tibbo

[tibbo]

UI Improvements Enhance the IO Ninja Experience

Plus, new USB plugins simplify working with connected devices

Tibbo is proud to announce version 5.3.0 of IO Ninja. Regardless of whether you use IO Ninja as a terminal emulator, sniffer, or protocol analyzer — or all three! — this major release introduces several features engineered to make your work more efficient.

Form UI

IO Ninja's new form UI engine facilitates the creation of fully-fledged interactive forms that streamline control of your plugins.

We've already implemented this enhanced design into many of our plugins. In addition, this framework and all of its commonly used UI tools are available to you when editing existing plugins or creating new ones.

Log Regex Markup

IO Ninja's upgraded regex markup framework is a natural evolution of our work to facilitate log analysis through visual aids. It colorizes your log to highlight important tokens easily. In addition, you can also insert delimiters to create clear, visual separation between individual packets.

USB Monitor

The USB Monitor plugin lets you capture low-level USB interactions on your PC. Paired with IO Ninja's powerful and flexible logging engine, this plugin makes it easy to follow USB communications on your computer.

USB Endpoint

The USB Endpoint Terminal plugin combines our earlier USB endpoint plugins and adds an easy-to-use form-based UI. This revamped plugin enables working with multiple endpoints simultaneously on the same PC.The USB Monitor and Endpoint plugins are available as individual capabilities. To enjoy the complete IO Ninja experience, we recommend purchasing a subscription, which includes all IO Ninja capabilities and features.

[tibbo]

IO Ninja Scripting Simplifies Hardware & Software Automation

IO Ninja is an all-in-one terminal emulator, sniffer, protocol analyzer, and I/O monitor. Its capabilities have made it an indispensable tool for network security experts, system administrators, developers, and many other tech industry professionals.

One of IO Ninja's most powerful features is scripting. Powered by the next-generation Jancy language, scripting facilitates test automation and verification for software and hardware. Scripting simplifies creating test logs and statistics and automating tasks, helping you develop test architectures and implement verification plans for complete end-to-end (E2E) testing.

Jancy requires no building and features high binary- and source-level compatibility with the C programming language. This boosts the effectiveness of application-script interactions and, in most cases, even allows you to copy-paste C code directly.

The video below shows a simple example of test automation using Tibbo's RS485 Modbus Sensors, also known as Bus Probes. In addition, it demonstrates log tagging and packet injection, history, and library — simple but extremely powerful features of IO Ninja.

To learn more about scripting in IO Ninja, check out the IO Ninja website, forum, and scripting tutorials, and the Jancy documentation.

Remember, IO Ninja will get some big new features soon — and a corresponding increase to the price of subscriptions. Lock in your savings and subscribe your users for as little as US$5 per month!

#Youtube

[tibbo]

Happy Lunar New Year!

While the past year was challenging for everyone, we can all be thankful that, in general, things are looking up. There are very encouraging signs of recovery and even growth in many industries and sectors worldwide, despite all the doom and gloom in the news.

However, as we've all learned over the last few years, it's hard to predict what lies ahead. That is why we again ask that you place your orders as early as possible and make sure that you have enough Tibbo hardware in your inventory to meet your customers' needs.

Through thick and thin, Tibbo has been and always will be your stable and reliable supplier of IoT hardware and solutions. Communicate and work with us to ensure you have what you need to succeed.

All of us at Tibbo sincerely wish you and your loved ones a safe, healthy, happy, and prosperous Happy Lunar New Year!

   恭喜發財！ (gōngxǐ fācái) Wishing You Prosperity and Wealth!

[tibbo]

Season's Greetings!

On behalf of the Tibbo family, we sincerely extend our warmest wishes for Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year to You and Your Loved Ones.

As the global economy continues its recovery, we look forward to expanding our collaborations with You to create the Internet of Things and industrial automation products on which the world runs. Tibbo has several exciting projects in the pipeline, and we can't wait to share them with You in what promises to be a bountiful 2023.

Enjoy a Safe and Joyful Holiday Season!

[tibbo]

Easily Add Cellular Connectivity to Your TPS-Based Products

The ubiquity of smartphones and other connected devices means that there is cellular coverage nearly everywhere, particularly in industrial and business areas. This makes cellular connectivity ideal for Internet of Things applications: It provides reliable Internet access without requiring the infrastructure and cost of Ethernet or Wi-Fi networks.

The Tibbo Project System (TPS) currently features not one, but two modules that implement cellular connections: 4G (LTE) modem Tibbit #45 and Cat-M1/NB-IoT modem Tibbit #46. Use either to liberate your TPS-based products from the shackles of wired networks or as a backup connection for mission-critical applications.

The modular nature of the TPS platform means that adding and configuring a cellular modem Tibbit can take as little as a few minutes. The video below demonstrates how to configure Tibbit #45 on our Size 3 Linux Tibbo Project PCB (LTPP3), Gen. 2 running Tibbo's Yocto-based distribution.

Tibbo also supplies the libraries to facilitate configuring the cellular modem Tibbits on our Ubuntu-based distribution for the LTPP3(G2) and TiOS-based boards, such as the Size 2 Tibbo Project PCB (TPP2), Gen. 2 and the Size 3 Tibbo Project PCB (TPP3), Gen. 2. 

#Youtube

[tibbo]

Subscribe to IO Ninja Before the Price Goes Up

Since IO Ninja moved to an account-based licensing model in September last year, we've continued refining the user experience and adding new functionality. Some of the highlights include:

A new regex-based log colorizer

A command-line client for IO Ninja hardware

New plugins:

WebSocket Client and Server

Serial over SSH

Serial Tap over SSH

Ethernet Tap over SSH

Color themes in terminal

System dark UI theme support

While many of these features are included in the base IO Ninja package, others are capabilities that must be purchased individually. Of course, all capabilities and features are included in subscriptions.

We plan to introduce several new major features to IO Ninja in the coming months, including a USB monitor, regex-based delimiters (see the above screenshot), and a form pane. Accompanying these additions will be a price increase for subscriptions and some capabilities. This means that time is running out for you to get subscriptions at their current price — as little as US$5 per month.

Already have an IO Ninja subscription? Then there's nothing to worry about: your price is locked in at its current rate. Continue enjoying IO Ninja!

[tibbo]

New Bus Probe Implements Digital Input Over Modbus

Tibbo is proud to introduce the newest member of our RS485 Modbus Sensor family — Bus Probe #06. Having a sensor input in the compact Bus Probe form factor simplifies system wiring and installation. Multiple BP#06s can be deployed in a distributed fashion and close to the signal sources.

BP#06 is a low-power, unidirectional opto-isolated digital input (DI) designed for use with 2- or 3-wire sensors. It's optimized for 24VDC industrial inputs and is equipped with high-voltage and reverse polarity protection. It features two sampling modes — instant and digitally filtered — for greater flexibility when designing your products.

BP#06 is equipped with input (sinking) current regulation, as well as voltage and current thresholds compliant with IEC 61131-2 Type 3 criteria. Its RS485 lines feature ±65V fault and short-circuit protection, a ±40V common-mode voltage range, and hot-swap protection.

Like its siblings, BP#06 communicates via the Modbus RTU protocol over the RS485 interface and is supported by Tibbo's Bus Probe Firmware Updater and Test web apps.

[tibbo]

TiOS Update Introduces New Programming Object

At Tibbo, we not only create great IoT products, but also continuously support and improve them. This month, we have released a new version of Tibbo OS (TiOS) for the EM2000 programmable module, EM2001 IoT board, and the TPP2(G2) and TPP3(G2) of the Tibbo Project System (TPS). 

These platforms now feature the i2c. object. As its name implies, this new programming object is dedicated to facilitating your applications' I²C interactions, such as working with Tibbo's Cable Probes via Tibbit #00-3. It natively supports clock stretching and arbitration. Those in the know will instantly recognize the importance of these features when working with non-memory I²C devices.

This easy-to-use object removes the need to use libraries for I²C operations, resulting in leaner, more reliable, and less complicated code. 

[tibbo]

New Yocto Image Streamlines Development

This month, we have published a new official build of Tibbo's Yocto-based distribution for the LTPP3(G2). This updated base image includes numerous improvements, bug fixes, and quality-of-life enhancements to support your projects better.

Our Yocto distro has gained the WireGuard communications protocol for implementing virtual private networks (VPNs), improved cellular connectivity support, and Bash is now the default shell for the root user. In addition, expect a faster boot thanks to streamlined loading of the network interface and Nginx.

This release supports an additional OUI for the Plus1 SoC's Ethernet controllers' MAC addresses. On top of the numerous minor improvements and optimizations, the new image also includes IRQ- and GPIO-related fixes and updated drivers. For LTPP3(G2) boards with the optional wireless module installed, the Wi-Fi interface is enabled by default as well.

[tibbo]

Ubuntu Overlays Enhance Development, Deployment

This month, we're pleased to unveil a new tool to aid you in creating products based on the Size 3 Linux Tibbo Project PCB (LTPP3), Gen. 2. Version 0.5.1 of Tibbo's Ubuntu-based distribution introduces union mounting, enabling you to overlay read/write partitions over a read-only master partition holding your base installation.

For example, you can store your application's temporary data in an overlay partition. Resetting or power-cycling the device clears the overlay, leaving the application in its initial configuration. This capability facilitates reliably and effortlessly returning your device to a working state, providing you with peace of mind regardless of whether you are developing or deploying.

Our Docker container has been updated with an interactive script — tb_overlayfs.sh — to help you implement overlays. This script assists you in preconfiguring the sizes of the master and additional partitions. You can configure multiple overlays and persistent storage partitions, helping to maximize the potential of the increased storage available on our new 8GB eMMC revision of the LTPP3(G2).

[tibbo]

New IO Ninja Features and Color Themes Improve Your Experience

Version 5.2.0 of IO Ninja is now available for download. This release includes several features that our users have requested, as well as other improvements and bug fixes. Below are some of the highlights (for a complete list of updates, see the IO Ninja website):

If you've ever worked with multiple serial adapters connected to your computer, you know that it's sometimes challenging to figure out which COM port represents which adapter. Now you can hover over a COM port in IO Ninja for additional information — including path, manufacturer, model, hardware ID, driver, and location — to help you identify the device.

IO Ninja V5.2.0 introduces several updates to the terminal experience, particularly significant improvements in xterm compatibility. The most eye-catching enhancement is the addition of color themes. While IO Ninja previously allowed you to tweak individual ANSI colors in the terminal emulator, it was an inconvenient process. IO Ninja now features several popular terminal color schemes, such as those of xterm, PuTTY, and the Tango Desktop Project.

This release introduces a feature many of you have requested: a dark UI theme. Over the past several years, the adoption of "dark mode" has grown, and it can be found in many popular applications. If you count yourself among the people who prefer dark mode, IO Ninja now has a light-on-dark theme in macOS and Linux (when using KDE Plasma) — support for other platforms will be added in the future.

[tibbo]

Revamped Docs Facilitate Product Development

As you know, Tibbo's mission is to simplify and speed up the development of IoT devices. One crucial part of achieving that goal is great documentation. That is why we're proud to announce our new Tibbo Docs platform.

Tibbo Docs was built from the ground up to make it easier for you and your customers to use our documentation. We started by merging, reorganizing, and refining the content of our existing hardware and software manuals. Then we created a responsive design that is focused on the content, is easier to read and navigate, loads quickly, and works just as well on your smartphone as on a high-resolution computer screen — or even printed!

Of course, good documentation is never finished, and neither is our work to improve Tibbo Docs. In the near future, it will incorporate the manuals for our Serial-over-IP and Modbus Gateway solutions, as well as expanded Linux documentation.

The online versions of our earlier hardware and software manuals will be taken down early next year, but will always be available in their "final" versions as downloadable PDFs. To ensure you're always working with the most up-to-date documentation, start using Tibbo Docs now and update your bookmarks. And, as always, we appreciate feedback about your experience.

[tibbo]

Help Shape the Future of Tibbo Products and Services

Tibbo loves to hear from you — our valued customers and partners around the world. From sales to support and even general inquiries, we do our best to listen to your needs and provide the best service.

To help us better understand what you need from us to succeed, we've created a quick survey for you to provide Tibbo with feedback. This survey doesn't take long to complete (as little as one minute), but it's an excellent opportunity to tell us how we can serve you better.

The feedback you provide will help shape the direction Tibbo takes in developing new products and services. This is your chance to tell us what you really think about us!

[tibbo]

Join the Tibbo Family!

Are you looking for a new challenge? Maybe you want to hone your skills in multiple disciplines — and get paid doing it. Tibbo is looking for a Test Automation Engineer (TAE) to plan, design, and build sophisticated automated test fixtures and systems that help us test our products. 

This role requires PCB and mechanical design talent, as well as programming skills (JavaScript, Python, C++, etc.). Tibbo TAEs work with an assortment of technologies, including image recognition, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud computing (Microsoft Azure). In addition, you must be willing to work with your hands — solder, assemble, test, iterate.

You will be in charge of making automated test equipment such as our Generic Tibbit Test Fixture, which is based on our Size 3 Linux Tibbo Project PCB (LTPP3), Gen. 2. This system leverages the power of image recognition and the flexibility of the Plus1 SoC's PinMux capabilities to identify and test our Tibbits.

This job opening is for our Taipei office — it's not possible to do this job remotely. Foreigners living in Taiwan and residents of other countries are welcome to apply (but you must be willing to relocate to Taiwan). Qualified candidates will be offered three-year contracts with competitive compensation.

[tibbo]

Ubuntu Update Expands Range of LTPP3(G2) Applications

This month, we present you with the latest version of Tibbo's Ubuntu-based distribution for the Size 3 Linux Tibbo Project PCB (LTPP3), Gen. 2. This release introduces several improvements to enable an even wider range of applications and simplify the administration of the LTPP3(G2). Meanwhile, the LTPP3(G2) itself has also received an upgrade, with the latest revision increasing the eMMC storage capacity to 8GB.

Version 0.5.0 of our distro incorporates support for RS485 serial communications in Tibbo's PinMux driver. You can configure this functionality via native C code or a Python library we've prepared for your convenience. To highlight this newly added capability, we've created a sample project that illustrates how easy it is to poll devices such as our RS485 Modbus Sensors.

V0.5.0 also implements support for up to eight user-configurable interrupts, vastly widening the range of possible applications for your projects. Dynamically enable, monitor, and release these interrupts as you need. Our code example demonstrates how simple it is to implement this functionality on the LTPP3(G2).

We've also added LED patterns to provide visual feedback during firmware updates. The green and red status LEDs, as well as the blue LED bar, now provide helpful indicators regarding the status of upgrades. Removing the need to monitor the update process via the serial terminal simplifies the maintenance of headless installations.

Finally, this release includes the driver for the Plus1 CPU's one-time programmable (OTP) memory, allowing your applications to read this special memory. 

The latest version of our Ubuntu-based distribution is available on our website. Need to customize your deployment or start from an earlier version? Use our Docker container and build tools to tailor an image specifically for your needs — here's a tutorial video to help you get started.

P.S. Press and hold the MD button for 1 second after the V0.5.0 update is complete (before rebooting) for a special demonstration via the buzzer.

[tibbo]

Docker Makes Building Custom Linux Images Quick and Easy

Creating a Linux-based product can seem daunting at first. Even experienced developers can get bogged down configuring and creating projects from scratch. From downloading tools and software repositories to actually developing the application, these projects require a significant investment in time.

As we've mentioned before, Tibbo supplies a free Docker container to facilitate and simplify the development of products based on our Size 3 Linux Tibbo Project PCB (LTPP3), Gen. 2 or its Plus1 CPU. Docker containers hold an application and its dependencies, and can be run from any Linux, Windows, or macOS computer. Our container allows you to download the development environment in a working state without requiring any configuration.

Tibbo's container for the LTPP3(G2) provides a stable, consistent, and convenient starting point for your projects. It contains our Ubuntu-based distribution, Out-of-Box-Experience (OOBE) scripts, and drivers, as well as our build tools so that you can completely customize the image to serve your needs. And because it is regularly updated and tagged, it's always easy to work off either the latest version or any earlier release you've previously used.

The whole process is remarkably easy. First, download and run the container. Then, modify it in any way you see fit; for example, you can install and remove packages or even edit the device tree. When you're done, run our automated scripts to build a fully working image ready to be uploaded to your LTPP3(G2).

Since we first mentioned our Docker container, many of you have asked us for more information regarding its use. To help you with this process, we've created a video demonstrating how to pull our Docker container, modify the image, build, extract, and even upload it to the LTPP3(G2).

As you'll see for yourself, the entire process is straightforward, as well as significantly faster and easier than creating a virtual machine, installing Linux, downloading repositories, and customizing the image. It is also reliably repeatable, so you can always start projects from your preferred development point.

#Youtube

[tibbo]

Mainlined Plus1 Drivers Ensure Long-Term Compatibility

One challenge of developing Linux-based industrial products is that the operating system is constantly evolving. This can result in a situation where you must keep an older version of the kernel to ensure compatibility with your drivers — thus forgoing new features, as well as stability and security updates.

Luckily, if you're creating Internet of Things, industrial automation, or other solutions based on Tibbo's Plus1 CPU, this will soon no longer be a concern. We are proud to announce that the Plus1's drivers for UART, SPI, NVMEM, RTC, and PINCTRL have been mainlined into the official Linux kernel as of version 5.18. Furthermore, the PWM driver is already in the maintainers' tree and will be merged into 5.19-rc1. 

Upstreaming these drivers means they have passed the scrutiny of the official kernel maintainers for quality, security, and stability. Doing so also illustrates our partner Sunplus and Tibbo's long-term commitment to the Plus1 as the foundation for your industrial solutions for many years to come.