Ameba Pro 2 Sos: Alerts, Maps & Camera

About the project

Ameba Pro 2 SOS snaps pic & shares location (Telegram & Maps) for fast help!

Project info

Difficulty: Moderate

Platforms: GoogleSparkFun

Estimated time: 1 day

License: GNU General Public License, version 3 or later (GPL3+)

Items used in this project

Hardware components

Flash Memory Card, MicroSDHC Card Flash Memory Card, MicroSDHC Card x 1
SparkFun Pushbutton switch 12mm SparkFun Pushbutton switch 12mm x 1
Buzzer Buzzer x 1
Rechargeable Battery, 3.7 V Rechargeable Battery, 3.7 V x 1
GNSS L89 GNSS L89 x 1
Realtek AMB82-Mini Realtek AMB82-Mini x 1

Software apps and online services

Solder Wire, Lead Free Solder Wire, Lead Free
Telegram Telegram
Arduino IDE Arduino IDE
Google Maps Google Maps

Hand tools and fabrication machines

Soldering iron (generic) Soldering iron (generic) x 1

Story

If you're looking for a low-power alternative to the Raspberry Pi for camera-based projects, consider the Realtek Ameba Pro 2. It supports programming in C and C++ and can be used within the Arduino IDE.

This project utilizes the Realtek Ameba Pro 2 to create an SOS button with real-time location sharing. When pressed, the Ameba Pro 2:

  • Captures an image: Snaps a picture of the surroundings.
  • Shares via Telegram: Sends the image and location data to a designated Telegram bot.
  • Tracks location on Maps: Allows users to locate the person who pressed the SOS button using Google Maps

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What is Ameba Pro 2

The Realtek Ameba Pro 2 is a powerhouse for tiny devices, especially those focused on the Internet of Things (IoT) and wearables. Here's a deeper dive into its key features:

AI on the Edge: It boasts a built-in processing unit for machine learning tasks directly on the device. This allows for features like real-time object recognition or gesture control without relying on a constant cloud connection.

Wi-Fi Champion: This chip integrates Wi-Fi connectivity, enabling your device to connect wirelessly to the internet for data transfer or cloud interaction.

Low-Power King: Designed for battery-powered applications, the Ameba Pro 2 sips power efficiently, making it ideal for long-lasting wearables or remote IoT devices.

Beyond the Basics: It also packs additional goodies like Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for short-range communication, camera support for capturing images, and various interfaces for connecting sensors and displays.

Imagine a fitness tracker that analyzes your movements on-device, a smart lock communicating with your phone, or a wildlife camera capturing images and sending them to the cloud - all powered by the compact and efficient Ameba Pro 2.

Features

MCU Features

  • Real-M500 (TM9) clock frequency up to 500MHz
  • I-Cache 32KB/D-Cache 32KB
  • execute In Place (XIP) on NOR flash
  • Internal Memory l Supports 768KB ROM
  • Supports 512KB RAM
  • Supports external flash interface
  • Supports MCM-embedded 64MB/128MB DDR2 Memory

ISP Features

  • Advanced temporal and spatial noise reduction(3DNR)
  • Support major brands of DOL-HDR or Staggered-HDR sensors
  • Support Auto Banding, Auto Exposure, Auto White Balance
  • Black-level compensation and dead pixel cancellation
  • Advanced contrast adjustment and sharpness enhancement
  • Programmable color matrix and gamma table
  • Image enhancement(brightness, contrast, saturation, hue and sharpness)

Graphic Processing

  • Digital resolution scaling down
  • Multiple stream outputs and various formats: NV12, RGB888
  • Each stream has an individual OSD overlay
  • Support motion detection and private mask

Video Encoding

  • Max 5-megapixel resolution for H.264/H.265 encoding
  • H.264 Baseline/Main/High profiles, levels 4.1
  • JPEG/MJPEG Baseline and Max 5-megapixel resolution for JPEG encoding
  • Multiple streams real-time H.265/H.264/JPEG encoding

Audio

  • Built-in Audio Codec
  • 1-way Audio analog output for earphones

WIFI Features

  • 802.11 a/b/g/n compatible 1x1, 2.4GHz/5GHz
  • Wi-Fi WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3, WPS. Open, shared key, and pair-wise key authentication services
  • ·Supports low-power Tx/Rx for short-range application

Bluetooth Features

  • Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.1
  • Supports LE secure connections
  • Crypto engine: MD5, SHA-1, SHA2-224, SHA2-256, HMAC, AES

Peripheral Interfaces

  • Support UART、I2C、SPI interface for external device
  • Support PWM interface with configurable duration and duty cycle from 0 ~ 100%
  • Support ADC channel with 12-bit mode

Ameba Pro 2 Block Diagram

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Ameba Pro Pin Diagram

Great resurces are available for getting started with the AMB82 MINI and Arduino IDE. You can find detailed instructions on the Realtek Ameba website.

Ameba ARDUINO: Getting Started with AMB82 MINI (RTL8735B)

For more details on the Ameba Pro 2, visit the Realtek Ameba website

To function, this project requires a Telegram bot to receive location and image data. A helpful online resource offers detailed instructions on configuring the bot and setting it up to receive data from the Ameba Pro 2 and send requests back.

Note:This project uses an SD card to store the captured image. Since the Ameba Pro 2 has limited internal storage, an SD card is necessary for saving images.

Demo Video



Schematics, diagrams and documents

Sch

Code

CODE

Requires ArduinoJson library version 6.5.12.

Credits

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