- Category: Broadcom
Open Source ARM userland
"As of right now, all of the VideoCore driver code which runs on the ARM is available under a FOSS license (3-Clause BSD to be precise). The source is available from our new userland repository on GitHub. If you’re not familiar with the status of open source drivers on ARM SoCs this announcement may not seem like such a big deal, but it does actually mean that the BCM2835 used in the Raspberry Pi is the first ARM-based multimedia SoC with fully-functional, vendor-provided (as opposed to partial, reverse engineered) fully open-source drivers, and that Broadcom is the first vendor to open their mobile GPU drivers up in this way. "
- Category: Research
Hyper-threading: Perfect for Neural Networks
Modeling neural nets with Xenon Phi is a good start on a road to bio-neural gel packs but semiconductors are so 20th century.
"“Artificial neural networks and hyper-threading technologies are ideally suited for each other,” says Chuck Desylva, a support engineer for Intel performance primitives. “By functionally decomposing ANN workloads–dividing them among logical processors and employing additional optimization methods–you can achieve significant performance gains.”"
- Category: Fujitsu
Swiss army SoC of a chip
Dual core SoC with all these goodies for Wi-Fi TV tuner applications?
"Featuring a dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor (~500MHz operations) as its CPU core, MB86E631 brings together a total of 10 different interfaces—including USB2.0/3.0, Serial ATA, PCI Express, Ethernet MAC and TS—all on a single chip. Not only is the product optimal for use together with a transcoder LSI in Wi-Fi TV tuner applications SoC, but it can also be employed as a CPU for interface control in multi-tuner devices and other applications in which control of multiple interfaces is required. In addition, the new chip will lead to the development of a new market that extends beyond video delivery and recording devices to include products that require performance greater than that of microcontrollers and support for multiple interfaces."
- Category: I2C
UM10204 I2C-bus specification and user manual
rev5 of the I2C spec introduced the 5 Mbit/s Ultra Fast-mode.
"Abstract
Philips Semiconductors (now NXP Semiconductors) developed a simple bidirectional 2-wire bus for efficient inter-IC control. This bus is called the Inter-IC or I2C-bus. Only two bus lines are required: a serial data line (SDA) and a serial clock line (SCL). Serial, 8-bit oriented, bidirectional data transfers can be made at up to 100 kbit/s in the Standard-mode, up to 400 kbit/s in the Fast-mode, up to 1 Mbit/s in the Fast-mode Plus (Fm+), or up to 3.4 Mbit/s in the High-speed mode. The Ultra Fast-mode is a uni-directional mode with data transfers of up to 5 Mbit/s. "
- Category: NXP
NXP Unveils "Agile I/O" With I2C
Seems that so called "Agile" methods are fast spreading into the hardware world. NXP has just announced I2C bus extenders with low-voltage Agile GPIOs. So if your IO feels "Sluggish" you might want to have a look at these fine I2C chips with 8/16 or 24 GPIOs, some of which even come with the built-in level translation. Surprisingly the "Agile" chips seem to lack any of the high speed modes and top out at 400KHz Fast-mode (Fm). What's All This Agile Stuff, Anyhow? Apparently it is all in the IO structure which by looking at the simplified (sic!) schematic of a single IO can make you queasy and confused as to what all this stuff does. The IO structure seem to have an uncanny resemblance to MCU GPIOs and our advice is to set the "Polarity Inversion" register then remodulate your PWMs and dive into the datasheet at warp factor 9.9
- Category: Analog Design
Up in Smoke
This is not strictly relevant from the 32-bitmicro perspective but how can we pass up opportunity to talk about "The Gnarliest and Most Effective Ways to Destroy a MOSFET". In our line of work unless somebody is building some kind of an inverter for motor control, chances of a spectacular failure are rather remote. Not to say that it does not happen because it does, however it is mostly due to static charge killing MOSFETs in IO divers. Usually there is no smoke and the GPIO might even work.
Before we let you go and read all the gory details from Dr. F.A.E. post we need to put a disclaimer here DO NOT TRY IT AT HOME!
And speaking from personal experience getting hit by a hot and fast flying TO-3 metal can is not a very pleasant experience.
- Category: Kinetis
USB Host Mode Hack for the Freedom KL25Z Board
" On the FRDM-KL25Z Board the target processor supports both USB host and device mode. However, the Freedom board has no jumper or other means to power the USB bus (which is required in the USB host mode). So if I want to get access to a memory stick from the KL25Z, then I’m stuck because the board does not offer that option. Luckily there is an easy hack to work around this.
Looking at the FRDM-KL25Z board schematics, there is 5V available on Pin 10 of J9:"
- Category: Linux
Mobile Linux Contenders Prep for a 2013 Breakout
"So far, there has been but one big mobile Linux success story: Android. It has come to dominate the smartphone world and is rapidly closing the gap on tablets. While Android has an open source license, Google's open governance policy has been spotty, inspiring a stream of new mobile operating systems from developers who are more FOSSy about their mobile devices. The projects are typically backed by mobile device vendors and carriers looking for more autonomy from Google and Apple."
"The first generation of mobile Linux contenders floundered under the combined juggernaut of Android and Apple's iOS, which together have also flummoxed proprietary platforms like Microsoft's Windows Phone and RIM's BlackBerry. Yet, growing patent litigation has increased the willingness to invest in alternatives. Android vendors worry that Google may favor its Motorola subsidiary, and they are already chafing at Google's delays in releasing Android updates. Both vendors and carriers are looking to more open and customizable platforms as the means to establish their own branding."
