Hello friends, I hope you all are doing great. Today, I am going to start a new tutorial series on Raspberry Pi 4. It's our first lecture today, so I will explain the basics of Raspberry Pi boards.
In this tutorial series, I will teach you each and everything about Raspberry Pi and its programming. I have designed this guide for beginners, so we will start from the very basics and will slowly move toward complex concepts. Python programming language is used in Raspberry Pi boards, so we will study Python as well.
So, we will learn both programming and hardware circuit designing in this tutorial series. Let's first have a look at What is Raspberry Pi?
Raspberry Pi is a series of Single Board Computer, developed by the Raspberry Pi Foundation in England, to teach computer science in schools. When you buy the Raspberry Pi board, you only get the board. There are other components i.e. power adapter, HDMI cable and memory card etc. required to run the Raspberry Pi board. After these basic components are provided, the operating system must be installed on the Micro SD card.
A Single board computer(such as Raspberry Pi) is a computer that contains basic units i.e. ram memory, input-output unit, microprocessor but unlike normal computers, it is not possible to expand the hardware features. For example, it does not contain a SLOT to increase the RAM memory from 1GB to 2GB. Since Raspberry Pi is designed as a single board and does not have a structure open to development for extra hardware to be installed on it, its cost is quite low. Single-board computers are not used as personal computers but are used in engineering projects where heavy computing is required i.e. robotics, IoT, image processing etc.
Components i.e. memory, video card, network card, sound card etc. are usually integrated on-board in a single-board computer. The operating system is installed on the Micro SD card. Pictured is the Dyna-micro MMD1, the first single-board computer produced in 1976.
There are many alternatives to Raspberry Pi i.e. Orange Pi, Banana Pi, Asus Tinker Board etc. When examined in terms of features, Raspberry Pi boards are preferred, thanks to the community support behind them, even if the hardware features of the alternatives are better.
The official operating system of the Raspberry Pi card is Raspberry Pi OS, but other operating systems can also be installed on Raspberry Pi boards.
Raspberry Pi 4 is the latest version and it allows the use of both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
There is a processor with ARM architecture on the Raspberry Pi. The processor is based on the RISC(reduced instruction set computer) architecture developed by Advanced RISC Machines(ARM).
Figure 4: Raspberry pi 4 -4gb version
ARM-based processors are used in mobile devices, handheld terminals, mobile phones, media players, calculators, disk drives, VCDs, DVDs, cameras and even cars. To give a percentage, 75% of 32-bit processors in the world are ARM-based processors. The reason why this architecture is so preferred is the power saving, low cost and performance features of ARM-based processors.
Figure 5: The processor used in the Raspberry pi4 version is a BCM2711-ARm based processor.
The table shows the hardware comparison of all raspberry pi boards ever produced.
When you buy the Raspberry Pi card, a power adapter and Micro SD card are needed to run the card and load the operating system into it. For Raspberry Pi 3 and previous versions, the power adapter must be micro-USB compatible and at least 2 Amps and 5 Volts. For Raspberry Pi 4 and above versions, the power adapter must be USB-Type C and at least 2.5 Amps.
Figure 7: Raspberry Pi 4 power adapter
Figure 8: While the USB-Type C connection shown on the left is used for Raspberry Pi 4, the micro USB connection is used for previous version cards.
Figure 9A microSD card is needed to install an operating system. It is recommended to use a Class 10 type card.
HDMI cable is used to interface card, monitor/display, keyboard, mouse etc. with Raspberry Pi 3 and previous versions, while micro HDMI cable is required for Raspberry Pi 4.
Raspberry Pi 4 has a vast range of applications because of its portability, ability to produce integrated
solutions, ram memory, internet connection, processor speed etc.
Few applications of Raspberry Pi 4:
Installing an operating system on the Raspberry Pi card to use it required. A minimum 8GB Micro SD card is required to install the Raspberry Pi OS operating system. https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/operating-systems/
You can install the 32-bit or 64-bit raspbian os operating system on the Raspberry pi card. Especially if you have the Raspberry pi 4 8GB version, it would be appropriate to choose 64 bit OS. Because with a 32-bit operating system, you can only use up to 4GB of the RAM memory of the raspberry pi.
Figure 10: Preferable operating systems for raspberry pi 4
In Raspberry Pi OS installation, the image file (iso extension) must be downloaded to the computer and installed on the micro SD card via Win32 Disk Imager or a program that does the same job. In this step, we will examine how to upload the image file to the microSD card.
The first step is to download the appropriate version of the imager application for our operating system to the PC.
https://www.raspberrypi.com/software/ When we log in to the address, the imager application can be downloaded by clicking the "download for windows" button.
https://downloads.raspberrypi.org/imager/imager_latest.exe
Installation Steps:Figure 11: Raspberry pi imager application screen
In the first step, the operating system selection button is clicked. Select the operating system from the pop-up window. Here I prefer Raspbian os 32 bit operating system. If you want, you can choose other operating systems that you can use for different purposes from this menu.
Figure 12: Choose OS screen
If you want the operating system and all the applications that need to be installed on the raspberry pi, you can choose the Full version. For this, the Raspberry pi os (Other) tab is selected. Raspberry pi os Full tab is selected from the window that opens.
Figure 13: full version raspbian os 32 bit version selection
The settings button can be seen in the lower right corner of the opening screen. By clicking this button, we can change various settings that the raspberry pi will need during installation.
Figure 14: The required settings can be changed during installation using the settings button.
Many settings can be made, such as activating the SSH connection, wifi connection settings, entering the user name and password.
If you do not have hardware for raspberry pi at the time of installation, such as monitor, keyboard, mouse, it is enough that your raspberry pi and your personal computer are connected to the same network. ssh connection can be used for this purpose. Thanks to the wifi setting we will make in the settings section, we can provide a remote connection to the raspberry pi card, which is on the same network as your pc.
Figure 15: Setup settings window
2-Select microSD Card: Your microsd card must be formatted in fat32 format.
3-Write Button : All files in your selected microsd card will be deleted and after the work is finished, you will receive the operating system loaded.
In this section, the installation of the “Raspberry Pi OS with desktop and recommended software” version will be explained. In other versions, there are not some applications to be used as many packages have been removed to reduce the size. The MU Editor application will be used for programming the Raspberry Pi board. This application is only available in the "Raspberry Pi OS with desktop and recommended software" version. In addition, applications such as Scratch are only available in this version for the user to use.
For installation, the file must be downloaded and extracted from the compressed folder. Looking at the extracted file, it will be seen that the file is a mirror file.
Figure 16: Raspberry Pi disk image (ISO file)
After downloading your preferred iso file to your computer, you need a program that will allow you to install your operating system on your sd card. For this purpose, you can choose the win32 imager application. Download this application from https://win32diskimager.org/#download and install it on your computer.
Figure 17: Writing .img file to sd card.
After the image file is loaded on the SD card, the operating system can be started by inserting the SD card into the Raspberry Pi.
The most in-style web of Things (IoT) devices vary from wearable technical schools to exotic home appliances. Our advanced algorithms monitor and shield over one billion devices, which needs us to exactly establish the categories, models, and configurations of active devices. These device intelligence algorithms are the rationale behind the us having a number of the foremost precise information regarding the important quality of IoT products. The percentages provided here represent the recognition of IoT products among all connected devices, together with good phones and computers, to administer readers a clearer read of the important scale IoT devices have within the online shopper scheme. the 2 dominant device classes – computers and good phones – together compose around sixty-two of all connected devices.
IoT goes on the far side in style things like good TVs, wearable devices, or good home appliances. Today, there are dozens of classes of connected devices starting from easy sensors to complicated or uncommon products.
Imagine walking into a store, taking what you wish, and departing while not flashing your MasterCard. Amazon Go might revolutionize however we tend to search by removing checkouts and reducing the time we tend to pay to queue for groceries. rather than searching, prying the checkout to pay and so departure, Amazon Go uses “Just Walk Out Technology”. The IoT product uses laptop vision, deep learning algorithms, and sensing element technology to observe once things are picked up, these things are then mechanically further to your Amazon account cart and acquired after you leave. All you would like is that the Amazon Go app, a smartphone, and a sack, creating searching visits easy! The technical school large already has one Amazon Go store open in Seattle, though it’s solely hospitable Amazon staff at this stage.
Bigbelly aims to show current waste assortment and usage efforts into an additional economical method that might save cash and scale back our carbon footprint. Bigbelly offers a whole system from the bins that grasp after they want avoidance, to improve services, maintenance, and watching, for a set monthly fee. It uses its IoT-connected stations to gather information and frequently improve the system because it ‘learns’. The system additionally aims to assist businesses, universities, town officers and additional to be told that usage effort are operating and which of them aren’t, serving to guard the surroundings.
Digitsole is creating thinking on your feet literally by providing “smart” insoles that appraise your steps. The insoles will log distance, live speed, track calories burned, and may even heat your feet victimization specially designed innersole parts. The IoT product is often fitted to any shoe, being equipped with Bluetooth four.0 and connected to a smartphone app that's perpetually updated. The insoles are additional correct than smartwatches and will facilitate with conditions that have an effect on circulation like Reynaud’s malady that leave feet feeling cooling.
Do you ever dream of getting an association supervisor? Well, your want is our command. Sippo is your association trainer. It sets goals for you, supported your level of activity and surroundings. With all the bits and bobs we've got to try to do daily, potable is forgotten, and is commonly born off the to try to list. Sippo reminds us. to drink and keep us. hydrous and energized. this is often undoubtedly close to the highest of our want list!
Nest alarm isn’t the foremost exciting IoT widget, however, it undoubtedly is sensible. It sends you a notification if it senses smoke or hearth in your house, whether or not you're home or away. easy and effective.
Here is that the answer to staying in bed simply a bit longer on those cold winter mornings. iKettle permits you to boil the kettle from any area of the house via a mobile app. we tend to adore it however do question however Anyone would fill it up from a phone? Life-changing? most likely not however it's undoubtedly an appealing IoT product.
As it says on the tin, good Diapers are good enough to warn you if your baby is unwell. while they won’t replace parental good judgment and intuition, to not mention your native physician, they'll well assist you to establish an unhealthiness ahead of time. value a try!
Save yourself running around the house turning off the radiators simply to avoid wasting that further energy before you kick-off. The nest may be a good home thermostat that gets to grasp the temperature you prefer once you’re reception or away. you'll management it from your smartphone or pill regardless of wherever you're, therefore the home is nice and heats for your arrival home on those cold winter days. All sounds hunky-dory to me!
Intelligent kitchen appliance permits additional economical change of state and maybe controlled from your phone. It claims to be quicker and uses up less energy than a standard kitchen appliance. It produces additional accurately burned dishes and notifies you via your phone once dinner is prepared. a good IoT widget for people who want a bit of inspiration within the room, if you don’t mind the additional litter.
August good Lock has tested to be a reliable security IoT device. It permits the user to manage their doors from any location hassle-free. It helps the user to stay thieves away and family in your home.
Apple is the most talked-about company of gadgets and devices. Apple has modified the globe with its creative and ultra-modern devices. Be it phones, laptops, or other devices, Apple has itself powerfully established. The Apple Watch is that an example of however advanced the technology is at Apple. except for time and date, the Apple watch allows you to stay a journal of your health and daily activities. conjointly the voice activation permits you to induce notifications in instant. View maps, hear music, and beware of your calls simply by one watch. shocked at what a watch will do? Well, it has a heap of additional options for you to explore and build life easier. Apart from the Apple Watch, Apple has a conjointly free Apple HomeKit Framework, that allows Siri (voice assistant in Apple’s iOS) to speak with the devices and accessories at your home so that they'll be controlled remotely.
Google Home Voice Controller may be a sensible IoT device that permits the user to fancy options like media, alarms, lights, thermostats, management the amount, and far a lot of functions simply by their voice.
A considerable analysis is being done on developing good contact lenses which will collect health data or treat specific eye conditions. Swiss company Sensimed has developed a noninvasive good contact known as plectognath that features a detector embedded are exceedingly soft polymer contact that detects little fluctuations in an eye’s volume, which may be AN indicator of eye disease. The device transmits knowledge wirelessly from the detector to AN adhesive antenna worn around the eye.
Ralph Lauren could be a yank consumer goods a company that has launched The Polotech Shirt for athletes and become a pioneer to bring IoT in the clothing trade. This Shirt will record the biometric readings of Athletes like vital signs, calories burned, activity levels, respiratory depths, etc., and might facilitate him to deliver the most effective performance. They are often connected to the Apple Watch or iPhone and might track & record all the activities in your iPhone. therefore this Polotech Shirt at the side of the iPhone will become your complete fitness hunter or we will say, fitness trainer.
Wemo switches good plug aims at giving home automation so that the user will manage the house electronic appliances remotely through an app. It uses a Wi-Fi network to supply wireless management numerous devices like lamps, stereos, fans, heaters, etc. except for that it also can work 3G or 4G mobile net. It is often simply blocked to any power outlet and conjointly connects to an influence twine from any device. To use it, a Wemo App has got to be downloaded from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, relying upon the device. at the moment the Wemo good switch is blocked into the outlet are more an appliance is blocked to that. Next, it's to be connected to the house Wi-Fi network and directions seem on the screen to hold out the installation. After this, a user will switch on/off any appliance or set schedules remotely for the devices to work.
Philips hue technology presents a wise thanks to management the lighting of your home with the assistance of Wi-Fi-enabled bulbs. The starter kit comes packed with three bulbs long with a disk base station that connects to the Wi-Fi through coax. the full package aims at permitting the user to regulate the color, brightness additionally as temporal order of the lights. Once the bulbs are fitted and affiliation is established, the hue bulbs mechanically hook up with the bottom station, and also the app is often put in to work the lights. There are different themes to settle on from the app to possess different lighting effects. The lights are often switched on/off mechanically at the scheduled time and might be tailor-made to induce completely different notifications.
Foobot could be a reliable IoT device that is useful in activity indoor pollution and ends up in improved air quality in homes, workplaces, and indoor public areas. It usually provides correct results.
Logitech Harmony could be a powerful and helpful IoT good device for daily functions. it's a universal remote that enables you to management your house media, lighting, and different good devices from one location remotely.
Wemo good plug could be a sensible IoT product that helps to show on your lights, flip appliances on/off, and provides the power to observe them from anyplace remotely
Whether taking care of a little farming system or an outsized yard field, systems like GreenIQ with their suite of sensors and net property facilitate prevent time and resources by keeping plants fed supported their actual growing desires and conditions whereas automating abundant of the labor processes.
Internet of Things IoT devices could be a burning topic within the current era. we tend to understand however these good devices developed by the world for the world are impacting in each positive and negative ways in which.
In this article, we tend to come to understand concerning IoT devices that are that the net of Things, the kinds of devices that embrace IoT in our day-to-day life, and also the method during which the IoT devices build a user’s task easily and fast.
We saw however this technology that is increasing drastically goes to impacts the long run of the world and also the working rule of IoT devices. you furthermore may come to understand concerning the worth, features, video clarification and from wherever to shop for these devices as per your necessities.
With these points, we tend to believe the time isn't too way, during which we'll see every individual, home victimization and looking on these “ Internet of things”.
The world is undergoing a dramatic transformation, apace transitioning from isolated systems to internet-enabled things capable of merging digital and physical worlds. IoT has created things attainable that were not possible to realize before its emergence into turbulent technology. Solutions together with good Cities, Smart homes, good works, and Connected Devices are all presented offered by IoT and its potential innovations. beyond question, IoT 5 may be a multi-trillion industry in returning years.
IoT is ever-changing the thought of doing business in real-world whereas enabling wireless property between everyday objects across organizations. The technology is unquestionably unleashing innovations in numerous verticals. It helps enterprises to contour their processes, enhance productivity, and improve potency and operations across multiple industries. Those, United Nations agencies that have understood what power IoT holds to dramatically remodel the business, have already started transfer regarding changes in their productivity. corporations that have adopted this technology can supply higher and improved products and services to their customers.
To showcase innovative offerings of IoT solutions and services, Analytics Insights complies with a listing of high ten IoT corporations that are excelling in the technology adoption and its implementations across businesses worldwide.
The top companies list along with their description is given below
This Company has planned to stay a separate division for the IoT division at intervals consecutive four years and this may increase the productivity within the IoT community. IBM has been listed within the high for the IoT analytics sector. This sector has taken an enormous success on operating over increasing in a variety of staff acting on IoT. IBM has acted forthwith and thus the search traffic about IoT has conjointly accrued for the most part. additionally to forming its division it conjointly has partnerships with several alternative corporations.
Recently this company has formally introduced its product at AN I/O conference. It had declared Brillo that is that the helper software package for the net of things. they're progressing to launch the developer preview this year. They even have a cross-platform known as Weave wherever the devices and also the net will visit one another.
Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich has learned from the past: once smartphones entered the market, Intel didn’t assume the chance was valued capturing. By the time Intel realized, however, giant the smartphone semiconductor market would be, others had grabbed the chance. With the web of Things promising some ~50 billion connected devices within the next five years, Brian Krzanich needs “Intel Inside”.
Thus Intel is at the cutting edge of underdeveloped new generation low-power chips for Affiliating IoT devices. Intel R&D centers (so-known as Intel Open Labs) and a variety of business co-operations (e.g., Intel and Kaka’s PC-based robot controllers) lay the inspiration for Intel’s IoT push. Moreover, Intel is targeting startups and developers. The Intel Galileo developer kit for anyone United Nations agency needs to make their factor is being marketed heavily throughout the planet. the most recent addition to Intel IoT portfolio may be a platform for connecting the info from your things to the cloud.
AN IoT device is connected to an alternative cloud-based mostly (mostly) IoT device And this gap between the device devices and every one of the info networks associated with the device any to the sensor arrangement is established by an IoT platform. it's wont to relay data mistreatment net protocols.
The corporations enclosed during this AR Kaa, Predix (from GE), Oracle (Integrated cloud), Carriots, Salesforce, Cisco, IBM Watson, ThingWorx, Microsoft Azure IoT suite, Amazon, and lots of a lot of. These corporations have a significant role in taking the IoT technology to a next level with several advanced options like providing a rules engine, secured entranceway, data observance, device management, knowledge storage, secure communications, real-time knowledge storage, protect from hacking i.e., security and lots of a lot of. These platforms typically are 100 percent open supply providing a middleware platform to everyone.
Sensors are found in a very form of applications in several devices. These sensors are connected along forming a network and send the info to the cloud. This knowledge is distributed to the user in real-time. The IoT device-based mostly leading corporations within the international market are ARM Holdings Plc., Henry Martyn Robert Hieronymus Bosch Gmbh, InvenSense INC., Digi International INC., Libelium, Ericsson, IBM, Infineon Technologies, ST electronics N.V., and lots of a lot of.
The most concern for cyber security in industrial corporations, primary enterprises, personal devices like laptops, computers, mobile phones, servers, and lots of alternative devices. knowledge privacy can facilitate to stay a company secure with no cryptography. several organizations have started AN early section of IoT adoption starting from a range of products. a number of the corporations involve AR Armis (Bluetooth based mostly attack vector), Bitdefender box, slammer, and lots of a lot of. These corporations have won the attention of many people because of their concentrate on security heavyweights.
Billions of companies from each finish are assaulting a race in providing solutions to the cloud services and connecting several enterprises. the economic net of things IIOT has created an excellent impact on the technology system, innovation of technology, and also the whole influence within the market.
Proletarian Army (ASEA Brown Boveri), Cisco, GE (General Electrical), Bosch, Siemens, Dell, AT&T, Ericsson, Intel and lots of alternative corporations are concerned during this sector.
Cisco coined the term net of Everything. the corporate is centering its business strategy on the web of Things like no alternative technical school heavy-weight. 720 Cisco staff that determine with IoT on Linkedin may be a variety that speaks for itself. Cisco’s move to embrace IoT may be a natural one' as a result of it's at the guts of what Cisco has forever done: Developing network instrumentality like routers and switches for enterprise customers. aside from network instrumentality, Cisco is additionally active in security solutions and Cisco is that the host of the IoT World Forum.
GE is among the leading Industrial net of Things corporations. It coined the term Industrial net (of Things). GE is rolling out solutions in a very variety of industries like aviation, production, or power generation. the corporate claims to possess achieved $1bn of revenues with industrial net product in 2014.
Microsoft shares constant fate as Intel. the corporate passed over on the chance for operational systems in smartphones with Windows phones presently enjoying a mere three-D market share.
Microsoft has three IoT propositions:
Apart from these product lines, Microsoft is experimenting within the industrial IoT house. in a very joint project with golem manufacturer Kuka, Microsoft recently equipped a machine Wrangler plant with Microsoft technology to run-producing lines. Similar comes is piloted within the connected health and connected automotive house.
Apple will IoT the Apple means. Developing behind closed curtains and so popping out with a bang. immediately Apple’s net of Things activity is focused on the Apple Watch and also the Apple HomeKit platform. there's conjointly AN Apple HealthKit. however and how Apple is already on consecutive massive factor. though not nevertheless declared, it seems Apple is getting into the Internet-connected automotive marketplace for example.
Gartner’s name within the net of things stems in the main from their illustrious hyber-cycle.
In 2011, once nearly no one used the term net of Things, Gartner placed IoT into its steeply rising part of the hype-cycle. In 2014, Gartner declared that IoT had finally reached the height of inflated expectations. What follows is that the trough of sophistication. Most nets of Things corporations hope that for once Gartner has it wrong and IoT won't fall as deeply as ideas like “virtual reality” or “gesture control” have.
It appears like the technical schoolnology big is giving the web of Things less of a marketing push than alternative Silicon Valley tech heavyweights. Oracle’s IoT activity is focused on its cloud platform.
United Kingdom-based mostly ARM is that dominant smartphone semiconductor company that Intel ne'er became. ARM’s answer to IoT is that the low-power Cortex processor family is also because of the mbed cloud platform.
Several recent publications have catapulted Accenture into the highest twenty of this ranking. Over simply three months, the quantity of Accenture staff related to IoT has gone from eleven to ~250 on Linkedin.
Amazon’s Echo guarantees to become AN Internet-connected home companion. furthermore, Amazon is obtaining their established cloud services prepared for IoT devices.
HP’s Helion cloud platform is AN ASCII text file dev-ready cloud platform aimed toward connecting devices.
Arduino’s development boards still excite the maker scene. They function as a basis for several startup prototypes.
Together with Gartner, IDC is establishing itself collectively as the leading net of Things corporation centered on marketing research.
The once thus common manufacturer of 1st generation smartphones offers AN IoT platform, specifically for automotive and following.
PTC is that the mother company of the favored Thingworx IoT platform.
Verizon is one of the leading corporations for machine-to-machine (M2M) managed services in North America that yield electronic communication via the cellular network. Verizon is specifically showcasing communication solutions within the connected health and connected automotive house.
The basis for the ranking is our info of 1700+ net of Things corporations. we tend to rank these corporations in four categories:
The highest grading company on every side receives a rating of 100 percent, with all alternative net of Things corporations receiving a lower share in linear reference to the particular frequency.
Thanks to the net, almost everybody – and everything – is connected.
Not solely is it easier and quicker than ever to speak with individuals and businesses everywhere on the planet, however, the net of Things (IoT) makes it potential for sensible devices to affix within the conversations, too.
IoT is quickly increasing, introducing new products all the time which will communicate with one another and transmit knowledge to support groups. ABI analysis estimates that IoT can grow to incorporate thirty billion connected devices by the year 2020. The application of IoT (Internet of things) in aid, transportation, production, education, and different fields has many wonderful use cases, and no single article will contain all of them. IoT-improved producing or IoT-supported provision – every trade has its technological wonders. allow us to check simply many of these IoT applications to create positive teams of sensible, interconnected devices that are capable of creating our life easier.
One of the recent use cases of IoT in aid is a wonderful demonstration of how yesterday’s sci-fi becomes today’s lifesaver: six funny robots known as “Tommies”, the golem nurses, are saving lives in one amongst the Italian hospitals throughout the coronavirus happening. These robots are used for remote instrumentality watching and attending rooms filled with COVID-19 patients.
Owing to robots, doctors and hospital employees are less exposed to the chance of catching this dangerous sickness. They conjointly facilitate patients to speak with nurses and doctors remotely while not in direct contact, and the possibilities for aid personnel to contract the disreputable virus are shrunken. that enables keeping doctors healthy (unfortunately, 4000 medics are infected, and sixty-six doctors have died in the European country since the start of the pandemic). It conjointly saves valuable masks and protecting costumes. The robots are used as IoT hubs for the medical instrumentality, that the doctors will distantly management necessary indicators, and if one thing goes wrong, a golem sends an associate alerting signal to the medical supervisor, therefore individuals physically enter the scene only it's necessary.
Besides it, fashionable hospitals are simply filled with high-end instrumentality, and this abundance of electronic devices has to be properly maintained. If all medical devices are connected to one hospital system.
It creates spectacular opportunities for:
As aforesaid higher than, it's extremely necessary to stay medical employees safe operating with communicable disease patients. as an example, once it involves routine daily check-ups which will be reduced because of remote health watching. IoT aid is already widely employed in several top-notch hospitals around the world. Still, currently, additional technology involves daily life: wearable sensors for chronic sickness patients watching their heartbeats, force per unit area and chemistry, vital signs, and so on. All that contributes to assembling a next-gen public health system targeted on quick response and early hindrance.
Manufacturing and industrial processes are already extremely automatized. In essence, massive factories across the planet are taking steps within the IIOT4.0 shift. They operate as absolutely autonomous systems involving a major variety of mechanical devices, production lines, robotic vehicles, driverless forklifts, industrial lasers, assembly lines, and robotic arms that are errorlessly put details along 24/7. Of course, these parts are united through IoT elements, like sensible sensors, industrial Wi-Fi connectors, cameras, and lots of others. A modern mill works as a well-orchestrated and immaculate mechanism that needs simply a nominal management effort from many supervision engineers and technicians. a complicated producing method consists of multiple sub-processes that involve thousands of various high-end IoT elements, that work all at once to make sure stable and diverse output with exceptional quality. What happens as a result of the full IoT-driven system of a contemporary plant or mill can:
One of the simplest use cases of IoT within the trade is Amazon’s robotic repositing, which provides an extremely machine-controlled fulfillment service. It includes self-propelling robotic shelves that move around the warehouse rather than individuals. It helps human operators to deal with their manual tasks a lot quicker.
Using IoT in transportation and supply could be an extremely promising field for creating transportation safer and providing chains a lot of cost-effective. sensible sensors and devices integrated into lading vehicles will facilitate remotely control:
IoT sensors, like RFID (radio-frequency identification) or AIDC (automatic identification and knowledge capture), are wont to track the route/status of packages and deliveries and to manage them consequently. Walmart, Amazon, UPS, and even Domino’s are finance in drone delivery comes, together with self-driving delivery cars and other forms of driverless transportation, that permits them to resolve the “last mile” issue. the higher such technologies become, the upper is that the demand for strong IoT infrastructure, that in projection can cowl whole countries or maybe the planet.
Last however not least, the sector of education provides us with a good portion of IoT use cases. doubtless, the routine of each instructional institution is considerably machine-driven and improved with the assistance of IoT, and here are simply a couple of examples:
One of the foremost fascinating examples is the Associate in Nursing experiment happening during a few colleges within the U.S and different countries. Students have IoT-connected wearables throughout classes: devices live} wont to measure the private vitality parameters of every student. That helps to regulate stress levels, focus, and concentration, that the academics will switch between completely different activities if there's a desire to revitalize their bored and tired students
A Wi-Fi programmable thermostat could be a gem to possess within the search lower monthly bills and save energy. Most of the models out there on the market can work with all major HAVC systems. Such a thermostat comes connected to the app, freed from charge in most cases, which can offer you data concerning the temperature wetness and can allow you to program your HAVC system for every day of the week, permitting you to regulate what quantity of energy you employ even after you are off from home.
From currently on, whenever you press on vacation you'll be able to rest assured that you just have a handle on what’s happening back home. A home security camera system is strictly what you would like for a decent night’s sleep.
When the inherent sensors are activated, the system sends you a notification on your smartphone, once that it records a video of the event, to be any sent to the cloud.
Home security systems today have lightweight, motion, sound, and temperature sensors that will notice even the slightest changes.
Don’t be below the weather, get on high of it Home weather stations are the perfect gadgets if you're a farmer or gardener and have crops to require care of or if you merely sleep in a district wherever the weather oscillates wildly.
These stations will offer you a good array of knowledge, keeping you up to hurry with changes in temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and air pressure. Similar to the devices delineated higher than, these weather stations are connected to an app that might give you knowledge from thousands of different personal stations. This way you'll be able to share and compare weather info and build your network of weather aficionados. These are solely a couple of the gadgets that primarily facilitate contouring your life. fantasy movies are delivered to life enabling us currently to even have remote over a myriad of things in our home: windows, doorbells, clocks, locks, lights, appliances, something you'll be able to consider and it'll solely grow within the future
Visiting a petroleum pump to refill the automobile tank? Well, it’s trouble. First, there's a queue at the machines. so the payment takes ages. once paying by money, the attendant virtually ne'er has the desired modification. An electronic mode of payment is nice, however what if you forgot your card at home?
With the net of things, you wouldn’t worry concerning these things. IoT combined with psychological feature commerce? will facilitate remodeling any connected device as a mode of payment.
So within the future, you may merely add your credit automobiles info to your connected car, get your gasoline tank refilled, and your payment info would link with the timer or gasoline pump. Such payment suggests that are already creating their means in our lives, like Apple Pay rather than taking your Mastercard out of your case and swiping it, you simply scan your phone to acquire your stuff. There are several opportunities once it involves psychological feature commerce, and we’ll see a lot of samples of corporations turning any device into a degree of sale to eradicate steps and build your life easier.
The "Internet of Things" (IoT) might sound just like the futurist wave of talking refrigerators and self-starting cars, however, Internet-connected devices that communicate with each other can have an effect on our lives outside the "smart home" in addition. For employees, IoT can modification the means we tend to work by saving time and resources and gap new opportunities for growth and innovation.
The Internet of Things are an information machine. this implies that corporations can rethink however they collect and analyze info — not solely can decision-makers ought to learn and adapt to a replacement variety of knowledge intelligence, however, the quantity and kind of information made by IoT also will introduce new or expanded roles for data analysts, strategists, and even client service.
Thanks to IoT, device interconnectivity can facilitate the adoption of "smart grid" technologies, that use meters, sensors, and different digital tools to regulate the flow of energy and may integrate various sources of power, like stars and wind.
"The web of Things can drastically lower prices within the manufacturer by reducing wastage, consumption of fuel, and also the discarding of economically unviable assets," Namie aforementioned. "IoT may improve the potency of energy production and transmission and may any scale back emissions by facilitating the switch to renewables."
Other than dominant different IoT devices, your smartphone also will be very like distant management for your life, aforementioned Brendan Richardson, co-founder, and chief military officer of Psychics, a Charlottesville, Va.-based startup that develops IoT wireless sensors. One of the foremost convenient aspects of IoT is that you just have devices that "know" you and can facilitate save time by permitting you to induce in and out of places and conduct transactions quicker employing a mobile device.
The Internet could be a stunning place to explore things. All those sensible tekki things listed higher than don't seem to be the sole areas enjoying IoT. The impact of IoT is seen in virtually every sector and each field. ranging from self-starting automobiles and bikes, observation house to observation own health or maybe observation baby. One will presumably consider, and also the answer is IoT.
In easy words, IOT merely connects something to everything, that too during a smarter means. Smartphone on the opposite hand is act sort of a portal into to web of Things system. Giving complete remote to your life, if it isn’t still dominant it. It’s time that makers build trust among their clients ad prove that f they offer up access to their knowledge, then in exchange for that they're going to get quality tailored offers, deals, and interactions.
With giant school corporations returning in conjunction with IoT, we've already seen however brightly it's modified our lives. we tend to expect to check a lot of to that, within the near future. You ne'er apprehend, you imagine one thing these days which seems to be a reality tomorrow.
The idea of this article is to give you a bird's-eye view of the whole process. Of course, you will have to pick and choose some extra steps. But by the end of this brief guide, you will feel confident and able to plan your hybrid event.
Before explaining the practical steps, let's define the term hybrid networking event.
A hybrid networking event is a networking event that integrates multimedia tools for reaching another audience.
Unlike traditional networking events, a hybrid one entertains two audiences at once. The first audience is the people in the room with you. And the second crowd is the people that watch the show from home via streaming.
With this in mind, hosts need to learn new skills and use cutting-edge technology to achieve success. This is why we discussed how to host a hybrid networking event today.
Arguably, the most important reason why attendees want to join networking events is that they want to do business and network with similar entrepreneurs or colleagues. So, you have to allow interaction between the people in the room and the people at home.
You can easily overcome such technical hardship thanks to advanced hybrid event management platforms like Eventiia. In detail, this solution comes with an event mobile app that makes networking easy as pie for anyone who has access to it.
If you do not opt for ready-made technology, you will have to hire several specialists. In general, you will need a web designer, a back-end developer, and a software engineer. Making sure that both audiences can interact is imperative. Without achieving this step, discussing how to host a hybrid networking event is futile because people will leave sooner than desirable.
As soon as you have your platform, gather as much data as possible from the attendees. Later, match the members of the audiences accordingly by:
Even if you come up with a cool-sounding name for your event, people still need to understand what you will offer them. In general, networking events are opportunities for people to connect. But every audience has different expectations.
Some people may be searching for a job, while most entrepreneurs may seek commercial partners. Establishing a theme for your event can help. And if the name of the event highlights the theme, making it even more memorable and obvious, that would be a better choice.
During the show, you could utter the event name as a slogan. Some hosts prefer to place their brand in front. Here, the idea is to choose a meaningful label for your event that helps promote it and clarify what it is all about. It could be the core message you want to bring home; the choices are endless.
A big part of mastering how to host a hybrid networking event is learning how to communicate effectively. If you hosted networking events in the past, maybe you already have effective phrases to introduce a successful discussion. But with the online crowd, you have to hone your skills. Otherwise, the online audience will not perceive you as sharp as a tack or equally charismatic.
Here are some tips for communicating effectively during a hybrid networking event:
Special guests can attract people you would never reach on your own. But this does not mean that your guests, panellists, teachers, and so on are perfect.
You had better schedule a guest's talk session ahead of time and have a plan B (and C) in case the expert starts dragging the topic non-stop. What will you do if they begin to spout their political agenda?
First, talk with your guests. Above all, make sure that they understand how much time they have to do their bits. But do not fully trust them to end their talk in time because most of them will not do so as soon as they have delivered their message or pitch.
If you cannot trust your guest, take the stage and interview the expert. As soon as the time is up, you can drop the questions, wrap it up, and ask for a round of applause.
A UPS is essential for any event's success. If you want to take small steps and start with short webinars, prepare an offer for your audience.
It is vital that you can give them the opportunity to do further business with you and your company. But make it an offer that follows what you have discussed up then. In other words, make it relevant enough for them to buy it.
Active listening skills are necessary to create the perfect UPS. In fact, you may have to alter it before the end. Think of the hybrid networking event as an unprecedented opportunity, mainly because it is.
Have a dedicated link sent to people who did not buy the offer you made on stage. Or give them a personal call after collecting their consent for marketing calls and communication during the registration.
Printed Circuit Boards or PCBs are categorized into several types based on design specifications, manufacturing processes, and application requirements. They are used in various sectors such as automotive, medical, defense, and other areas, you can learn more information at PadPCB.
Before you select a PCB, there are several factors you need to consider. Moreover, it is essential to seek advice from professionals. Although there are several types of PCBs, the five standard PCBs are multilayer PCBs, Rigid PCBs, Flex PCBs, HDI PCBs, and Heavy Copper PCBs.
Let's have a look at the common types of PCBs:
One commonly used PCB is the multilayer PCB. The board has more than two copper layers and is designed in a sandwich fashion. Also, they have many double-sided conductive layers separated by several insulating material sheets.
All are laminated and bonded together through high temperatures to ensure no air gaps occur and ensure the final PCB assembly is stable.
Multilayer PCBs are commonly used in laptops, computers, tablets, smartphones, medical equipment, GPS trackers, and many other complex gadgets and circuits.
A Rigid Printed Circuit Board cannot be folded or twisted. The board base is made of a rigid substrate giving it strength and rigidity.
In addition, it is composed of many layers that include a copper layer, a substrate layer, a silkscreen layer, and a solder mask layer. They adhere together with heat and adhesive.
Depending on the needs, it is possible to find single-sided rigid PCBs, rigid double-sided PCBs, and rigid multilayer PCBs. Nevertheless, once a rigid PCB has been made cannot be changed or modified.
Rigid PCBs are commonly used in laptops, GPS equipment, computers, mobile devices, tablets, CAT scans, X-rays, heart monitors, MRI systems, control towel instrumentation, and temperature sensors.
Flex PCBs or Flexible Printed Circuit Boards are designed with several printed components and circuits arranged on a flexible substrate. Flex PCBs are also known as flex circuit boards, flexible circuits, or versatile printed boards.
A flex PCB is mainly made from polyamide, transparent conductive polyester film, or polyether ether ketone.
They are made using the same elements as rigid printed boards. But with Flex circuits, the board can flex to your preferred form throughout the use. There are flex single-sided PCBs, flex double-sided PCBs, and flex multilayer PCBs.
Flex PCBs are typically used in flex solar cells, LCD fabrication, cellular telephones, automotive industries, laptops, cameras, and many other devices.
HDI PCB or High-Density Interconnect is a PCB with several interconnections but minimal space. The components are placed nearer, and the board space is considerably reduced, but the functionality is not affected.
Heavy copper Printed Circuit Board is also known as a thick copper PCB. It features three ounces of copper. Hence, they are highly valued due to their thermal management capabilities. Due to the increased copper thickness, the board can carry more current.
Some of the applications of heavy copper PCBs are overload relays, solar power converters, power converters, weapons control systems, nuclear power applications, HVAC systems, and safety and signal systems.
PCBs have modernized the electronic industry. Today, the boards are used in almost every electronic gadget you know. However, those mentioned above are the commonly used PCBs.
If you are not sure of the best PCB to consider for your applications, make sure you seek help from an expert. Moreover, it is essential to purchasing PCBs from reputed manufacturers for commercial or industrial use.
Interlock is how to prevent one process or equipment from running to satisfy safety requirements or fulfill the logic of the operation. A clear example of an interlock is to prevent cutting weapons from executing as long as the hands of the operator are away from the working area. In this case, there will be two push buttons on the left and right of the operator and out of the working space to make sure, when the operator requests the cutting machine to operate, his hands were pressing those two push buttons which are out of the working space. The previous example shows how to employ interlock for realizing safety purposes. Another instance that shows how Interlock can be used to satisfy the operation logic requirements is when we need to drive the motor in two directions. In that case, we commonly use two relays or contactors for forward and reverse directions. So, there should be an interlock of each contactor to each other meaning we cannot activate both at the same time because that will end up with a short circuit on the motor or the supply.
There are two main types of interlock which are safety interlocks and machine or equipment interlocks. Safety interlocks for securing people from getting hurt while they operate the machine. And machine interlock concerns with securing the safety of machine parts and or realizing specific philosophy of logic. Figure 1 shows the different types and subcategories of interlock. The machine or equipment interlock can be classified into three types which are mechanical, electrical, and logical interlock types. And from their titles, the mechanical interlock can be physically satisfied by making mechanical connections between equipment to let or prevent them from running. An electrical interlock can be achieved by using electrical devices like relys’ coils, sensors, and switches. The first one which is relays’ coils is the most interesting electrical interlock technique as they can be utilized in creating a dependency between equipment so we can design flexibly dependence between two motors, for example, to not running simultaneously meaning one of two running scenarios. The last type is the logical interlock which is the most important here in this tutorial and I hope you get an astonishing start to master that type because that is the most frequently used in real life in the industry. Do you know why? Because it is done programmatically without the need for mechanical connections and setup or even electrical devices or hardwiring. Also, it is very flexible as you can change it when there is a need to change the logic at any time.
Fig.1: interlock types
Figure 2 shows the very example of a safety interlock to protect the operator from entering the zone of robot work to save him from the movable parts. Is that a mechanical or electrical interlock? Or maybe logical? What do you think? Well! Let’s move forward in the tutorial and come back to this question to see if you know the answer or not.
Fig. 2: the safety interlock
The non-safe interlock is designed for protecting equipment and lock specific processes from execution. The machinery interlock is classified into three main categories which are mechanical, electrical, and logic interlock. In mechanical interlock, a set of mechanical setups is designed to prevent equipment or operation from running at some operating conditions. Figure 3 shows a schematic of a mechanical interlock for a setup that makes the motor spin either forward or reverse direction and prevent enabling both at the same time. The dotted line represents the mechanical interlock between the two contactors for reverse and forward contactors for guaranteeing to enable only one of them at any given time.
Fig. 3 mechanical interlock example
Figure 4 shows the case of missing the mechanical interlock between the two contactors. It shows the possibility of activating bother of them at a given time. In that case, you can see the damaging effects on the motor and the short circuit possibility on the power lines.
Fig. 4: fault condition due to missing interlock
Another example of mechanical interlock is car steering interlock as shown in fig. 5. The steering wheel is interlocked mechanically and unlocked by inserting the key.
Fig. 5: car steering mechanical interlock
The mechanical interlock was commonly used in the past and my be exist nowadays but very rarely. On the other hand, the electrical interlock is the most commonly used in control systems currently. Similarly, the idea of electrical interlock can be achieved by preventing the flow of current between two devices at the same time. Typically two contactors or relays are used for achieving such electrical interlock. One of these contractors will be normally open and the other will be in a normally closed configuration as in Fig. 6. It is very clear that for energizing the lamp, CR2 will be energized when CR1 is de-energized.
Fig. 6: electrical interlock example 1
Another example of electrical interlock which is very common is the thermal overload shown in Fig 7. It shows two contactors are used in electrical interlock configuration. The main contractor is in a normally open configuration while the thermal overload contactor is in a normally closed configuration. When there the temperature is getting high to a specific value the thermal overload turns over from normally closed to normally open to disconnect the load.
Fig. 7: electrical interlock example 2
Now, let's move to the logical interlock which is our target in this tutorial. Logical interlock is applying the same concept of interlock programmatically. In this type, there is no mechanical or electrical physical connection for achieving interlock. Instead, programming is used to perform the interlock. This logical interlock saves the effort of commissioning including mechanical or electrical connections. In addition, it realizes reliability and flexibility.
Figure 8 shows one example of logic interlock. You can notice the left part of the figure shows there are no mechanical or electrical hardwiring or connections between pumps 1 and 2. However, pump 2 is interlocked with pump 1 logically as shown in the most left part that shows the ladder logic code. To have pump 2 running, pump 1 should run first by the level switch. As shown on the right part of the figure below, when the level of the liquid reaches above the level switch, the switch is turned on and energized pump 1 which activates pump 2.
Fig. 8: logic interlock example 1
Figure 9 shows another logic interlock example in which a timer of type on delay is used to interlock equipment. As shown on the left the ladder logic code and on the right, an image shows the scenario of the logic with astonishing visualization. It shows that, when the operator presses the start pushbutton and keep pressing on it for the preset time value which is 3 second, the timer contact turns on and the coil of the contactor is energized. Now let us go to the lab and open our simulator to run those examples to validate their logic and verify their proper operations.
Fig. 9: logic interlock example 2
Fig. 10: The first example ladder logic program
Well! Now we have started our simulation. Figure 11 shows the initial case when no pumps are requested to run. So you can see each pump is all set to run once being requested.
Fig. 11: the initial case when no pumps were requested
Figure 12 shows the case when we requested the first pump to run. Because the stop button is not raised and the second pump is not running; The first pump goes running as shown in figure 12. So the question is that what is going to happen when requesting pump 2 to run?! Let’s see
Fig. 12: starting the first pump
Fig. 13 shows the case when we request pump 2 to run by hitting its start push button “start-pump2”. As expected, the second pump does not run for the interlock condition we designed for by putting a contact of the first pump’s coil as a condition to run the other pump. So let’s remove the hindering condition of interlock by stopping pump 1 and trying to run pump 2 and see.
Fig. 13: requesting one pump to run when the other is running
Figure 14 shows what happens when we remove the interlock condition. By hitting the stop push button of the first pump “stop-pump1”, the first pump has stopped. Consequently, the second pump went running once the interlock conditions has been removed. So now simulation verifies our design and proves our code of interlock is working great. Well done!
Fig. 14: remove the interlock condition by stopping the first pump
As we aforementioned section earlier, the interlock could be done by sensors state or reading, running and stopping statuses of other equipment, or logical devices like timers or counters as well. Timers and counters can be used as an interlocking technique for creating a running condition based on some delay or specific counting. Figure 15 shows one example of a timer-based interlock in which the pump won’t run by hitting the start button until the operator holds the start push-button pressed for 3 seconds then the pump goes running.
Fig. 15: timer-based interlock ladder logic example
Figure 16 shows the simulation of the second example. My friends, please notice, despite the start pushbutton having been hit by the operator; the pump does not start because it waits for the timer to count 3 seconds, and then it can run.
Fig. 16: pump wait timer to start
Now after 3 seconds of holding start push-button pressed, fig. 17 shows the pump goes running because the interlock condition is no longer there. I am very happy you would get that!
Fig. 17: pump start running after 3 seconds
My friends, before talking about what we are going to practice next time; I just want to express my appreciation that you patiently follow up till this point and hope your experience moves forward and gets more and more every lesson. Next time we will navigate the mathematical functions and how to perform mathematical computations in your ladder logic programming. my friends I really can’t wait to see you very soon to practice mathematics in ladder logic programming.
In this project, we are going to make a water level indicator. We all know it is one of the most essential products because there are many water tanks in every house or office, and most of them are not easily accessible to check the level of water in it and I think most of us faced the problem such as shortage of water as we do not have anything to monitor the exact amount of water available in the tank and this causes many problems on our daily lives.
| Where To Buy? | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Components | Distributor | Link To Buy | |
| 1 | LEDs | Amazon | Buy Now | |
| 2 | Arduino Uno | Amazon | Buy Now | |
As we are going to make this project in the simulation first, for that, we will use the Proteus simulation tool. It is a tool used for electronic projects in which, we can run the real-time simulation of any electronic project and we can debug it in real-time without making any damage to real components.
Proteus has a very big database for electronic components which comes in the installation package of Proteus, but still, sometimes we have to install packages or libraries for some modules which are not pre-installed in it.
As in this project, we are going to use Arduino which is not pre-installed in the Proteus software. So we can download the Arduino module package from the link given below:
Note- While uploading the code on the Arduino UNO, disconnect any wire which is connected to Rx(D0) and Tx(D1) pins, otherwise it will give an error while uploading the code.
The water level indicator works on the principle of change in the resistance of the water level sensor due to a change in the amount of water in the container.
Basically, there are two parallel strips in the water level sensor, one for the power supply and another is for the sensor strip. As we know, water is a conductor of electricity so when we increase the amount of water in the container then more length of the sensor emerges in the water and that will increase the conductivity between the strips therefore, it increases the voltage on the sensor pin as well. We will read that voltage on the Arduino UNO.
To get the exact amount of water level in the container, we have to calibrate the sensor with the water because we can not be assured that the output voltage will be the same for every water because we know that there are lots of materials dissolved in the water so it will vary for a different source of water, therefore, we have to calibrate it first.
For calibration of the sensor, we will take a container with the water and we will read the values from the sensor by changing the level of water in the container. We will perform this action till the container gets filled with water and we will note down all the reference values and mark them as thresholds for each level.
As in this project, we are making it in the simulation so it would not be possible for changing the values as per the water level therefore we have used the potentiometer and we have chosen the threshold values randomly.
No need to worry while making this project with the real components as the sensor values from the water level sensor will be in the same format as the output of the potentiometer.
Now that we know the working principle of the water level indicator let’s go for the circuit diagram of the project.
As we know the required components which we are going to use in this project.
For coding, we will use the Arduino IDE. It is a built-in IDE for Arduino developments.
Arduino code is divided into mainly three parts: declaration of function and variables, second is void setup section, and third is void loop.
First of all, declare the variables and pin number which we are going to use in this project.
Now we have completed our code and circuit, it's time to run the project.
I hope we have covered all the points related to this project, and I think it will be very useful in daily life and it will give us ease of monitoring water in our water tanks. After this project, we don’t have to take the headache of how much water is available in our tank. And please let us know in the comment section if you have faced any issues while making it and also how you are going to use it in real life.
Thanks for reading this article. All the best for your projects.
Hello everyone and welcome to this article which will be a great introduction to high-speed PCB design. For sure it is going to be a very interesting class. Let me start by posing a question; Is this something that you have ever come across in your world of PCB design? Where you spent too much time doing the schematics, selecting the right components, doing the footprint addition, generating the netlists, doing the proper layout and routing and sending the end product of your design to the manufacturer? At this level you might probably be designing standard types of PCB boards and if someone was to introduce a project that talks about signal integrity, reflections or even crosstalk, very much believe you will feel like a lost person. It might be something new to you. The reason is that such kind of task is not what you have been handling in your day-to-day design activities.
In this field of PCB design, you might not guess what your clients want in the future and sooner or later, you might be slapped with a design that involves high-speed PCB design process and at this stage be assured of finding things so hard if you have never worked with the high-speed PCB designs. Today we are going to have a look at the high-speed PCB design and this article is best suited for people who want to go beyond the horizon when it comes to printed circuit board design.
When we introduce a high-speed PCB design, signal integrity should be the first thing that runs in your mind. When your signal integrity starts to be affected by the physical properties of your printed circuit board like the schematic, layouts etc then the design of your board is a high-speed PCB design.
Signal integrity is a set of measures that define electrical signal quality.
Having introduced what high-speed PCB design is and making note that it is all about signal integrity, now let us have a look at the signal integrity to get a proper understanding;
When doing a PCB design of any kind, it is obvious that you will be sending some sort of signal through copper traces from the input to your desired area of interest. The signal you will be sending can either be a digital signal or an analog signal.
The main issue about these signals is that they are prone to interference and this is where we bring in signal integrity because anytime a signal is affected by the environment there are some issues that arise.
Let us have a look at the following example.
Let us say you have a circuit that is transmitting signal from point 1 to point 2 in your PCB board. The point 1 can be classified as the transmitter and point 2 can be classified as the receiver. As the signal moves from point 1 to point 2, there is a likelihood that the signal is affected by different factors like;
Remember that the listed challenges above are just some of the challenges that you might come across during the design of the PCB. Otherwise, we have so many others that we have not mentioned above and all of them just have one thing in common which is causing of disturbance to the signal you are sending from point 1 to point 2.
In reality, there is no a specific way to determine if the project is a high speed PCB project or not but the evaluation should be done by case to case. As we have noted in our example above, the first thing that should indicate that your project is classified as a high speed project is when you come across some signal integrity challenges in your PCB layout process.
You can identify a high speed design PCB by;
When working on the high speed PCB design, there are a number of issues that you will come across while trying to transmit your signal from point 1 to pint 2 and the main three challenges that you are likely to encounter are;
Here we have to look at our signal at the destination and ask ourselves if the signal looks exactly as it should look like. If the signal does not look like it should, then it must have faced some interferences along the way which might have ruined its integrity.
The issue here is if your signal came across any form of interference during the transmission. It is obvious that PCB signals have some sought of noise in their output, but if this noise exceeds a certain limit, it might corrupt the signals being transmitted.
We are looking at how the signals are arriving at the destination. Are they arriving at the expected time with respect to other signals? Remember that all the signals in a PCB board are controlled by the clock and if the transmitted signal does not match with the clock signal then the signal is corrupted.
The big three problem can be rectified by involving the following three solutions;
If traces have a matched length, it will ensure that the signals arrive at the same time and sync with the rates of the clock. Matching is a must thing when working with HDMI, SATA, USB, PCI Express and the DDR.
The close you place your traces to each other, the more they are prone to noise and other forms of interferences. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that your traces are having proper standard spacing. By placing your traces where they should be, with proper spacing reduces the amount of noise affecting your trace.
By ensuring that you have proper impedance between your receiver and the transmitter will create a direct effect on the quality od the signal and its integrity. This will also have an impact on how your signals are exposed to the noise challenge.
As it is in any engineering design work, there are rules that have to be followed when we are handling the high speed PCB design. Let us have a look at some of these challenges in depth;
Here if you are using the high speed interface, you have to do a signal tuning of the length of your traces in order to synchronize your signal propagation. If you miss to do the synchronization, then expect your interface to fail at very high frequencies or even not to work at all. Therefore, the tuning aspects is a very important aspect when it comes to high speed designs.
It is very rare to meet straight tracks from the source to the receiver on a PCB especially when the high speed design is involved because you have to keep bending the tracks while looking for track locations that will fine tune the trace. In real sense, tracks required smooth, rounded corners without sharp bending and you will need a lot of time to make that possible. What makes since task more time consuming is the fact that you will have to redo this so many times repeatedly until you get the optimized path.
Don’t bent tracks at 90 degrees because the width of the track changes affecting the impedance of the track. It is advised you do the bending at 45 degrees as shown in the figure below;
Any time you are doing a PCB design, it is very important to make an observation of the single-end point ZO impedances and also as well as the differential impedances Zdiff.
Adherence to the correct impedance is one of the most important rules in the design of the PCB.
Given below are the parameters for the differential impedance calculations;
Component placement is one of the most important rules in process of high speed PCB design. Before you begin this process, you have to mark where you are going to place your component.
For example, you can place components according to their functions. If components do same functions or even related purpose, they should always be in the same location to each other.
Analog components should be placed in their locality, with their ground different from others to avoid the EMI.
During placement, remember that the tracks are not long and therefore you should ensure that you leave the space for tuning.
Most common type of termination is the parallel termination. This is where a resistor is placed in the track between the differential pair and as close to the receiver as possible.
The purpose of termination is for getting rid of the reflected signals in the truck and this leads to the upgrading of the data that is being transferred. When differential pairs are used, the resistor should be equal to the differential impedance or less than the differential impedance.
In most occasion, it is very impossible to completely trace high speed interfaces in a single layer and this will require introduction of vias in order to move the traces from one layer to another.
Vias are just electroplated holes that allows you to move the tracks from one layer of the board to the other.
It is very important to ensure that you accompany the track via with a ground via. These vias are called stitching vias and they help in maintaining the use of a single reference point in the high speed PCB design.
This is a basic thing in PCB design and it is very important to have a plan to avoid so much errors and issues in the design process. So before doing any connections of the symbols or the net list you need a checklist at hand so that you can confirm what to do next to ensure that you have done everything accordingly. The plan will help in;
This are not the only things that you will consider during planning but it is among the first things to do.
After having the plan, the next thing is to ensure that your layer stackup are documented. This is where you have to contact your manufacturer in order to know which material you will use in the design and also and what type of constraints you should employ in those designs.
Expect to work with the following type of materials;
Here you have to organize your board into logical sections. Remember high speed boards are organized into many subcircuits and it is your duty as a designer to determine where each subcircuit should be placed.
This is more so for the case of the analog and digital signals which require that they placed in separate places so that they cannot interfere with each other.
Your physical floor planning should have something like what is below;
Now that your plan and stackup is fully laid, it is time to get into important details that you will need in order to start the design.
I the previous design, you might have been using very large pads maybe for easier soldering and inspection. For the high speed design, the space you leave is the key for the success and therefore pads should be 0 to 5% of the size of the components. This drop in space will always help in improving the mechanical strength of the board.
The high frequency signals will be producing a lot of electromagnetic effects as they travel from the source to the sinking region. And this might lead to two signals having an interference on each other. To avoid this, consider each of the following;
This will involve the use of vias so that to avoid the current path from crisscrossing each other or the ground and to make sure that the signal integrity is maintained.
If you’re thinking ahead about the long-term prospect of selling your app that’s now in development or wanting to exit in the next year, these 5 tips for selling an app are for you.
You might believe it is time to cash out your app, but there could be a few problems in your immediate future. Apps developed for the Apple ecosystem can’t always be transferred from one developer to another. It is a good idea to check the latest criteria on app transfers before you look at selling your app. While developers can transfer an entire account to a buyer, it will limit the price you can ask for.
Apps don’t all sell with similar multiples or attract the same level of interest.
It depends on how large the related app marketplace is, how many apps are for sale, and the pool of interested buyers too. The multiple of earnings for app sales reflects their long-term potential but also the demand in that particular marketplace.
If you discover that the app you’ve developed and built up over the years sits in a marketplace that isn’t much in demand, maybe choose differently next time?
It’s necessary to get the most value from your app before listing it for sale. Ideally, any boost in top-line revenues should have occurred months ago. This helps to confirm that it wasn’t a one-time bump and is sustainable.
So, when identifying profitable marketing channels, do it as early as you can. Avoid trying one and adding others incrementally over the years. It’ll make it harder to implement them all before you’re thinking about selling the app.
A buyer is purchasing the app’s code, an existing relationship with its customers, and the reputation of the app too. When there are negative reviews left and right, the listing will be avoided.
It might be impossible to not get any negative reviews – some people are overly critical – but deal with them pragmatically. Reply to them in an informative, helpful, and friendly manner. Even if the review was unfair, unbalanced, or rude, don’t reciprocate.
Also, if one or more points within the review were valid, update the app to address those. Then amend your response to reflect how the app has been updated based on their observations.
Apps are typically sold for up to 36X the app’s monthly profit. So, that’s the money you make after all associated expenses have been deducted. Be clear on this figure from the get-go. Potential buyers will want to see evidence of your earnings. Even if an app is making good sales, if operational costs are high, profit margins are going to be lower.
You may have landed on the best pricing model that’s fine with the customers and extracts the most value for what’s offered. However, it might just be the first one you tried, and you never considered any others.
Before concluding that that’s all your app can realistically generate, reconsider all options. Do some market research with current customers to gauge their reaction to switching the monetization model. See if there’s any wriggle room to add a premium version, extra features, add-ons, or something else to increase the app’s earnings when selling it.
Remember, an app is only worth what someone will pay for it. Be realistic about how much you can charge for the app. If you overvalue the app, interest will be limited for obvious reasons and you may struggle to find any buyers willing to take things to the next level.
While an app might flout standards set for the marketplace, it can’t do so forever.
Any broker or prospective buyer who’s aware of the appropriate standards will actively avoid an app that’s in breach of them, especially if they’ll be eventually stuck with making changes to fix the problem after delisting and begging forgiveness from the powers that be.
Depending on the marketplace, standards differ. Therefore, they must be investigated properly. For example, there are established WordPress Coding Standards. For WordPress plugins, these state that they must be written in the PHP language and be fairly easy to interpret. Spaghetti code that technically runs but is confusing and intentionally so won’t pass muster.
Also, requirements do change, so verify before any app sale listing it still isn’t in breach of standards that came into force recently.
Prepare ahead of time before selling your app and consider whether this is a smart business decision. Often, there is no good reason to sell an app, as you can continue making a great monthly income and the app won’t be worth any more in a year. However, you may have personal reasons for wishing to take a step back, and that’s OK. You may also want to pursue new development opportunities, which is another common reason why developers decide to sell a successful app and move on to the next project.
It’s also worth pointing out that there are tax benefits, as the sale profit could be classed as capital gain and taxed at a lower rate. Speak to an accountant to verify this first.
Once you are ready to sell, it’s time to look for buyers. There are sites where you can list an app for sale, such as Flippa, or you can work with an app broker. Either way, don’t rush into anything, and always check the reviews first if you decide to use a broker.
Finally, never accept the first offer you receive, it’s likely to be a low-ball offer and you can do much better if you exercise some patience.