Once again this week, Yoctopuce announces some new conversions of Yoctopuce modules to USB type-C connectivity. These are the Yocto-3D-V2-C, the Yocto-MilliVolt-BNC-C, and the Yocto-PWM-Tx-C. Yes, all these announcements of USB-C modules can get a bit tiresome in the long run, but what can I say, we've got to talk about them if we want people to realize they exist and buy them :-)
The Yocto-3D-V2-C
The Yocto-3D-V2-C is a small, inexpensive inertial unit that provides orientation in space. It's based on the BNO055 chip, very popular on the DIY scene. In addition to the module's orientation, you can obtain X,Y,Z values from the accelerometers, magnetometer, and gyroscope. The module is designed so that it can be cut in half to offset the sensor part, which is only 2x2 cm.
The Yocto-3D-V2-C
Note that, at school, you probably learned that speed is the derivative of motion, and acceleration is the derivative of speed. In theory, this is perfectly correct, but don't assume that all you have to do is integrate the values of an accelerometer twice in a row to deduce its position: it doesn't work, at least not with a device as simple as the Yocto-3D-V2-C.
In terms of price, we've noticed that the production costs of the Yocto-3D-V2 has dropped a little, so we've lowered its price from CHF 52.40 to CHF 49.50 and set the Yocto-3D-V2-C at CHF 49.70.
The Yocto-MilliVolt-Rx-BNC-C
The Yocto-milliVolt-Rx-BNC-C is a small voltmeter designed to accurately measure voltages between -1V and 2V with an accuracy of around ten microvolts. One of its remarkable features is its near-infinite impedance of over 1000 GΩ enabling it to measure very "fragile" voltages supplied by very high impedance systems. The Yocto-milliVolt-Rx-BNC-C is an isolated module: the USB part is electrically isolated from the measuring part, so there's no risk of ground loops interfering with your measures. Please note, however, that this is a functional isolation and not a safety isolation, so don't use the Yocto-milliVolt-Rx-BNC-C on voltages directly connected to the mains, to measure a shunt for example.
The Yocto-MilliVolt-Rx-BNC-C
The BNC variant of the Yocto-Millivolt-Rx is equipped with a BNC connector that allows you to connect the module directly with shielded coaxial cable. In fact, one of the most popular applications for the Yocto-milliVolt-Rx-BNC is the interfacing of pH probes with BNC connectors. The module can even automatically convert measured voltage values into pH values. So you can use the Yocto-milliVolt-Rx-BNC-C as a pH meter, provided you've calibrated it beforehand.
The Yocto-milliVolt-Rx-BNC-C costs CHF 59.20, that is CHF 1.10 more than the Micro-B version.
The Yocto-PWM-Tx-C
The Yocto-PWM-Tx-C is a PWM signal transmitter. A PWM (Pulse-width modulation) signal is a simple periodic square-wave signal whose frequency can be varied, along with the percentage of the period during which the signal is high, this percentage is called duty-cycle. This type of signal is very commonly used in industry to pass simple instructions to more or less analog devices: speed controllers, lighting controllers, model servos, and so on. There are also quite a few industrial sensors with PWM outputs.
The Yocto-PWM-Tx-C
The Yocto-PWM-Tx-C allows you to output two independent PWM signals up to 1Mhz. You can define the duty-cycle with a resolution of 63ns. There is functional isolation between the USB part and the Generator part, but both channels share the same ground. You can configure the output signal voltage: 3 or 5V generated by the USB bus, 4.5 to 18V generated by an external power supply, or even open drain (max 25V).
The nasty surprise of the Yocto-PWM-Tx-C is its price of CHF 60.35, that is 30% more than Yocto-PWM-Tx. We investigated to find out where the difference comes from. It turns out that the Yocto-PWM-Tx was launched in 2014, and since then it has undergone numerous improvements that have required slightly more expensive components, but the price of the module has never been adjusted accordingly. As a reminder, the price in CHF of a Yoctopuce module is determined at the time of its launch as three times its cost in components + PCB, after which it is no longer modified, except in exceptional cases. We briefly wondered whether the case of the Yocto-PWM-Tx was not a little exceptional, but we decided to stick to our principles and leave the price of the Yocto-PWM-Tx at CHF 45.30.
There you go, now you know the basics...
