Make your own little LED strip arrangement with this stick of NeoPixel LEDs. We crammed 8 of the tiny 5050 (5mm x 5mm) smart RGB LEDs onto a PCB with mounting holes and a chainable design. Use only one microcontroller pin to control as many as you can chain together! Each LED is addressable as the driver chip is inside the LED. Each one has ~18mA constant current drive so the color will be very consistent even if the voltage varies, and no external choke resistors are required making the design slim. Power the whole thing with 5VDC (4-7V works) and you're ready to rock.The LEDs are 'chainable' by connecting the output of one stick into the input of another - see the photo above. There is a single data line with a very timing-specific protocol. Since the protocol is very sensitive to timing, it requires a real-time microconroller such as an AVR, Arduino, PIC, mbed, etc. It cannot be used with a Linux-based microcomputer or interpreted microcontroller such as the netduino or Basic Stamp. Our wonderfully-written Neopixel library for Arduino supports these pixels! As it requires hand-tuned assembly it is only for AVR cores but others may have ported this chip driver code so please google around. An 8MHz or faster processor is required.Comes as a single stick with 8 individually addressable RGB LEDs assembled and tested.Our detailed NeoPixel Uberguide has everything you need to use NeoPixels in any shape and size. Including ready-to-go library & example code for the Arduino UNO/Duemilanove/Diecimila, Flora/Micro/Leonardo, Trinket/Gemma, Arduino Due & Arduino Mega/ADK (all versions)

NeoPixel Stick - 8 x 5050 RGB LED with Integrated Drivers (6:15)

These simple switches are the Mechanical Bumper sensor for the SparkFun RedBot, giving you the ability to detect a collision before it really happens. This sensor works by acting as a SPST switch. When the “whisker” bumps into a foreign object it will make contact with a nut next to it, closing the connection and, by default, turning off the motor. By attaching these mechanical bumpers to you robot the whisker will bump something before your robot crashes into it.

The sensor has a 3-pin header which connects directly to the RedBot Mainboard via female to female jumper wires. Use the included RedBot library to make sure your robot never crashes into anything again.

Check out the entire RedBot family of products!

Note: Our RedBot tutorials utilize two of these Mechanical Bumper Sensors. Please take this into consideration before placing your order.

Includes

1x Mechanical Bumper Board

1x Whisker

1x ¾" 4-40 Nylon Standoff

1x 4-40 Hex Nut

3x 3/8" 4-40 Phillips Machine Screw

Features

1.03 x 0.69" (26.27 x 17.67 mm)

These are very thin variable potentiometers. By pressing down on various parts of the strip, the resistance linearly changes from 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms allowing the user to very accurately calculate the relative position on the strip. Can be used as an accurate positional indicator for CNC head positioning, variable user input (volume level input for example), straight user input (multiple button areas translate to given resistance levels), and many other applications.

Unit comes with adhesive backing. Connector is 0.1" spaced and bread board friendly.

Note: These potentiometers work great with a finger, or stylus.

This is a small force sensitive resistor. It has a 0.16" (4 mm) diameter active sensing area. This FSR from Interlink Electronics will vary its resistance depending on how much pressure is being applied to the sensing area. The harder the force, the lower the resistance. When no pressure is being applied to the FSR, its resistance will be larger than 1MΩ, with full pressure applied the resistance will be 2.5kΩ.

Two pins extend from the bottom of the sensor with 0.1" pitch making it bread board friendly.

These sensors are simple to set up and great for sensing pressure, but they aren’t incredibly accurate. Use them to sense if it’s being squeezed, but you may not want to use it as a scale.

Features

Actuation Force as low as 2 grams

Wide force sensitivity range 0.1N - 10N* Overall length: 1.75"

Overall width: 0.28"

Sensing area: 0.3"\

These are very thin variable potentiometers. By pressing down on various parts of the strip, the resistance linearly changes from 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms allowing the user to very accurately calculate the relative position on the strip. Can be used as an accurate positional indicator for CNC head positioning, variable user input (volume level input for example), straight user input (multiple button areas translate to given resistance levels), and many other applications.

Unit comes with adhesive backing. Connector is 0.1" spaced and bread board friendly.

Note: These potentiometers work great with a finger, or stylus. For premium repeatability, the wiper listed below is perfect for machine and object positioning.

This is a force sensitive resistor with a round, 0.5" diameter, sensing area. This FSR will vary its resistance depending on how much pressure is being applied to the sensing area. The harder the force, the lower the resistance. When no pressure is being applied to the FSR its resistance will be larger than 1MΩ. This FSR can sense applied force anywhere in the range of 100g-10kg.

Two pins extend from the bottom of the sensor with 0.1" pitch making it bread board friendly. There is a peel-and-stick rubber backing on the other side of the sensing area to mount the FSR.

These sensors are simple to set up and great for sensing pressure, but they aren’t incredibly accurate. Use them to sense if it’s being squeezed, but you may not want to use it as a scale.

Note: As it states in the Integration Guide, do NOT solder directly to the exposed silver traces. With flexible substrates, the solder joint will not hold and the substrate can easily melt and distort during the soldering. We recommend using a male or female clincher connector instead.

Features

Overall length: 2.375"

Overall width: 0.75"

Sensing diameter: 0.5"

Use this motor driver and power distribution board to get your Romi chassis running quickly. It offers all of the same features as the smaller Power Distribution board for Romi Chassis — battery contact slots, reverse voltage protection, several power switching options, and easy access to the various power busses — and adds a two-channel motor driver and powerful switching step-down regulator that can supply a continuous 2.5 A at 5 V or 3.3 V. Just add a microcontroller and sensors to complete your Romi robot.

This motor driver and power distribution board is designed specifically for the Romi chassis as a convenient way to drive the chassis’s motors and power the rest of the electronics that make up your robot. It features two DRV8838 motor drivers, one for each of the chassis’s motors, and a powerful switching step-down regulator that can supply a continuous 2.5 A at 5 V or 3.3 V. The board has slots for soldering in the Romi chassis battery contact tabs, and it incorporates the power switching and distribution functionality from the Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis, so it offers all of the same features: reverse voltage protection, several power switching options based on the patented latching circuit from the Pololu pushbutton power switch, and easy access to the various power buses.

The board has a small pushbutton already installed for controlling power (one push turns power on and another push turns it off) and offers convenient points for connecting external pushbutton or tactile switches in parallel. It also offers several alternate pushbutton connection options that result in push-on-only or push-off-only operation, and additional inputs enable further power control options like allowing your robot to turn off its own power. Alternatively, the board can be reconfigured to disable the pushbutton circuit and give control to the small installed slide switch.

The board’s control pins and power buses are accessible through a set of 0.1″-spaced pins that are compatible with standard 0.1″ male and 0.1″ female headers, and the power buses are also accessible through a larger set of holes that are compatible with 3.5mm-pitch terminal blocks (you can combine a 2-pin block and a 3-pin block into a single 5-pin block that spans the three power holes and two ground holes).

Two 1/4″ #2-56 screws and two #2-56 nuts are included for mounting the board to the Romi chassis, and two low-profile female headers are included for connecting the motors to the board.

Installation

Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis with included hardware.

Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis mounted on a chassis prior to motor installation.

Before installing the motor driver and power distribution board on a Romi chassis, you should solder any headers, terminal blocks, wires, or other connectors you plan to use on the board. You have a few options for connecting the Romi chassis’s motors to the board:

If you plan on using the Romi Encoder Pair Kit with your motors, we recommend you solder these included female headers into the outer sets of holes (closest to the edges of the board) directly below where the motors will be. With the Romi encoders mounted on your motors and their included male header pins installed facing down, they will plug directly into these female headers when you push the motors into the motor clips.

The Romi Encoder can plug directly into the Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis.

Alternatively, if you do not intend to use Romi encoders, we recommend soldering wires to your motor leads and installing 3.5mm-pitch terminal blocks to the motor driver output holes along the front edge of the board. These terminal blocks will let you make temporary connections between your motors and the motor driver board. We suggest connecting the forward lead of each motor to the + (positive) motor output so that the motor directions will match the behavior described below.

Please read the rest of this page carefully to determine what additional connectors you might want and where they should be installed.

It is possible to remove the board from the chassis later to solder additional connections, and some of the through holes can be soldered through the slots in the chassis while the board is mounted, but soldering beforehand is easier and avoids the risk of inadvertently melting the chassis with your soldering iron.

The four battery terminals should be soldered to the board after it is mounted on the chassis, as described in the chassis assembly instructions. You will be able to remove the board and battery contacts from the chassis as a single piece after soldering.

Once your you have soldered your through-hole connections to the motor driver and power distribution board, please follow the instructions given in the Pololu Romi Chassis User’s Guide to finish assembling the chassis, mounting the control board, and soldering in the battery contacts. (The diagrams in those instructions show assembly with the larger Romi 32U4 Control Board, but the same steps apply for the smaller motor driver and power distribution board.)

Motor drivers

The motor driver and power distribution board has two Texas Instruments DRV8838 motor drivers that can power the Romi chassis’s motors. We recommend careful reading of the DRV8838 datasheet (1MB pdf) for information about the drivers.

By default, the drivers’ motor voltage (VM) is supplied by the board’s switched battery voltage, VSW, and their logic voltage (VCCMD) is supplied by the on-board regulator output, VREG (5 V by default). If you want to customize these voltages, you can cut the jumpers labeled VM = VSW and VCCMD = VREG and connect appropriate supplies to the VM and VCCMD pins.

The DRV8838 offers a simple two-pin PHASE/ENABLE control interface, which this board makes available for each motor as DIR and PWM, respectively. The DIR pin determines the motor direction (low drives the motor forward, high drives it in reverse) and the PWM pin can be supplied with a PWM signal to control the motor speed. The DIR and PWM control inputs are pulled low through weak internal pull-down resistors (approximately 100 kΩ). When the PWM pin is low, the motor outputs are both shorted to ground, which results in dynamic braking of a connected motor.

The two drivers’ SLEEP pins (labeled SLP) are connected together by default and can be driven low to put the drivers into a low-power sleep mode and turn off the motor outputs, which is useful if you want to let the motors coast. The SLEEP pins are pulled high through 10 kΩ pull-up resistors on the board so that the drivers are awake by default. In most applications, these pins can be left disconnected; if you want independent control of SLEEP on each side, you can cut the jumper labeled SLP L = R. The two SLEEP pins should not be driven separately without cutting this jumper.

The following simplified truth table shows how each driver operates:

Encoder connections

The motor driver and power distribution board is designed to allow the Romi Encoder Pair Kit to plug directly into the encoder headers. The encoders can be used to track the rotational speed and direction of the robot’s drive wheels. They provide a resolution of 12 counts per revolution of the motor shaft when counting both edges of both channels, which corresponds to approximately 1440 counts per revolution of the Romi’s wheels. For more information about the specifications of the Romi encoders, please see the Romi Encoder Pair Kit product page.

For typical use, one set of through holes on each side of the motor power and distribution board will be populated with the female header for the encoder board; we recommend using the outer set on each side for this purpose. The remaining set of through holes can be used to make connections to the encoder signals.

For both encoders, channel B leads channel A when the motor is rotating in the forward direction; that is, B rises before A rises and B falls before A falls. Note that this description designates the A and B signals as labeled on the motor driver and power distribution board itself, which puts A in front on both sides.

By default, both the logic voltage for the encoders (VCCENC) and the pull-up voltage for the open-drain encoder outputs (VPU) are supplied by the on-board regulator output, VREG (5 V by default). If you want to customize these voltages, you can cut the jumpers labeled VCCENC = VREG and VPU = VREG and connect appropriate supplies to the VCCENC and VPU pins.

Power switch circuit

By default, the on-board pushbutton can be used to toggle power: one push turns on power and another turns it off. Alternatively, a separate pushbutton can be connected to the BTNA and BTNB pins and used instead. Multiple pushbuttons can be wired in parallel for multiple control points, and each of the parallel pushbuttons, including the one on the board itself, will be able to turn the switch on or off. The latching circuit performs some button debouncing, but pushbuttons with excessive bouncing (several ms) might not function well with it.

For proper pushbutton operation, the board’s slide switch should be left in its Off position. (Sliding the switch to the On position will cause the board power to latch on, and the switch must be returned to the Off position before the board can be turned off with the pushbutton.)

Alternatively, to disable the pushbutton, you can cut the button jumper labeled Btn Jmp; this transfers control of the board’s power to the on-board slide switch instead. A separate slide or toggle switch can be connected to the GATE pin and used instead.

More advanced control options are available through the button connection pins and four control inputs:

Power distribution

The diagram below shows the layout of the power distribution buses and access points on the board.

VBAT is connected to the battery contact labeled BAT1+ and provides a direct connection to the battery supply. By default, VBAT is the high side of all six of the chassis’s AA battery cells in series, although this can be reconfigured with the battery jumper (see below).

VRP provides access to the battery voltage after reverse-voltage protection.

VSW is the battery voltage after reverse protection and the power switch circuit. By default, it provides power to the motors (VM) through the on-board motor drivers.

VREG is the output of the on-board step-down voltage regulator (see the “Voltage regulator” section below). By default, it is 5 V and provides logic power to the motor drivers (VCCMD) and encoder connectors (VCCENC and VPU).

BAT2+ provides access to the high side of two AA cells in series. This can be useful if you reconfigure the board to provide two separate battery supplies as described below.

Voltage regulator

An MP4423H switching buck converter regulates the switched battery voltage (VSW) to provide a regulated output, VREG. The regulated output is 5 V by default, but it can be changed to 3.3 V by cutting the jumper labeled VREG Select. Under typical conditions, up to 2 A of current is available from the VREG output. (We also make a standalone regulator based on this integrated circuit.)

Battery supply configuration

The motor driver and power distribution board’s default configuration provides battery power, VBAT, from all six of the chassis’s AA cells in series (nominally about 7.2 V with rechargeable batteries or 9 V with alkaline batteries). However, the board’s battery jumper, labeled Bat Jmp, allows you to reconfigure the battery connections to provide two independent supplies: BAT1, with 4 cells in series (nominally 4.8 V rechargeable or 6 V alkaline), and BAT2, with 2 cells in series (nominally 2.4 V rechargeable or 3 V alkaline). Cutting the connection between the BAT1− and BAT2+ pads separates the two sets of batteries, and using solder to bridge the BAT1− and GND pads establishes a common ground between the two new supplies.

Warning: Do not bridge the BAT1− and GND pads without first disconnecting BAT1− from BAT2+. Failing to do so could create a short circuit across the BAT2 batteries.

Note that the onboard regulator might not be able to supply 5 V as reliably if VBAT is reconfigured to come from a 4-cell supply, especially if you are using rechargeable batteries.

Schematic

A simplified schematic diagram of this board is available for download: Schematic diagram of the Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis (272k pdf)

In addition to the motor driver and power distribution board, we have a few other boards designed to mount onto a Romi chassis:

The Romi 32U4 Control Board turns the Romi chassis into an integrated robot platform. In addition to the same motor drivers and power circuit (including 5 V regulator) found on this board, the Romi 32U4 board includes an on-board ATmega32U4 microcontroller, a number of other peripherals and sensors, and interfaces for an optional LCD or Raspberry Pi.

The Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis is a more basic board that only includes reverse voltage protection and a pushbutton power switch circuit; it is intended to be a convenient way to access the chassis’s battery power and pass it on to the rest of your electronics.

People often buy this product together with:

The Romi 32U4 Control Board turns the Romi chassis into a programmable robot based on the Arduino-compatible ATmega32U4 MCU. Its features include integrated dual motor drivers, a versatile power circuit, and inertial sensors, as well as connections for quadrature encoders and an optional LCD. The board also has the ability to interface with an added Raspberry Pi, making the foundation for a complete Raspberry Pi-controlled Romi robot.

The Romi 32U4 Control Board is designed to be assembled with a Romi chassis to create a capable integrated robot platform that can easily be programmed and customized.

Like our A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers, the Romi 32U4 Control Board is built around a USB-enabled ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller from Microchip (formerly Atmel), and it ships preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader. The control board features two H-bridge motor drivers and is designed to connect to a Romi Encoder Pair Kit (available separately) to allow closed-loop motor control. It also includes a powerful 5 V switching step-down regulator that can supply up to 2 A continuously, along with a versatile power switching and distribution circuit. A 3-axis accelerometer and gyro enable a Romi 32U4 robot to make inertial measurements, estimate its orientation, and detect external forces. Three on-board pushbuttons offer a convenient interface for user input, while indicator LEDs, a buzzer, and a connector for an optional LCD allow the robot to provide feedback.

Romi 32U4 Control Board on a Romi chassis, top view.

Romi 32U4 Control Board with LCD on a Romi chassis.

The Romi 32U4 Control Board can be used either as a standalone control solution or as a base for a more powerful Raspberry Pi controller. Its on-board connector and mounting holes allow a compatible Raspberry Pi (Model B+ or newer, including Pi 3 Model B and Model A+) to plug directly into the control board. Integrated level shifters make it easy to set up I²C communication and interface other signals between the two controllers, and the control board automatically supplies 5 V power to an attached Raspberry Pi. In this setup, the Raspberry Pi can handle the high-level robot control while relying on the Romi 32U4 Control Board for low-level tasks, like running motors, reading encoders, and interfacing with other analog or timing-sensitive devices.

Romi 32U4 Control Board with Raspberry Pi on a Romi chassis.

The I/O lines of both the ATmega32U4 and the Raspberry Pi are broken out to 0.1″-spaced through-holes along the front and rear of the control board, and the board’s power rails are similarly accessible, enabling sensors and other peripherals to easily be connected.

A software add-on is available that makes it easy to program a Romi 32U4 robot from the Arduino environment, and we have Arduino libraries and example sketches to help get you started. A USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) is required for programming.

The Romi 32U4 Control Board ships with all of its surface-mount components populated, and it includes a number of through-hole parts and mounting hardware, as shown in the picture above. Note that assembly (including soldering) is required; please see the user’s guide for assembly instructions.

The Romi chassis itself and other parts required to build a complete Romi 32U4 robot are not included; these are listed below, along with some optional additions.

What you will need

To build a robot with the Romi 32U4 Control Board, you will need a few additional parts:

a Romi Chassis Kit (this includes motors, wheels, one ball caster, and battery contacts)

a Romi Encoder Pair Kit

six AA batteries; The Romi chassis and control board work with both alkaline and NiMH batteries, though we recommend rechargeable NiMH cells

a USB A to Micro-B cable to connect the robot to your computer for programming and debugging

tools to help with kit assembly; see the user’s guide for a list of specific tools

Optional accessories

You might also consider getting these for your Romi 32U4 robot:

an 8×2 character LCD

a compatible Raspberry Pi (Model B+ or newer, including Pi 3 Model B and Model A+)

sensors

connectors (headers, jumper wires, etc) for adding those sensors or other peripherals

In addition to the Romi 32U4 Control Board, we have some more basic boards designed to mount onto a Romi chassis:

The Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis includes the same motor drivers and power circuit (including 5 V regulator) as the Romi 32U4 Control Board, but offers you flexibility in choosing and connecting your own microcontroller.

The Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis only includes reverse voltage protection and a pushbutton power switch circuit; it is intended to be a convenient way to access the chassis’s battery power and pass it on to the rest of your electronics.

The Romi 32U4 Control Board uses the same microcontroller and includes many of the same features as some of our other programmable robots and controller boards. Consider these alternatives if you want similar electronics on a different chassis:

The Zumo 32U4 is a smaller tracked robot sized to qualify for Mini Sumo competitions and equipped with appropriate sensors. It is available fully assembled or as a kit.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV with Raspberry Pi Bridge shares most of the same functionality as the Romi 32U4 Control Board, including the ability to interface with a Raspberry Pi, but it is a smaller board with a more general-purpose form factor instead of being designed to work with a specific chassis. It is also available in a lower-voltage LV version.

People often buy this product together with:

Add some jazz & pizazz to your project with a color touchscreen LCD. This TFT display is big (2.8" diagonal) bright (4 white-LED backlight) and colorful! 240x320 pixels with individual RGB pixel control, this has way more resolution than a black and white 128x64 display. As a bonus, this display has a resistive touchscreen attached to it already, so you can detect finger presses anywhere on the screen. We also have a version of this display breakout with a capacitive touchscreen.

This display has a controller built into it with RAM buffering, so that almost no work is done by the microcontroller. The display can be used in two modes: 8-bit and SPI. For 8-bit mode, you'll need 8 digital data lines and 4 or 5 digital control lines to read and write to the display (12 lines total). SPI mode requires only 5 pins total (SPI data in, data out, clock, select, and d/c) but is slower than 8-bit mode. In addition, 4 pins are required for the touch screen (2 digital, 2 analog) or you can purchase and use our resistive touchscreen controller (not included) to use I2C or SPI

We wrapped up this display into an easy-to-use breakout board, with SPI connections on one end and 8-bit on the other. Both are 3-5V compliant with high-speed level shifters so you can use with any microcontroller. If you're going with SPI mode, you can also take advantage of the onboard MicroSD card socket to display images. (microSD card not included, but any will work)

Of course, we wouldn't just leave you with a datasheet and a "good luck!". For 8-bit interface fans we've written a full open source graphics library that can draw pixels, lines, rectangles, circles, text, and more. For SPI users, we have a library as well, its separate from the 8-bit library since both versions are heavily optimized. We also have a touch screen library that detects x, y and z (pressure) and example code to demonstrate all of it.

Follow our step by step guide for wiring, code and drawing. You'll be running in 15 minutes

If you are using an Arduino-shaped microcontroller, check out our TFT shield version of this same display, with SPI control and a touch screen controller as well

The 1.3" 168x144 SHARP Memory LCD display is a cross between an eInk (e-paper) display and an LCD. It has the ultra-low power usage of eInk and the fast-refresh rates of an LCD. This model has a gray background, and pixels show up as black-on-gray for a nice e-reader type display. It does not have a backlight, but it is daylight readable. For dark/night reading you may need to illuminate the LCD area with external LEDs.The bare display is 3V powered and 3V logic, so we placed it on a fully assembled & tested breakout board with a 3V regulator and level shifting circuitry. Now you can use it safely with 3 or 5V power and logic. The bare display slots into a ZIF socket on board and we use a piece of double-sided tape to adhere it onto one side. There are four mounting holes so you can easily attach it to a box.The display is 'write only' which means that it only needs 3 pins to send data. However, the downside of a write-only display is that the entire 168x144 bits (3 KB) must be buffered by the microcontroller driver. That means you cannot use this with an ATmega328 (e.g. Arduino UNO) or ATmega32u4 (Feather 32u4, etc). You must use a high-RAM chip such as ATSAMD21 (Feather M0), Teensy 3, ESP8266, ESP32, etc. On those chips, this display works great and looks wonderful.

Check our our detailed guide for wiring diagrams, schematics, libraries, code, Fritzing objects, etc!

This battery holder connects 3 AA batteries together in series for powering all kinds of projects. We spec'd these out because the box is compact, and 3 AA's add up to about 3.3-4.5V, a very similar range to Lithium Ion/polymer (Li-Ion) batteries, plus it has a nifty on-off switch. That makes them ideal for use with 3.3V projects that have a 2-pin JST connector meant for one of our Li-Ion/Poly batteries. (Of course, you can't recharge them like Li-Ion/Polys, so don't try to plug this into one of our Li-Ion/Poly charger boards!). It also features an ergonomic belt clip for taking your power on the go!Fits any standard AA battery. When using rechargeable NiMH the output voltage will range from about 3.7V with charged batteries to 2.7V at the end of life with a nominal voltage of 3.6V. When using alkalines, the output will range from 4.5V with new batteries to 3.3V at the end of life with a nominal voltage of about 4.5V.The polarity matches that of our 2-pin JST cable and Li-Ion/Poly batteries. Uses a genuine JST connector so it wont 'catch and tear' in JST connectors.

This battery holder connects 3 AAA batteries together in series for powering all kinds of projects. We spec'd these out because the box is slim, and 3 AAA's add up to about 3.3-4.5V, a very similar range to Lithium Ion/polymer (Li-Ion) batteries, plus it has a nifty on-off switch. That makes them ideal for use with 3.3V projects that have a 2-pin JST connector meant for one of our Li-Ion/Poly batteries. (Of course, you can't recharge them like Li-Ion/Polys, so don't try to plug this into one of our Li-Ion/Poly charger boards!) It also features an ergonomic belt clip for taking your power on the go.Fits any standard AAA battery. When using rechargeable NiMH the output voltage will range from about 3.7V with charged batteries to 2.7V at the end of life with a nominal voltage of 3.6V. When using alkalines, the output will range from 4.6V with new batteries to 3.3V at the end of life with a nominal voltage of about 4.5V.The polarity matches that of our 2-pin JST cable and Li-Ion/Poly batteries. Uses a genuine JST connector so it wont 'catch and tear' in JST connectors.

One can never have enough socks, or USB ports. Add some more USB capability to your Raspberry Pi Zero with the Zero4U!

This is a 4-port USB hub for Raspberry Pi Zero, and it can be mounted back-to-back onto a Pi Zero. The 4 pogo pins on the back will connect the PP1, PP6, PP22 and PP23 testing pads on your Raspberry Pi Zero – no soldering required!

This item can only work with the Zero W if a ferrite ring is installed!

The USB hub will take power directly from your Pi Zero, so you don’t need to power the USB hub separately. However you can use the JST XH2.54 connector on board as an alternative power input port. The blue onboard LED is the power indicator, and will light up when power is connected. Each USB port uses a dedicated white LED as a transaction indicator, and a dedicated electrolytic capacitor to help stabilize the output voltage.

If you use this USB hub with other types of computers, you can use a USB cable (not included) to connect the onboard mini-USB port to the up-stream USB port.

Kit includes:

4-port USB hub board x 1

Plastic spacer x 4

M2.5 plastic screw x 4

M2.5 plastic nut x 4

Note: This version of Zero4U only works with the Raspberry Pi Zero v1.3 (with camera connector).

Note: As of 3/29/2017, this ships with a small Ferrite ring in each Zero4U package, in order to support the newly released Raspberry Pi Zero W. The user can put that Ferrite ring on the pogo pins to avoid the interference from the on-board antenna.

PiJack is a HAT (yes, a proper HAT, not a pHAT!) add-on board for the Raspberry Pi Zero mini computer that makes connecting your Pi Zero to the Internet via Ethernet super simple. If you're fed up with flaky WiFi and want your Pi Zero to be online all the time, then this HAT is for you!

PiJack is a neat little board with an Ethernet controller and standard RJ45 connector so you can hook your Pi up to your home or office network using standard Ethernet cables. PiJack is ready to go – there's no special software or drivers to install. It works right out of the box with Raspbian – simply attach PiJack to your Pi's GPIO header and plug it in!

Features:

10Mbps Ethernet connection

Two blinky LEDs for connection status

HAT-standard-compliant EEPROM makes setup automatic, works straight away with Raspbian!

Uses the Pi Zero's GPIO pins, your USB connector is still free for something else!

Note: Pi Zero and Ethernet cable not included!

PiJack is well engineered and uses high quality components and connectors (that won't snap off the first time you use it!). PiJack is built in the EU, and every board is tested to make sure it'll work for you first time.

Looking for an unashamedly old school LED matrix display board? Lookie here! The Pimoroni Micro Dot pHAT is made up of six red LED matrices, each 5x7 pixels (for an effective display area of 30x7) plus a decimal point, using the beautiful little Lite-On LTP-305 matrices.

Perfect for building a retro scrolling message display, a tiny 30-band spectrum analyzer, or a retro clock. Far out!

As with the other pHATs, it works with all of the 40-pin Raspberry Pi variants - 3/2/B+/A+/Zero - but using it with the Pi Zero makes for a super-tiny package.

Features:

3x onboard IS31FL3730 LED matrix driver chips

Drives up to 6 x LTP-305 red LED matrices

Up to 30x7 pixels (5x7 per matrix plus a decimal point)

Kit includes:

Assembled Micro Dot pHAT PCB

2x20 0.1" female GPIO header

6 Red LTP-305 LED modules

Micro Dot pHAT also works well with other pHATs and HATs. You could use it in combination with pHAT DAC to display the audio spectrum, or with Enviro pHAT to display its temperature, pressure and light readings. Give it a try!

Note: These pHAT boards require you to solder on the headers and LTP-305 modules (through-hole components). Works with any 40-pin Raspberry Pi variant.

These are very thin variable potentiometers. By pressing down on various parts of the strip, the resistance linearly changes from 100Ohms to 10,000Ohms allowing the user to very accurately calculate the relative position on the strip. Can be used as an accurate positional indicator for CNC head positioning, variable user input (volume level input for example), straight user input (multiple button areas translate to given resistance levels), and many other applications.

Unit comes with adhesive backing. Connector is 0.1" spaced and bread board friendly. However the connector does not fit nicely into standard female headers because the pins are too small.

Note: These potentiometers work great with a finger, or stylus.

This is the FeatherWing Doubler - a prototyping add-on and more for all Feather boards. This is similar to our FeatherWing Proto except there are two! The magic of the Doubler comes when stacking a Feather and another board on top of the Doubler so you can work with both boards simultaneously side-by-side! In addition to the board the Doubler comes with:

1 Doubler PCB

1 set Feather Stacking Headers

1 set Feather Female Headers

The Doubler, like the Proto, has a duplicate breakout for each pin on a Feather, as well as a bunch of plain grid proto holes. Also, the two sets of pins are cross connected and for GND and 3.3V, we give you a full strip of connected pads.

You'll need to solder on the female headers or stacking headers however you like, the Doubler comes as a mini kit!

Check out our range of Feather boards here.

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

The GPIO Block is a simple breakout board to bring the GPIO from the Intel® Edison to the user. Bread board friendly, the GPIO Block provides access to all basic GPIO, PWM, and UART2 pins. All GPIO is level shifted to a selectable 3.3v or VSYS. The GPIO add-on also provides access to all three power rails found on the Intel® Edison. 3.3v, 1.8v, VSYS, and GND are accessible for bread board prototyping. Note: Since the level shifting is accomplished through a auto direction sensing translator, driving high current components (Such as Relays, Motors, and high power LED’s) will require an external switch. See the Hookup Guide to learn more.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

Equip your Edison with a graphic display using the Edison OLED Block! Simply snap this board onto your Edison to gain access to a 0.66", 64x48 pixel monochrome OLED. To add some control over your Edison and the OLED, this board also includes a small joystick and a pair of push-buttons which can be used them to create a game, file navigator, or more!

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

The Battery Block brings a single cell LiPo Charger and 400mAh battery to power an Intel® Edision and expansion blocks. The Battery board can be used with an external battery to increase runtime of your Edison which can be plugged in with a micro USB cable to deliver a 500mA charge current. Additionally, the power switch removes the battery from the Edison while allowing it to charge via the microUSB cable. If you need more battery life, it is possible to gently peel the battery off, de-solder the wires, and replace it with a larger cell. If you remove the battery, it is also possible to expose the expansion header to continue stacking blocks. It may be necessary to find an alternative mounting point for your battery in this case. Go wireless with Edison!

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

Note: This Block requires specific stacking considerations when attaching it to other SparkFun Edison Blocks. Check the Hookup Guide in the Documents section below for more information.

Note: This item may take longer to process due to battery installed in the equipment and therefore does not qualify for same-day shipping policy. Additionally, these batteries can not be shipped via Ground or Economy methods to Alaska or Hawaii. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Includes

1x Battery Block

1x 400mAh LiPo Battery

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

The Base Block serves as add-on for the Intel® Edison by allowing you to attach different peripherals like a key board, mouse, or thumb drive. Basically anything that can plug into a USB can now connect to your Edison! Equipped with a micro AB USB backed by USB OTG and FT231X respectively, you should have no issues attaching external hardware to your Edison.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

The 9 Degrees of Freedom Block for the Intel® Edison uses the LSM9DS0 9DOF IMU for full-range motion sensing. This chip combines a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope, and a 3-axis magnetometer. By default, the IMU is connected to the Edison through the I2C bus. Each sensor in the LSM9DS0 supports a wide range of, well, ranges: the accelerometer’s scale can be set to ± 2, 4, 6, 8, or 16 g, the gyroscope supports ± 245, 500, and 2000 °/s, and the magnetometer has full-scale ranges of ± 2, 4, 8, or 12 gauss. Additionally, the LSM9DS0 includes an I2C serial bus interface supporting standard and fast mode (100 kHz and 400 kHz) and an SPI serial standard interface.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

Note: We are currently working on a Hookup Guide for this kit. Check back later for more updates.

Note: While there are jumpers for SPI, it is not supported.

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

This Block adds ADC functionality to the Edison’s I2C bus. The ADS1015 ADC from TI provides a single 12-bit delta-sigma convertor with an analog multiplexer. It can be configured as a four-channel single-ended device or as a two-channel differential device.

The ADC Block has jumpers to allow selection of the I2C slave address among four different options, allowing up to four of these cards to be stacked under one Edison. The sampling rate is not sufficient for audio capture, at 2.2kHz, but it should be adequate for most control applications.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

This Block adds eight channels of PWM control to the Edison’s I2C bus. While the PWM output can be used for any generic PWM application, it is specifically intended to provide drive control for up to eight standard hobby-type servo motors. To that end, it has an independent input for supply voltage for the servos above the normal range of the Edison, and 8 connections that support the most common pinout of hobby servo motors. The PCA9685 equipped on this board has an independent clock that can be operated at 50Hz, for servo control; at that frequency, the 12-bit resolution of the device provides approximately 200 steps of resolution for a servo motor.

The PCA9685 can be used as an open collector current driver for LEDs up to 25mA as well. Six solder jumpers allow the user to attach up to 63 of these cards to a single Edison, or to adjust the address of the PCA9685 to avoid collision with other addresses on the bus.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

Note: We are currently working on a Hookup Guide for this kit. Check back later for more updates.

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

The Dual H-bridge Block gives the Edison some ability to move when paired with two DC motors. This board can drive two DC motors at voltages ranging from 2.7V-15V and currents up to 1amp. This board is isolated from the Edison using a logic level converter. To use this board external power for the motors will be required. Power for the motors is supplied on the headers labled “VIN” and “GND”.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

Since the Edison offers a large number of GPIO and communication bus pins, these pins can be mapped to the exact same footprint as the Raspberry Pi B’s GPIO header. The Pi Block lets you use your existing Raspberry Pi B peripherals and expansion boards with your Edison while still providing level-shifted access to basic GPIO, PWM, UART, I2C, and SPI communication! This block combines the functionality of the GPIO Block and I2C Block with additional features to streamline development.

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

This I2C Block simply breaks out an I2C bus on the Intel® Edison while level shifting it from 1.8V to your sensors voltage. This a simple board that can snap into your Edison and be used right away.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

The Intel® Edison is an ultra small computing platform that will change the way you look at embedded electronics. Each Edison is packed with a huge amount of tech goodies into a tiny package while still providing the same robust strength of your go-to single board computer. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ SoC dual-core CPU and including an integrated WiFi, Bluetooth LE, and a 70-pin connector to attach a veritable slew of shield-like “Blocks” which can be stacked on top of each other. It’s no wonder how this little guy is lowering the barrier of entry on the world of electronics!

The Console UART Block delivers power to the Intel® Edison while providing a simple console interface via a FTDI cable. This is the most minimal solution to get started using the Intel® Edison. This board can supply 4V and up to 500mA of current to power the Edison passed through it’s VSYS line and any other expansion boards you may add to your stack. This is a great board for low power applications that won’t require constant console access. By removing the FTDI USB-UART from the board, current consumption is minimal. When the FTDI cable is not inserted, it will be necessary to provide external power to the board.

If you are looking to add a little more stability to your Intel® Edison stack, check out this Hardware Pack. It will provide you with increased mechanical strength for stacking Blocks on your Edison!

Note: The 3.3V FTDI breakout will NOT work with this block, but the 5V version will.

This is a very simple board that takes a 6-12V input voltage and outputs a selectable 5V or 3.3V regulated voltage. All headers are 0.1" pitch for simple insertion into a breadboard.

Input power can be supplied to either the DC barrel jack or the two pin header labeled + and -. Output power is supplied to the pins labeled GND and VCC. Board has both an On/Off switch and a voltage select switch (3.3V/5V).

The two sets of four GND and VCC holes are spaced such that when connected to our Basic Breadboard both power busses will be powered.

Note: Headers are not supplied. You will need to supply your own headers to connect this board to a breadboard. Check below for some breakaway header strips.

Features

6-12V input voltage via barrel jack or 2-pin header

3.3V or 5V regulated output voltage

800mA Operating Current

ON/OFF switch

Output voltage select switch

Power status LED

PTC fuse protected power

5.5x2.1mm center positive barrel jack

2.15x0.65"

This is a simple board that no one really needs but it sure comes in handy. If you’ve ever tried to hook up an FTDI to something only to realize you need to swap the TX and RX, maybe you could use this board. Sure, you can grab some jumper wires and make your own, but this little crossover board makes it much easier.

The board has a set of headers going in and a set going out. The TX and RX lines are swapped so you can connect it to a Bluetooth Mate and configure it without having to swap the pins coming from your FTDI.

The smallest and easiest to use serial conversion circuit on the market! This board has one purpose in life - to convert RS232 to TTL and vice versa (TX and RX). This will allow a microcontroller to communicate with a computer. Shifter SMD is powered from the target application and can run at any voltage! That’s right - power the board at 5V and the unit will convert RS232 to 5V TTL. Power the board at 2.8V and the Shifter board will convert RS232 to 2.8V CMOS TTL. Includes two indicator LEDs for TX and RX. Runs from 300bps up to 115200bps.

This version comes with no DB9 connector attached. Useful for field installations and projects where RS232 serial is coming from something other than a DB9 cable.

Features

1.2x1.1"

This is the newest revision of our FTDI Basic. We now use a SMD 6-pin header on the bottom, which makes it smaller and more compact. Functionality has remained the same.

This is a basic breakout board for the FTDI FT232RL USB to serial IC. The pinout of this board matches the FTDI cable to work with official Arduino and cloned 5V Arduino boards. It can also be used for general serial applications. The major difference with this board is that it brings out the DTR pin as opposed to the RTS pin of the FTDI cable. The DTR pin allows an Arduino target to auto-reset when a new Sketch is downloaded. This is a really nice feature to have and allows a sketch to be downloaded without having to hit the reset button. This board will auto reset any Arduino board that has the reset pin brought out to a 6-pin connector.

The pins labeled BLK and GRN correspond to the colored wires on the FTDI cable. The black wire on the FTDI cable is GND, green is CTS. Use these BLK and GRN pins to align the FTDI basic board with your Arduino target.

This board has TX and RX LEDs that make it a bit better to use over the FTDI cable. You can actually see serial traffic on the LEDs to verify if the board is working.

This board was designed to decrease the cost of Arduino development and increase ease of use (the auto-reset feature rocks!). Our Arduino Pro boards and LilyPads use this type of connector.

One of the nice features of this board is a jumper on the back of the board that allows the board to be configured to either 3.3V or 5V (both power output and IO level). This board ship default to 5V, but you can cut the default trace and add a solder jumper if you need to switch to 3.3V.

Note: We know a lot of you prefer microUSB over miniUSB. Never fear, we’ve got you covered! Check out our FT231X Breakout for your micro FTDI needs!

This is the newest revision of our FTDI Basic. We now use a SMD 6-pin header on the bottom, which makes it smaller and more compact. Functionality has remained the same.

This is a basic breakout board for the FTDI FT232RL USB to serial IC. The pinout of this board matches the FTDI cable to work with official Arduino and cloned 3.3V Arduino boards. It can also be used for general serial applications. The major difference with this board is that it brings out the DTR pin as opposed to the RTS pin of the FTDI cable. The DTR pin allows an Arduino target to auto-reset when a new Sketch is downloaded. This is a really nice feature to have and allows a sketch to be downloaded without having to hit the reset button. This board will auto reset any Arduino board that has the reset pin brought out to a 6-pin connector.

The pins labeled BLK and GRN correspond to the colored wires on the FTDI cable. The black wire on the FTDI cable is GND, green is DTR. Use these BLK and GRN pins to align the FTDI basic board with your Arduino target.

There are pros and cons to the FTDI Cable vs the FTDI Basic. This board has TX and RX LEDs that allow you to actually see serial traffic on the LEDs to verify if the board is working, but this board requires a Mini-B cable. The FTDI Cable is well protected against the elements, but is large and cannot be embedded into a project as easily. The FTDI Basic uses DTR to cause a hardware reset where the FTDI cable uses the RTS signal.

This board was designed to decrease the cost of Arduino development and increase ease of use (the auto-reset feature rocks!). Our Arduino Pro and LilyPad boards use this type of connector.

Note: We know a lot of you prefer microUSB over miniUSB. Never fear, we’ve got you covered! Check out our FT231X Breakout for your micro FTDI needs!

This power distribution board is designed specifically for the Romi chassis as a convenient way to access the chassis’s battery power and pass that on the rest of the electronics that make up your robot. It has slots for soldering directly to the chassis’s battery contacts offers reverse voltage protection, several power switching options, and easy access to the various power busses. Just add your own motor drivers, microcontroller, and sensors to complete your Romi robot.

This power distribution board is designed specifically for the Romi chassis as a convenient way to access the chassis’s battery power and pass that on to the rest of the electronics that make up your robot. The board features reverse voltage protection and the patented latching circuit from the Pololu pushbutton power switch, providing a compact, solid-state power switch for your robot that can be controlled with a momentary pushbutton: one push turns on power and another push turns it off.

The board has a small pushbutton already installed and offers convenient points for connecting external pushbutton or tactile switches in parallel. It also offers several alternate pushbutton connection options that result in push-on-only or push-off-only operation, and additional inputs enable further power control options like allowing your robot to turn off its own power. Alternatively, the board can be reconfigured to disable the pushbutton circuit and give control to the small installed slide switch.

The board’s power buses are accessible through a set of 0.1″-spaced pins that are compatible with standard 0.1″ male and 0.1″ female headers, and also through a larger set of holes that are compatible with 3.5mm-pitch terminal blocks (you can combine a 2-pin block and a 3-pin block into a single 5-pin block that spans the three power holes and two ground holes).

Two 1/4″ #2-56 screws and two #2-56 nuts are included for mounting the board to the Romi chassis.

Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis.

Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis.

Installation

Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis with included hardware.

Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis on a black chassis.

Before installing the power distribution board on a Romi chassis, you should solder any headers, terminal blocks, wires, or other connectors you plan to use on the board (not included). Please read the rest of this page carefully to determine what additional connectors you might want and where they should be installed.

It is possible to remove the board from the chassis later to solder additional connections, and some of the through holes can be soldered through the slots in the chassis while the board is mounted, but soldering beforehand is easier and avoids the risk of inadvertently melting the chassis with your soldering iron.

The four battery terminals should be soldered to the board after it is mounted on the chassis, as described in the chassis assembly instructions. You will be able to remove the board and battery contacts from the chassis as a single piece after soldering.

Once your you have soldered your through-hole connections to the power distribution board, please follow the instructions given in the Pololu Romi Chassis User’s Guide to finish assembling the chassis, mounting the control board, and soldering in the battery contacts. (The diagrams in those instructions show assembly with the larger Romi 32U4 Control Board, but the same steps apply for the smaller power distribution board.)

Power switch circuit

By default, the on-board pushbutton can be used to toggle power: one push turns on power and another turns it off. Alternatively, a separate pushbutton can be connected to the BTNA and BTNB pins and used instead. Multiple pushbuttons can be wired in parallel for multiple control points, and each of the parallel pushbuttons, including the one on the board itself, will be able to turn the switch on or off. The latching circuit performs some button debouncing, but pushbuttons with excessive bouncing (several ms) might not function well with it.

For proper pushbutton operation, the board’s slide switch should be left in its Off position. (Sliding the switch to the On position will cause the board power to latch on, and the switch must be returned to the Off position before the board can be turned off with the pushbutton.)

Alternatively, to disable the pushbutton, you can cut the button jumper labeled Btn Jmp; this transfers control of the board’s power to the on-board slide switch instead. A separate slide or toggle switch can be connected to the GATE pin and used instead.

More advanced control options are available through the button connection pins and four control inputs:

Power distribution

The diagram below shows the layout of the power distribution buses and access points on the board.

VBAT is connected to the battery contact labeled BAT1+ and provides a direct connection to the battery supply. By default, VBAT is the high side of all six of the chassis’s AA battery cells in series, although this can be reconfigured with the battery jumper (see below).

VRP provides access to the battery voltage after reverse-voltage protection.

VSW is the battery voltage after reverse protection and the power switch circuit.

VREG is not connected to anything by default, but along with the adjacent ground and VSW pins, the VREG pins provide a good place to connect an optional voltage regulator. For example, adding a D24V5F5 step-down regulator would make a regulated 5 V supply available for a microcontroller and other electronics on your chassis.

BAT2+ provides access to the high side of two AA cells in series. This can be useful if you reconfigure the board to provide two separate battery supplies as described below.

Battery supply configuration

The power distribution board’s default configuration provides battery power, VBAT, from all six of the chassis’s AA cells in series (nominally about 7.2 V with rechargeable batteries or 9 V with alkaline batteries). However, the board’s battery jumper, labeled Bat Jmp, allows you to reconfigure the battery connections to provide two independent supplies: BAT1, with 4 cells in series (nominally 4.8 V rechargeable or 6 V alkaline), and BAT2, with 2 cells in series (nominally 2.4 V rechargeable or 3 V alkaline). Cutting the connection between the BAT1− and BAT2+ pads separates the two sets of batteries, and using solder to bridge the BAT1− and GND pads establishes a common ground between the two new supplies.

Warning: Do not bridge the BAT1− and GND pads without first disconnecting BAT1− from BAT2+. Failing to do so could create a short circuit across the BAT2 batteries.

Simplified schematic diagram

This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf (110k pdf).

In addition to the power distribution board, we have a few other boards designed to mount onto a Romi chassis:

The Motor Driver and Power Distribution Board for Romi Chassis adds motor drivers and a more versatile power circuit (including a 5 V switching regulator); just add a microcontroller and sensors to build a Romi robot.

The Romi 32U4 Control Board turns the Romi chassis into an integrated robot platform. In addition to the same motor drivers and power circuit found on the motor driver and power distribution board, the Romi 32U4 board includes an on-board ATmega32U4 microcontroller, a number of other peripherals and sensors, and interfaces for an optional LCD or Raspberry Pi.

People often buy this product together with:

This small synchronous switching step-down (or buck) regulator takes an input voltage of up to 38 V and efficiently reduces it to 5 V. The board measures only 0.7″ × 0.8″, but it allows a typical continuous output current of up to 5 A. Typical efficiencies of 85% to 95% make this regulator well suited for high-power applications like powering motors or servos. High efficiencies are maintained at light loads by dynamically changing the switching frequency, and an optional shutdown pin enables a low-power state with a current draw of a few hundred microamps.

The D24V50Fx family of step-down voltage regulators generates lower output voltages from input voltages as high as 38 V. They are switching regulators (also called switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) or DC-to-DC converters) with typical efficiencies between 85% and 95%, which is much more efficient than linear voltage regulators, especially when the difference between the input and output voltage is large. The available output current is a function of the input voltage and efficiency (see the Typical Efficiency and Output Current section below), but the output current can typically be as high as 5 A.

At light loads, the switching frequency automatically changes to maintain high efficiencies. These regulators have a typical quiescent (no load) current draw of less than 1 mA, and the ENABLE pin can be used to put the boards in a low-power state that reduces the quiescent current to approximately 10 µA to 20 µA per volt on VIN.

The modules have built-in reverse-voltage protection, short-circuit protection, a thermal shutdown feature that helps prevent damage from overheating, a soft-start feature that reduces inrush current, and an under-voltage lockout.

Several different fixed output voltages are available:

Several alternatives are available for this product.

Select from the options below and click “Go” to find a particular version.

Close

Alternatives available with variations in these parameter(s): output voltage Select variant…

The different voltage versions of this regulator all look very similar, so you should consider adding your own distinguishing marks or labels if you will be working simultaneously with multiple versions. This product page applies to all versions of the D24V50Fx family.

For lower-power applications, please consider our D24V25Fx family of step-down voltage regulators; these are slightly smaller, pin-compatible versions of this regulator with typical maximum output current of 2.5 A.

Side-by-side comparison of the 2.5A D24V25Fx (left) and 5A D24V50Fx (right) step-down voltage regulators.

Two larger, higher-power, 5 V versions of this regulator are also available: one with a typical maximum output current of 6 A, and the other with a typical maximum output current of 9 A. The higher-power versions also have a few additional features, like a “power good” signal and the ability to lower their output voltage, and they include optional terminal blocks for easy removable connections.

Input voltage:

4.5 V to 38 V for the version that outputs 3.3 V

[output voltage + dropout voltage] to 38 V for output voltages of 5 V and higher (see below for more information on dropout voltage)

4.5 V to 38 V for the version that outputs 3.3 V

[output voltage + dropout voltage] to 38 V for output voltages of 5 V and higher (see below for more information on dropout voltage)

Fixed 3.3 V or 5 V (depending on regulator version) with 4% accuracy

Typical maximum continuous output current: 5 A

Integrated reverse-voltage protection, over-current protection, over-temperature shutoff, soft-start, and under-voltage lockout

Typical efficiency of 85% to 95%, depending on input voltage and load; the switching frequency automatically changes at light loads to maintain high efficiencies

Typical no-load quiescent current under 1 mA; can be reduced to 10 µA to 20 µA per volt on VIN by disabling the board* Compact size: 0.7″ × 0.8″ × 0.35″ (17.8 mm × 20.3 mm × 8.8 mm)

Two 0.086″ mounting holes for #2 or M2 screws

Connections

This buck regulator has five connection points for four different connections: enable (EN), input voltage (VIN), 2x ground (GND), and output voltage (VOUT).

The input voltage, VIN, powers the regulator. Voltages between 4.5 V and 38 V can be applied to VIN, but for versions of the regulator that have an output voltage higher than 4.5 V, the effective lower limit of VIN is VOUT plus the regulator’s dropout voltage, which varies approximately linearly with the load (see below for graphs of dropout voltages as a function of the load).

The output voltage, VOUT, is fixed and depends on the regulator version: the D24V50F3 version outputs 3.3 V and the D24V50F5 version outputs 5 V.

The regulator is enabled by default: a 100 kΩ pull-up resistor on the board connects the ENABLE pin to reverse-protected VIN. The ENABLE pin can be driven low (under 0.6 V) to put the board into a low-power state. The quiescent current draw in this sleep mode is dominated by the current in the pull-up resistor from ENABLE to VIN and by the reverse-voltage protection circuit, which will draw between 10 µA and 20 µA per volt on VIN when ENABLE is held low. If you do not need this feature, you should leave the ENABLE pin disconnected.

Pololu 5A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V50Fx with included hardware.

Pololu 5A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V50Fx, bottom view.

The five connection points are labeled on the top of the PCB and are arranged with a 0.1″ spacing for compatibility with solderless breadboards, connectors, and other prototyping arrangements that use a 0.1″ grid. Either the included 5×1 straight male header strip or the 5×1 right angle male header strip can be soldered into these holes. For the most compact installation, you can solder wires directly to the board.

Pololu 5A Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V50Fx, side view.

The board has two 0.086″ mounting holes intended for #2 or M2 screws. The mounting holes are at opposite corners of the board and are separated by 0.53″ horizontally and 0.63″ vertically.

Typical efficiency and output current

The efficiency of a voltage regulator, defined as (Power out)/(Power in), is an important measure of its performance, especially when battery life or heat are concerns. This family of switching regulators typically has an efficiency of 85% to 95%, though the actual efficiency in a given system depends on input voltage, output voltage, and output current. See the efficiency graph near the bottom of this page for more information.

The maximum achievable output current is typically around 5 A, but this depends on many factors, including the ambient temperature, air flow, heat sinking, and the input and output voltage.

Typical dropout voltage

The dropout voltage of a step-down regulator is the minimum amount by which the input voltage must exceed the regulator’s target output voltage in order to ensure the target output can be achieved. For example, if a 5 V regulator has a 1 V dropout voltage, the input must be at least 6 V to ensure the output is the full 5 V. Generally speaking, the dropout voltage increases as the output current increases. See the “Details” section below for more information on the dropout voltage for this specific regulator version.

Switching frequency and behavior under light loads

The regulator generally operates at a switching frequency of around 600 kHz, but the frequency drops when encountering a light load to improve efficiency. This could make it harder to filter out noise on the output caused by switching.

The graphs below show the typical efficiency and dropout voltage of the 5 V D24V50F5 regulator as a function of the output current:

During normal operation, this product can get hot enough to burn you. Take care when handling this product or other components connected to it.The over-current limit of the regulator operates on a combination of current and temperature: the current threshold decreases as the regulator temperature goes up. However, there might be some operating points at low input voltages and high output currents (well over 5 A) where the current is just under the limit and the regulator might not shut off before damage occurs. If you are using this regulator in an application where the input voltage is near the lower limit and the load could exceed 5 A for sustained periods (more than five seconds), consider using additional protective components such as fuses or circuit breakers.

People often buy this product together with:

This small synchronous switching step-down (or buck) regulator takes an input voltage of up to 36 V and efficiently reduces it to 5 V. The board measures only 0.7″ × 0.7″ yet delivers a typical continuous output current of up to 2.5 A and features reverse voltage protection. Typical efficiencies of 85% to 95% make this regulator well suited for powering moderate loads like sensors or small motors. An optional shutdown pin enables a low-power state with a current draw of around 20 μA to 350 μA, depending on the input voltage, and a power-good output indicates when the regulator cannot adequately maintain the output voltage.

The D24V22Fx family of step-down voltage regulators generates lower output voltages from input voltages as high as 36 V. They are synchronous switching regulators (also called switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) or DC-to-DC converters) with typical efficiencies of 85% to 95%, which is much more efficient than linear voltage regulators, especially when the difference between the input and output voltage is large. These regulators can typically support continuous output currents of over 2 A, though the actual available output current is a function of the input voltage and efficiency (see the Typical efficiency and output current section below). In general, the available output current is a little higher for the lower-voltage versions than it is for the higher-voltage versions, and it decreases as the input voltage increases.

These regulators have a typical quiescent (no load) current draw of around 1 mA, and an enable pin can be used to put the boards in a low-power state that reduces the quiescent current to approximately 5 µA to 10 µA per volt on VIN.

The modules have built-in reverse-voltage protection, short-circuit protection, a thermal shutdown feature that helps prevent damage from overheating, and a soft-start feature that reduces inrush current.

Several different fixed output voltages are available:

Several alternatives are available for this product.

Select from the options below and click “Go” to find a particular version.

Close

Alternatives available with variations in these parameter(s): output voltage Select variant…

The different voltage versions of this regulator all look very similar, so you should consider adding your own distinguishing marks or labels if you will be working simultaneously with multiple versions. This product page applies to all versions of the D24V22Fx family.

The D24V22Fx family is intended to replace our older D24V25Fx family of step-down voltage regulators. The two designs have the same size and similar current capabilities and input voltage ranges, but they do not have the same pinout and are based on different internal circuits, so there are fundamental differences in operation. In particular, these newer D24V22Fx regulators have much lower dropout voltages and provide a “power good” signal, and the newer design allows for higher output voltages (e.g. 12 V).

Input voltage:

4 V to 36 V for the version that outputs 3.3 V

[output voltage + dropout voltage] to 36 V for output voltages of 5 V and higher (see below for more information on dropout voltage)

4 V to 36 V for the version that outputs 3.3 V

[output voltage + dropout voltage] to 36 V for output voltages of 5 V and higher (see below for more information on dropout voltage)

Fixed 3.3 V, 5 V, 6 V, 7.5 V, 9 V, or 12 V output (depending on regulator version) with 4% accuracy

Typical maximum continuous output current: >2 A

Typical efficiency of 85% to 95%, depending on input voltage, output voltage, and load

Switching frequency: ~400 kHz

Integrated reverse-voltage protection, over-current protection, over-temperature shutoff, and soft-start

1 mA typical no-load quiescent current; this can be reduced to approximately 5 µA to 10 µA per volt on VIN by disabling the board

“Power good” output indicates when the regulator cannot adequately maintain the output voltage

Compact size: 0.7″ × 0.7″ × 0.31″ (17.8 mm × 17.8 mm × 8 mm)

Two 0.086″ mounting holes for #2 or M2 screws

Connections

These buck regulators have five main connection points for five different electrical nodes: power good (PG), enable (EN), input voltage (VIN), ground (GND), and output voltage (VOUT). The board also features a second ground connection point off the main row of connections that might be convenient for applications where you are soldering wires directly to the board rather than using it in a breadboard.

The input voltage, VIN, powers the regulator. Voltages between 4 V and 36 V can be applied to VIN, but for versions of the regulator that have an output voltage higher than 4 V, the effective lower limit of VIN is VOUT plus the regulator’s dropout voltage, which varies approximately linearly with the load (see below for a graph of dropout voltages as a function of the load).

The output voltage, VOUT, is fixed and depends on the regulator version: the D24V22F3 version outputs 3.3 V, the D24V22F5 version outputs 5 V, the D24V22F6 version outputs 6 V, the D24V22F7 version outputs 7.5 V, the D24V22F9 version outputs 9 V, and the D24V22F12 version outputs 12 V.

The regulator is enabled by default: a 270 kΩ pull-up resistor on the board connects the EN pin to reverse-protected VIN. The EN pin can be driven low (under 1 V) to put the board into a low-power state. The quiescent current draw in this sleep mode is dominated by the current in the pull-up resistor from EN to VIN and by the reverse-voltage protection circuit, which altogether will draw between 5 µA and 10 µA per volt on VIN when EN is held low. If you do not need this feature, you should leave the EN pin disconnected.

The “power good” indicator, PG, is an open-drain output that goes low when the regulator’s output voltage falls below around 85% of the nominal voltage and becomes high-impedance when the output voltage rises above around 90%. An external pull-up resistor is required to use this pin.

Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V22Fx with included hardware.

Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V22Fx, bottom view.

The five main connection points are labeled on the top of the PCB and are arranged with a 0.1″ spacing for compatibility with solderless breadboards, connectors, and other prototyping arrangements that use a 0.1″ grid. Either the included 5×1 straight male header strip or the 5×1 right angle male header strip can be soldered into these holes. For the most compact installation, you can solder wires directly to the board.

Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V22Fx, side view.

The board has two 0.086″ (2.18 mm) diameter mounting holes intended for #2 or M2 screws. The mounting holes are at opposite corners of the board and are separated by 0.52″ (13.21 mm) both horizontally and vertically. For all the board dimensions, see the dimension diagram (204k pdf).

Typical efficiency and output current

The efficiency of a voltage regulator, defined as (Power out)/(Power in), is an important measure of its performance, especially when battery life or heat are concerns. This family of switching regulators typically has an efficiency of 85% to 95%, though the actual efficiency in a given system depends on input voltage, output voltage, and output current. See the efficiency graph near the bottom of this page for more information.

The maximum achievable output current is typically over 2 A, but this depends on many factors, including the ambient temperature, air flow, heat sinking, and the input and output voltage.

Typical dropout voltage

The dropout voltage of a step-down regulator is the minimum amount by which the input voltage must exceed the regulator’s target output voltage in order to ensure the target output can be achieved. For example, if a 5 V regulator has a 1 V dropout voltage, the input must be at least 6 V to ensure the output is the full 5 V. Generally speaking, the dropout voltage increases as the output current increases. See the “Details” section below for more information on the dropout voltage for this specific regulator version.

The graphs below show the typical efficiency and dropout voltage of the 5 V D24V22F5 regulator as a function of the output current:

During normal operation, this product can get hot enough to burn you. Take care when handling this product or other components connected to it.

People often buy this product together with:

This small synchronous switching step-down (or buck) regulator takes an input voltage from 4 V to 36 V and efficiently reduces it to 3.3 V. The board measures only 0.7″ × 0.7″ yet delivers a typical continuous output current of up to 2.6 A and features reverse voltage protection. Typical efficiencies of 85% to 95% make this regulator well suited for powering moderate loads like sensors or small motors. An optional shutdown pin enables a low-power state with a current draw of around 20 μA to 350 μA, depending on the input voltage, and a power-good output indicates when the regulator cannot adequately maintain the output voltage.

The D24V22Fx family of step-down voltage regulators generates lower output voltages from input voltages as high as 36 V. They are synchronous switching regulators (also called switched-mode power supplies (SMPS) or DC-to-DC converters) with typical efficiencies of 85% to 95%, which is much more efficient than linear voltage regulators, especially when the difference between the input and output voltage is large. These regulators can typically support continuous output currents of over 2 A, though the actual available output current is a function of the input voltage and efficiency (see the Typical efficiency and output current section below). In general, the available output current is a little higher for the lower-voltage versions than it is for the higher-voltage versions, and it decreases as the input voltage increases.

These regulators have a typical quiescent (no load) current draw of around 1 mA, and an enable pin can be used to put the boards in a low-power state that reduces the quiescent current to approximately 5 µA to 10 µA per volt on VIN.

The modules have built-in reverse-voltage protection, short-circuit protection, a thermal shutdown feature that helps prevent damage from overheating, and a soft-start feature that reduces inrush current.

Several different fixed output voltages are available:

Several alternatives are available for this product.

Select from the options below and click “Go” to find a particular version.

Close

Alternatives available with variations in these parameter(s): output voltage Select variant…

The different voltage versions of this regulator all look very similar, so you should consider adding your own distinguishing marks or labels if you will be working simultaneously with multiple versions. This product page applies to all versions of the D24V22Fx family.

The D24V22Fx family is intended to replace our older D24V25Fx family of step-down voltage regulators. The two designs have the same size and similar current capabilities and input voltage ranges, but they do not have the same pinout and are based on different internal circuits, so there are fundamental differences in operation. In particular, these newer D24V22Fx regulators have much lower dropout voltages and provide a “power good” signal, and the newer design allows for higher output voltages (e.g. 12 V).

Input voltage:

4 V to 36 V for the version that outputs 3.3 V

[output voltage + dropout voltage] to 36 V for output voltages of 5 V and higher (see below for more information on dropout voltage)

4 V to 36 V for the version that outputs 3.3 V

[output voltage + dropout voltage] to 36 V for output voltages of 5 V and higher (see below for more information on dropout voltage)

Fixed 3.3 V, 5 V, 6 V, 7.5 V, 9 V, or 12 V output (depending on regulator version) with 4% accuracy

Typical maximum continuous output current: >2 A

Typical efficiency of 85% to 95%, depending on input voltage, output voltage, and load

Switching frequency: ~400 kHz

Integrated reverse-voltage protection, over-current protection, over-temperature shutoff, and soft-start

1 mA typical no-load quiescent current; this can be reduced to approximately 5 µA to 10 µA per volt on VIN by disabling the board

“Power good” output indicates when the regulator cannot adequately maintain the output voltage

Compact size: 0.7″ × 0.7″ × 0.31″ (17.8 mm × 17.8 mm × 8 mm)

Two 0.086″ mounting holes for #2 or M2 screws

Connections

These buck regulators have five main connection points for five different electrical nodes: power good (PG), enable (EN), input voltage (VIN), ground (GND), and output voltage (VOUT). The board also features a second ground connection point off the main row of connections that might be convenient for applications where you are soldering wires directly to the board rather than using it in a breadboard.

The input voltage, VIN, powers the regulator. Voltages between 4 V and 36 V can be applied to VIN, but for versions of the regulator that have an output voltage higher than 4 V, the effective lower limit of VIN is VOUT plus the regulator’s dropout voltage, which varies approximately linearly with the load (see below for a graph of dropout voltages as a function of the load).

The output voltage, VOUT, is fixed and depends on the regulator version: the D24V22F3 version outputs 3.3 V, the D24V22F5 version outputs 5 V, the D24V22F6 version outputs 6 V, the D24V22F7 version outputs 7.5 V, the D24V22F9 version outputs 9 V, and the D24V22F12 version outputs 12 V.

The regulator is enabled by default: a 270 kΩ pull-up resistor on the board connects the EN pin to reverse-protected VIN. The EN pin can be driven low (under 1 V) to put the board into a low-power state. The quiescent current draw in this sleep mode is dominated by the current in the pull-up resistor from EN to VIN and by the reverse-voltage protection circuit, which altogether will draw between 5 µA and 10 µA per volt on VIN when EN is held low. If you do not need this feature, you should leave the EN pin disconnected.

The “power good” indicator, PG, is an open-drain output that goes low when the regulator’s output voltage falls below around 85% of the nominal voltage and becomes high-impedance when the output voltage rises above around 90%. An external pull-up resistor is required to use this pin.

Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V22Fx with included hardware.

Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V22Fx, bottom view.

The five main connection points are labeled on the top of the PCB and are arranged with a 0.1″ spacing for compatibility with solderless breadboards, connectors, and other prototyping arrangements that use a 0.1″ grid. Either the included 5×1 straight male header strip or the 5×1 right angle male header strip can be soldered into these holes. For the most compact installation, you can solder wires directly to the board.

Pololu Step-Down Voltage Regulator D24V22Fx, side view.

The board has two 0.086″ (2.18 mm) diameter mounting holes intended for #2 or M2 screws. The mounting holes are at opposite corners of the board and are separated by 0.52″ (13.21 mm) both horizontally and vertically. For all the board dimensions, see the dimension diagram (204k pdf).

Typical efficiency and output current

The efficiency of a voltage regulator, defined as (Power out)/(Power in), is an important measure of its performance, especially when battery life or heat are concerns. This family of switching regulators typically has an efficiency of 85% to 95%, though the actual efficiency in a given system depends on input voltage, output voltage, and output current. See the efficiency graph near the bottom of this page for more information.

The maximum achievable output current is typically over 2 A, but this depends on many factors, including the ambient temperature, air flow, heat sinking, and the input and output voltage.

Typical dropout voltage

The dropout voltage of a step-down regulator is the minimum amount by which the input voltage must exceed the regulator’s target output voltage in order to ensure the target output can be achieved. For example, if a 5 V regulator has a 1 V dropout voltage, the input must be at least 6 V to ensure the output is the full 5 V. Generally speaking, the dropout voltage increases as the output current increases. See the “Details” section below for more information on the dropout voltage for this specific regulator version.

The graph below shows the typical efficiency of the 3.3 V D24V22F3 regulator as a function of the output current:

Since the regulator’s input voltage must be at least 4 V, dropout voltage is not a consideration for this 3.3 V version.

During normal operation, this product can get hot enough to burn you. Take care when handling this product or other components connected to it.

People often buy this product together with:

Your power supply problems just got SUPER SOLVED! This 3.3V Buck Converter Breakout board is great for supplying power to low voltage circuits from a single Li-Ion cell battery or USB power.  This chip provides up to 600-mA load current across the entire input voltage range of 3.5 to 5.5V.  Great for your portable project, we made this "pin compatible" with the LM1117-3.3V TO-220 chip so you can swap it in for better performance (90-95% efficiency!) There's also an ENable pin, tie it low to shut down the output completely.

There's a 2-MHz fixed-frequency in PWM mode and PFM mode extends the battery life by reducing the current during light load or standby operation.

Comes with a fully assembled and tested breakout board.  We also include header to plug it into a breadboard.

The Teensy is an amazing development platform that allows you to get more computing power than an Arduino Uno, and in less space. The Teensy 3.1 XBee Adapter allows you to connect your Teensy with the tried and true XBee series to provide you with a great solution to any project that requires a decently ranged no-frills wireless serial link.

Not only does the Teensy 3.1 XBee Adapter connect a XBee and Teensy together, it also acts as a breakout board for both. Each pin on the Teensy and XBee has been broken out to standard 0.1" spaced through-hole soldering points that allow you to connect any additional parts that you would like to incorporate with the adapter.

Though the adapter design interfaces best with the Teensy 3.1, the Teensy LC can be utilized as well. Paired with the XBee you can get a great long distance serial connection, and with the 72MHz of processing speed (48MHz for the Teensy-LC) you can do a lot with the information.

Note: The only headers pre-soldered onto this board as the ones designed to attach your XBee. Additional headers and wires to hook up your Teensy, breadboard, additional circuits, etc will need to be purchased separately.

TRRS connectors are the audio-style connectors that you see on some phones, MP3 players and development boards. TRRS stands for “Tip, Ring, Ring, Sleeve,” which reflects the fact that, unlike a standard stereo connector, this actually has three conductors and a ground. Some devices use the extra conductor for a microphone (like hands-free headsets) or to carry a video signal (like in some MP3/MP4 players). This breakout board makes it easy to add a TRRS jack to your prototype or project by breaking out each conductor to a standard 0.1" spaced header.

This is a breakout board for the WS2812B RGB LED. The WS2812B (or “NeoPixel”) is actually an RGB LED with a WS2811 built right into the LED! All the necessary pins are broken out to 0.1" spaced headers for easy bread-boarding. Several of these breakouts can even be chained together to form a display or an addressable string.

The SparkFun BME280 Atmospheric Sensor Breakout is the easy way to measure barometric pressure, humidity, and temperature readings all without taking up too much space. Basically, anything you need to know about atmospheric conditions you can find out from this tiny breakout. The BME280 Breakout has been design to be used in indoor/outdoor navigation, weather forecasting, home automation, and even personal health and wellness monitoring.

The on-board BME280 sensor measures atmospheric pressure from 30kPa to 110kPa as well as relative humidity and temperature. The breakout provides a 3.3V SPI interface, a 5V tolerant I2C interface (with pull-up resistors to 3.3V), takes measurements at less than 1mA and idles less than 5µA. The BME280 Breakout board has 10 pins, but no more than six are used at a single time. The left side of the board provide power, ground, and I2C pins. The remaining pins which provide SPI functionality and have another power and ground, are broken out on the other side.

Note: The breakout does NOT have headers installed and will need to purchased and soldered on yourself. Check the Recommended Products section below for the type of headers we use in the Hookup Guide!

Features

Operation Voltage: 3.3V

I2C & SPI Communications Interface

Temp Range: -40C to 85C

Humidity Range: 0 - 100% RH, =-3% from 20-80%

Pressure Range: 30,000Pa to 110,000Pa, relative accuracy of 12Pa, absolute accuracy of 100Pa

Altitude Range: 0 to 30,000 ft (9.2 km), relative accuracy of 3.3 ft (1 m) at sea level, 6.6 (2 m) at 30,000 ft.

Incredibly Small

The SHT15 Breakout is an easy to use, highly accurate, digital temperature and humidity sensor. This board has been fully calibrated and offers high precision and excellent long-term stability at low cost. The digital CMOSens® technology integrates two sensors and readout circuitry on one single chip. All you need is two lines for 2-wire communication, and you’ll have relative humidity and temperature readings to help you sense the world around you!

The two sensors built into the SHT15 have been seamlessly coupled to a 14bit analog to digital converter and a serial interface circuit resulting in superior signal quality, fast response time, and a strong resistance to external disturbances. Additionally, the on board SHT15 features a 0-100% RH measurement range with a temperature accuracy of +/- 0.3°C @ 25°C. There are only four pins that need to be hooked up in order to start using this sensor in a project. One for VCC, one for GND, and the two data lines SDA and SCL.

Features

Operating Voltages: 2.4V min - 5.5V max

2 factory calibrated sensors for relative humidity & temperature

Digital 2-wire interface (Not I2C, but similar)

Measurement range: 0-100% RH

Absolute RH accuracy: +/- 2% RH (10…90% RH)

Repeatability RH: +/- 0.1% RH

Temp. accuracy: +/- 0.3°C @ 25°C

Precise dewpoint calculation possible

Fast response time

Low power consumption (typ. 30 µW)

This is the SparkFun “Time-of-Flight” Range Finder, a sensor board for the VL6180 distance sensor. Unlike most distance sensors that rely on reflected light intensity or reflected angles to determine range, the VL6180 uses a precise clock to measure the time it takes light to bounce back from a surface. This affords the ToF Range Finder and VL6180 a great benefit over other methods because it can be much more accurate and more immune to noise. Does this technology sound familiar? Well it should, it’s the same means cellphones use to detect when the caller is holding their phone to their ear.

The VL6180 is actually a 3-in-1 package that combines an IR emitter, a range sensor, and an ambient light sensor together for you to easily use and communicate with via an I2C interface. The ToF Range Finder is very similar to its breakout cousin with a few important differences. What sets this board apart is this sensor is equipped with an on-board 2.8V regulator, which means if you were to plug in a voltage higher than 2.8V it will be shifted down without worry of damaging your board! Another thing to note is the form factor of the sensor itself. Many small robotics platforms have integrated hole patterns for the long time favorite Sharp IR sensor line. This allows the VL6180 Sensor to be a near drop-in replacement for most Sharp sensors.

Note: Though the datasheet states the VL6180 measures an absolute range of up to 10cm, we have successfully tested it up to 25cm. The more you know.

Features

2.8V Regulator - Provides the required 2.8V for the sensor

I2C Level Shifter - Provides logic level conversion from 2.8V to VCC

3-in-1 Module

IR Emitter

Range Sensor

Ambient Light Sensor

IR Emitter

Range Sensor

Ambient Light Sensor

Measures absolute range up to 10cm

Gesture Recognition

I2C Interface

Two Programmable GPIO

Sharp Sensor Board Layout

The SparkFun XBee Explorer Regulated takes care of the 3.3V regulation, signal conditioning, and basic activity indicators (Power, RSSI and DIN/DOUT activity LEDs). It translates the 5V serial signals to 3.3V so that you can connect a 5V (down to 3.3V) system to any XBee module. The board was conveniently designed to mate directly with the SparkFun Arduino Pro series of boards for wireless bootloading and USB based configuration.

This unit works with all XBee modules including the Series 1 and 2, standard and Pro versions. Plug an XBee into this breakout and you will have direct access to the serial and programming pins on the XBee unit and will be able to power the XBee with 5V.

This board comes fully populated with 3.3V regulator (5V max input), XBee socket, four status LEDs, and level shifting. In the latest revision the diode level shifter is replaced with a more robust MOSFET level shifter. This board does not include and XBee module. XBee modules sold below.

This is the FemtoBuck, a small-size single-output constant current LED driver. Each FemtoBuck has the capability to dim a single high-power channel of LEDs from 0-350mA at up to 36V while the dimming control can be either accessed via PWM or analog signal from 0-2.5V. This board is based off of the PicoBuck LED Driver, developed in collaboration with Ethan Zonca, except instead of blending three different LEDs on three different channels the FemtoBuck controls just one.

For the FemtoBuck, we’ve increased the voltage ratings on the parts to allow the input voltage to cover the full 36V range of the AL8805 driver. Since the FemtoBuck is a constant current driver, the current drawn from the supply will drop as supply voltage rises. In general, efficiency of the FemtoBuck is around 95%, depending on the input voltage. On board each FemtoBuck you will find two inputs for both power input and dimming control pins and an area to install a 3.5mm screw terminal. Finally at either side of the board you will find small indents or “ears” which will allow you to use a zip tie to secure the wires to the board after soldering them down. This version of the FemtoBuck is equipped with a small solder jumper that can be closed with a glob of solder to double the output current from 330mA to 660mA.

Interfacing a new microchip can be a hassle. Breadboarding a circuit, writing code, hauling out the programmer, or maybe even prototyping a PCB. We never seem to get it right on the first try.

The 'Bus Pirate' is a universal bus interface that talks to most chips from a PC serial terminal, eliminating a ton of early prototyping effort when working with new or unknown chips. Many serial protocols are supported at 0-5.5volts, more can be added.

Adafruit is the official US distributor of Ian Lesnet's Bus Pirate, each purchase directly supports Dangerous Prototypes! You may also want to pick up a probe set.

Protocols: 1-Wire, I2C, SPI, JTAG, asynchronous serial (UART), MIDI, PC keyboard, HD44780 LCDs, and generic 2- and 3-wire libraries for custom protocols.

Features:

USB interface, USB powered

0-5.5volt tolerant pins

0-6volt measurement probe

1Hz-40MHz frequency measurement

1kHz - 4MHz pulse-width modulator, frequency generator

On-board multi-voltage pull-up resistors

On-board 3.3volt and 5volt power supplies with software reset

Macros for common operations

Bus traffic sniffers (SPI, I2C)

A bootloader for easy USB firmware updates

Transparent USB->serial bridge mode

10Hz-1MHz low-speed logic analyzer

Custom support in AVRDUDE, Flashrom

AVR STK500 v2 programmer clone

Scriptable from Perl, Python, etc.

Translations (currently Spanish and Italian)

It’s blue! It’s thin! It’s the Arduino Pro Mini! SparkFun’s minimal design approach to Arduino. This is a 5V Arduino running the 16MHz bootloader. Arduino Pro Mini does not come with connectors populated so that you can solder in any connector or wire with any orientation you need. We recommend first time Arduino users start with the Uno R3. It’s a great board that will get you up and running quickly. The Arduino Pro series is meant for users that understand the limitations of system voltage (5V), lack of connectors, and USB off board.

We really wanted to minimize the cost of an Arduino. In order to accomplish this we used all SMD components, made it two layer, etc. This board connects directly to the FTDI Basic Breakout board and supports auto-reset. The Arduino Pro Mini also works with the FTDI cable but the FTDI cable does not bring out the DTR pin so the auto-reset feature will not work. There is a voltage regulator on board so it can accept voltage up to 12VDC. If you’re supplying unregulated power to the board, be sure to connect to the “RAW” pin and not VCC.

The latest and greatest version of this board breaks out the ADC6 and ADC7 pins as well as adds footprints for optional I2C pull-up resistors! We also took the opportunity to slap it with the OSHW logo.

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Arduino LLC to help fund continued development of new tools and new IDE features.

Features

ATmega328 running at 16MHz with external resonator (0.5% tolerance)

0.8mm Thin PCB

USB connection off board

Supports auto-reset

5V regulator

Max 150mA output

Over current protected

Weighs less than 2 grams!

DC input 5V up to 12V

On board Power and Status LEDs

Analog Pins: 8

Digital I/Os: 14

0.7x1.3" (18x33mm)

As of October 9th, 2015 the 5V Trinket comes with a micro-USB connector instead of a mini-USB connector!

Trinket may be small, but do not be fooled by its size! It's a tiny microcontroller board, built around the Atmel ATtiny85, a little chip with a lot of power. We wanted to design a microcontroller board that was small enough to fit into any project, and low cost enough to use without hesitation. Perfect for when you don't want to give up your expensive dev-board and you aren't willing to take apart the project you worked so hard to design. It's our lowest-cost arduino-IDE programmable board!The Attiny85 is a fun processor because despite being so small, it has 8K of flash, and 5 I/O pins, including analog inputs and PWM 'analog' outputs. We designed a USB bootloader so you can plug it into any computer and reprogram it over a USB port just like an Arduino. In fact we even made some simple modifications to the Arduino IDE so that it works like a mini-Arduino board. You can't stack a big shield on it but for many small & simple projects the Trinket will be your go-to platform.This is the 5V Trinket. There are two versions of the Trinket. One is 3V and one is 5V. Both work the same, but have different operating logic voltages. Use the 3V one to interface with sensors and devices that need 3V logic, or when you want to power it off of a LiPo battery. The 3V version should only run at 8 MHz. Use the 5V one for sensors and components that can use or require 5V logic. The 5V version can run at 8 MHz or at 16MHz by setting the software-set clock frequency.Even though you can program Trinket using the Arduino IDE, it's not a fully 100% Arduino-compatible. There are some things you trade off for such a small and low cost microcontroller!

Trinket does not have a Serial port connection for debugging so the serial port monitor will not be able to send/receive data

Some computers' USB v3 ports don't recognize the Trinket's bootloader. Simply use a USB v2 port or a USB hub in between

Here are some useful specifications!

ATtiny85 on-board, 8K of flash, 512 byte of SRAM, 512 bytes of EEPROM

Internal oscillator runs at 8MHz, but can be doubled in software for 16MHz

USB bootloader with a nice LED indicator looks just like a USBtinyISP so you can program it with AVRdude (with a simple config modification) and/or the Arduino IDE (with a few simple config modifications)

Micro-USB jack for power and/or USB uploading, you can put it in a box or tape it up and use any USB cable for when you want to reprogram.

We really worked hard on the bootloader process to make it rugged and foolproof, this board wont up and die on you in the middle of a project!

~5.25K bytes available for use (2.75K taken for the bootloader)

Available in both 3V and 5V flavors

On-board 3.3V or 5.0V power regulator with 150mA output capability and ultra-low dropout. Up to 16V input, reverse-polarity protection, thermal and current-limit protection.

Power with either USB or external output (such as a battery) - it'll automatically switch over

On-board green power LED and red pin #1 LED

Reset button for entering the bootloader or restarting the program. No need to unplug/replug the board every time you want to reset or update!

5 GPIO - 2 shared with the USB interface. The 3 independent IO pins have 1 analog input and 2 PWM output as well. The 2 shared IO pins have 2 more analog inputs and one more PWM output.

Hardware I2C / SPI capability for breakout & sensor interfacing.

Works with many basic Arduino libraries including Adafruit Neopixel!

Mounting holes! Yeah!

Really really small

For a lot more details, including a tour of the Trinket, pinout details and Arduino IDE examples, check out the Introducing Trinket tutorial

Trinket may be small, but do not be fooled by its size! It's a tiny microcontroller board, built around the Atmel ATtiny85, a little chip with a lot of power. We wanted to design a microcontroller board that was small enough to fit into any project, and low cost enough to use without hesitation. Perfect for when you don't want to give up your expensive dev-board and you aren't willing to take apart the project you worked so hard to design. It's our lowest-cost arduino-IDE programmable board!

As of May 27th, 2015 the 3.3V Trinket has been revised! The board is now even smaller - at just 27mm x 15mm - and comes with a micro-B USB connector rather than mini-BThe Attiny85 is a fun processor because despite being so small, it has 8K of flash, and 5 I/O pins, including analog inputs and PWM 'analog' outputs. We designed a USB bootloader so you can plug it into any computer and reprogram it over a USB port just like an Arduino. In fact we even made some simple modifications to the Arduino IDE so that it works like a mini-Arduino board. You can't stack a big shield on it but for many small & simple projects the Trinket will be your go-to platform.This is the 3V Trinket. There are two versions of the Trinket. One is 3V and one is 5V. Both work the same, but have different operating logic voltages. Use the 3V one to interface with sensors and devices that need 3V logic, or when you want to power it off of a LiPo battery. The 3V version should only run at 8 MHz. Use the 5V one for sensors and components that can use or require 5V logic. The 5V version can run at 8 MHz or at 16MHz by setting the software-set clock frequency.Even though you can program Trinket using the Arduino IDE, it's not a fully 100% Arduino-compatible. There are some things you trade off for such a small and low cost microcontroller!

Trinket does not have a Serial port connection for debugging so the serial port monitor will not be able to send/receive data

Some computers' USB v3 ports don't recognize the Trinket's bootloader. Simply use a USB v2 port or a USB hub in between

Here are some useful specifications!

ATtiny85 on-board, 8K of flash, 512 byte of SRAM, 512 bytes of EEPROM

Internal oscillator runs at 8MHz, but can be doubled in software for 16MHz

USB bootloader with a nice LED indicator looks just like a USBtinyISP so you can program it with AVRdude (with a simple config modification) and/or the Arduino IDE (with a few simple config modifications)

Micro-USB jack for power and/or USB uploading, you can put it in a box or tape it up and use any USB cable for when you want to reprogram.

We really worked hard on the bootloader process to make it rugged and foolproof, this board wont up and die on you in the middle of a project!

~5.25K bytes available for use (2.75K taken for the bootloader)

Available in both 3V and 5V flavors

On-board 3.3V or 5.0V power regulator with 150mA output capability and ultra-low dropout. Up to 16V input, reverse-polarity protection, thermal and current-limit protection.

Power with either USB or external output (such as a battery) - it'll automatically switch over

On-board green power LED and red pin #1 LED

Reset button for entering the bootloader or restarting the program. No need to unplug/replug the board every time you want to reset or update!

5 GPIO - 2 shared with the USB interface. The 3 independent IO pins have 1 analog input and 2 PWM output as well. The 2 shared IO pins have 2 more analog inputs and one more PWM output.

Hardware I2C / SPI capability for breakout & sensor interfacing.

Works with many basic Arduino libraries including Adafruit Neopixel!

Mounting holes! Yeah!

Really really small

For a lot more details, including a tour of the Trinket, pinout details and Arduino IDE examples, check out the Introducing Trinket tutorial

The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing is a breakout and development board for the ESP8266 WiFi SoC – a leading platform for Internet of Things (IoT) or WiFi-related projects. The Thing is low-cost and easy to use, and Arduino IDE integration can be achieved in just a few steps. We’ve made the ESP8266 easy to use by breaking out all of the module’s pins, adding a LiPo charger, power supply, and all of the other supporting circuitry it requires.

Why the name? We lovingly call it the “Thing” due to it being the perfect foundation for your Internet of Things project. The Thing does everything from turning on an LED to posting data with datastream, and can be programmed just like any microcontroller. You can even program the Thing through the Arduino IDE by installing the ESP8266 Arduino addon.

The SparkFun ESP8266 Thing is a relatively simple board. The pins are broken out to two parallel, breadboard-compatible rows. USB and LiPo connectors at the top of the board provide power – controlled by the nearby ON/OFF switch. LEDs towards the inside of the board indicate power, charge, and status of the IC. The ESP8266’s maximum voltage is 3.6V, so the Thing has an onboard 3.3V regulator to deliver a safe, consistent voltage to the IC. That means the ESP8266’s I/O pins also run at 3.3V, you’ll need to level shift any 5V signals running into the IC. A 3.3V FTDI Basic is required to program the SparkFun ESP8266 Thing, but other serial converters with 3.3V I/O levels should work just fine as well. The converter does need a DTR line in addition to the RX and TX pins.

Get Started with the ESP8266 Thing Guide

Features

All module pins broken out

On-board LiPo charger/power supply

802.11 b/g/n

Wi-Fi Direct (P2P), soft-AP

Integrated TCP/IP protocol stack

Integrated TR switch, balun, LNA, power amplifier and matching network

Integrated PLLs, regulators, DCXO and power management units

Integrated low power 32-bit CPU could be used as application processor

+19.5dBm output power in 802.11b mode

The Photon is a $19 tiny Wi-Fi development kit for creating connected projects and products for the Internet of Things. It's easy to use, it's powerful, and it's connected to the cloud.

The tools that make up the Photon's ecosystem (and come along with the board) are designed to let you build and create whether you're an embedded engineer, web developer, Arduino enthusiast or IoT entrepreneur. You'll be able to write your firmware in our web or local IDE, deploy it over the air, and build your web and mobile apps with ParticleJS and our Mobile SDK.

The board itself uses a Broadcom WICED Wi-Fi chip (one that can be found in Nest Protect, LIFX, and Amazon Dash) alongside a powerful STM32 ARM Cortex M3 microcontroller. It's like the Spark Core, but better! The WICED chipset is much faster than the original CC3000 in the 'Core and also supports SSL and Soft-AP mode.

This is the Photon with breadboard headers connected. We also have the Photon without headers.

If you're looking for a version with a breadboard and USB cable, click here for the Photon Starter Kit.

This incredibly small stereo amplifier is surprisingly powerful - able to deliver 2 x 3.7W channels into 3 ohm impedance speakers. Inside the miniature chip is a class D controller, able to run from 2.7V-5.5VDC. Since the amp is a class D, its incredibly efficient (over 90% efficient when driving an 8Ω speaker at over a Watt) - making it perfect for portable and battery-powered projects. It has built in thermal and over-current protection but we could barely tell it got hot. This board is a welcome upgrade to basic "LM386" amps!The inputs of the amplifier go through 1.0uF capacitors, so they are fully 'differential' - if you don't have differential outputs, simply tie the R- and L- to ground. The outputs are "Bridge Tied" - that means they connect directly to the outputs, no connection to ground. The output is a 360KHz square wave PWM that is then 'averaged out' by the speaker coil - the high frequencies are not heard. All the above means that you can't connect the output into another amplifier, it should drive the speakers directly.Comes with a fully assembled and tested breakout board with 1.0uF input capacitors. We also include header to plug it into a breadboard, 3.5mm screw-terminal blocks so you can easily attach/detach your speakers, and a 2x4 header + jumper to change the amplifier gain on the fly. You will be ready to rock in 15 minutes! Speakers are not included, use any 3ohm or greater impedance speakers. 

Output Power: 3.7W at 3Ω, 10% THD, 1.7W at 8Ω, 10% THD, with 5V Supply

Passes EMI limit unfiltered with up to 12 inches (30 cm) of speaker cable

High 83dB PSRR at 217Hz

Spread-Spectrum Modulation and Active Emissions Limiting

Five pin-selectable gains: 6dB, 9dB, 12dB, 15dB and 18dB. Select with a jumper or by setting the G and G' breakout pins (see schematic for breakout board showing gain pin settings for details)

Excellent click-and-pop suppression

Thermal and short-circuit/over-current protection

Low current draw: 2mA quiescent and 10uA in shutdown mode

Note: The terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black.

This incredibly small stereo amplifier is surprisingly powerful - able to deliver 2 x 2.1W channels into 4 ohm impedance speakers (@ 10% THD). Inside the miniature chip is a class D controller, able to run from 2.7V-5.5VDC. Since the amp is a class D, it's incredibly efficient (89% efficient when driving an 8Ω speaker at 1.5 Watt) - making it perfect for portable and battery-powered projects. It has built in thermal and over-current protection but we could barely tell it got hot. This board is a welcome upgrade to basic "LM386" amps!The inputs of the amplifier go through 1.0uF capacitors, so they are fully 'differential' - if you don't have differential outputs, simply tie the R- and L- to ground. The outputs are "Bridge Tied" - that means they connect directly to the outputs, no connection to ground. The output is a ~300KHz square wave PWM that is then 'averaged out' by the speaker coil - the high frequencies are not heard. All the above means that you can't connect the output into another amplifier, it should drive the speakers directly.Comes with a fully assembled and tested breakout board with 1.0uF input capacitors. We also include a dual mini DIP switch for setting the amplifier gain on the fly, 3.5mm screw-terminal blocks so you can easily attach/detach your speakers, and some header in case you want to plug it into a breadboard. You will be ready to rock in 15 minutes! Speakers are not included, use any 4 ohm or 8 ohm impedance speakers.

Output Power: 2.1W at 4Ω, 10% THD, 1.4W at 8Ω, 10% THD, with 5V Supply

PSRR: 77 dB typ @ 217 Hz with 6 dB gain

Designed for use without an output filter, when wires are kept at under 2"-4" long

Four pin-selectable gains: 6dB, 12dB, 18dB and 24dB. Select with the onboard switches or by setting the G0 and G1 breakout pins (see schematic for breakout board showing gain pin settings for details)

Excellent click-and-pop suppression

Thermal shutdown protection

Independent channel shutdown

Low current draw: typ 6mA quiescent and 1.5uA in shutdown mode

Check out the tutorial for more details!

Note: The terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black.

Stereo 2.8W Class D Audio Amplifier (8:55)

A mini class D with AGC and I2C control? Yes please! This incredibly small stereo amplifier is surprisingly powerful. It is able to deliver 2 x 2.8W channels into 4 ohm impedance speakers (@ 10% THD) and it has a i2c control interface as well as an AGC (automatic gain control) system to keep your audio from clipping or distorting.If you don't want to use I2C to control it, it does start up on with 6dB gain by default and the AGC set up for most music playing. We do suggest using it with a microcontroller to configure it, however, since its quite powerful. Settings are not stored in the chip, so you'll need to adjust any gain & AGC amplification settings every time the amp is powered up.Inside the miniature chip is a class D controller, able to run from 2.7V-5.5VDC. Since the amp is a class D, it's incredibly efficient (89% efficient when driving an 8Ω speaker at 1.5 Watt) - making it perfect for portable and battery-powered projects. It has built in thermal and over-current protection but we could barely tell if it got hot. This board is a welcome upgrade to basic "LM386" amps!The inputs of the amplifier go through 1.0uF capacitors, so they are fully 'differential' - if you don't have differential outputs, simply tie the R- and L- to ground. The outputs are "Bridge Tied" - that means they connect directly to the outputs, no connection to ground. The output is a ~300KHz square wave PWM that is then 'averaged out' by the speaker coil - the high frequencies are not heard. All the above means that you can't connect the output into another amplifier, it should drive the speakers directly.Comes with a fully assembled and tested breakout board with 1.0uF input capacitors. We also include 3.5mm screw-terminal blocks so you can easily attach/detach your speakers, and some header in case you want to plug it into a breadboard. Speakers are not included, use any 4 ohm or 8 ohm impedance speakers.Our awesome tutorial and Arduino library will let you set the AGC configuration (you can also just turn it off), max gain, and turn on/off the left & right channels all over I2C! You will be ready to rock in 20 minutes!

Note: The terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black.

Stereo 2.8W Class D Audio Amplifier - I2C Control AGC - TPA2016 (6:10)

Pump up the volume with this 20W stereo amplifier! This slim little board has a class D amplifier onboard that can drive 2 channels of 4-8 ohm impedance speakers at 20W each. Power it with 5-12VDC using the onboard DC power jack and plug stereo line level into the 3.5mm stereo headphone jack and jam out with ease. Since it's class D, its completely cool-running, no heat sinks are required and it's extremely efficient - up to 93% efficiency makes it great for portable or battery powered rigs.We like the MAX9744 amplifier at the heart of this board because its very easy to use, but it also has both analog and digital volume control capability. Use a single 1KΩ pot (we include one) to adjust volume analog-style. Or hook it up to your favorite microcontroller and send I2C commands to set 64-steps of volume amplification.Some great stats about the MAX9744:

Power from 4.5V-14V DC voltage

Up to 93% efficient (88-93% typical)

20mA quiescent current (or put into shutdown for 1uA quiescent)

Up to 29.5dB max gain

Use DC or AC coupled line-level input, up to 3Vpp

Filterless Spread-Spectrum Modulation LowersRadiated RF Emissions from Speaker Cables

20W Stereo Output (4Ω, VDD = 12V, THD+N = 10%)

Low 0.04% THD+N

Integrated Click-and-Pop Suppression

Short-Circuit and Thermal-Overload Protection

We took this lovely chip and wrapped it up into a breakout for you, with polarity-protection, jacks and terminal blocks, i2c level shifting, and a spot to solder in a volume pot.Each order comes with one MAX9744 breakout board with all surface-mount parts fully assembled and tested. We also include 3 x 2pin and 1 x 3pin terminal blocks, a 470uF power filter capacitor and 1KΩ trim pot. To use this board, a little soldering is required to attach the terminal blocks and other components, but its fairly easy and expect it should take less than 15 minutes. Check out our detailed tutorial for assembly instructions and overall usage

Note: The terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black.

This super small mono amplifier is surprisingly powerful - able to deliver up to 2.5 Watts into 4-8 ohm impedance speakers. Inside the miniature chip is a class D controller, able to run from 2.0V-5.5VDC. Since the amp is a class D, its very efficient (over 90% efficient when driving an 8Ω speaker at over half a Watt) - making it perfect for portable and battery-powered projects. It has built in thermal and over-current protection but we could barely tell it got hot. There's even a volume trim pot so you can adjust the volume on the board down from the default 24dB gain. This board is a welcome upgrade to basic "LM386" amps!The A+ and A- inputs of the amplifier go through 1.0uF capacitors, so they are fully 'differential' - if you don't have differential outputs, simply tie the Audio- pin  to ground. The output is "Bridge Tied" - that means the output pins connect directly to the speaker pins, no connection to ground. The output is a high frequency 250KHz square wave PWM that is then 'averaged out' by the speaker coil - the high frequencies are not heard. All the above means that you can't connect the output into another amplifier, it should drive the speakers directly.Comes with a fully assembled and tested breakout board. We also include header to plug it into a breadboard and a 3.5mm screw-terminal blocks so you can easily attach/detach your speaker. You will be ready to rock in 15 minutes! Speaker is not included, use any 4 ohm or greater impedance speaker.

Output Power: 2.5W at 4Ω, 10% THD, 1.5W at 8Ω, 10% THD, with 5.5V Supply

50dB PSRR at 1KHz

Filterless design, with ferrite bead + capacitors on output.

Fixed 24dB gain, onboard trim potentiometer for adjusting input volume.

Thermal and short-circuit/over-current protection

Low current draw: 4mA quiescent and 1uA in shutdown mode

Note: The terminal block included with your product may be blue or black.

The SparkFun Sound Detector is a small and very easy to use audio sensing board with three different outputs. The Sound Detector not only provides an audio output, but also a binary indication of the presence of sound, and an analog representation of its amplitude. The 3 outputs are simultaneous and independent, so you can use as many or as few as you want at once.

The envelope output allows you to easily read amplitude of sound by simply measuring the analog voltage. Gain can be adjusted with a through-hole resistor, to change the threshold of the binary (gate) output pin as well. Check the hookup guide below for more information about setting gain.

Each of the three output signals is present on the .1" pin-out at the edge of the board. They are active simultaneously. If you aren’t using one in your particular application, simply leave that pin disconnected.

Get Started with the SparkFun Sound Detector Guide

This electret capsule microphone is the same one we use in our great microphone amplifier board. It contains a small vibrating element that will output a few milllivolts peak-to-peak. You will need an op-amp to amplify the signal, some chips are designed with the amplifier built in in which case you can wire it up directly.

This is an "omnidirectional" microphone, with -44dB sensitivity, and has 20-20KHz frequency response. You can plug it into a breadboard or perfboard or solder wires to the little wires sticking out the back.

Check out OpenMusicLab's great tutorial on Electret Microphones for a deeper look at how these sensors work. If you need an amplifier board, see our fully-assembled and tested mic amp board with adjustable gain.

This low cost XBee USB Adapter Board comes in partially assembled kit form and provides a cost-effective solution to interfacing a PC or microcontroller to any XBee or XBee Pro module. The PC connection can be used to configure the XBee Module through Digi's X-CTU software. Works with XBee series 1 and 2 as well as Pro modules

By using this adapter board you can provide an easy interface to the XBee or XBee Pro modules by converting the 2mm pin spacing to breadboard friendly 0.100" spacing. The adapter board also provides a means to connect pluggable wires or solder connections and also provides mounting holes. Note: This product from Parallax uses genuine FTDI chips 10/23/14 (read more).

Features:

Provides an easy interface to configure XBee Modules using Digi's X-CTU software

Converts XBee 2mm pin spacing to 0.100" pin spacing

4 status indicator LEDs for Power, RSSI, Associate and mode (sleep/ON)

Provides easy pluggable wire or solder connections

Includes mounting holes

Pin-out compatible with our other XBee Adapter boards

Partially assembled kit form for flexible configuration

Kit Contents:

(1) XBee Adapter Board PCB

(2) 10-pin 2mm sockets - these are soldered into the board.

(1) 40-pin SIP header

Tools Required:

Soldering Iron

Solder

Flux

Diagonal cutters or Exacto knife

Key Specifications:

Power requirements: 5.0V from USB or VDD pin, 3.3V generated on-board

Communication: Serial pass-through to XBee module/USB to Host PC

Dimensions: 1.51 x 1.00 x 0.58 in* (38.3 x 25.6 x 14.8 mm*)

* when headers are attached

Operating temp range: -40 to +158F (-40 to +70C)

Works with all XBee & Pro modules!

You'll need a USB cable with a mini-b connector on it to plug this into your computer! We have such an item in the shop, or you can look around the house, they're often used for digital cameras.

This is a simple breakout board for the popular XBee product from Digi. This board breaks out all 20 pins of the XBee to a 0.1" standard spacing dual row header. The spacing between 0.1" headers is 0.5" making it breadboard DIP friendly. We highly recommend using the female sockets to avoid having to solder the XBee permanently to the breakout board. This is the PCB only. Please order the accompanying 2mm sockets (you’ll need 2!) and 0.1" headers below.

This is a simple to use, USB to serial base unit for the Digi XBee line. This unit works with all XBee modules including the Series 1 and Series 2.5, standard and Pro version. Plug the unit into the XBee Explorer, attach a mini USB cable, and you will have direct access to the serial and programming pins on the XBee unit.

The highlight of this board is an FT231X USB-to-Serial converter. That’s what translates data between your computer and the XBee. There’s also a reset button, and a voltage regulator to supply the XBee with plenty of power. In addition, there are four LEDs that’ll help if you ever need to debug your XBee: RX, TX, RSSI (signal-strength indicator), and power indicator.

This board also breaks out each of the XBee’s I/O pins to a pair of breadboard-compatible headers. So if you want to make use of the XBee’s extended functionality, you can solder some header pins into those, or even just solder some wire.

Not sure which XBee module or accessory is right for you? Check out our XBee Buying Guide!

Note: There is no XBee included with this Explorer USB. Check the Recommended Products section below for different options.

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores.

This is the Adafruit Feather 32u4 Adalogger - our take on an 'all-in-one' datalogger (or data-reader) with built in USB and battery charging. Its an Adafruit Feather 32u4 with a microSD holder ready to rock! We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here

At the Feather 32u4's heart is at ATmega32u4 clocked at 8 MHz and at 3.3V logic, a chip setup we've had tons of experience with as it's the same as the Flora. This chip has 32K of flash and 2K of RAM, with built in USB so not only does it have a USB-to-Serial program & debug capability built in with no need for an FTDI-like chip, it can also act like a mouse, keyboard, USB MIDI device, etc.

To make it easy to use for portable projects, we added a connector for any of our 3.7V Lithium polymer batteries and built in battery charging. You don't need a battery, it will run just fine straight from the micro USB connector. But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery thru a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge.

Here's some handy specs! Like all Feather 32u4's you get:

Measures 2.0" x 0.9" x 0.28" (51mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in

Light as a (large?) feather - 5.1 grams

ATmega32u4 @ 8MHz with 3.3V logic/power

3.3V regulator with 500mA peak current output

USB native support, comes with USB bootloader and serial port debugging

You also get tons of pins - 20 GPIO pins

Hardware Serial, hardware I2C, hardware SPI support

7 x PWM pins

10 x analog inputs

Built in 100mA lipoly charger with charging status indicator LED

Pin #13 red LED for general purpose blinking

Power/enable pin

4 mounting holes

Reset button

The Feather 32u4 Adalogger uses the extra space left over to add MicroSD + a green LED:

Pin #8 green LED for your blinking pleasure

MicroSD card holder for adding as much storage as you could possibly want, for reading or writing.

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some header so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. Lipoly battery, MicroSD card and USB cable not included (but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!)

Check out our tutorial for all sorts of details, including schematics, files, IDE instructions, and more!

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores. This is the Adafruit Feather M0 WiFi w/ATWINC1500 - our take on an 'all-in-one' Arduino-compatible + high speed, reliable WiFi with built in USB and battery charging. Its an Adafruit Feather M0 with a WiFi module, ready to rock! We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here.

Connect your Feather to the Internet with this fine new FCC-certified WiFi module from Atmel. This 802.11bgn-capable WiFi module is the best new thing for networking your devices, with built-in low-power management capabilites, Soft-AP, SSL TLS 1.2 support and rock solid performance. We were running our adafruit.io MQTT demo for a full weekend straight with no hiccups (it would have run longer but we had to go to work, so we unplugged it). This module is very fast & easy to use in comparison to other WiFi modules we've used in the past.

This module works with 802.11b, g, or n networks & supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption.  You can connect to your own WiFi networks or create your own with "Soft AP" mode, where it becomes its own access point (we have an example of it creating a webserver that you can then control the Arduino's pins). You can clock it as fast as 12MHz for speedy, reliable packet streaming. And scanning/connecting to networks is very fast, just a second or two.

You might be wondering why use this when you can get a HUZZAH Feather? Well, you get:

A highly-capable Cortex M0+ processor with ton more I/O pins, lots of 12-bit ADCs, a 10-bit DAC, 6 total SERCOMs that can each do SPI, I2C or UART (3 are used by the existing interfaces, leaving you 3), plenty of timers, PWMs, DMA, native USB, and more (check out the Datasheet)

The ATWINC has much lower power usage, about 12mA for the WINC & 10mA for the ATSAMD21 with auto-powermanagement on for the WiFi and no power management for the ARM. With manual power management, you can get the WiFi module to down to ~2mA by putting it to sleep.

This is compared to the ESP's ~70mA average current draw, and whose deep sleep mode requires a WDT reset.

We also found that we could stream more reliably (less 'bursty') with the ATWINC, although altogether the ESP has higher throughput.

You also dont have to 'yield' all the time to the WiFi core, since its a separate chip. You get full reign of the processor and timing

Of course, both WiFi-capable Feathers have their strengths and tradeoffs, & we love both equally!

At the Feather M0's heart is an ATSAMD21G18 ARM Cortex M0 processor, clocked at 48 MHz and at 3.3V logic, the same one used in the new Arduino Zero. This chip has a whopping 256K of FLASH (8x more than the Atmega328 or 32u4) and 32K of RAM (16x as much)! This chip comes with built in USB so it has USB-to-Serial program & debug capability built in with no need for an FTDI-like chip. For advanced users who are comfortable with ASF, the SWDIO/SWCLK pins are available on the bottom, and when connected to a CMSIS-DAP debugger can be used to use Atmel Studio for debugging.

To make it easy to use for portable projects, we added a connector for any of our 3.7V Lithium polymer batteries and built in battery charging. You don't need to use a battery, it will run just fine straight from the micro USB connector. But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery through a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge.

Here's some handy specs! Like all Feather M0's you get:

Measures 2.1" x 0.9" x 0.3" (53.65mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in. Note it is 0.1" longer than most Feathers

Light as a (large?) feather - 6.1 grams

ATSAMD21G18 @ 48MHz with 3.3V logic/power

256KB FLASH, 32KB SRAM, No EEPROM

3.3V regulator (AP2112K-3.3) with 600mA peak current output, WiFi can draw 300mA peak during xmit

USB native support, comes with USB bootloader and serial port debugging

You also get tons of pins - 20 GPIO pins

Hardware Serial, hardware I2C, hardware SPI support

8 x PWM pins

10 x analog inputs

1 x analog output

Built in 200mA lipoly charger with charging status indicator LED

Pin #13 red LED for general purpose blinking

Power/enable pin

4 mounting holes

Reset button

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some header so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. Lipoly battery and MicroUSB cable not included (but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!)

Note: This version does not come with an onboard antenna, you will need a uFL connector antenna such as 2.4GHz Mini Flexible WiFi Antenna - not included! We have a version with on-board antenna as well

Check out our tutorial for all sorts of details, including pinouts, power management, Arduino IDE setup and more!

This is the Adafruit Feather M0 RFM95 LoRa Radio (900MHz). We call these RadioFruits, our take on an microcontroller with a "Long Range (LoRa)" packet radio transceiver with built in USB and battery charging. Its an Adafruit Feather M0 with a 900MHz radio module cooked in! Great for making wireless networks that are more flexible than Bluetooth LE and without the high power requirements of WiFi.

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores.We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here.

This is the 900 MHz radio version, which can be used for either 868MHz or 915MHz transmission/reception - the exact radio frequency is determined when you load the software since it can be tuned around dynamically. We also sell a 433MHz version of the same radio chipset!

At the Feather M0's heart is an ATSAMD21G18 ARM Cortex M0 processor, clocked at 48 MHz and at 3.3V logic, the same one used in the new Arduino Zero. This chip has a whopping 256K of FLASH (8x more than the Atmega328 or 32u4) and 32K of RAM (16x as much)! This chip comes with built in USB so it has USB-to-Serial program & debug capability built in with no need for an FTDI-like chip.

To make it easy to use for portable projects, we added a connector for any of our 3.7V Lithium polymer batteries and built in battery charging. You don't need a battery, it will run just fine straight from the micro USB connector. But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery thru a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge.

Here's some handy specs! Like all Feather M0's you get:

Measures 2.0" x 0.9" x 0.3" (51mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in

Light as a (large?) feather - 5.8 grams

ATSAMD21G18 @ 48MHz with 3.3V logic/power

No EEPROM

3.3V regulator with 500mA peak current output

USB native support, comes with USB bootloader and serial port debugging

You also get tons of pins - 20 GPIO pins

Hardware Serial, hardware I2C, hardware SPI support

8 x PWM pins

10 x analog inputs

1 x analog output

Built in 100mA lipoly charger with charging status indicator LED

Pin #13 red LED for general purpose blinking

Power/enable pin

4 mounting holes

Reset button

This Feather M0 LoRa Radio uses the extra space left over to add an RFM9x LoRa 868/915 MHz radio module. These radios are not good for transmitting audio or video, but they do work quite well for small data packet transmission when you need more range than 2.4 GHz (BT, BLE, WiFi, ZigBee).

SX127x LoRa® based module with SPI interface

Packet radio with ready-to-go Arduino libraries

Uses the license-free ISM bands (ITU "Europe" @ 433MHz and ITU "Americas" @ 900MHz)

+5 to +20 dBm up to 100 mW Power Output Capability (power output selectable in software)

~300uA during full sleep, ~120mA peak during +20dBm transmit, ~40mA during active radio listening.

Simple wire antenna or spot for uFL connector

Our initial tests with default library settings: over 1.2mi/2Km line-of-sight with wire quarter-wave antennas. (With setting tweaking and directional antennas, 20Km is possible).

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some headers so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. You will need to cut and solder on a small piece of wire (any solid or stranded core is fine) in order to create your antenna. Lipoly battery and USB cable not included but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores.

This is the Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit - our take on an 'all-in-one' Arduino-compatible + Bluetooth Low Energy with built in USB and battery charging. Its an Adafruit Feather 32u4 with a BTLE module, ready to rock! We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here.

Bluetooth Low Energy is the hottest new low-power, 2.4GHz spectrum wireless protocol. In particular, its the only wireless protocol that you can use with iOS without needing special certification and it's supported by all modern smart phones. This makes it excellent for use in portable projects that will make use of an iOS or Android phone or tablet. It also is supported in Mac OS X and Windows 8+.

We have quite a few BTLE-capable Feathers (it's a popular protocol!) so check out our BT Feather guide for some comparison information.

At the Feather 32u4's heart is at ATmega32u4 clocked at 8 MHz and at 3.3V logic, a chip setup we've had tons of experience with as it's the same as the Flora. This chip has 32K of flash and 2K of RAM, with built in USB so not only does it have a USB-to-Serial program & debug capability built in with no need for an FTDI-like chip, it can also act like a mouse, keyboard, USB MIDI device, etc.

To make it easy to use for portable projects, we added a connector for any of our 3.7V Lithium polymer batteries and built in battery charging. You don't need a battery, it will run just fine straight from the micro USB connector. But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery thru a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge.

Here's some handy specs! Like all Feather 32u4's you get:

Measures 2.0" x 0.9" x 0.28" (51mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in

Light as a (large?) feather - 5.7 grams

ATmega32u4 @ 8MHz with 3.3V logic/power

3.3V regulator with 500mA peak current output

USB native support, comes with USB bootloader and serial port debugging

You also get tons of pins - 20 GPIO pins

Hardware Serial, hardware I2C, hardware SPI support

7 x PWM pins

10 x analog inputs

Built in 100mA lipoly charger with charging status indicator LED

Pin #13 red LED for general purpose blinking

Power/enable pin

4 mounting holes

Reset button

The Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE uses the extra space left over to add our excellent Bluefruit BTLE module + two status indicator LEDs.

The Power of Bluefruit LE

The Bluefruit LE module is an nRF51822 chipset from Nordic, programmed with multi-function code that can do quite a lot! For most people, they'll be very happy to use the standard Nordic UART RX/TX connection profile. In this profile, the Bluefruit acts as a data pipe, that can 'transparently' transmit back and forth from your iOS or Android device. You can use our iOS App or Android App, or write your own to communicate with the UART service.

The board is capable of much more than just sending strings over the air!  Thanks to an easy to learn AT command set, you have full control over how the device behaves, including the ability to define and manipulate your own GATT Services and Characteristics, or change the way that the device advertises itself for other Bluetooth Low Energy devices to see. You can also use the AT commands  to query the die temperature, check the battery voltage, and more, check the connection RSSI or MAC address, and tons more. Really, way too long to list here!

Use the Bluefruit App to get your project started

Using our Bluefruit iOS App or Android App, you can quickly get your project prototyped by using your iOS or Android phone/tablet as a controller. We have a color picker, quaternion/accelerometer/gyro/magnetometer or location (GPS), and an 8-button control game pad. This data can be read over BLE and piped into the ATmega32u4 chip for processing & control

You can do a lot more too!

The Bluefruit can also act like an HID Keyboard (for devices that support BLE HID)

Can become a BLE Heart Rate Monitor (a standard profile for BLE) - you just need to add the pulse-detection circuitry

Turn it into a UriBeacon, the Google standard for Bluetooth LE beacons. Just power it and the 'Friend will bleep out a URL to any nearby devices with the UriBeacon app installed.

Built in over-the-air bootloading capability so we can keep you updated with the hottest new firmware. Use any Android or iOS device to get updates and install them. This will update the native code on the BLE module, to add new wireless capabilities, not program the ATmega chip.

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some header so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. Lipoly battery and MicroUSB cable not included (but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!)

Check out our tutorial for all sorts of details, including schematics, files, IDE instructions, and more!

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores.

This is the Adafruit Feather M0 Bluefruit LE - our take on an 'all-in-one' Arduino-compatible + Bluetooth Low Energy with built in USB and battery charging. It's an Adafruit Feather M0 with a BTLE module, ready to rock! We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here.

Bluetooth Low Energy is a hot, low-power, 2.4GHz spectrum wireless protocol. In particular, it's the only wireless protocol that you can use with iOS without needing special certification, and it's supported by all modern smart phones. This makes it excellent for use in portable projects that will make use of an iOS or Android phone or tablet. It also is supported in Mac OS X and Windows 8+.

We have quite a few BTLE-capable Feathers (it's a popular protocol!) so check out our BT Feather guide for some comparison information.

At the Feather M0's heart is an ATSAMD21G18 ARM Cortex M0 processor, clocked at 48 MHz and at 3.3V logic, the same one used in the new Arduino Zero. This chip has a whopping 256K of FLASH (8x more than the Atmega328 or 32u4) and 32K of RAM (16x as much)! This chip comes with built in USB so it has USB-to-Serial program & debug capability built in with no need for an FTDI-like chip.

To make it easy to use for portable projects, we added a connector for any of our 3.7V Lithium polymer batteries and built in battery charging. You don't need a battery, it will run just fine straight from the micro USB connector. But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery thru a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge.

Here's some handy specs! Like all Feather M0's you get:

Measures 2.0" x 0.9" x 0.28" (51mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in

Light as a (large?) feather - 5.7 grams

ATSAMD21G18 @ 48MHz with 3.3V logic/power

No EEPROM

3.3V regulator with 500mA peak current output

USB native support, comes with USB bootloader and serial port debugging

You also get tons of pins - 20 GPIO pins

Hardware Serial, hardware I2C, hardware SPI support

8 x PWM pins

10 x analog inputs

1 x analog output

Built in 100mA lipoly charger with charging status indicator LED

Pin #13 red LED for general purpose blinking

Power/enable pin

4 mounting holes

Reset button

The Feather M0 Bluefruit LE uses the extra space left over to add our excellent Bluefruit BTLE module + two status indicator LEDs.

The Power of Bluefruit LE

The Bluefruit LE module is an nRF51822 chipset from Nordic, programmed with multi-function code that can do quite a lot! For most people, they'll be very happy to use the standard Nordic UART RX/TX connection profile. In this profile, the Bluefruit acts as a data pipe, that can 'transparently' transmit back and forth from your iOS or Android device. You can use our iOS App or Android App, or write your own to communicate with the UART service.

The board is capable of much more than just sending strings over the air!  Thanks to an easy to learn AT command set, you have full control over how the device behaves, including the ability to define and manipulate your own GATT Services and Characteristics, or change the way that the device advertises itself for other Bluetooth Low Energy devices to see. You can also use the AT commands  to query the die temperature, check the battery voltage, and more, check the connection RSSI or MAC address, and tons more. Really, way too long to list here!

Use the Bluefruit App to get your project started

Using our Bluefruit iOS App or Android App, you can quickly get your project prototyped by using your iOS or Android phone/tablet as a controller. We have a color picker, quaternion/accelerometer/gyro/magnetometer or location (GPS), and an 8-button control game pad. This data can be read over BLE and piped into the ATSAMD21G18 chip for processing & control

You can do a lot more too!

The Bluefruit can also act like an HID Keyboard (for devices that support BLE HID)

Can become a BLE Heart Rate Monitor (a standard profile for BLE) - you just need to add the pulse-detection circuitry

Turn it into a UriBeacon, the Google standard for Bluetooth LE beacons. Just power it and the 'Friend will bleep out a URL to any nearby devices with the UriBeacon app installed.

Built in over-the-air bootloading capability so we can keep you updated with the hottest new firmware. Use any Android or iOS device to get updates and install them. This will update the native code on the BLE module, to add new wireless capabilities, not program the ATmega chip.

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some header so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. Lipoly battery and MicroUSB cable not included (but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!)

Check out our tutorial for all sorts of details, including schematics, files, IDE instructions, and more!

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores.

This is the Adafruit Feather M0 Adalogger - our take on an 'all-in-one' Cortex M0 datalogger (or data-reader) with built in USB and battery charging. Its an Adafruit Feather M0 with a microSD holder ready to rock! We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here

At the Feather M0's heart is an ATSAMD21G18 ARM Cortex M0 processor, clocked at 48 MHz and at 3.3V logic, the same one used in the new Arduino Zero. This chip has a whopping 256K of FLASH (8x more than the Atmega328 or 32u4) and 32K of RAM (16x as much)! This chip comes with built in USB so it has USB-to-Serial program & debug capability built in with no need for an FTDI-like chip.

To make it easy to use for portable projects, we added a connector for any of our 3.7V Lithium polymer batteries and built in battery charging. You don't need a battery, it will run just fine straight from the micro USB connector. But, if you do have a battery, you can take it on the go, then plug in the USB to recharge. The Feather will automatically switch over to USB power when its available. We also tied the battery thru a divider to an analog pin, so you can measure and monitor the battery voltage to detect when you need a recharge.

Here's some handy specs! Like all Feather M0's you get:

Measures 2.0" x 0.9" x 0.28" (51mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in

Light as a (large?) feather - 5.3 grams

ATSAMD21G18 @ 48MHz with 3.3V logic/power

256KB of FLASH + 32KB of RAM

No EEPROM

3.3V regulator with 500mA peak current output

USB native support, comes with USB bootloader and serial port debugging

You also get tons of pins - 20 GPIO pins

Hardware Serial, hardware I2C, hardware SPI support

8 x PWM pins

10 x analog inputs

Built in 100mA lipoly charger with charging status indicator LED

Pin #13 red LED for general purpose blinking

Power/enable pin

4 mounting holes

Reset button

The Feather M0 Adalogger uses the extra space left over to add MicroSD + a green LED:

Pin #8 green LED for your blinking pleasure

MicroSD card holder for adding as much storage as you could possibly want, for reading or writing.

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some header so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. Lipoly battery, MicroSD card and USB cable not included (but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!)

Check out our tutorial for all sorts of details, including schematics, files, IDE instructions, and more!

Say "Hi!" to the WICED Feather! Perfect for your next Internet connected project, with a powerful processor and WiFi core that can take anything you throw at it - this Feather is WIC(K)ED AWESOME!

Feather is the new development board from Adafruit, and like its namesake it is thin, light, and lets you fly! We designed Feather to be a new standard for portable microcontroller cores. This is the Adafruit WICED Feather - it's our most powerful Feather yet! We have other boards in the Feather family, check'em out here.

The WICED Feather is based on Cypress (formerly Broadcom) WICED (Wireless Internet Connectivity for Embedded Devices) platform, and is paired up with a powerful STM32F205 ARM Cortex M3 processor running at 120MHz, with support for TLS 1.2 to access sites and web services safely and securely.

We spent a lot of time adding support for this processor and WiFi chipset to the Arduino IDE you know and love. Programming doesn't rely on any online or closed toolsets to build, flash or run your code. You write your code in the Arduino IDE using the same standard libraries you've always used (Wire, SPI, etc.), compile locally, and the device is flashed directly from the IDE over USB.

Since the WICED Feather is based on the standard Adafruit Feather layout, you also have instant access to a variety of Feather Wings, as well as all the usual standard breakouts available from Adafruit or other vendors.

After more than a year of full time effort in the making, we think it's the best and most flexible WiFi development board out there, and the easiest way to get your TCP/IP-based project off the ground without sacrificing flexibility or security. We even cooked in some built-in libraries in the WiFi core, such as TCP client and Server, HTTP client and server, and MQTT client (with easy Adafruit IO interfacing). It can even work with Amazon AWS IoT!

Please note: this is a really cool product but it's also very advanced and there may be firmware updates, tweaks and fixes as we have more people use it. For that reason we are calling this the Developer Edition! This chipset is not identical to the Arduino standard-supported Atmega series and many libraries that are written specifically for AVR will not compile or work with the STM32!

The WICED Feather has the following key features:

Measures 2.0" x 0.9" x 0.28" (51mm x 23mm x 8mm) without headers soldered in

Light as a (large?) feather - 5.7 grams

STM32F205RG 120MHz ARM Cortex M3 MCU

BCM43362 802.11b/G/N radio

128KB SRAM and 1024KB flash memory (total)

16KB SRAM and 128KB flash available for user code

16MBit (2MB) SPI flash for additional data storage

Built in Real Time Clock (RTC) with optional external battery supply

Hardware SPI and I2C (including clock-stretching)

12 standard GPIO pins, with additional GPIOs available via SPI, UART and I2C pins

7 standard PWM outputs, with additional outputs available via SPI, UART and I2C pins

Up to eight 12-bit ADC inputs

Two 12-bit DAC outputs (Pin A4)

Up to 3 UARTs (including one with full HW flow control)

TLS 1.2 support to access secure HTTPS and TCP servers

On board single-cell LIPO charging and battery monitoring

Fast and easy firmware updates to keep your module up to date

Based on the excellent community-supported Maple project

Comes fully assembled and tested, with a USB bootloader that lets you quickly use it with the Arduino IDE. We also toss in some header so you can solder it in and plug into a solderless breadboard. Lipoly battery and MicroUSB cable not included (but we do have lots of options in the shop if you'd like!)

Our learn guide will show you everything you need to know to get your projects online, and connected to the outside world!

Wireless is wonderful, but sometimes you want the strong reliability of a wire. If your Feather board is going to be part of a permanent installation, this Ethernet FeatherWing will let you add quick and easy wired Internet. Just plug in a standard ethernet cable, and run the Ethernet2 library for cross-platform networking. Works with all/any of our Feather boards!

Ethernet is a tried-and-true networking standard. It's supported by every hub and switch, and because there's a physical connection you don't have to noodle around with SSIDs, passwords, authentication schemes or antennas. It works great with any of our Feathers, the WIZ5500 chip communicates over SPI plus a single CS pin. The Arduino Ethernet2 library works great, and within a few seconds after connecting, will do the DHCP setup for you. As a nice extra, the RJ-45 jack has both link and activity lights that will light/blink to let you know the current connection status.

Note this product does not have PoE support, but you can add it by the addition of a PoE splitter. We have a version that provides 5V at 2.4 Amp max into a micro USB connector  just plug in your Feather to be powered over the micro USB connection.

Each order comes with one assembled and tested FeatherWing, plus some header. You will need to solder in the header yourself but its a quick task. Check out our tutorial for code, schematics, files and more!

A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the DS3231 Precision RTC FeatherWing: it adds an extremely accurate I2C-integrated Real Time Clock (RTC) with a Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator (TCXO)  to any Feather main board. This RTC is the most precise you can get in a small, low power package. Using our Feather Stacking Headers or Feather Female Headers you can connect a FeatherWing on top of your Feather board and let the board take flight!

Check out our range of Feather boards here.

Most RTCs use an external 32kHz timing crystal that is used to keep time with low current draw. And that's all well and good, but those crystals have slight drift, particularly when the temperature changes (the temperature changes the oscillation frequency very very very slightly but it does add up!) This RTC is in a beefy package because the crystal is inside the chip! And right next to the integrated crystal is a temperature sensor. That sensor compensates for the frequency changes by adding or removing clock ticks so that the timekeeping stays on schedule.

With a CR1220 12mm coin cell plugged into the top of the FeatherWing, you can get years of precision timekeeping, even when main power is lost. Great for datalogging and clocks, or anything where you need to really know the time.

A CR1220 coin cell is required to use the battery-backup capabilities! We don't include one by default, to make shipping easier for those abroad, but we do stock them so pick one up or use any CR1220 you have handy.

Our tutorial for the DS3231 breakout has all the library and example code you need to get started, works with any and all of our Feathers using either Arduino or CircuitPython

A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the NeoPixel FeatherWing, a 4x8 RGB LED Add-on For All Feather Boards! Using our Feather Stacking Headers or Feather Female Headers you can connect a FeatherWing on top or bottom of your Feather board and make your Feather board strut like a peacock at a rave.

Put on your sunglasses before staring into these 32 configurable eye-blistering RGB LEDs. Arranged in a 4x8 matrix, each pixel is individually addressable. Only one pin is required to control all the LEDs. On the bottom we have jumpers for the DIN line to any of the I/O pins on a Feather.  Works with any/all of our Feathers! You can cut the default jumper trace and use any pin you like. (In particular, the default pin for Feather Huzzah ESP8266 must be moved, try pin #15!)

To make it easy to start, the LEDs are by default powered from either the USB power line or Battery power line, whichever is higher. Two Schottky diodes are used to switch between the two. This power arrangement is able to handle 1 Amp of constant current draw and maybe 2A peak, so not a good way to make a flashlight. It's better for colorful effects.

A level-up shifter converts the 3.3V logic of the Feather to the power line voltage. If, say, you need MORE blinky, you can chain these together. For the second Wing, connect the DIN connection to the first Wing's DOUT. Also connect a ground pin together and power with an independant 5V supply to keep from loading the power supply too much.

Check out our tutorial for pinouts, usage, and more!

Our detailed NeoPixel Uberguide has everything you need to use NeoPixels in any shape and size. Including ready-to-go library & example code for the Arduino UNO/Duemilanove/Diecimila, Flora/Micro/Leonardo, Trinket/Gemma, Arduino Due & Arduino Mega/ADK (all versions)

Check out our range of Feather boards here.

A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the FeatherWing OLED: it adds a 128x32 monochrome OLED plus 3 user buttons to any Feather main board. Using our Feather Stacking Headers or Feather Female Headers you can connect a FeatherWing on top of your Feather board and let the board take flight!

These displays are small, only about 1" diagonal, but very readable due to the high contrast of an OLED display. This screen is made of 128x32 individual white OLED pixels and because the display makes its own light, no backlight is required. This reduces the power required to run the OLED and is why the display has such high contrast; we really like this miniature display for its crispness! We also toss on a reset button and three mini tactile buttons called A B and C so you can add a mini user interface to your feather.

Tested working with all Feather boards. The OLED uses only the two I2C pins on the Feather, and you can pretty much stack it with any other FeatherWing, even ones that use I2C since that is a shared bus. To use, Check out our tutorial ! It has schematics, datasheets, files, and code examples.

Check out our range of Feather boards here.

A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings! This is the 8-Channel PWM or Servo​ FeatherWing, you can add 8 x 12-bit PWM outputs to your Feather board. Using our Feather Stacking Headers or Feather Female Headers you can connect a FeatherWing on top or bottom of your Feather board and let the board take flight!

You want to make a cool robot, maybe a hexapod walker, or maybe just a piece of art with a lot of moving parts. Or maybe you want to drive a lot of LEDs with precise PWM output. What now? You could give up OR you could just get our handy PWM and Servo FeatherWing. It's a lot like our popular PWM/Servo Shield but with half the channels & squished into a nice small portable size and works with any of our Feather boards.

Since the FeatherWing only uses the I2C (SDA & SCL pins), it works with any and all Feathers! You can stack it with any other FeatherWing or with itself (just make sure you have each wing with a unique I2C address) Check out our range of Feather boards here.

Specs:

There's an I2C-controlled PWM driver with a built in clock. That means that, unlike the TLC5940 family, you do not need to continuously send it signal tying up your microcontroller, its completely free running!

It is 5V compliant, which means you can control it from a 3.3V Feather and still safely drive up to 6V outputs (this is good for when you want to control white or blue LEDs with 3.4+ forward voltages)

6 address select pins so you can stack up to 62 of these on a single i2c bus, a total of 992 outputs - that's a lot of servos or LEDs

Adjustable frequency PWM up to about 1.6 KHz

12-bit resolution for each output - for servos, that means about 4us resolution at 60Hz update rate

Configurable push-pull or open-drain output

We wrapped up this lovely chip into a FeatherWing with a couple nice extras:

Terminal block for power input (or you can use the 0.1" breakouts on the side)

Reverse polarity protection on the terminal block input

Green power-good LED

Two groups of 4 outputs on either side, 8 total.

Stackable design. You'll need to pick up stacking headers and right angle 3x4 headers in order to stack on top of this shield without the servo connections getting in the way.

A spot to place a big capacitor on the V+ line (in case you need it)

220 ohm series resistors on all the output lines to protect them, and to make driving LEDs trivial

Solder jumpers for the 6 address select pins

This product comes with a fully tested and assembled wing as well as 2 pieces of 3x4 male straight header (for servo/LED plugs), a 2-pin terminal block (for power) and a stick of 0.1" header so you can plug into a Feather. A little light soldering will be required to assemble and customize the board by attaching the desired headers but it is a 15 minute task that even a beginner can do.

If you want to use right-angle 3x4 headers, we also carry a 4 pack in the shop. Servos and Feather not included, but we have lots of servos in the shop.

Note: The terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black.

For additional information see our tutorial where you can get our documented Arduino and CircuitPython library with has both PWM and Servo examples!

A Feather board without ambition is a Feather board without FeatherWings!

This is the FeatherWing Proto - a prototyping add-on for all Feather boards. Using our Feather Stacking Headers or Feather Female Headers you can connect a FeatherWing on top or bottom of your Feather board and let the board take flight!

This has a duplicate breakout for each pin on a Feather, as well as a bunch of plain grid proto holes. For GND and 3.3V, we give you a strip of connected pads. There's plenty of room for buttons, indicator LEDs, or anything for your portable project. The FeatherWing Proto makes an ideal partner for any of our Feather boards.

Check out our range of Feather boards here.

This is the latest evolution of our serial LCD. Included on a single board is a 16x2 LCD and an embedded circuit based around a PIC 16F88. The on-board PIC takes a TTL serial input and prints the characters it receives onto the LCD. The installed firmware also allows for a number of special commands so you can clear the screen, adjust the backlight brightness, turn the display on/off, and more.

Communication with SerLCD requires 5V TTL serial at a default baud rate of 9600bps (8-N-1). You can adjust the baud to any standard rate between 2400 and 38400bps. The power (VDD), ground (GND) and RX pins are all broken out to both a 0.1" pitch header as well as a 3-pin JST connector.

SerLCD has the ability to dim the backlight to conserve power if needed. There is also a potentiometer on the back of the display to adjust the contrast.

Features

Embedded PIC 16F88 utilizes onboard UART for greater communication accuracy

Adjustable baud rates of 2400, 4800, 9600 (default), 14400, 19200 and 38400

Operational Backspace

Greater processing speed at 10MHz

Incoming buffer stores up to 80 characters

Backlight transistor can handle up to 1A

Pulse width modulation of backlight allows direct control of backlight brightness and current consumption

All surface mount design allows a backpack that is half the size of the original

Faster boot-up time

Boot-up display can be turned on/off via firmware

User definable splash screen* PCB: 103x36mm

LCD: 71.4x26.4mm

The SparkFun Servo Trigger is a small robotics board that simplifies the control of hobby RC servo motors. When an external switch or logic signal changes state, the Servo Trigger is able to tell an attached servo motor to move from position A to position B. To use the Servo Trigger, you simply connect a hobby servo and a switch, then use the on-board potentiometers to adjust the start/stop positions and the transition time. You can use a hobby servos in your projects without having to do any programming!

The heart of the Servo Trigger is an Atmel ATTiny84 microcontroller, running a small program that implements the servo control features we are discussing here. On-board each Servo Trigger you will find three potentiometers, “A” sets the position the servo sits in while the switch is open, “B” sets the position the servo moves to when the switch is closed, and “T” sets the time it takes to get from A to B and back. Compared to a servo motor, the Servo Trigger board draws very little current, roughly 5 mA at 5V. Be sure to note that if you’re using the Servo Trigger to control your motor, the absolute maximum supply voltage that should be applied is 5.5 VDC. Additionally, the SparkFun Servo Trigger is designed to make it easy to daisy chain boards – you can simply connect the VCC and GND pads on adjacent boards to each other.

Note: Check out the Hookup Guide in the Documents section below for more advanced tips, configurations, and modes!

Note: This idea originally came from our friend in the Oakland area, CTP. If you see him, please give him a high-five for us.

Features

Recommended Voltage: 5VDC

Max Voltage: 5.5VDC

Current Draw: 5 mA

Three Control Settings

A - sets the position the servo sits in while the switch is open

B - sets the position the servo moves to when the switch is closed

C - sets the time it takes to get from A to B and back

A - sets the position the servo sits in while the switch is open

B - sets the position the servo moves to when the switch is closed

C - sets the time it takes to get from A to B and back

Easy Control with Potentiometers

Configurable Input Polarity

Configurable Response Mode

Compatible with Analog Servos

ISP Header pins Available for Reprogram

Have you ever wanted your project to just “hibernate” until someone picks it up or moves it? It’s a great strategy for dramatically extending the battery life of a widget that doesn’t need to be active all the time. The SparkFun Wake-on-Shake board is designed to make it really simple to do just that!

The Wake-on-Shake, based on a concept by Nitzan Gadish of Analog Devices, combines the ATTiny2313A with the ADXL362 low-power MEMS accelerometer to cut power to your project for long periods of time, all the while waiting for a shake or a bump and sipping < 2uA @ 3.7V! With power consumption that low, the limiting factor for lifespan in most devices will be aging-related self-discharge of the batteries.

The board is easy to use, you basically connect it as a power switch between your device and a power source (2.0-5.5V). By default, the board will activate the load when it experiences a mild bump or tilt; the load will be powered for 5 seconds after that. Using a serial data connection, the sensitivity can be increased or decreased, as can the delay time. Additionally, the “WAKE” pin allows the load to control when it goes back to sleep. By pulling the wake signal high (to at least 2.7V), the load will remain energized until it releases the pin.

Note: While it is possible to connect the load to the on-board serial port, allowing the load to access the ADXL362 and EEPROM storage of the ATTiny2313A, caution must be exercised when doing this to avoid sourcing current to the load through the serial port data lines on the ATTiny2313A, which could damage the ATTiny2313A as well as causing excessive off-state power dissipation.

Features

Supply Voltage: 2.0 - 5.5VDC

Power Consumption in Hibernation: < 2uA @ 3.7V

Wake Signal: 2.7 - 15V

Serial Header for Configuration is FTDI Basic Breakout Compatible

ISP Header for ATTiny2313A is Broken Out, No Bootloader is Available

2mm JST Connector for LiPo Battery Input

The Big Easy Driver, designed by Brian Schmalz, is a stepper motor driver board for bi-polar stepper motors up to a max 2A/phase. It is based on the Allegro A4988 stepper driver chip. It’s the next version of the popular Easy Driver board.

Each Big Easy Driver can drive up to a max of 2A per phase of a bi-polar stepper motor. It is a chopper microstepping driver which defaults to 16 step microstepping mode. It can take a maximum motor drive voltage of around 30V, and includes on-board 5V/3.3V regulation, so only one supply is necessary. Although this board should be able to run most systems without active cooling while operating at 1.4-1.7A/phase, a heatsink is required for loads approaching 2A/phase. You can find the recommended heatsink in the related items below.

Note: This product is a collaboration with Brian Schmalz. A portion of each sales goes back to him for product support and continued development.

Features

Bi-polar Microstepping Driver

2A/Phase Max

1.4-1.7A/Phase w/o Heatsink

Max Motor Drive Voltage: 30V

On-board 5V/3.3V Regulation

The GP2Y0A60SZ distance sensor from Sharp offers a wide detection range of 4″ to 60″ (10 cm to 150 cm) and a high update rate of 60 Hz. The distance is indicated by an analog voltage, so only a single analog input is required to interface with the module. The sensor ships installed on our compact carrier board, which makes it easy to integrate this great sensor into your project, and is configured for 3V mode.

Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Analog Distance Sensor 10-150cm, front view with dimensions.

Sharp’s distance sensors are a popular choice for many projects that require accurate distance measurements. This particular sensor is small and affordable, making it an attractive alternative to sonar rangefinders, while its wide sensing range and resistance to interference from ambient IR set it apart from other IR distance sensors. It consists of a Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF module installed on our compact carrier board, which includes all of the external components required to make it work and provides a 0.1″ pin spacing that is compatible with standard connectors, solderless breadboards, and perfboards. With an ability to measure distances from as close as four inches to as far as five feet (10 cm to 150 cm), this sensor has the widest range of any of our Sharp distance sensors, and its 60 Hz update rate is more than twice that of Sharp’s older GP2Y0A02YK0F analog distance sensor that has a similar sensing range.

Interfacing to most microcontrollers is straightforward: the single analog output, OUT, can be connected to an analog-to-digital converter for taking distance measurements, or the output can be connected to a comparator for threshold detection. The sensor automatically updates the output approximately every 16 ms. The enable pin, EN, can be driven low to disable the IR emitter and put the sensor into a low-current stand-by mode. This pin is pulled high on the carrier board through a 10 kΩ pull-up resistor to enable the sensor by default.

A 1×4 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×4 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards, or you can solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations. The board features one 0.125″ mounting hole that works with #4 or M3 screws (not included); if you do not need the mounting hole, you can cut that part of the board off to reduce its size.

The GP2Y0A60SZ supports two operating modes: 5V and 3V. In 5V mode, the recommended operating voltage is 2.7 V to 5.5 V, and the output voltage differential over the full distance range is approximately 3 V, varying from around 3.6 V at 10 cm to 0.6 V at 150 cm. In 3V mode, the recommended operating voltage is 2.7 V to 3.6 V, and the output voltage differential over the full distance range is approximately 1.6 V, varying from around 1.9 V at 10 cm to 0.3 V at 150 cm. The GP2Y0A60SZ datasheet (701k pdf) contains a plot of analog output voltage as a function of the distance for the two modes.

Our GP2Y0A60 carrier board is available configured for 5V mode or configured for 3V mode:

The only difference between the two versions is the presence or absence of a zero ohm resistor as shown in the picture above (the component location is marked by a rectangle on the silkscreen). You can convert a 5V version to 3V by removing the resistor, and you can convert a 3V version to 5V by shorting across the two pads.

Note that the 5V version can be powered all the way down to 2.7 V, and the relationship between the sensor output voltage and distance is mostly independent of the supply voltage. The main drawback to powering the 5V version at a lower voltage is the output voltage will not exceed the supply voltage, so the effective minimum detection distance might increase (i.e. for distances that would result in output voltages above your supply voltage, the output will instead be capped at the supply voltage). On the other hand, if you mostly care about measuring distances closer to the maximum end of the range, you could benefit from the increased output voltage differential of the 5V version even if you are only powering it at 3.3 V.

Operating voltage:

5V version: 2.7 V to 5.5 V

3V version: 2.7 V to 3.6 V

5V version: 2.7 V to 5.5 V

3V version: 2.7 V to 3.6 V

Average current consumption: 33 mA (typical)

Distance measuring range: 10 cm to 150 cm (4″ to 60″)

Output type: analog voltage

Output voltage differential over distance range:

5V version: 3.0 V (typical)

3V version: 1.6 V (typical)

5V version: 3.0 V (typical)

3V version: 1.6 V (typical)

Update period: 16.5 ± 4 ms

Enable pin can optionally be used to disable the emitter and save power

Size without header pins: 33 mm × 10.4 mm × 10.2 mm (1.3″ × 0.41″ × 0.4″)

Weight without header pins: 2.5 g (0.09 oz)

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the GP2Y0A60SZLF easier to use. This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf (142k pdf).

We carry several other Sharp distance sensors, including the shorter range Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F analog distance sensor (4 – 30 cm) and Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F analog distance sensor (10 – 80 cm). With regard to performance, this GP2Y0A60SZ is most similar to the Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F analog distance sensor (20 – 150 cm), but the GP2Y0A60SZ offers a lower minimum detection distance and more than twice the sampling rate in a much smaller package:

Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F Sensor 20-150cm (left) next to Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Sensor 10-150cm (right).

We also carry three digital Sharp distance sensors that have lower minimum detection distances, quicker response times, lower current draws, and much smaller packages; they are available with a 5 cm, 10 cm, or 15 cm maximum detection distance and simply tell you if something is in their detection range, not how far away it is.

A variety of Sharp distance sensors.

People often buy this product together with:

This small digital distance sensor detects objects between 0.5 cm and 15 cm (0.2″ and 6″) away. With its quick response time, small size, low current draw, and short minimum sensing distance, this sensor is a good choice for non-contact, close-proximity object detection, and our compact carrier PCB makes it easy to integrate into your project.

These sensors are a great way to quickly detect the presence of nearby objects. It consists of a Sharp GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, or GP2Y0D815 sensor module installed on our tiny carrier board for these sensors, which includes all of the external components required to make them work. The available versions offer three different sensing ranges:

Carrier with GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm

Carrier with GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm

Carrier with GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 15 cm

There are a few millimeters of hysteresis around the maximum range threshold and no hysteresis at the minimum range threshold. Note that these sensors will only tell you if there is an object within the detection range along their narrow lines of sight; they will not tell you how far away the object is.

With detection distances up to 150 mm and a typical sampling rate of almost 400 Hz, these sensors provides an attractive alternative to shorter-range LED-phototransistor reflectance pairs and longer-range but slower sensors such as the Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F analog distance sensor. The output, Vo, is driven low when the sensor detects an object; otherwise, the output is high.

Sharp GP2Y0D805Z0F digital distance sensor 5 cm measuring characteristics.

Sharp GP2Y0D810Z0F digital distance sensor 10 cm measuring characteristics.

Sharp GP2Y0D815Z0F digital distance sensor 15 cm measuring characteristics.

Some example applications include:

break-beam sensor or photogate alternative

non-contact bumper or obstacle detector

a counter or timer of objects as they pass by

The Pololu carrier board lets you interface with the GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, or GP2Y0D815 sensor using a three-pin 0.1″ connector, such as the included 3×1 straight male header strip and 3×1 right-angle male header strip. You can connect to these pins with a servo cable or with a custom-made cable using pre-crimped wires and a 3×1 crimp connector housing.

The square pad is ground, the middle pad is VIN (2.7 – 6.2 V), and the remaining pad is the sensor output, OUT. Depending on your power source, you might notice an increase in performance by placing a large (>10 uF) capacitor between power and ground somewhere near the sensor.

A red LED on the back of the PCB lights when the output is low, indicating that the sensor is detecting something. With the LED in the circuit, the low output signal will be around 1 V. If so desired, you can disable this LED by cutting the trace between it and the OUT pin where it is marked on the silkscreen or by desoldering the LED, in which case the low voltage will be below 0.6 V.

The GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, and GP2Y0D815 have an optional enable input that can be used to put the sensor into low-power mode. The Pololu carrier board connects this input to Vcc so that the sensor is always enabled, but you can solder a wire to the pad labeled “enable” on the back of the PCB if you want control over this input. Note that you will need to cut the trace that connects the enable line to Vcc on the PCB if you want to be able to disable the sensor. This trace is marked on the silkscreen, and there is a caret that indicates where we suggest you make the cut.

The carrier board has a 0.086″ mounting hole for a #2 or M2 screw. You can make the module more compact by cutting or grinding off this portion of the PCB if you do not need the mounting hole.

Operating voltage: 2.7 V to 6.2 V

Average current consumption: 5 mA (typical)

Distance measuring range

GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 2″)

GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm (0.8″ to 4″)

GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 6″)

GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 2″)

GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm (0.8″ to 4″)

GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 6″)

Output type: digital signal (low when detecting an object, high otherwise)

Steady state update period: 2.56 ms typical (3.77 ms max)

Enable pad can optionally be used to disable the emitter and save power (this feature requires you to cut a trace first)

Size without header pins: 21.6 mm × 8.9 mm × 10.4 mm (0.85″ × 0.35″ × 0.41″)

Weight without header pins: 1.5 g (0.05 oz)

Pololu carrier for Sharp GP2Y0D805Z0F, GP2Y0D810Z0F, and GP2Y0D815Z0F sensors schematic diagram.

We carry several analog Sharp distance sensors as well: the Sharp GP2Y0A51SK0F 2 – 15 cm, the Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F 4 – 30 cm, the Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F 10 – 80 cm, and the Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F 20 – 150 cm. These analog distance sensors have longer minimum detection distances and much slower response times than the GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, and GP2Y0D815, but they can see farther and report the distance to the detected object rather than simply if an object is detected.

A variety of Sharp distance sensors. From left to right: GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21 or GP2Y0A41, GP2Y0A51, and GP2Y0D8xx.

We also carry the newer Sharp GP2Y0A60SZ analog distance sensor (10 – 150 cm), which outperforms the other analog Sharp distance sensors in almost all respects, offering a low minimum detection distance, high maximum detection distance, wide 3 V output voltage differential, high 60 Hz sampling rate, operation down to 2.7 V, and optional enable control, all in a smaller package.

Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F Sensor 20-150cm (left) next to Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Sensor 10-150cm (right).

Note: This product comes with the GP2Y0D805Z0F, GP2Y0D810Z0F, or GP2Y0D815Z0F soldered into the carrier PCB. We sell the sensor modules by themselves, and we sell the carrier PCB without the sensor for those who already have the sensor or who want to solder the board together personally.

People often buy this product together with:

This small digital distance sensor detects objects between 0.5 cm and 5 cm (0.2″ and 2″) away. With its quick response time, small size, low current draw, and short minimum sensing distance, this sensor is a good choice for non-contact, close-proximity object detection, and our compact carrier PCB makes it easy to integrate into your project.

These sensors are a great way to quickly detect the presence of nearby objects. It consists of a Sharp GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, or GP2Y0D815 sensor module installed on our tiny carrier board for these sensors, which includes all of the external components required to make them work. The available versions offer three different sensing ranges:

Carrier with GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm

Carrier with GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm

Carrier with GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 15 cm

There are a few millimeters of hysteresis around the maximum range threshold and no hysteresis at the minimum range threshold. Note that these sensors will only tell you if there is an object within the detection range along their narrow lines of sight; they will not tell you how far away the object is.

With detection distances up to 150 mm and a typical sampling rate of almost 400 Hz, these sensors provides an attractive alternative to shorter-range LED-phototransistor reflectance pairs and longer-range but slower sensors such as the Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F analog distance sensor. The output, Vo, is driven low when the sensor detects an object; otherwise, the output is high.

Sharp GP2Y0D805Z0F digital distance sensor 5 cm measuring characteristics.

Sharp GP2Y0D810Z0F digital distance sensor 10 cm measuring characteristics.

Sharp GP2Y0D815Z0F digital distance sensor 15 cm measuring characteristics.

Some example applications include:

break-beam sensor or photogate alternative

non-contact bumper or obstacle detector

a counter or timer of objects as they pass by

The Pololu carrier board lets you interface with the GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, or GP2Y0D815 sensor using a three-pin 0.1″ connector, such as the included 3×1 straight male header strip and 3×1 right-angle male header strip. You can connect to these pins with a servo cable or with a custom-made cable using pre-crimped wires and a 3×1 crimp connector housing.

The square pad is ground, the middle pad is VIN (2.7 – 6.2 V), and the remaining pad is the sensor output, OUT. Depending on your power source, you might notice an increase in performance by placing a large (>10 uF) capacitor between power and ground somewhere near the sensor.

A red LED on the back of the PCB lights when the output is low, indicating that the sensor is detecting something. With the LED in the circuit, the low output signal will be around 1 V. If so desired, you can disable this LED by cutting the trace between it and the OUT pin where it is marked on the silkscreen or by desoldering the LED, in which case the low voltage will be below 0.6 V.

The GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, and GP2Y0D815 have an optional enable input that can be used to put the sensor into low-power mode. The Pololu carrier board connects this input to Vcc so that the sensor is always enabled, but you can solder a wire to the pad labeled “enable” on the back of the PCB if you want control over this input. Note that you will need to cut the trace that connects the enable line to Vcc on the PCB if you want to be able to disable the sensor. This trace is marked on the silkscreen, and there is a caret that indicates where we suggest you make the cut.

The carrier board has a 0.086″ mounting hole for a #2 or M2 screw. You can make the module more compact by cutting or grinding off this portion of the PCB if you do not need the mounting hole.

Operating voltage: 2.7 V to 6.2 V

Average current consumption: 5 mA (typical)

Distance measuring range

GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 2″)

GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm (0.8″ to 4″)

GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 6″)

GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 2″)

GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm (0.8″ to 4″)

GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 6″)

Output type: digital signal (low when detecting an object, high otherwise)

Steady state update period: 2.56 ms typical (3.77 ms max)

Enable pad can optionally be used to disable the emitter and save power (this feature requires you to cut a trace first)

Size without header pins: 21.6 mm × 8.9 mm × 10.4 mm (0.85″ × 0.35″ × 0.41″)

Weight without header pins: 1.5 g (0.05 oz)

Pololu carrier for Sharp GP2Y0D805Z0F, GP2Y0D810Z0F, and GP2Y0D815Z0F sensors schematic diagram.

We carry several analog Sharp distance sensors as well: the Sharp GP2Y0A51SK0F 2 – 15 cm, the Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F 4 – 30 cm, the Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F 10 – 80 cm, and the Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F 20 – 150 cm. These analog distance sensors have longer minimum detection distances and much slower response times than the GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, and GP2Y0D815, but they can see farther and report the distance to the detected object rather than simply if an object is detected.

A variety of Sharp distance sensors. From left to right: GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21 or GP2Y0A41, GP2Y0A51, and GP2Y0D8xx.

We also carry the newer Sharp GP2Y0A60SZ analog distance sensor (10 – 150 cm), which outperforms the other analog Sharp distance sensors in almost all respects, offering a low minimum detection distance, high maximum detection distance, wide 3 V output voltage differential, high 60 Hz sampling rate, operation down to 2.7 V, and optional enable control, all in a smaller package.

Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F Sensor 20-150cm (left) next to Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Sensor 10-150cm (right).

Note: This product comes with the GP2Y0D805Z0F, GP2Y0D810Z0F, or GP2Y0D815Z0F soldered into the carrier PCB. We sell the sensor modules by themselves, and we sell the carrier PCB without the sensor for those who already have the sensor or who want to solder the board together personally.

People often buy this product together with:

This small digital distance sensor detects objects between 2 cm and 10 cm (0.8″ and 4″) away. With its quick response time, small size, and low current draw, this sensor is a good choice for non-contact object detection, and our compact carrier PCB makes it easy to integrate into your project.

These sensors are a great way to quickly detect the presence of nearby objects. It consists of a Sharp GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, or GP2Y0D815 sensor module installed on our tiny carrier board for these sensors, which includes all of the external components required to make them work. The available versions offer three different sensing ranges:

Carrier with GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm

Carrier with GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm

Carrier with GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 15 cm

There are a few millimeters of hysteresis around the maximum range threshold and no hysteresis at the minimum range threshold. Note that these sensors will only tell you if there is an object within the detection range along their narrow lines of sight; they will not tell you how far away the object is.

With detection distances up to 150 mm and a typical sampling rate of almost 400 Hz, these sensors provides an attractive alternative to shorter-range LED-phototransistor reflectance pairs and longer-range but slower sensors such as the Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F analog distance sensor. The output, Vo, is driven low when the sensor detects an object; otherwise, the output is high.

Sharp GP2Y0D805Z0F digital distance sensor 5 cm measuring characteristics.

Sharp GP2Y0D810Z0F digital distance sensor 10 cm measuring characteristics.

Sharp GP2Y0D815Z0F digital distance sensor 15 cm measuring characteristics.

Some example applications include:

break-beam sensor or photogate alternative

non-contact bumper or obstacle detector

a counter or timer of objects as they pass by

The Pololu carrier board lets you interface with the GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, or GP2Y0D815 sensor using a three-pin 0.1″ connector, such as the included 3×1 straight male header strip and 3×1 right-angle male header strip. You can connect to these pins with a servo cable or with a custom-made cable using pre-crimped wires and a 3×1 crimp connector housing.

The square pad is ground, the middle pad is VIN (2.7 – 6.2 V), and the remaining pad is the sensor output, OUT. Depending on your power source, you might notice an increase in performance by placing a large (>10 uF) capacitor between power and ground somewhere near the sensor.

A red LED on the back of the PCB lights when the output is low, indicating that the sensor is detecting something. With the LED in the circuit, the low output signal will be around 1 V. If so desired, you can disable this LED by cutting the trace between it and the OUT pin where it is marked on the silkscreen or by desoldering the LED, in which case the low voltage will be below 0.6 V.

The GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, and GP2Y0D815 have an optional enable input that can be used to put the sensor into low-power mode. The Pololu carrier board connects this input to Vcc so that the sensor is always enabled, but you can solder a wire to the pad labeled “enable” on the back of the PCB if you want control over this input. Note that you will need to cut the trace that connects the enable line to Vcc on the PCB if you want to be able to disable the sensor. This trace is marked on the silkscreen, and there is a caret that indicates where we suggest you make the cut.

The carrier board has a 0.086″ mounting hole for a #2 or M2 screw. You can make the module more compact by cutting or grinding off this portion of the PCB if you do not need the mounting hole.

Operating voltage: 2.7 V to 6.2 V

Average current consumption: 5 mA (typical)

Distance measuring range

GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 2″)

GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm (0.8″ to 4″)

GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 6″)

GP2Y0D805Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 2″)

GP2Y0D810Z0F: 2 cm to 10 cm (0.8″ to 4″)

GP2Y0D815Z0F: 0.5 cm to 5 cm (0.2″ to 6″)

Output type: digital signal (low when detecting an object, high otherwise)

Steady state update period: 2.56 ms typical (3.77 ms max)

Enable pad can optionally be used to disable the emitter and save power (this feature requires you to cut a trace first)

Size without header pins: 21.6 mm × 8.9 mm × 10.4 mm (0.85″ × 0.35″ × 0.41″)

Weight without header pins: 1.5 g (0.05 oz)

Pololu carrier for Sharp GP2Y0D805Z0F, GP2Y0D810Z0F, and GP2Y0D815Z0F sensors schematic diagram.

We carry several analog Sharp distance sensors as well: the Sharp GP2Y0A51SK0F 2 – 15 cm, the Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F 4 – 30 cm, the Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F 10 – 80 cm, and the Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F 20 – 150 cm. These analog distance sensors have longer minimum detection distances and much slower response times than the GP2Y0D805, GP2Y0D810, and GP2Y0D815, but they can see farther and report the distance to the detected object rather than simply if an object is detected.

A variety of Sharp distance sensors. From left to right: GP2Y0A02, GP2Y0A21 or GP2Y0A41, GP2Y0A51, and GP2Y0D8xx.

We also carry the newer Sharp GP2Y0A60SZ analog distance sensor (10 – 150 cm), which outperforms the other analog Sharp distance sensors in almost all respects, offering a low minimum detection distance, high maximum detection distance, wide 3 V output voltage differential, high 60 Hz sampling rate, operation down to 2.7 V, and optional enable control, all in a smaller package.

Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F Sensor 20-150cm (left) next to Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Sensor 10-150cm (right).

Note: This product comes with the GP2Y0D805Z0F, GP2Y0D810Z0F, or GP2Y0D815Z0F soldered into the carrier PCB. We sell the sensor modules by themselves, and we sell the carrier PCB without the sensor for those who already have the sensor or who want to solder the board together personally.

People often buy this product together with:

The GP2Y0A60SZ distance sensor from Sharp offers a wide detection range of 4″ to 60″ (10 cm to 150 cm) and a high update rate of 60 Hz. The distance is indicated by an analog voltage, so only a single analog input is required to interface with the module. The sensor ships installed on our compact carrier board, which makes it easy to integrate this great sensor into your project, and is configured for 5V mode.

Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Analog Distance Sensor 10-150cm, front view with dimensions.

Sharp’s distance sensors are a popular choice for many projects that require accurate distance measurements. This particular sensor is small and affordable, making it an attractive alternative to sonar rangefinders, while its wide sensing range and resistance to interference from ambient IR set it apart from other IR distance sensors. It consists of a Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF module installed on our compact carrier board, which includes all of the external components required to make it work and provides a 0.1″ pin spacing that is compatible with standard connectors, solderless breadboards, and perfboards. With an ability to measure distances from as close as four inches to as far as five feet (10 cm to 150 cm), this sensor has the widest range of any of our Sharp distance sensors, and its 60 Hz update rate is more than twice that of Sharp’s older GP2Y0A02YK0F analog distance sensor that has a similar sensing range.

Interfacing to most microcontrollers is straightforward: the single analog output, OUT, can be connected to an analog-to-digital converter for taking distance measurements, or the output can be connected to a comparator for threshold detection. The sensor automatically updates the output approximately every 16 ms. The enable pin, EN, can be driven low to disable the IR emitter and put the sensor into a low-current stand-by mode. This pin is pulled high on the carrier board through a 10 kΩ pull-up resistor to enable the sensor by default.

A 1×4 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×4 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards, or you can solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations. The board features one 0.125″ mounting hole that works with #4 or M3 screws (not included); if you do not need the mounting hole, you can cut that part of the board off to reduce its size.

The GP2Y0A60SZ supports two operating modes: 5V and 3V. In 5V mode, the recommended operating voltage is 2.7 V to 5.5 V, and the output voltage differential over the full distance range is approximately 3 V, varying from around 3.6 V at 10 cm to 0.6 V at 150 cm. In 3V mode, the recommended operating voltage is 2.7 V to 3.6 V, and the output voltage differential over the full distance range is approximately 1.6 V, varying from around 1.9 V at 10 cm to 0.3 V at 150 cm. The GP2Y0A60SZ datasheet (701k pdf) contains a plot of analog output voltage as a function of the distance for the two modes.

Our GP2Y0A60 carrier board is available configured for 5V mode or configured for 3V mode:

The only difference between the two versions is the presence or absence of a zero ohm resistor as shown in the picture above (the component location is marked by a rectangle on the silkscreen). You can convert a 5V version to 3V by removing the resistor, and you can convert a 3V version to 5V by shorting across the two pads.

Note that the 5V version can be powered all the way down to 2.7 V, and the relationship between the sensor output voltage and distance is mostly independent of the supply voltage. The main drawback to powering the 5V version at a lower voltage is the output voltage will not exceed the supply voltage, so the effective minimum detection distance might increase (i.e. for distances that would result in output voltages above your supply voltage, the output will instead be capped at the supply voltage). On the other hand, if you mostly care about measuring distances closer to the maximum end of the range, you could benefit from the increased output voltage differential of the 5V version even if you are only powering it at 3.3 V.

Operating voltage:

5V version: 2.7 V to 5.5 V

3V version: 2.7 V to 3.6 V

5V version: 2.7 V to 5.5 V

3V version: 2.7 V to 3.6 V

Average current consumption: 33 mA (typical)

Distance measuring range: 10 cm to 150 cm (4″ to 60″)

Output type: analog voltage

Output voltage differential over distance range:

5V version: 3.0 V (typical)

3V version: 1.6 V (typical)

5V version: 3.0 V (typical)

3V version: 1.6 V (typical)

Update period: 16.5 ± 4 ms

Enable pin can optionally be used to disable the emitter and save power

Size without header pins: 33 mm × 10.4 mm × 10.2 mm (1.3″ × 0.41″ × 0.4″)

Weight without header pins: 2.5 g (0.09 oz)

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the GP2Y0A60SZLF easier to use. This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf (142k pdf).

We carry several other Sharp distance sensors, including the shorter range Sharp GP2Y0A41SK0F analog distance sensor (4 – 30 cm) and Sharp GP2Y0A21YK0F analog distance sensor (10 – 80 cm). With regard to performance, this GP2Y0A60SZ is most similar to the Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F analog distance sensor (20 – 150 cm), but the GP2Y0A60SZ offers a lower minimum detection distance and more than twice the sampling rate in a much smaller package:

Sharp GP2Y0A02YK0F Sensor 20-150cm (left) next to Pololu Carrier with Sharp GP2Y0A60SZLF Sensor 10-150cm (right).

We also carry three digital Sharp distance sensors that have lower minimum detection distances, quicker response times, lower current draws, and much smaller packages; they are available with a 5 cm, 10 cm, or 15 cm maximum detection distance and simply tell you if something is in their detection range, not how far away it is.

A variety of Sharp distance sensors.

People often buy this product together with:

Teensy 3.2 is a small, breadboard-friendly development board designed by Paul Stoffregen and PJRC. Teensy 3.2 brings a low-cost 32 bit ARM Cortex-M4 platform to hobbyists, students and engineers, using an adapted version of the Arduino IDE (Teensyduino) or programming directly in C language. Teensy 3.2 is an upgrade over 3.1! Teensy 3.2 is a drop-in replacement upgrade for 3.1 and can run any sketches designed for 3.1.

This latest version of this complete USB-based microcontoller development system now adds a more powerful 3.3V regulator, as well as accepts a wider voltage input range. This board has the same size, shape and pinout as well as full compatibility with all shields and add-on boards made for the Teensy 3.1, plus double the Flash memory as the Teensy 3.0.

Let's get started!

Please note: Teensy 3 and 2 are not official Arduino-brand products. Although the Teensyduino IDE has been adapted so that many simple Arduino projects will work with the Teensy, there will still be a lot of libraries and shields that will not work with this device! If you're new to microcontrollers, we suggest going with a classic Arduino UNO since all Arduino projects, examples and libraries will work with it.

Once headers are installed they can be fitted into 0.6" wide socketsTechnical Specifications:

32 bit ARM Cortex-M4 72MHz CPU (M4 = DSP extensions) Here is Freescale's reference manual for the chip (warning 1227 pages) as well as the Datasheet and User Guide!

256K Flash Memory, 64K RAM, 2K EEPROM

21* High Resolution Analog Inputs (13 bits usable, 16 bit hardware)

34* Digital I/O Pins (21 shared with analog)

12 PWM outputs

1 12-bit DAC output

8 Timers for intervals/delays, separate from PWM

USB with dedicated DMA memory transfers

CAN bus

3 UARTs (serial ports)

SPI, I2C, I2S, IR modulator

I2S (for high quality audio interface)

Real Time Clock (with user-added 32.768 crystal and battery)

16 general purpose DMA channels (separate from USB)

Touch Sensor Inputs

Information, documentation and specs are on the Teensy site. Please check it out for more details!

The awesome new Teensy 3.5 is a small, breadboard-friendly development board designed by Paul Stoffregen and PJRC. Teensy 3.5 brings a low-cost 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 platform to hobbyists, students and engineers, using an adapted version of the Arduino IDE (Teensyduino) or programming directly in C language. Teensy 3.5 is an upgrade over 3.2, for when you need even more power!

Version 3.5 features a 32 bit 120 MHz ARM Cortex-M4 processor with floating point unit. All digital pins are 5 volt tolerant. The unique specs for the 3.5 are:

120 MHz ARM Cortex-M4 with Floating Point Unit

512K Flash, 192K RAM, 4K EEPROM

Microcontroller Chip MK64FX512VMD12 (PDF link)

1 CAN Bus Port

16 General Purpose DMA Channels

5 Volt Tolerance On All Digital I/O Pins

The latest in the line of very powerful, USB-capable microcontrollers, the Teensy 3.5 and 3.6 development boards are faster, more capable, and bigger, putting even more pins on a solderless breadboard. Teensy 3.5 offers a little bit less in its features (MCU, RAM, Flash, clock and some peripherals) which makes it slightly cheaper than Teensy 3.6. Teensy 3.5 has 5V tolerance on all digital I/O pins. Only Teensy 3.6 has a USB High Speed (480 Mbit/sec) port accessed using 5 pins on the board.

Please note: Teensy 3 boards are not official Arduino-brand products. Although the Teensyduino IDE has been adapted so that many Arduino projects will work with the Teensy, there will still be a lot of libraries and shields that may not work with this device! If you're new to microcontrollers, we suggest going with a classic Arduino UNO since all Arduino projects, examples and libraries will work with it.More Specifications, Details & Features:

62 I/O Pins (42 breadboard friendly)

25 Analog Inputs to 2 ADCs with 13 bits resolution

2 Analog Outputs (DACs) with 12 bit resolution

20 PWM Outputs (Teensy 3.6 has 22 PWM)

USB Full Speed (12 Mbit/sec) Port

Ethernet mac, capable of full 100 Mbit/sec speed

Native (4 bit SDIO) micro SD card port

I2S Audio Port, 4 Channel Digital Audio Input & Output

14 Hardware Timers

Cryptographic Acceleration Unit

Random Number Generator

CRC Computation Unit

6 Serial Ports (2 with FIFO & Fast Baud Rates)

3 SPI Ports (1 with FIFO)

3 I2C Ports (Teensy 3.6 has a 4th I2C port)

Real Time Clock

Information, documentation and specs are on the Teensy site. Please check it out for more details!

The awesome new Teensy 3.6 is a small, breadboard-friendly development board designed by Paul Stoffregen and PJRC. Teensy 3.6 brings a low-cost 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 platform to hobbyists, students and engineers, using an adapted version of the Arduino IDE (Teensyduino) or programming directly in C language. Teensy 3.6 is an upgrade over 3.2 and 3.5, for when you need even more power!

Version 3.6 features a 32 bit 180 MHz ARM Cortex-M4 processor with floating point unit. All digital and analog pins are 3.3 volts. Do not apply more than 3.3V to any signal pin. The unique specs for the 3.6 are:

180 MHz ARM Cortex-M4 with Floating Point Unit

1M Flash, 256K RAM, 4K EEPROM

Microcontroller Chip MK66FX1M0VMD18 (PDF link)

USB High Speed (480 Mbit/sec) Port

2 CAN Bus Ports

32 General Purpose DMA Channels

22 PWM Outputs

4 I2C Ports

11 Touch Sensing Inputs

The latest in the line of very powerful, USB-capable microcontrollers, the Teensy 3.5 and 3.6 development boards are faster, more capable, and bigger, putting even more pins on a solderless breadboard. Teensy 3.6 offers a little bit more in its features (MCU, RAM, Flash, clock and some peripherals) than Teensy 3.5, and only the 3.6 has a USB High Speed (480 Mbit/sec) port accessed using 5 pins on the board.

Please note: Teensy 3 boards are not official Arduino-brand products. Although the Teensyduino IDE has been adapted so that many Arduino projects will work with the Teensy, there will still be a lot of libraries and shields that may not work with this device! If you're new to microcontrollers, we suggest going with a classic Arduino UNO since all Arduino projects, examples and libraries will work with it.More Specifications, Details & Features:

62 I/O Pins (42 breadboard friendly)

25 Analog Inputs to 2 ADCs with 13 bits resolution

2 Analog Outputs (DACs) with 12 bit resolution

20 PWM Outputs (Teensy 3.6 has 22 PWM)

USB Full Speed (12 Mbit/sec) Port

Ethernet mac, capable of full 100 Mbit/sec speed

Native (4 bit SDIO) micro SD card port

I2S Audio Port, 4 Channel Digital Audio Input & Output

14 Hardware Timers

Cryptographic Acceleration Unit

Random Number Generator

CRC Computation Unit

6 Serial Ports (2 with FIFO & Fast Baud Rates)

3 SPI Ports (1 with FIFO)

3 I2C Ports (Teensy 3.6 has a 4th I2C port)

Real Time Clock

Information, documentation and specs are on the Teensy site. Please check it out for more details!

The Teensy is a breadboard-friendly development board with loads of features in a, well, teensy package. Each Teensy 3.1 comes pre-flashed with a bootloader so you can program it using the on-board USB connection: No external programmer needed! You can program for the Teensy in your favorite program editor using C or you can install the Teensyduino add-on for the Arduino IDE and write Arduino sketches for Teensy!

The processor on the Teensy also has access to the USB and can emulate any kind of USB device you need it to be, making it great for USB-MIDI and other HID projects. The 32 bit processor brings a few other features to the table as well, such as multiple channels of Direct Memory Access, several high-resolution ADCs and even an I2S digital audio interface! There are also 4 separate interval timers plus a delay timer! Oh yeah, and all pins have interrupt capability. Also, it can provide system voltage of 3.3V to other devices at up to 250mA.

All of this functionality is jammed into a 1.4 x 0.7 inch board with all headers on a 0.1" grid so you can slap in on a breadboard and get to work! The Teensy 3.2 adds a more powerful 3.3 volt regulator, with the ability to directly power an ESP8266 Wifi, WIZ820io Ethernet, and other 3.3V add-on boards that require a little more power. Additionally, if it is used within the Teensy 3.1 limits of operation, the Teensy 3.2 and 3.1 are interchangeable!

Note: This does not come with a USB cable, please check below for an appropriate one.

Features

32 bit ARM Cortex-M4 72 MHz CPU (M4 = DSP extensions)

256K Flash Memory, 64K RAM, 2K EEPROM

21 High Resolution Analog Inputs (13 bits usable, 16 bit hardware)

34 Digital I/O Pins (5V tolerance on Digital Inputs)

12 PWM outputs

7 Timers for intervals/delays, separate from PWM

USB with dedicated DMA memory transfers

3 UARTs (serial ports)

SPI, I2C, I2S,CAN Bus, IR modulator

I2S (for high quality audio interface)

Real Time Clock (with user-added 32.768 crystal and battery)

16 DMA channels (separate from USB)

Touch Sensor Inputs

1.4 x 0.7" (~35 x 18 mm)

A gyroscope is a type of sensor that can sense twisting and turning motions. Often paired with an accelerometer, you can use these to do 3D motion capture and inertial measurement (that is - you can tell how an object is moving!) As these sensors become more popular and easier to manufacture, the prices for them have dropped to the point where you can easily afford a triple-axis gyro! Only a decade ago, this space-tech sensor would have been hundreds of dollars.This breakout board is based around the latest gyro technology, the L3GD20H from STMicro. It's the upgrade to the L3G4200 (see this app note on what to look for if upgrading an existing design to the L3GD20) with three full axes of sensing. The chip can be set to ±250, ±500, or ±2000 degree-per-second scale for a large range of sensitivity. There's also built in high and low pass sensing to make data processing easier. The chip supports both I2C and SPI so you can interface with any microcontroller easily.Since this chip is a 3.3V max device, but many of our customers want to use it with an Arduino, we soldered it to a breakout board with level shifting circuitry so you can use the I2C or SPI interface safely using a 5V interface device. We also place a 3.3V regulator on there so you can power it from 5V.Since we expect people will want to attach it firmly to their project, the PCB comes with four 2.1mm mounting holes. Use #2-56 imperial or M2 screws screws.Getting started is easy - simply connect SDA to your Arduino I2C data pin (On the UNO this is A4), SCL to I2C clock (Uno: A5), GND to ground, and Vin to 3 or 5VDC. Then install and run our easy to use Arduino library, which will print out the XYZ sensor data to the serial terminal. Our library also supports SPI on any 4 digital I/O pins, see the example for wiring.

The NXP Precision 9DoF breakout combines two of the best motion sensors we've tested here at Adafruit: The FXOS8700 3-Axis accelerometer and magnetometer, and the FXAS21002 3-axis gyroscope.

These two sensors combine to make a nice 9-DoF kit, that can be used for motion and orientation sensing. In particular, we think this sensor set is ideal for AHRS-based orientation calculations: the gyro stability performance is superior to the LSM9DS0, LSM9DS1, L3GD20H + LSM303, MPU-9250, and even the BNO-055 (see our Gyro comparison tutorial for more details).

Compared to the BNO055, this sensor will get you similar orientation performance but at a lower price because the calculations are done on your microcontroller, not in the sensor itself. The trade off is you will sacrifice about 15KB of Flash space, and computing cycles, to do the math 'in house.'

To make it fast and easy for you to get started, we have a version of AHRS that we've adapted to work over USB or Bluetooth LE. Load the code onto your Arduino-compatible board and you will get orientation data in the form of Euler angles or quaternions! It will work on a ATmega328 (the fusion code is 15KB of flash) but faster/larger chips such as M0 or ESP8266 will give you more breathing room.

Each board comes with the two chips soldered onto a breakout with 4 mounting holes. While the chips support SPI, they don't tri-state the MISO pin, so we decided to go with plain I2C which works well and is supported by every modern microcontroller and computer chip set.  There's a 3.3V regulator and level shifting on the I2C and Reset lines, so you can use the breakout safely with 3.3V or 5V power/logic. Each order comes with a fully assembled and tested breakout and a small strip of header. Some light soldering is required to attach the header if you want to use in a breadboard.

Our tutorial will get you started with wiring diagrams, pinouts, assembly instructions and library code with examples!

So what makes this so 'Precision'-y, eh?

Glad you asked! This particular sensor combination jumped out at us writing the Comparing Gyroscopes learning guide since the FXAS21002 exhibited the lowest zero-rate level of any of the gyroscopes we've tested, with the the following documented levels (converted to degrees per second for convenience sake):

At +/- 2000 dps 3.125 dps

At +/- 250 dps 0.3906 dps

The zero-rate level is important in orientation since it represents the amount of angular velocity a gyroscope will report when the device is immobile. High zero-rate levels can cause all kinds of problems in orientation systems if the data isn't properly compensated out, and distinguishing zero-rate errors from actual angular velocity can be non-trivial. This is particularly important in sensor fusion algorithms where the gyroscope plays an important part in predicting orientation adjustments over time. A high zero-rate level will cause constant rotation even when the device is immobile!

By comparison, most other sensors tested have 10-20 times these zero-rate levels, which is why we consider this particular part very precise. There is little work to do out of the box to get useful, actionable data out of it.

The Pololu AltIMU-10 v5 is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and altimeter that features the same LSM6DS33 gyro and accelerometer and LIS3MDL magnetometer as the MinIMU-9 v5, and adds an LPS25H digital barometer. An I²C interface accesses ten independent pressure, rotation, acceleration, and magnetic measurements that can be used to calculate the sensor’s altitude and absolute orientation. The board operates from 2.5 to 5.5 V and has a 0.1″ pin spacing.

The Pololu AltIMU-10 v5 is a compact (1.0″ × 0.5″) board that combines ST’s LSM6DS33 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer, LIS3MDL 3-axis magnetometer, and LPS25H digital barometer to form an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and altimeter; we therefore recommend careful reading of the LSM6DS33 datasheet (1MB pdf), LIS3MDL datasheet (2MB pdf), and LPS25H datasheet (1MB pdf) before using this product. These sensors are great ICs, but their small packages make them difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. They also operate at voltages below 3.6 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 5 V. The AltIMU-10 v5 addresses these issues by incorporating additional electronics, including a voltage regulator and a level-shifting circuit, while keeping the overall size as compact as possible. The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H, as shown in the product picture.

Compared to the previous AltIMU-10 v4, the v5 version uses newer MEMS sensors that provide some increases in accuracy (lower noise and zero-rate offsets). The AltIMU-10 v5 is pin-compatible with the AltIMU-10 v4, but because it uses different sensor chips, software written for older IMU versions will need to be changed to work with the v5.

The AltIMU-10 v5 is also pin-compatible with the MinIMU-9 v5 and offers the same functionality augmented by a digital barometer that can be used to obtain pressure and altitude measurements. It includes a second mounting hole and is only 0.2″ longer than the MinIMU-9 v5. Any code written for the MinIMU-9 v5 should also work with the AltIMU-10 v5.

Side-by-side comparison of the MinIMU-9 v5 with the AltIMU-10 v5.

The LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H have many configurable options, including dynamically selectable sensitivities for the gyro, accelerometer, and magnetometer and selectable resolutions for the barometer. Each sensor also has a choice of output data rates. The three ICs can be accessed through a shared I²C/TWI interface, allowing the sensors to be addressed individually via a single clock line and a single data line. Additionally, a slave address configuration pin allows users to change the sensors’ I²C addresses and have two AltIMUs connected on the same I²C bus. (For additional information, see the I²C Communication section below.)

The nine independent rotation, acceleration, and magnetic readings provide all the data needed to make an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS), and readings from the absolute pressure sensor can be easily converted to altitudes, giving you a total of ten independent measurements (sometimes called 10DOF). With an appropriate algorithm, a microcontroller or computer can use the data to calculate the orientation and height of the AltIMU board. The gyro can be used to very accurately track rotation on a short timescale, while the accelerometer and compass can help compensate for gyro drift over time by providing an absolute frame of reference. The respective axes of the two chips are aligned on the board to facilitate these sensor fusion calculations. (For an example of such a system using an Arduino, see the picture below and the Sample Code section at the bottom of this page.)

Visualization of AHRS orientation calculated from MinIMU-9 readings.

The carrier board includes a low-dropout linear voltage regulator that provides the 3.3 V required by the LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H, allowing the module to be powered from a single 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply. The regulator output is available on the VDD pin and can supply almost 150 mA to external devices. The breakout board also includes a circuit that shifts the I²C clock and data lines to the same logic voltage level as the supplied VIN, making it simple to interface the board with 5 V systems. The board’s 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.

Specifications

Dimensions: 1.0″ × 0.5″ × 0.1″ (25 mm × 13 mm × 3 mm)

Weight without header pins: 0.8 g (0.03 oz)

Operating voltage: 2.5 V to 5.5 V

Supply current: 5 mA

Output format (I²C):

Gyro: one 16-bit reading per axis

Accelerometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Magnetometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Barometer: 24-bit pressure reading (4096 LSb/mbar)

Gyro: one 16-bit reading per axis

Accelerometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Magnetometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Barometer: 24-bit pressure reading (4096 LSb/mbar)

Sensitivity range:

Gyro: ±125, ±245, ±500, ±1000, or ±2000°/s

Accelerometer: ±2, ±4, ±8, or ±16 g

Magnetometer: ±4, ±8, ±12, or ±16 gauss

Barometer: 260 mbar to 1260 mbar (26 kPa to 126 kPa)

Gyro: ±125, ±245, ±500, ±1000, or ±2000°/s

Accelerometer: ±2, ±4, ±8, or ±16 g

Magnetometer: ±4, ±8, ±12, or ±16 gauss

Barometer: 260 mbar to 1260 mbar (26 kPa to 126 kPa)

Included Components

A 1×6 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×5 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards or solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations. The board features two mounting holes that work with #2 or M2 screws (not included).

Connections

A minimum of four connections is necessary to use the AltIMU-10 v5: VIN, GND, SCL, and SDA. VIN should be connected to a 2.5 V to 5.5 V source, GND to 0 volts, and SCL and SDA should be connected to an I²C bus operating at the same logic level as VIN. (Alternatively, if you are using the board with a 3.3 V system, you can leave VIN disconnected and bypass the built-in regulator by connecting 3.3 V directly to VDD.)

Pololu AltIMU-10 v5 gyro, accelerometer, compass, and altimeter pinout.

Two Pololu AltIMU-10 v5 modules in a breadboard.

Pinout

The CS, data ready, and interrupt pins of the LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H are not accessible on the AltIMU-10 v5. In particular, the absence of the CS pin means that the optional SPI interface of these ICs is not available. If you want these features, consider using our LSM6DS33 carrier, LIS3MDL carrier, and LPS25H carrier boards.

Schematic Diagram

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H easier to use, including the voltage regulator that allows the board to be powered from a single 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply and the level-shifter circuit that allows for I²C communication at the same logic voltage level as VIN. This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf: AltIMU-10 v5 schematic (119k pdf).

I²C Communication

The LSM6DS33’s gyro and accelerometer, the LIS3MDL’s magnetometer, and the LPS25H’s barometer can be queried and configured through the I²C bus. Each of the four sensors acts as a slave device on the same I²C bus (i.e. their clock and data lines are tied together to ease communication). Additionally, level shifters on the I²C clock (SCL) and data lines (SDA) enable I²C communication with microcontrollers operating at the same voltage as VIN (2.5 V to 5.5 V). A detailed explanation of the protocols used by each device can be found in the LSM6DS33 datasheet (1MB pdf), the LIS3MDL datasheet (2MB pdf), and the LPS25H datasheet (1MB pdf). More detailed information about I²C in general can be found in NXP’s I²C-bus specification (1MB pdf).

The LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H each have separate slave addresses on the I²C bus. The board connects the slave address select pins (SA0 or SA1) of the three ICs together and pulls them all to VDD through a 10 kΩ resistor. You can drive the pin labeled SA0 low to change the slave address. This allows you to have two AltIMUs (or an AltIMU v5 and a MinIMU v5) connected on the same I²C bus. The following table shows the slave addresses of the sensors:

All three chips on the AltIMU-10 v5 are compliant with fast mode (400 kHz) I²C standards as well as with the normal mode.

We have written a basic LSM6DS33 Arduino library, LIS3MDL Arduino library, and LPS25H Arduino library that make it easy to interface the AltIMU-10 v5 with an Arduino or Arduino-compatible board like an A-Star. They also make it simple to configure the sensors and read the raw gyro, accelerometer, magnetometer, and pressure data.

For a demonstration of what you can do with this data, you can turn an Arduino connected to a AltIMU-10 v5 into an attitude and heading reference system, or AHRS, with this Arduino program. It uses the data from the AltIMU-10 v5 to calculate estimated roll, pitch, and yaw angles, and you can visualize the output of the AHRS with a 3D test program on your PC (as shown in a screenshot above). This software is based on the work of Jordi Munoz, William Premerlani, Jose Julio, and Doug Weibel.

The datasheets provide all the information you need to use the sensors on the AltIMU-10 v5, but picking out the important details can take some time. Here are some pointers for communicating with and configuring the LSM6DS33, LIS3MDL, and LPS25H that we hope will get you up and running a little bit faster:

The gyro, accelerometer, magnetometer, and pressure sensor are all in power-down mode by default. You have to turn them on by setting the correct configuration registers.

You can read or write multiple registers in the LIS3MDL or LPS25H with a single I²C command by asserting the most significant bit of the register address to enable address auto-increment.

The register address in the LSM6DS33 automatically increments during a multiple byte access, allowing you to read or write multiple registers in a single I²C command. Unlike how some other ST sensors work, the auto-increment is enabled by default; you can turn it off with the IF_INC field in the CTRL3_C register.

In addition to the datasheets, ST provides application notes for the LSM6DS33 (1MB pdf) and LIS3MDL (598k pdf) containing additional information and hints about using them.

We carry several inertial measurement and orientation sensors. The table below compares their capabilities:

People often buy this product together with:

The Pololu MinIMU-9 v5 is an inertial measurement unit (IMU) that packs an LSM6DS33 3-axis gyro and 3-axis accelerometer and an LIS3MDL 3-axis magnetometer onto a tiny 0.8″ × 0.5″ board. An I²C interface accesses nine independent rotation, acceleration, and magnetic measurements that can be used to calculate the sensor’s absolute orientation. The MinIMU-9 v5 board includes a voltage regulator and a level-shifting circuit that allow operation from 2.5 to 5.5 V, and the 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.

The Pololu MinIMU-9 v5 is a compact (0.8″ × 0.5″) board that combines ST’s LSM6DS33 3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer and LIS3MDL 3-axis magnetometer to form an inertial measurement unit (IMU); we therefore recommend careful reading of the LSM6DS33 datasheet (1MB pdf) and LIS3MDL datasheet (2MB pdf) before using this product. These sensors are great ICs, but their small packages make them difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. They also operate at voltages below 3.6 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 5 V. The MinIMU-9 v5 addresses these issues by incorporating additional electronics, including a voltage regulator and a level-shifting circuit, while keeping the overall size as compact as possible. The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL, as shown in the product picture.

Compared to the previous MinIMU-9 v3, the v5 version uses newer MEMS sensors that provide some increases in accuracy (lower noise and zero-rate offsets). The MinIMU-9 v5 is pin-compatible with the MinIMU-9 v3, but because it uses different sensor chips, software written for older IMU versions will need to be changed to work with the v5.

The MinIMU-9 v5 is also pin-compatible with the AltIMU-10 v5, which offers the same functionality augmented by a digital barometer that can be used to obtain pressure and altitude measurements. The AltIMU includes a second mounting hole and is 0.2″ longer than the MinIMU. Any code written for the MinIMU-9 v5 should also work with the AltIMU-10 v5.

Side-by-side comparison of the MinIMU-9 v5 with the AltIMU-10 v5.

The LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL have many configurable options, including dynamically selectable sensitivities for the gyro, accelerometer, and magnetometer. Each sensor also has a choice of output data rates. The two ICs can be accessed through a shared I²C/TWI interface, allowing the sensors to be addressed individually via a single clock line and a single data line. Additionally, a slave address configuration pin allows users to change the sensors’ I²C addresses and have two MinIMUs connected on the same I²C bus. (For additional information, see the I²C Communication section below.)

The nine independent rotation, acceleration, and magnetic readings (sometimes called 9DOF) provide all the data needed to make an attitude and heading reference system (AHRS). With an appropriate algorithm, a microcontroller or computer can use the data to calculate the orientation of the MinIMU board. The gyro can be used to very accurately track rotation on a short timescale, while the accelerometer and compass can help compensate for gyro drift over time by providing an absolute frame of reference. The respective axes of the two chips are aligned on the board to facilitate these sensor fusion calculations. (For an example of such a system using an Arduino, see the picture below and the Sample Code section at the bottom of this page.)

Visualization of AHRS orientation calculated from MinIMU-9 readings.

The carrier board includes a low-dropout linear voltage regulator that provides the 3.3 V required by the LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL, allowing the module to be powered from a single 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply. The regulator output is available on the VDD pin and can supply almost 150 mA to external devices. The breakout board also includes a circuit that shifts the I²C clock and data lines to the same logic voltage level as the supplied VIN, making it simple to interface the board with 5 V systems. The board’s 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.

Specifications

Dimensions: 0.8″ × 0.5″ × 0.1″ (20 mm × 13 mm × 3 mm)

Weight without header pins: 0.7 g (0.02 oz)

Operating voltage: 2.5 V to 5.5 V

Supply current: 5 mA

Output format (I²C):

Gyro: one 16-bit reading per axis

Accelerometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Magnetometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Gyro: one 16-bit reading per axis

Accelerometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Magnetometer: one 16-bit reading per axis

Sensitivity range:

Gyro: ±125, ±245, ±500, ±1000, or ±2000°/s

Accelerometer: ±2, ±4, ±8, or ±16 g

Magnetometer: ±4, ±8, ±12, or ±16 gauss

Gyro: ±125, ±245, ±500, ±1000, or ±2000°/s

Accelerometer: ±2, ±4, ±8, or ±16 g

Magnetometer: ±4, ±8, ±12, or ±16 gauss

Included Components

A 1×6 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×5 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards or solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations. The board features two mounting holes that work with #2 or M2 screws (not included).

Connections

A minimum of four connections is necessary to use the MinIMU-9 v5: VIN, GND, SCL, and SDA. VIN should be connected to a 2.5 V to 5.5 V source, GND to 0 volts, and SCL and SDA should be connected to an I²C bus operating at the same logic level as VIN. (Alternatively, if you are using the board with a 3.3 V system, you can leave VIN disconnected and bypass the built-in regulator by connecting 3.3 V directly to VDD.)

Pololu MinIMU-9 v5 gyro, accelerometer, and compass pinout.

Two Pololu MinIMU-9 v5 modules in a breadboard.

Pinout

The CS, data ready, and interrupt pins of the LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL are not accessible on the MinIMU-9 v5. In particular, the absence of the CS pin means that the optional SPI interface of these ICs is not available. If you want these features, consider using our LSM6DS33 carrier and LIS3MDL carrier boards.

Schematic Diagram

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL easier to use, including the voltage regulator that allows the board to be powered from a single 2.5 V to 5.5 V supply and the level-shifter circuit that allows for I²C communication at the same logic voltage level as VIN. This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf: MinIMU-9 v5 schematic (106k pdf).

I²C Communication

The LSM6DS33’s gyro and accelerometer and the LIS3MDL’s magnetometer can be queried and configured through the I²C bus. Each of the three sensors acts as a slave device on the same I²C bus (i.e. their clock and data lines are tied together to ease communication). Additionally, level shifters on the I²C clock (SCL) and data lines (SDA) enable I²C communication with microcontrollers operating at the same voltage as VIN (2.5 V to 5.5 V). A detailed explanation of the protocols used by each device can be found in the LSM6DS33 datasheet (1MB pdf) and the LIS3MDL datasheet (2MB pdf). More detailed information about I²C in general can be found in NXP’s I²C-bus specification (1MB pdf).

The LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL each have separate slave addresses on the I²C bus. The board connects the slave address select pins (SA0 or SA1) of the two ICs together and pulls them both to VDD through a 10 kΩ resistor. You can drive the pin labeled SA0 low to change the slave address. This allows you to have two MinIMUs (or a MinIMU v5 and an AltIMU v5) connected on the same I²C bus. The following table shows the slave addresses of the sensors:

Both chips on the MinIMU-9 v5 are compliant with fast mode (400 kHz) I²C standards as well as with the normal mode.

We have written a basic LSM6DS33 Arduino library and LIS3MDL Arduino library that make it easy to interface the MinIMU-9 v5 with an Arduino or Arduino-compatible board like an A-Star. They also make it simple to configure the sensors and read the raw gyro, accelerometer, and magnetometer data.

For a demonstration of what you can do with this data, you can turn an Arduino connected to a MinIMU-9 v5 into an attitude and heading reference system, or AHRS, with this Arduino program. It uses the data from the MinIMU-9 to calculate estimated roll, pitch, and yaw angles, and you can visualize the output of the AHRS with a 3D test program on your PC (as shown in a screenshot above). This software is based on the work of Jordi Munoz, William Premerlani, Jose Julio, and Doug Weibel.

The datasheets provide all the information you need to use the sensors on the MinIMU-9 v5, but picking out the important details can take some time. Here are some pointers for communicating with and configuring the LSM6DS33 and LIS3MDL that we hope will get you up and running a little bit faster:

The gyro, accelerometer, and magnetometer are all in power-down mode by default. You have to turn them on by setting the correct configuration registers.

You can read or write multiple registers in the LIS3MDL with a single I²C command by asserting the most significant bit of the register address to enable address auto-increment.

The register address in the LSM6DS33 automatically increments during a multiple byte access, allowing you to read or write multiple registers in a single I²C command. Unlike how some other ST sensors work, the auto-increment is enabled by default; you can turn it off with the IF_INC field in the CTRL3_C register.

In addition to the datasheets, ST provides application notes for the LSM6DS33 (1MB pdf) and LIS3MDL (598k pdf) containing additional information and hints about using them.

We carry several inertial measurement and orientation sensors. The table below compares their capabilities:

People often buy this product together with:

Replacement:SEN-10736. This board has been updated to use the HMC5883L instead of the end-of-life HMC5843. This page is for reference only.

The 9DOF Razor IMU incorporates three sensors - an ITG-3200 (triple-axis gyro), ADXL345 (triple-axis accelerometer), and HMC5843 (triple-axis magnetometer) - to give you nine degrees of inertial measurement. The outputs of all sensors are processed by an on-board ATmega328 and output over a serial interface. With the work of Jordi Munoz and many others, the 9DOF Razor can become an Attitude and Heading Reference System. This enables the 9DOF Razor to become a very powerful control mechanism for UAVs, autonomous vehicles and image stabilization systems.

The board comes programmed with the 8MHz Arduino bootloader and example firmware that tests the outputs of all the sensors. Simply connect to the serial TX and RX pins with a 3.3V FTDI Basic Breakout, open a terminal program to 38400bps and a menu will guide you through testing the sensors. You can use the Arduino IDE to program your code onto the 9DOF, just select the ‘Arduino Pro or Pro Mini (3.3v, 8mhz) w/ATmega328’ as your board.

The 9DOF operates at 3.3VDC; any power supplied to the white JST connector will be regulated down to this operating voltage - our LiPo batteries are an excellent power supply choice. The output header is designed to mate with our 3.3V FTDI Basic Breakout board, so you can easily connect the board to a computer’s USB port. Or, for a wireless solution, it can be connected to the Bluetooth Mate or an XBee Explorer.

Having a hard time picking an IMU? Our Accelerometer, Gyro, and IMU Buying Guide might help!

Note: This product is a collaboration with Jordi Munoz of 3d Robotics. A portion of each sales goes back to them for product support and continued development.

Note: We found these in inventory and they work fine but we’re no longer making them. We’ll be selling them at a discount for a limited time but when they’re gone, they’re gone!

Replaces:SEN-09623

Features

9 Degrees of Freedom on a single, flat board:

ITG-3200 - triple-axis digital-output gyroscope

ADXL345 - 13-bit resolution, ±16g, triple-axis accelerometer

HMC5843 - triple-axis, digital magnetometer

ITG-3200 - triple-axis digital-output gyroscope

ADXL345 - 13-bit resolution, ±16g, triple-axis accelerometer

HMC5843 - triple-axis, digital magnetometer

Outputs of all sensors processed by on-board ATmega328 and sent out via a serial stream

Autorun feature and help menu integrated into the example firmware

Output pins match up with FTDI Basic Breakout, Bluetooth Mate, XBee Explorer

3.5-16VDC input

ON-OFF control switch and reset switch

1.60 x 1.10 “ (40.64 x 27.94 mm)

The LIS3DH is a very popular low power triple-axis accelerometer. It's low-cost, but has just about every 'extra' you'd want in an accelerometer:

Three axis sensing, 10-bit precision

±2g/±4g/±8g/±16g selectable scaling

Both I2C (2 possible addresses) and SPI interface options

Interrupt output

Multiple data rate options 1 Hz to 5Khz

As low as 2uA current draw (just the chip itself, not including any supporting circuitry)

Tap, Double-tap, orientation & freefall detection

3 additional ADC inputs you can read over I2C

To all that, we've also added:

3.3V regulator + level shifting, so you can safely use with any Arduino or microcontroller without the need for an external level shifter!

We kept seeing this accelerometer in teardowns of commercial products and figured that if it's the most-commonly used accelerometer, its worth having a breakout board!

This sensor communicates over I2C or SPI (our library code supports both) so you can share it with a bunch of other sensors on the same I2C bus. There's an address selection pin so you can have two accelerometers share an I2C bus.

To get you going fast, we spun up a breakout board for this little guy. Since it's a 3V sensor, we add a low-dropout 3.3V regulator and level shifting circuitry on board. That means its perfectly safe for use with 3V or 5V power and logic. It's fully assembled and tested.  Comes with a bit of 0.1" standard header in case you want to use it with a breadboard or perfboard.  Two 2.5mm (0.1") mounting holes for easy attachment.

Check out our tutorial for all sorts of details, including pinouts, assembly, wiring, and more!

This tiny logic level shifter features four bi-directional channels, allowing for safe and easy communication between devices operating at different logic levels. It can convert signals as low as 1.5 V to as high as 18 V and vice versa, and its four channels are enough to support most common bidirectional and unidirectional digital interfaces, including I²C, SPI, and asynchronous TTL serial.

As digital devices get smaller and faster, once ubiquitous 5 V logic has given way to ever lower-voltage standards like 3.3 V, 2.5 V, and even 1.8 V, leading to an ecosystem of components that need a little help talking to each other. For example, a 5 V part might fail to read a 3.3 V signal as high, and a 3.3 V part might be damaged by a 5 V signal. This level shifter solves these problems by offering bidirectional voltage translation of up to four independent signals, converting between logic levels as low as 1.5 V on the lower-voltage side and as high as 18 V on the higher-voltage side, and its compact size and breadboard-compatible pin spacing make it easy to integrate into projects.

The logic high levels on each side of the shifter are achieved by 10 kΩ pull-up resistors to their respective supplies; these provide quick enough rise times to allow decent conversion of fast mode (400 kHz) I²C signals or other similarly fast digital interfaces (e.g. SPI or asynchronous TTL serial). External pull-ups can be added to speed up the rise time further at the expense of higher current draw. See the schematic diagram below for more information.

Dual-supply bus translation:

Lower-voltage (LV) supply can be 1.5 V to 7 V

Higher-voltage (HV) supply can be LV to 18 V

Lower-voltage (LV) supply can be 1.5 V to 7 V

Higher-voltage (HV) supply can be LV to 18 V

Four bidirectional channels

Small size: 0.4″ × 0.5″ × 0.08″ (13 mm × 10 mm × 2 mm)

Breadboard-compatible pin spacing

Example wiring diagram for connecting 5 V and 3.3 V devices through the 4-channel bidirectional logic level shifter.

This logic level converter requires two supply voltages: the lower-voltage logic supply (1.5 V to 7 V) connects to the LV pin and the higher-voltage supply (LV to 18 V) connects to the HV pin. The HV supply must be higher than the LV supply for proper operation. Logic low voltages will pass directly from Hx to the corresponding Lx (and vice versa), while logic high voltages will be converted between the HV level to the LV level as the signal passes from Hx to Lx or Lx to Hx.

The level shifter circuit does not require a ground connection to either device, so there are no ground pins on the board. (Some competing level shifter modules provide ground connections that simply act as a pass-through; we have opted to leave these off and make the board smaller.) The two devices being connected through the level shifter must still share a common ground.

The picture below shows a level-shifted TTL serial connection (RX and TX) between a 5 V Arduino Uno and a 3.3 V Raspberry Pi.

Using the 4-channel bidirectional logic level shifter to create a serial connection between a 5 V Arduino Uno and a 3.3 V Raspberry Pi.

A 0.1″-pitch male header strip is included for use with this board. The strip can be broken into smaller pieces and soldered in so the board can be used with perfboards, breadboards, or 0.1″ female connectors. Alternatively, wires can be soldered directly to the board for more compact installations. The connections are labeled on the back side of the of the PCB, so you might find it more convenient to solder the pins in the way that allows the labeled side to be facing up.

Schematic diagram

The logic level conversion is accomplished with a simple circuit consisting of a single n-channel MOSFET and a pair of 10 kΩ pull-up resistors for each channel. When Lx is driven low, the MOSFET turns on and the zero passes through to Hx. When Hx is driven low, Lx is also driven low through the MOSFET’s body diode, at which point the MOSFET turns on. In all other cases, both Lx and Hx are pulled high to their respective logic supply voltages. External pull-ups can be added to speed up the rise time. This same circuit is detailed in NXP’s application note on I²C bus level-shifting techniques, and we have used it before on carrier boards for 3.3 V sensors with I²C interfaces – like the MinIMU-9 – to enable them to work directly with both 3.3 V and 5 V systems.

This schematic is also available as a downloadable PDF (135k pdf).

People often buy this product together with:

If you’ve ever tried to connect a 3.3V device to a 5V system, you know what a challenge it can be. The SparkFun bi-directional logic level converter is a small device that safely steps down 5V signals to 3.3V AND steps up 3.3V to 5V at the same time. This level converter also works with 2.8V and 1.8V devices. What really separates this Logic level converter from our previous versions is that you can successfully set your high and low voltages and step up and down between them safely on the same channel. Each level converter has the capability of converting 4 pins on the high side to 4 pins on the low side with two inputs and two outputs provided for each side.

The level converter is very easy to use. The board needs to be powered from the two voltages sources (high voltage and low voltage) that your system is using. High voltage (5V for example) to the ‘HV’ pin, low voltage (3.3V for example) to ‘LV’, and ground from the system to the ‘GND’ pin.

Get Started with the Logic Level Converter Guide

Features

0.63 x 0.52" (16.05 x 13.33mm)

This is a board designed for opto-isolation. This board is helpful for connecting digital systems (like a 5V microcontroller) to a high-voltage or noisy system. This board electrically isolates a controller from the high-power system by use of an opto-isolator IC. This IC has two LEDs and two photodiodes built-in. This allows the low-voltage side to control a high voltage side.

We often use this board to allow a microcontroller control servos or other motors that use a higher voltage than the TTL logic on the (3.3V or 5V) micro, and may cause electromagnetic interferance with our system as the motors turn on and off. This board will isolate the systems, creating a type of electrical noise barrier between devices.

This breakout board uses the ILD213T optoisolator and discrete transistors to correct the logic. Comes with two channels. Great for use in noisy circuits where signal lines require electrical isolation.

A normal LED opto-isolator will invert the logic of a signal. We threw some transistors on this compact board to correct the inversion. What you put into the IN pins, will be replicated on the the OUT pins, but at the higher voltage (HV).

If you’ve had ideas for a project that depends on the ability to sense different spectrums of visible light and react based on those measurements, the ISL29125 breakout board may be just what you need. The ISL29125 breakout board makes it very easy to sense and record the light intensity of the general red, green, and blue spectrums of visible light while rejecting IR from light sources. You can then use these color sensor readings for the purposes of logging and finding patterns, or creatively calculate and make control decisions in your electronic projects.

Each pin from the ISL29125 has been broken out to allow you to interface with it, SDA, SCL, 3.3V, GND, and even an optional INT pin is available for use. The ISL29125 Light Sensor operates at 3.3V but if you plan on using this chip with a 5V microcontroller make sure to use a logic level converter.

Features

Operating Voltage: 3.3V

Operating Current: 56µA

Selectable Range

I2C (SMBus compatible) Output

ADC Resolution 16 bits

SCL, SDA, INT, 3.3V, & GND Pins Broken Out

18.4mm x 17.2mm x 2.4mm (0.7" x 0.6" x 0.09")

Long gone are the days of parallel ports and serial ports. Now the USB port reigns supreme! But USB is hard, and you just want to transfer your every-day serial data from a microcontroller to computer. What now? Enter the Adafruit CP2104 Friend!

This is a high-quality CP2104 USB-Serial chip that can upload code at a blistering 2Mbit/s for fast development time. It also has auto-reset for Arduino/ATmega328 boards so no noodling with pins and reset button pressings. The CP2104 has better driver support than the CH340 and can do very high speeds, and variable speeds without stability issues. Compared to the FT232RL and FT231X, the CP2104 has the same capabilities or better, at a great price! It even has the RX/TX LEDs to help you debug your data, they'll blink when the chip receives/transmits data.

By default, we've set it up so that it matches our FTDI cables. The 6th pin is RTS, the power wire is +5V and the signal levels are 3.3V (they are 5V compliant, and should work in the vast majority of 3.3V and 5V signal systems). Works excellently with any Arduino, ESP8266, ESP32 or any other microcontroller that uses an 'FTDI port' for communications and upload. You can also purchase a 6-pin extension cable from us, which will let you rearrange the wire order.

There's also a full collection of all the modem control pins you may need on the side, in case you need the DTR, RI, DSR, etc. pins.

Each order comes with a fully assembled and tested board. We give you a right-angle socket header and some male header strip. You can solder in the socket header on the edge to make it 'FTDI-like' or solder the male headers in to plug it into a breadboard and get access to all the pins.

For Linux you won't need a driver. For Windows, it will automatically grab the driver from Windows Update. For Mac OS X you can check out SiLabs driver page for the latest and greatest.

This is a breakout board for Freescale’s MPR121QR2. The MPR121 is a capacitive touch sensor controller driven by an I2C interface. The chip can control up to twelve individual electrodes, as well as a simulated thirteenth electrode. The MPR121 also features eight LED driving pins. When these pins are not configured as electrodes, they may be used to drive LEDs.

There a four jumpers on the bottom of the board, all of which are set (closed) by default. An address jumper ties the ADD pin to ground, meaning the default I2C address of the chip will be 0x5A. If you need to change the address of the chip (by shorting ADD to a different pin), make sure you open the jumper first. Jumpers also connect SDA, SCL and the interrupt pin to 10k pull-up resistors. If you don’t require the pull-up resistors you can open the jumpers by cutting the trace connecting them.

There is no regulation on the board, so the voltage supplied should be between 2.5 and 3.6VDC. The VREG pin is connected through a 0.1uF capacitor to ground, which means, unless you modify the board, you can’t operate the MPR121 in low-supply voltage mode (1.71-2.75VDC).

This is a great battery-backed real time clock (RTC) that allows your microcontroller project to keep track of time even if it is reprogrammed, or if the power is lost. Perfect for datalogging, clock-building, time stamping, timers and alarms, etc. The DS1307 is the most popular RTC - but it requires 5V power to work (although we've used it with 5V power and 3.3V logic successfully)

Works great with an Arduino using our RTC library or with a Raspberry Pi (or similar single board linux computer)

PCB & header are included

Plugs into any breadboard, or you can use wires

Two mounting holes

Will keep time for 5 years or more

Note: This product does not come with a CR1220 coin cell battery. We recommend you purchase a coin cell battery to use with this product.

The DS1307 is simple and inexpensive but not a high precision device. It may lose or gain up to 2 seconds a day. For a high-precision, temperature compensated alternative, please check out the DS3231 precision RTC. If you do not need a DS1307, or you need a 3.3V-power/logic capable RTC please check out our affordable PCF8523 RTC breakout

Check out our detailed guide for wiring diagrams, schematics, fritzing objects, library code and more!

Control Electronics quickly and easily with a tiny USB stick that runs JavaScript - introducing the Espruino Pico! Dig in to the JavaScript of things, with a mini version of the popular Espruino board we already carry

This little board has an STM32 microcontroller pre-programmed with Espruino all ready to go so you can start playing immediately. Warning: if you only use Assembly and think that even embedded C/C++ is for wimps, this device might explody your head.

Essential Features:

22 GPIO pins: 9 analog inputs, 21 PWM, 2 serial, 3 SPI, 3 I2C

All GPIO is 3.3V but 5 volt tolerant

2 rows of 9 0.1" pins, with a third 0.05" row of 8 pins on the end

On-board USB "PCB Type" connector, plugs right into any computer USB port

Two on-board LEDs and one button

STM32F401CDU6 CPU - ARM Cortex

On-board 3.3v 250mA voltage regulator, accepts voltages from 3.5v to 16v

Current draw in sleep: < 0.05mA - over 2.5 years on a 2500mAh battery

On-board FET can be used to drive high-current outputs

Note: As of Friday, October 2nd, 2015 we are selling the updated Pico with both a more helpful silkscreen marking for power, an updated USB power diode, and a 500mA polyfuse added!

The Espruino Pico is a USB stick with a tiny computer and JavaScript interpreter built in, allowing for instant feedback from whatever device you're working with. Simply set up your code with the Espruino and send it to the device without having to wait for the board to 'flash.'

The Pico is also designed to be easy to include in your own designs and builds. The .01" pins are easy to fit in to sockets, and castellated edges mean that unpinned Picos can easily be surface-mounted directly to a PCB. And to make it even easier, Espruino provided a part library for Eagle CAD that includes the Pico's footprint in several different configurations.The Espruino Pico's fast response time has a lot of advantages. It allows for quick and easy debugging and is a great way to test your project before your big reveal. In addition, you can control the Espruino from almost anything - Windows, Mac OS, Linux, RasPi, Android, anything that can talk to a USB Serial port.The Espruino family also interacts well with our NeoPixels. For more info, check out Espruino's page on the WS2811 and WS2812.While the main advantage of the Espruino is its instant execution, it can also be used as a traditional board through a Web-based IDE hosted on your computer. The microcontroller also uses less power than Linux Boards (although its of course a lot less powerful as well) so will run longer on battery power, it has loads of IO pins, and it can be used as an IO board for PCs, Macs, or Rasp Pis without having to program it first. Simply take the Espruino out of its packaging and get started! There's also much more info on the Espruino Pico page including tutorials, code examples, manuals, datasheets, and more!

This is a breakout for the BC127 Bluetooth Module. The BC127 is a highly flexible, low power, small form factor Bluetooth Version 4.0 Certified Audio module. This is an ideal module for developers who want to quickly and cost effectively integrate Bluetooth functionality into their products.

The BC127 Breakout board provides basic access to all the pins on the BC127 module, along with a six-pin serial header with the same pinout as the FTDI Basic boards, allowing it to connect to boards like the Arduino Pro, Pro Mini, and LilyPad. It also includes voltage regulation, serial data level shifting circuitry, and support for the built-in battery charge circuitry.

This is the SparkFun BLE Mate 2, an efficient and reliable Bluetooth 4.0 development board. The BLE Mate 2 closely resembles a breakout board, in that nearly every pin on the on-board BC118 module is made available to access. This board is actually a close cousin to our Gold and Silver Bluetooth Mates and functions in a very similar way but, as the name implies, operates as Bluetooth Low Energy instead of Bluetooth 2.0.

The BLE Mate 2 offers a six-pin header on the end opposite the BC118 module which is used as a “host” serial pinout, the same as that on the FTDI Basic boards, which allows the BLE Mate 2 to be connected directly to any device with a matching header, such as the SparkFun Arduino Pro and Pro Mini. Coupled with the FTDI SmartBasic, you can even develop your code without having to swap cables! The board has built-in level translation, so it can be used with boards of higher voltage than the 3.3V default used by the BC118.

Each BLE Mate 2 offers BC118 module that is capable of accepting and transmitting via the UART at 9600bps (default) with a frequency band of 2,402 MHz to 2,480 MHz.

The SparkFun BLE Mate 2 only supports Bluetooth 4.0; it won’t connect to older devices. It’s also worth noting that BLE does not support a Serial Port Protocol as older versions of Bluetooth did; that makes interoperability between BLE dongles, devices, and modules harder than with Bluetooth Classic.

Features

Bluetooth Certified 4.0 (BLE)

Supply Voltage: 3.3V to 4.7 VDC

Low power consumption : 16mA avg

Frequency Band: 2,402 MHz to 2,480 MHz

Operating Range: 30m

Built-in antenna

The Bluetooth Mate Gold is very similar to our BlueSMiRF modem, but it is designed specifically to be used with our Arduino Pros and LilyPad Arduinos. These modems work as a serial (RX/TX) pipe, and are a great wireless replacement for serial cables. Any serial stream from 2400 to 115200bps can be passed seamlessly from your computer to your target. We’ve tested these units successfully over open air at 350ft (106m)!

Bluetooth Mate has the same pin out as the FTDI Basic, and is meant to plug directly into an Arduino Pro, Pro Mini, or LilyPad Mainboard. Because we’ve arranged the pins to do this, you cannot directly plug the Bluetooth Mate to an FTDI Basic board (you’ll have to swap TX and RX).

This unit ships with an RN-41 class 1 bluetooth module, a very easy-to-use and well documented bluetooth module. Make sure you check out the datasheet and command set links below. If you don’t need the extra range, check out the Bluetooth Mate Silver which uses a Class 2 module which has less range.

The Bluetooth Mate has on-board voltage regulators, so it can be powered from any 3.3 to 6VDC power supply. We’ve got level shifting all set up so the RX and TX pins on the remote unit are 3-6VDC tolerant. Do not attach this device directly to a serial port. You will need an RS232 to TTL converter circuit if you need to attach this to a computer.

Unit comes without a connector; if you want to connect it to an Arduino Pro, we’d suggest the 6-pin right-angle female header.

Note: If you are looking for the ability to use the FTDI directly with your Bluetooth Mate check out our Crossover Breakout for FTDI!

Note: The hardware reset pin of the RN-41 module is broken out on the bottom side of the board. This pin is mislabeled as ‘PIO6’, it is actually PIO4. Should you need to reset the Mate, pull this pin high upon power-up, and then toggle it 3 times.

Features

v6.15 Firmware

Designed to work directly with Arduino Pro’s and LilyPad main boards

FCC Approved Class 1 Bluetooth® Radio Modem

Very robust link both in integrity and transmission distance (100m) - no more buffer overruns!

Low power consumption : 25mA avg

Hardy frequency hopping scheme - operates in harsh RF environments like WiFi, 802.11g, and Zigbee

Encrypted connection

Frequency: 2.402~2.480 GHz

Operating Voltage: 3.3V-6V

Serial communications: 2400-115200bps

Operating Temperature: -40 ~ +70C

Built-in antenna

Board: 1.75x0.65"

The Bluetooth Mate is very similar to our BlueSMiRF modem, but it is designed specifically to be used with our Arduino Pros and LilyPad Arduinos. These modems work as a serial (RX/TX) pipe, and are a great wireless replacement for serial cables. Any serial stream from 2400 to 115200bps can be passed seamlessly from your computer to your target.

Bluetooth Mate has the same pin out as the FTDI Basic, and is meant to plug directly into an Arduino Pro, Pro Mini, or LilyPad Mainboard. Because we’ve arranged the pins to do this, you cannot directly plug the Bluetooth Mate to an FTDI Basic board (you’ll have to swap TX and RX).

The RN-42 is perfect for short range, battery powered applications. The RN-42 uses only 26uA in sleep mode while still being discoverable and connectable. Multiple user configurable power modes allow the user to dial in the lowest power profile for a given application. If you need longer range, check out the Bluetooth Mate Gold.

The Bluetooth Mate has on-board voltage regulators, so it can be powered from any 3.3 to 6VDC power supply. We’ve got level shifting all set up so the RX and TX pins on the remote unit are 3-6VDC tolerant. Do not attach this device directly to a serial port. You will need an RS232 to TTL converter circuit if you need to attach this to a computer.

Unit comes without a connector; if you want to connect it to an Arduino Pro, we’d suggest the 6-pin right-angle female header.

Note: If you are looking for the ability to use the FTDI directly with your Bluetooth Mate check out our Crossover Breakout for FTDI!

Note: The hardware reset pin of the RN-42 module is broken out on the bottom side of the board. This pin is mislabeled as ‘PIO6’, it is actually PIO4. Should you need to reset the Mate, pull this pin high upon power-up, and then toggle it 3 times.

Features

v6.15 Firmware

Designed to work directly with Arduino Pro’s and LilyPad main boards

FCC Approved Class 2 Bluetooth® Radio Modem!

Low power consumption : 25mA avg

Hardy frequency hopping scheme - operates in harsh RF environments like WiFi, 802.11g, and Zigbee

Encrypted connection

Frequency: 2.402~2.480 GHz

Operating Voltage: 3.3V-6V

Serial communications: 2400-115200bps

Operating Temperature: -40 ~ +70C

Built-in antenna

Board: 1.75x0.65"

This compact board breaks out the pins of a microSD card connector necessary to interface with the card through SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface), and it can be directly integrated into 5 V systems thanks to its on board 3.3 V regulator and level shifting circuits. The 0.1″ pin spacing allows compatibility with standard perfboards, solderless breadboards, and 0.1" connectors.

This carrier board makes it easy to interface a microSD memory card (originally known as TransFlash) with an SPI-capable microcontroller, offering a convenient and inexpensive way to add gigabytes of non-volatile storage to an embedded project. It includes a 3.3 V regulator and level shifters on the four SPI lines, enabling direct integration into 5 V systems, and it provides access to the all of the connections through single 1×9 row of 0.1″-spaced through-holes. A breakaway 0.1″ male header strip is included, which can be soldered in to use the board with breadboards, perfboards, or 0.1″ female connectors, and the board has two mounting holes for #2 or M2 screws.

Breakout Board for microSD Card with 3.3V Regulator and Level Shifters with included header pins.

Breakout Board for microSD Card with 3.3V Regulator and Level Shifters plugged into a breadboard with microSD card (not included) inserted.

For 3.3 V projects, we carry a smaller Breakout Board for MicroSD Card without the 3.3 V regulator, level shifters, and mounting holes. This more basic module (shown in the right picture below) breaks out all of the microSD pins (including the ones used for the SD bus mode interface) rather than just the SPI-interface pins.

Breakout Board for microSD Card with 3.3V Regulator and Level Shifters.

Breakout Board for microSD Card.

For a microSD socket and user-programmable microcontroller on a single board, consider our A-Star 32U4 Prime controllers, which essentially use the same level-shifting circuits to interface a microSD card with an Arduino-compatible ATmega32U4 MCU running at 5 V.

Since many microcontrollers have built-in SPI interfaces, most hobbyist projects communicate with Secure Digital cards in SPI bus mode; this is the only mode supported by this board. (The alternative SD bus mode is proprietary, and a license from the SD Association is required for access to the full specifications.) The pins on this board are labeled according to their functions in SPI mode.

The board is powered by applying 5 V to the VDD pin, and all of the logic pins can be interfaced directly with 5 V systems thanks to integrated level shifters. The output of the integrated 3.3 V regulator can be accessed through the 3V3 pin, and the regulator can be disabled to turn off the microSD card and save power by driving the EN pin low.

By default, the EN and CD (Card Detect) pins are each pulled up to VDD through 100 kΩ resistors. However, there are cuttable traces on the underside of the board to allow you to disconnect each pull-up as desired. These traces are located between pairs of pads (labeled “EN” and “CD” on the board’s silkscreen) that can be bridged with solder to reconnect the pull-up resistor. Alternatively, the neighboring EN and CD pads of these surface-mount jumpers (highlighted in the picture below) can be connected if you want the regulator to automatically be enabled when the microSD card is inserted and disabled when it is removed.

Communicating with a microSD card

The SD Association publishes a set of simplified specifications for SD cards containing information on interfacing with them. However, there are a number of ways to get started without understanding the specifications or writing your own code from scratch, since many microcontroller development platforms provide libraries for communicating with SD cards. For example:

The SD library for Arduino provides functions for accessing files and directories on an SD card. (It also works with Arduino-compatible boards like our A-Star programmable controllers.)

The SD Card File System library for mbed allows similar filesystem access.

Schematic

Breakout Board for Micro SD Card with 3.3V Regulator and Level Shifter schematic diagram.

This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf (106k pdf).

People often buy this product together with:

Add quadrature encoders to your LP, MP, or HP micro metal gearmotors (extended back shaft version required) with this kit that uses a magnetic disc and hall effect sensors to provide 12 counts per revolution of the motor shaft. The sensors operate from 2.7 V to 18 V and provide digital outputs that can be connected directly to a microcontroller or other digital circuit.Note: This version is not compatible with the HPCB micro metal gearmotors; it is only compatible with LP, MP, and HP dual-shaft micro metal gearmotors.

Discontinuation notice: This encoder is not compatible with our HPCB micro metal gearmotors (the HPCB motor terminals are too large to fit the corresponding PCB holes), but it is compatible with the LP, MP, and HP versions of our micro metal gearmotors. We have released a new version of this board that enlarges the motor terminal holes so they are compatible with all our micro metal gearmotors. The new version is functionally identical to this older version and can serve as a drop-in replacement. We will be discontinuing this product when the remaining stock is gone.

These older encoders are now only available by large-volume special order. Please contact us for more information.

Magnetic Encoder Kit for Micro Metal Gearmotors (old version; not compatible with HPCB micro metal gearmotors).

Magnetic Encoder Kit for Micro Metal Gearmotors (HPCB compatible).

This kit includes two dual-channel Hall Effect sensor boards and two 6-pole magnetic discs that can be used to add quadrature encoding to two micro metal gearmotors with extended back shafts (motors are not included with this kit). The encoder board senses the rotation of the magnetic disc and provides a resolution of 12 counts per revolution of the motor shaft when counting both edges of both channels. To compute the counts per revolution of the gearbox output shaft, multiply the gear ratio by 12.

This compact encoder solution fits within the 12 mm × 10 mm cross section of the motors on three of the four sides, and it only extends 0.6 mm past the edge of the fourth side (note: if you need it to be flush with that last side, you can carefully grind the board down a little and solder to the remaining half-holes). The assembly does not extend past the end of the extended motor shaft, which protrudes 5 mm beyond the plastic end cap on the back of the motor.

Note: This sensor system is intended for users comfortable with the physical encoder installation. It only works with micro metal gearmotors that have extended back shafts.

The encoder board is designed to be soldered directly to the back of the motor, with the back shaft of the motor protruding through the hole in the middle of the circuit board. One way to achieve good alignment between the board and the motor is to tack down the board to one motor pin and to solder the other pin only when the board is flat and well aligned. Be careful to avoid prolonged heating of the motor pins, which could deform the plastic end cap of the motor or the motor brushes. Once the board is soldered down to the two terminals, the motor leads are connected to the M1 and M2 pads along the edge of the board; the remaining four pads are used to power the sensors and access the two quadrature outputs:

The sensors are powered through the VCC and GND pins. VCC can be 2.7 V to 18 V, and the quadrature outputs A and B are digital signals that are either driven low (0 V) by the sensors or pulled to VCC through 10 kΩ pull-up resistors, depending on the applied magnetic field. The sensors’ comparators have built-in hysteresis, which prevents spurious signals in cases where the motor stops near a transition point.

Encoder A and B outputs of a magnetic encoder on a high-power (HP) micro metal gearmotor running at 6 V.

The board’s six pads have a 2 mm pitch, so they do not work with common 0.1″ connectors. One option for connecting to the board is to solder in individual wires, such as in the example below:

Alternatively, you can solder a 2mm-pitch connector to the board. The examples below show a male header, which gives you the option of making a detachable cable terminated by a 6-pin 2mm-pitch female header. If the pins are angled over the motor, as shown in the picture below, they will just barely protrude through the holes in the board. Note that in this orientation, there is room to plug in a female header even when our extended micro metal gearmotor bracket is being used.

If the pins are pointed away from the motor, they will need to be angled so that they sufficiently clear the magnetic disc. With a decent soldering iron, it is possible to solder them in this orientation even after the encoder has been installed on the motor.

Once the board is soldered to the motor, the magnetic encoder disc can be pushed onto the motor shaft. One easy way to accomplish this is to press the motor onto the disc while it is sitting on a flat surface, pushing until the shaft makes contact with that surface. The size of the gap between the encoder disc and the sensor board does not have a big impact on performance as long as the motor shaft is at least all the way through the disc.

This schematic is also available as a downloadable pdf (125k pdf).

People often buy this product together with:

You’ve always wanted to output analog voltages from a microcontroller, the MCP4725 is the DAC that will let you do it! The MCP4725 is an I2C controlled Digital-to-Analog converter (DAC). A DAC allows you to send analog signal, such as a sine wave, from a digital source, such as the I2C interface on the Arduino microcontroller. Digital to analog converters are great for sound generation, musical instruments, and many other creative projects!

This version of the MCP4725 Breakout fixes a few issues with the board including the IC footprint, the I2C pinout, changes the overall board dimensions to better fit your projects, and a few more minor tweaks. This board breaks out each pin you will need to access and use the MCP4725 including GND and Signal OUT pins for connecting to an oscilloscope or any other device you need to hook up to the board. Also on board are SCL, SDA, VCC, and another GND for your basic I2C pinout. Additionally, if you are looking to have more than one MCP4725 on a bus, the pull-up resistors on this board can be disabled just check the Hookup Guide in the Documents section below for instructions and tips on doing this.

Features

12-bit resolution

I2C Interface (Standard, Fast, and High-Speed supported)

Small package

2.7V to 5.5V supply

Internal EEPROM to store settings

Give your 40 pin, 0.5mm pitch, devices a strrrreeeetch with this extension board.  This 40pin FPC extension board has two 40-pin flex connectors (both are bottom contact type), and an extension cable to add ~22cm (20cm cable plus 2cm board)  Each order comes with one board a 20cm long, 40-pin 0.5mm pitch FPC cable and board. Works great with our 40pin TFTs!

The squarish board with two chips on it is the transmitter (power with 9V).  The longer board is the output and you can connect that to the part of your project that needs powering.

Inductive charging is a way of powering a device without a direct wire connection. Most people have seen inductive charging in a rechargable electric toothbrush: you may have noticed that you recharge it by placing it into the holder, but there's no direct plug. These chargers work by taking a power transformer and splitting it in half, an AC waveform is generated into one, and couples into the second coil.

This is a basic charger set, and it does work, providing 5V DC output from the output half when the input half is powered with 9V to 12VDC. You can draw as much as ~500mA if the coils are 2 or 3 mm apart. If you only need 100 or 200mA you can be up 7mm apart. For 10mA draw, the coils can be up to half an inch (12.5mm) apart. Any non-ferrous/non-conductive material (eg air, wood, leather, plastic, paper, glass) can be used between the two coils. The material doesn't affect the distance or efficiency. The coils do need to be fairly co-axial, try to get them to be parallel and have the circles line up for best power-transfer. (This is why the electric toothbrush must fit into the plastic holder, it's lining up the two coils for best efficiency)

Because its an air-core transformer, it's fairly inefficient. Only about 40% of the energy in shows up on the other end, but for low power or charging project. If you draw 5V 100mA on the output side (0.5W), you'll need 0.5W * 2.5 / 9V = ~150mA from the input end. The quiescent current is about 70mA at all time, even when the other coil is not anywhere near by.

These are basic modules, probably used for some low cost toy. We don't have any datasheets or specifications for them. We do see a feedback resistor divider on the output side using 0603 SMT resistors so an advanced user could solder in different values to turn it into a 3.3V output.

Inductive Charging Set - 5V @ 500mA max (9:19)

The squarish board with two chips on it is the transmitter (power with 9V).  The longer board is the output and you can connect that to the part of your project that needs powering.

Inductive charging is a way of powering a device without a direct wire connection. Most people have seen inductive charging in a rechargable electric toothbrush: you may have noticed that you recharge it by placing it into the holder, but there's no direct plug. These chargers work by taking a power transformer and splitting it in half, an AC waveform is generated into one, and couples into the second coil.

This is a basic charger set, and it does work, providing 3.3V DC output from the output half when the input half is powered with 9V to 12VDC. You can draw as much as 500mA if the coils are 2 or 3 mm apart. If you only need 100 or 200mA you can be up 7mm apart. For 10mA draw, the coils can be up to half an inch (12.5mm) apart. Any non-ferrous/non-conductive material (eg air, wood, leather, plastic, paper, glass) can be used between the two coils. The material doesn't affect the distance or efficiency. The coils do need to be fairly co-axial, try to get them to be parallel and have the circles line up for best power-transfer. (This is why the electric toothbrush must fit into the plastic holder, it's lining up the two coils for best efficiency.)

Because it's an air-core transformer, it's fairly inefficient. Only about 40% of the energy in shows up on the other end, but for low power or charging project. If you draw 5V 100mA on the output side (0.5W), you'll need 0.5W * 2.5 / 9V = ~150mA from the input end. The quiescent current is about 70mA at all time, even when the other coil is not anywhere near by.

These are basic modules, probably used for some low cost toy. We don't have any datasheets or specifications for them. We do see a feedback resistor divider on the output side using 0603 SMT resistors so an advanced user could solder in different values to turn it into a different valued output.

Inductive Charging Set - 3.3V @ 500mA max (0:08)

This is the LilyPad Arduino Simple Board. It’s controlled by an ATmega328 with the Arduino bootloader. It has fewer pins than the LilyPad Arduino Main Board, a built in power supply socket, and an on/off switch. Any of our LiPo batteries can be plugged right into the socket. The Simple board is designed to streamline your next sewable project by keeping things simple and giving you more room to work  and eliminating the need to sew a power supply. This revision does away with the ISP header and adds a charging circuit based on the MCP73831 IC.

LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available. They’re even washable!

Not sure which Arduino or Arduino-compatible board is right for you? Check out our Arduino Buying Guide!

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles and also to Arduino LLC to help fund continued development of new tools and new IDE features.

Note: Because of the added battery charging circuitry the Simple is unable to power a device from the FTDI header meaning that the Bluetooth Mate, for instance, is no longer plug'n'play compatible.

Features

50mm outer diameter

Thin 0.8mm PCB

This is the LilyPad revision of our FTDI Basic. It is the same as our other FTDI Basic, but has a purple LilyPad board which is half the thickness.

This is a basic breakout board for the FTDI FT232RL USB to serial IC. The pinout of this board matches the FTDI cable to work with official Arduino and cloned 5V Arduino boards. It can also be used for general serial applications. The major difference with this board is that it brings out the DTR pin as opposed to the RTS pin of the FTDI cable. The DTR pin allows an Arduino target to auto-reset when a new Sketch is downloaded. This is a really nice feature to have and allows a sketch to be downloaded without having to hit the reset button. This board will auto reset any Arduino board that has the reset pin brought out to a 6-pin connector.

The pins labeled BLK and GRN correspond to the colored wires on the FTDI cable. The black wire on the FTDI cable is GND, green is CTS. Use these BLK and GRN pins to align the FTDI basic board with your Arduino target.

This board has TX and RX LEDs that make it a bit better to use over the FTDI cable. You can actually see serial traffic on the LEDs to verify if the board is working.

This board was designed to decrease the cost of Arduino development and increase ease of use (the auto-reset feature rocks!). Our Arduino Pro boards and LilyPads use this type of connector.

One of the nice features of this board is a jumper on the back of the board that allows the board to be configured to either 3.3V or 5V (both power output and IO level). This board ship as 5V, but you can cut the default trace and add a solder jumper if you need to switch to 3.3V.

Note: We know a lot of you prefer microUSB over miniUSB. Never fear, we’ve got you covered! Check out our FT231X Breakout for your micro FTDI needs!

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.

This is a small buzzer for the LilyPad system. Use 2 I/O pins on the LilyPad main board and create different noises based on the different frequency of I/O toggling. Loud enough to hear inside a pocket but not obtrusively loud.

Please note: This is an inductive buzzer meaning that is will act as a short to ground if you are not actively driving it. We recommend you put both I/O pins to low (0V) when the buzzer is not used. Also, it’s come to our attention that washing these buzzers will damage them. Until we’ve figured out a solution to this, avoid washing any portion of your project that contains one of these buzzers.

LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available. They’re even washable!

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.

Features

20mm outer diameter

Thin 0.8mm PCB

We designed this board to give the user a low profile button without any sharp edges. Button closes when you push it and opens when you release (momentary push button).

LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available. They’re even washable!

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.

Features

8x16mm

Thin 0.8mm PCB

This is a simple slide switch for the LilyPad. Use it as a simple ON/OFF switch, or to control LEDs, buzzers, sensors, etc. The swtiches on each board are rated for 4 volts at 300mA, but will work at 5 volts with a reduction in current.

LilyPad is a wearable e-textile technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available. They’re even washable!

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.

Features

7.75x18.1mm

Thin 0.8mm PCB

Apply 5V and be shaken by this small, but powerful vibration motor. Works great as an physical indicator without notifying anyone but the wearer. This version uses a surface mount motor which is less likely to be damaged during use.

LilyPad is a wearable technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available.

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.

Features

20mm outer diameter

Thin 0.8mm PCB

Blink any color you need! Use the Tri-Color LED board as a simple indicator, or by pulsing the red, green, and blue channels, you can create any color. Very bright output. This is a common anode design - to turn on a channel you simply need to ground one of the R/G/B pins to illuminate that channel.

LilyPad is a wearable technology developed by Leah Buechley and cooperatively designed by Leah and SparkFun. Each LilyPad was creatively designed to have large connecting pads to allow them to be sewn into clothing. Various input, output, power, and sensor boards are available. They’re even washable!

Note: A portion of this sale is given back to Dr. Leah Buechley for continued development and education of e-textiles.

Get Started with the LilyPad Tri-Color LED Guide

Features

20mm outer diameter

Thin 0.8mm PCB

This sensor is a carrier/breakout board for ST’s VL53L0X laser-ranging sensor, which measures the range to a target object up to 2 m away. The VL53L0X uses time-of-flight measurements of infrared pulses for ranging, allowing it to give accurate results independent of the target’s color and surface. Distance measurements can be read through a digital I²C interface. The board has a 2.8 V linear regulator and integrated level-shifters that allow it to work over an input voltage range of 2.6 V to 5.5 V, and the 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.

The VL53L0X from ST Microelectronics is a time-of-flight ranging system integrated into a compact module. This board is a carrier for the VL53L0X, so we recommend careful reading of the VL53L0X datasheet (1MB pdf) before using this product.

The VL53L0 uses ST’s FlightSense technology to precisely measure how long it takes for emitted pulses of infrared laser light to reach the nearest object and be reflected back to a detector, so it can be considered a tiny, self-contained lidar system. This time-of-flight (TOF) measurement enables it to accurately determine the absolute distance to a target without the object’s reflectance greatly influencing the measurement. The sensor can report distances of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) with 1 mm resolution, but its effective range and accuracy (noise) depend heavily on ambient conditions and target characteristics like reflectance and size, as well as the sensor configuration. (The sensor’s accuracy is specified to range from ±3% at best to over ±10% in less optimal conditions.)

Ranging measurements are available through the sensor’s I²C (TWI) interface, which is also used to configure sensor settings, and the sensor provides two additional pins: a shutdown input and an interrupt output.

The VL53L0X is a great IC, but its small, leadless, LGA package makes it difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. It also operates at a recommended voltage of 2.8 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 3.3 V or 5 V. Our breakout board addresses these issues, making it easier to get started using the sensor, while keeping the overall size as small as possible.

The carrier board includes a low-dropout linear voltage regulator that provides the 2.8 V required by the VL53L0X, which allows the sensor to be powered from a 2.6 V to 5.5 V supply. The regulator output is available on the VDD pin and can supply almost 150 mA to external devices. The breakout board also includes a circuit that shifts the I²C clock and data lines to the same logic voltage level as the supplied VIN, making it simple to interface the board with 3.3 V or 5 V systems, and the board’s 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards. The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the VL53L0X, as shown in the product picture.

For for similar alternatives to this sensor, see our shorter-range 60 cm VL6180X carrier and longer-range 400 cm VL53L1X carrier. Both of these are physical drop-in replacements for the VL53L0X carrier, but they have different APIs, so software for the VL53L0X will need to be rewritten to work with the VL6180X or VL53L1X.

VL53L0X datasheet graph of typical ranging performance (in default mode).

Specifications

Dimensions: 0.5″ × 0.7″ × 0.085″ (13 mm × 18 mm × 2 mm)

Weight without header pins: 0.5 g (0.02 oz)

Operating voltage: 2.6 V to 5.5 V

Supply current: 10 mA (typical average during active ranging)

Varies with configuration, target, and environment. Peak current can reach 40 mA.

Varies with configuration, target, and environment. Peak current can reach 40 mA.

Output format (I²C): 16-bit distance reading (in millimeters)

Distance measuring range: up to 2 m (6.6 ft); see the graph at the right for typical ranging performance.

Effective range depends on configuration, target, and environment.

The datasheet does not specify a minimum range, but in our experience, the effective limit is about 3 cm.

Effective range depends on configuration, target, and environment.

The datasheet does not specify a minimum range, but in our experience, the effective limit is about 3 cm.

Included components

A 1×7 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×7 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards, or you can solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations.

VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor Carrier with included header pins.

VL53L0X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor Carrier in a breadboard.

The board has two mounting holes spaced 0.5″ apart that work with #2 and M2 screws (not included).

Important note: This product might ship with a protective liner covering the sensor IC. The liner must be removed for proper sensing performance.

Connections

At least four connections are necessary to use the VL53L0X board: VIN, GND, SCL, and SDA. The VIN pin should be connected to a 2.6 V to 5.5 V source, and GND should be connected to 0 volts. An on-board linear voltage regulator converts VIN to a 2.8 V supply for the VL53L0X IC.

The I²C pins, SCL and SDA, are connected to built-in level-shifters that make them safe to use at voltages over 2.8 V; they should be connected to an I²C bus operating at the same logic level as VIN.

The XSHUT pin is an input and the GPIO1 pin is an open-drain output; both pins are pulled up to 2.8 V by the board. They are not connected to level-shifters on the board and are not 5V-tolerant, but they are usable as-is with many 3.3 V and 5 V microcontrollers: the microcontroller can read the GPIO1 output as long as its logic high threshold is below 2.8 V, and the microcontroller can alternate its own output between low and high-impedance states to drive the XSHUT pin. Alternatively, our 4-channel bidirectional logic level shifter can be used externally with those pins.

Pinout

Schematic diagram

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the VL53L0 easier to use, including the voltage regulator that allows the board to be powered from a 2.6 V to 5.5 V supply and the level-shifter circuit that allows for I²C communication at the same logic voltage level as VIN. This schematic is also available as a downloadable PDF (110k pdf).

I²C communication

The VL53L0X can be configured and its distance readings can be queried through the I²C bus. Level shifters on the I²C clock (SCL) and data (SDA) lines enable I²C communication with microcontrollers operating at the same voltage as VIN (2.6 V to 5.5 V). A detailed explanation of the I²C interface on the VL53L0X can be found in its datasheet (1MB pdf), and more detailed information about I²C in general can be found in NXP’s I²C-bus specification (1MB pdf).

The sensor’s 7-bit slave address defaults to 0101001b on power-up. It can be changed to any other value by writing one of the device configuration registers, but the new address only applies until the sensor is reset or powered off. ST provides an application note (196k pdf) that describes how to use multiple VL53L0X sensors on the same I²C bus by individually bringing each sensor out of reset and assigning it a unique address.

The I²C interface on the VL53L0X is compliant with the I²C fast mode (400 kHz) standard. In our tests of the board, we were able to communicate with the chip at clock frequencies up to 400 kHz; higher frequencies might work but were not tested.

Sensor configuration and control

In contrast with the information available for many other devices, ST has not publicly released a register map and descriptions or other documentation about configuring and controlling the VL53L0X. Instead, communication with the sensor is intended to be done through ST’s VL53L0X API (STSW-IMG005), a set of C functions that take care of the low-level interfacing. To use the VL53L0X, you can customize the API to run on a host platform of your choice using the information in the API documentation. Alternatively, it is possible to use the API source code as a guide for your own implementation.

Sample Code

We have written a basic Arduino library for the VL53L0X, which can be used as an alternative to ST’s official API for interfacing this sensor with an Arduino or Arduino-compatible controller. The library makes it simple to configure the VL53L0X and read the distance data through I²C. It also includes example sketches that show you how to use the library.

People often buy this product together with:

The 7” Touchscreen Display for Raspberry Pi gives users the ability to create all-in-one, integrated projects such as tablets, infotainment systems and embedded projects!

The 800x480 display connects via an adapter board which handles power and signal conversion. Only two connections to the Pi are required; power from the Pi’s GPIO port and a ribbon cable that connects to the DSI port present on all Raspberry Pi’s.  Touchscreen drivers with support for 10-finger touch and an on-screen keyboard will be integrated into the latest Raspbian OS for full functionality without a physical keyboard or mouse.

Key features:

Truly Interactive - the latest software drivers will support a virtual ‘on screen’ keyboard, so there is no need to plug in a keyboard and mouse.

Make your own Internet of Things devices including a visual display. Simply connect your Raspberry Pi, develop a Python script to interact with the display, and you’re ready to create your own home automation devices with touch screen capability.

A range of educational software and programs available on the Raspberry Pi will be touch enabled, making learning and programming easier on the Raspberry Pi.

Kit contains:

7” Touchscreen Display

Adapter Board

DSI Ribbon cable

4 x stand-offs and screws (used to mount the adapter board and Raspberry Pi board to the back of the display)

4 x jumper wires (used to connect the power from the Adapter Board and the GPIO pins on the Pi so the 2Amp power is shared across both units)

Build instructions can be found here!

Note: Raspberry Pi and power supply are NOT included! Compatible with Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, Raspberry Pi 2, Model B+, and Model A+. The display will technically work with the Model A and Model B boards (connecting it to the DSI port on the Pi board), however, the mounting holes on the back of the display will only line up with the newer board designs (A+, B+, Pi 2, and Pi 3).

This sensor is a carrier/breakout board for ST’s VL6180X proximity and ambient light sensor, which measures the range to a target object up to 20 cm away (or 60 cm with reduced resolution). The VL6180X uses time-of-flight measurements of infrared pulses for ranging, allowing it to give accurate results independent of the target’s color and surface. Distance and ambient light level measurements can be read through a digital I²C interface. The board has a 2.8 V linear regulator and integrated level-shifters that allow it to work over an input voltage range of 2.7 V to 5.5 V, and the 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.

The VL6180X from ST Microelectronics is a sensor that combines proximity ranging and ambient light level measurement capabilities into a single package. This board is a carrier for the VL6180X, so we recommend careful reading of the VL6180X datasheet (2MB pdf) before using this product.

Unlike simpler optical sensors that use the intensity of reflected light to detect objects, the VL6180 uses ST’s FlightSense technology to precisely measure how long it takes for emitted pulses of infrared laser light to reach the nearest object and be reflected back to a detector, making it essentially a short-range lidar sensor. This time-of-flight (TOF) measurement enables it to accurately determine the absolute distance to a target with 1 mm resolution, without the object’s reflectance influencing the measurement. The sensor is rated to perform ranging measurements of up to 10 cm (4″), but it can often provide readings up to 20 cm (8″) with its default settings. Furthermore, the VL6180X can be configured to measure ranges of up to 60 cm (24″) at the cost of reduced resolution, although successful ranging at these longer distances will depend heavily on the target and environment. (For more information, see “Range scaling factor” below.)

The VL6180 also includes an ambient light sensor, or ALS, that can measure the intensity of light with which it is illuminated. Ranging and ambient light measurements are available through the sensor’s I²C (TWI) interface, which is also used to configure sensor settings, and two independently-programmable GPIO pins can be configured as interrupt outputs.

The VL6180X is a great IC, but its small, leadless, LGA package makes it difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. It also operates at voltages below 3 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 3.3 V or 5 V. Our breakout board addresses these issues, making it easier to get started using the sensor, while keeping the overall size as small as possible.

The carrier board includes a low-dropout linear voltage regulator that provides the 2.8 V required by the VL6180X, which allows the sensor to be powered from a 2.7 V to 5.5 V supply. The regulator output is available on the VDD pin and can supply almost 150 mA to external devices. The breakout board also includes a circuit that shifts the I²C clock and data lines to the same logic voltage level as the supplied VIN, making it simple to interface the board with 3.3 V or 5 V systems, and the board’s 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards. The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the VL6180X, as shown in the product picture.

For for similar, longer-range sensors, see our 200 cm VL53L0X carrier and 400 cm VL53L1X carrier. Both of these are physical drop-in replacements for the VL6180X carrier, but they have different APIs, so software for the VL6180X will need to be rewritten to work with the VL53L0X or VL53L1X.

VL6180X datasheet graph of typical ranging performance.

Specifications

Dimensions: 0.5″ × 0.7″ × 0.085″ (13 mm × 18 mm × 2 mm)

Weight without header pins: 0.5 g (0.02 oz)

Operating voltage: 2.7 V to 5.5 V

Supply current: 5 mA (typical; varies with configuration, target, and environment)

Output format (I²C): 8-bit distance reading (in millimeters), 16-bit ambient light reading

Distance measuring range: up to 10 cm (4″) specified; up to 60 cm (24″) possible with reduced resolution. See the graph at the right for typical ranging performance.

Ranging beyond 10 cm is possible with certain target reflectances and ambient conditions but not guaranteed by specifications. By default, the sensor can report distances up to 20 cm, or it can be configured to measure up to 60 cm with reduced resolution.

The datasheet does not specify a minimum range, but in our experience, the effective limit is about 1 cm.

Ranging beyond 10 cm is possible with certain target reflectances and ambient conditions but not guaranteed by specifications. By default, the sensor can report distances up to 20 cm, or it can be configured to measure up to 60 cm with reduced resolution.

The datasheet does not specify a minimum range, but in our experience, the effective limit is about 1 cm.

Included components

A 1×7 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×7 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards, or you can solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations.

VL6180X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor Carrier with included header pins.

VL6180X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor Carrier in a breadboard.

The board has two mounting holes spaced 0.5″ apart that work with #2 and M2 screws (not included).

Connections

At least four connections are necessary to use the VL6180X board: VIN, GND, SCL, and SDA. The VIN pin should be connected to a 2.7 V to 5.5 V source, and GND should be connected to 0 volts. An on-board linear voltage regulator converts VIN to a 2.8 V supply for the VL6180X IC.

The I²C pins, SCL and SDA, are connected to built-in level-shifters that make them safe to use at voltages over 2.8 V; they should be connected to an I²C bus operating at the same logic level as VIN.

The two GPIO pins are open-drain outputs pulled up to 2.8 V by the board (although GPIO0 defaults to being a chip enable input). They are not connected to level-shifters on the board and are not 5V-tolerant, but they are usable as-is with many 3.3 V and 5 V microcontrollers: the microcontroller can read the sensor’s output as long as its logic high threshold is below 2.8 V, and the microcontroller can alternate its own output between low and high-impedance states to drive the pin. Alternatively, our 4-channel bidirectional logic level shifter can be used externally with those pins.

Pinout

Schematic diagram

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the VL6180 easier to use, including the voltage regulator that allows the board to be powered from a 2.7 V to 5.5 V supply and the level-shifter circuit that allows for I²C communication at the same logic voltage level as VIN. This schematic is also available as a downloadable PDF (90k pdf).

I²C communication

The VL6180X can be configured and its distance and ambient light readings can be queried through the I²C bus. Level shifters on the I²C clock (SCL) and data (SDA) lines enable I²C communication with microcontrollers operating at the same voltage as VIN (2.7 V to 5.5 V). A detailed explanation of the I²C interface on the VL6180X can be found in its datasheet (2MB pdf), and more detailed information about I²C in general can be found in NXP’s I²C-bus specification (1MB pdf).

The sensor’s 7-bit slave address defaults to 0101001b on power-up. It can be changed to any other value by writing one of the device configuration registers, but the new address only applies until the sensor is reset or powered off.

The I²C interface on the VL6180X is compliant with the I²C fast mode (400 kHz) standard. In our tests of the board, we were able to communicate with the chip at clock frequencies up to 400 kHz; higher frequencies might work but were not tested.

Sample Code

We have written a basic Arduino library for the VL6180X that makes it easy to interface this sensor with an Arduino or Arduino-compatible controller. The library makes it simple to configure the VL6180X and read the distance and ambient light level data through I²C. It also includes example sketches that show you how to use the library.

Protocol hints

The datasheet provides a lot of information about this sensor, but a lot of essential info – including a mandatory initialization sequence – can only be found in other documents. Picking out the important details can take some time. Here are some pointers for communicating with and configuring the VL6180X that we hope will get you up and running a little bit faster:

Unlike many other I²C sensors from ST, which use 8-bit register addresses, the VL6180X uses 16-bit register addresses.

The sensor must be initialized with a particular sequence of settings on power-up or reset. This sequence is not covered in the datasheet, but it can be found in ST application note AN4545 (706k pdf) and design tip DT0037 (386k pdf). (Our Arduino library includes a function that performs this initialization.)

The two documents above can also help you understand basic procedures for configuring the VL6180X and getting readings from it. Additional documents, providing details on many other aspects of the VL6180X, can be found on ST’s product page for the VL6180X.

Both distance and ambient light measurements can be performed in either single-shot or continuous mode. In either mode, once each measurement is started, you must poll a status register to wait for it to complete. In continuous mode, you should ensure that the inter-measurement period you select is longer than the time it takes to actually perform each measurement.

Range scaling factor

Although the VL6180X specifications state a maximum “guaranteed” range of 10 cm, the sensor can report distances of up to 20 cm with its default settings. By configuring a range scaling factor, the potential maximum range of the sensor can be increased at the cost of lower resolution. Setting the scaling factor to 2 provides up to 40 cm range with 2 mm resolution, while a scaling factor of 3 provides up to 60 cm range with 3 mm resolution. In all cases, the reading is given as a number between 0 and 200; with the default 1× scaling, this corresponds directly to a distance in mm, but with 2× or 3× scaling, the raw reading will represent a measurement in units of 2 mm or 3 mm, respectively (so the reading should be multiplied by 2 or 3 to obtain a result in millimeters).

Range scaling is not mentioned in the VL6180X datasheet as of Rev 7, but it is available in the VL6180X API provided by ST (STSW-IMG003). Our Arduino library also provides functions to set the range scaling factor.

People often buy this product together with:

This sensor is a carrier/breakout board for ST’s VL53L1X laser-ranging sensor, which offers fast and accurate ranging up to 4 m. It uses the time of flight (ToF) of invisible, eye-safe laser pulses to measure absolute distances independent of ambient lighting conditions and target characteristics like color, shape, and texture (though these things will affect the maximum range). The VL53L1X also features a programmable region of interest (ROI), so the full field of view can be reduced or divided into multiple zones. Distance measurements can be read through a digital I²C interface. The board includes a 2.8 V linear regulator and level-shifters that allow it to work over an input voltage range of 2.6 V to 5.5 V, and the 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards.

The VL53L1X from ST Microelectronics is a long-distance ranging time-of-flight (TOF) sensor integrated into a compact module. This board is a carrier for the VL53L1X, so we recommend careful reading of the VL53L1X datasheet (1MB pdf) before using this product.

The VL53L1X is effectively a tiny, self-contained lidar system featuring an integrated 940 nm Class 1 laser, which is invisible and eye-safe. Unlike conventional IR sensors that use the intensity of reflected light to estimate the distance to an object, the VL53L1X uses ST’s FlightSense technology to precisely measure how long it takes for emitted pulses of infrared laser light to reach the nearest object and be reflected back to a detector. This approach ensures absolute distance measurements independent of ambient lighting conditions and target characteristics (e.g. color, shape, texture, and reflectivity), though these external conditions do affect the maximum range of the sensor, as do the sensor configuration settings.

Under favorable conditions, such as low ambient light with a high-reflectivity target, the sensor can report distances up to 4 m (13 ft) with 1 mm resolution. See the datasheet for more information on how various external conditions and sensor configurations affect things like maximum range, repeatability, and ranging error. The minimum ranging distance is 4 cm; inside of this range, the sensor will still detect a target, but the measurement will not be accurate. Ranging measurements are available through the sensor’s I²C (TWI) interface, which is also used to configure sensor settings, and the sensor provides two additional pins: a shutdown input and an interrupt output.

The VL53L1X offers three distance modes: short, medium, and long. Long distance mode allows the longest possible ranging distance of 4 m, but the maximum range is significantly affected by ambient light. Short distance mode is mostly immune to ambient light, but the maximum ranging distance is typically limited to 1.3 m (4.4 ft). The maximum sampling rate in short distance mode is 50 Hz while the maximum sampling rate for medium and long distance modes is 30 Hz. Performance can be improved in all modes by using lower sampling rates and longer timing budgets (as can be seen in the figure above).

For advanced applications, the VL53L1X supports configurable thresholds that can be used to trigger interrupts when a target is detected below a certain distance, beyond a certain distance, outside of a range, or within a range. It also supports an alternate detection mode that generates an interrupt when no target is present. Additionally, unlike its predecessors, the VL53L1X supports a configurable region of interest (ROI) within its full 16×16 sensing array, allowing you to reduce the field of view (FoV). With all 265 detection elements enabled, the FoV is 27°. An “Autonomous Low Power” mode that is specially tuned for advanced presence detection is available. This mode allows for significant system power saving by switching off or waking up the host automatically when a human or object is detected within the configured distance thresholds in the region of interest.

The VL53L1X is a great IC, but its small, leadless, LGA package makes it difficult for the typical student or hobbyist to use. It also operates at a recommended voltage of 2.8 V, which can make interfacing difficult for microcontrollers operating at 3.3 V or 5 V. Our breakout board addresses these issues, making it easier to get started using the sensor, while keeping the overall size as small as possible.

The carrier board includes a low-dropout linear voltage regulator that provides the 2.8 V required by the VL53L1X and allows the sensor to be powered from a 2.6 V to 5.5 V supply. The regulator output is available on the VDD pin and can supply almost 150 mA to external devices. The breakout board also includes a circuit that shifts the I²C clock and data lines to the same logic voltage level as the supplied VIN, making it simple to interface the board with 3.3 V or 5 V systems, and the board’s 0.1″ pin spacing makes it easy to use with standard solderless breadboards and 0.1″ perfboards. The board ships fully populated with its SMD components, including the VL53L1X, as shown in the product picture.

For for similar but shorter-range sensors, see our 200 cm VL53L0X carrier and 60 cm VL6180X carrier. Both of these are physical drop-in replacements for the VL53L1X carrier, but they have different APIs, so software for the VL53L1X will need to be rewritten to work with the VL53L0X or VL6180X.

Features and specifications

Dimensions: 0.5″ × 0.7″ × 0.085″ (13 mm × 18 mm × 2 mm)

Weight without header pins: 0.5 g (0.02 oz)

Operating voltage: 2.6 V to 5.5 V

Supply current: ~15 mA (typical average during active ranging at max sampling rate)

Varies with configuration, target, and environment; peak current can reach 40 mA

Varies with configuration, target, and environment; peak current can reach 40 mA

Fast and accurate ranging with three distance mode options:

Short: up to ~130 cm, 50 Hz max sampling rate; this mode is the most immune to interference from ambient light

Medium: up to ~300 cm in the dark, 30 Hz max sampling rate

Long: up to 400 cm in the dark, 30 Hz max sampling rate

Short: up to ~130 cm, 50 Hz max sampling rate; this mode is the most immune to interference from ambient light

Medium: up to ~300 cm in the dark, 30 Hz max sampling rate

Long: up to 400 cm in the dark, 30 Hz max sampling rate

Minimum range: 4 cm (objects under this range are detected, but measurements are not accurate)

Emitter: 940 nm invisible Class 1 VCSEL (vertical cavity surface-emitting laser) – eye-safe

Detector: 16×16 SPAD (single photon avalanche diode) receiving array with integrated lens

Typical full field of view (FoV): 27°

Programmable region of interest (ROI) size on the receiving array, allowing the sensor FoV to be reduced

Programmable ROI position on the receiving array, allowing multizone operation control from the host

Typical full field of view (FoV): 27°

Programmable region of interest (ROI) size on the receiving array, allowing the sensor FoV to be reduced

Programmable ROI position on the receiving array, allowing multizone operation control from the host

Configurable detection interrupt thresholds for implementing autonomous low-power presence detection:

target closer than threshold

target farther than threshold

target within distance window

target outside of distance window

no target

target closer than threshold

target farther than threshold

target within distance window

target outside of distance window

no target

Output format (I²C): 16-bit distance reading (in millimeters)

Included components

A 1×7 strip of 0.1″ header pins and a 1×7 strip of 0.1″ right-angle header pins are included, as shown in the picture below. You can solder the header strip of your choice to the board for use with custom cables or solderless breadboards, or you can solder wires directly to the board itself for more compact installations.

VL53L1X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor Carrier with included header pins.

VL53L1X Time-of-Flight Distance Sensor Carrier in a breadboard.

The board has two mounting holes spaced 0.5″ apart that work with #2 and M2 screws (not included).

Important note: This product might ship with a protective liner covering the sensor IC. The liner must be removed for proper sensing performance.

Connections

At least four connections are necessary to use the VL53L1X board: VIN, GND, SCL, and SDA. The VIN pin should be connected to a 2.6 V to 5.5 V source, and GND should be connected to 0 volts. An on-board linear voltage regulator converts VIN to a 2.8 V supply for the VL53L1X IC. Note that if your input voltage is under 3.5 V, you can connect it directly to VDD instead to bypass the regulator; in this configuration, VIN should remain disconnected.

The I²C pins, SCL and SDA, are connected to built-in level-shifters that make them safe to use at voltages over 2.8 V; they should be connected to an I²C bus operating at the same logic level as VIN.

The XSHUT pin is an input and the GPIO1 pin is an open-drain output; both pins are pulled up to 2.8 V by the board. They are not connected to level-shifters on the board and are not 5V-tolerant, but they are usable as-is with many 3.3 V and 5 V microcontrollers: the microcontroller can read the GPIO1 output as long as its logic high threshold is below 2.8 V, and the microcontroller can alternate its own output between low and high-impedance states to drive the XSHUT pin. Alternatively, our 4-channel bidirectional logic level shifter can be used externally with those pins.

Pinout

Schematic diagram

The above schematic shows the additional components the carrier board incorporates to make the VL53L1 easier to use, including the voltage regulator that allows the board to be powered from a 2.6 V to 5.5 V supply and the level-shifter circuit that allows for I²C communication at the same logic voltage level as VIN. This schematic is also available as a downloadable PDF (110k pdf).

I²C communication

The VL53L1X can be configured and its distance readings can be queried through the I²C bus. Level shifters on the I²C clock (SCL) and data (SDA) lines enable I²C communication with microcontrollers operating at the same voltage as VIN (2.6 V to 5.5 V). A detailed explanation of the I²C interface on the VL53L1X can be found in its datasheet (1MB pdf), and more detailed information about I²C in general can be found in NXP’s I²C-bus specification (1MB pdf).

The sensor’s 7-bit slave address defaults to 0101001b on power-up. It can be changed to any other value by writing one of the device configuration registers, but the new address only applies until the sensor is reset or powered off. ST provides an application note (196k pdf) that describes how to use multiple VL53L0X sensors on the same I²C bus by individually bringing each sensor out of reset and assigning it a unique address, and the approach can be easily adapted to apply to the VL53L1X instead.

The I²C interface on the VL53L1X is compliant with the I²C fast mode (400 kHz) standard. In our tests of the board, we were able to communicate with the chip at clock frequencies up to 400 kHz; higher frequencies might work but were not tested.

Sensor configuration and control

In contrast with the information available for many other devices, ST has not publicly released a register map and descriptions or other documentation about configuring and controlling the VL53L1X. Instead, communication with the sensor is intended to be done through ST’s VL53L1X API (STSW-IMG007), a set of C functions that take care of the low-level interfacing. To use the VL53L1X, you can customize the API to run on a host platform of your choice using the information in the API documentation. Alternatively, it is possible to use the API source code as a guide for your own implementation.

Sample code

We have written a basic Arduino library for the VL53L1X, which can be used as an alternative to ST’s official API for interfacing this sensor with an Arduino or Arduino-compatible controller. The library makes it simple to configure the VL53L1X and read the distance data through I²C. It also includes example sketches that show you how to use the library.

We also have an implementation of ST’s VL53L1X API for Arduino available, including an example sketch. Compared to our library, the API has a more complicated interface and uses more storage and memory, but it offers some advanced functionality that our library does not provide and has more robust error checking. Consider using the API for advanced applications, especially when storage and memory are less of an issue.

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