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Infineon launches 27kW three-phase PSU for AI server power architectures
Livegrid Aura: the digital aquarium that lives with air quality
Livegrid Aura is a wall-mounted digital aquarium that turns air quality into a visual spectacle. A 64×192 pixel HUB75 RGB LED matrix displays virtual creatures that are not merely decorative: their health depends on the environmental values measured by a Sensirion SCD40 sensor. The panel is also interactive, thanks to a time-of-flight depth sensor that detects who is standing in front of it without using a camera.
The project is by Dhruv Kumar and is the natural evolution of Livegrid, the previous version with a 78×78 pixel matrix. The new frame is about three times wider than the original, and the result is an object that combines digital art, environmental sensors and interaction with people. Dhruv Kumar’s crowdfunding campaign gathers the details on costs and shipping for anyone who wants to support the project.
How the virtual aquarium worksThe heart of the system is an ESP32-S3 that drives the LED matrix and collects data from the sensors. The SCD40 environmental sensor measures temperature, humidity and carbon dioxide. The virtual fish thrive when these values are within the normal range, while their health worsens if the air becomes stale. This way the panel becomes a visual indicator of environmental quality, far more immediate than a numeric display.
The time-of-flight depth sensor detects the distance and shape of whoever is in front of the panel. The fish follow the movements of a hand or gather around a person standing still. Moreover, the device does not use cameras: the sensor reads only shape and distance, guaranteeing the privacy of those interacting with it. All computation happens locally, without sending data to external services.
- 64×192 pixel HUB75 RGB LED matrix for the display
- Sensirion SCD40 sensor for CO2, temperature and humidity
- Time-of-flight sensor to detect presence and movement
- ESP32-S3 for local processing and control
The ESP32-S3’s built-in Wi-Fi is disabled by default. This reduces power consumption and keeps the device isolated from the network. Those who want to can enable it to unlock advanced features: a REST API, ArtNet and sACN streaming at 30 fps, and MQTT connectivity. The latter makes it possible to integrate the aquarium with home automation systems, for example to change scene when a window is opened.
The redesigned Livegrid is now three times wider, or taller if rotated, and has a built-in depth sensor. This geometry expands the space for animations and makes interaction more natural. The 64×192 pixel matrix offers higher resolution than the 78×78 of the previous version, with a panoramic format that suits a wall well.
The redesigned Livegrid is now three times wider, or taller if rotated, and has a built-in depth sensor.
The hardware price starts at £299, about $405, plus shipping, for the first backers of the base model’s Kickstarter campaign. Anyone who wants to build a similar system can start from standard components. For the proximity sensing part, a TOF module with a VL53L0X sensor can be used, offering a solid basis for camera-free interaction experiments.
For those who prefer a more traditional development platform, an Arduino Uno R4 Wi-Fi board with a dual microcontroller can be a starting point for prototyping similar logic, even though the original project uses an ESP32-S3. The choice depends on the need to directly drive the HUB75 LED matrix and streaming protocols such as ArtNet.
Livegrid Aura shows how a decorative object can become an interactive environmental sensor. The combination of LED matrix, air quality sensors and depth detection creates an experience that changes with the environment and with the people around it. A project that looks to the future of digital art at home.
Source: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/livegrid/livegrid-aquatic-environment-monitor/description
Related products- TOF (Time Of Flight) Module with VL53L0X Sensor
- Arduino Uno R4 Wi-Fi with Renesas RA4M1 and Espressif ESP32-S3
The post Livegrid Aura: the digital aquarium that lives with air quality appeared first on Open Electronics.
The multi-gig Ethernet migration: Motivations and implementations
Supplier “push” and consumer “pull”. When their efforts coordinate, moving the market in the same direction, the result can be meaningfully impactful.
Toward the beginning of last month’s introductory small form-factor pluggable (SFP) module tutorial, which was followed by a series of module teardowns, the first of which also appearing in September with another arriving later this month, I also noted the following observation.
I’ve subsequently become intrigued (also with pending editorial-coverage consequences) with the increasing (and dramatically so) cost-effectiveness of mainstream network switches, routers, and other devices based on 2.5 GbE technology.
I followed that statement with several paragraphs’ worth of past and present product examples suggestive of the dramatic advancements in performance and feature set at various price points in recent times. And I concluded that section of the piece with the following “teaser” prose.
Why 2.5 GbE (along with, to a lesser extent, 5 GbE) has become mainstream is a topic for another post another day (soon). Similarly, I’ll save for the near future more discussion on why 10 GbE SFP+ ports are appearing on mainstream gear like this.
That time is now. I’ll start with a brief reintroduction to the two unmanaged-switch case studies I highlighted last time. This one has eight 2.5 GbE RJ-45 ports, alongside two 10G SFP+ ports, and sells at Amazon for only a bit more than $40.
And this one, with four fewer 2.5 GbE ports, is priced $10 less than its larger-allotment sibling.
Admittedly, these specific devices are trendsetters from price standpoints at their associated feature sets. But not by much versus alternatives, if at all. Further to that point, neither Davuaz nor NICGIGA is a widely known brand, at least right now. But even established network equipment suppliers are selling now similar-featured products in the same price ballpark.
And admittedly, too, “vanilla” 1 GbE 5- and 8-port switches are still less expensive than these higher performance alternatives (does anyone else also remember when even those garnered significant markups over their 10 and 10/100 Mbit precursors?). But only by a factor of 2x, if that. Versus the 10x (or more) price premiums that network equipment manufactures were charging only a few years back. What’s changed, and why? Glad you asked.
Supplier “push”The 1 GbE networking equipment market is effectively saturated at this point, at least from a wired-connectivity standpoint (hold that thought for wireless subsystem comments to come later in this piece). The only notable motivations for consumers to buy new gear are if existing hardware dies and needs to be replaced, or if it runs out of spare ports for newly added LAN clients.
What do you do, then, if you’re an equipment developer, or a supplier of silicon and software building blocks for that equipment? You rely on the longstanding “bigger numbers is better” marketing mantra in striving to convince consumers to upgrade their existing gear.
Take MaxLinear, for example. Ahead of the 2023 Computex conference, the company introduced a family of chipsets containing up to eight 2.5 GbE PHYs per device along with two optional 10G SerDes transceivers capable of implementing SFP+ ports, and supporting both unmanaged, “smart” and fully user-managed switch configurations.
At that same show, the company demonstrated functional prototype networking hardware based on those same chipsets. Subsequent teardowns suggest that system designs based on single-chip MaxLinear offerings have captured a not-insignificant percentage of the cost-effective 2.5 GbE equipment market, joining legacy multi-chip implementations leveraging Realtek and other IC suppliers.
These low-cost switches reportedly don’t hold up solidly to the heavy, multi-protocol and multi-speed packet payloads created by “power user” testers, although the degree of correlation (if any) between such worst-case traffic and more modest typical real-world data profiles also bears consideration. And I’ve also seen some online commentary suggestive of high operating temperatures and associated questionable long-term reliability, particularly of the devices’ SFP+ subsystems. To at least some degree, this discussion is likely reflective of the equipments’ fan-less designs; online forums’ comment traffic domination by those with an “axe to grind” versus those with more positive experiences should also be factored into any determination.
Consumer “pull”I plan to upgrade my LAN from 1 GbE to a mix of 2.5 and 10 GbE spans and am accumulating equipment in anticipation of this pending transition. I’ve also set aside several other pieces of gear with my own teardown aspirations in mind. But regarding my LAN-update plans, you might reasonably ask “why”? After all, as my recent Comcast debug coverage series made clear, I don’t enjoy higher-than-1 GbE broadband downstream speeds and won’t for the foreseeable future. And putting aside my longstanding “why not” early-adopter curiosity tendencies, of course …
Part of the answer, likely unsurprisingly, is that WAN-sourced and -destined traffic is only a portion of the overall packet profusion on a typical LAN. Client-to-client traffic flows also bear consideration. To wit, I’ve happily already confirmed that although 10 GbE technically requires Cat6 Ethernet cable at a minimum, the several-dozen foot long archaic Cat5e span running from the furnace room LAN nexus to my office above it seemingly reliably handles 10 GbE speeds, too.
Still, unless I were shuttling ultra high-resolution video and other large-payload files and streams across the LAN (as I actually already do to a degree and intend to do more of in the future), and/or if the network was in use by a large family versus just myself and my wife, a 1 GbE LAN would continue to suffice. I might still be tempted to upgrade, but at lower equipment prices (therefore supplier profit margins) than otherwise if my update need was more acutely felt.
The solution to this dubious-demand predicament is multifold. For one thing, present company excepted, an increasing number of broadband customers do have multi-gig WAN tiers available to them courtesy of DOCSIS 3.1 Extended. Plus, in addition to Ethernet cable, several other easier-to-implement LAN connectivity options are also now capable of multi-gig speeds. Take MoCA, for example. My multiple recent editorial mentions of it are non-coincidental; in fact, it was the key impetus that sent me down this multi-gig “rabbit hole” in the first place.
A few months back, I was poking around the storage closet and came across the remaining two MoCA 1.1 units that had survived their product-generation siblings’ lightning-induced demises. I decided to put them on the to-donate pile and then recalled that I also had two sets of two MoCA 2.0 transceivers in my possession…which led me to then remember that these had also subsequently also been technology-superseded, by MoCA 2.5 successors supporting (as the spec version number suggests) up-to-2.5 Gbps transfer rates.
Initial skepticism as to the viability of such offerings for the mainstream volume consumer market led to surprise once I did a bit of research and realized how inexpensive 2.5 GbE switches and the like had become.
Or take Wi-Fi. Right now I’m running a Google Nest Wifi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)-based mesh wireless network, with eventual plans to migrate to either a Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) successor comprising open source-converted, therefore mesh-capable, Linksys LN1301 (MX4300) routers, or a Wi-Fi 6E topology made up of Google Next Wifi Pro nodes.
Although, as Wikipedia notes, Wi-Fi 5 only “has multi-station throughput of at least 1.1 gigabit per second (1.1 Gbit/s) and single-link throughput of at least 500 megabits per second (0.5 Gbit/s)”, Wi-Fi 6 and 6E theoretical speeds are much greater; “Though the nominal data rate is only 37% higher than that of Wi-Fi 5, the throughput increases by at least four times, making it more efficient and reducing latency by 75%. The quintupling of overall throughput is made possible by higher spectral efficiency.” Not to mention Wi-Fi 6E’s added 6 GHz spectrum access.
That all said, both Wi-Fi 6 generations have already been superseded by Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) for high-end gear, complete with claims that “in a single band, throughput reaches a theoretical maximum of 23 Gbit/s.” And initial Wi-Fi 8 (802.11bn) hardware is already being demonstrated, complete with integrated 10 GbE RJ-45 wired ports.
Wikipedia wisely notes, regarding Wi-Fi 6 peak bandwidth estimates and equally relevant to other Wi-Fi generations, that “actual results are much lower”. But as I said earlier, don’t underestimate “bigger numbers are better” allure.
What about 5 GbE, and why 10G SFP(+)?You likely already noticed that both switches showcased earlier included not only multiple 2.5 GbE RJ-45 ports but also two 10G SFP+ module cages.
The latter’s existence is more of a “stretch” to rationalize, particularly in consumer applications. This is likely why although their presence is common, it’s not pervasive, and some 2.5 GbE switches make do with one SFP+ port as an interim step. They’re often referred to as “uplinks”, reflective of their employ as connections to higher-layer network gear gear such as routers.
That said, I’m not personally aware of any consumer (versus enterprise) routers with SFP connectivity. However, they can also more generally find use in high-speed tethering multiple switches together to expand the locational topology if, as noted earlier, wired client counts grow in the future. And if you just need another RJ-45 port in your switch, a SFP+ Ethernet adapter will neatly solve your issue, too.
And more generally, what about 5 GbE? Right now, gear prices versus both 1 GbE and 2.5 GbE alternatives remain high, with associated equipment availability correspondingly limited (both as measured by overall volume and supplier and product options). That said, just as is happening now with 2.5 GbE vs legacy 1 GbE, I have no doubt that a few years down the road, once 2.5 GbE demand starts to level off with increasing market saturation, silicon suppliers and their system partners will decrease costs and fire up the 5 GbE hype machine next.
Have you already begun phasing in 2.5 (or 5, for that matter) GbE and 10G SFP+ equipment to your residence or business? Or do you have plans to do in the future? Please share your motivations, hesitations and planned timeframes in the comments!
—Brian Dipert is the associate editor, as well as a contributing editor, at EDN.
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Tiny Engineer: a desktop robot that gives your AI agent a body
Tiny Engineer is an open-source, 3D-printable desktop robot that gives a physical body to an AI coding agent. Krzysztof Jamroz’s project turns monitoring the agent from a passive on-screen activity into a tangible experience. Instead of watching the IDE to figure out what the AI is doing, you see it nod, gesture and type on an imaginary keyboard. The robot translates the agent’s activities, such as reading, thinking, writing code and finishing the job, into physical movements and gestures. When the task is done, it rings a bell.
Operation is simple and relies on an integration that turns the AI agent’s activities into events. These events are sent to the robot’s REST API over the LAN. Krzysztof Jamroz’s repository contains the code and files needed to rebuild the project. The Waveshare ESP32-C3-Zero board receives the commands and handles the robot’s logic and animations. The ESP32-C3 drives 5 servos through the PCA9685 PWM controller for the head, neck, hands and body movements.
Robot components and circuitThe component list is essential and well defined. The robot uses 5 PowerHD HD-1370A servos for the movements. A 0.91-inch, 128×32-pixel SSD1306 OLED display shows the status, the face and information. Audio is handled by a MAX98357A amplifier with an 8 Ω, 1 W speaker. Everything is powered at 5 V with at least 2 A of current.
The firmware is compiled with PlatformIO and the serial port runs at 115200 baud. The configured Wi-Fi network must be 2.4 GHz. The robot runs specific animations such as ‘typing’, ‘reading’, ‘thinking’ or ‘ring’ based on the commands received. For connectivity, the project uses an ESP32-C3-Zero board, but those who want to experiment can consider an ESP32 development board with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to get closer to the project.
An AI agent works; an integration turns the activities into events; the robot’s REST API on the LAN receives them; the hardware moves and reacts. (photo: Krzysztof Jamroz)
An overview of the project shows how carefully designed it is. The structure is 3D-printable and the project is meant to be modified. You can change the CAD, modify the animations or connect a different agent. The repository contains everything you need to get started.
The robot is designed to be a desktop object, so its dimensions are compact. The 5 PowerHD HD-1370A servos are distributed between the head, neck, hands and body. The 0.91-inch SSD1306 OLED display is small but readable. The 8 Ω, 1 W speaker is enough for the notification sounds.
Print it, wire it, modify the CAD, change the animations or connect a different agent. (photo: Krzysztof Jamroz)
Customisation is one of the strengths. Beyond 3D printing, you can work on the firmware to change the animations. The source code is available and well organised. Communication with the AI agent happens through the REST API over the LAN, so you can adapt it to different systems.
Power and network requirementsThe required power supply is 5 V and at least 2 A. This ensures the 5 servos can move without current problems. The configured Wi-Fi network must be 2.4 GHz, a common choice for IoT devices. The 115200-baud serial port makes debugging easier during development.
For those who want to dig deeper, Krzysztof Jamroz’s repository is the ideal starting point. You will find the code, the STL files and the instructions. The project shows how the work of an AI agent can be made tangible, turning monitoring into a physical experience.
Source: https://github.com/jamro/tiny-engineer
Related products- OLED Display I2C 0.96” – VCC/GND/SCL/SDA
- ESP32 – Development board with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and USB Type-C connector
The post Tiny Engineer: a desktop robot that gives your AI agent a body appeared first on Open Electronics.
Wolfspeed receives conditional $1.5bn loan commitment from US Department of War
DigiKey Webinar Shows How My Lists Tool Simplifies Parts Management and Quoting
DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, is hosting a webinar on how to use the company’s time-saving My Lists parts management tool entitled “Empower your everyday work with My Lists,” scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, at 10 a.m. CDT. The free 60-minute virtual event will cover My Lists’ comprehensive list management and quoting features that allow users to make informed purchasing decisions, collaborate with coworkers and lock in pricing.
Managing parts across multiple sources can create complexity and inefficiency. With DigiKey’s My Lists tool, users have access to a single, centralized hub for part information, pricing, supplier details and real-time inventory status. “As a high-service distributor, DigiKey is continually improving the customer experience, and My Lists is an important tool for enhancing the sourcing process,” said Jillian Switts, senior director for e-commerce at DigiKey. “Whether you are managing a bill of materials, evaluating alternatives, checking price and availability, or coordinating with suppliers, My Lists brings everything together in one organized platform to make the product procurement process smarter and easier.”
Beyond organization, My Lists offers users measurable business benefits. The online tool generates quotes directly from product lists and locks in pricing for up to 30 days, giving users budget certainty. With immediate access to critical data that eliminates manual searching, reduces errors and accelerates decision-making, users and sourcing teams can improve pricing visibility, increase procurement cycles and deliver strategic purchasing outcomes.
During the webinar, attendees will learn to:
- Select and save substitute and alternate parts
- Use the tool to collaborate with team members or share information publicly
- Generate quotes and lock in pricing quickly
- Identify cost-saving opportunities
- Streamline bill of material (BOM) management and procurement workflows
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DigiKey India Opens New Bengaluru Office
DigiKey, the global distribution leader of electronic components and automation products, proudly announces the opening of its new Bengaluru office, home to DigiKey India’s Global Capability Center (GCC), supporting innovation, technology enablement and business operations for teams worldwide. The company held an inauguration ceremony on Oct. 5, 2026, at its new office at Sumadhura Capitol Towers, Whitefield, Bengaluru.
“Our new Bengaluru office strengthens DigiKey’s long-term growth strategy by providing capacity to attract top talent, support business expansion and foster greater collaboration and innovation among our global team,” said Shane Zutz, vice president of human resources for DigiKey. “It also reinforces our commitment to delivering value to our customers, suppliers and team members. We are thrilled to continue this commitment in India and invest in the exceptional engineering talent and innovation ecosystem this region brings to the world.”
The office move marks an important milestone in DigiKey India’s growth journey, providing a modern workspace that supports collaboration, innovation and future expansion. India plays an increasingly important role in DigiKey’s global operations, providing access to highly skilled talent and supporting the company’s long-term innovation and digital transformation initiatives.
Since launching as a five-person prototype team in 2022, DigiKey India has grown to nearly 300 employees, reflecting the company’s continued investment in the region. Today, the high-performing Global Capability Center (GCC) serves as a strategic hub for innovation, collaboration and technology enablement, supporting DigiKey’s global operations while driving impactful solutions for the future of electronics and automation distribution.
India continues to be an important growth market and innovation center for DigiKey, and the new Bengaluru office reflects the company’s long-term commitment to the region. The investment expands access to exceptional talent, supports business growth and enhances organizational efficiency while providing a strong foundation for scaling operations and strengthening collaboration and alignment across global teams.
Bengaluru is widely recognized as one of India’s leading technology and innovation hubs, making it a strategic location for DigiKey’s continued growth. The Bengaluru GCC continues to create opportunities for talented professionals who want to contribute to a global technology organization.
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Keysight Advances its Design Software with Agentic AI
Keysight Technologies, is bringing agentic AI to its software, enabling engineers to direct AI agents to automate complex design tasks. Customers can use their large language models (LLMs) to generate and optimize designs, with Keysight simulation validating the agents’ progress. This shifts how engineering is done, as teams can evaluate significantly more options in the same development time.
More than 60% of organizations expect to deploy AI agents by 2028, yet radio frequency (RF) engineering has been slower to follow. The discipline relies on specialist expertise and uses schematics and layouts that LLMs cannot read in a consistent, deterministic way, so the process remains largely manual. Keysight Advanced Design System (ADS) 2027 addresses this by letting teams record workflows as macros their agents can learn from and convert graphical designs into code they can read. Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers connect agents to the software, guiding LLMs and agents in their interaction with ADS.
When an engineer makes a request in natural language, their agent completes the task in ADS. The MCP servers provide the agent with documented skills and tools built by Keysight that execute specific RF work consistently, reducing variability caused by AI inference models generating answers statistically. The agent then runs Keysight simulation to validate its output.
Key benefits include:
- Creates an open ecosystem for agentic workflows: The MCP servers work with AI assistants and LLMs that organizations are already using, and with tools from multiple vendors in the same workflow.
- Speeds and expands design cycles: Agents handle repetitive setup and simulation steps in ADS, so engineers can cover more scenarios and find more optimal designs while reducing time to market.
- Shares engineering knowledge: Macros recorded in ADS capture an experienced engineer’s methods for colleagues and agents to reuse across teams.
Niels Faché, Senior Vice President, Keysight Design Engineering Software, said: “Agentic engineering is reshaping every stage of design from concept through verification. Our decades of simulation and domain expertise validate AI results before they reach hardware. Over time, agents will turn prior projects into organizational intelligence, so a customer’s best work is the foundation for each new design.”
The post Keysight Advances its Design Software with Agentic AI appeared first on ELE Times.
Murata to Showcase New Sensing Frontiers at CEATEC 2026
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce it will exhibit at CEATEC 2026, taking place from October 13th to October 16th, 2026, at Makuhari Messe, booth No. 7H340.
Advances in AI, robotics, and IoT are changing what is required from sensing technologies, creating new opportunities to detect, interpret, and act on physical conditions, material states, and biological signals with greater accuracy and efficiency.
Addressing these evolving requirements, under CEATEC 2026’s theme ‘Transformation’, Murata will showcase its latest technologies alongside innovative solutions developed in collaboration with partners. Together, the exhibits will highlight new approaches to sensing, monitoring, and detection that can help support a more connected, sustainable, and prosperous society of the future.
Visitors are invited to explore these technologies firsthand, with key exhibits at the Murata booth including:
Ultrasound Transmission Metamaterial
Murata’s ultrasound transmission material enables ultrasonic detection through materials such as metal and resin, which are normally difficult for ultrasound to penetrate. Applied to these obstructing materials, the metamaterial increases ultrasound transmission, extending ultrasonic sensing to applications where internal conditions have traditionally been difficult to assess, including nondestructive testing, flow meters and biomedical applications.
Wearable Device for Capturing Trace Biomarkers
A wearable technology patch under development that captures substances such as glucose and alcohol. Designed for advanced wellness-related applications, its proprietary enzyme-based technology captures target substances and is being developed with the aim of improving detection in low-concentration ranges.
RFID Sensor Tag
A battery-free, wireless tag capable of sensing temperature, humidity, and strain. The technology enables real-time monitoring of conditions that have traditionally been difficult to assess, including bolt loosening and changes in concrete condition, and is designed to improve inspection and maintenance efficiency.
Neuromorphic Sensing System
Inspired by the information-processing mechanisms of biological nervous systems and sensory organs, this technology enables large-area, high-density sensing with ultra-low power consumption and low latency. Supporting applications like electronic skin for humanoid robots and equipment temperature monitoring, the system provides real-time detection of temperature distributions across a large surface area.
Obstacle detection for AMRs equipped with thermophones
This solution equips an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) with a thermophone, a device that generates ultrasound using heat, to detect nearby obstacles. In current development testing, the technology can measure distances from 1 cm to 2 m and can detect transparent objects such as glass, which can be difficult for optical sensors such as cameras to identify. It can also operate in high-glare environments, supporting obstacle detection for AMR applications.
The post Murata to Showcase New Sensing Frontiers at CEATEC 2026 appeared first on ELE Times.
3D-Printable Robot Arm Controlled by a Scale Model
Kelton has redesigned his robot arm, applying three years of experience to improve its mechanical design and accessibility. The new arm keeps the scale-model control scheme, but is easier to print and assemble. All the parts are designed to be 3D printed without supports, which simplifies assembly. The total cost of the required components and hardware is under 100 dollars.
The project is accessible: it costs less than 100 dollars, prints in a couple of days and requires no programming to be used. The video of the original project, published three years ago, has reached 654,000 views on YouTube. This new design grew out of the experience gained with that first version.
How scale-model control worksThe robot arm is controlled by a custom input device, which is a scale model of the arm itself. When you move a joint on the model, the corresponding joint on the robot arm moves in the same way. The control is based on an Arduino Nano ESP32 board and a driver board for the servos.
The new wrist joint uses a belt drive. The new gripper uses a rack-and-pinion mechanism. These design choices improve the precision and reliability of the movement. On top of that, printing without supports makes assembly much faster.
- Arduino Nano ESP32
- servo driver board
- servomotors
- drive belt
- rack-and-pinion gear
Printing all the parts takes a couple of days. The parts are designed to be printed without supports, so no extra work is needed. This cuts down the time and materials required, making the project suitable even for people with little 3D printing experience.
For the electronics you need an Arduino Nano ESP32 board, which handles the control. Alongside it, a driver board for the servomotors. The servomotors move the joints of the arm. Everything connects to the scale model, which acts as the controller.
Anyone who wants to rebuild the project can find all the files to print on the project page. The page with the files to print collects Kelton’s work and lets you download the necessary parts. The project is meant to be replicated without difficulty, even by someone who has never assembled a robot arm before.
The overall cost stays under 100 dollars, a remarkable figure for a robot arm with these characteristics. The choice of common, easy-to-source components helps keep the price low. What’s more, the modular design allows individual parts to be replaced if they wear out.
A project built to lastThe new design comes from three years of experience with the previous version. Kelton listened to feedback from the community and improved the weak points. The result is a sturdier arm that is easier to print and simpler to assemble.
Control through a scale model is intuitive and requires no programming skills. This makes it suitable even for those approaching robotics for the first time. The project shows that excellent results can be achieved with inexpensive components and a lot of care in the design.
Source: https://www.printables.com/model/1834841-arduino-robot-arm-and-controller-v2-rad
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Global-shutter sensor raises pixel density
At 2.2 µm, Omnivision’s OG05D 5-Mpixel image sensor offers one of the smallest global-shutter pixel sizes with HDR in its class. The color CMOS sensor is designed for industrial machine vision applications, including compact AI cameras and humanoid robotics, particularly data-collection devices for robotics training.
Omnivision says the OG05D delivers up to 146 fps in linear mode without crypto, making it 143% faster than the previous-generation sensor. The sensor reaches 130 fps in linear mode with crypto and 60 fps in both 3-exposure HDR and single-exposure dual conversion gain (DCG) HDR. It uses Nyxel NIR technology to achieve QE of more than 55% at 850 nm and more than 35% at 940 nm.
DCG HDR captures scenes with both bright highlights and dark shadows, while enhanced HDR supports object detection and navigation under changing lighting conditions. The OG05D has a 1/2.525-in. optical format and comes in a compact 56-pin CSP.
The image sensor is sampling now, with mass production scheduled for Q4 2026.
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Quad beamformer simplifies X-band radar design
Qorvo’s QPX0252 four-channel beamformer IC operates from 7.9 GHz to 12 GHz for use in X-band phased-array radar systems. It supports four radiating antenna elements, with dual-beam receive and single-beam transmit operation. The device’s high transmit output power directly drives compatible Qorvo front-end modules (FEMs), such as the QPF5012, eliminating the need for external driver amplifiers.
X-band radar systems are increasingly adopting active electronically scanned arrays (AESAs), including flat-panel phased arrays. Limited lattice space must accommodate beamformers, FEMs, and power-control devices, making component and interface reduction important. The QPX0252’s four-channel architecture reduces beamformer component count, freeing space within the array lattice.
“Beamformers are typically designed as stand-alone components, leaving customers to integrate the FEMs, bias control and RF switching around them,” said Diwakar Vishakhadatta, VP, Defense & Aerospace Products at Qorvo. “We developed the QPX0252 as part of the X-band front-end architecture, defining its transmit, receive, and control functions around the requirements of the radar system.”
In high-power radar systems, the Qorvo FEM establishes a low system noise figure while the QPX0252 operates in a high-linearity mode. According to Qorvo’s system analysis, the combination achieves up to 20 dB higher cascaded input P1dB than other market offerings.
QPX0252 samples and evaluation kits are available now.
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Microphone array advances acoustic detection
The NOVA32 evaluation kit from sensiBel features a spiral array of 32 optical MEMS microphones for edge AI acoustic-detection applications. An XMOS XCORE.AI processor synchronizes the microphone data into a single 24-bit, 32-channel USB audio stream for downstream beamforming, source localization, and acoustic imaging.
Microphone performance is critical in acoustic-detection systems. sensiBel’s 32 SBM100B microphones have low equivalent input noise of 14 dBA. They also provide a 132-dB dynamic range, 80-dBA signal-to-noise ratio, and 146-dB acoustic overload point.
NOVA32 has a plug-and-play USB interface for AI development platforms such as NVIDIA Jetson and is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. Compatibility with TDM architectures supports phase alignment, reduces signal lines, and enables scalable beamforming. Target applications include drone detection, industrial predictive maintenance, and environmental noise mapping.
The NOVA32 evaluation kit is available now. More information can be found on the sensiBel Evaluation Kits page.
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FPGA IP accelerates deterministic networking
Orthogone’s Ultra-Low-Latency (ULL) FPGA IP Portfolio comprises production-ready networking and data-movement IP cores for AMD UltraScale+ and Versal adaptive platforms. The IP cores are designed for applications requiring determinism, low jitter, and reliability, with early adopters using them in aerospace, defense, and quantum computing applications.
The portfolio combines Ethernet MAC/PCS with optional Reed-Solomon FEC, hardware TCP/IP and UDP/IP offload engines, and a PCIe circular-buffer DMA controller for deterministic, sub-microsecond-class networking and packet processing. Offloading network processing to the FPGA reduces the packet-processing workload on the host CPU.
Ethernet MAC/PCS cores provide standards-compliant IEEE 802.3 Ethernet at 1G, 10G, 25G, 40G, and 100G line rates, with optional RS-FEC at 25G and 100G. TCP/IP and UDP/IP offload engines handle Layer 2 through Layer 4 processing in FPGA logic. The DMA controller enables bidirectional data movement between the host and FPGA over PCIe Gen3/Gen4.
The ULL FPGA IP Portfolio is available now for evaluation and licensing on AMD adaptive platforms.
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GaN FET meets megawatt-scale demands
Renesas is sampling what it says is the industry’s first 650-V GaN FET with dual-side cooling for high-density power conversion in 800-V HVDC AI data centers. The TP65H020G4PLSGBD also has a 20-mΩ on-resistance that Renesas says is among the lowest in its class.
Unlike conventional top-side-cooled packages, the TP65H020G4PLSGBD dissipates heat from both the top and bottom, lowering top-side thermal impedance by 10%. Further, its 8×8-mm PQFN package reduces footprint by 57% compared with the 10×15-mm TOLT package. These features enable higher power density in space-constrained megawatt racks.
The D-mode FET is built on the Gen IV Plus GaN architecture for systems operating at up to 700 V. It targets the 800-V DC/DC intermediate-bus converter stage, which steps down to 48 V, 12 V, or 6 V, as well as the battery-backup and capacitor-bank stages of the sidecar power rack. The device can be driven with a standard silicon gate driver and is pin-to-pin compatible with E-mode GaN devices. Its higher threshold voltage of 4 V typical provides improved noise immunity.
Mass production of the TP65H020G4PLSGBD is planned for mid-2027.
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Дзюбановський Денис Євгенович (17.11.1975 - 18.11.2022)
Денис Дзюбановський народився 17 листопада 1975 року в м. Києві. Навчався у школі №119. Закінчив приладобудівний факультет НТУУ «КПІ» (нині — ФРП), старший лейтенант Збройних Сил України. Багато років працював генеральним директором компанії «Розенберг Україна».
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