Element14 has launched a low-cost, triple-play platform that bridges the massively popular design worlds of Raspberry Pi, Arduino and 32-bit embedded ARM. Called the Embedded Pi, it features an STMicroelectronics STM32F103 microcontroller and is supported with easy-to-use design examples.
Raspberry Pi and the STM32 MCU can work independently or in conjunction with each other to control the Arduino shields or other accessories. The board has three primary modes of operation, which can be set by jumpers:
STM32/Standalone Mode: The Embedded Pi works as a base platform and the STM32 controls the Arduino shields directly without the use of Raspberry Pi. It can interface with the outside world and can control surroundings by sending and receiving input/output using a wide variety of sensors to e.g. control lights, motors and other actuators.
In ST-Adapter Mode, the board’s STM32 controls the Arduino shields and the Raspberry Pi works as the GUI or command line console to send commands/data to and receive data from Embedded Pi. This is an advanced mode which extends and strengthens the automation control capability of the Raspberry Pi, taking advantage of the STM32F103 NVIC (nested vectored interrupt controller), GPIOs and other peripherals like ADC and PWM.
Raspberry Pi Mode: The Embedded Pi works as a hardware connection bridge between Raspberry Pi and Arduino shields, allowing the Raspberry Pi to interface directly with existing Arduino shields, having a number of sensors and control to interact with the external environment. It offers all the possibilities of connecting digital and analog sensors using the Arduino shield but with the power and capabilities of Raspberry Pi.
Embedded Pi connects to the GPIO on the Raspberry Pi and is form factor compatible with both 5 V and 3,3 V Arduino shields, selectable with jumpers. The 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 STM32F103 MCU operates at 72 MHz, with 128 KB Flash, 20 KB RAM, motor control, USB and CAN interfaces.
Free to download, Eclipse-based Coocox development tools provide users with an easy-to-use development environment for ARM Cortex-M and includes an IDE, OS, Flash programmer and in-circuit emulation capabilities.
For more information contact Electrocomp Express, 0860 10 20 20, [email protected], www.eexpress.co.za
| Tel: | +27 11 458 9055 |
| Email: | [email protected] |
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