Farnell element14’s latest development board is the Lark Board, a high-performance development board based on Altera’s Cyclone V SoC. It is designed for the development of high-volume applications including automotive, medical equipment, video surveillance and industrial control.

The Raspberry Pi Model A+ has been launched by element14. It features a 40-pin extended GPIO header, a Micro SD Card port to protect the SD Card from damage, and improved power management making it possible to drive ‘power hungry’ USB devices directly from the Raspberry Pi. The board is powered by the 700MHz Broadcom BCM2835 CPU with 256MB RAM.

The Weller WXR Rework Station is designed to handle all tasks related to soldering, desoldering, and the use of hot air in the production process, saving significant costs compared to buying individual units. It is available from Farnell element14. The WXR 3 is a 3-channel station with an enormous total power output of 600 watts, higher than any other station on the market. 

Farnell element14 is already selling the newly released Tektronix RSA306 spectrum analyser based on a USB architecture. The new instrument features a broad 9 kHz to 6.2 GHz frequency range, 40 MHz real time bandwidth and weighs 1.2 pounds. When used with Tektronix SignalVu-PC software, the analyser offers advanced analysis capabilities for such applications as budget-conscious research and development, mobile radio network installation, inte...

A new series of exclusive accessories for the Raspberry Pi have been unveiled by element14 that will make it quicker, simpler and easier for all levels of user to create and prototype physical devices for the next generation of Internet of Things products. The first MICROSTACK products in the range provide GPS positioning, accelerometer and prototyping modules.

Ben and Felix work together to create a hacker-friendly Halloween mask. They use basic materials from the hardware store to create the framework of the mask and add servos that will move the creature’s mandibles. Ben wires up a couple of LED matrices to use as the creature’s eyes.

Ben uses charging circuits in many of his projects so it’s about time he created his own! Ben uses EAGLE to design the PCB for his circuit and shows each step of the process.

Farnell element14 has launched the Dynamic Series from TE Connectivity providing connector solutions ranging from signal level circuitry to power circuit connectivity in a ruggedised, industrialised package. Designed with control systems applications in mind, the connector range is also suitable for a wide range of high density, signal and power applications.

Farnell element14 will roll out new development kits, production components and test and measurement products at electronica in Munich (Nov 11-14). The distributor promises over 20 new products will be on show from leading brands including Freescale, TI, Atmel, ST, ADI, AMD, Microchip, Raspberry Pi, XP Power, Tektronix and Weller, as well as newcomers BitScope and Robox.

element14 has launched a global design initiative to discover the ultimate development kit for engineers and makers. The Dream Board project, live now on the element14 Community, allows users to create and brand their own virtual development kit using an interactive tool. The project will uncover the components and technologies that today’s engineers are looking for, using an innovative crowdsourcing approach.

The Raspberry Pi accessories parade shows no signs of abating. The latest addition sees Farnell element14 partner with BitScope Designs to manufacture and distribute BitScope Micro, a full feature dual channel digital oscilloscope for Raspberry Pi. Eben Upton, CEO at Raspberry Pi, said: “BitScope Micro is one of the most impressive add-ons for Raspberry Pi we’ve seen. The BitScope team have done a terrific job to optimise their softwa...

Ben decides it’s time to create a brawling robot game he’s wanted to build for a while. He builds mechanical robots and uses servos to make them punch as well as move side to side.

Farnell element14 will pack a power punch at electronica displaying what is claimed to be the industry’s smallest encapsulated 60 Watt AC-DC power supply, the ECE60 Series from XP Power. The ECE60 series of compact encapsulated AC-DC power modules are available in both PCB & chassis mount versions offering exceptional power density of >10W/in3.

What would constitute your ultimate development kit? A pipedream? Well not if element14 has anything to do with it. The high service distributor has launched a global design initiative to discover the ultimate development kit for engineers and makers. The Dream Board project, live now on the element14 Community, allows users to create and brand their own virtual development kit using an interactive tool.

The PiFace Digital and Control & Display has been updated and a new series of exclusive Raspberry Pi accessories has been launched by element14 following the launch of the Raspberry Pi model B+ this July. The PiFace Digital 2 helps to sense and control real world applications. It allows the connection of switches, lights, motors and more to the Raspberry Pi allowing it to interface with the world around it.

The Raspberry Pi B+, launched earlier this year, can be seen as the next evolution to the Raspberry Pi board and is stacked with interesting new features, adding even more functionality and possibilities to designers, innovators and engineers. By Andy Laing, Raspberry Pi Global Product Manager, element14.

Felix built a point and shoot camera using spare parts laying around the shop and suggests that Ben shrink it down and put it into a cool enclosure.

Ben responds to viewer’s questions about 3D printing by delivering a full tutorial! He covers the kinds of printers available as well as the basic parts and costs of building your own printer.

Farnell element14 has launched the Arduino UNO Click Shield and a host of Click Boards and accessories for the Atmel SAMA5D3 Xplained, a low-cost, rapid prototyping and evaluation platform featuring the ARM Cortex A5 based SAMA5D36 microprocessor. These accessories are ideally suited for quick and easy implementation on development kits and feature low power operation and a small footprint.

Since the acquisition of CadSoft by Premier Farnell, CadSoft has not stopped its ongoing investments into the development of the popular layout system, EAGLE. CadSoft, as highlighted in the just-launched version 7, has continuously worked on improving the software since the release of version 6, which included the game-changing implementation of the XML data format.