Feed aggregator

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 works

The 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

Connectivity and home automation integration

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.

Cost and availability

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.

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 circuit

The 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.

3D printing and customisation

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.

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 requirements

The 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 Inc of Durham, NC, USA — which makes silicon carbide (SiC) materials and power semiconductor devices — has received a conditional loan commitment letter from the US Department of War (DoW), through its Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), for up to $1.5bn of long-term (30-year) financing to support the domestic development and production of silicon carbide (SiC) materials and wide-bandgap power devices, with an additional focus on US national security applications...

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

The post DigiKey Webinar Shows How My Lists Tool Simplifies Parts Management and Quoting appeared first on ELE Times.

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.

The post DigiKey India Opens New Bengaluru Office appeared first on ELE Times.

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 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.

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 works

The 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

3D printing and required components

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 last

The 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

The post 3D-Printable Robot Arm Controlled by a Scale Model appeared first on Open Electronics.

Photonic simulation CAD software developer Photon Design Ltd of Oxford, UK has enhanced the performance of its recently released HAROLD QD 3D quantum dot simulation tool...

In the latest update of its RF GaN Technology Patent Monitor, KnowMade says that more than 110 new patent families were published during second-quarter 2026...

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.

OG05D product page

Omnivision

The post Global-shutter sensor raises pixel density appeared first on EDN.

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.

QPX0252 product page 

Qorvo

The post Quad beamformer simplifies X-band radar design appeared first on EDN.

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.

sensiBel

The post Microphone array advances acoustic detection appeared first on EDN.

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.

Orthogone Technologies 

The post FPGA IP accelerates deterministic networking appeared first on EDN.

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.

TP65H020G4PLSGBD product page

Renesas Electronics 

The post GaN FET meets megawatt-scale demands appeared first on EDN.

The UNO Media Carrier is a carrier board that brings two MIPI-CSI camera inputs, one MIPI-DSI display output and three 3.5 mm audio jacks to compatible host boards. The connection runs through the high-speed JMEDIA and JMISC connectors, so the board stays in the UNO form factor. That way the multimedia capabilities of the UNO Q and VENTUNO Q are extended without touching the host board’s headers directly.

The strong point lies in the standard connectors. Two 22-pin MIPI-CSI ports accept IMX219 cameras, for example the Camera Module 2, and open the way to computer vision applications with dual cameras. A 22-pin MIPI-DSI port, meanwhile, supports Waveshare displays, so you add an interactive visual output without any special soldering.

On the audio side the carrier offers three separate 3.5 mm jacks: a combined microphone input and headphone output, a line out for amplifiers or powered speakers, and an ear out for connecting earphones directly. In addition, the JMEDIA and JMISC connectors have a passthrough design, so all the host board signals remain accessible for stacking additional modules or carriers.

The exposed signals: I2C, PSSI and two-voltage GPIO

Besides the multimedia connectors, the board exposes several interfaces useful to anyone who wants to integrate sensors and peripherals. There is I2C (CCI and MCU I2C4), an 8-bit PSSI parallel camera interface, the SoC GPIOs at 1.8 V and the MCU GPIOs at 3.3 V. This dual voltage reflects the architecture of the UNO Q, which pairs an STM32U585 microcontroller with an application processor.

For those who want to get started right away, the 8-megapixel camera module with a Sony IMX219 sensor is the right component to pair with the two MIPI-CSI inputs. The module with the IMX219 sensor for Raspberry Pi 5 covers exactly that kind of application, from surveillance to embedded computer vision.

Power, dimensions and operating temperature

The VIN (DC_IN) supply accepts 7 to 24 V DC through the 4-pin J13 header. The VCOIN input, on the other hand, is 3.0 V DC for the host board’s RTC, with a maximum of 3.6 V, and goes through the 4-pin J10 header. The dimensions are 68.58 x 53.34 mm, so the form factor stays UNO, and the temperature range goes from -10 to 60 degrees. The board also has room for 4 RGB LEDs.

• Two 22-pin MIPI-CSI connectors for IMX219 cameras
• One 22-pin MIPI-DSI connector for Waveshare displays
• Three 3.5 mm audio jacks: mic/headphones, line out, ear out
• JMEDIA and JMISC connectors, 60-pin female, in passthrough
• I2C (CCI and MCU I2C4) and 8-bit PSSI
• SoC GPIOs at 1.8 V and MCU GPIOs at 3.3 V

The list price is 19.25 dollars, or 19.89 euros including VAT, on the Arduino store. For those who want to start from scratch with the host board, the complete kit with accessories for the UNO Q 4GB covers the starting point. The complete kit with accessories for the UNO Q 4GB combines the STM32U585 microcontroller with the application processor, that is, the same combination that the Media Carrier sets out to extend.

On the software side Arduino provides a User Manual and a Kiosk Mode tutorial, which explains how to connect and configure the UNO Q and Media Carrier with a Waveshare touch display. Those who want to dig deeper will find everything on the Arduino maker site, where the manual and tutorial are collected.

Source: https://docs.arduino.cc/hardware/uno-media-carrier/

Related products

• 8MP Camera Module with Sony IMX219 for Raspberry Pi 5
• Arduino UNO Q 4GB – Complete kit with accessories

The post UNO Media Carrier: cameras, displays and audio for the UNO Q appeared first on Open Electronics.

KnowMade’s latest Lateral Power GaN Patent Monitor update on inventions, patent grants and emerging players across the power gallium nitride (GaN) supply chain shows that second-quarter 2026 was led by industrial patent assignees, while several Chinese universities maintained a strong presence in GaN power device innovation...

This Design Idea enables you to program digital potentiometers with inexpensive rotary incremental encoders.

Recent Design Ideas for circuits that manually control digital potentiometers have mostly “revolved” around UP/DOWN pushbutton switches. I’ve certainly resorted to that same “reciprocating” recipe myself.

But the fact remains that after a lifetime of dialing in analog parameters like audio volume and tone adjustments, lamp dimmers, water faucets, etc., with rotatable knobs and levers, UP/DOWN buttons just don’t, and probably never will, really feel natural.

Wow the engineering world with your unique design: Design Ideas Submission Guide

So I was pleasantly surprised to recently come across a series of inexpensive (~$2 apiece in single units and, of course, cheaper in quantity) rotary bidirectional incremental encoders offered by Bourns (with whom I have no personal affiliation aside from from-afar product line admiration). That’s cheap enough to compete head-to-head with push buttons.

And they’re just as simple (or even moreso) to interface to an increment/decrement DPOT!  Figure 1 shows how it works.

Figure 1 This 24 pulse-per-rev quadrature encoder can run the 128 position DPOT U2 from limit to limit with just 5 + 1/3 quick rotations, easily completed in about as many seconds.

The contact-type rotary encoder generates 24 quadrature pulses per turn, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2 The quadrature phase relationship between encoder A and B contacts causes clockwise rotation to increment the DPOT setting, and counterclockwise rotation to decrement it.

Contact A provides clock pulses that are signal conditioned (debounced by R3C1) and sharpened (by Schmidt trigger U1) for presentation to U2’s edge-triggered Clock pin 1 input, causing U2 to execute an increment/decrement operation when A goes from ON to OFF. 

Quadrature contact B is time-delay matched (by R4C2) and connected to U2’s Up/-Down pin 2 input. Figure 2 shows  how the quadrature phase relationship between A and B causes U2 to count UP on each clock pulse when rotated clockwise, and DOWN when rotated counterclockwise.

Tastes will obviously differ, but for mine, when compared to button pushing, this method definitely offers a turn for the better.

Stephen Woodward‘s relationship with EDN’s DI column goes back quite a long way. Over 200 submissions have been accepted since his first contribution back in 1974.  They have included best Design Idea of the year in 1974 and 2001.

Related Content

• DPOT push up/down
• Finger-friendly DPOT pushbuttons do ups, downs, and dittos
• Push to increase, decrease a digital potentiometer
• Digital potentiometer simulates log taper to accurately set gain
• Synthesize precision bipolar Dpot rheostats

The post An unbuttoned circuit for setting digital pots appeared first on EDN.