The purpose of this project is to announce:
- a “new 32-bit microcontroller chip named DREAM-1” aimed at Wearables and the Internet-of-Things; and,
- Kickstarter campaign to perfect DREAM-1’s micro-architecture and chip design.
Highlights
- DREAM-1 is a Next-Generation, Eco-Inspired 32-bit microcontroller chip for Wearables and the Internet-of-Things;
- No limitations – powered by Eco-Logic technology: minimal energy, maximum speed, event-driven, instantaneously responsive and energy-performance adaptive;
- Fully compatible – DREAM-1 apps can be developed with existing software flows, programming languages and configured wirelessly over Bluetooth;
- Exclusive – limited sampling batch only available on Kickstarter to perfect its design.
What is DREM-1 ?
It represents the first practical step towards a new breed of 32-bit microcontroller, which is:
- Specifically designed – for the next-generation of physical computing: Wearables and the Internet-of-Things;
- Targeted – for to low-to-medium function embedded end-products;
- Driven -by a Eco-Inspired micro-architecture, design and technology.
Moreover, DREAM-1:
- Purposely – mimics the high-level behavior of Eco and Bio life processes;
- Delivers – maximum speed, and is performance-energy adaptive by running as fast as operating conditions and the silicon allow, or as software-defined;
- Is Event-driven – rather than system clocked and runs only when needed on-demand;
- Is instantaneously responsive; and,
- Consumes minimal energy.
Using it – It comes as a stand-alone electronic circuit board module or with an extra development board, supported by a full software stack and peripheral modules (PMODs) to implement arbitrary designs i.e., circuit break-out boards.
Configuring and programming – A variety of programming languages can be used to program it (Java, Python and Ruby) via supplied libraries or natively using C. This allows you to easily blink LEDs, read/write analog values, make motors and servos move, play sounds, write data to SD cards, communicate wirelessly, etc.
Why DREAM-1
DREAM-1 is a consequence of the frustrations we had with 1) existing 32-bit microcontroller chips; and 2) implementing low-to-medium one function embedded Healthcare apps for Wearables and the Internet-of-Things.
Specifically, these Healthcare apps required 1) sophisticated security algorithms and protocols (e.g., public-key); 2) long lithium battery-life operation and small batteries; 3) complex data analysis (often real-time); 4) low peak energy and spikes (i.e, a flat EMI spectrum); and, 5) small overall product form-factor, which was inhibited by the required lithium battery size.
Based on these experiences we observed that, or there was a:
- Lack of differentiation – between 32-bit microcontrollers for low-to-medium one function embedded applications;
- Data-security needs – are often not being met by existing 32-bit microcontroller chips and vitally important going forward;
- System clock speeds – dictate performance and energy consumption, and these limiting clock speeds effectively throttle performance;
- Lack of performance – while a microcontroller chip’s silicon can typically deliver more (up to 10x sometimes);
- Poor battery life – in part, happens as energy is consumed unnecessarily due to existing microcontroller micro-architecture design and system clocking. That is, energy is not minimal or featuring low peaks;
- Complicated energy modes – are required to manage the microcontrollers energy consumption;
- Slow response times – are frequently caused by Milli-second “wake-up response times” from so-called low energy or sleep modes. This is usually due to the system clock source stabilizing; and
- Extra PCB components – are often used due to lack of performance which guzzle energy (e.g., motor-control), but could be easily software-emulated. Thus prolonging battery-life, allowing form-factor and bill-of-material cost reduction.
In addition, we knew we had the technical know-how from silicon-to-software to develop a radically different 32-bit microcontroller alternative.
For More Detail : 32-bit Microcontroller Chip – Next-Generation, Eco-Inspired
