New Product Post
This week was busy, and there are a lot of new products to share.
Our Grove line is always expanding. Last week, we introduced the Grove XBee-Carrier and the Grove – IMU 9DOF, and two weeks ago it was the Grove Cape for BeagleBone Series. This week we’re adding the Grove – EMG Detector, an electromyography device that can sense electrical activity in the muscle and report it back to your Arduino. Normally an EMG is used in a healthcare environment to detect muscle weakness and nerve abnormalities. At Seeed, we are harnessing your muscles’ electrical impulses to drive your projects. Grove – EMG Detector comes with three electrodes which can be placed on your body and when the muscles under the electrodes move they will generate an electrical signal which will be sent to your Arduino. Once the Arduino receives the output, depending on your code, it can be used in a cause-and-effect scenario to trigger a buzzer, an LED bar, etc. We developed demo code, so you can get a jump start on the possibilities.
Fresh off a successful Kickstarter campaign, we are offering the SODAQ – Microcontroller for Data Acquisition. This is a well-thought-out rapid prototyping board that packs quite a punch with unique features that allow the board to be used in real world scenarios. The philosophy behind the board was to design something that was easy-to-use, portable, and able to not only receive data but send it too. The Solar Data Acquisition (SODAQ) board removes the need for wires, soldering, and dependence on electricity while still allowing for easy integration of sensors and devices.
It has an Atmega 328P microcontroller, 12 Grove sockets, a solar charge controller, a GPRS module for communication with 2G and/or 3G cellular systems, a Bee socket, a 16 Mbit flash memory module, and an on-board USB for programming. Since it has low power consumption, it can run off a coin battery or the sun. Plus, it was designed to fit in pre-existing Raspberry Pi enclosures which is helpful when you are on the go. For a comparison between like boards, check out the table below.
Speaking of enclosures, CubieTruck just created the Black Ewell Case for CubieTruck. Now you can make your own mini-pc by assembling your Cubieboard3, a lithium battery, and a 2.5” SATA hard drive in this attractive, dust-proof case. If you are a little uneasy about putting it together, there is a link to a detailed installation instruction set in both English and Chinese at the bottom of the product description page.
For those of you looking for a RaspberryPi alternative, we have the new BeagleBone Black – Embest. This is a compact, affordable Linux system with a ton of expansion options. It has an HDMI D type interface, an LCD interface, an RJ45 connector, 10/100M Ethernet, 2 USB ports, a JTAG interface, and much more. It runs off the software development friendly AM3359 processor based on the ARM Cortex™-A8 core. If you want to extend its capabilities we offer several BeagleBone capes that provide Grove connectivity or LCD display with or without touch capability. Since this board is often used an embedded system, it can be applied to a myriad of different projects from vending machines to robots.
Do you need to send or receive data wirelessly? Our new serial and Bluetooth transceivers do just that. The 433 MHz Wireless Serial Transceiver Module – 1 Kilometer is perfect for long range applications outdoors while our 434 MHz Wireless Serial Transceiver Module – 40 Meters is better suited for short range, indoor projects. They both communicate at a TTL level and have several different communication modes to account for time delay and distance. Please keep in mind that they work in pairs, so be sure to buy two of the same module. If you buy one of each, they won’t work together because they operate on different bands and they are not compatible with one another.
If you are going the Bluetooth route, we have the Bluetooth V2.0 Serial Transceiver Module – 3.3V. It has three different automatic binding transparent modes: master, slave, and loopback. This is typically what you experience when your smartphone pairs with your Bluetooth adapter. In addition, this module can also send controls via AT command mode.
Are you tired of round LEDs? Want to try something new? We have an 8×8 RGB LED Matrix with square LEDs. Like our previous version, the 8×8 RGB LED Dot Matrix, it can be programmed via Rainbowduino and has a full RGB color variation. In addition to the LED shape, the only other major difference is the thickness. The square version is very slim with only half the thickness of its round LED counterpart.
Last but not least, we have the Mini PIR Motion Sensor Module which can detect movement of people, animals, and/or objects. With high sensitivity and a holding time of 2 seconds, you can use it to build your own burglar alarm or motion sensor lights. Better yet, set up a motion activated camera to record what your pet is doing while you are away from home.
Don’t forget to check out more new products in the New Arrivals section of Seeed Bazar. This page is updated every Thursday with our newest merchandise. Until next time, keep on making.
Written by Erin Linke
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