element14 announces global, in-stock availability of two new BeagleBoard.org® development boards: BeagleConnect™ Freedom and BeaglePlay®.

BeaglePlay is an open-source Single Board Computer (SBC) designed to simplify the process of adding sensors, actuators, indicators, human interfaces, and connectivity to a reliable embedded system.

The interfaces and processing power of BeaglePlay make it ideal for supporting a variety of systems. It has built-in wired and wireless connectivity, including innovative single-pair Ethernet and Sub-GHz wireless options, enabling it to connect to a vast selection of sensor and prototyping systems with thousands of options. It is an excellent choice for early adopters who want a simplified Linux experience they can expand without needing to learn to read schematics.    

BeaglePlay can be used in various applications, including retail and POS automation, vision analytics, medical equipment, smart buildings and Edge AI, and many more.

Key features include:

• A powerful 64-bit, quad-core processor
• HDMI Type-A supporting up to Full-HD/1080P with 24-bit RGB
• Innovative connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, sub-GHz wireless, and single-pair Ethernet with power-over-data-line
• Compatibility with 1,000s of off-the-shelf add-ons and a customised Debian Linux image, Simple expansion and customisation with ribbon-cable connections included for cameras and touch-screen displays, and a socket for a battery-backed real-time-clock
• Ideal for human-machine (HMI) interface designs
•  A competitive price and user-friendly design provide a positive development experience for users

BeaglePlay is also a useful development platform for creating Zephyr-based applications for BeagleConnect Freedom.

BeagleConnect Freedom is an open-hardware wireless platform developed by BeagleBoard.org built around the TI CC1352P7 microcontroller, which supports both 2.4-GHz and long-range, low-power Sub-1 GHz wireless protocols.

BeagleConnect Freedom includes:

• Rapid prototyping of IoT applications, accelerated by hardware compatibility with over 1,000 mikroBUS™ add-on sensors, actuators, indicators and includes additional connectivity and storage options
• Backed with software support utilising the Zephyr scalable and modular real-time operating system, allowing developers to tailor the solution to their specific needs
• Includes MSP430F5503 for USB-to-UART functionality, temperature and humidity sensor, light sensor, SPI flash, battery charger, buzzer, LEDs, and JTAG connections to make it a comprehensive solution for IoT development and prototyping
• The TI CC1352P7 microcontroller (MCU) includes a 48-MHz Arm Cortex-M4F processor, 704KB Flash memory, 256KB ROM, 8KB Cache SRAM, 144KB of ultra-low leakage SRAM, and over-the-air upgrades (OTA) capability. This MCU provides flexible support for many different protocols and bands making it suitable for many different communication requirements
• Rapid prototyping without wiring, utlising the mikroBUS standard which offers the flexibility to connect to almost any typical sensor or indicator with hundreds of devices available
• Full customisation is possible

BeagleConnect Freedom streamlines the rapid prototyping process by eliminating the need for users to develop microcontroller code or utilize userspace drivers. With BeaglePlay-hosted kernel drivers and collaborative support code, there's no need to cut and paste sensor interface examples . The Linux kernel has the necessary intelligence to interact with various external devices, so users don't need to rely on extensive microcontroller code libraries. Users can integrate a large number of devices without writing any code, and even the automation code required can be simple. People can spend less time writing complicated code and more time testing their ideas.

Maintenance of BeagleConnect is simplified because the software code base is not tailored to any specific network-of-devices configuration. This implies that any improvements made to the code base can benefit all users. Moreover, the BeagleConnect firmware source code is submitted upstream to the Zephyr Project, increasing the user base and providing a better chance of detecting and resolving issues or bugs.

Romain Soreau, Head of Single Board Computing at element14, said, “We are very pleased to announce our global in-stock availability of these two new boards from Beagleboard.org®. These boards are designed to be affordable and accessible, allowing hobbyists, educators, and professionals to experiment with and develop a wide range of electronics projects, from simple sensors and LED displays to complex robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) systems.”

Christine Long, BeagleBoard.org Executive Director, said, “These competitively priced introductions herald a new era in productivity for early adopters as well as experienced developers, both of whom will benefit from the speed and flexibility of BeagleConnect Freedom and BeaglePlay without having to write line-after-line of code.”

The new BeagleBoard.org BeagleConnect Freedom and BeaglePlay are now available from stock at element14 in APAC.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes our world, Farnell, the Development Distributor, along with element14, an Avnet community, are expanding the AI products and resources available to help engineers develop new solutions leveraging the technology. Opportunities for engineers include availability of the BeagleBone AI single board computer and online resources to help overcome the complexity, cost and power challenges of developing for AI.

The BeagleBone AI, one of the newest AI products available from Farnell, provides a fast track solution for embedded machine learning. The single board computer facilitates everyday automation for industrial, commercial and home applications and allows developers to have their designs up and running within five minutes. You can read more about the BeagleBone AI board here.

Enabling element14 Community members to learn the fundamentals of AI in a free online course, the new AI Essentials Course begins with an overview and history of AI, and goes on to cover algorithms, the Bayes Theorem, machine and deep learning, and typical AI applications. The DIY course gives makers and engineers the tools they need to further incorporate AI into their designs.

“Artificial Intelligence, from autonomous cars to ‘lights out’ autonomous factories used to be reserved for science fiction, but the technology is becoming increasingly popular and more readily available every day,” said Cliff Ortmeyer, Global Head of Technical Marketing for Farnell.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of the element14 Community added: “We are committed to giving our customers and community members access to the latest AI products and resources, including free training, projects and tools to support them throughout their AI design journey and grow their careers.”

Additional AI offerings from Farnell and element14 include:

• AI Configurator and AI Resource Page: An interactive tool, the AI Configurator enables engineers to quickly determine the most appropriate products and solutions for their AI projects. New products such as the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B Computer, Ultra96 V2 development board, and BeagleBone AI are incorporated into the tool, ensuring engineers are at the cutting edge of AI technology. The AI Configurator is part of Farnell’s AI Resource Page, a dependable resource for makers looking to expand their knowledge.

• New element14 Artificial Intelligence Page: Features all of the latest element14 content around AI including a range of member projects, Tech Spotlights, blogs and products. This area will also feature the element14 Presents weekly video series, with videos focussing on the new BeagleBone AI. Interested community members can sign up to receive updates when new AI related content is added.

Farnell is the only high service distributor with a dedicated AI space and a community of 650,000 members with an ongoing focus on AI applications. To learn more, visit Farnell’s AI Resource Page and the element14 Community.

Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now shipping the new BeagleBone® AI single board computer. Designed to provide a fast track solution for embedded machine learning, the BeagleBone® AI facilitates everyday automation for industrial, commercial and home applications including computer vision and image processing.

BeagleBone® AI makes it easy to explore how artificial intelligence can be used in everyday life and developers can be up and running in five minutes. Specifically designed for AI projects, the new board features a neural engine which processes complex algorithms at a hardware level. BeagleBone builds on users’ familiarity with earlier versions as this new model possesses the same form factor as other BeagleBone® SBCs.

As AI becomes more pervasive and integrated, there is a growing need for more design expertise and experience. Farnell is enabling engineers, developers and firms to unlock the power of AI and overcome the obstacles of complexity, cost, computing power and skills gap through support services such as the element14 Community and a product offering that ensures low-cost, high-power designs for engineers wanting to embark on AI design. As well as this, tools such as Farnell’s online AI configurator assist designers to select the best-fit board for their project, any required accessories and useful relevant resources such as webinars.

The BeagleBone® AI is built on the proven BeagleBoard.org® open source Linux approach, filling the gap between small SBCs and more powerful industrial computers. The device comessupplied with a heat sink and antenna and doesn’t need an additional microSD card. The BeagleBone® AI features include:

• BeagleBone Black mechanical and header compatibility;
• USB-C connectors for power and superspeed dual-role controller;
• USB-A host;
• Gigabit Ethernet;
• 2.4/5GHz WiFi;
• Bluetooth microHDMI connector;
• 16-bit LCD interfaces;
• Comprehensive connectivity and out-of-box functionality.

Hari Kalyanaraman, Global Head of Single Board Computers for Farnell says: “Artificial intelligence is making the connected world more intelligent and the BeagleBone® AI offers developers a host of new design options on a simple-to-use platform. Recent research has suggested that global business value derived from AI will reach $3.9 trillion by 2022 and Farnell’s AI offering places us and our customers firmly at the centre of this new industrial revolution.”

BeagleBone® AI and accessories are available from Farnell in EMEA, Newark in North America and element14 in APAC.

Presented by Jason Kridner, the co-founder and board member at BeagleBoard.org Foundation and the element14 team, the series provides community members with a grounding in the fundamentals of BeagleBone^® and will show how to have fun with BeagleBone^® boards.

The series includes the following episodes:

• Introduction to BeagleBone®
• BeagleBone^® for Linux Users
• BeagleBone^® for Embedded Developers
• BeagleBone^® for Web Developers
• BeagleBone^® Blue for Robotics
• BeagleBone^® in the Classroom

The first episode, “An introduction to Beaglebone” is now available, with further episodes available every two weeks. All episodes will be available “on demand” after launch.

Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community and Social Media for Premier Farnell and element14 said: “BeagleBone^® drives huge interest from our community members, supported by a vast library of projects and learning materials. This new webinar series will help element14 community members get the very most out of their boards, from getting started and embedding a board within an application, to robotics.”

Visit https://www.element14.com/community/docs/DOC-89480/l/beaglebone-6-part-webinar-series for more details, and to enroll for the webinar.

BeagleBone^® boards and accessories are available to buy from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now stocking the new PocketBeagle® from BeagleBoard.org ®, an ultra-tiny-yet-complete open-source USB-key-fob computer. PocketBeagle® is an incredibly low cost, simple to use Linux based board, making it the ideal development board for beginners and professionals alike.

For users getting started within Linux, the element14 community has introduced a new web series featuring Felix Gardner from the popular “The Ben Heck Show”. In the series, “sudo Sergeant”, Linux enthusiast Felix walks viewers through the basics of Linux, from ‘what is an operating system?’ to permissions and account management, getting them started in a series of easy to digest 3 minute videos.

PocketBeagle® is an ideal development board for the experienced maker and developer or someone starting out with Linux based programming. It has an Octavo Systems OSD3358 1GHz ARM® Cortex-A8 on board with 512MB DDR3 RAM, Integrated power management and 2×32-bit 200-MHz programmable real-time units (PRUs).

Summary of Technical Specifications:

• Based on new Octavo Systems OSD3358-SM 21mm x 21mm system-in-package that includes 512MB DDR3 RAM, 1-GHz ARM Cortex-A8 CPU, 2x 200-MHz PRUs, ARM Cortex-M3, 3D accelerator, power/battery management and EEPROM
• 72 expansion pin headers with power and battery I/Os, high-speed USB, 8 analog inputs, 44 digital I/Os and numerous digital interface peripherals
• microUSB host/client and microSD connectors

The PocketBeagle is available to buy from Farnell element14 in Europe, forthings.io in UK & Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in APAC.

You can watch element14’s sudo Sergeant web series on the element14 community.

Premier Farnell, the Development Distributor, is now shipping BeagleBone^® Blue, the latest offering based on the popular opensource BeagleBone^® from the BeagleBoard.org Foundation, built specifically for use in the development of robotics and autonomous vehicles.

Aimed at Hardware and Software engineers, makers and university education markets, BeagleBone^® Blue is built around the familiar BeagleBone^® open hardware computer, and is fully community supported. It’s high-performance and flexible networking capabilities are coupled with a real-time capable Linux system and a set of peripherals suited for building mobile robots quickly and affordably; from precise motor control and feedback to rechargeable, portable power management. The onboard 9-axis inertial measurement unit and barometer enable the development of self-aligning and orientating robotics, whether grounded or air borne, all directed with the support of on-board 802.11/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1/BLE wireless technology.

BeagleBone^® Blue uses an Octavo Systems OSD3358 System-in-Package device which includes a TI AM3358 1-GHz ARM® Cortex-A8 CPU with 512MB DDR3 RAM, 4GB 8-bit on-board flash storage and power management. One of the key benefits of the TI AM3358 device is that it has two 32-bit programmable real-time units (PRUs) running at 200-MHz, making BeagleBone^® Blue ideally suited for application in robotics.

As ever, getting started with BeagleBone^® Blue is simple and code development can be started by utilizing a pre-configured WiFi access point, connecting a battery and opening a web browser.

Claire Doyle, Global Head of Single Board Computers at Premier Farnell, said:

“As the Development Distributor, Premier Farnell is committed to enhancing the maker community and supporting the development of our next generation of engineers. We do this by developing and distributing key technologies and offering guidance and support through the element14 Community, which has over 470,000 members. We are delighted to be making the BeagleBone® Blue available to our customers. This new product opens up new horizons, enabling makers and students with skills of all levels to have a go at creating their own robots or droids. Built specifically for use in the development of robotics, its easy to get started creating projects – either for fun or with a real world purpose in mind”

BeagleBone Blue joins the BeagleBoard.org board family including the popular BeagleBone Black, element14 BeagleBone Black Industrial and the recently launched BeagleBone Black Wireless.

BeagleBone Blue is available from Farnell element14 in Europe, Newark element14 in North America and element14 in Asia Pacific.

To read more about BeagleBoard.org boards available from Premier Farnell please visit the element14 Community.

Premier Farnell, is now shipping three new products in the successful open source BeagleBone range. The ever popular BeagleBone Black and element 14 BeagleBone Black Industrial are now joined by BeagleBone Black Wireless, the element14 Wireless Connectivity Cape and the element14 4.3” Display Cape.

The BeagleBone® Black Wireless now has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities built in, removing the need for design or hardware workarounds. Focused on connectivity, the 10/100 Ethernet port from the BeagleBone® Black is replaced with a TI WiLink™ WL1835 which is a high-performance 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz Wi-Fi module with Bluetooth. With Debian Linux preinstalled and 4GB of onboard eMMC memory, designers can be developing using their web browser in less than 5 minutes using just one USB cable. The new BeagleBone® Black Wireless is also fully compatible with existing cape plug-in boards designed for BeagleBone Black.

For designers already working with the BeagleBone® Black and element14 BeagleBone® Black Industrial, wireless communication is now available through the new element14 Wireless Connectivity Cape. This powerful cape expands the capability of the BeagleBone® device by adding a variety of wireless connectivity standards - making BeagleBone® boards the go-to choice for those developing IoT applications. The cape utilizes the advanced features of the Texas Instruments WiLink™ 8 (WL1837) industrial dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz), 2x2 MIMO Wi-Fi, Bluetooth & Bluetooth Smart (Low energy) module also including Zigbee and NFC functionality. Additional capes and accessories can be stacked or added as required with the inclusion of I/O headers on the cape, as well as on the BeagleBone® Black board.

The element14 Display Cape allows designers using the BeagleBone® boards (BeagleBone® Black, element14 BeagleBone Black Industrial and BeagleBone® Black Wireless) to connect a 4.3-inch colour touchscreen display directly to the board. With capacitive overlay, the Display Cape provides an LED backlit screen for a smartphone-like interface, perfect for interactive projects, embedded systems and standalone installations.

BeagleBoard.org® products are open source which makes them perfect for makers and start-ups looking to commercialise their designs. Premier Farnell, The Development Distributor, is helping to make designing and creating IoT ready applications simpler than ever before.

element14, The Development Distributor, is supporting the designers of today and the future with dedicated resources, initiatives, literature and product launches. element14 is the exclusive manufacturer of educational programming boards such as the BBC micro:bit and Codebug and is the official manufacturer of two of the most popular maker boards in the world, Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone Black.

With such a widely respected reputation in the Maker and Education sector, element14 focuses on promoting electrical engineering through their ongoing development of both educational and hobbyist products. To supplement learning and development, element14 provides guidance and support through online resources available from the STEM Academy and the widely used element14 forum which has over 440k members and is the largest forum of its kind in the engineering and maker community. As the Development Distributor, element14’s commitment to promoting electrical engineering is clear, introducing young people into the world of coding and enhancing the maker community through creating the latest development tools and software products.

Chris Breslin, Chief Product Officer said:

“To inspire and support designers of all ages and levels of experience, we are launching a new easy to use guide and online resource to help developers the world over select the best development boards for their projects.”

Global Head of Raspberry Pi & Single Board Computing, Claire Doyle added:

“This guide will showcase the features of a selection of development boards and provide application examples to inspire designers to create new projects, safe in the knowledge that element14 is on hand with support documentation and access to the community forum.”

During the four-day electronica show in Europe from 8-11^th November, element14 is presenting the ‘World of Electronics’ on their stand. The new development board guide will be launched on the 11^th November and will be available to visitors at the Maker and Education booth on the element14 stand and online at http://www.developmentboardselector.com. Stand visitors will also be able to get hands on with products, view demonstrations as well as see educational videos and have the chance to code and take home a Codebug.

Find out more about element14 at electronica at www.electronica.farnell.com/

The BeagleBone Black will be manufactured by Premier Farnell’s wholly owned subsidiary Embest Technology. Embest Technology has extensive experience in the design and manufacturing of single board computers and will provide volume manufacturing capacity for the BeagleBone Black.