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On stand 1365 during the European Conference on Optical Communication (ECOC 2026) exhibition at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga (FYCMA), Spain (21–23 September), Avicena Tech Corp of Sunnyvale, CA, USA is demonstrating what it claims is the industry’s first connectorized micro-LED optical interconnect...

A soldering fume extractor that turns itself on when the air gets dirty. That is what Curious Scientist built using an ESP32-C3 Super Mini, a dust sensor and a VOC sensor. The device adjusts the fan speed according to the pollution level it detects and shuts off after 3 minutes with no readings. So you no longer have to remember to switch the extractor on before picking up the soldering iron.

The heart of the circuit is a compact board, the same family many makers use in IoT projects. Next to it works an Arduino Nano, which handles the reading and control side. On the panel there is room for a 1.3″ OLED display with an SSH1106 driver, managed by a compatible Arduino library. The display shows the system status and the countdown before shutdown.

Two sensors and an adaptive baseline

Pollution detection happens in two stages. The first is based on readings from the dust sensor, the second on those from the VOC sensor. The VOC sensor does not use the raw TVOC value directly: instead it adopts a baseline that adapts slowly and looks for significant increases relative to it. This way the system is not fooled by the small fluctuations typical of these sensors.

The GP2Y1010AU0F dust sensor works with an infrared LED briefly switched on by the microcontroller. Light scattered by the particles is picked up by a photodiode, and the output signal is proportional to the amount of dust. The minimum activation threshold for the dust parameter is 40 ug/m3. For the ENS160 sensor, the AQI value it provides ranges from 1 to 5.

The controller does not trigger on a single event or on crossing a threshold. It takes several over-threshold readings within a fixed number of readings. In practice:

• LOW level: 3 over-threshold readings out of 5
• MED level: 12 over-threshold readings out of 20
• HIGH level: 15 over-threshold readings out of 25

This logic prevents false starts. The controller starts quickly at LOW speed and increases the fan speed only if the pollution persists long enough to show that the lower speed is not enough. So the fan steps up only when it is really needed.

5 V fan and shutdown after 180 seconds

The fan is a 12 V unit, but it is powered at 5 V at a very reduced speed. This is to draw air through the device so the sensors are properly exposed and false readings are avoided. If no pollution is detected for more than 3 minutes, the extractor is switched off. The device remembers the last pollution event and counts down from there.

During the last 30 seconds of the 3-minute countdown a warning message appears. Pressing the button within those 30 seconds resets the timer. So if you are about to do another soldering job you do not have to wait for the fan to stop and start again. The countdown for the automatic fan shutdown is 180 s.

Anyone who wants to rebuild the project will find the full account of the work on the Curious Scientist website. The firmware runs on a board from the ESP32-C3 family, so it is programmed with the Arduino IDE and the usual libraries. For the OLED display you need an Arduino library compatible with the SSH1106 driver.

Replicating the project takes only a few parts: an ESP32-C3 SuperMini development board, an Arduino Nano, a dust sensor, a VOC sensor, a 1.3″ OLED display and a 12 V fan. The dust sensor is the same model used in the project, the GP2Y1010AU0F from Sharp, designed to detect dust particles. For those who want to dig deeper, maker Curious Scientist’s site collects the work on this extractor.

Source: https://curiousscientist.tech/blog/automated-fume-extractor-soldering-made-easier

Related products

• Mini ESP32-C3 module
• Arduino Nano V3.3
• 1.3-inch OLED Display

The post Automatic Soldering Fume Extractor with Dust and VOC Sensors appeared first on Open Electronics.

Drawing a shape pixel by pixel in the browser and watching it light up on an 8×8 WS2812B LED matrix: that is what Rui Santos’ project does. The ESP32 connects to the Wi-Fi network and serves a web page with an 8×8 grid, where you pick the colour of each of the 64 RGB LEDs. Saved shapes stay in memory even after a reboot, so they can be shown on the physical matrix, reloaded into the editor or played back in sequence as a slideshow. All of it combines an asynchronous web server, a filesystem and the FastLED library on a single board.

How the web editor served by the ESP32 works

The web page shows an 8×8 grid and for each pixel you choose the colour. A slider sets the overall brightness of the shape, which is scaled before it reaches the physical LEDs. In the code the default brightness is 128 on a scale from 0 to 255. The matrix is also driven by a single digital pin, GPIO 2, through the FastLED library, with configuration parameters for orientation, horizontal and vertical flip and colour order.

The web server is asynchronous, so the ESP32 keeps serving the page without blocking everything else. That means you can draw while the matrix stays lit on the last shape sent. Anyone who wants to rebuild the project will find the full account of the work, from the sketches to the assembly, on maker Rui Santos’ site.

Shapes saved in LittleFS and the slideshow

Up to 10 shapes are saved in LittleFS as JSON, so they remain stored even after a reboot. The gallery shows a preview of every saved shape. Clicking it displays the shape on the physical matrix and reloads it into the editor for modification. You can also delete a shape, an operation that also turns off the physical LEDs, and enable a slideshow that cycles through all saved shapes with an adjustable interval. The default slideshow interval is 2000 ms between one shape and the next.

• ESP32 board
• 8×8 matrix with 64 WS2812B LEDs
• 5V 2A AC-DC power supply
• Jumper wires
• Arduino IDE with FastLED, ESPAsyncWebServer, AsyncTCP and ArduinoJSON 7.X

The software side relies on Daniel Garcia’s FastLED library, ESP32Async’s ESPAsyncWebServer and AsyncTCP, Benoit Blanchon’s ArduinoJSON 7.X and LittleFS. For anyone who wants to start from a larger matrix, the catalogue has the 16×16 flexible WS2812B Neopixel LED panel, with 256 LEDs instead of the 64 of this project.

Power and consumption of the 8×8 matrix

The WS2812B matrix is made up of 64 RGB LEDs arranged in an 8×8 grid and must be powered at 5V. At 5V each LED draws about 50mA at maximum brightness. Consequently, at full brightness in white, every 30 LEDs the matrix can draw up to 1.5A. The recommended power supply for the matrix is a 5V 2A AC-DC adapter, so with a useful margin above the current peak.

Those who prefer a shape other than the square one can look at the 8×32 addressable RGB LED matrix with 256 WS2812B LEDs, which uses the same type of LED but in an elongated geometry. The wiring stays simple: a single data wire to GPIO 2 and 5V power.

Source: https://randomnerdtutorials.com/esp32-8×8-matrix-shape-editor-web-server/

Related products

• 16×16 WS2812B Neopixel LED Panel – Flexible

The post Web shape editor for an 8×8 WS2812B LED matrix with ESP32 appeared first on Open Electronics.

Packaging innovation in the AI era has reached the doorsteps of power electronics. A new architecture uses the silicon wafer itself as the package foundation to enable a highly integrated approach to power system design. It optimizes electrical, mechanical, and thermal design together from the outset to help designers achieve higher power density and improve system performance.

Embedded Power Platform (EPP) unveiled by onsemi claims to have reimagined the package from passive housing into an active contributor to power design performance. It enables a seamless integration and interconnection of silicon, silicon carbide (SiC), and gallium nitride (GaN) technologies within a highly integrated wafer-level architecture.

Figure 1 In EPP, heterogeneous dies are embedded in silicon and connected through wafer-level redistribution layers. Source: onsemi

“For decades, the semiconductor and the package have been treated as separate technologies,” noted Hassane El-Khoury, President and CEO of onsemi. “EPP changes that by making the silicon itself part of the system architecture.” It does that by combining advanced semiconductor technologies, manufacturing, and system-level optimization into a single power design.

The AI era is creating new infrastructure challenges that computing power alone can’t solve. Take data centers, for instance, where design engineers must move and manage more electricity in server racks while controlling heat, efficiency, cost, and development time. That limits how much compute capacity can fit within a rack.

That’s mainly because traditional power system design approaches treat power electronics, mechanical design, and thermal design as separate engineering challenges. As a result, each layer is optimized independently and sequentially, so decisions made at one stage can create compromises in another. That, in turn, leads to additional engineering iterations, costly late-stage changes, and longer development cycles.

EPP replaces the sequential model with a common platform that can be co-designed, co-simulated, and co-optimized. That transforms it into a technology-agnostic platform that supports different applications and semiconductor materials while scaling across multiple power levels. As a result, multiple devices such as FETs, drivers, and controllers can be embedded together in a single package and co-optimized for electrical, thermal, and mechanical performance.

Figure 2 EPP claims to introduce a fundamentally new approach to how power is delivered, managed, and optimized. Source: onsemi

This enables tighter electrical coupling, combines power and control in a single platform, and reduces system-level complexity. According to onsemi, in a solid-state circuit-breaker design, the EPP-based solution was approximately 50% smaller and 20% cooler than existing designs.

Beyond data center power

Carmaker Subaru—an early engagement partner for EPP—is working with onsemi to evaluate how the platform could support future electrified vehicle architectures. Subaru will gain early access to engineering samples, simulation models, and technical expertise as the two companies explore opportunities to improve vehicle performance and streamline development.

Efficiency losses, thermal limitations, development complexity, and system size often constrain EV traction inverters. Here, EPP’s scalable architecture helps develop a single inverter platform that spans low-end to high-end vehicle applications. This lets carmakers reuse a common design across multiple vehicle models and power classes, reducing R&D and manufacturing costs, accelerating qualification and development cycles, improving vehicle range, and lowering system costs.

As AI, automotive, and industrial markets drive demand for more power in less space, a new architecture claims to redefine system power delivery by integrating multiple dies into a single silicon device. EPP also claims to enable 3 – 5x higher power density than current solutions through a highly integrated approach to power system design.

These claims will surely be tested in data center and EV power designs, where designers must improve efficiency while managing heat, size, and cost. EPP is expected to begin sampling in 2026 with strategic customers and ecosystem participants across automotive and AI applications.

Related Content

• The shift to 800-VDC power architectures in AI factories
• Power systems: the first parameter to evaluate is efficiency
• Low Power Design Techniques, Design Methodology, and Tools
• LTpowerPlanner: A system-level power architecture design tool
• Designing a data center power architecture with supply and processor rail-monitoring solutions

The post Highly integrated approach to power system design in the AI era appeared first on EDN.

In episode 384, the Hackaday podcast offers a curated overview of the week’s most interesting projects and news in the world of electronics and hacking. Editors Elliot Williams and Al Williams comment on their favorite articles, read listener messages in the Mailbag segment, and announce new challenges. They also showcase projects like a fully 3D-printable thermoacoustic Stirling engine, a turntable that reads MOD files optically, and a Casio F-91W watch modified for contactless payments.

Thermoacoustic Stirling engine and other projects

Among the most fascinating projects, a thermoacoustic Stirling engine made entirely with 3D printing stands out. This type of engine uses sound waves to generate motion, and the ability to print it completely makes it accessible to many makers. The podcast also discusses a turntable that reads MOD files optically, a creative solution that bridges the digital and analog worlds. Finally, a Casio F-91W modified for contactless payments shows how modern technology can be integrated into a classic object.

The podcast is not limited to projects: it also covers the history of space stations starting from the 1800s, a fascinating journey through the milestones that led to modern orbital structures. Additionally, must-read articles are discussed, including a talk on making magical PCBs and quick tips like emulating an iPod or making an LCD interface look like classic spy gear. The project page on Hackaday.io collects the details and links to dive deeper into each topic covered.

Challenges and contests for makers

The podcast announces the Retrocomputing Challenge 2026 and Supercon 2026, two unmissable events for enthusiasts. It also reminds listeners about the One Hertz Challenge, the currently open contest that asks you to design a device in which something happens once per second.

These challenges stimulate creativity and push makers to exceed their limits. The podcast also offers practical tips for those who want to get involved, such as using a TO-220 power transistor to handle more demanding loads. For those starting with prototyping, a perfboard for Arduino is the ideal starting point. Finally, for projects that require a response to movement, a high-sensitivity vibration sensor can make a difference.

Hackaday Podcast episode 384 confirms itself as a valuable resource for those following the world of electronics. Thanks to the editors’ comments and listener submissions, it offers a complete and up-to-date view. The Mailbag segment also allows direct interaction with the community, making each episode unique and participatory.

Source: https://hackaday.io/contests

Related products

• PCB – Protoshield
• High sensitivity vibration sensor with signal output and indicator LED 5-15 VDC

The post Hackaday Podcast: Stirling Engines, Contactless Watches, and Maker Challenges appeared first on Open Electronics.

Want to network-connect your gear using prevalent wired Ethernet? Or interference-impervious optical fiber? How about a bandwidth boost? Or a range extension? SFP and its siblings do it all.

One recent sequential-coverage cadence of mine just wrapped up, with part 4 of the “Debugging intermittent Comcast” run done. Another, my longstanding TP-Link smart plug teardown series, is nearing the finish line, with its next entry queued up to appear on EDN a week from next Monday and its final entry scheduled for next-month publication.

But if indeed all good things must sooner or later come to an end, other good things can also emerge in their stead. That’s what I hope will be the case for the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) module teardown series set to start next Monday. I first learned of SFP through my efforts to galvanically isolate my various LAN devices from lightning EMI-prone Ethernet and coax cables running outside of my residence.

Multi-gig gains ascendancy

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. Take a look, for example, at this enterprise managed switch from the late 2000s, which cost several thousand dollars when brand new.

Granted, it has 24 primary Ethernet ports, but they “only” offer 10/100 Mbps. At far left are two more GbE Ethernet ports. And in-between the two RJ-45 arrays are two 1 Gbit SFP ports.

Fast-forward to today. This switch is admittedly unmanaged and has only eight RJ-45 ports.

But those RJ-45 ports are 2.5 GbE. The SFP ports are next-gen SFP+, 10 GbE. And the price tag? $41.39 at Amazon as I write these words.

Or this one:

Four fewer RJ-45s, albeit still 2.5 GbE. Once again, two 10 GbE SFP+ ports. And the price? $31.99. One of them is on an Amazon delivery truck headed to me later today as we speak, in fact. And in a near-future planned post, I’ll even detail how it’s possible to (and I in fact did) transform one into a fully user-managed variant using hacked factory firmware and/or open-source software.

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. Today, in advance of a plethora of teardowns to come on a diversity of module variants I’ve been collecting in recent weeks, I just want to focus on what SFP is, along with its predecessor and siblings.

Without further ado, and focusing predominantly on the “flavors” most commonly used in consumer and workgroup settings, therefore in highest production volume, which typically translates to lowest cost (if you feel like your head’s about to explode after absorbing the full suite of SFP implementation options documented on Wikipedia, it’s perfectly understandable!)…

Mechanical form factors

Before SFP, there was GBIC, the gigabit interface converter, initially defined in 1995 and used with Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel. As Wikipedia notes, “By standardizing on a hot swappable electrical interface, a single gigabit port can support a wide range of physical media, from copper to long-wave single-mode optical fiber, at lengths of hundreds of kilometers.”

Keeping in mind inevitable bandwidth extrapolation, thanks to further technology evolution, the same basic definition applies to 20-pin SFP, therefore explaining its alternative name, mini-GBIC.

Quad SFP (QSFP), as the name implies, supports four simultaneous bidirectional data lanes (therefore the 38-pin connector). The first picture above is of a standalone transceiver; the second shows an active optical cable (AOC) version conceptually like, albeit of course more complex than, the SFP-based ones I’m currently using in my network for galvanic isolation purposes.

The module is of the same height (8.5 mm/0.33 in.) as SFP, as is the XFP module I’ll discuss next. But it’s wider than SFP (18.35 mm/0.722 in. vs 13.4 mm/0.53 in.), although adapters can allow SFP modules to fit in QSFP sockets. And it’s also deeper than SFP; 72.4 mm/2.85 in. vs 56.5 mm/2.22 in.

Last, and least common nowadays, is another SFP precursor, aforementioned 30-pin XFP, dating from 2002. It’s even deeper than QSFP, 78.0 mm/3.07 in. The above photo is of it alongside SFP.

System interfaces

Commonplace SFP interfaces run at 100 Mbps and 1, 2.5 and 5 Gbps. The bitrate similarly to Ethernet counterparts is not accidental SFP+ leverages the same SFP mechanical form factor discussed earlier but runs at 10 Gbps and 25 Gbps, the latter alternatively known as SFP28. Less common 50 and 100 Mbps SFFP+ variants (SFP56 and SFP112) are also available, as are “DD” double density flavors which leverage up to 8 data lanes. Higher speed SFP+ versions migrate from non-return-to-zero (NRZ) modulation to four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM-4).

Interconnect options

SFP modules connect to each other, as well as directly to system in some cases, via three main cable material and associated transceiver options: fiber optics in conjunction with electro-optical converters, RJ-45 Ethernet, and basic copper wire.

I’ll discuss fiber optics in more detail in the next section; for now, I’ll note the following:

• Both plastic and glass cable construction material options are available. Plastic characteristics include (with glass characteristics essentially the exact opposite):
  • Lower cost
  • Greater flexibility and overall handling safety
  • But much shorter usable distance due to high attenuation loss
  • Low tolerance of temperature extremes
• When the cable is permanently installed to SFP modules on both ends, it’s referred to (as alluded to earlier) as an active optical cable (AOC).

RJ-45 modules mate the SFP or SFP+ circuitry to an Ethernet transceiver. Speeds up to 10 GbE, such as with the module shown at the top of this section, are widely available. These modules tend to run “hotter” than fiber optical or basic wire alternatives, all other factors being equal.

Passive direct-attached-cable (DAC) wire harness-based cables are the most elementary version of this particular form factor, with the shortest effective range. Active copper cables (ACC), as a helpful white paper from NADDOD explains, “use a redriver chip architecture, employing continuous time linear equalization (CTLE) to boost signals on the receiver (Rx) side, acting as analog signal amplifiers.” And active electrical cables (AECs) “are more advanced, using a retimer chip architecture to amplify and equalize signals at both transmitter (Tx) and receiver (Rx) ends, with added clock data recovery (CDR) to reduce jitter, offering higher signal integrity and clearer data transmission.”

Wavelengths

SFP modules most commonly run at the following wavelengths (all are center frequencies):

• 850 nm (“multimode”)
• 1300 nm (“multimode”)/1310 nm (“single-mode”)
• 1550 nm (“single-mode”)

The distinction between multimode and single-mode fiber optics is important to comprehend and keep in mind, as the two technologies are not interchangeable (although some modules will work with both associated cable material types).

Multimode was historically much less expensive to implement, at the tradeoff of lower usable transmission distance. It features a comparatively larger cable core (50 to 62.5 microns) that lets multiple light signals travel down different paths at the same time, and it usually uses lower-cost LEDs or vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs).

Single-mode features a comparatively tiny core (about 8 to 10 microns), which allows only a single ray of light to pass straight through without bouncing off the edges, and it uses focused lasers as a light source. Its historical cost disadvantage versus “multimode” has more recently decreased, due in part to the availability of non-proprietary, widely compatible modules. And as noted earlier, it generally specifies much longer usable transmission distances.

Cable tiers

We’ve already discussed fiber optic cable materials and construction options, along with associated light source and reception approaches. Each combination also has multiple quality tiers, which are commonly color-coded for ease of user recognition and interpretation.

Multimode cable comes in OM1 through OM5 options, with OM1 and OM2 now in legacy status and OM3 and OM4 most common nowadays. The fundamental tradeoffs between them involve lower cost (OM3) versus higher modal bandwidth and longer transmission spans (OM4).

For single-mode fiber optics, it’s simpler—OS1 and OS2—although the two types are incompatible in that they cannot be directly connected to each other. Cost, bandwidth and transmission distance are again the predominant evaluation criteria between them, although construction variances also tend to favor OS1 for indoor use and OS2 for outdoor applications.

Fiber connectors

Legacy GBIC deployments used the Standard (or Subscriber) Connector (SC) to mate cables to modules. Newer SFP-based implementations have switched to the much smaller Lucent Connector (LC). AOC fiber interconnect with SC plugs on one end and LC plugs on the other is also commonly available to bridge legacy and newer networking hardware.

Module flavors

As mentioned earlier, I’ve got a bunch of modules in hand, which I plan to tear down and internals-share with you in the coming months. As you can likely already imagine, the implementation diversity inherent in combining the numerous technology variables discussed in the previous sections results in oft-“interesting” module results. Here’s what I’ll be dissecting:

• 1 Gbit SR (short range, multimode) SFP module
• 1 Gbit LX (long range, usable with both single-mode and multimode cable at differing distances) SFP+ module
• 1 Gbit SFP to RJ45 transceiver module
• 5 Gbit ZX+ (extended long-haul range, single-mode) SFP module
• 10 Gbit IR (intermediate range, single-mode) SFP+ module
• 10 Gbit 0.3 meter/1 foot DAC cable
• 25 Gbit SR (short range, multimode) SFP+ (SFP28) module
• 40 Gbit SR QSFP+ module

The last one, whose image is at the top of this section, is particularly interesting (at least to me). It’s a 1 Gbit “BX” SFP module, with BX standing for bidirectional. Compared to the prior fiber-based modules, which use one strand for transmission and the other for reception (so you need to be sure when you hook them up that each strand’s transmission connection on one module end mates up with the other module’s receiver connection at the other end, and vice versa!), a BX module both transmits and receives across a common single cable strand.

The wavelengths employed by each module are vendor-specific, so you need to be careful in reading the specifications to ensure that you’ll end up with a transmit-and-receive wavelength matched pairing on both ends of the cable. Or just play it safe and buy all your modules from a single supplier, using a common model number.

And here’s a further “wrinkle” on the concept; in the above picture, since only a single strand is in use, there’s only one exposed optical connector site necessary. cSFP modules instead continue to use both fiber cable connectors, combining two bidirectional electro-optical subsystems in one module for doubled per-cable transfer rates. Tricky, eh?

That’s all I’ve got for you today. Look for my initial module teardown in the series, of the aforementioned 10 Gbit LX SFP+ module, to come early next week. And until then, I as always welcome your series-so-far thoughts in the comments!

—Brian Dipert is the associate editor, as well as a contributing editor, at EDN.

Related Content

• TP-Link MC220L: Media conversion keeps the network well
• The whole-house LAN: Achilles-heel alternatives, tradeoffs, and plans
• Design considerations in high-speed fiber networks

The post SFP: Add-in module delivers diminutive performance, flexibility appeared first on EDN.

🎥 Відкритий діалог КПІшників зі Стівеном Голдфарбом kpi чт, 09/17/2026 - 14:43

ROHM Semiconductor says that its silicon carbide (SiC) power semiconductor chips are being used in the electric powertrain architecture of BMW’s ‘Neue Klasse’ Gen 6 electric vehicle platform...

A development board costing a few euros can become a complete i386 PC. That is what the Tiny386 emulator, ported to RP2350 boards by Mikhail Matveev, achieves: the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 emulates an i386 CPU, talks to an SD card, drives a VGA or HDMI output and accepts keyboard, mouse and gamepad. The firmware boots DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95 and Linux, so it behaves like a real Nineties PC, only much smaller.

At its heart is Chunhui He’s Tiny386 core, which emulates a complete i386 CPU with partial i486 and i586 instructions and an optional x87 FPU. The integration on the RP2350 platform is called Pico-286 and borrows the hardware patterns of QuakeGeneric. The PC peripherals code comes from QEMU, while the BIOS is SeaBIOS with its VGA BIOS. Everything runs on Raspberry Pi Pico SDK version 2.0 or later.

8MB PSRAM, SPI SD and a 378 MHz clock

Memory is the main constraint for an x86 emulator on a microcontroller, and here it is solved with the 8MB PSRAM mounted on the board. The emulator uses up to 8MB of RAM, while the settings menu lets you configure from 1 to 8 MB. The default CPU frequency in the build is 378 MHz, with a 504 MHz option, and the PSRAM runs at 133 MHz with a 166 MHz option. These are numbers to keep an eye on, because pushing the clock helps emulation but runs hotter and draws more power.

Storage goes through the SD card in SPI mode, managed by the FatFs module for the FAT filesystem. Disk images are read at runtime through a disk manager opened with Win+F12: from there you choose floppy, hard disk and CD-ROM. The maximum supported hard disk image size is 2GB, while standard floppies are 1.44MB, that is 1474560 bytes. The settings menu, on the other hand, opens with Win+F11 and changes the emulator configuration on the fly, without rebooting.

VGA or HDMI, PS/2, USB Host and I2S audio

Video output comes on a VGA or HDMI connector and covers text and graphics modes up to 640×480. For input there are two routes. The first is classic PS/2, with dedicated keyboard and mouse. The second uses the RP2350’s native USB Host, so USB keyboards and mice can be connected. On top of that there is support for the NES gamepad, which can work in mouse emulation mode. Audio comes out of an I2S DAC and the FM synthesis for AdLib comes from the MAME FM Sound Generator, the fmopl module.

• Raspberry Pi Pico 2 with RP2350 as the base board
• 8MB PSRAM to reach 8MB of emulated RAM
• SD card in SPI mode for floppy, hard disk and CD-ROM
• PS/2 keyboard and mouse, or USB keyboard and mouse via native USB Host
• NES or SNES gamepad with mouse emulation mode
• I2S DAC for audio output
• VGA or HDMI connector for video

Anyone who wants to rebuild the project will find the code to compile in Mikhail Matveev’s repository, with the Pico-286 integration for RP2350 and the third-party modules already wired in. The INI file parser is inih, the filesystem is FatFs, and the BIOS and VGA BIOS must be supplied as bios.bin and vgabios.bin. The build is done with Raspberry Pi Pico SDK 2.0 or later, so you need an up-to-date ARM toolchain and a bit of patience with clock configuration.

Assembly does not require exotic components: the board, the PSRAM, the SD slot, the connectors and the DAC. For the storage side, a MicroSD Card Reader module with SPI interface replicates the SPI read scheme used by the firmware for floppy, hard disk and CD-ROM. For audio output, a DAC audio converter with I2S interface covers the same function as the DAC described in the project.

The result is an i386 PC with complete peripherals at the cost of an inexpensive development board. DOS, Windows 3.x, Windows 95 and Linux run on pocket-sized hardware, with 8MB of RAM, 640×480 graphics and SD storage. For anyone who wants to understand how an x86 machine is emulated on a microcontroller, or simply wants a portable bench DOS machine, this is a concrete starting point.

Source: https://github.com/rh1tech/frank-386

Related products

• MicroSD Card Reader module with SPI interface
• DAC Audio Converter with I2S Interface

The post An i386 PC on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2: Tiny386 Emulator Runs on RP2350 appeared first on Open Electronics.

Koode Bot is a hospital reception system that works without internet. An AI-powered kiosk interviews patients in Malayalam, assigns a department, and generates a clinical summary for the doctor. An ESP32 robot then physically escorts the patient to the department. The project is designed to respect privacy and reduce staff workload.

The core of the system is a Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 GB of RAM. The patient selects a language on the touchscreen—Malayalam, Hindi, or English—and speaks into a USB microphone. The audio is converted to text by faster-whisper and sent to the Gemma 4 E2B model running on Ollama. The model conducts a structured clinical interview, asking follow-up questions based on reported symptoms.

Data flow and clinical report generation

At the end of the interview, the model generates a clinical report in JSON with department, urgency, and summary. The report is saved in SQLite. The kiosk displays the token and assigned department, and sends an MQTT message on the topic koode/bot/navigate. The token has the format K0419001: the initial K, month and day, and a daily counter.

Report generation takes 60–120 seconds. The system handles up to 12 question-and-answer exchanges in the interview. Model response latency is 10–30 seconds, while speech recognition takes 2–6 seconds. Model loading time is about 35 seconds. RAM usage is about 9 GB.

The Koode Bot robot and ultrasonic navigation

The Koode Bot robot uses an ESP32-S3 and receives the MQTT message with the assigned department. MQTT latency is 1 second. The robot escorts the patient using ultrasonic sensors for navigation. An HC-SR04 sensor detects obstacles, while an L298 driver controls the 12 V DC motors.

The department misclassification rate is about 15%. The system has significant potential for epidemic detection by analyzing symptoms collected from interviews. Additionally, the offline nature protects sensitive patient data.

The project is documented in the shan repository. Those who want to replicate it will find code for the Raspberry Pi and the ESP32, plus the configuration for Ollama and the models.

What you need to rebuild the project

The main components include a Raspberry Pi 5, an official touchscreen, a USB microphone, and a Hailo-8 AI HAT accelerator. For the robot, you need an ESP32-S3, an HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor, an L298 driver, and 12 V DC motors.

The software runs on Ollama with the Gemma 4 E2B model (Q4_K_M). The backend uses Flask, SQLite, and MQTT (mosquitto). On the robot, PubSubClient and ArduinoJson handle communication. For those starting from scratch, the Raspberry Pi 5 is the recommended base for the kiosk.

• Raspberry Pi 5 with 8 GB of RAM
• Raspberry Pi Touch Display
• USB microphone
• Hailo-8 AI HAT
• DFRobot FireBeetle ESP32 IOT Microcontroller
• HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor
• L298 motor driver
• 12 V DC motors

The system is designed for hospitals with reduced staff or areas with limited connectivity. Privacy is guaranteed by the fact that no data leaves the device. The project demonstrates how edge AI can bring intelligence to critical contexts without depending on the cloud.

Source: https://github.com/lil-shan/Koode

The post Koode Bot: Offline Hospital Triage with Edge AI on Raspberry Pi 5 appeared first on Open Electronics.

From left to right, oldest(first) to newest, an LED light dimmer, a charge pump, a light blinker, and a monostable ne555 for extending the length of a pulse from a motion sensor submitted by /u/Agent_Teto [link] [comments]

The ST SafeSense VD56GA 1.1-Mpixel automotive image sensor enables infrared in-cabin sensing for driver and occupant monitoring applications. Based on ST’s DeepNIR BSI pixel architecture, the sensor delivers 35% higher modulation transfer function (MTF) and nearly 60% higher quantum efficiency (QE) than the previous generation. The higher MTF and infrared sensitivity result in sharper images, while the sensor’s small CSP allows discreet in-cabin camera designs for space-constrained installations.

With 2.43×2.43-µm pixels, the global-shutter sensor’s 1.1-Mpixel architecture achieves virtual 2-Mpixel performance. According to ST, the VDA56GA can reduce overall camera-module costs through lower-cost optics, simplified infrared illumination, and less demanding optical filtering. Embedded image-processing functions, including mirror, crop, dark calibration, auto exposure, and piecewise-linear processing, eliminate the need for external image processing. Together, these features can help designers deploy driver and occupant monitoring across a broader range of vehicle models.

The sensor is undergoing AEC-Q100 Grade 2 qualification, with a −40°C to +125°C operating junction-temperature range. It is compliant with ISO 26262 for ASIL B system integration and ISO/SAE 21434 for automotive cybersecurity.

Samples are available now. Pricing information and sample requests are available from local ST sales offices.

VD56GA product page 

STMicroelectronics

The post Sensor sharpens infrared in-cabin imaging appeared first on EDN.

Vishay’s XFD11KxxCA flat-clamping transient voltage suppression (TVS) devices provide 11 kW of peak pulse power dissipation at 10/1000 µs. Offered in surface-mount DO-218AC packages, the bidirectional devices maintain a low clamping ratio (VC/VBR) close to 1.0, supporting high power density.

The XFD11KxxCA series comprises 15 devices, each available in commercial and AEC-Q101 qualified grades. They have clamping voltages of 40.6 V to 104.0 V, breakdown voltages from 36.7 V to 104 V, and standoff voltages from 33 V to 85 V, making them suitable for 12-V, 24-V, and 48-V automotive powertrains. At the same standoff voltage, they have lower clamping voltage than conventional TVS products in DO-218 packages and deliver approximately 1.6 times higher peak pulse current, up to 207.1 A at 10/1000 µs.

Additional key specifications include an 8/20-µs surge capability of up to 2140 A and maximum leakage current of 10 µA at the standoff voltage (VWM) to minimize power loss. The series’ low, stable clamping and breakdown voltages over a wide temperature range of -55°C to +175°C allow the use of lower-voltage downstream components, reducing voltage overshoot and enabling smaller design guard bands.

Samples and production quantities of the XFD11KxxCA series are available now, with lead times of 12 weeks.

XFD11KxxCA product page

Vishay Intertechnology

The post Transient voltage suppression devices reach 11 kW with flat clamping appeared first on EDN.

Singular Photonics’ Litavis is a CMOS single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) image sensor with integrated digital photon processing on-chip and in-pixel. By processing photon events directly on-chip, it reduces the volume of raw data that must be transferred and processed externally.  According to the company, Litavis enables scalable real-time imaging systems with lower latency and improved power efficiency.

The 3D-stacked, back-side-illuminated (BSI) sensor captures spatial and temporal information while extracting scene information such as depth and event characteristics. Its software-configurable architecture combines photon-counting imaging, programmable time gating, and photon timing within a scalable SPAD array. Litavis supports intensity, timing, and histogramming modes concurrently, allowing users to dynamically adjust sensor parameters in software without requiring a new hardware design.

Litavis provides continuous 256×256-pixel photon-counting imaging under low-light conditions and simultaneously generates time-stamped photon events across a 64×64-macropixel timing grid. It delivers 47% photon detection efficiency (PDE) at 785 nm, 37-ps timing resolution, and 4.3-ns dead time, with a 100% fill factor enabled by microlenses.

The SPAD-based sensor targets applications including machine vision, physical AI, robotics, depth sensing, and scientific imaging. A timeline for sensor availability was not provided at the time of this announcement.

Litavis product page  

Singular Photonics  

The post SPAD sensor processes photon events on-chip appeared first on EDN.

Anti-surge chip resistors in Rohm’s SDR01 series deliver a rated power of 0.33 W in the 0402 (1005 metric) package. The devices save board space and lower component count by replacing larger-size resistors in automotive, industrial, and AI server applications that require increased mounting density.

With optimized resistive element and electrode designs, the SDR01 series achieves a high rated power in the 0402 size while maintaining the reliability expected of high anti-surge chip resistors. The devices maintain their 0.33-W rating at terminal temperatures up to 125°C, making them suitable for demanding thermal environments.

Qualified to AEC-Q200, the chip resistors operate over a temperature range of -55°C to +155°C. The SDR01MZPF has a resistance tolerance of ±1% and a resistance range of 1 Ω to 2.2 MΩ, with a TCR of ±100 ppm/°C from 10 Ω to 2.2 MΩ. The corresponding ratings for the SDR01MZPJ are ±5%, 1 Ω to 10 MΩ, and a TCR of ±200 ppm/°C from 10 Ω to 10 MΩ, respectively.

The SDR01 series is now in mass production.

Rohm Semiconductor 

The post Anti-surge resistors reduce component count appeared first on EDN.

Renesas offers the RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE series of 64-bit general-purpose microprocessors for consumer and industrial HMI and IoT edge systems. Expanding the company’s RZ/G portfolio, the pin-compatible MPUs allow developers to reuse a PCB design for multiple products.

Targeting HMI devices that require rich graphics and video capabilities, the RZ/G3L integrates a GPU for 3D graphics rendering and an H.264 video codec. The RZ/G3SE targets edge devices with basic display requirements, such as EV chargers and industrial gateways with status indicators and configuration screens.

Both series use dual or quad Arm Cortex-A55 cores running at 1.2 GHz and a Cortex-M33 coprocessor at 200 MHz. The MPUs can reduce standby power to 1 mW in deep standby mode and support fast Linux wakeup for always-connected applications. High-speed interfaces, including PCIe, TSN-capable Gigabit Ethernet, and USB, enable application-specific connectivity options such as 5G and Wi-Fi 6 modules.

The RZ/G3L and RZ/G3SE MPUs are available now in 14-mm², 400-pin LFBGA and 17-mm², 368-pin LFBGA packages.

RZ/G3L product page

RZ/G3SE product page

Renesas Electronics

The post Pin-compatible MPUs simplify product variants appeared first on EDN.

Hello, This is my first project in electronics. The concept is that one of 8 Leds will fade in/out at random and that the ornament will have a usable life of approximately 20 days with a fresh CR-2032 battery. So far it has more than exceeded that limit, it's on a 2 month streak though the light has diminished. I have the project files and code on my github here: https://github.com/AvariCe-git/Christmas_Ornaments, if anyone wants to take a look or make some for themselves. For the code I used the platformio plugin for vscodium. Forgive the solder blobs on the battery terminals, my soldering iron sucks. submitted by /u/Menacing_Mosquito [link] [comments]

NUBURU Inc of Centennial, CO, USA (a dual-use defense & security integrated platform company) says that its shares have resumed trading on the NYSE American exchange. Executive chairman & co-CEO Alessandro Zamboni has consequently issued a letter to shareholders, outlining the following points...

Mouser Electronics has expanded its stock of Nordic Semiconductor products with development and evaluation kits for the nRF54L15 and nRF54LM20 Bluetooth Low Energy SoCs, the nRF9151 cellular IoT system-in-package, and the nPM2100 power management IC. Mouser has distributed Nordic products since 2011.

nRF54L15 development kit

The nRF54L15 DK is an evaluation and prototyping platform for the nRF54L Series of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless SoCs. It supports the full BLE feature set as well as other common communication protocols, and is intended for applications such as Industrial IoT (IIoT), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), asset tracking, and smart home products.

nRF54LM20 development kit

The nRF54LM20 DK supports application development for the nRF54LM20A and nRF54LM20B wireless SoCs. It is a low-cost, single-board kit that gives access to all SoC features, backed by the software examples, modules, and libraries in the nRF Connect SDK.

Both SoCs support Bluetooth LE, Bluetooth Mesh, Matter, Aliro, Thread, Zigbee, and proprietary 2.4 GHz protocols (up to 4 Mbps), plus High-Speed USB. The nRF54LM20B also integrates an Axon neural processing unit (NPU) that accelerates edge AI workloads such as health, biometric and activity monitoring, voice control, audio classification, and low-fidelity vision.

nRF9151 SMA development kit

The nRF9151 SMA DK is designed for in-depth evaluation of the nRF9151 LTE-M/NB-IoT system-in-package (SiP), which also supports DECT NR+ and GNSS. Its SMA connectors allow direct connection to lab instruments for conducted measurements, or to external antennas for field testing. A beta modem firmware adds support for NB-IoT NTN (satellite communication).

The kit includes antennas from Taoglas (cellular/NTN) and Kyocera (GNSS), and IoT SIM cards from Deutsche Telekom, Onomondo, and Monogoto.

nPM2100 evaluation kit

The nPM2100 EK allows no-code configuration of the nPM2100 PMIC, which is designed for low-power devices running on non-rechargeable (primary) batteries. The PMIC includes a boost regulator with automatic pass-through mode, allowing batteries to be used down to their functional end point.

With the EK connected to a PC, all PMIC settings can be configured and exported as code for direct integration into the host microcontroller application. The kit comes with six interchangeable battery holders covering a wide range of primary cell configurations.

Availability

The kits are available from Mouser. The Nordic Semiconductor products stocked by Mouser are listed on the Nordic Semiconductor manufacturer page.

The post Mouser stocks Nordic nRF54L, nRF9151, and nPM2100 development kits appeared first on Open Electronics.

ROHM has developed a fourth generation of 650 V IGBTs for automotive electric compressors and HV heaters, and for inverters in industrial equipment. The devices reach a collector-emitter saturation voltage of VCE(sat) = 1.55 V, which ROHM reports as the lowest conduction loss among 650 V automotive devices*, while offering high short-circuit tolerance and qualification to the AEC-Q101 automotive reliability standard (Fig. 1).

Application context

As electric vehicles move to higher voltages, SiC devices are increasingly used in high-power applications such as traction inverters. 650 V IGBTs, meanwhile, remain widely used as switching devices in lower-power auxiliary systems, including automotive electric compressors and HV heaters. Silicon IGBTs are also common in industrial equipment, particularly in motors and compressors, and demand is expected to keep growing.

These applications call for energy savings and smaller equipment, and therefore for power devices with higher reliability, smaller size, and higher efficiency. Heater and inverter circuits in particular need enough short-circuit tolerance to withstand a fault for the time required to detect and interrupt the overcurrent.

Device design

ROHM revised the device structure, including the manufacturing process and the edge termination structure, to combine low loss with high short-circuit tolerance while meeting higher voltage requirements. The new structure increases current density and reduces both conduction and switching losses. Despite the trade-off between lower loss and short-circuit tolerance, the devices guarantee a short-circuit withstand time of 7 µs at Tj = 25 °C.

Lineup and availability

The lineup includes 12 products in the TO-247N package, the RGAxxTS65HR and RGAxxTS65EHR, and 10 bare-die products, the SG83xxWN series. ROHM is also developing 12 products in the TO-247-4L package, the RGAxxTR65HR/RGAxxTR65EHR series.

All packaged devices share a collector-emitter voltage of 650 V, a short-circuit withstand time of 7 µs at Tj = 25 °C, an operating junction temperature of -40 °C to +175 °C, and AEC-Q101 qualification. The -HR versions have no built-in diode; the -EHR versions integrate a fast recovery diode. The TO-247N package measures 16.0 × 21.0 × 5.0 mm, the TO-247-4L 16.0 × 23.45 × 5.0 mm.

TO-247N (available)TO-247-4L (under development)IC (TC = 100 °C)VCE(sat) typ.

RGA60TS65HR / RGA60TS65EHR	RGA60TR65HR / RGA60TR65EHR	35 A	1.55 V
RGA80TS65HR / RGA80TS65EHR	RGA80TR65HR / RGA80TR65EHR	44 A	1.55 V
RGA00TS65HR / RGA00TS65EHR	RGA00TR65HR / RGA00TR65EHR	52 A	1.55 V
RGAX2TS65HR / RGAX2TS65EHR	RGAX2TR65HR / RGAX2TR65EHR	62 A	1.55 V
RGAX5TS65HR / RGAX5TS65EHR	RGAX5TR65HR / RGAX5TR65EHR	74 A	1.60 V
RGAY0TS65HR / RGAY0TS65EHR	RGAY0TR65HR / RGAY0TR65EHR	88 A	1.65 V

Packaged 650 V IGBTs: -HR without diode, -EHR with built-in fast recovery diode.

The bare-die devices are rated at 650 V with a typical VCE(sat) of 1.55 V and a short-circuit withstand time of 7 µs; all chips are 75 µm thick.

Bare dieIC (TC = 100 °C)Chip size X × Y (mm)

SG8351WN	20 A	3.08 × 3.08
SG8352WN	25 A	3.10 × 3.48
SG8353WN	30 A	3.52 × 3.52
SG8359WN	40 A	3.74 × 4.10
SG8355WN	50 A	4.20 × 4.39
SG8356WN	60 A	3.90 × 5.48
SG8358WN	75 A	4.50 × 5.70
SG8357WN	100 A	5.70 × 5.70
SG8360WN*	150 A	6.82 × 6.82
SG8361WN*	200 A	7.75 × 7.75

* Under development.

The TO-247N products and some of the bare-die products are available now, and the TO-247N parts are sold through online distributors including DigiKey and Farnell. ROHM plans to add more products in the same packages and to develop compact surface-mount IGBTs in the TO-263L package and in top-side cooled (TSC) packages.

Applications

• Automotive electric compressors
• Automotive HV heaters (PTC heaters, coolant heaters)
• Inverters for industrial equipment

Design support

ROHM’s website provides SPICE models that reproduce the electrical characteristics of the devices in simulation, PLECS models for circuit simulation, and other circuit design material. More information is available on the field-stop trench IGBT product page.

EcoIGBT is ROHM’s IGBT brand for devices and modules aimed at high-voltage power applications. EcoIGBT is a trademark or registered trademark of ROHM Co., Ltd.

*ROHM research, August 2026.

The post ROHM fourth-generation 650 V IGBTs with 1.55 V VCE(sat) and AEC-Q101 appeared first on Open Electronics.