Hardware

The WAND energy measurement platform was developed as part of MAGEEC, an 18 month research project which Emebcosm lead in collaboration with Bristol University, to create a generic compiler framework which combines machine learning with accurate energy measurement, in order to select the most energy-efficient compilation options.

This low cost solution is capable of measuring energy consumption at 3 independent points and with simultaneous measurement of those targets at 2,000,000 samples/second. For more information see the FOSDEM 2014 workshop guide.

A limited number of WAND kits are being made available at cost, with pre-orders in late 2014 and the remainder being sold via Ground Electronics from February 2015. The energy measurement shield is an open hardware design and the KiCAD and manufacturing files can be found on GitHub.

The Cuttlefish is a PCB version of the Shrimp that is designed for use in both breadboard prototyping and more permanent projects, including header pins for the former and mounting holes for the latter. PCB layout was completed by Boldport, using the open source design tool, PCBmodE. The design files have been made available under the CERN Open Hardware Licence v1.2.

The CP210x-based USB UART has the same pinout as the FT232H-based EHW1, and also supports both 3.3v and 5v logic levels. This variant is the one now supplied with Shrimp and Cuttlefish kits.

Please note that prior to use the correct logic level must be set using the pin jumper.

The Face Tracker Project uses a webcam to capture video frames that are then processed by OpenCV running on a PC. If OpenCV detects a face it will calculate its X,Y coordinates and track it. The coordinates are then passed on to the Shrimp via a serial/USB connection. The Shrimp controls the movement of the webcam with the help of two pan/tilt servos, to follow the detected face.

For the software see ESP. 9.

The Face Tracker Project extends the Shrimp Starter Kit.

An Arduino sketch is used to control the flashing of a row of LEDs. By waving the LEDs through the air a message encoded in the sketch is then spelled out, as the bright image remains momentarily fixed on the retina.

The PoV Project provides a fun and engaging introduction to programming.

The Persistence-of-Vision Project extends the Shrimp Starter Kit.

The Shrimp is an alternative to the Arduino Uno, with a component cost of around 10% of the price of an official Arduino board, which makes it ideal for someone just starting out in electronics and computing.

The Starter Kit contains all the components needed to make the Basic Shrimp and Protected Shrimp.

The Shrimp is programmed over a serial connection and typically used together with an EHW1 or EHW5 USB UART.

This simple yet incredibly useful tool is based around the FT232H IC and provides a serial interface with support for 3.3v and 5v logic levels and data rates of up to 1 Mbaud. Typical uses include:

• Programming adapter for Arduino and similar microcontroller boards;
• Connecting a PC to an embedded system console, e.g. Raspberry Pi;
• Implementing a bit-banged interface.

Please note that prior to use the correct logic level must be set using the pin jumper.