Innovative Projects and Developments in Embedded Systems

Author: Xiaoyu, Typesetting: Xiaoyu

WeChat Official Account: Chip Home (ID: chiphome-dy)

01 CPU vs FPGA

It vividly expresses the computational logic of CPU and FPGA. The CPU tends to be multifunctional and usually executes instructions serially. Although it has multiple cores, each core still executes in a serial manner, the design of the CPU is aimed at executing a wide range of tasks, including operating systems, applications, algorithms, etc. On the other hand, FPGA is a programmable hardware device with a large number of programmable units, most importantly, it can execute multiple tasks in hardware parallel, resulting in lower latency for multitasking under the same conditions. Overall, CPU and FPGA have different advantages and applicable scenarios when executing tasks, and developers need to choose the appropriate hardware platform based on specific needs and constraints.

Video Animation Demonstration

02 Next Generation STM32 Products, 600 MHz STM32H7R/S Cortex-M7 MCU

STMicro has launched high-performance 600 MHz STM32H7R/S Arm Cortex-M7 microcontrollers: STM32H7R3/S3, a general-purpose MCU series and STM32H7R7/S7 graphics MCU series with NeoChrom 2.5D GPU added. Both are equipped with a large 620KB SRAM and a small 64KB boot flash memory.

The reason for using a small boot flash memory is to store application code and data in external memory ICs, providing customers with greater flexibility in choosing memory types and capacities to meet application requirements and reduce BOM costs. The “S” in STM32H7S microcontroller represents security with encryption/hash engine, which can help the final product obtain SESIP Level 3 and/or PSA Certification Level 3.

Many specifications are similar to the STM32H7 microcontroller, but performance is slightly faster than the 550MHz STM32H7 MCU added in 2020, and STM32H7R/S adds some new features:

200 MHz Hexadeca SPI with PHY and DTR mode for external flash (NOR, NAND) or PSRAM;

NeoChrom 2.5D GPU, JPEG codec, and LCD-TFT display controller (LTDC) provide microprocessor-like 3D GUI performance;
Code execution from external/internal memory;
Protection of internal and external code and data; Memory Encryption Engine (MCE) for dynamic encryption and decryption of encoded data in the S section;
Peripheral devices, I3C with DMA2x USB HS/FS, with PHY and UCPD.

Currently, there are 28 different package types of STM32H7R/S microcontrollers (68-pin VQFN, 100-pin LQFP, 144-pin UFBGA, etc. with a maximum of 225-pin TFGA), optional hardware encryption/hash engine, optional 16-bit serial high-speed PHY/32-bit FMC, and optional NeoChrom GPU with LTDC display controller.

03 Marble Marble Clock

A foreign guy, Ivan Miranda, made a unique clock using black and white marble to create a matrix. Half of this giant clock is dynamic art, and the other half is a digital clock, which is very interesting.

The working principle is roughly as follows: black and white marbles are sent into a small elevator that lifts the marbles to the top of the curved track, which forms the largest part of the device. The horizontal area at the bottom is where the time is displayed, composed of black and white marbles. But how to ensure the correct order of the white and black marbles?

The black marbles serve as a background, while the white ones are the pixels displaying the data. Through infrared sensors, the color of each marble can be determined, and their order can be adjusted as needed. Although the entire process takes time, it is very captivating overall.

Video Appreciation

04 Lukas Henkel’s Latest Renderings

Lukas Henkel has created some very beautiful renderings of the latest PCBA, can PCBs actually be bent?

05 Open-source Web Oscilloscope Based on ESP32

The latest version now supports ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3, and ESP32-C3 boards (in addition to the already supported ESP32, most ESP32 boards should also work). The preferred method for analog sampling is still the I2S interface (if available).

Demo URL: http://jurca.dyn.ts.si/oscillscope.html

GitHub Open Source URL: https://github.com/BojanJurca/Esp32_oscilloscope/?tab=readme-ov-file

Interested friends can check the source code to learn.

06 Porting Linux to a Few Cents CH32V003 RISC-V MCU

A self-proclaimed microcontroller enthusiast has provided a new ultra-low-cost platform for the Linux kernel, successfully running it on the ultra-low-cost CH32V003 RISC-V microcontroller.

This project enables the CH32V003 microcontroller to run Linux. It achieves this by using an 8 MB SPI PSRAM chip and a RISC-V emulator (cnlohr’s very good mini-rv32ima). Emulation is necessary since PSRAM cannot be mapped to the microcontroller’s address space. The Linux kernel and rootfs are loaded from the SD card into PSRAM at boot time. FAT file system access is provided by the Petit FatFs library.

Boot time is about 5 minutes.

The secret to the project’s success is: an ultra-compact RISC-V emulator written by Charles Lohr in just 400 lines of code. While it seems strange to simulate RISC-V on an already RISC-V chip, it is necessary for Linux compatibility, as the CH32V003, like most RISC-V microcontrollers, lacks the memory management features required to run Linux – this can be simulated in software, although it has a significant impact on performance.

Open-source address: https://github.com/tvlad1234/linux-ch32v003

07 PD Powered Open-source Reflow Soldering Heating Platform

A palm-sized MCH (Metal Ceramic Heater) reflow oven powered by USB-PD.

Innovative Projects and Developments in Embedded Systems

This is a DIY, low-cost PD-powered reflow soldering heating plate that uses a metal ceramic heater (MCH) instead of PCB heating plates for heating. It has a USB Type C input port and can be powered by a 20V 3A 60W (65W) PD power supply.The heating plate can automatically reflow solder paste in the medium temperature range, such as Sn63Pb37.All you need to do is hold the “Start” button for 5 seconds and then wait for the reflow soldering process to complete.

Features:

USB C PD powered (no need for a special power adapter or dangerous AC power)
Economical and high-quality heating elements (replacing PCB heating plates)
Open-source
Fully automatic, just hold “START” and wait for reflow to complete

Physical appreciation, interested friends can make one themselves, and the new boards won’t need to be hand-soldered one by one in the future.

GitHub Open Source URL: https://github.com/tobychui/MCH-PD-Automatic-Reflow-Hotplate/tree/main

08 Visual Learning Git

Recently, a website has been discovered that allows us to easily learn and master the principles of Git through animated interactions. The website mainly aims to help learners understand Git through visualization. It allows users to familiarize themselves with different Git commands through different levels, truly achieving gamified learning!

Website link: https://learngitbranching.js.org/?locale=zh_CN

09 Family To-do List Synchronized with Apple Reminders Made with E-ink Screen

Eson Wong used an e-ink screen to create a Todo List that can synchronize with Apple Reminders, based on ESP32 development, software using PlatformIO, with a 7.5-inch e-ink screen from Winstar, the effect is quite good, the blogger has made the materials open-source, everyone can replicate it:

Tutorial link: https://blog.esonwong.com/e-ink-screen-todo-list-creation-turial/

10 What Can Be Done with Old PCBs?

Cuban artist Steven-Rodriguez has been interested in creating art with unconventional materials since he was very young.

While repairing computers and other electronic devices, he discovered a natural artistic direction – upgrading and transforming expired PCBs (printed circuit boards) and giving them new life.

Let’s appreciate his works together:

Robot

Book

Glasses

Sea Turtle

Banana

Coffin

Flower

Carrot

Watermelon

Pineapple

Cactus

High Heels

Sandals

Bra

City

Race Car

Toilet

Eagle

Hummingbird

Butterfly

Dragonfly

Spider

Lizard

Original Article Link: https://www.designstack.co/2015/04/upcycle-pcb-sculptures-from-used.html

Some interesting illustrations and texts to share with everyone, Chip Home is committed to helping everyone relieve stress once a week! regarding the learning of electronic software and hardware, I hope everyone enjoys! Your likes and shares are the best motivation for me to continue creating!

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