It's True! A New VR IMU!
This week, we announce a new VR IMU featuring the BNO086 from CEVA, a new version of the RPi Starter Kit with increased storage, a new Qwiic Mux from SparkX, and finally a brand new LTE Antenna!
Hello everyone! We're back, yet again, with more new products. This week we are excited to announce a new version of the SparkFun VR IMU Breakout, now featuring the BNO086! Following that, our Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Starter Kit gets an storage upgrade and SparkX releases a new Qwiic Mux featuring the PCA9846! We wrap up the week with a new LTE Antenna capable of reaching 600MHz - 6000MHz bands. Now, let's jump in and take a closer look at all of this week's new products!
Update your VR IMU with the new BNO086!
Virtual reality is in, but you shouldn't have to drop hundreds of dollars to gain access to the technology behind it. Luckily, that's where the SparkFun VR IMU Breakout comes in. At its heart is CEVA’s BNO086, a combination triple-axis accelerometer/gyro/magnetometer System in Package (SiP) with a 32-bit ARM© Cortex™ M0+. The BNO086 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) produces accurate rotation vector headings, excellently suited for VR and other heading applications, with a two-degree or less static rotation error. The VR IMU is exactly what we’ve been waiting for; all the sensor data is combined and drift-corrected into meaningful, accurate IMU information. It’s perfect for any project that needs to sense orientation or motion.
The Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Starter Kit is a great way to gain a solid introduction to the small, credit-card-sized computer. With this kit, you will be able to get your Raspberry Pi 3 B+ connected through our SparkFun Pi Wedge to a breadboard and, by utilizing the RPi's 40-pin GPIO, will be able to control pushbuttons, LEDs, and a host of user-created circuits.
Do you have too many sensors with the same I2C address? Connect them to the SparkX PCA9846 Qwiic Mux to get them all talking on the same bus! This Qwiic Mux enables communication with multiple I2C devices that have the same address. This Qwiic Mux also has eight configurable addresses of its own, allowing for up to 32 I2C buses on a single connection. To make it even easier to use this multiplexer, all communication is enacted exclusively via I2C, utilizing our handy Qwiic system.
This is an extremely efficient, wide band, Flexible LTE Antenna with a small footprint. This easy to install durable, flexible polymer antenna operates on greater than 45% efficiency on LTE bands from 698 – 3000MHz. This antenna measures at 96mm x 21mm x 0.2mm with an adhesive backing. The ground-independent antenna is delivered with a 150mm, ø1.37 coaxial cable and a U.FL compatible connector for easy installation.
That's it for this week. As always, we can't wait to see what you make! Shoot us a tweet @sparkfun, or let us know on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn. Please be safe out there, be kind to one another! We'll be back with more new products next week so make sure to check back then. Happy hacking!
Late last night I went onto the SparkFun website, and noticed the Raspberry Pi 3 B+ Starter Kit, and out of curiousity clicked "Stock availability" -- it showed "More than 250", but now, maybe 12 hours later, it's showing "Out of stock" and indicating "Backorder". WOW! They didn't last long!
FWIW, at the moment I don't happen need any more 3 B+ units at the moment, but am keeping my eyes open when Pis of any type show up.
Hmm... checking again about 9:30 PM Friday -- Arizona time -- shows 43 available.
Yup! Long story short, we had to update a part, and it's being added back to stock over the weekend!
Thanks! I had hoped that there was some legitimate explaination, rather than some "hoarder" ("scalper"?) grabbing everythiing available to profit from them.