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Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 IoT

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 IoT. Arduino Nano 33 IoT is mainly used in basic IoT applications. The Internet of things is one of the most exciting and robust developments in the field of information technology. Using this technology you can interface a network of physical things with software, sensors, or other technologies to develop communication and data exchange between devices and other systems using the internet. For example, you can control the room temperature by interfacing the sensors in your rooms with your smartphone through WiFi. Traditional systems including control systems, wireless sensor networks, embedded systems, and home automation all contribute to activating the internet of things. Over the past two decades, networking technologies have been commonly restricted to traditional devices like desktop computers, laptops, and more recently tablets and smartphones. With the inception of innovative technologies, IoT continues to cover scores of devices into the network including medical devices, household appliances, vehicles, electric motors, traffic controls, street lights, smart TVs, and much more. At Arduino, you can either generate your own Arduino Access Point or connect the board with any existing WiFi network. I suggest you buckle up, as I’ll detail the Complete Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 IoT covering pinout, pin description, features, programming, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 IoT

• Arduino Nano 33 IoT is a microcontroller board based on low power Arm® Cortex®-M0 32-bit SAMD21.
• This board features a u-blox, the NINA-W10 that is a low-power chipset mainly employed to develop Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity.

• With this device, you’ll also get a 6 axis IMU that makes this device an ideal fit for pedometers, vibration alarm systems, and the relative positioning of robots.
• Moreover, this device contains a Microchip® ECC608 crypto chip that stores the cryptographic keys in hardware and guarantees secure and safe communication.
• Visit WiFiNINA library reference page and get a hold of several certain examples available for Arduino Nano 33 IoT.
• This device is completely compatible with the Arduino IoT cloud. You can use the Arduino IoT cloud for free – a simple and efficient way to guarantee safe and secure communication over all connected devices.

• There are 14 digital I/O pins, 8 analog pins, and 11 PWM pins incorporated on board.
• The board contains Flash memory of 256KB. This memory is used to store the Arduino Program (sketch). While the SRAM memory is 32KB that is used to produce and manipulate variables when it runs. There is no EEPROM available on this board.
• The clock frequency of an oscillator is 48MHz which is used for the synchronization of all internal functions.

Arduino Nano 33 IoT Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino Nano 33 IoT. The board contains two LEDs i.e. one is a built-in LED connected to pin 13 of the board and the other is the power LED that turns on when power is supplied to the board.

Arduino Nano 33 IoT Pin Description

This is the little introduction to Nano 33. In this section, we will detail the pin description of each pin incorporated on the board.

Digital Pins

The Nano 33 board contains 14 digital pins that you can use as input or output depending on the requirement. These pins receive only two values HIGH or LOW. When pins receive 0V they are in a LOW state when they receive 5V they remain in the HIGH state.

Analog Pins

This board carries 8 analog pins. These pins can receive any value in contrast to digital pins that receive only two values i.e. HIGH or LOW.

PWM Pins

The Nano 33 board features 11 PWM pins. These pins, when activated, generate analog results with digital means.

SPI Pins

This is the serial peripheral interface that is used to develop communication between a controller and other peripheral devices like shift registers or sensors. Two pins: MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are incorporated for SPI communication between devices. These pins are used to send or receive data by the controller.

I2C Pins

The Nano 33 contains the I2C two-wire communication protocol. It carries two pins SDA and SDL. The SDA is a serial data pin used to carry the data while SCL is a serial clock line used to synchronize all data transfer over the I2C bus. The I2C protocol is used to develop communication between two or more integrated circuits.

UART Pins

This board supports UART serial communication protocol with two pins Tx and Rx. The Tx pin is a transmission pin used to transmit serial data while Rx is a receiving pin mainly employed to receive the serial data.

Arduino Nano 33 IoT Features

• Microcontroller = SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU
• Secure Element = ATECC608A
• Oscillator = 48 MHz
• Radio module = u-blox NINA-W102
• Input Voltage (limit) = 21V
• Flash Memory = 256KB
• SRAM = 32KB
• EEPROM = no
• DC Current per I/O Pin = 7mA
• Operating Voltage = 3.3V
• Digital I/O pins = 14
• PWM Pins = 11

• Analog Pins = 8
• External Interrupts = All digital pins
• Size = 18x45 mm
• UART = 1
• SPI = 1
• I2C = 1
• Weight = 5gr.

Programming

Arduino.cc has introduced an official software Arduino IDE to program all boards of the Arduino Family. The C and C++ languages are used in this software to program the Arduino boards. The Nano 33 incorporates a USB port through which you can connect the board with the computer using a USB cable. You can send several instructions to the board and control and program the board as you like better. Plus, the Arduino board includes a Bootloader that is mainly used to burn the program inside the controller, setting you free from buying the separate burner to burn the Arduino program.

Related Boards

You might have witnessed a range of Arduino boards at Arduino.cc. Some boards share similar functionalities. If you want to expand your experience you can play with other Arduino boards that come with similar IoT functionalities including: Arduino MKR WiFi 1000 – it is only employed for Wi-Fi applications as it comes with a different chipset than Arduino Nano 33 IoT. Arduino Uno Wifi Rev 2 – it is an educational version of the MKR WiFi 1010, incorporated with an embedded accelerometer and USB-B connector. Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 – It is an advanced version of Nano 33 that features a battery charger but lacks an accelerometer.

Arduino Nano 33 IoT Appications

This board is widely used in IoT applications. You can connect this board with an existing WiFi system and control physical things like vehicles, electric motors, medical devices, street lights… over the internet. That’s all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share, so we keep producing quality content based on your needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to ATmega4809

Hi Guys! I welcome you on board. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to ATmega4809. The ATmega4809 is a type of microcontroller that belongs to the megaAVR® 0-series. It features an AVR® processor with a clock speed running at up to 20 MHz. It comes with a Flash memory size up to 48 KB, 256 bytes of EEPROM, and 6 KB of SRAM. It is available in 28-, 32-, 40-, or 48-pin packages. I suggest you buckle up as I’ll detail the complete Introduction to ATmega4809 covering datasheet, pinout, features, power ratings, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to ATmega4809

• The ATmega4809 microcontroller belongs to the megaAVR® 0-series that contains an AVR processor.
• The series carries low power features with the latest core independent peripherals.
• The ATmega4809 utilizes Microchip's latest technologies with an efficient and low-power architecture including SleepWalking, Event System, and accurate analog features.

• This device carries Single-pin Unified Program Debug Interface (UPDI) that is a bi-directional single wire interface and needs a programmer that supports UPDI.

• The clock speed is 20MHz which is required for the synchronization of all internal functions.
• The microcontroller program is stored in the flash memory which is around 48KB. While EEPROM and SRAM are 256bytes and 6KB respectively. Write/Erase endurance for flash memory is 10,000 cycles and for EEPROM is 100,000 cycles.
• SRAM memory is used to produce and manipulate variables when this runs. The EEPROM memory is a non-volatile memory that stays stored in the board even when board power is removed.
• There are 4 UART communication protocols and one SPI and one I2C communication protocol are available on the microcontroller.
• The UART is a serial communication protocol that carries two pins Rx and Tx. The Rx is a receiving pin that is used to receive the serial data while Tx is a transmission pin used to transfer serial data.
• I2C is a two-wire communication protocol that carries two pins SDL and SCL. The SDL is a serial data line that carries the data while SCL is a serial clock line that is used for the synchronization of all data transfer over an I2C bus.
• SPI stands for a serial peripheral interface that is mainly used to develop the communication between the controller and other sensors and shift registers. Two pins: MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are incorporated for SPI communication. These pins are installed to receive or send data by the controller.
• This device comes with three sleep modes: Idle, standby, and power down. The sleep mode is the mode when nothing happens. Simply put, during sleep mode device remains in rest mode. As nothing taking place during the sleep mode, at that point the device consumes the lowest power and the crystal oscillator is turned off.

• The device also offers a power-on-reset (POR) and brown-out-detection (BOD). The power-on-reset just resets the device when the signal is provided to the device.
• The brown-out-detection is a protection circuit that monitors when the supply voltage goes below down a certain level and consequently puts the device into a reset state which leads to proper startup when power is applied back again.
• The controller also contains 16-channel 10-bit ADC and an analog comparator.
• Other features include configurable custom logic, 5x16 bit timer, cyclical redundancy check, watchdog timer, and hardware multiplier.

ATmega4809 Datasheet

Before you incorporate this device into your electrical project, it’s wise to scan through the datasheet of the component that features the main characteristics of the device. Click the link below and download the datasheet of ATmega4809.

Available Packages

ATmega4809 comes in different pin mappings mainly dependent on the current hardware.

48 Pin Package

It is the standard pin package that comes with 9 PWM pins and a flash memory of 48KB. Know that this 48-pin package is only available on ATmega4809 and ATmega3209. This package comes with 4 UART communication protocols and one SPI protocol.

40 Pin Package

This pinout is almost identical to the 48-pin package with lesser pins and it comes with 8 PWM pins. This pinout is reserved for ATmega4809 only. Like a 48-pin package, this pinout carries 4 UART and one SPI communication protocol.

32-Pin Package

This pinout is a robust and clean design that comes with 8 PWM pins. Know that this pinout is not compatible with Arduino shields.

28-Pin Package  

This is the 28-pin package that comes with 8 PWM pins and a clock frequency of around 20MHz. Again, this pinout is also not compatible with Arduino shields. The 28-pin package comes with 3 UART and one SPI communication protocol.

Uno WiFi

The Arduino Uno WiFi Rev2 hardware incorporates this pinout. It comes with 6 PWM pins. Any code written for Arduino UNO WiFi Rev 2 is equally compatible with this pinout. It is important to note that Uno WiFi pinout is only reserved for ATmega3209/4809.

Nano Every

The Arduino Nano Every incorporates this pinout. The code written for Arduino Nano Every can run for this pinout without any modifications. You’ll get this pinout when you select ATmega4809 from the Arduino IDE software.

ATmega4809 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of ATmega4809 that comes in a 48-pin package.

ATmega4809 Features

• No. of pins = 48
• Flash memory = 48KB
• SRAM = 6KB
• EEPROM = 256 bytes
• Also includes Hardware multiplier
• Three sleep modes: Idle, Standby, Power Down

• Event System for core independent and predictable inter-peripheral signaling
• Comes with Power-On Reset (POR) and Brown-Out Detection (BOD)
• Contains Single pin programming and debugging interface (UPDI)
• Carries 16 Channel 10-bit ADC with Voltage Reference
• Features Analog Comparator (AC) and Watchdog Timer
• Configurable Custom Logic (CCL) with up to four programmable Look-up Tables (LUT)
• Contains 5x 16-bit Timer (TCA / TCB) and Cyclical Redundancy Check (CRC/SCAN)
• SPI / I2C / USART
• Five selectable internal voltage references: 0.55V, 1.1V, 1.5V, 2.5V, and 4.3V

ATmega4809 Applications

• Employed in high responsive command and control applications.
• Used in embedded systems and real-time control systems.
• Used in industrial automation and home automation.

That’s all for today. I hope you find this article helpful. If you have any questions, you can ask me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. You are most welcome to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share so we keep producing quality content based on your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 BLE

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 BLE. Arduino Nano 33 BLE is an advanced version of Arduino Nano board that is based on a robust and powerful processor the nRF52840 from Nordic Semiconductors, a 32-bit ARM® Cortex™-M4 CPU. It comes with a crystal oscillator frequency of around 64MHz. It features 32 times bigger program memory than the Arduino Uno board, helping you store programs with much larger memory. With this device, you can produce a lot more variable as it comes with RAM that is 128 times bigger than the RAM of Arduino Uno. Before you move further, I recommend you read this article on the Introduction to Arduino Nano which we have published a while ago. I suggest you buckle up as I’ll walk you through the complete Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 BLE covering pinout, pin description, features, programming, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 BLE

• Arduino Nano 33 BLE is an advanced version of Arduino Nano board that is based on a powerful processor the nRF52840.
• The crystal oscillator frequency is 64MHz which is used to synchronize all internal functions.

• It carries 14 digital I/O pins these all pins can be used as PWM pins and there are 8 analog pins incorporated on the board.
• The board features a USB port which is used to test and program this board through a USB cable. Simply, connect your board with the computer through this cable and start playing with it.
• The Arduino Nano 33 BLE comes with a flash memory of 1MB which is 32times bigger than the program memory of the Arduino Uno board. The SRAM is 256KB and there is no EEPROM. The flash memory is used to store the Arduino program (sketch). The SRAM is used to manipulate and produce variables when it is activated.
• The board features built-in LED at pin 13 and one is the power LED which turns on when power is supplied to this board.

• The Nano 33 BLE incorporates a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) that contains a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a magnetometer with a 3-axis resolution each. This unit makes the board an ideal pick for more advanced robotics and embedded experiments.
• You can buy this board with or without headers that will help you incorporate this board into wearables.
• This board is a revised version of the Arduino Nano board. In the improved version, you’ll get a micro-USB connector, a better and efficient processor, and a 9-axis IMU.
• The board contains tessellated connectors and carries no components on the B-side. This will help you solder the board directly onto your design, reducing the height of your entire project.
• The best part – this revised version costs less than the main Arduino Nano board.
• And don’t fear experimenting with this device, in the worst-case scenario you’ll end up burning this device which you can replace in few dollars.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE Pinout

The following figure represents the pinout of Arduino Nano 33 BLE. There are two LEDs incorporated on the board. One is a basic built-in LED connected with pin 13 and the other is a power LED.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE Pin Description

Hope you’ve got a brief insight into the Arduino Nano 33 BLE. In this section, we’ll detail the pin description of each pin available on the board.

Digital Pins

The number of digital I/O pins are 14 which receive only two values HIGH or LOW. These pins can either be used as an input or output based on the requirement. When these pins receive 5V, they are in a HIGH state and when they receive 0V they are in a LOW state.

Analog Pins

Total 8 analog pins installed on the board A0 – A7. These pins get any value as opposed to digital pins that only receive two values HIGH or LOW. These pins are used to measure the analog voltage ranging between 0 to 5V.

PWM Pins

All digital pins can be used as PWM pins. These pins generate analog results with digital means.

SPI Pins

The board supports SPI (serial peripheral interface) communication protocol. This protocol is employed to develop communication between a controller and other peripheral devices like shift registers and sensors. Two pins are used for SPI communication i.e. MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are used for SPI communication. These pins are used to send or receive data by the controller.

I2C Pins

The board carries the I2C communication protocol which is a two-wire protocol. It comes with two pins SDL and SCL. The former pin is used to carry the data while the latter is used to synchronize all data transfer over the I2C bus.

UART Pins

The board features a UART communication protocol that is used for serial communication and carries two pins Rx and Tx. The Rx is a receiving pin used to receive the serial data while Tx is a transmission pin used to transmit the serial data.  

External Interrupts

All digital pins can be used as external interrupts. This feature is used in case of emergency to interrupt the main running program with the inclusion of important instructions at that point.

LED at Pin 13 and AREF

There is an LED connected to pin 13 of the board. And AREF is a pin used as a reference voltage for the input voltage.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE Features

The following are the main features of Arduino Nano 33 BLE.

• Microcontroller = nRF52840
• Input Voltage (limit) = 21V
• Operating Voltage = 3.3V
• Clock Speed = 64MHz
• Flash memory = 1MB
• SRAM = 256KB
• EEPROM = No
• DC Current per I/O Pin = 15mA
• Digital Input / Output Pins = 14
• PWM pins = 14 (all digital pins)
• UART = 1

• SPI = 1
• I2C = 1
• Analog pins = 8
• USB = Native in the nRF52840 Processor
• External interrupts = all digital pins
• Built-in LED = at Pin 13
• Size = 18x45 mm
• Weight = 5gr.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE Programming

• The Arduino IDE software is used to program this Arduino board. This software is used to program all Arduino boards and it is open-source software, which means you can use this software and hardware free of cost. Anyone can modify and edit the existing programs and hardware to get the desired results.
• This board comes with a USB port that is used to program the board. The USB cable is used to connect this board with the computer. You can send plenty of instructions to the Arduino board using Arduino IDE software.
• Know that this board features an internal Bootloader that sets you free from the need of getting an external burner to burn the Arduino program inside the controller.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE Applications

The Arduino Nano 33 BLE is used in the following applications.

• Real-Time Face Detection
• Arduino Metal Detector
• Automation and Robotics
• Medical Instruments
• Virtual Reality Applications
• Industrial Automation
• Android Applications
• Embedded Systems
• GSM Based Projects
• Home Automation and Defense Systems

That’s all for today. Hope you’ve got a clear insight into the Introduction to Arduino Nano 33 BLE. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below, I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share so we keep producing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino MKR WiFi 1010

Hi Guys! I welcome you on board. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll give you a detailed Introduction to Arduino MKR WiFi 1010. The Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 is a solution to your basic IoT applications. Using this device, you can develop a WiFi-connected sensors network or can produce a BLE device connected to your cell phone. This board is based on the SAMD21 microcontroller and comes with a clock speed of around 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz. There are 8 digital pins, 13 PWM pins, and 7 analog pins incorporated on the board. The operating voltage is 3.3V while the voltage through USB or Vin is 5V. I suggest you read this post all the way through, as I’ll detail the complete introduction to Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 covering pinout, pin description, features, programming, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Arduino MKR WiFi 1010

• The Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 is a microcontroller board based on SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM microcontroller.
• The Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 is an improved version of MKR 1000 and is mainly developed for IoT applications. The secure element ATECC508 ensures a safe and secure WiFi connection.
• This secure element is a crypto device that comes with ECDH (Elliptic Curve Diffie–Hellman) key agreement, which is mainly used to include confidentiality to digital systems including Internet of Things (IoT) nodes employed in industrial networking and home automation.

• The board carries a USB port to power up the board with 5V. While the Li-Po charging circuit will make Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 run in two ways i.e. either with an external 5-volt source or with battery power.

• Contains powerful I/O interfaces including 8 digital I/O pins 7 analog pins 13 PWM pins and carries 3.3V operating voltage.
• The operating voltage is 3.3V while the voltage through USB or Vin is 5V. The clock frequency is 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz which guarantees the synchronization of internal functions.
• Comes with internal flash memory of around 256KB which ensures the storage of the Arduino program (sketch). The SRAM is 32KB which is employed to produce and manipulate variables when it’s activated. There is no EEPROM available on the board.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino MKR Wifi 1010.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 Pin Description

Hope you’ve got a brief insight into Arduino MKR Wifi 1010. In this section, we’ll detail the pin description of each pin available on the board. Let’s get started.

SPI Pins

The board comes with an SPI communication protocol that is mainly used to develop communication with the controller and other peripheral devices like shift registers and sensors. Two Pins are used for SPI communication. MISO (master input slave output) and MOSI (master output slave input) these pins are incorporated for the SPI communication. These pins are used to send or receive data by the controller.

UART Pins

The board comes with serial communication protocol UART. It contains two pins Rx and Tx for serial communication. The Tx is a transmission pin employed to transmit the serial data while Rx is a receiving pin used to receive the serial data.

I2C Pins

I2C is a two-wire communication protocol that comes with two pins SDL and SCL. The SDL is a serial data line that carries the data while SCL is a serial clock line that guarantees synchronization of data transfer over the I2C bus.

Analog Pins

There are 7 analog pins installed on the board. Any voltage value can be included in these pins in contrast to digital pins that only receive two values HIGH and LOW.

Digital Pins

There are 8 digital pins available on the board. These pins receive two values HIGH or LOW. When these pins get 5V they are in the HIGH state and when these pins get 0V they are in a LOW state.

PWM Pins

13 PWM pins incorporated on the board. These pins generate analog results with digital means. These pins are mainly employed to control the speed of the motor.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 Features

The following are the main features of Arduino MKR Wifi 1010.

• Microcontroller = SAMD21
• Board Power Supply (USB/VIN) = 5V
• Radio module = u-blox NINA-W102
• Supported Battery = Li-Po Single Cell, 3.7V, 1024mAh Minimum
• Secure Element = ATECC508
• Circuit Operating Voltage = 3.3V
• PWM Pins = 13
• Digital Pins = 8
• Analog Pins = 7
• UART = 1
• SPI = 1
• I2C = 1

• External Interrupts = 10
• Flash memory = 256KB
• SRAM = 32KB
• EEPROM = no
• USB = Full-Speed USB Device and embedded Host
• LED_BUILTIN = 6
• Clock speed = 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz
• Size = 25x61mm
• Weight = 32g.

Programming

• Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 and all other Arduino boards are programmed using Arduino IDE software – A professional software developed by Arduino.cc.
• You can power up your board using a USB port and this is also used to program and test the board. Simply connect the board through a USB cable to your computer and start playing with it.
• You can power up the board by both USB port or through Vin. The board comes with a built-in Bootloader to burn the program, setting you free from using a separate burner to burn the program inside the controller.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010 Applications

The Arduino MKR Wifi 1010 is mainly introduced for IoT applications. The following are the main applications of this board.

• Used in embedded systems.
• Employed in control systems.
• Used in IoT applications.
• Employed to create a BLE device with a cell phone.
• Used to develop sensor network connected with the home router.

That’s all for today. Hope you like this article. If you have any queries, you can pop your comment in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share. This helps us create quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the post.

Introduction to Arduino MKR WAN 1310

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR WAN 1310. The Arduino MKR WAN 1310 includes Lora connectivity that can perform very long-range transmission operations consuming low power. This device is an ideal pick for the hobbyists requiring to develop IoT devices using the minimum networking experience using low power devices. The MKR WAN 1300 is incorporated with the Microchip® SAMD21 which is the low-power processor, the MKR family’s characteristic crypto chip (the ECC508), and the Murata CMWX1ZZABZ LoRa® module. Before you read further, I recommend you have a look at Introduction to Arduino Nano Every and Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 that I have uploaded previously. I suggest you read this post all the way through, as I’ll cover the complete Introduction to Arduino MKR WAN 1310 covering pinout, features, pin description, programming, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Arduino MKR WAN 1310

• The Arduino MKR WAN 1310 includes Lora connectivity that can perform very long-range transmission operations consuming low power.
• A range of technologies available for the communication between IoT devices including WiFi and Bluetooth. But there is one major problem with these technologies – they consume a lot of power.

• This leads to the introduction of Lora technology that not only offers communication between devices using low power but it is also cost-effective and efficient compared to other technologies.
• The MKR WAN 1310 is an improved version of its predecessor, the MKR WAN 1300. It is still incorporated with the Microchip® SAMD21 which is a low-power processor, the MKR family’s characteristic crypto chip (the ECC508), and the Murata CMWX1ZZABZ LoRa® module. This board features a new battery charger, a 2MByte SPI Flash, and the board’s power consumption is incorporated with improved control.

• The operating voltage of the circuit is 3.3V while the voltage through Vin and USB is 5V.
• There are total 8 digital I/O pins incorporated on the board while the number of analog pins is 7. And the pins that can be used for the PWM motor control are 13.
• The board controller comes with a flash memory of 256KB while the SRAM memory is 32KB. There is no EEPROM memory available on the board. The flash memory is mainly reserved to store the Arduino program (sketch). While the SRAM memory is reserved to generate and manipulate variables when it runs.
• Interface this MKR board with Arduino IoT cloud that guarantees safe communication between all connected devices.
• The carrier frequency of this board is 433/868/915 MHz which is termed as the frequency of a carrier wave, calculated in cycles per second, or Hertz, mainly modulated to transmit signals.

Arduino MKR WAN 1310 Pinout

The following figure represents the pinout diagram of Arduino MKR WAN 1310.

Arduino MKR WAN 1310 Pin Description

This is the brief idea of the WAN board. In this section, we’ll cover the pin description of each pin available on the board. Let’s jump right in.

Analog Pins

There are 7 analog pins available on the board. These pins can get any number of values in opposed to Digital pins that get values in two states only i.e. HIGH or LOW

Digital Pins

Total 8 digital pins are installed on the board which you can use either as an input or output based on the requirement. These pins offer only two states HIGH or LOW. When voltage is 5V these pins are in the HIGH state and when the voltage is 0V these pins remain in a LOW state.

PWM Pins

The number of pins that can be used as PWM pins is 13. These pins generate analog results with digital means when PWM pins are activated.

UART Pins

The board contains two pins Rx and Tx for the serial UART communication. The Rx line is used to receive the serial data and the Tx pin is used to transfer the serial data.

SPI Pins

This device also offers an SPI communication protocol that is mainly used to develop communication between the microcontroller and other peripheral devices like shift resistors and sensors. Two pins: MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are employed for SPI communication between devices. These pins are used to send or receive data by the controller.

I2C Pins

The WAN board comes with a two-wire communication protocol known as the I2C protocol. This features two pins SDL and SCL. The SDL is a serial data line that carries the data while SCL is a serial clock line that is mainly employed for the synchronization of all data transfer through the I2C bus.

Arduino MKR WAN 1310 Features

Microcontroller = SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU Radio module = CMWX1ZZABZ Supported Batteries = rechargeable Li-Ion, or Li-Po, 1024 mAh minimum capacity Digital I/O Pins = 8 Circuit Operating Voltage = 3.3V Board Power Supply (USB/VIN) = 5V PWM Pins = 13 UART = 1 SPI = 1 I2C = 1 Analog Pins = 7 SRAM = 32KB CPU Flash Memory = 256 KB (internal) LED_BUILTIN = 6 EEPROM = no USB = Full-Speed USB Device and embedded Host QSPI Flash Memory = 2MByte (external) DC Current per I/O Pin = 7mA Carrier frequency = 433/868/915 MHz Size = 25x67mm Weight = 32 gr. External Interrupts = 10 (0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16 / A1, 17 / A2)

Related Boards

If you’re getting confused about buying the right device for wireless communication, the Arduino MKR series also offers other boards that you can pick for wireless communication.

• MKR NB 1500
• MKR GSM 1400
• MKR WAN 1300
• MKR FOX 1200

Programming

• This board is programmed using Arduino IDE software which is an official software to program all Arduino boards.
• When you open the software, you’ll be offered a basic LED blinking program which you can use to test the board if it’s working fine.
• The WAN board carries a USB port which is used for direct communication with the computer system. You can send a number of instructions to the Arduino board using this USB protocol.
• This device incorporates a built-in Bootloader that is used to burn the program inside the board. This means you don’t need to buy an external burner to program the microcontroller inside the board.

Arduino MKR WAN 1310 Applications

The WAN board is used in a range of applications. And it is the best pick for the development of IoT devices that require low power. The addition of Lora technology makes this device cost-effective and efficient for developing communication between devices compared to devices that only use WiFi or Bluetooth for communication. That’s all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions and feedback around the content we share, so we keep producing quality content based on your needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino Nano Every

Hi Guys! I welcome you on board. Thank you for clicking this read. In this post today, I’ll detail the Introduction to Arduino Nano Every. Arduino Nano Every is a tiny powerful board that is based on the ATMega4809 AVR processor. It comes with a clock speed of around 20MHz and flash memory of around 48KB. It carries two 15 pin connectors on each side of the board that are pin-pin compatible with the Arduino Nano Every. The low price and small size make this board an ideal pick for the range of electrical projects like electronic musical instruments, low-cost robots, and general development of the small parts of the large projects. Needless to say, Arduino has been a cornerstone of many electronic projects ranging from simple student projects to complex automation and embedded projects. The working of this tiny beast is simple and straightforward. It takes the input like a finger on a button or light on a sensor and converts it into an output like turning on the motor, activating LED blinking, and something sharing online. You can use Arduino IDE software to program the Arduino board. In other words, you can control the board by sending a lot of instructions to the microcontroller of the board. The Arduino comes with easy to use hardware and software platform that even a non-tech person can get a hands-on experience without having prior technical knowledge about these boards. I suggest you read this post till the end as I’ll walk you through the complete Introduction to Arduino Nano Every covering datasheet, pinout, pin description, features, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino Nano Every

• Arduino Nano Every is a tiny powerful board that is based on the ATMega4809 AVR processor.
• The Arduino Nano Every is almost similar to the Arduino Nano board with the addition of a more powerful processor like Atmega4809.

• This board comes with more program memory compared to Arduino Uno and RAM is 200% bigger, helping you create a lot of variables.
• If you’ve used Arduino Nano earlier for your project, you’ll come to know the Arduino Nano Every board is a pin-equivalent substitute of Arduino Nano. The difference lies in the addition of a micro-USB connector and a more powerful processor.

• Arduino Nano Every is available in two versions: with or without headers, helping you incorporate this board into hard-to-reach places including wearables.
• No components are available on the B-side, this gives you the ability to solder the board directly into your main PCB design, reducing the height of the entire project.
• It carries a crystal oscillator with a clock speed of around 20MHz which is necessary to synchronize all internal functions of the board.
• The SRAM memory is 6KB while the flash memory and EEPROM memories are 48KB and 256bytes respectively.
• The flash memory is the location where the Arduino program (sketch) is stored. While SRAM is used to generate and manipulate variables when it starts running. And the EEPROM is a non-volatile memory which means data stays stored inside the board even if the board power is removed.

Arduino Nano Every Datasheet

While working with this board, it’s better to look into the datasheet of the board that features the main characteristics of the board. Click the link below to download the datasheet of Arduino Nano Every.

Arduino Nano Every Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino Nano Every.   There is a built-in LED at pin 13 and it also features one power LED that turns on when the board is supplied with power.

Arduino Nano Every Pin Description

Still reading? Perfect. I hope you’ve read the brief intro of this Every board. In this section, we’ll highlight the description of each pin incorporated on the board. Let’s get started.

Digital Pins

20 digital I/O pins are incorporated on this device which you can use as an input or output based on the requirements. These pins are either in a HIGH state or LOW state. When they are LOW they receive V0 and when they are HIGH they receive 5V.

Analog Pins

The number of analog pins incorporated on the board is 8. These are analog pins which projects they can receive any number of values in contrast to Digital pins that only receive two values i.e. HIGH or LOW

PWM Pins

The number of PWM pins incorporated on the board is 5. The board creates analog results with digital means when these pins are activated.

I2C Pins

This board incorporates a two-wire communication protocol which is known as I2C protocol. It carries two lines i.e. SCL and SDA. The SCL is a serial clock line mainly used for the synchronization of all data transfer through the I2C bus and the SDA is a serial data line mainly used to carry the data.

SPI Pins

This device comes with SPI (serial peripheral interface) pins that are mainly used to lay out the communication between the controller and other peripheral devices such as sensors or shift registers. There are two pins: MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) used for SPI communication. These pins are employed to receive or send data by the controller.

UART Pins

The UART pins are used for serial communication. It carries two lines Tx and Rx. The Tx is used to transmit the serial data while Rx is used to receive the serial data.

Arduino Nano Every Features

The following are the main features of Arduino Nano Every. Operating Voltage = 5V Microcontroller = Atmega4809 Vin range = 7 to 21 V D/C current per 3.3V pin = 50mA D/C current per I/O pin = 20mA Oscillator = 20MHz EEPROM = 256bytes SRAM = 6KB Flash Memory = 48KB LED_BUILTIN = 13 USB = 1 UART = 1 SPI = 1 I2C = 1 Digital Pins = 20 Analog Pins = 8 PWM pins = 5 Size = 18x45 mm Weight = 5g

Programming

• Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) is used to program this board. This software is used to program all kinds of Arduino boards.
• This device contains a built-in Bootloader which is used to burn the program inside the controller. Yes, you don’t need a separate burner to burn and transfer the program into the controller.

• Moreover, it also carries a micro USB port which is used to connect the device with the computer. Using this port, you can test and run the program directly from the computer.

Difference between Arduino Nano Every and Arduino Nano

• The Nano carries microcontroller ATmega 328p which is the same as Uno.
• While the Nano Every and Uno WiFi Rev 2 are incorporated with a modern version of the AVR based MCU known as megaAVR_0-series, an ATmega4809.
• It carries the same AVR CPU architecture in the base of the MCU so initially, both MCUs (Atmega 328p and Atmega 4809) share the same compiler but there lies a difference in MCU peripherals configuration. So know that the previous knowledge about AVR MCU peripherals won’t help here.
• The Arduino Nano Every is priced lower than Arduino Nano.

Arduino Nano Every Applications

The small size of this board makes it a good pick for a number of applications. Following are some applications of this board.

• USB Trackpad
• Automatic Pill Dispenser
• USB Joystick
• Electric Bike
• Creating a wireless keyboard
• Water Level Meter

That was all about the Introduction to Arduino Nano Every. If you have any queries, you can approach me in the comment section below. I’d try to help you according to the best of my expertise. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep producing quality content based on your needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000

Hey Everyone! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000. The Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 is a powerful board with which you can develop your own controller board. The inclusion of FPGA makes this device unique and separate from other Arduino boards available in the market. With this FPGA feature, you can do audio and video processing which is not possible with other Arduino boards. Using this device, you can design a real-time computer reading sensor information and the best part is this board is compatible with all other Arduino boards. With this board, you can make all pins PWM signals (on the FPGA block side) for handling the speed of motors. Moreover, you can develop a sound effect pedal for your guitar by capturing the sound in real-time. With Arduino IoT cloud, you can also handle the complex laboratory machine connected with a number of motors. Before moving further, I suggest you read the Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500 that I’ve uploaded previously. I suggest you buckle up as I’ll walk you through the complete introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 covering datasheet, pinout, features, programming, and applications. Let’s get started.

Introduction to Arduino MKR Vidor 4000

• The Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 is a powerful board with which you can develop your own controller board.
• This board is incorporated with SAMD21 microcontroller and Intel® Cyclone® 10CL016 (FPGA).
• The inclusion of the most powerful reprogrammable chip FPGA makes this device unique and separate from other Arduino boards available in the market.
• With this FPGA feature, you can do audio and video processing which is not possible for other Arduino boards.

• The FPGA carries 504Kbit of embedded RAM, 16K Logic Elements, and 56 18x18 bit HW multipliers that are employed for high-speed DSP (digital signal processing).
• Every pin is activated at over 150 MHz and normally configured for functions such as (Q)SPI, high res/ high freq PWM, UARTs, quadrature encoder, Sigma Delta DAC, I2C, I2S, etc.
• Using this Vidor device you can do an experiment with precision as it comes with the RESET button which you can use in case anything goes wrong. As you press and release this button, the board gets reset, helping you program the board from scratch.
• The operating voltage of this board is 3.3V and one Mini PCI express port with programmable pins is also installed on the board that carries up to 25 user-programmable pins.

• The board also features a MIPI (mobile industry processor interface) camera connector which is nothing but a set of standards that allow implementing important features of smartphones including displays and imaging devices. In simple words, the MIPI standard is employed to offer connectivity in mobile, multimedia, automotive, augmented reality, and virtual reality, and other related applications.
• Other features include - Wifi & BLE powered by U-BLOX NINA W102 module, Micro HDMI connector, the MKR interface where all pins are controlled by both SAMD21 and FPGA.
• The flash memory of FPGA on this Vidor board is 2MB and SDRAM memory is 8MB. There is no EEPROM memory. The flash memory is used to store the Arduino program (sketch) and SDRAM memory is used to produce and manipulate variables when it runs.
• The flash memory on the microcontroller side is 256KB and the SRAM memory is 32KB. There is no EEPROM memory on the microcontroller side.
• The power to the board by USB is 5V. Moreover, the board also features a Li-Po charging circuit that runs the board in two ways: either from the external 5V source or from battery power.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino MKR Vidor 4000.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Pin Description

Hope you’ve got a brief idea about this Vidor board. In this section, we’ll cover the description of each pin installed on the microcontroller block side and FPGA block side. Let’s jump right in.

Digital Pins

There are total 22 headers + 25 Mini PCI Express pins installed on the FPGA block side. The PCI Mini Express is a port with programmable pins. There are total 8 Digital pins on the microcontroller block which remain in two states i.e. either HIGH or LOW. When these pins are HIGH they are considered ON and receive 5V and when these pins are LOW they are considered OFF and receive 0V.

Analog Pins

It is important to note that the analog pins on board are not routed through FPGA. These pins are attached to both - FPGA and SAMD. Moreover, using these pins on the SAMD side is totally fine, as long as you're not using these pins as outputs on the FPGA side. On the FPGA block, there is no analog pin applicable. While on the microcontroller block there are 7 analog pins.

PWM Pins

The PWM feature in this board is unique. You can use all pins on the FPGA as PWM pins to control the speed of motors. When these PWM pins are activated, the board produces an analog result with digital means. There are 13 PWM pins on the microcontroller block.

UART Pins

There are two UART pins installed on the microcontroller block side. The Rx is a pin used to receive serial data while Tx is a pin used to transfer serial data. On the FPGA side, up to 7 UART are used depending on the FPGA configuration.

I2C Pins

Two pins SDA and SCL are used for I2C communication. The SDA is a serial data line that carries the data and SCL is a serial clock line used for the synchronization of all data transfer through the I2C bus. Again on the microcontroller block side, there is only one I2C protocol. While on the FPGA side up to 7 I2C protocols can be used.

SPI Pins

The Vidor board comes with one SPI (serial peripheral interface) communication protocol that is mainly used to develop the communication between the controller and other peripheral devices such as sensors or shift registers. There is only one SPI protocol on the microcontroller’s side while up to 7 SPI protocols are used on the FPGA side depending on the FPGA configuration. Two pins… MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are employed for SPI communication. These pins are used to receive or send data by the controller.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Features

Microcontroller = SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU FPGA = Intel® Cyclone® 10CL016 Camera Connector = MIPI camera connector PCI = Mini PCI Express port with programmable pins Digital I/O Pins on FPGA = 22 headers + 25 Mini PCI Express Digital I/O Pins on MCU side = 8 PWM pins on FPGA = all pins PWM pins on MCU side = 13 pins Analog Pins on FGPA = n/a Analog Pins on MCU side = 7 UART for FGPA = up to 7 depending on the FPGA configuration SPI for FGPA = up to 7 depending on the FPGA configuration I2C for FGPA = up to 7 depending on the FPGA configuration UART for MCU = 1 SPI for MCU = 1 I2C for MCU = 1 Board power supply (USB, Vin) = 5V Circuit operating voltage = 3.3 V Flash Memory on FGPA = 2MB SDRAM Memory on FGPA = 8MB Flash memory on MCU = 256KB SRAM memory on MCU = 32KB Clock speed for FGPA = 48 MHz - up to 200 MHz Clock speed for MCU = 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz USB = Full-speed USB device and embedded host Size = 25x83mm Weight = 43.5 gm

Programming

The Vidor board is programmed using the Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) software. This software is used to program all Arduino boards. This board carries a USB port through which you can connect this device with the computer and send a number of instructions to program the board. This device contains Bootloader which is a built-in feature of this board, setting you free from buying the external burner to burn the program on the microcontroller.

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 Applications

• Vidor is used to making LED sequencer
• Used for audio and video processing
• Employed for making sound effect for guitar
• You can also make Vidor clock
• MIPI used for implementing important features of smartphones

That’s all for today. I hope you find this article helpful. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share so we keep generating quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500

Hi Guys! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500. The Arduino MKR NB 1500 is mainly developed for working in remote areas where no power or internet connection is available. This board is based on a SAMD21 Cortex-M0+ 32bit low power microcontroller and comes with an operating voltage of 3.3V. Admit it. The Arduino board is a remarkable addition to the development of many automation and embedded projects. These boards are incorporated with a series of digital and analog pins that can be connected with the expansion boards or other breadboards. Most of the Arduino boards are integrated with 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontrollers. And all these boards incorporate different flash memory size to store the code. The two-way serial communication is added in the boards and some boards are given with the facility of the USB port that is used for the direct connection with the computer systems and to program and test the boards on the go. Arduino is an open-source platform that means you can edit and modify the hardware and software based on your requirements. The Arduino IDE software is used to program all kinds of Arduino boards. These boards are programmed using C and C++ language. I suggest you read this post all the way through, as I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino MKR NB1500 covering datasheet, pinout, features, programming, pin description, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Arduino MKR NB 1500

• The Arduino MKR NB 1500 is an Arduino board based on the SAMD21 Cortex-M0+ 32bit microcontroller that is mainly developed for applications in remote areas with no power or internet connection. On-field monitoring systems use these Arduino boards.
• These are 22 digital I/O pins incorporated on the board. 7 analog and 12 PWM pins are also included in the chip.

• The Rx and Tx pins are added to the board for the UART serial communication where Rx is used to receive the serial data and Tx is used to transmit the serial data.
• Moreover, I2C and SPI communication protocols are also included in the device.
• The power delivered to the board by USB is 5V. Plus, the board also incorporates a Li-Po charging circuit that makes the board run in two ways: either from the external 5V source or from battery power.
• The clock speed of the oscillator is 32.768 kHz (RTC), 48 MHz which is required for the synchronization of the internal functions.

• You can also interface the micro-sim with the board, however, micro-sim is not provided with the board. You need to purchase it separately.
• You can interface breadboard with this board, giving you the ability to actually test and run your project on a breadboard before switching to the PCB design of the electrical circuit.
• The board’s flash memory is 256KB. And it doesn’t incorporate EEPROM memory while the SRAM memory is 32KB.
• The Arduino Program (sketch) is stored in the flash memory and SRAM memory is used to generate and manipulate variables when it runs.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Datasheet

Before you apply this device to your electrical project it’s better to scan through the datasheet of the device that features the main characteristics of the board. You can download the datasheet of Arduino MKR NB 1500 by clicking the link below.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino MKR NB 1500. There are three LEDs on the board. One is a built-in LED, and the other power LED and battery charger LED.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Pin Configuration

Hope you’ve got a brief idea about this board. In this section, we’ll discuss the pin description of the pins incorporated on the board.

Digital I/O Pins

There are total 8 digital I/O pins integrated on the board which you can use as an input or output according to the requirements. They remain either HIGH or LOW. When they are HIGH they receive 5V and when they are LOW they receive 0V.

Analog Pins

There are total 7 analog pins incorporated on the board. As they are analog pins, they can get any number of values in opposed to Digital pins that only get two values i.e. HIGH or LOW

PWM Pins

The board comes with 12 PWM pins on board. When these pins are activated, the board generates analog result with digital means.

SPI Pins

This board incorporates SPI (serial peripheral interface) pins that are mainly employed to develop the communication between the controller and other peripheral devices such as sensors or shift registers. Two pins… MISO (Master Input Slave Output) and MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) are used for SPI communication. These pins are used to receive or send data by the controller.

I2C Pins

I2C is a two-wire communication protocol. That uses two lines i.e. SDA and SCL. The SDA is a serial data line mainly used to carry the data while SCL is a serial clock line mainly used for the synchronization of all data transfer through the I2C bus.

UART Pins

This device supports UART serial communication. Two pins Rx and Tx are used for the transmission and receiving of serial data.

Battery Connector

If you want to power up the board with the battery be sure to find the female 2 pin JST PHR2 Type connector. Polarity:  while you look at the board connector pins… Polarity is Left = Positive and Right = GND Vcc – This pin generates 3.3V using the on-board voltage regulator. 5V – This pin generates 5V when powered from the Vin pin of the board or from the USB connector. Vin – This pin provides power to the board using a regulated 5V source. If you supply power using this pin, the power through the USB port will be disconnected. This way you can power the board not using USB.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Features

Microcontroller = SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU Power Supply (USB/Vin) = 5V Operating voltage = 3.3V Digital I/O Pins = 22 Analog Pins = 7 PWM Pins = 12 I2C = 1 SPI = 1 UART = 1 DC current per I/O pin = 7mA EEPROM = no SRAM = 32KB Flash Memory = 256KB Supported Battery = Li-Po Single Cell, 3.7V, 1500mAh Minimum External Interrupts = 10 (0, 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16 / A1, 17 / A2) Size = 25 x 67 mm Weight = 32gr

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Programming

• You can program this board using Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) software. This software is launched by Arduino.cc you can get this software by going to their site.

• This board comes with a built-in Bootloader where you can burn the internal program, setting free from the hassle of burning and testing the program with the external burner.
• This tiny device incorporates a USB port through which you can connect this device with the computer and run and test the program directly from the computer.

Arduino MKR NB 1500 Applications

This tiny little beast is used for a range of applications. Following are some major applications of this device.

• Automatic Pill Dispenser
• USB Joystick
• USB Trackpad
• Creating a wireless keyboard
• Water Level Meter
• Electric Bike

That’s all for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article. If you’re unsure or have any questions, you can pop your comment in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable suggestions around the content we share so we keep producing quality content tailored to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro

Hi Folks! Hope you’re well today. Happy to see you around. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro. Arduino Pro Micro is an Arduino compatible microcontroller board that is based on ATmega32u4. It operates at a frequency of 16MHz and 5V. It comes with 4 analog pins, 12 digital I/O pins, and 5 PWM pins. Moreover, it also supports serial communication UART with pins Rx and Tx. Arduino is an open-source platform provided by Arduino.cc that offers both hardware and software customization. Open-source means you can use, edit, or customize the board and software based on your requirements. Arduino boards are introduced in 2005 in Italy with the aim to provide a single platform where non-tech persons can get a hold of these boards and develop electronic devices that can interact with the environment using actuators and sensors. These boards are so easy to operate that even a common man with little knowledge about the boards can use them. These boards come in different sizes, memory space that you can incorporate in your electrical project. Not only can you program these boards, but you can also interface them with other shields and breadboard through digital I/O pins. Loading program from the personal computer is just one click away as some boards incorporate USB (universal serial bus) through which you can test and upload program directly from computers. This board is slightly different from the Arduino Micro board. The Arduino Pro Micro doesn’t include a reset button, 13 pin LED, and ICSP header and is smaller in size compared to the Arduino Micro board. I suggest you buckle up as in this tutorial I’ll detail the complete Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro covering pinout, pin description, features, communication and programming, and applications. Let’s jump right in.

Introduction to Arduino Pro Micro

• Introduced by Sparkfun, Arduino Pro Micro is an Arduino compatible microcontroller board based on ATmega32u4.
• This board operates at the frequency of 16 MHz which is required for the synchronization of the internal functions.

• It comes with a built-in micro USB port that helps you test and program the Arduino board with a computer.
• Though this tiny beast is small in size, it can perform functions like regular Arduino boards. This board comes with a flash memory of 32KB. And SRAM and EEPROM memories are 1KB and 2.5KB respectively.
• The flash memory is the memory where the Arduino Program (sketch) is stored. While EEPROM memory is used to store long-term information and SRAM memory is used to produce and manipulate variables when it starts running.
• In addition, this board is compatible with breadboards which makes it an ideal pick for a range of testing projects before you actually incorporate this device into your electrical project.
• This board supports UART serial communication with two pins Rx and Tx. The former is the receive data line used to receive serial data while the latter is the transmission line used to transmit serial data.
• The board incorporates resettable poly-fuse mainly employed to secure the USB port. It keeps the board from consuming too much power from the computer. When the current exceeds the given limit, the resistance of this polymeric material increases while it heats up. When the overcurrent is removed from the device, this fuse cools down and its resistance comes back to its original value.

Arduino Pro Micro Datasheet

Before you install this board into your electrical project, it’s wise to go through the datasheet of the board that contains the main characteristics of the board. Click the link below to download the datasheet of Arduino Pro Micro.

Arduino Pro Micro Features

The following are the main features of the Arduino Pro Micro board. CPU = 8bit Microcontroller = Atmega32u4 Digital I/O pins = 12 Oscillator = 16MHz USB = 1 ADC = 4x 10-bit ADC inputs PWM pins = 5 UART = 1 Reset button = no ICSP header = no Pin 13 LED = no Software Used = Arduino IDE Flash memory = 32KB EEPROM = 1KB SRAM  = 2.5KB Size = 34mm x 18mm

Arduino Pro Micro Pinout

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of Arduino Pro Micro.

Arduino Pro Micro Pin Description

Hope you’ve got the sneak peek of this Arduino board. In this section, we’ll detail the pin description of pins incorporated on the board.

Digital I/O Pins

There are 12 digital I/O pins available on the board that are either used as input or output based on the requirement. These pins are either OFF or ON. When they are ON they receive 5V and are considered as HIGH and when they are OFF they receive 0V and are considered LOW.

Analog Pins

This board incorporates 9 channels of 10-bit ADC. These are analog pins that receive any number of values in contrast to digital pins that get only two values i.e. HIGH and LOW.

PWM Pins

The Pro Micro board features 5 PWM channels which are used to get some of the analog output’s functions. When the PWM pins are triggered, the board creates analog results with digital means.

UART Pins

Moreover, it supports UART serial communication with two pins Rx and Tx. Both pins are used to transmit and receive serial data.

SPI Pins

This board comes with a serial peripheral interface (SPI) used to layout communication between the microcontroller and other peripheral devices such as and sensors shift registers. There are two pins for SPI communication i.e. MOSI (Master Output Slave Input) and MISO (Master Input Slave Output) – these pins are employed for sending and receiving the data by the microcontroller.

I2C Pins

• Two pins are used for I2C communication which is a two-wire communication protocol. One is SDA and the other is SCL.
• The former is a serial data line used to carry the data and the latter is a serial clock line used for the synchronization of all data transfer over the I2C bus.

Programming

• The Arduino IDE (integrated development environment) software is used to program this Arduino board. This software is introduced by Arduino.cc which is used to program all kinds of Arduino boards.
• This software is easy to use. As you install the software, you are given some basic LED blinking programs through which you can easily test the board on the go.
• This tiny little beast contains a built-in Bootloader that is used to burn the program and it sets you free from the drill of compiling and burning the program from the external burner.
• With a micro USB port, you don’t require a secondary processor as it appears to an attached computer as a keyboard and mouse. With this port, you can test and program the Arduino board directly from the computer.

Difference between Arduino Pro Micro and Arduino Micro

• Through both boards incorporate Atmega32u4 microcontroller they differ in few features.
• The Micro board comes with a reset button and ICSP header while the Pro micro board doesn’t incorporate those features.
• Moreover, pro micro is smaller than micro board thus fewer pins are brought out to the Arduino terminal pins.
• The missing pins include AREF, A4, A5, SS, 11, 12, and 13. This also projects that pin 13 doesn’t carry LED but it still supports Tx and Rx pins with LEDs for serial communication.

• In addition, you cannot use the SPI interface in slave mode in the case of the Pro micro board as this board doesn’t bring out SS pin. And since the pro micro board cannot bring out AREF, the external ADC reference voltage ability is absent.

• It is important to note that, though the board doesn’t carry ICSP connector, still it supports ICSP interface through which you can program the board.

Arduino Pro Micro Applications

The ability to easily groove in hard to reach places makes this board an ideal pick for a range of applications. This board can be used in the following projects.

• Windows PC lock/unlock application
• USB Trackpad
• USB Joystick
• Water Level Meter
• Electric Bike
• Creating a wireless keyboard
• Automatic Pill Dispenser

That’s all for today. I hope you’ve got a clear idea about this Arduino Pro Micro board. If you have any questions, you can approach me in the section below. I’d love to help you the best way I can. Feel free to share your valuable feedback and suggestions around the content we share, so we keep producing quality content customized to your exact needs and requirements. Thank you for reading the article.

Introduction to Arduino USB Host Shields

Hello Everyone! Hope you’re well today. I welcome you on board. In this post today, I’ll walk you through the Introduction to Arduino USB Host Shields. With Arduino USB host shield you can interface the USB device to your Arduino board. This USB host shield is based on MAX3421E which is mainly known as the USB host controller that contains the analog circuitry and digital logic required to apply the USB full speed peripheral to USB specifications rev. 2.0. Moreover, this shield is compatible with TinkerKit which projects you can plug this TinkerKit module with the Arduino Boards.

Introduction to Arduino USB Host Shields

• Arduino USB host shield is used to connect a USB device with the Arduino Board. Simply put, USB host shields provide the USB host capabilities to the Arduino boards.
• With this USB host shield, you can connect any USB device with the Arduino boards.
• What does this USB host mean? To understand this, you need to understand the USB protocol that comes with two types of devices. One is called the peripheral (client) and the other is called a host (server).

• When the mouse or keyboard is attached to the computer through a USB port, your system acts as a host and the keyboard acts like a peripheral (client).
• Successful communication is carried out using this USB protocol when one of the devices acts like a host which indicates you cannot attach two keyboards for the communication because both are peripheral devices.

• The USB Host shield incorporates MAX3421E which is a separate chip that is mainly used to provide the USB host support to the Arduino board.
• Once you connect this shield with the Arduino board, the board starts behaving like a host with you can attach other peripheral devices like a keyboard or mouse.
• USB host shield is normally installed on the top of the Arduino boards.

Device Classes

The shield supports the following device classes.

• Game controllers = Nintendo Wii, Sony PS3, Xbox360.
• ADK-capable Android phones and tablets.
• Bluetooth dongles.
• USB to serial converters = FTDI, PL-2303, ACM, as well as certain cell phones and GPS receivers.

• Mass storage devices: External hard drives, memory card readers, USB sticks.

• Digital cameras: Powershot, Canon EOS, generic PTP, Nikon DSLRs and P&S
• HID devices = keyboards, joysticks, mice, etc.

MAX3421E USB Peripheral/Host Controller with SPI Interface

• Recall, MAX3421E chip known as the USB host controller that contains the analog circuitry and digital logic required to apply the USB full speed peripheral to USB specifications rev. 2.0.
• This chip comes with a built-in transceiver that contains ±15kV ESD protection with programmable USB disconnect and connect.
• SIE stands for (serial interface engine) which is mainly employed to control the low-level USB protocol details including bus retries and error checking.
• The SPI interface can access the register set which is used to operate the chip and works at the frequency 26MHz.

The following figure shows the pinout diagram of the chip.

• When MAX3421E operates as a host it provides a huge collection of USB peripherals to DSP, ASIC, and microprocessor.
• The SPI interface operates at a voltage between 1.4V and 3.6V due to the internal level translators.
• The MAX3421E comes in a 32-pin TQFN package (5mm x 5mm) and 32-pin TQFP package (5mm x 5mm) with operating temperature range from -40°C to +85°C

MAX3421E Datasheet

Before you apply any component to your electrical project, it’s wise to go through the datasheet of the component that contains the main characteristics of the device. Click the link below to download the datasheet of MAX3421E.

Applications

• Embedded Systems
• Microprocessors and DSPs
• Medical Devices
• Cameras
• PDAs
• Custom USB Devices
• PLCs
• MP3 Players
• Set-Top Boxes
• Instrumentation
• Desktop Routers

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