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ELEMENT14 has unveiled the ultimate dev kit, designed by a final year engineering student from India.
Element14 was seeking the ultimate development kit as part of its DreamBoard competition. Launched in October 2014, the initiative asked members of the element14 Community to develop their own “dream” dev kits using a bespoke tool to drag and drop various components onto a bare PCB.
Designers had to ensure that they weren’t overloading their boards, carefully balancing power, efficiency and speed with applications and functions. The program saw over 3000 design submissions, with 16 designs advancing to the finalist ranks, which were then voted upon by element14 Community members.
The PC64 design by Manjuprasad Basangi made it to the final round and captured 67 percent of the vote, and has been designated the DreamBoard.
Basangi created the PC64 as a learning tool for students, as well as a powerful platform for professional engineers to build and test their systems. A 64-bit processor, compatible with Linux, and an Android Lollipop OS loaded onto an SD card maximise the potential use cases across a variety of projects.
Other features include on-board wireless connectivity, as well as GPIO pins and a variety of connectivity options to help the board communicate with the outside word and provide the option to expand where needed.
The PC64 also features on-board sensors including the Magnetic Hall effect sensor, ultrasonic sensors, gyroscope, accelerometer and temperature, to support robotic and drone projects. Audio I/O provides on-board audio processing and the LVDS port and touchscreen sensor allow the board to perform as a handheld device.
The runner up was the Mother H.E.N. design, by Draven Umbra from the USA, which enables a ‘Home Environment Network’ designed to sense motion, temperature, humidity, lighting and indoor air quality and control them to optimal conditions.
Dianne Kibbey, Global Head of Community, element14, comments: “The DreamBoard competition was not only a great opportunity to test the creativity and ingenuity of the engineers from our Community, but also to gain knowledge and insights into the electronics industry as a whole.
“The submissions showcased an incredible array of creativity, with designs ranging from aquatic monitoring devices to hot air balloons to home automation systems.”