@zeroiee@techhub.social
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zeroiee

@zeroiee@techhub.social

Innovative. Electronics. Engineering.

We are an 8-person startup from Ingolstadt, Germany - with focus on prototyping, electronics, software and connectivity topics.

#automotive #electronics #connectivity #embedded #linux #software #5g #prototyping #v2x

Imprint / Privacy: https://zero-iee.com/#kontakt

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zeroiee, to programming
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A clean Git history is the key to successful teamwork and quick bug fixes. Errors can only be successfully tracked down if it is always possible to trace when and where code was changed by whom and for what reason.

🥴 However, in the rush of the battle, the changes that are packaged in a commit are sometimes not taken very seriously. Who has never experienced this? A change that is actually unrelated to the current work package has made it into the commit because the file has already been saved temporarily.

💡The solution: With an "interactive add" (git add -i), you can pack partial changes ("hunks") into a commit and specify line by line what should be included in the next commit.

:git: "Staging patches": https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Tools-Interactive-Staging

zeroiee, to Electronics
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We at ZERO GmbH have completed our first prototype to display our own content in vehicle on-board systems. The touch function of the display can also be used to write ZERO in the most beautiful font ✍️ 😅

So...why all this? With the help of our AMPS platform, our customer can easily show new designs or functions in a vehicle and bring them to life - without having to access the series components directly.

And "easily" really means "easily":
Connect computer viaHDMI => switch on via button or CAN => be happy 🥳

#amps #zeroiee #prototype #electronics #vehicle #infotainment #display #touch #hdmi #can

Person writing "ZERO" on a vehicle infotainment touchscreen inside Microsoft Paint. You can see that MS Paint has been displayed in the vehicle by using our "HDMI to car infotainment" product.

zeroiee, to Battlemaps
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Curious about our ArtNet based light control system?

We've created a web GUI that enables easy access to various typical vehicle lighting scenarios. The operator gets instant feedback about the currently activated scenario.

Our layering concept allows prioritizing lighting animations and stacking them on top of each other.

By the way: Animations are provided as CSV files. You're free in choosing the tool to generate these.

Video shows a split screen: Left side displays a web GUI in blue color. Various buttons in a row. Each button has a light function assigned to it: "Welcome", "Goodbye", "Warning light", "Brake", ... Right side shows a light strip and a light controller that translates the button pressed into light animations on the stripe.

zeroiee, to Software
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We are making progress with our new ArtNet-based lighting control system!

The most important ArtNet frames are now implemented. We have also successfully tested the implementation of our new layering concept: Multiple animations (for example flashing and a "Welcome" animation) can now be prioritized and stacked on top of each other. In the video, the flashing has a higher priority and thus overlays the "Welcome" animation.

There are still bugs hidden here and there, but we are looking forward to presenting a first complete version soon!

Video shows multiple RGBW light stripes, which show a turn indicator animation at the beginning and the end and another simultaneous animation in between.

zeroiee, to RaspberryPi
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Having power issues sometimes is the "It's always DNS" equivalent in the embedded electronics world.

When we wanted to put one of our customer projects into operation, we noticed strange problems with a Quectel modem that we had not had before. Of course, from a software developer's point of view, the software was initially suspected of causing problems. But slowly a different picture emerged ...

Read the full story and learn how important it is to always consider hardware when you're having software problems (and vice versa!):

https://blog.zero-iee.com/en/posts/quectel-rn520g-stabilitaetsprobleme-raspberry-pi/

#cellular #5g #quectel #modem #smartCity #raspberrypi #raspi

zeroiee, to Battlemaps
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C-V2X communication requires very precise timing so that transmitting devices can find and use their transmission time slot. We rely on GPS time for this.

For our V2X node (https://www.zero-iee.com/assets/products/pdfs/V2XNode_Product_Description.pdf), we are therefore trying out various GPS modules that provide us with the necessary 1PPS signal. This is not the case for all modules.

We are curious to see whether the AT6558R GPS chip proves itself and meets our requirements.

#cv2x #v2x #communication #smartCity #vehicle #gps

zeroiee, to random
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As you may know, at ZERO we equip show cars with lights and lighting control systems, so that they shine just as their designers have envisioned.

Since more lights with more complex animations need to be controlled, we are gradually reaching the technical limits of our CAN-based solutions. In our search for alternatives, we once again stumbled across the topic of ArtNet/DMX:

What works on stages can also work in a show car, right?

So we decided to develop a prototype for a new lighting control. We use an ArtNet <-> SPI translator, which enables us to transmit control signals from our own software to the light with low latency and without hassle. We have also adapted our software so that it is ArtNet-compatible and, compared to the old version, can also reliably display complex lighting scenarios.

It is currently still a very early prototype - so for the time being you can only see a simple blinker animation.

We can't wait to show you more spectacular animations!

A black metal box with blue screen is sitting on a table. Underneath a n RGBW light strip displays a vehicle turn indicator animation. The camera zooms to the display to show that the ArtNet protocol is used over an Ethernet connecton.

zeroiee, to random
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@inviridi and @thomas are at the Embedded World fair in Nuremberg today!

We’ve been at the Raspberry Pi booth and were particularly impressed by the LoRa products of RAK wireless!

Now let’s check out some more booths!

zeroiee, to technology
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There's room in the smallest hut!

The Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB) tasked us to build a small, battery-powered water- and dustproof computer system with 5G connectivity. Given our ample expertise, we gladly accepted the challenge. The biggest difficulty turned out to be the size constraints: maximum outline dimensions of 10x10x10cm.

But Felix Hermes did a great job, created a 3D-printed baseplate and went through several iterations to accommodate all pieces incl. 4 small antennas. The resulting end product is a marvel of space efficiency and we are grateful to being given the opportunity to develop it!

The stack of radio module, Raspi, adapter board and antennas is held in place by a custom 3D-printed element.

zeroiee, to linux
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Are you still using cronjobs?

Systemd timers are a modern alternative that work wonderfully with Systemd-based systems. Simply create a <service>.timer configuration file next to your <service>.service file and define the type of timer and execution time.

One advantage is that the scripts and executables started via the .service file can also be assigned resource restrictions or a defined execution environment (e.g. restrict CPU time or permissions).

In addition, the execution time can also be specified relative to the boot time, e.g. "Start the script every 10 minutes and start it 5 minutes after the boot".

The systemctl tool can be used to monitor the last execution time and check the status.

At ZERO GmbH, we are fans of systemd timers and use them regularly!

You can find out more in the Arch Linux Wiki: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/systemd/Timers

zeroiee, to Ansible
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Automation is key!

There's a saying that IT professionals tend to be lazier than others - any maybe there's some truth to it. But is it really a bad character trait? Not necessarily.

Lazy developers and admins automate. They don't repeat the same set of tasks over and over again, but instead come up with an idea to make their lifes easier and more convenient ;-)

As even ZERO GmbH is not safe from lazy developers, we have automated some processes in our IT - including the setup of various software components for our nodes and the associated IT infrastructure, such as and setup.

This saves us a huge amount of time. A quarter of an hour of manual labour can become a few seconds of waiting time and we have time for more interesting tasks :-)

We mainly use the "Ansible" configuration tool, which we like because it works without an additional daemon on the target and via a simple SSH interface.

zeroiee, to sysadmin
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At ZERO GmbH, we're managing a lot of Nodes (see: https://zero-iee.com/en/products/). Most of them are connected to our management VPN. Each of the nodes has a unique identifier (serial no.).

We've set up an internal DNS server that resolves their serial bumber-based FQDN and returns the corresponding VPN IP address. Thus it's easy to find the correct VPN and IP address to start maintenance or troubleshooting :-)

Our requirements on a DNS Server are quite low. We could have picked THE ONE, the only, the allmighty Bind DNS server - but instead we tried something different:

Yadifa. https://www.yadifa.eu
Yadifa is a less-known DNS server implementation by EURid - the nonprofit organization that powers the .eu top level domain!

We were surprised of the simplicity of Yadifa and had our DNS Server up and running in minutes! If you're looking for an easy to configure DNS server, check it out.

zeroiee, to wireguard
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If you've followed our recent posts, you already know that we gave Shorewall a try to tidy up our VPN firewall rules and gain full overview about our configuration. Our migration to Shorewall has been successful and we'd like to share some insights in our configuration:

"Keeping the Wireguard VPN firewall clear with Shorewall" - https://blog.zero-iee.com/en/posts/vpn-firewall-shorewall/

Shorewall by Tom Eastep is just perfect for small to mid size firewall deployments that are mostly static and not too complex. One of our developers uses OpnSense and PfSense for more complex scenarios in his private projects.

Which firewall / configuration tool do you use and why?

zeroiee, to wireguard
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We're currently evaluating Shorewall 1 as a more sophisticated Firewall / iptables configuration tool.

Configuring iptables manually 2 works, but can get messy and thus is error prone. For our VPN server with its many customer VPNs, we are looking for a clearer solution that can be easily configured via configuration files. One of our developers has already used Shorewall and is impressed by the software. It was therefore a natural decision to take a look at it.

Initial experiments have gone well!

zeroiee, to wireguard
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Hey Fediverse , have you heard of Wireguard VPN networks?

No worries - we're not trying to trick you into subscribing to another scammy VPN provider that you don't need 😉

Wireguard is an Open Source VPN protocol and implementation for lightweight VPN connections that "just work". We've been using this technology to connect our ZERO nodes across the internet and to our office. It enables us to monitor and update AMPS devices remotely without any client interaction.

To make sure that sensitive customer data does not leak, we've come up with a security concept for our VPN server. We share a part of our implementation in our latest blog post:

"Securing a multi-tenant Wireguard VPN server with iptables" - https://blog.zero-iee.com/en/posts/multi-tenant-wireguard-vpn-server/

What are you using Wireguard for? Did you face any challenges when switching to Wireguard based VPN networking? - And how did you tacle them?

zeroiee, to RaspberryPi
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The HUB75 Interface was not easy to connect to the Raspi, but the LED Matrix Display works!

We did a journey to the past and used a Raspberry Pi 2 as a display controller. There’s definitely a huge performance difference to the recent Raspi models! Not surprising, still impressive when you’re used to the latest ones 😉

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zeroiee, to technology
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The ZERO Microkiller - Patent narrowly missed

Johannes Sendtner worked on a fascinating piece of technology last year. Today, we would like to share some details with you.

The box depicted is called the "ZERO Microkiller," and its task is to recharge Qi-equipped smartphones wirelessly while simultaneously disinfecting them using UV radiation. To that end, UV LEDs are attached to the sides and the lid so that various items can be cleaned, and mirrors help avoid disinfection shadows.

It is dimensioned so that even larger smartphones can fit inside comfortably, while the outer shell is small enough to be integrated into the center armrest of a car.

While the idea is convincingly simple, and the Microkiller's function was proven in a laboratory, there are several technologically advanced ideas that we wanted to patent. Unfortunately, Ford Motor Company filed a similar application a few months before us.

video/mp4

zeroiee, to embedded
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If you are as curious about RISC-V applications as we are at ZERO GmbH, you might find this article from The Register interesting:

https://www.theregister.com/2023/10/05/riscv_microcontroller_space/

ETH Zurich is developing a new radiation-robust microcontroller that uses the triple lock-step method to validate its own computational results. The basis for this is a RISC-V based design.

Lockstep is nothing completely new in the RISC-V area either, but the focus on energy consumption is interesting. Perfect for satellites!

zeroiee, to maps
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Added ZERO GmbH to OpenStreetMap ✅

If you've never heard of OpenStreetMap, OSM is a collaborative project that attempts to capture maps at a high level of detail. Similar to Wikipedia, anyone can participate in capturing buildings, streets, bus stops, stores, and more.

Even single park benches, drinking water points, streetlights, drop-off points for glass and other trash, and trash cans can be found on the map - and that's just a small part of what can be entered.

The easiest way to participate is with an OpenStreetMap account and an app such as StreetComplete.

https://www.openstreetmap.org

zeroiee, to embedded
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Have you ever used Zephyr (OS) in an electronics project, e.g. with an Raspberry Pi Pico?

https://www.zephyrproject.org/

We're curious which problem it solved for you. Did it help with multitasking / scheduling? Or with HW drivers? File systems?

Let us know in the comments! 🙂

At ZERO GmbH we haven't used Zephyr yet, but we'd like to look at it in detail and try it out once we have a use case for it in a project.

zeroiee, to Electronics
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Has anyone of you tried https://librepcb.org ?

Version 1.0.0 has recently been released and we wonder if it is "production ready" for small projects. Definitely something we should try!

It's nice to see that the LibrePCB project is sponsored by @PCBWay , @aislerhq and others!

(oh - and they are on Mastodon. Follow them here: @librepcb )

# board

zeroiee, to random
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Still very blinky: Our ZERO Smart City Cube!

Looks like a little satellite, doesn’t it?

Now with supplemental power supply. It’s foggy outside. 😉

zeroiee, to Electronics
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Hey show technicians and DMX fans, we have something for you!

In our projects and demonstrators, we often need to control various types of lighting. Setting moods or attracting the attention of passers-by are just two examples of use-cases. The industry standard for this application is the DMX protocol, and there is a vast ecosystem of controllers, software applications, and lights that follow this standard. Our super-flexible LightNode does not natively "speak" DMX, but we have developed a DMX to CAN translator. The video briefly demonstrates how the moving faders of "Q Light Controller" control the color transitions of a light strip connected to our LightNode. Of course, this can also be automated! If you want to learn more, just get in touch!

Video shows both, a DMX application with lots of regulators/faders and our light stripe test panel. When the faders are moved in the DMX software, the light strips change their color.

zeroiee, (edited ) to webdev
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We have added a language switch to our homepage https://www.zero-iee.com .

The Hugo static site generator is making this a breeze! 👍

Not only is it relatively simple to add new functionality, but also we don't need to worry about web service security. Hosting is done by our supplier and there is no CMS that needs updates or has security flaws introduced by badly maintained plugins 💪

Static site generators are not for every use case - but they are just perfect for small sites that are updated infrequently. Most Wordpress-based small business websites could also be a static website generated by a tool like Hugo.

zeroiee, to Electronics
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Our ZERO Smart City Cube!

The Project:

  • Publicly funded research project
  • Centered around 5G communication
  • Goal: Improve road traffic (Increase efficiency roundabout, test safety measures, integrate Smart City functionality)

The cube:

  • Dynamic lighting to increase traffic safety
  • Warn vulnerable road users at crossings
  • Inform speeding drivers
  • First deployed at the First Mile in Ingolstadt
  • Energy-self-sufficient via solar power
  • Weather and vandalism-proof

The technology:

  • Recognition of road users is based on V2X, but can also rely on other sources (e.g. LIDAR)
  • Low latency communication with other systems via 5G mobile networks
  • Power storage based on Audi second life battery modules
  • Built-in roadside unit with 5G and V2X functionality.

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