Date: 04/03/2012

AOAA development kit based on NXP MCUs from Embedded Artists

Embedded Artists AB and NXP Semiconductors N.V. has introduced a new Android Open Accessory Application (AOAA) development kit with two NXP 32 bit microcontrollers LPC1769 and the LPC11C24 microcontrollers to develop, evaluate and prototype more complex accessories for Android smartphones and tablets. The board's unique gateway-centric design includes Ethernet, CAN and IEEE 802.15.4 interfaces as well as a remote CAN node.

"Our new AOAA development kit, built in collaboration with NXP, opens a new world of possibilities for Android accessory designers," said Maria Hall, managing director, Embedded Artists. "By taking advantage of one of the many connectivity options, the Android accessory is no longer simply an isolated system. Instead, it can serve as a gateway to a networked system for use in a wide range of very powerful applications."

The on-chip full-speed USB transceiver of the LPC1769, a 120-MHz Cortex-M3 based microcontroller, provides the interface to the Android mobile device. The LPC1769 also supports USB device mode, helping to "future proof" designs, should Android devices support USB host mode in the future. Other features of the LPC1769 include 512 KB flash and 64 KB on-chip SRAM; Ethernet MAC; a CAN 2.0B controller; an 8-channel, 12-bit ADC; a 10-bit DAC; digital connections including UART/SPI /I2C, numerous timers and PWMs; and low-power capabilities.

The LPC11C24 microcontroller, based on the Cortex-M0 processor, provides remote CAN node capabilities to the AOAA kit and is connected to the LPC1769 via an on-board CAN network. The LPC11C24 allows designers to develop industrial control applications using CAN, by taking advantage of control functionality for temperature, light and other sensors, which are built directly on the AOAA kit.

"With a majority of smartphones using Android today, the Android Open Accessory standard provides a critical link between phones, tablets and other mobile computing devices, and the embedded systems that are pervasive in our daily lives," said Gordon Cooper, international product marketing manager, microcontroller business line, NXP Semiconductors. "Building on our successful collaboration on LPCXpresso, we've worked very closely with Embedded Artists to create an easy-to-use development kit that will help to take Android accessories to the next level."

The AOAA Kit for Android is available from Embedded Artist for US $79.99 at www.embeddedartists.com and from NXP.