and routing point of view. However, Octavo Systems goes to the next level in simplifying your design layout.
Ball-grid Array (BGA) packages can be difficult to route during layout. Routing out, or escaping, the signals on the inner balls of a BGA can be difficult and can add many layers to the PCB. However, the ball maps of our System-in-Package devices are specifically designed from a system integration point of view. By moving all signal pins to the outer three rows and columns, with the 1.27mm (50 mil) ball pitch, it allows all signals to be escaped in one PCB layer with very standard 0.15mm (6 mil) trace / space routing rules. Then we designed the power inputs and outputs to be easy to use by grouping the ball together such that it is easy to use copper pours to connect them together. Similarly all control signals between the processor and power management IC (PMIC) are pinned out next to each other for easy connections. This not only reduces design complexity but makes laying out the BGA much easier which saves engineering time and money.
Due to its openness, flexibility, and tremendous community support and development, Linux has become the operating system of choice for most new embedded systems. Be it Industrial control systems, robotics applications, or IoT devices, Linux distributions pull together drivers, utilities, libraries, and application software that reduce time to market and development costs. However, the challenge with Linux is:
How does one get started using Linux on a new Embedded System?
With the exciting upsets, shoot-outs and close matches of the FIFA World Cup games this year, predicting who will win each game has been challenging. Therefore, we turned to technology and built an electronic Magic 8-Ball to help make decisions for our bracket.
Decide New Features Quickly with Rapid Prototyping
Fortunately, developers can now rapidly prototype with the OSD3358 System-in-Package (SiP) using the BeagleBoard.org® PocketBeagle®and MikroElektronika click boards™. BeagleBoard.org® is a 501c3 Foundation focused on education. PocketBeagle® is a completely open source, highly affordable super tiny single board computer featuring the OSD335x-SM SiP. One of the most exciting things about the BeagleBoard.org® PocketBeagle® is that is conforms to the standard of the MikroElektronika mikroBUS™ click boards™. This is an open standard interface for which over 400 compatible add-on boards have been created. These compact boards provide a range of added functionality and features from sensors to connectivity and storage. The OSD3358 SiP has the performance capability to process multiple sensor inputs, process information quickly and perform actions such as driving displays, motor control, or communication.
You’re busy. We get it. You ask: Do I really have time to learn about Linux? You don’t have time NOT to. 8 reasons why MCU users love switching to Linux on OSD335x :
1. Code is written while you sleep
The software libraries and device drivers for Linux are supported by a huge open-source community that stretches around the globe with thousands of passionate programmers and developers. This means that device drivers and software libraries, like OpenCV, an image processing library, or the TCP/IP stack, a complete set of networking protocols, are already available for most hardware components in your design. Even with new hardware that has just hit the market, there is a good chance that someone has already started developing or has developed the software you need. It is like having your own world-wide team of software developers.
2. A friend has started your hardware design for you
Developers can now rapidly prototype with the OSD3358 System-in-Package (SiP) using BeagleBoard.org® PocketBeagle® and MikroElektronika click boards™. This blog will describe the procedure for interfacing a new click board™ with PocketBeagle® using the OLED-C click board™ as an example. BeagleBoard.org® is a 501c3 Foundation focused on education. PocketBeagle® is a completely open source, highly affordable super tiny single board computer featuring the OSD335x-SM SiP. One of the most exciting things about the BeagleBoard.org® PocketBeagle® is that is conforms to the standard of the MikroElektronika mikroBUS™ click boards™.
There is a Hackster.io project page with the instructions for you to follow along, download the code and build your own project with this great learning platform. We’ve also added a Hackster.io project page with full instructions to build, test and add device tree overlays to BeagleBoard. org® bb.org community repository for click boards™ if you are adding a new one. (Read More…)
For my first post as a part of Octavo Systems, I am pleased to inform you that we have started our journey toward validating our Best-in-Class organization by becoming ISO9001: 2015 certified. The International Standards Organization (ISO) that provides this certification is an independent, non-governmental organization of over 160 standards bodies.
From its inception, Octavo Systems has focused on delivering the highest quality products and services to our customers. We have built a team with deep industry experience and knowledge across every part of the organization, including the Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Applications, Packaging, Operations, and Manufacturing Departments. We are also partnered with Best-in-Class manufacturing organizations from around the world, which are already ISO certified. Octavo Systems does this to provide our customers, suppliers, and partners the best possible experience when working with us (Read More…)
The application engineering team at Octavo Systems is always looking for cool ways to showcase the distinct and creative ways our devices can be used. Recently, we built a tweeting Rubik’s cube solver to showcase some of the IoT and industrial control capabilities of the OSD335x Family of System-in-Package(SiP) devices. It was amazing how easy it was to give the robot a voice and allow it to talk to the world via social media. So, we decided to explore more IoT capabilities the OSD335x Family of devices can implement without a lot of development overhead. This time, we wanted to incorporate human interaction into the device. What better opportunity than to explore America’s favorite IoT phenomenon, Alexa. So, we whipped out a BeagleBoard.org® PocketBeagle® and got to work. Though our vision for this IoT project is bigger than just implementing Amazon’s Alexa voice service on the PocketBeagle, this is a good place to take a break and showcase a simple step by step way to get your PocketBeagle to be a “man’s best friend” personal assistant. Check out the Hackster.io page for the steps.(Read More…)
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