Designers Notebook: Layer Stackup Planning for RF Circuit Boards
Connect the Dots: Involving Manufacturers Earlier Prevents Downstream Issues
Global PCB Connections: The Next Wave of HDI PCBs– How Design Engineers Can Stay Ahead
Next Gen State-Of-The-Art Embedded Systems Development Platform Announced by Embeddetech
March 19, 2020 | EmbeddetechEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Embeddetech has announced a powerful yet inexpensive platform for rapidly building electronic hardware prototypes. The platform is expected to revolutionize the development of software that runs on microcontrollers, called "embedded software," by leveraging state-of-the-art microprocessor virtualization technology.
The design and fabrication of custom electronic hardware is typically a prerequisite to developing and testing embedded software for new product designs, for hobbyist projects, as well as for many applied research efforts. This has demanded the time and cost of designing and fabricating custom printed circuit boards which provide the microcontroller with the necessary inputs and outputs to allow the software to perform the necessary tasks.
The new platform's first innovation involves virtualizing the microcontroller so that it can run on a normal computer in a virtual environment. In this environment, virtualized components can be effortlessly connected to the microcontroller. The virtual components behave just like real components as far as the virtualized microcontroller is concerned, and provide the same behaviors to the user, like touch screen LCDs, sensor inputs and outputs.
The platform's versatility was initially driven by an unlimited number of virtual components; however, the virtual microcontroller is now able to interface directly to hardware components with the introduction of Embeddetech's QuickDAQ.mikroBUS™ development board. This development board provides the most common electronic interfaces to the "real world" and can be connected to the virtual microcontroller as easily as other virtual components. Developers only need to connect the necessary individual components to complete their custom development system, without having to completely design a new platform from scratch.
The QuickDAQ.mikroBUS™ development board is the first in a QuickDAQ product line which is geared towards incorporating real-world hardware into the virtualized simulation loop. The QuickDAQ.mikroBUS™ allows virtual microcontrollers to interface to three mikroBUS™ slots, which are industry standard slots which have become a de facto standard in the embedded systems community. MikroE, the company that first standardized the interface, offers over 750 Click boards™ which provide a comprehensive variety of sensor inputs, output controllers, and connectivity solutions.
A Kickstarter campaign will be launched on March 18th, 2020, to fund the final design, testing, and production of the new platform. Embeddetech is partnering with MikroE in the promotional Kickstarter offering, by bundling the QuickDAQ.mikroBUS™ with a variety of Click boards™. The bundle options will provide developers with a wide variety of peripherals to construct their desired development platform. Early bird backers of the Kickstarter campaign will get Click discounts of 35% as well as a discounted QuickDAQ.mikroBUS™. All backers will additionally receive a Virtuoso embedded virtualization software license, worth $150, for one year of non-commercial use.
Kickstarter campaign:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/virtuoso/quickdaq-mikrobus-next-generation-development-system?ref=24jbql
Share on:
Suggested Items
IPC Welcomes Exemptions to Reciprocal Tariffs
04/14/2025 | IPCIPC shared the following statement today on tariff exclusions and their implications on the global electronics industry. This statement can be attributed to Dr. John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO:
ASMPT Demonstrates Technology Leadership in SMT Assembly
04/09/2025 | ASMPTThe rapid development of artificial intelligence is driving the demand for high-performance processors and placing great demands on electronics manufacturing.
Tariff Uncertainty Weighs on Display Demand, Pricing, and the Supply of AMOLED Materials,
04/09/2025 | TrendForceTrendForce reports that the U.S. began implementing reciprocal tariffs on April 9th, based largely on trade deficits. Consequently, Asia—particularly Southeast Asia, a key hub for the consumer electronics supply chain—has been significantly impacted.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Basics of Component Lead Tinning
04/02/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileThe component lead tinning process serves several critical functions, including removing gold plating, mitigation of tin whiskers, reconditioning of component solderability issues, and alloy conversion from lead-free (Pb-free) to tin-lead or from tin-lead to lead-free for RoHS compliance. We will cover each of these topics in more detail in upcoming columns.
New Cryostatic Systems Elevate Current Research on Qubits
03/31/2025 | Fraunhofer IAFThe Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) at Fraunhofer IPMS has recently acquired new cryostats for the research on qubits and the qualification of superconducting systems.