SmartBricks
How to offer you innovative and efficient solutions, while reducing risks and time-to-market for the development of your products? Starting from an existing base, i.e. pre-qualified and reusable solutions.
For more than 10 years, ALCIOM has been developing such technological building blocks for the field of radio frequencies and advanced mixed signals, SmartBricks.
The SmartBricks concept
Resulting from our strong internal R&D efforts, SmartBricks are chainable and stackable modules in a plug&play way. They can be used:
Associated with our standard base boards, to quickly assemble feasibility models or specific test benches
Complemented by semi-custom modules dedicated to your application, and integrating the same SmartBus interface standardized and patented by ALCIOM
Directly integrated into your products as a plug&play module that autonomously performs a complex function
Reused as a reference design and integrated into your specific designs, by a “cut and paste” of their design
SmartBrick and SmartBus are registered by ALCIOM.
MODULES :
The SmartBricks module range is constantly evolving, and currently includes frequency synthesizers up to 13GHz, many radio-frequency blocks: Low noise preamplifiers, I/Q mixers, couplers, configurable filters, milliwattmeters, ISM transceivers….
For baseband applications, fast ADC up to 78Msps as well as high resolution (16/24 bit) ADC/DACs are available. A GPS synchronized frequency reference module is also available.
See our detailed portfolio below, also including information on our modules under development.
Semi-custom modules can be developed quickly for specific needs.
STANDARD BASE BOARDS :
For fast demonstrators, ALCIOM offers standard base boards that can accommodate one or more SmartBricks modules :
The SB-XS box, which can accommodate a module. USB interface.
The SB-XL box, which can accommodate up to 15 modules. Opto-isolated USB interface, Ethernet and opto-isolated RS232, SPI, I2C. Optional OCXO or external 10MHz input.
The SB-ZYNQ box, which can accommodate up to 10 modules, as well as a ZYNQ system-on-chip (Xilinx). Giga-bit Ethernet interface.
The SB-ADP-PXI support card, which can accommodate up to 9 modules, can be directly integrated into a PXI or Compact-PCI compatible chassis.
The SB-UEBB support board, which can accommodate up to 5 modules and is compatible with the evaluation boards of most microcontrollers on the market (Arduino, Microchip Explorer, NXP Tower, Texas Instruments MAVRK).
SOFTWARE :
A set of SmartBricks modules can be directly controlled by a host system (computer or microcontroller) via a single data link (USB, UART, SPI, I2C or Ethernet) thanks to the flexibility of the SmartBus interface. The protocols used are open and documented, see specifications below.
An API is also available for Windows and Linux, as well as a test interface for interactive control of a set of modules.
Downloads
| File | Link |
|---|---|
| Overview and portfolio of available SmartBricks modules and databases | RL1120-001 smarbrick portfolio 1H |
| Specification of the universal SmartBus interface (Alciom patent FR2972547) | RL1048-004 smarbus spec 1G |
| Mechanical specification of SmartBrick modules | RL1048-001 smarbrick mechanical spec 1A |
| Specification of SB-APP class 10 messages (low level access) | RL1103-007 SBAPP class10 spec 1G |
| Specification of SB-APP class 20 messages (generic I/O) | RL1127-003 SBAPP class20 generic in-out spec 1E |
| Specification of SB-APP class 30 messages (messaging) | LT1340-003 SBAPP class30 message processing spec 1C |
