Latest BeagleBoard.org® SBCs reduce and simplify microcontroller code development by users and offer rapid prototyping without wiring

element14announces global, in-stock availability of two new BeagleBoard.org® development boards: BeagleConnect™ Freedom and BeaglePlay®.

BeaglePlay is an open-source Single Board Computer (SBC) designed to simplify the process of adding sensors, actuators, indicators, human interfaces, and connectivity to a reliable embedded system.

The interfaces and processing power of BeaglePlay make it ideal for supporting a variety of systems. It has built-in wired and wireless connectivity, including innovative single-pair Ethernet and Sub-GHz wireless options, enabling it to connect to a vast selection of sensor and prototyping systems with thousands of options. It is an excellent choice for early adopters who want a simplified Linux experience they can expand without needing to learn to read schematics.

BeaglePlay can be used in various applications, including retail and POS automation, vision analytics, medical equipment, smart buildings and Edge AI, and many more.

Key features include:

• A powerful 64-bit, quad-core processor
• HDMI Type-A supporting up to Full-HD/1080P with 24-bit RGB
• Innovative connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, sub-GHz wireless, and single-pair Ethernet with power-over-data-line.
• Compatibility with 1,000s of off-the-shelf add-ons and a customised Debian Linux image, Simple expansion and customisation with ribbon-cable connections included for cameras and touch-screen displays, and a socket for a battery-backed real-time-clock.
• Ideal for human-machine (HMI) interface designs.
• A competitive price and user-friendly design provide a positive development experience for users.

BeaglePlay is also a useful development platform for creating Zephyr-based applications for BeagleConnect Freedom.

BeagleConnect Freedom is an open-hardware wireless platform developed by BeagleBoard.org built around the TI CC1352P7 microcontroller, which supports both 2.4-GHz and long-range, low-power Sub-1 GHz wireless protocols.

BeagleConnect Freedom includes:

• Rapid prototyping of IoT applications, accelerated by hardware compatibility with over 1,000 mikroBUS™ add-on sensors, actuators, indicators and includes additional connectivity and storage options.
• Backed with software support utilising the Zephyr scalable and modular real-time operating system, allowing developers to tailor the solution to their specific needs.
• Includes MSP430F5503 for USB-to-UART functionality, temperature and humidity sensor, light sensor, SPI flash, battery charger, buzzer, LEDs, and JTAG connections to make it a comprehensive solution for IoT development and prototyping.
• The TI CC1352P7 microcontroller (MCU) includes a 48-MHz Arm Cortex-M4F processor, 704KB Flash memory, 256KB ROM, 8KB Cache SRAM, 144KB of ultra-low leakage SRAM, and over-the-air upgrades (OTA) capability. This MCU provides flexible support for many different protocols and bands making it suitable for many different communication requirements.
• Rapid prototyping without wiring, utlising the mikroBUS standard which offers the flexibility to connect to almost any typical sensor or indicator with hundreds of devices available.
• Full customisation is possible.

BeagleConnect Freedom streamlines the rapid prototyping process by eliminating the need for users to develop microcontroller code or utilize userspace drivers. With BeaglePlay-hosted kernel drivers and collaborative support code, there’s no need to cut and paste sensor interface examples. The Linux kernel has the necessary intelligence to interact with various external devices, so users don’t need to rely on extensive microcontroller code libraries. Users can integrate a large number of devices without writing any code, and even the automation code required can be simple. People can spend less time writing complicated code and more time testing their ideas.

Maintenance of BeagleConnect is simplified because the software code base is not tailored to any specific network-of-devices configuration. This implies that any improvements made to the code base can benefit all users. Moreover, the BeagleConnect firmware source code is submitted upstream to the Zephyr Project, increasing the user base and providing a better chance of detecting and resolving issues or bugs.

Romain Soreau, Head of Single Board Computing at element14, said, “We are very pleased to announce our global in-stock availability of these two new boards from Beagleboard.org®. These boards are designed to be affordable and accessible, allowing hobbyists, educators, and professionals to experiment with and develop a wide range of electronics projects, from simple sensors and LED displays to complex robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) systems.”

Christine Long, BeagleBoard.org Executive Director, said, “These competitively priced introductions herald a new era in productivity for early adopters as well as experienced developers, both of whom will benefit from the speed and flexibility of BeagleConnect Freedom and BeaglePlay without having to write line-after-line of code.”

The new BeagleBoard.org BeagleConnect Freedom and BeaglePlay are now available from stock at element14 in APAC.