Insights

Avnet has launched three compact Computer-on-Modules (CoMs) based on Intel’s powerful Atom Processor x7000RE and x7000C Series with eight cores. The boards are ideal for rugged industrial applications with extended temperature range and 24/7 continuous operation.

This episode dives into two powerful tools for embedded development: SimpleSwitch™ and The Embedded Kit. We’ll explore what each offers, how they work, and how they can work together to streamline your embedded development process.

In this blog post, we’ll guide you through developing and debugging Qt applications directly on SMARC modules using SimpleSwitch™.

In this episode, I’ll show you how to develop and debug Flutter applications directly on Avnet Embedded SMARC modules using SimpleSwitch™. Buckle up for advanced features like Hot Reload and DevTools at your fingertips!

Why Node.js on a Compute Module? Developing your application backend in JavaScript using Node.js offers several advantages. It’s a familiar language for many developers, allows for rapid prototyping, and boasts a rich ecosystem of libraries and frameworks. Using a Compute Module provides a powerful and flexible platform for deploying your application directly on the device.

Following up on our episode about deploying static websites, we’ll explore how to leverage Chromium on embedded systems with SimpleSwitch™.

In this epsiode, we’ll delve into the process of deploying and debugging web applications directly on i.MX8M Plus SMARC modules using SimpleSwitch and VS Code. This streamlined approach facilitates the seamless testing and refinement of HMIs on embedded devices.

Avnet Embedded expands the product portfolio of high-performance standard modules in the COM-HPC form factor. The high-end client and server boards are designed for compute-intense graphics, AI and edge computing applications.

In this Christmas special episode, we will explore how to connect Avnet Embedded platforms quickly and easily to the cloud using SimpleSwitch™ and IoTConnect®, a cloud platform developed by Avnet. Then we will use IoTConnect® to control remotely a GPIO from the Cloud!

In the realm of embedded software development, real hardware can often be a scarce resource, hindering development progress and collaboration. This is where QEMU virtual images for SimpleSwitch™ step in, offering a versatile solution to overcome these limitations.

Embark on a journey to enhance your Python skills by developing an application that leverages GPIO control and MQTT communication. Join us as we delve into the nuances of container setup, project creation, GPIO toggling, and MQTT integration.

In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through the process of building a simple C project using the Simple Switch framework. We’ll be using Visual Studio Code (VS Code) for this demonstration, but everything we cover can also be done from the command line.

In the field of embedded systems, SimpleSwitch™ has become a powerful platform for the development and deployment of your applications with Avnet Embedded SMARC modules. Its ease of use and versatility have made it a popular choice among developers, but navigating its intricacies can be daunting for beginners. Today’s episode delves into the world of SimpleSwitch™ tooling, equipping you with the knowledge and tools to embark on your development journey with confidence.

Avnet Embedded’s solder-on OSM modules for fully automated production Scalable OSM modules for small-size applications Avnet Embedded has expanded its OSM product portfolio and presents

In our latest Embedded Software Session, we show how simple and fast it is to set up SimpleSwitch™ on Avnet Embedded #SMARC modules. With a comprehensive documentation online, the SDK and Base Image installation is done within under 30min.

You are no doubt already familiar with Smart Mobility Architecture – more often known as SMARC – as it’s a standard specification for computers and modules. What you may not know, however, is that this excellent open-standard platform for embedded computing was created a decade ago by the Standardization Group for Embedded Technologies and Avnet Embedded was one of SGET’s founding members.

Avnet Embedded is expanding its COM Express product portfolio with a power-efficient family of modules based on AMD Ryzen Embedded R2000 processors. The modules are particularly suited for use in medical equipment, digital signage solutions, HMI and automation systems.

SimpleSwitch™ is our solution that allows the development of embedded software with limited dependency on hardware. Or, to put it simply as we did in our previous video, creates a way to ‘write once, deploy anywhere’. For the purposes of this explainer, let’s assume that ‘anywhere’ is one of our SMARC modules and will be supported by SimpleSwitch.

It’s a problem all too familiar to software developers: beginning a project with a poorly defined feature set, working in parallel with a hardware team who wants to select a module right from the start, so they can develop their carrier board. But how can you make the right choice so early in the process, when you’re not even sure what you’re going to develop?

The compact SMARC computer-on-module standard has experienced tremendous success, especially for low-power applications in different markets. Avnet Embedded, one of the leading manufacturers of embedded modules, has a broad SMARC product portfolio with scalable processor technologies and interface features and offers its customers comprehensive design support.

Being a close partner to leading processor manufacturers means that we are among the first to launch a new portfolio of embedded compute modules, based on latest processor generations. These new module families – new COM Express, COM-HPC, SMARC, and OSM – mean that our customers can quickly embed the best computing capabilities into their products.

We build many applications for customers that require absolute precision and reliability for environments where safety and accuracy are important.

We have been working with customers recently on engineering touch screens to absolutely eliminate any chance of ghost touch (false signals of touch inputs on a screen). This has required some creative thinking and deep-level engineering from our in-house display experts.

The high-performance medical devices of the future place high demands on their components and parts. Avnet Embedded draws from a wide range of innovative embedded standard modules, based on the current 12th Generation Intel® Core™ processors.

It’s a truth universally accepted that the work of software developers is inextricably linked to the hardware their code will finally run on. So, when the hardware changes, so must the code. It’s what has always happened but doesn’t make the process any less frustrating when it comes to meeting tight go-to-market deadlines, or when suddenly your chosen compute modules are unavailable. In these difficult circumstances, developers have always had to suck it up and start from scratch or simply…wait.

As a leading display innovations expert, we ensure that the touch displays we develop are reliable and deliver optimal performance under any condition. Our attention to detail enables us to develop flawless designs that meet customer expectations.

Avnet Embedded is adding new standard 21.5″ display and touchscreen options to its portfolio designed specifically for high-use electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, in response to high demand from EV charging OEMs.

Today, we’re taking our sensor technology into a new era with the addition of AD Mesh – a lighter, sleeker and more bendable sensor which is a custom build and can be easily adapted customer needs. It joins our existing DITO, SP-ITO and Metal Mesh sensors, which are already widely in use across the world-class displays that we deliver to our customers in every industry.

There have been plenty of key moments in history when technology catches up with ambition and the results have been world changing. But there are also many many other, smaller, eureka moments that have been a quiet revolution for millions of lives. We say ‘quiet’ because unless you needed them, you likely wouldn’t even notice.

Avnet Embedded has announced a scalable SMARC 2.1.1™ system-on-module family designed for extremely low power consumption combined with good computing performance. The compact CPU boards are suitable for battery/solar-powered systems, IoT edge products, portable embedded controllers, handheld test and measurement devices, and mobile medical systems. The new power-efficient module generation is a further technology evolution step from microcontrollers (MCUs) to microprocessors (MPUs).

Data, data, data, data… we read a lot about data lately, don’t we? But less about what it is capable of. The power it wields. The changes it can drive. The ways it can make our lives better – and how it can quietly save them. This, arguably, is the ultimate goal of the Smart City, to provide us with an environment so efficient, so purposeful and sophisticated that not only is our quality of life impacted, but life itself. But how might we see this happen? Let’s look at a few lifesaving scenarios that smart cities are putting into action today…

We’ve lost count of the many and inventive ways that organisations look to meet their sustainability goals, keep on top of costs and transform to operate more efficiently and effectively. And like the old adage about not seeing the forest for the trees, we know that quite often they are overlooking one obvious, but significant change that can address all three issues in one single action: through better management of energy consumption.

Today, if you take any measure of exercise, it’s highly unlikely that it’s in complete isolation. At one end of the spectrum, many of us have the ubiquitous smart watch or fitness tracker, keeping count of our steps and automatically recognising if we run, cycle or even swim. At the other end, we have elite athletes, who are also subject to scrutiny from worn sensors but produce data that is assessed by other means too. Their movement and form are captured on camera and analysed through machine learning. Vitals are monitored with precision tools and athletes’ bodies undergo rigorous assessment by medics using advanced imaging techniques.

Coco Chanel’s famous take on the definition of luxury came from a world where the ultimate smart bed ($120,000 dollars with smartphone-controlled sleep scenarios, ambient lighting, fragrance control and private cinema) and bespoke Hermès Apple Watches did not exist. However, a clever designer and savvy brand builder, Coco was absolutely correct in that a little bit of luxury goes a long way. And, today, you certainly don’t have to be super-rich to feel super rich when the wealth of upscale products on the market can give your day that platinum-coated edge.

The mere mention of ISO certifications is enough to strike fear into the hearts of mortals, such are the levels of implementation, documentation and scrutiny involved. However, if, like us, you’re manufacturing medical devices for use worldwide by international brands, ISO is a welcome friend. It adds an additional layer to our stringent processes and regulatory compliance that is both recognisable and universal.

COM Express®, as the name suggests, is a form of Computer on Module and a subset of System on a Chip (SoC) and, for us, this comprises a single circuit board, including RAM and Intel processor. They’ve been around a while – this particular form factor was first released in 2005 by the PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group (PICMG) as a way to standardise module interfaces and Avnet Embedded have been an Executive Member of this distinguished group since 1994.

If you’ve ever read the work of Nobel prize-winner Daniel Kahneman, then you’ll be familiar with the concept of ‘availability bias’, that is, the human tendency to default to the most recent information that comes to mind. But what does that have to do with electric vehicle charging? Well, they’re rapidly becoming an important topic of conversation, routinely springing up in news reports, included in government policy and even advertised on TV. You might be led to believe that they are commonplace, when, in reality, they’re not that easy to come by at all.

As acronyms go, what you see is what you get with the COM-HPC form factor standard. A far more manageable way of saying ‘Computer on Module for High Performance Computing’, the standard itself is just as straightforward – put simply, it’s fast. Modules manufactured to the COM-HPC standard have a faster network connection, a greater number of high-speed interfaces and can significantly enhance performance.

Short for ‘Smart Mobility ARChitecture’, SMARC is a popular global standard specification for Computer-on-Modules (CoM) and is often used as shorthand to describe these building blocks of embedded systems. With the support of several module vendors including Avnet Embedded, it was created in 2013 by the Standardization Group for Embedded Technologies (SGET) out of a need for a standard that would support the energy-saving ARM SoC (System-on-Chip) processors (similar to those found in tablets and smartphones) as well as low-power industrial x86 processors. And although it’s since had two updates, SMARC remains the framework for embedded modules and is used by applications that require low power, low cost, and high performance.

In the last few months, what we touch – and who else has touched it – has suddenly become a critical thought process that very few people thought of previously. Touch screens, devices, kiosks, fuel pumps – people are a lot more conscious of what they have to touch, and the implications of hygiene on every day life.

I believe every IoT and Industrial IoT system designer and software developer should consider the question in the title. Do you?

With millions of ready-made hardware solutions, fierce competition keeps hardware prices down. This may lead one to think that hardware does not matter. And that one can choose the cheapest platform that seems to be able to run the software in a test environment.

The demand for intelligent human machine interface (HMI) systems, flexible panel PCs and easy-to-configure Internet of Things (IoT) gateways for industry remains strong and will continue to grow.

In the development of these innovative industrial products, flexible design and optimized time-to-market are the main priorities. The aim is to bring the new system onto the market quickly in order to secure valuable market share.

Based on deep expertise and an extensive portfolio of SMARC 2.0, Qseven, COM Express and nanoRISC standard modules, Avnet Embedded offers application-optimized single board computer solutions. These innovative products are designed for industrial applications and are developed and manufactured in-house in Stutensee, Germany.

There is a lot of buzz around the deep learning technology and the remarkable market growth it has made. A deep learning solution, unlike AI and ML, needs a huge amount of embedded data and computational power to make machines learn human behavior, store knowledge, and make predictions using a trained neural network.

In 1914, Marie Curie’s work on radium stopped in its tracks as the reality of World War I approached. Undaunted, Curie sent her entire stock of radium to a local bank by train and embarked on a new project – using her knowledge of radiology to save soldiers’ lives.

The problem Curie identified was that wounded troops needed the latest X-ray technology to quickly diagnose broken bones and find shrapnel such as bullets. But all of the X-ray machines were in hospitals, in large cities. This presented a major obstacle for fast diagnosis, decision making and lifesaving action to be taken.