U Part

"µPart" (from TecO, University of Karlsruhe)

Report by Saranont

Datasheet

Short Paper

The µPart014xilmt Particle Computing is an ultra small computing and wireless communication embedded computing system with 4 sensors and one LED actuator and power supply.

Features Computing Core

-Embedded 8-Bit Processor: Microchip 12f675 at 4 MHz -Internal Flash 1.4 k Byte, Internal SRAM64 Byte, Internal EEPROM 128 Byte

Communication

-RF Communication: Transmitter (FSK) with 19.2 kBaud bandwidth, 868 MHz European or 315 MHz Japan.US ISM band -Various RF power version available -Range: indoor 30 meters/ outdoor 100 meters -Needle Pinhole interface for rewriting the firmware or to download own firmware***

Sensors and Actuators

-One low power LEDs -High sensitive movement Sensor -Temperature sensor (Microchip TC1047) -Light sensor (Taos TSL 13) -Battery voltage sensor

Connection of Sensors and actuator to MCU

Sensor name:	Port at rfPIC12F675

Voltage:	Port1/ Analog Port1
Temperature:	Port2/ Analog Port 2
Movement:	Port3
Light:	Port4/Analog Port3
LED:	Port5

Software and Tools

-In circuit configuration using a CRT/LCD screen without additional hardware -In circuit programming using an optional programmer -PC based application suite for µPart

Overall

Outline µPart 0140: 20 x 17 x 7 mm Industrial temperature range (-40 to 85 C)

Infrastructure***

To receive sensor information, access points for µPart are required. These access points receive information sent out by uParts and forward them to an IP based network. Currently two types of access points are available:

Firmware

Pre-installed firmware that is operating and controlling all resources of the internal microcontroller. (The firmware can be rewritten using uPart 014x compatible programming adapter and Flash/microprocessor programmer.)

Power Supply

-lithium coin cells (CR1632 or BR1632 coin cells is recommended.) -The input voltage of the uParts may range from 2.5 V to 4.4 V. -The maximum peak current of a 3V powered Particle is about 14mA in full sending with full field-strength and about 4 mA with low field strength.

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Note:

The reason that I chose this devise to report/ask questions is because of the wireless part of this uPart. Basically, I don’t understand how to send information from one device to receiver by radio frequency at all, so I think it would be good for me to start to study from this system as a first step.

Moreover, except the RF part in this device, most of structure part of this uPart are the sensor devices and microchip which we are pretty familiar with already, so if I am lucky enough to understand how to make some kinds of small wireless communication computing system, it would be good for my future projects as well.

Question:

• What is the MCU?
• Is it posible to make the access point by ourself? (XBridge is 300 Euro, and USB Bridge is 170 Euro. They are expensive for poor student like me to use in school projects anyway.)