Documents

Three Ground-Breaking Projects Selected as Winners in element14’s Smarter Life Challenge

wpolk — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 07:48:01 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by wpolk on 10/8/2021 7:48:01 AM

Finalists from around the world leveraged Cypress’ PSoC® Pioneer Kit to develop smart technology and enhance lives

CHICAGO – February 10, 2013 – element14 has chosen three winners out of 18 finalists who built forward-thinking technology projects as part of the Smarter Life Competition. The winners and finalists were identified from hundreds of proposed projects from across the globe in one of element14’s most forward-thinking challenges ever.

Douglas Wong (U.S.) and his smart thermostat won the first-place prize, an all-expenses-paid trip to Germany and Embedded World 2014, Feb. 25-27, 2014. Dubbed “The Henrietta Project,” Wong’s project enhanced the functionality of the traditional thermostat to include speech recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, an Android app and a GPS-based clock that never needs to be set, among other features. At Embedded World, the largest trade conference of its kind, Wong will have the opportunity to showcase his design in Cypress’ and element14’s spaces while networking with conference attendees.

Anthony Kahl (Australia) and his “Smart Bicycle Light” took second place with a prize of a $1,500 voucher on element14 retail sites. The light turns on in darkness and when movement is detected, flashes in a number of different modes and turns off after a period of no movement, when removed from the bike and/or when light is detected. It’s also chargeable via USB and audibly alerts the user when the battery is low.

Javier Hernandez (Puerto Rico) and his GeoCar took home the “Peoples’ Choice” award and a $1,500 voucher on element14 retail sites. This project used technology including a GPS receiver, Bluetooth connectivity, a proximity sensor and an accelerometer to gather data on car use. Parents, for example, could confirm via smartphone the whereabouts of their children when borrowing the car. In the instance of an accident, speed and directional data could be extracted to determine the behavior of the driver.

“We had finalists in locations that spanned the globe, and we were extremely eager and excited to find out what each of them was able to build using the PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit,” said Global Head of Community Dianne Kibbey. “We believe some of these devices are innovative enough to be someday produced and used by consumers around the world.”

The initiative aimed to create renewed excitement and interest in futuristic technology using the PSoC® 4 Pioneer Kit. Design engineers and hobbyists alike were encouraged to develop projects that had the potential to enhance the home, automobile or office environments.

"When we launched this challenge last fall, we challenged participants to make something that was creative, practical and smart," said John Weil, senior director of PSoC marketing and applications at Cypress. "The element14 Community responded with some amazing applications and accomplished a great deal in a very short time, and our decision to pick the winners was not easy. The community showcased how a commercially successful product like PSoC can also be a very hobbyist-friendly platform due its fully programmable mixed-signal capabilities in a one-chip solution. We congratulate everyone who took part and thank them for all their outstanding efforts."

Finalists’ progress was documented through blog posts, videos and designs on the element14 Community, an award-winning resource where design engineers share project concepts with more than 200,000 members.

The Cypress PSoC® 4 Pioneer Kit can be purchased in the U.S. from Newark.com, in Europe from Farnell.com and in Asia Pacific from element14.

Ends

About element14

Launched in June 2009, element14 is the first information portal, collaborative community and electronics store specifically built for electronic design engineers. The community recently unveiled its element14 knode, a unique automated platform that enables engineers to quickly research, design, develop and prototype in a single, intelligent environment. element14 is an innovative offering from Premier Farnell plc (LSE:pfl), FTSE 250, a leader in multi-channel electronics distribution trading throughout Europe (Farnell), the Americas (Newark) and Asia Pacific (element14). The company had group sales of £952m last year.

For news updates from Premier Farnell visit:

Premier Farnell News Centre – www.premierfarnell.com/media-centre
Twitter - @element14news; @element14
YouTube – element14
Facebook – /element14page

Email: pressoffice@premierfarnell.com

Ken Leitch

Global Head of PR

Premier Farnell

Tel: +44(0) 207 851 4145

Email: KLeitch@premierfarnell.com

European Contact:

Jen Cooke

PR Manager, Europe and Global

Tel: +44 (0) 113 279 0101

Email: jcooke@premierfarnell.com

EU PR Agency

Darren Willsher/Andrew Hill

EML Wildfire

Tel: +44 (0) 208 408 8000

Email: element14@emlwildfire.com

APAC Contact:

Christina Loh

Communications, APAC

Tel: + 65 6671 8769

Email: cloh@element14.com

North America Contact:

William Polk

PR and Social Media manager

Tel: +1 773 907 5199

Email: WPolk@newark.com

North American PR Agency

Allison Dreiband

Walker Sands Communication

Tel: +1 312 648 6010

Email: allison.dreiband@walkersands.com

Tags: pioneer, psoc4, smarter_life, cypress

Smarter Life Challenge Competitors

joeman — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 07:46:27 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by joeman on 10/8/2021 7:46:27 AM

Alex Behnaz
United States

Mr. Behnaz received training in biomedical engineering while at the National Institutes of Health developing telehealth solutions and medical devices. He currently works for a private firm developing smart grid systems for electricity, water, and gas. He is interested in smart device and smart device network security across different markets including medical devices, appcessories, and the internet of things.

Proposal: I plan to develop a temperature sensor node that can give consumers knowledge about their circadian rhythms and sleep patterns. Using two fundamental Cypress technologies: the PSoC 4 and low power FRAM memory, I will create a compact, ultra-low power, and long lifetime solution to accomplish this goal. As an extension of the project, I plan to add wireless connectivity so that consumers can interface the node with their mobile or stationary devices.

Read Alex's project blogs (tag sleep_sensor)

Abhijit Bose
India

Abhijit Bose is a technical consultant and freelancer who enjoys tinkering with Embedded and RF projects. He holds a masters degree in Microelectronics from Manipal University. Earlier in his career, he worked with the design of safety critical wireless networks and high sensitivity analogue sensors. Before starting his own firm, he worked in some of the top embedded and control system OEM companies.

Proposal: Deliver a cost effective home security

Power Optimized: Externally timed wake-ups + capacitive activations would reduce the active power consumption. This system use a single 9V battery.
Tamper Proof Multi-zone Sensing: Using motion and glass break sensors to detect intrusion. The tamper switch protects system internals during armed state. The sensor inputs would be checked for impedance mismatches to detect tampering.
Smart Arming/Remote Arming: This system would learn the departure and arrival patterns of the users even if the user forgets to arm the system. With the help of the GSM link the user can check the status as well as arm the system remotely.
Smart Time Piece: Apart from security, the system can optionally display a custom user messages deliver via the GSM link. Or the user can program a small image to be displayed in idle state like a Digital Frame.

Read Abhijit's project blogs (tag das_project)

Monte Chan
Australia

Monte Chan is a 30 year veteran of the Electronics and Information Technology industries and a strong advocate of "Hands-on" and common sense approaches for engineering education. Monte's experience includes various disciplines with the focus on the design, development, production and integration of high quality practical, reliable and resilient products and systems (such as Computers, Laser Printers, Networking, Graphics and Multimedia).

Proposal: Every year Christmas displays become more elaborate. This year, I plan to use RGB LEDs and a laser display to overcome the stowage issue and add additional pizzazz to the display. I’d like some of the LEDS to be in contiguous strings for chasing lights and others as arrays to display animated coloured icons. I could also create some icicle strings to emulate falling snow. The biggest hurdle is the interconnection of the RGB LEDS so they are individually addressable. I would like to use a PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit, EAGLE CAD plus additional parts to demonstrate the issues and their resolution. The technology used for my Christmas lights can be carried over into other realms such as the Automotive lighting and Pinball world making them far simpler and cheaper to manufacture.

Read Monte's project blogs (tag compact_xmas_display)

Javier Hernandez
Puerto Rico

Javier graduated with a bachelors in Computer Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus. Ten plus years working as a software designer, developer, tester, architect... mostly with mobile devices. He fell in love with micro-controllers during college in the “Assembly Era”.

I am a dreamer with an engineering degree and trying to earn the title of maker. Some may call me a nerd boy. Fluent in Spanish, English, C/C++, Java, Visual Basic, C#, SQL with a little on a few other languages.

Proposal: Make a multipurpose device for the car. The device will use a GPS receiver to track its position. Data will be logged to a SDcard until it is uploaded to a central location. Data can be manually extracted — optional GPRS/Wifi auto upload available. System should be complemented with the use of a smartphone application.

Device modules:
1. Location: GPS
2. Communication: Bluetooth, Optional WIFI/GPRS
3. Proximity sensor: installed to front and back of the car
4. Presence/Pressure Sensors: Optional Baby car seat monitor
5. Sensors: CO2 sensor inside cabin to alert if car left ON
6. Accelerometer: Track bumpy roads and log data.
Market focus: Parents, Insurance companies, Government.

Read Javier's project blogs (tag geCar)

Cosmin Iorga
United States

Cosmin Iorga has over 20 years of experience in high-speed analog and mixed-signal circuit design and troubleshooting at system, board, and integrated circuit levels, with emphasis on signal integrity, power integrity, and noise coupling reduction. Cosmin has earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and filed more than 15 patents with 9 granted so far, covering innovative solutions in noise coupling reduction and signal integrity. Cosmin is the author of the book “Noise Coupling in Integrated Circuits: A Practical Approach to Analysis, Modeling, and Suppression”.

Proposal: I would like to implement a single-chip wearable brain-wave driven controller for home appliances. The controller will be able to turn on/off appliances, adjust volume up and down, change tv channels, and control other basic functions of home appliances. The power management system will use one of the two low-power comparators in PSoC 4 to monitor brain activity analog signals at the output of the second operational amplifier. It will dynamically turn in and out of power-down mode. It will interact directly with home appliances that already have built-in infrared receivers and will interact with specially built receivers for other appliances (like infrared controlled power outlets).

Read Cosmin's project blogs (tag brainwave_controller)

Anthony Kahl
Australia

Anthony is currently engaged in all things product design for a technology leader in the rapidly growing smart farming market. He has won a number of industry awards for product designs, including a coveted Australian Design Award. Anthony has recently founded a one-man design consultancy, Kahl Product Design and Engineering. In his spare time he enjoys building and riding bicycles of all types, making furniture and dreaming of more spare time. He can be contacted via www.kahl.com.au

Proposal: Smart bicycle light

A set and forget bicycle safety light that would require no input from the user other than maintenance (battery charging). The light would automatically manage inactive/active (moving, stationary et al) state, low battery alerting, and could also be manually controlled. The PSoC4 would be an ideal solution that would simplify the hardware design, reduce cost and extend battery life.

Read Anthony's project blogs (tag bike_light)

Linas Karpavicius
Lithuania

My name is Linas Karpavičius, I live in Vilnius, Lithuania. I study at Vilnius University, Faculty of Physics and am attempting to achieve a master's degree in Physical Sciences [Laser Physics and Optical Technologies]. Recently I have plunged into electronics a bit deeper, by making my own cone beam computer tomography. Also, I am building the most powerful Dual Resonant Solid State Tesla Coil in Lithuania (or DRSSTC in short), which can reach 550V at 4000A. My hobby has always relate to physics by making cool experiments with x-ray, lasers, and high voltage. Right now, my work is related to lasers and ultra-fast spectroscopy.

Proposal: Hello, I have an idea to make a reflow oven for SMD soldering. Take an IR oven, add high temperature fans for heat distribution and temperature measurements. Use Cypress PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit for heat measurement and heater and fan control. I will add a LCD with touchscreen, so I can adjust reflow profiles for individual parts, run few PID loops for precise temperature control, and use timer for preheating. I will write a nice looking GUI interface for easy control with cool animation.

It will make my job easier since i am using a hand held cheap hot air gun from ebay right now :-(

Read Linas's project blog (tag reflow_oven)

Jianyi Liu
United States

My name is Jianyi Liu and I am an electrical engineer for Microsoft's Xbox division. My previous job was at a small start-up, and I designed image processing IP and FPGA system boards. My current interests include analog circuitry and control systems, and I hope to learn a great deal from this challenge. I love making circuits that are practical and cheap, and a lot of my free time is spent making hobby circuits for various projects at home.

Proposal: SteadyClip – An Affordable Mechanized Camera Gimbal

The device will be battery powered and mounted on a mounting platform with two motors to allow it to tilt freely in two separate axis. A sensor board with a 6 axis accelerometer/gyroscope IC will be mounted alongside the video recording device, sensing the inertial movements. The inertial movement data is then fed to the PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit, which will calculate the motor controls required to compensate for the jerky movements of the camera operator. . The software will use the inertial measurement unit as the input device to a PID controller. Error will be calculated and the outputs sent to the motors, compensating for the movements of the operator. The resulting device will be optimized in weight and usability, and will allow memorable moments to be captured free from any shaking.

Read Jianyi's project blogs (tag steady_clip)

Jim Lynch
United States

Mr. Lynch has been working in the aerospace, medical, alternative energy, and engineering consulting field for 16 years. He has worked in research and development of 4 power supplies hand built for the International Space Station. Also, he has developed fuel cells, proposed a Greenhouse Gas Sequestration Plan for the Virgin Earth Challenge, and worked in developing fusion energy on three reactors. Meanwhile, working with Sound Caring, Mr. Lynch developed prototype power systems for portable ultrasound medical devices that physicians carry into remote locations of underdeveloped nations. These are primarily used for the care and checkup of expecting mothers. Current projects include a science fiction novel and two children’s books. He also has a love of motorcycle riding.

Proposal: 1. Faucet and hot water controllers with CapSense Touch Sensing to adjust hot/cold blend and flow rate . The faucets communicate with a SmartTank as more hot water is required, the tank system monitors the request from faucets and increases heat. The heating power is variable by increasing power to the heater.

2. I'd develop a light and heat sensing application to compare external light and temperature with internal home light and temperature. This will incorporate motion/thermal sensing to determine if a person is in a room or not and automate power consumption to minimize power usage. It can also double as a home security and send SMS in the event of an intrusion.

Read Jim's project blogs (tag temp_light_sensor)

Dr. Mala Mitra
India

Mala Mitra received her PhD from IIT, Bombay, IN, M. Tech and B. Tech from Calcutta University, IN. Her field of specialization is VLSI Design and Embedded Systems. Presently, she is a professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, PES Institute of Technology, Bangalore. She has 25 years of experience and has published two book chapters and many papers in international journals. She has won awards in design contests, including the UniTI crossword puzzle (2009) and Agilent India ADS (2012). Her dream is to bridge the gap between industry and academics.

Proposal:Control of different parameters of an oven e.g. temperature, pressure, humidity.

Program Steps:
1. Initialize all the blocks. Set desired parameter.
2. Sample the parameter voltage from sensor at regular intervals then send it to ADC and MCU.
3. Compute Error Voltages, E= Actual parameter voltage – desired parameter voltage
4. Send it to DAC and then to 2 op-amps in differentiator and integrator modes
5. Get KP from the constant of proportionality from the register in MCU
6. Compute KPE in the hardware multiplier
7. Get the op-amp outputs through sample and hold and ADC
8. Compute
9. Hardware multiplier is used here twice.
10. Send S to output port for actuation
11. Modify KP , KD , and KI and store in the register
12. Go back to step 2.

Read Dr. Mala's project blog (tag oven_control)

Peter Shabino
United States

Peter Shabino is a professional electrical engineer who designs custom test equipment in Minnesota. He has a strong background in product design from logic entry to final debug and firmware development. In his spare time, he enjoys machining, robotics, and various electronic projects. Current major home projects include rebuilding a 1960 Willys panel van and building a custom designed CNC mill. Information on his past projects can be found at http://www.wire2wire.org/ and on a typical Friday night can be found at the local hacker space http://tymkrs.com/rabbithole/.

Proposal: Core of my project is tending to house plants. Main goal is to automaticly open the blinds during the day and close them at night. Also, combine this with the analog value of the light sensor to control the light intensity to low light plants. Blind control with torque feedback. Wireless connection to a pc for tracking information (light, temp, moisture levels over time) and configuration of parameters (target moisture and light levels).

Read Peter's project blogs (tag soil_moisture_sensor)

Paul Sisneros
United States

As a kid I loved Lego, drawing animation, and taking machines apart. When my parents settled on a ranch, I started my career as a welder and became a repair technician. In my undergrad I focused on automation and research building testing equipment for labs. I did my masters research developing tactile sensors for an underwater robot. Now I am an automation engineer in the new product development for a company that makes heavy machinery. I can be creating simulations or pattern recognition algorithms, and running wires and bolting machinery together. I love to make things of all kinds, but I am an all around maker, I enjoy sewing and carving almost as much.

Proposal: The project I want to create is an auto barista. The feature set would include the ability to email or text a coffee order and have it prepared. Using a model like this one would add the option of brewing a mug or a pot. Voice ordering would also be high on the list of priorities. It could add things to the coffee by having the machine puncture and crush creamer packets. Additives like sugar could be added easily using a servo driving a feed door. I think this contest will be a lot of fun and turn out some great concepts.

Read Paul's project blogs (tag auto_barista)

Mani Thundiyil
India

Prof. T.K. Mani graduated in Electrical Engineering with first rank from Calicut University. He also holds a Doctorate with specialization in Acoustic Instrumentation. He has 19 years of teaching and more than 18 years of Industrial Experience. His expertise is in embedded systems, power electronics and Communication Engineering. He is a fellow of Institute of Electronics and Telecommunication engineers (IETE), Life Member of Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Currently he is Dean, PG studies in KMEA Engineering College, Cochin, India. His hobbies include Amateur Radio.

Proposal: This project intends to help a disabled person for moving from one place to another on a wheelchair. Use a PSOC4 Kit to control all functions of the wheelchair. Two BLDC motors are used for driving power. Wearable electronic sensors such as MEMS, Touch sensors, gesture recognition devices, etc are used for control of the wheel chair. This wearable device enables the patient to drive the wheelchair either by hand, leg, or head movement. All Safety features like obstacle detection, emergency brake, skidding on slope surfaces are incorporated. This wheelchair can also be remote controlled by a wireless remote. This system is used to assiststhe handicapped and elderly to gain mobility and lead to independent life.

Read Mani's project blogs (tag intelligent_wheelchair)

Yuri Tikhonov
Russia

2007 - 2012: Student (specialist, engeneer), Faculty of IT, Speciality: industrial automatics.
2012 - now: PhD-student (postgraduate), Faculty of IT, Speciality: robotics and mechatronics.

My favourite class-project: aluminium model of tank with remote control. Diploma project: Remote controll system for the multicopter. Thesis: Diagnostic sytem for the industrial excavator with elements of AI.

My hobby: programming, electronics, robotics (helicopters, multicopters, wheel robots, functioning paper models etc.)

Proposal: Hello! Last two years I create a DRON's (micro-quadcotpers, helicopters, etc.). Now I want to create a new project: PSoC based tricopter for indoor and outdoor flying with FPV and OSD. I want to use PSoC for the high precision smart control and smart diagnostic system (my PhD-thesis: Smart diagnostic system). Now I have a Grant of the Vladimir Region

(quadcopter project): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBgiz_iTNq4 http://www.sci.vlsu.ru/news/sob/87.aspx

Read Yuri's project blogs (tag smart_tricopter)

Steve Turner
United States

I am a 20 year designer of automotive powertrain electronics. In my heart I am a circuit designer. I have design robust circuits able to survive in the cold (or hot) cruel world.

I've played with Python, explored Arduinos and more recently started using Cypress' PSoC Creator.

I am a dreamer and tinkerer constantly thinking about what needs changing in the world, usually after getting frustrated by something that doesn't work the way I think it should.

Proposal: I am planning to create a smart thermostat. My wife and I have been looking for a replacement thermostat and have not found one that suits us. I want the ability to control the thermostat remotely, so I can tell the thermostat to stay in vacation mode, or tell the thermostat to kick up the heat. We both want one that will integrate several sensors around the house so it will regulate the bedroom temperature at night and keep the downstairs comfortable during the day. We both want humidity control (actually dew point control). We both want one that will have a simple user interface (and I want to play with e-ink displays). This project will be the most complex programming yet.

Read Steve's project blogs (tag uncostat)

Tags: competitors, life, smarter, smarter_life, challenge

15 Finalists Chosen to Develop Smart Devices in Smarter Life Competition

wpolk — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 07:46:19 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by wpolk on 10/8/2021 7:46:19 AM

element14 Community tracks competitors building projects using Cypress PSoC® Pioneer Kit

CHICAGO – November 6, 2013 – element14 has chosen 15 competitors out of hundreds of entries from around the world who will build forward-thinking technology projects as part of the Smarter Life Competition.

The initiative aims to create renewed excitement and interest in futuristic technology and home automation using the PSoC® 4 Pioneer Kit. Design engineers and hobbyists alike are encouraged to develop projects that not only enhance the home environment, but also the automobile or office as well.

“The field of home automation has not significantly progressed in the last 60-plus years,” said Global Head of Community Dianne Kibbey. “For example, a toaster still requires manual programming and can still burn your bread. Washing machines aren’t automated and won’t detect things like color bleeds or fabric type. We have finalists in locations that span the globe, and we’re excited to see how they use single-chip systems to improve their – and potentially others’ – lives.”

John Weil, senior director of PSoC marketing and applications at Cypress, added, “We were extremely pleased with the creativity and excellence of the finalists’ submissions - a testament to the strong engineering community on element14 - and are looking forward to seeing how they incorporate the unique attributes of the PSoC 4 into their projects.”

From now through January 2014, participants will develop their suggested creations and document their progress through blog posts, videos and designs, which will be shared on the element14 Community. In addition to the PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit, each finalist receives a $500 budget to purchase additional components to help reach their goals.

The competition has potentially significant implications for products of the future. The connected home segment of the home automation market, for example, is expected to grow from $300 million in 2013 to $1.5 billion in 2017, demonstrating huge potential for innovation and development.*

The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Embedded World, the largest trade conference of its kind, held in Germany in February 2014. There, they will have the opportunity to showcase their designs in Cypress’ and element14’s spaces while networking with conference attendees. Other prizes include vouchers for up to $1,500, redeemable at element14’s online retail sites. Winners will be announced January 24, 2014.

The finalists, as well as their location and design proposals, are listed below:

Alex Behnaz (U.S.) – sensor to detect circadian rhythms and sleep patterns
Abhijit Bose (India) – home security system
Monte Chan (Australia) – advanced holiday light display
Javier Hernandez (Puerto Rico) – multi-functional car sensor device
Cosmin Iorga (U.S.) – wearable brain wave-driven controller for home appliances
Anthony Kahl (Australia) – smart bicycle light
Linas Karpavicius (Lithuania) – touch-screen reflow oven for SMD soldering
Jianyi Liu (U.S.) – affordable mechanized camera gimbal
Jim Lynch (U.S.) – touch-sensitive faucet and hot water controllers; in-home light/heat sensors
Mala Mitra (India) – smart oven control
Peter Shabino (U.S.) – smart plant caretaker
Paul Sisneros (U.S.) – auto barista
Mani Thundiyil (India) – smart wheelchair
Yuri Tikhonov (Russia) – tricopter with smart diagnostic capabilities
Steve Turner (U.S.) – smart thermostat

The Cypress PSoC® 4 Pioneer Kit can be purchased in the U.S. from Newark.com, in Europe from Farnell.com and in Asia Pacific from element14. Customers who purchase the kits are also invited to participate in the challenge.

element14 offers design engineers a space to share project concepts with 200,000 members in its award-winning element14 Community, the first of its kind. Additionally, the industry’s most comprehensive online knowledge resource for electronic design, the Knode on element14, is a first stop for any engineer undertaking a design project with a development kit.

*According to a report from GigaOm.

Ends

About element14

For news updates from Premier Farnell visit:

Premier Farnell News Centre – www.premierfarnell.com/media-centre

Twitter - @element14news; @element14

YouTube – element14

Facebook – /element14page

Email: pressoffice@premierfarnell.com

Global Contact:

Ken Leitch

Global Head of PR

Premier Farnell

Tel: +44(0) 207 851 4145

Email: KLeitch@premierfarnell.com

European Contact:

Jen Cooke

PR Manager, Europe and Global

Tel: +44 (0) 113 279 0101

Email: jcooke@premierfarnell.com

EU PR Agency:

Darren Willsher/Andrew Hill

EML Wildfire

Tel: +44 (0) 208 408 8000

Email: element14@emlwildfire.com

APAC Contact:

Christina Loh

Communications, APAC

Tel: + 65 6671 8769

Email: cloh@element14.com

North America Contact:

William Polk

PR and Social Media manager

Tel: +1 773 907 5199

Email: WPolk@newark.com

North American PR Agency:

Allison Dreiband

Walker Sands Communication

Tel: +1 312 648 6010

Email: allison.dreiband@walkersands.com

Tags: smarter_life_challenge, smarter, smarter_life, home, cypress, cypress_psoc_4

Engineers Set Sights on the Future in Smarter Life Challenge

wpolk — Fri, 08 Oct 2021 05:48:45 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by wpolk on 10/8/2021 5:48:45 AM

element14 Community launches smart technology development competition using the PSoC® 4 Pioneer Kit

CHICAGO – September 24, 2013 – element14 announced today the launch of the new Smarter Life Challenge, a global design competition which will encourage participants to develop forward-thinking products. The challenge will leverage the technology of single-chip systems, which have potential to change and improve lives.

The initiative, which will use the Cypress PSoC® 4 Pioneer Kit, also aims to create renewed excitement and interest in futuristic appliances, automobiles and environments.

“Despite the prevalence of computers, most of our daily environments and the things within them fail to utilize computing power to intercept problems or improve performance,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14.

The majority of refrigerators, washing machines and thermostats, for example, still rely on manual operation. However, a recent report from Pike Research notes the annual value of the smart appliance market is expected to grow from $613 million in 2012 to $34.9 billion in 2020, demonstrating huge potential for innovation.

“We’re incredibly excited to kick off this challenge and see what the participants design, as we believe the builds could have real-world implications that make people’s lives easier,” Kibbey added.

Examples of projects that could be explored include a smart oven which can detect when food is sufficiently cooked and send a text or tweet once the timer goes off. A smart coffee maker, as another example, might be able to respond to voice commands and provide text or tweet updates when finished brewing.

“The Smarter Life Challenge gives engineers the opportunity to bring their vision for the future into reality with PSoC 4,” said John Weil, senior director of PSoC marketing and applications at Cypress. "PSoC 4 is the ideal platform for this type of design contest. Its reprogrammable analog and digital fabric allows engineers to design and build things that were not previously possible with a single-chip ARM® Cortex™-M0 system. PSoC 4 brings all this and more to real-world designs for $1."

The challenge will begin with a three-week qualifying period in which potential participants will submit what their design idea is, why they came up with it and how they plan to use the PSoC 4. On Wednesday, October 2, at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. GMT, Cypress will provide a webinar on the topic of “the smarter life” through the use of the PSoC4.

Once the qualifying phase ends on Monday, October 14, competitors will be selected and sent product. They’ll also be granted a budget of approximately $500 (£300) for accessories and other parts for the build.

Throughout the build phase, competitors will also develop blog posts addressing their ideas, what inspires them and what their key challenges might be. The competition will conclude on Friday, January 17, 2014.

The winner will be determined by a vote on the award-winning element14 Community, which offers design engineers a space to share project concepts with nearly 200,000 members. The grand prize winner will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Embedded World, the world’s largest trade conference of its kind, where they will showcase their designs at the Cypress and element14 booths. Embedded World will take place in Nuremberg, Germany February 25-27, 2014. Other prizes include vouchers for up to $1,500, redeemable at element14’s online retail sites.

For more information on the Smarter Life Challenge, please visit http://www.element14.com/smarterlife.

-End-

About element14

For news updates from Premier Farnell visit:

Premier Farnell News Centre – www.premierfarnell.com/media-centre

Twitter - @element14news; @element14

YouTube – element14

Facebook – /element14page

Email: pressoffice@premierfarnell.com

Global Contact:

Ken Leitch

Global Head of PR

Premier Farnell

Tel: +44(0) 207 851 4145

Email: KLeitch@premierfarnell.com

European Contact:

Jen Cooke

PR Manager, Europe and Global

Tel: +44 (0) 113 279 0101

Email: jcooke@premierfarnell.com

APAC Contact:

Christina Loh

Communications, APAC

Tel: + 65 6671 8769

Email: cloh@element14.com

North America Contact:

William Polk

PR and Social Media Manager

Tel: +1 773 907 5199

Email: WPolk@newark.com

EU PR Agency:

Darren Willsher/Andrew Hill

EML Wildfire

Tel: +44 (0) 208 408 8000

Email: element14@emlwildfire.com

North American PR Agency:

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Tags: psoc4, psoc_4, smarter_life_challenge, smarter_life, cypress_psoc_4

Documents

migration.user — Fri, 01 Oct 2021 18:02:24 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by migration.user on 10/1/2021 6:02:24 PM

PSoC4 Smarter Life Challenge - DAS Project :Example 5 CapSense Linear Slider with and without Tuner

bose — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:55:17 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by bose on 12/17/2014 3:55:17 AM

This example shows two ways to have CapSense Linear Sliders in the Cypress PSoC4 Pioneer Kit.

The RGB LED color Red and Green are used to demonstrate the operation with help of mixing them as one slides the finger across the Linear slider.

Here is the Application Schematics:

Automatic Self Calibrating - Smart Sense

The first part of the this example deals with the use of the Capsense CSD module to perform the detection with auto calibration and sense patterns.

In this case the SCB based I2C module is not required.

Here are the configuration for the CapSense module { CapSense CSD [v1.11] } to have the automatic mode:

Here is the PWM module Configuration:

In this case we are using the Smart Sense feature of the CSD module. The Linear slider has 5 sense pads and is divided into 127 divisions.

The Input filter used here is the Stand IIR filter for high frequency noise filtering. These setting have been adapted from the system example of CapSense CSD PSoC4.

However without much of details one can easily realize this example thanks to Cypress PSoC Creator and handy component Library based API generation.

Here is the code to achieve the LED color mixing in Smart Sense mode.

#include <project.h>
uint16 old,pos;
int main()
{
     // Enable Global Interrupts need for internal processing of the CapSense module
     CyGlobalIntEnable;
     // Start the PWM module
     PWM_1_Start();
     // Initialize the CSD module
     CapSense_1_Start();
     // Clear the Sensor baselines to begin the auto calibration cycle
     CapSense_1_InitializeAllBaselines();
     while(1)
     {
          // Enable the Sensor Auto calibration
          CapSense_1_UpdateEnabledBaselines();
          // Scan the Linear Slider
          CapSense_1_ScanEnabledWidgets();
          // Wait till the operation completes
          while(CapSense_1_IsBusy() != 0);
          // Get the Present Values for the Linear Slider output
          pos = CapSense_1_GetCentroidPos(CapSense_1_LINEARSLIDER0__LS);
          // Check for errors and nullyfy non detection events
          if(pos == 0x0FFFFu)
          {
             pos = 0u;
          }
          // Check of the Value changed
          if( old != pos)
          {
               old = pos;
               // Update the LED outputs
               if(pos != 0)
                   PWM_1_WriteCompare(pos<<9);
          }  
     }
}

This program would alter the PWM duty cycle with respect to the Linear slider value. This intern would light up the corresponding LED color brighter.

Tuner Calibrated CSD

There might be a need to also calibrate the internal algorithm and threshold values of the CSD module, in order to have better detection and accuracy in a given product scenario. For this the CSD Tuner is used.

The CSD Tuner uses the system I2C to communicate the calibration values. For this we would need to slave I2C module to interface. The PSoC 5 on the Pioneer kit would act as the I2C Tuner host to control the CSD on the PSoC 4.

Here are the settings for the I2C Slave module{ EZI2C Slave (SCB mode) [v1.10] } :

In order to have the Tuner enable we would need to change the settings for the CapSense CSD module also:

The rest of the configuration remains the same for the PWM module.

Now the code from the earlier automatic mode changes in order to support the Slave I2C communications and the calibration by the tuner.

#include <project.h>
uint16 old,pos;
int main()
{
     // Enable Global Interrupts need for internal processing of the CapSense module
     CyGlobalIntEnable;
     // Start the PWM module
     PWM_1_Start();
     // Initialize the CSD Tuner module
     CapSense_1_TunerStart();;
     while(1)
     {
          // Process Communications to the Tuner UI
          CapSense_1_TunerComm();
          // Get the Present Values for the Linear Slider output
          pos = CapSense_1_GetCentroidPos(CapSense_1_LINEARSLIDER0__LS);
          // Check for errors and nullyfy non detection events
          if(pos == 0x0FFFFu)
          {
             pos = 0u;
          }
          // Check of the Value changed
          if( old != pos)
          {
               old = pos;
               // Update the LED outputs
               if(pos != 0)
                   PWM_1_WriteCompare(pos<<9);
          }   
     }
}

Once to the code is build and loaded one needs to start the Tuner utility. To do so 'Right click' on the CapSense CSD module and Start the Tuner:

In the tuner window click on the Configuration button:

The add the following configuration and Press 'ok' to confirm:

Finally click on the Start button the enable the communications.

There are many features in the CSD Tuner that help to calibrate and configure the CSD module as needed for a specific use case.

Also since the levels of the touch are visible as analog and graphs one can perform adjustment in the Noise and Finger threshold to avoid false detection.

Although one needs to re-configure the CSD to perform the calibration, this ensure better sensitivity in the specific application scenarios when the CapSense items is packaged into the systems.

For example the CapSense button pad can be under the Glass or fiber window on a system then it would need special configuration to have reliable operation. This is where the tuner would be really helpful.

Tags: psoc4, examples, smarter, das_project, smarter_life

PSoC4 Smarter Life Challenge - DAS Project :Example 4 (PrISM LED Dimming)

bose — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:55:17 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by bose on 12/17/2014 3:55:17 AM

This example shows how to perform the LED Dimming using the PrISM module for the Cypress PSoC 4 Pioneer kit.

Here is the Application Schematics:

This example uses the PrISM module as the sole control of the LED output as well as the interrupt source to update the LED intensity(called Density in the program + PrISM API).

The internal timeout of the PrISM module is used to activate the ISR for the LED intensity update.

The PrISM module { PrISM [v2.20] } Settings are as follows:

In the code the LED intensity (Density factor) is stored and incremented to reach a specified high value. Then the operation flag is change and decrement is performed till it reaches near low value.

This cycle continues to give the breathing led effect like in the previous example.

Here is the code for this example:

#include <project.h>
uint8 val = 0; // Used as a counter to store the LED Density value
uint8 dir = 0; // Used as a flag to determine increment-1 or decrement-0 operation
CY_ISR(Dimmer)
{
    if((val == 0x00u) || (val == 0xFFu)) //Check for Maximum or Minimum value
    {
        dir ^= 1; // Perform a Flag operation Flip using XOR
       //- First time Increment will be automatically set as value of counter is 0
    }
    if(dir&1) //Increment if the Direction is 1
    {
        val++;
    }
    else // Decrement if the Direction is 1
    {
        val--;
    }
    // Apply the calculated LED intensity value as a PrISM duty cycle value.
    PrISM_1_WritePulse0(val);
}

int main()
{
     // Configure PrISM module
     PrISM_1_Start();
     // Enable the ISR on PrISM overflow to perform the Dimming
     isr_Mod_StartEx(Dimmer);
     // Enable Interrupts
     CyGlobalIntEnable;
     while(1) ;
}

After Building and loading this code the Green Color in the RGB LED would show the breathing effect.

This time one can clearly notice the smoothness in the effect rather than the PWM based approach.

Tags: psoc4, examples, smarter, das_project, smarter_life

PSoC4 Smarter Life Challenge - DAS Project :Example 3 LED Dimming (PWM based)

bose — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:55:17 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by bose on 12/17/2014 3:55:17 AM

This example show how to perform LED dimming using PWM module for Cypress PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit.

Here is the Application Schematics:

This example uses the PWM block in a timed configuration to produce the dimming effect on the LED.

The PWM module { PWM (TCPWM mode) [v1.0] }configuration is as shown below:

In the code one needs to vary the Compare factor for the PWM to generate a DC average output that would lead to dimming of the led.

Ideally a capacitor is needed to produce the DC averge but since the LED load is not significant, its possible to directly generate the dimming on the pin connected LED.

Here is the code for this example:

#include <project.h>
int main()
{
     uint32 i = 0; //Used as a Counter
     uint32 op = 0; //Used to define which operation is being currently performed : 0-additions 1-subtractions
     // Start the PWM generation
     PWM_1_Start();
     for(;;)
     {
          CyDelay(5); //Cycle Delay
          // Process the Counter Operation
          if(op == 0)
               i += 10;       
          else
               i -= 10;
          // Change the PWM duty cycle value as per the Counter
          PWM_1_WriteCompare(i);
          // Handle Counter overflow
          if(i>=1000)
          {
               op = 1; // Start Decrementing as max value has already reached
          }
          else if(i<=1)
          {
               op = 0; // Start Incrementing as Min value has already reached
               CyDelay(800); // Delay to keep the LED off for more time
          }
     }
}

After building and loading this code the Green LED on the Pioneer Kit would show the dimming effect.

Its important to note here that this dimming would show up some visible blink and may also cause EMI/EMC or RFI issues in case the output is used to control LED drivers.

The better solution would be use the PrISM module to generate precise dimming without flicker or emission issues.

Tags: psoc4, examples, smarter, das_project, smarter_life

PSoC4 Smarter Life Challenge - DAS Project :Example 2 Key Interrupt

bose — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:55:17 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by bose on 12/17/2014 3:55:17 AM

This example helps to understand the configuration for the Key Interrupt and how to react to the same on the Cypress PSoC 4 Pioneer Kit.

Here is the Application schematics:

This examples uses and non-hardware connected pins, so the pin components inserted this needs to be disabled.

The input pin needs to be configured so that its able to have a internal Pull up enable to help in default value stabilization and an interrupt on Falling edge as pressing the button would set a Logical low on the input.

The specific configurations for the PinSW { Digital Input Pin [v1.90] } are shown below:

Similarly the output pin { Digital Output Pin [v1.90] } need to be configured as follows:

In the source code we need to have an Interrupt handler to receive the interrupt event. In this case we turn On the LED for 100ms.

The code for this example is as follows:

#include <project.h>
// Interrupt Handler
CY_ISR(isr_wakeup)
{
    Pin_LED_Write(0);
    CyDelay(100);     //Delay of 100ms using Cypress Lib
    Pin_LED_Write(1);
    Pin_SW_ClearInterrupt(); // Clear the Interrupt just in case
}
int main()
{
     Pin_LED_Write(1); //Switch off the LED initially
     // Configure the Key ISR handler
     isr_WakeUp_StartEx(isr_wakeup);
     CyGlobalIntEnable; //Enable Interrupts
     while(1);
}

After building and programming this the Red color in the RGB Led would glow momentarily after the User button is pressed.

There is not glitch filter or de-bounce added in this design so there might be cases where there would be erroneous blinks.

Tags: psoc4, examples, smarter, das_project, smarter_life

PSoC4 Smarter Life Challenge - DAS Project :Example 1 Blinky

bose — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 03:55:17 GMT

Current Revision posted to Documents by bose on 12/17/2014 3:55:17 AM

This example deals with setting up a PWM to blink an LED on the Cypress PSoC4 Pioneer Kit.

Here is the Application schematics:

Also one needs to configure the PWM block { PWM (TCPWM mode) [v1.0] }:

Source Code for the Example:

#include <project.h>
int main()
{
  // Start the PWM for blinky
  PWM_1_Start();
  while(1);
}

After building and loading the example the Blue Color on the RGB LED should blink.

Tags: psoc4, examples, smarter, das_project, smarter_life