element14 community, an Avnet community, is celebrating the fourth birthday of its popular monthly Project14 design competition on March 26, with the launch of its “Attack of the Drones” competition. The competition is a homage to Sci-Fi and its influence on drone technology.

Members can use their choice of hardware to design and develop a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) drone such as a multi-rotor or a fixed-wing drone, an FPV (first-person view) drone, a UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) drone, a UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle) drone, or a Sci-Fi inspired drone such as a Star Wars droid or Star Trek Borg. The best entry will take away the grand prize of a $400* shopping cart from Newark, Farnell or element14. Three further members will receive a $200* shopping cart.

In honour of Arduino day, on March 27, and to inspire members interested in entering the competition, the element14 community is hosting a live Arduino Day Workshop on March 27. The workshop, NanoDrone II: AI and Computer Vision with LoRa, will be hosted by element14 community members balearicdynamics and jancumps, who will present their NanoDrone II. The NanoDrone II is an evolution of Enrico Miglino's winning project from last year's Arduino Day project14 challenge, “The Nanodrone” and a device that can be easily installed on a semi-autonomous UAV to cover large areas of terrain, or installed on a ground robotized device.

element14 community members who are unable to participate in the competition, but who still wish to get involved in the Sci-Fi fun, will be able to dive into a range of polls and community content on key dates in the Sci-Fi calendar, including May the Fourth (May 4), Revenge of the Sixth (May 6), and the first of appearance of the Borg on Star Trek (May 8, 1991). The competition itself will close on Geek Pride Day, May 25, a date the holds significance to followers of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (Towel Day) and Star Wars (the release date of A New Hope in 1977). Winners will be announced on June 5, the date which observes the first public observation of an unmanned hot air balloon flight in 1783, which many consider to be the precursor to the drone.

To find out more about the element14 Project14 competition “Attack of the Drones” Project14 competition visit here.

To register for the element14 community Arduino Day workshop visit:

https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-96199/l/arduino-day-2021-arduino-day-workshop-and-drone-competition

Farnell, the Development Distributor, has added the Portenta H7, the latest offering from Arduino, to its extensive range of single board computers. The device targets growing demand from enterprise, small medium business (SMB) and professional makers for low-code modular hardware systems to support IoT development. The Arduino Portenta family provides low-power boards designed specifically for industrial applications, artificial intelligence (AI) edge processing and robotics, whilst introducing a new standard for open high-density interconnect to support advanced peripherals.

The first member of the family, the Arduino Portenta H7 module, includes everything needed to get started with IoT hardware development including crypto-authentication chip and communications modules for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy and LTE, as well as Narrowband IoT. Its low-code application development platform with modular hardware, allows companies or makers to build, measure and iterate without lengthy integration projects and users also benefit from the value and usability of the new Arduino IoT application development platform (Arduino IoT cloud, Pro IDE with cloud integration, IoT UI editor) to help simplify the creation and deployment of custom connected products to the market.

Its combination of performance and flexibility makes the board suitable for applications where performance is key, such as High-end industrial machinery, Laboratory equipment, Computer vision, PLCs, Industry-ready user interfaces, Robotics, Mission-critical devices, Dedicated stationary computer and High-speed booting computation.

Portenta H7 features a dual-core ARM Cortex-M7 and Cortex-M4 running at 480 MHz and 240 MHz, respectively, capable of running high level code such as protocol stacks, machine learning or even interpreted languages such as MicroPython or JavaScript along with low-level real time tasks. It follows the Arduino MKR form factor, meaning that any existing MKR industrial shield can be used; can run Arduino code, Python and Javascript, and operates at an industrial temperature-range (-40 to 85°C).

Features include:

• Processor: STM32H747XI dual Cortex®-M7+M4 32bit low power Arm® MCU.

• Connectivity:
  • The onboard wireless module enables simultaneous WiFi and Bluetooth® connectivity. The WiFi interface can be operated as an Access Point, a Station or as a dual mode simultaneous AP/STA and can handle up to 65 Mbps transfer rate. Bluetooth® interface supports Bluetooth Classic and BLE.
  • 10/100 Ethernet phy.
  • High Speed USB phy.
• Memory: includes options up to 64 MByte of SDRAM, and 128 MByte of QSPI Flash.

• Video: Display port over USB-C port.
• Encryption: NXP SE050C2 Crypto.
• GPIO: The Portenta family creates a new standard for pinouts adding two 80 pin high density connectors at the bottom of the board to ensure scalability for a wide range of applications.
• SD card support: Interface for SD Card connector (through expansion port only).
• Operating temperature: -40 °C to +85 °C (excl. Wireless module) / -10 °C to +55 °C (incl. Wireless module).

Cliff Ortmeyer, Global Head of Technical Marketing for Farnell said: “Farnell stocks a broad range of modular solutions that enable customers to reduce time to market and maximise the potential of their IoT developments. The Arduino Portenta H7 combines outstanding performance and flexibility and can be used like any other embedded microcontroller board, or as the main processor of an embedded system. It’s also capable of running processes created with TensorFlow™ Lite, so you could have one of the cores computing a computer vision algorithm, whilst the other delivers low level operations such as controlling a motor, or acting as a user interface. This is a great addition to our range and gives small and medium businesses and professional makers the tools to develop IoT solutions without having to invest in specialized engineering resources.”

Farnell carries a wide range of Arduino products in the MKR and Nano family which, along with the Portenta H7, are available to order from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now stocking Kitronik products; an exciting range of accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi, perfect for educators, students, makers and hobbyists.

Kitronik products encourage imagination and creativity when used in conjunction with the latest generation of open-source programmable computer boards. The kits and accessories enable interaction between programming and hardware, making them ideal for developing computational thinking skills in younger students. This new partnership with Kitronik enhances Farnell’s range of products for education and builds upon its position as the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of the BBC micro:bit, the largest manufacturer and distributor of Raspberry Pi boards and major stockist of Arduino boards.

Kitronik products can be used to support STEM education in classrooms and after school clubs and seek to engage and inspire students of all abilities to further their knowledge of electronics, coding and design. Farnell stocks everything required to get started in physical computing for both education establishments and independent coding clubs.

Kitronik products and accessories for the micro:bit in stock at Farnell include:

• The Inventors Kit  provides an introduction to programming and hardware interaction and contains everything required to carry out ten experiments with the micro:bit, using LEDs, motors, light sensors and capacitors. The kit includes an easy to follow tutorial book and no programming experience or soldering is required. Circuits can be completed in minutes.

• The MOVE mini buggy kit provides a fun introduction to robotics making a two-wheeled robot that is suitable for autonomous operation. It is perfect for remote control projects via Bluetooth applications or control using a second micro:bit. Five RGB individually addressable Zip™ LEDs are included which can be used as indicators, and a pen can be attached to the robot to draw shapes. Kitronik’s custom code blocks for the Servo:Lite motors are available to make the task of coding as quick and painless as possible.

• The Kitronik: GAME ZIP 64 is the ultimate retro gaming accessory for the BBC micro:bit. It has been designed to be an all in one hand-held gaming platform, which includes a built-in, 64 (8x8) individually addressable full colour Zip™ LED screen. It features on-board sound, four directional buttons, two fire buttons, haptic feedback, and breakout points so that shoulder buttons or I2C devices can be added. All of these features are fully programmable and breakout points are available to allow for the use of larger LED screens.

Courtney Kennedy, Technology Solutions Marketing Manager at Farnell says “The addition of Kitronik further broadens our existing wide range of open-source educational and STEM products. The Kitronik range provides educators with new and creative ways to inspire students to get involved in physical computing, providing easy access to devices that enable them to promote the development of key skills such as computational thinking.”

Farnell’s support for the development of the next generation of electronics engineers includes free resources, including lesson plans, project ideas and more, available on the Farnell website. Farnell has a broad range of products within its product range that promote learning about physical computing, an important way for children to develop computational thinking and team working skills.

The Kitronik products and accessories for micro:bit, Arduino and Raspberry Pi are available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, has extended its embedded product offering to include four powerful and compact Arduino MKR Shields, designed to extend the capability and application of Arduino boards.

Premier Farnell’s extended Arduino product line provides maker engineers and prototype developers with a new suite of accessories that can be seamlessly integrated into an array of IoT applications, streamlining the journey from prototype to production.

Featuring embedded connectivity and extremely low power consumption, the open source Arduino accessories are suitable for a range of battery powered IoT edge applications. All three MKR Shields combine a standardised, modular form factor with the power of a 32-bit Arm microcontroller and the choice of integrated Wi-Fi, GSM, NB-IoT, SigFox or LoRa connectivity.

The new products now available from the website include:

• The Arduino MKR Motor Carrier: The perfect companion for Arduino MKR boards as it allows users to rapidly prototype and build projects. With the MKR Motor Carrier users can connect several motors and sensors to their mechatronic project and control servo, DC, and stepper motors. The Carrier can also be used to connect other actuators and sensors via a series of 3-pin male headers.
• The Arduino MKR ENV Shield: With its compact 61mm x 25mm design, 32g weight and an input voltage of 3.3V, the ENV Shield allows an MKR board to easily gather and store environmental data collected by a range of sensors. Sensors monitor atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity, light intensity (LUX) and ultraviolet intensity (UVA and UVB). The shield is equipped with a microSD card reader and features a ready-to-use library, programmed to read values from different sensors to ensure smooth integration and data collection.
• The Arduino MKR RGB Shield: Users can now write messages and add graphics to show values from an MKR board using the RGB Shield. The RGB Shield is controlled from the Arduino IoT cloud and features 84 dense and bright-mounted LEDs offering full RGB colour. With its simplistic design, the RGB Shield can be easily plugged onto an MKR board with no need for soldering or special adaptors. This powerful 61.5mm shield x 27mm shield has an input voltage of 5V, a maximum current of 2.5V and weighs 32g.
• The Arduino MKR Therm Shield: With an input voltage of 3.3V and the ability to work in temperatures ranging from 200^oC to 700^oC, the Therm Shield allows an MKR board to deliver highly accurate and an extended range of temperature measurements from a Type K thermocouple and a DS18Bxx digital one wire sensor. Two connectors on the shield enable the Type K thermocouple to be used with or without a plug attached to the metal wires while the unit takes advantage of the MAX31855 thermocouple digital interface. The MKR Therm Shield has the same footprint as the ENV Shield.

“The addition of Arduino’s new MKR Shields to our portfolio helps extend the capabilities of the MKR boards for our customers.” says Hari Kalyanaraman, Global Head of Single Board Computers for Premier Farnell. “With a versatile mix of wireless connectivity and sensor options, the MKR series provides flexibility for engineers and makers looking to develop and deploy IoT applications easily using the Arduino ecosystem.”

The four new Arduino MKR Shields are now available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Farnell element14, the Development Distributor, announces availability of the new Arduino Pro Gateway kit; providing an entrance to the world of LoRa^® connectivity using ultra-long range and high interference immunity wireless technology.

The Arduino Pro Gateway connects seamlessly with Arduino’s MKR WAN 1300 development board, allowing existing Arduino users to design and prototype long-range, low-power IoT devices in a familiar Arduino environment without changing platforms. Installation, provisioning and remote management of the Gateway are greatly simplified through the Arduino Create platform, enabling users to leverage LoRa connectivity in many potential applications including:

• Automated meter reading
• Environmental monitoring
• Smart cities
• Home and building automation
• Alarm and security systems
• Industrial control
• Irrigation systems
• Agricultural monitoring

The new Gateway is designed around the Semtech SX1301 digital baseband chip: a powerful digital signal processing engine which enables robust connection between the Gateway and a large number of wireless end-points spread over a wide range of distances. The Arduino Pro Gateway offers up to eight LoRa channels in the 868 MHz frequency band, allowing it to receive up to eight LoRa packets simultaneously - making it the ideal device to use in LoRaWAN gateway applications.

The Gateway features a Listen Before Talk (LBT) capability, which allows users to transmit at higher power on the first free channel, achieving longer ranges than conventional gateways for LoRa. The gateway also comes pre-installed with an optimized packet forwarder and a carrier grade network server for LoRaWAN that is running on the Arduino Cloud, powered by A2A.

In addition to the Gateway with LoRa connectivity and the SX1301 baseband chipset, the kit contains:

• An adapter for the Raspberry Pi
• An aluminum enclosure
• The Raspberry Pi 3 model B+
• 5 V power supply
• Ethernet cable
• External antenna

Hari Kalyanaraman, Global Head of Emerging Businesses and Single Board Computers for  Premier Farnell and Farnell element14, says “The Arduino Pro Gateway kit combined with the Arduino Create platform provides an easy to deploy gateway solution that leverages LoRa connectivity across a wide range of applications including Environment Monitoring, Industrial Control / Automation, Smart Cities and more. This enables engineers developing LoRa applications to get to market faster”

Farnell element14 will be exhibiting at Embedded World, Nuremberg Germany from 26-28 February. Visitors can view the new Arduino Pro Gateway Kit at stand 1-370, where Farnell element14 is collocated with sister company, Avnet Silica.

The Arduino Pro Gateway kit is now exclusively available from Farnell element14 in Europe.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is helping to create the next generation of digital engineers by providing kits and support to help youngsters to learn the fundamental skills of coding. The company offers one of the widest range of educational aids targeted at tomorrow’s coders and application developers including products such as Codebug, BBC micro:bit, Raspberry Pi and the newly launched Arduino CTC101 classroom kit.

“Digitally based industries across the globe face an ongoing skills shortage in coding. This has led to an increase in the development of educational programmes that provide children with access to coding skills through hands-on learning, helping tackle these challenges for the future”, says Peter Wenzel, Global Head of Software and Single Board Computing for Premier Farnell: “At Premier Farnell, the combination of our exclusively manufactured boards such as the BBC micro:bit and Codebug, and successful manufacturing partnerships with other suppliers including Raspberry Pi and BeagleBoard, mean that we can offer one of the most comprehensive ranges of educational boards on the market.”

“Physical computing provides real solutions for engaging the younger generation in technology, giving them the opportunity to design and create physical devices that they can use in their day to day lives, whilst learning important skills”, adds Jonathan Smith, Head of Education at Premier Farnell: “Problem solving and computational thinking are key skills that our children will need when they leave education. This is where physical computing, including learning to code with devices such as CodeBug and the BBC micro:bit, can help in the teaching process.”

Key products suitable for coding education at different ages are:

• The Codebug is a small coding device for students age 7+. Shaped like a ladybird, CodeBug provides a fun and engaging way to build interactive devices. The device incorporates 25 LED lights, 2 control buttons, and 6 ‘legs’ which can be used to connect croc-clips, banana plugs or even sewn to. Ideas to get started with the Codebug can be found on the element14 community at https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-78413/l/10-codebug-projects-in-10-days BBC micro:bit was developed to teach students from age 11+. Measuring 4cm by 5cm, it is available in a range of colours and designed to be fun and easy to use. Similar to the Codebug, it can be coded with no prior knowledge of computing although has more extensive functionality such as motion detection, a built-in compass and Bluetooth technology to test young coders as they develop their skills, exposing them to technology which existing in the world around them. Ideas to get started with the BBC micro:bit can be found on the element14 community at https://www.element14.com/community/community/stem-academy/microbit/blog/2016/05/26/10-bbc-microbit-projects-in-ten-days.
• Premier Farnell has also recently launched several add-ons for the BBC micro:bit that help to build fun and support into learning to code. These include the mi:node, which is designed to teach youngsters the basics of IoT mechanics as interconnectivity becomes part of their everyday lives, and the MBIT-WEARIT- Development Kit, a versatile micro:bit enclosure specially designed to build mobile applications that can be used with a wrist strap, keyring or lanyard.
• Within Arduino’s wide range of education products stocked by Premier Farnell is the Arduino CTC101 classroom kit: a modular program aimed at teaching students, aged 13 to 17 years, the foundations of programming, electronics, and mechanics through a series of playful, well-documented projects and easy-to-assemble experiments.

“At Premier Farnell we’re passionate about supporting engineering and electronics in education”, continues Peter Wenzel:” We’re not alone though - the world’s leading technology companies such as Microsoft, Google and Samsung are also working to address an industry-wide challenge to develop more electronics engineers by creating content, courses and platforms built around the products we manufacture and supply. The range of boards and ancillary products available from Premier Farnell is backed up by guidance and support through online resources available from the STEM Academy and the widely used element14 Community which has over 500,000 members and is the largest forum of its kind in the engineering, student and maker community.”

Premier Farnell operates as Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.

element14.com, the community for engineers, has launched “Design for a Cause,” its latest challenge featuring the Arduino MKR1000 development board as the key building block in assistive technology for individuals living with physical or mental impairments. Design for a Cause underscores the commitment of Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, to make the world a better place through innovative technology projects.

As part of this, element14 is launching a Design for Cause initiative on the community site to provide a creative and supportive space for makers looking to build projects with a purpose. From an engineer looking to upgrade a friend’s wheelchair, to designers creating malaria-hunting robots or even an accessible games controller, designers and engineers can leverage the element14 community for support in bringing their projects to life.

For the Design for a Cause challenge, element14 community members’ projects are tasked with making daily tasks easier for individuals living with physical or mental difficulties. Challengers are encouraged to post their code and methods as Open-Source to help inspire others to build the same or similar designs on their own.

“Our element14 community is passionate about helping others, and with Design for a Cause, we’re proud to be able to give them the space they need to develop new technologies to improve the day-to-day lives of others,” said Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for Premier Farnell. “We’re excited to see how our makers leverage the Arduino MKR1000 development board to approach this challenge and create meaningful IoT projects that help individuals who need it most.”

Participants are provided with profiles of three individuals with physical or mental limitations including vision impairment, arthritis and loss of muscle function, who would benefit from assistance with everyday tasks. Challenge participants may choose to develop assistive technology for one of these three personas, or they can create a product to assist someone they know. Sample applications for the challenge could include:

• Open-Source Electric Wheelchair Conversion kit
• Smart Prosthetics
• Sense Replacement System
• Safer cooking options for people with sight impairments
• Mobility Aids
• Dexterity Aids
• Help with household appliances
• Proximity Detecting Canes
• Communication devices

Makers and engineers can apply to participate in the Design for a Cause challenge starting May 23 through June 13. On June 22, up to 20 challengers will be chosen to build their projects using the Arduino MKR1000. Those challengers will have 11 weeks to build their projects, and develop 10 blog posts sharing their progress with the element14 community. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges from Arduino and the element14 community on originality, innovation and technical merit.

The first place winner in the Design for a Cause design challenge will receive $900 to their favorite charity, a FLUKE 279 FC/IFLEX Digital Multimeter and a Tinkerkit Braccio Robotic Arm DIY Kit. The Runner up will receive $500 to their favorite charity, a Tenma 72-8474 Oscilloscope and Microduino Quadcopter w/Joypad. Design for a Cause finishers will receive a mystery prize.

To learn more about the Design for a Cause design challenge, please visit: www.element14.com/community/community/design-challenges/designforacause

Premier Farnell, The Development Distributor, is now shipping the Infineon 24V Protected Switch Shield and the Low-Side Switch Shield both for Arduino.

The 24V Protected Switch Shield is a power switch evaluation board compatible with Arduino microcontroller boards and Infineon’s XMC™ microcontroller kits using the Arduino form factor. It provides fast and inexpensive prototyping of 24V load driving, making it ideal for use in applications such as truck bulbs, car bulbs, valves, motors, relays, capacitors, and LEDs.

The shield is equipped with three PROtected high-side power MOSFETs out of the PROFET™+ 24V family, offering five 24 V channels in total. The power switches are controlled via the INx (input) pins. The PROFET™+ 24V devices also provide a sense current at the IS pin, which can be enabled via the DEN (Diagnosis ENable) pin. For the two channel devices the sensed channel is selected via the DSEL (Diagnosis SELect) pin. For each device the sense signal (IS) is connected to an own ADC channel of the microcontroller.

Infineon’s PROFET™+ 24V protected high-side switches drive resistive, capacitive and inductive loads with either a PWM of up to 400Hz or DC. It includes a driver circuit with logic level inputs, as well as load diagnosis with current sense capability and over temperature shut down with latch behaviour providing protection against over temperature, over current and ESD. This shield can handle 8 ~ 36V nominal input voltage (max. 5 ~ 48V) and a nominal current up to 5A per channel restricted due to PCB (nominal current: 7 A).

The Low-Side Switch Shield from Infineon consists of three BTF3050TE low-side switches of the HITFET™+ family providing three independent power channels that can be controlled via the input pins. The shield is compatible with microcontroller boards using the Arduino form factor and supports fast and easy prototyping of applications with BTF3050TE. With a nominal load current of 3A the BTF3050TE is able to drive resistive, inductive and capacitive loads. Furthermore the smart low-side switch provides diagnosis and protection features against items such as over temperature shut down with auto restart behaviour and double current limitation for inrush current. It also includes a latched and stable fault signal which is independent of the input pin. The Low-Side Switch Shield has a driver circuit with logic level inputs and can be driven with PWM up to 14 kHz (10% duty cycle) and with a 50 mΩ single channel switch, nominal battery voltage range from 8 ~ 18V and a nominal load current of 3A (typ.) DC this switch provides a fast and inexpensive way of prototyping for a wide range of applications.

The shields are available from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in APAC. Please visit the element14 Community for more information on the Infineon 24V Protected Switch Shield and the Infineon Low-Side Switch Shield.

The new RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino from Infineon Technologies is now available for purchase from Newark element14, a global electronics distributor and online community for design engineers and hobbyists. The RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino is one of the industry’s first easy-to-use, intelligent lighting solutions compatible with Arduino and the XMC1100 Boot Kit of Infineon.

The Infineon RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino features three independent dimming engines with nine independent Pulse Density Modulated (PDM) channels. It is easily configurable for various light engines and provides flicker-free LED dimming and color control, making it an ideal product for electronics design engineers and lighting designers. Fast prototyping coupled with inexpensive evaluation capabilities also makes the Infineon RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino an ideal tool for makers and hobbyists.

Additional features of the Infineon RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino include:

• Constant current to drive 3 LED channels
• Wide DC input voltage range (12-48V, max 6-60V)
• Average LED current up to 700mA (max peak current 1A)
• Simple I2C interface
• Power by 32-bit XMC1200 MCU series using an ARM® Cortex™-M0 processor
• With Brightness Color Control Unit (BCCU)
• Can be extended for DALI/DMX512

“We are happy to provide innovative semiconductor solutions to the Arduino developer community in cooperation with Newark element14,” says Jürgen Hoika, Senior Director Distribution Marketing at Infineon Technologies AG. “The Infineon RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino is the first of a family launched to enable developers to create highly efficient and thus greener products. Infineon Shields for Arduino perfectly fit our XMC1100 microcontroller Boot Kit which significantly reduces time-to-market with its DAVE™ software development environment.”

The element14 Community is currently running a road test titled "The Internet of Holiday Lights” featuring the new Infineon RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino. Visit the competitors page to see the participants, their projects and how they are bringing the Internet of Things home for the holidays.

The Infineon RGB LED Lighting Shield with XMC1202 for Arduino is available for $29.47 via Newark element14. Visit Newark element14’s Applications Center for more information on how to get started.