Make a nice portable power pack with this 4 x AA battery holder. It fits any alkaline or rechargeable AA batteries in series. There's a snap on cover and an on/off switch which can be handy when wiring to something without a switch.

The four batteries are held in series, for a nominal output of 6V DC for alkaline (6.4V when fresh, 4V when dead), and 4.8V DC for rechargeables (5.2V when fully charged, 4.4V when discharged). Using rechargeables will make this work nicely with nearly any 5V project, with alkalines you may want to put a 1N4001 in series to drop the voltage from 6V down to 5.3V.

This gearmotor consists of a low-power, 6 V brushed DC motor combined with a 98.78:1 metal spur gearbox, and it has an integrated 48 CPR quadrature encoder on the motor shaft, which provides 4741.44 counts per revolution of the gearbox’s output shaft. The gearmotor is cylindrical, with a diameter just under 25 mm, and the D-shaped output shaft is 4 mm in diameter and extends 12.5 mm from the face plate of the gearbox.Key specs at 6 V: 58 RPM and 250 mA free-run, 130 oz-in (9.4 kg-cm) and 2.4 A stall.

These cylindrical brushed DC gearmotors are available in a wide range of gear ratios and with five different motors (two power levels of 6V motors and three power levels of 12V motors). The gearmotors all have the same 25 mm diameter case and 4 mm diameter gearbox output shaft, so it is generally easy to swap one version for another if your design requirements change (though the length of the gearbox tends to increase with the gear ratio). All versions are also available with an integrated 48 CPR quadrature encoder on the motor shaft. Please see the 25D metal gearmotor comparison table for detailed specifications of all our 25D metal gearmotors. This dynamically-sortable table can help you find the gearmotor that offers the best blend of speed, torque, and current-draw for your particular application. A more basic comparison table is available below:

Note: Stalling or overloading gearmotors can greatly decrease their lifetimes and even result in immediate damage. For these gearboxes, the recommended upper limit for instantaneous torque is 200 oz-in (15 kg-cm); we strongly advise keeping applied loads well under this limit. Stalls can also result in rapid (potentially on the order of a second) thermal damage to the motor windings and brushes, especially for the versions that use high-power (HP) motors; a general recommendation for brushed DC motor operation is 25% or less of the stall current.

In general, these kinds of motors can run at voltages above and below their nominal voltages; lower voltages might not be practical, and higher voltages could start negatively affecting the life of the motor.

Exact gear ratio: ``(22×22×22×22×22×23) / (12×10×10×10×10×10) ~~bb(98.78:1)``

The diagram below shows the dimensions of the 25D mm line of gearmotors (units are mm over [inches]). This diagram is also available as a downloadable PDF (223k pdf).

Dimensions of the Pololu 25D mm metal gearmotors. Units are mm over [inches].

The face plate has two mounting holes threaded for M3 screws. You can use our custom-designed 25D mm metal gearmotor bracket (shown in the picture below) to mount the gearmotor to your project via these mounting holes and the screws that come with the bracket.

Pololu 25D mm metal gearmotor bracket pair.

Pololu 25D mm gearmotor with bracket.

The 4 mm diameter gearbox output shaft works with Pololu universal aluminum mounting hub for 4mm shafts, which can be used to mount our larger Pololu wheels (60mm-, 70mm-, 80mm-, and 90mm-diameter) or custom wheels and mechanisms to the gearmotor’s output shaft as shown in the left picture below. Alternatively, you could use our 4mm scooter wheel adapter to mount many common scooter, skateboard, and inline skate wheels to the gearmotor’s output shaft as shown in the right picture below.

Pololu 60×8mm wheel on a Pololu 25D mm metal gearmotor.

A 25D mm gearmotor connected to a scooter wheel by the 4 mm scooter wheel adapter.

These are the same type of motors used in the Wild Thumper all-terrain chassis, so the gearbox’s output shaft also works directly with the hex adapters included with the 120mm-diameter Wild Thumper wheels (the left picture below shows a 25D mm gearmotor while the right picture shows the smaller 20D mm gearmotor):

Dagu Wild Thumper wheel 120×60mm (chrome) with Pololu 25D mm metal gearmotor.

Dagu Wild Thumper wheel 120×60mm (metallic red) with Pololu 20D mm metal gearmotor.

12mm Hex Wheel Adapter for 4mm Shaft on a 20D mm Metal Gearmotor.

We have a number of motor controllers and motor drivers that work with these 25D mm metal gearmotors. For the LP and MP versions, we recommend our MC33296-based motor drivers, for which we have basic single and dual carriers and a dual-channel shield for Arduino. For the HP versions, we recommend our VNH5019-based motor drivers (available as single and dual carriers), though these can also be a good choice for the lower-power motors because they will run much cooler than the MC33926 carriers. If you are looking for higher-level control interfaces, such as USB, RC, analog voltages, or TTL serial, consider our Simple Motor Controllers, Jrk motor controllers, or TReX motor controllers; these controllers are available in various power levels, and the appropriate one depends on the particular version of 25D mm motor you have (we generally recommend a motor controller that can handle continuous currents above the stall current of your motor).

Pololu dual VNH5019 motor driver shield for Arduino.

Pololu TReX Dual Motor Controller.

Simple Motor Controller 18v7, fully assembled.

We have an assortment of Hall effect-based current sensors to choose from for those who need to monitor motor current:

ACS711EX current sensor carrier -15.5A to +15.5A.

ACS714 current sensor carrier -5A to +5A.

25D mm metal gearmotor with 48 CPR encoder: close-up view of encoder.

The versions of these gearmotors with encoders use a A two-channel Hall effect sensor to detect the rotation of a magnetic disk on a rear protrusion of the motor shaft. The quadrature encoder provides a resolution of 48 counts per revolution of the motor shaft when counting both edges of both channels. To compute the counts per revolution of the gearbox output, multiply the gear ratio by 48. The motor/encoder has six color-coded, 8″ (20 cm) leads terminated by a 1×6 female header with a 0.1″ pitch, as shown in the main product picture. This header works with standard 0.1″ male headers and our male jumper and precrimped wires. If this header is not convenient for your application, you can pull the crimped wires out of the header or cut the header off. The following table describes the wire functions:

The Hall sensor requires an input voltage, Vcc, between 3.5 and 20 V and draws a maximum of 10 mA. The A and B outputs are square waves from 0 V to Vcc approximately 90° out of phase. The frequency of the transitions tells you the speed of the motor, and the order of the transitions tells you the direction. The following oscilloscope capture shows the A and B (yellow and white) encoder outputs using a motor voltage of 6 V and a Hall sensor Vcc of 5 V:

Encoder A and B outputs for 25D mm HP 6V metal gearmotor with 48 CPR encoder (motor running at 6 V).

By counting both the rising and falling edges of both the A and B outputs, it is possible to get 48 counts per revolution of the motor shaft. Using just a single edge of one channel results in 12 counts per revolution of the motor shaft, so the frequency of the A output in the above oscilloscope capture is 12 times the motor rotation frequency.

We offer a wide selection of metal gearmotors that offer different combinations of speed and torque. Our metal gearmotor comparison table can help you find the motor that best meets your project’s requirements.

Some of the Pololu metal gearmotors.

People often buy this product together with:

This gearmotor is a miniature low-power, 6 V brushed DC motor with a 9.96:1 metal gearbox. It has a cross section of 10 × 12 mm, and the D-shaped gearbox output shaft is 9 mm long and 3 mm in diameter.Key specs at 6 V: 1300 RPM and 40 mA with no load, 2 oz-in (0.2 kg-cm) and 0.36 A at stall.

These tiny brushed DC gearmotors are available in a wide range of gear ratios—from 5:1 up to 1000:1—and with five different motors: high-power 6 V and 12 V motors with long-life carbon brushes (HPCB), and high-power (HP), medium power (MP), and low power (LP) 6 V motors with shorter-life precious metal brushes. The 6 V and 12 V HPCB motors offer the same performance at their respective nominal voltages, just with the 12 V motor drawing half the current of the 6 V motor. The 6 V HPCB and 6 V HP motors are identical except for their brushes, which only affect the lifetime of the motor.

The HPCB versions (shown on the left in the picture below) can be differentiated from versions with precious metal brushes (shown on the right) by their copper-colored terminals. Note that the HPCB terminals are 0.5 mm wider than those on the other micro metal gearmotor versions (2 mm vs. 1.5 mm), and they are about 1 mm closer together (6 mm vs. 7 mm).

Versions of these gearmotors are also available with an additional 1 mm-diameter output shaft that protrudes from the rear of the motor. This 4.5 mm-long rear shaft rotates at the same speed as the input to the gearbox and offers a way to add an encoder, such as our magnetic encoder for micro metal gearmotors (see the picture on the right), to provide motor speed or position feedback.

With the exception of the 1000:1 gear ratio versions, all of the micro metal gearmotors have the same physical dimensions, so one version can be easily swapped for another if your design requirements change.

Please see the micro metal gearmotor datasheet (2MB pdf) for more information, including detailed performance graphs for each micro metal gearmotor version. You can also use our dynamically sortable micro metal gearmotor comparison table for search for the gearmotor that offers the best blend of speed, torque, and current-draw for your particular application. A more basic comparison table is available below.

Note: Stalling or overloading gearmotors can greatly decrease their lifetimes and even result in immediate damage. The recommended upper limit for instantaneous torque is 35 oz-in (2.5 kg-cm) for the 1000:1 gearboxes and 25 oz-in (2 kg*cm) for all the other gear ratios; we strongly advise keeping applied loads well under this limit. Stalls can also result in rapid (potentially on the order of seconds) thermal damage to the motor windings and brushes, especially for the versions that use high-power (HP and HPCB) motors; a general recommendation for brushed DC motor operation is 25% or less of the stall current.

In general, these kinds of motors can run at voltages above and below their nominal voltages; lower voltages might not be practical, and higher voltages could start negatively affecting the life of the motor.

Exact gear ratio: ``(35×37) / (13×10) ~~ bb(9.96:1)``

In terms of size, these gearmotors are very similar to Sanyo’s popular 12 mm NA4S DC gearmotors, and gearmotors with this form factor are occasionally referred to as N20 motors. The versions with carbon brushes (HPCB) have slightly different terminal and end-cap dimensions than the versions with precious metal brushes, but all of the other dimensions are identical.

Dimensions of versions with carbon brushes (HPCB)

Dimensions of the Pololu micro metal gearmotors with carbon brushes (HPCB). Units are mm over [inches].

Dimensions of versions with precious metal brushes (LP, MP, and HP)

Dimensions of the Pololu micro metal gearmotors with precious metal brushes: low-power (LP), medium-power (MP), and high-power (HP). Units are mm over [inches].

These diagrams are also available as a downloadable PDF (262k pdf).

Wheels and hubs: The micro metal gearmotor’s output shaft matches our assortment of Pololu wheels and the Solarbotics RW2i rubber wheel. You can also use our Pololu universal mounting hubs to mount custom wheels and mechanism to the micro metal gearmotor’s output shaft, and you can use our 12mm hex wheel adapter to use this motor with many common hobby RC wheels.

Pololu wheel 32×7mm on a micro metal gearmotor.

Black Pololu 70×8mm wheel on a Pololu micro metal gearmotor.

A pair of Pololu universal aluminum mounting hubs for 3 mm diameter shafts.

12mm Hex Wheel Adapter for 3mm Shaft on a Micro Metal Gearmotor.

Mounting brackets: Our mounting bracket (also available in white) and extended mounting bracket are specifically designed to securely mount the gearmotor while enclosing the exposed gears. We recommend the extended mounting bracket for wheels with recessed hubs, such as the Pololu wheel 42×19mm. Our micro metal gearmotors will also work with our 15.5D mm metal gearmotor bracket pair.

Black micro metal gearmotor mounting bracket pair with included screws and nuts.

White micro metal gearmotor mounting bracket pair with included screws and nuts.

Pololu micro metal gearmotor bracket extended with micro metal gearmotor.

Quadrature encoders: We offer several quadrature encoders that work with our micro metal gearmotors.

Magnetic Encoder Kit for Micro Metal Gearmotors assembled with ribbon cable wires.

Example of an installed micro metal gearmotor reflective optical encoder.

Note: The HPCB versions of our micro metal gearmotors are not compatible with our #2590 and #2591 optical encoders or our older #2598 magnetic encoders (the terminals are too wide to fit through the corresponding holes in the encoder boards). However, they are compatible with our newer #3081 magnetic encoders.

Motor controllers and drivers: We have a number of motor controllers, motor drivers, and robot controllers that make it easy to drive these micro metal gearmotors. For the 6 V micro metal gearmotors, consider the DRV8838 single-channel motor driver carrier, the DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier, and DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier (or DRV8835 shield for Arduino). For the 12 V micro metal gearmotors, consider the MAX14870 single-channel motor driver carrier, DRV8801 single-channel motor driver carrier, and A4990 dual motor driver carrier (or A4990 shield for Arduino).

DRV8838 Single Brushed DC Motor Driver Carrier.

Pololu A4990 Dual Motor Driver Shield for Arduino, bottom view.

DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier.

Current sensors: We have an assortment of Hall effect-based current sensors to choose from for those who need to monitor motor current:

ACS711EX current sensor carrier -15.5A to +15.5A.

ACS714 current sensor carrier -5A to +5A.

We also incorporate these motors into some of our products, including our Zumo robot and 3pi robot :

Assembled Zumo 32U4 robot.

Pololu 3pi robot.

We offer a wide selection of metal gearmotors that offer different combinations of speed and torque. Our metal gearmotor comparison table can help you find the motor that best meets your project’s requirements.

Some of the Pololu metal gearmotors.

People often buy this product together with:

This gearmotor is a miniature low-power, 6 V brushed DC motor with a 100.37:1 metal gearbox. It has a cross section of 10 × 12 mm, and the D-shaped gearbox output shaft is 9 mm long and 3 mm in diameter.Key specs at 6 V: 120 RPM and 40 mA with no load, 12 oz-in (0.9 kg-cm) and 0.36 A at stall.

These tiny brushed DC gearmotors are available in a wide range of gear ratios—from 5:1 up to 1000:1—and with five different motors: high-power 6 V and 12 V motors with long-life carbon brushes (HPCB), and high-power (HP), medium power (MP), and low power (LP) 6 V motors with shorter-life precious metal brushes. The 6 V and 12 V HPCB motors offer the same performance at their respective nominal voltages, just with the 12 V motor drawing half the current of the 6 V motor. The 6 V HPCB and 6 V HP motors are identical except for their brushes, which only affect the lifetime of the motor.

The HPCB versions (shown on the left in the picture below) can be differentiated from versions with precious metal brushes (shown on the right) by their copper-colored terminals. Note that the HPCB terminals are 0.5 mm wider than those on the other micro metal gearmotor versions (2 mm vs. 1.5 mm), and they are about 1 mm closer together (6 mm vs. 7 mm).

Versions of these gearmotors are also available with an additional 1 mm-diameter output shaft that protrudes from the rear of the motor. This 4.5 mm-long rear shaft rotates at the same speed as the input to the gearbox and offers a way to add an encoder, such as our magnetic encoder for micro metal gearmotors (see the picture on the right), to provide motor speed or position feedback.

With the exception of the 1000:1 gear ratio versions, all of the micro metal gearmotors have the same physical dimensions, so one version can be easily swapped for another if your design requirements change.

Please see the micro metal gearmotor datasheet (2MB pdf) for more information, including detailed performance graphs for each micro metal gearmotor version. You can also use our dynamically sortable micro metal gearmotor comparison table for search for the gearmotor that offers the best blend of speed, torque, and current-draw for your particular application. A more basic comparison table is available below.

Note: Stalling or overloading gearmotors can greatly decrease their lifetimes and even result in immediate damage. The recommended upper limit for instantaneous torque is 35 oz-in (2.5 kg-cm) for the 1000:1 gearboxes and 25 oz-in (2 kg*cm) for all the other gear ratios; we strongly advise keeping applied loads well under this limit. Stalls can also result in rapid (potentially on the order of seconds) thermal damage to the motor windings and brushes, especially for the versions that use high-power (HP and HPCB) motors; a general recommendation for brushed DC motor operation is 25% or less of the stall current.

In general, these kinds of motors can run at voltages above and below their nominal voltages; lower voltages might not be practical, and higher voltages could start negatively affecting the life of the motor.

Exact gear ratio: ``(35×37×35×38) / (12×11×13×10) ~~ bb(100.37:1)``

In terms of size, these gearmotors are very similar to Sanyo’s popular 12 mm NA4S DC gearmotors, and gearmotors with this form factor are occasionally referred to as N20 motors. The versions with carbon brushes (HPCB) have slightly different terminal and end-cap dimensions than the versions with precious metal brushes, but all of the other dimensions are identical.

Dimensions of versions with carbon brushes (HPCB)

Dimensions of the Pololu micro metal gearmotors with carbon brushes (HPCB). Units are mm over [inches].

Dimensions of versions with precious metal brushes (LP, MP, and HP)

Dimensions of the Pololu micro metal gearmotors with precious metal brushes: low-power (LP), medium-power (MP), and high-power (HP). Units are mm over [inches].

These diagrams are also available as a downloadable PDF (262k pdf).

Wheels and hubs: The micro metal gearmotor’s output shaft matches our assortment of Pololu wheels and the Solarbotics RW2i rubber wheel. You can also use our Pololu universal mounting hubs to mount custom wheels and mechanism to the micro metal gearmotor’s output shaft, and you can use our 12mm hex wheel adapter to use this motor with many common hobby RC wheels.

Pololu wheel 32×7mm on a micro metal gearmotor.

Black Pololu 70×8mm wheel on a Pololu micro metal gearmotor.

A pair of Pololu universal aluminum mounting hubs for 3 mm diameter shafts.

12mm Hex Wheel Adapter for 3mm Shaft on a Micro Metal Gearmotor.

Mounting brackets: Our mounting bracket (also available in white) and extended mounting bracket are specifically designed to securely mount the gearmotor while enclosing the exposed gears. We recommend the extended mounting bracket for wheels with recessed hubs, such as the Pololu wheel 42×19mm. Our micro metal gearmotors will also work with our 15.5D mm metal gearmotor bracket pair.

Black micro metal gearmotor mounting bracket pair with included screws and nuts.

White micro metal gearmotor mounting bracket pair with included screws and nuts.

Pololu micro metal gearmotor bracket extended with micro metal gearmotor.

Quadrature encoders: We offer several quadrature encoders that work with our micro metal gearmotors.

Magnetic Encoder Kit for Micro Metal Gearmotors assembled with ribbon cable wires.

Example of an installed micro metal gearmotor reflective optical encoder.

Note: The HPCB versions of our micro metal gearmotors are not compatible with our #2590 and #2591 optical encoders or our older #2598 magnetic encoders (the terminals are too wide to fit through the corresponding holes in the encoder boards). However, they are compatible with our newer #3081 magnetic encoders.

Motor controllers and drivers: We have a number of motor controllers, motor drivers, and robot controllers that make it easy to drive these micro metal gearmotors. For the 6 V micro metal gearmotors, consider the DRV8838 single-channel motor driver carrier, the DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier, and DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier (or DRV8835 shield for Arduino). For the 12 V micro metal gearmotors, consider the MAX14870 single-channel motor driver carrier, DRV8801 single-channel motor driver carrier, and A4990 dual motor driver carrier (or A4990 shield for Arduino).

DRV8838 Single Brushed DC Motor Driver Carrier.

Pololu A4990 Dual Motor Driver Shield for Arduino, bottom view.

DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier.

Current sensors: We have an assortment of Hall effect-based current sensors to choose from for those who need to monitor motor current:

ACS711EX current sensor carrier -15.5A to +15.5A.

ACS714 current sensor carrier -5A to +5A.

We also incorporate these motors into some of our products, including our Zumo robot and 3pi robot :

Assembled Zumo 32U4 robot.

Pololu 3pi robot.

We offer a wide selection of metal gearmotors that offer different combinations of speed and torque. Our metal gearmotor comparison table can help you find the motor that best meets your project’s requirements.

Some of the Pololu metal gearmotors.

People often buy this product together with:

This gearmotor is a miniature high-power, 6 V brushed DC motor with a 100.37:1 metal gearbox. It has a cross section of 10 × 12 mm, and the D-shaped gearbox output shaft is 9 mm long and 3 mm in diameter. This version also has a 4.5 × 1 mm extended motor shaft.Key specs at 6 V: 320 RPM and 120 mA with no load, 30 oz-in (2.2 kg-cm) and 1.6 A at stall.

These tiny brushed DC gearmotors are available in a wide range of gear ratios—from 5:1 up to 1000:1—and with five different motors: high-power 6 V and 12 V motors with long-life carbon brushes (HPCB), and high-power (HP), medium power (MP), and low power (LP) 6 V motors with shorter-life precious metal brushes. The 6 V and 12 V HPCB motors offer the same performance at their respective nominal voltages, just with the 12 V motor drawing half the current of the 6 V motor. The 6 V HPCB and 6 V HP motors are identical except for their brushes, which only affect the lifetime of the motor.

The HPCB versions (shown on the left in the picture below) can be differentiated from versions with precious metal brushes (shown on the right) by their copper-colored terminals. Note that the HPCB terminals are 0.5 mm wider than those on the other micro metal gearmotor versions (2 mm vs. 1.5 mm), and they are about 1 mm closer together (6 mm vs. 7 mm).

Versions of these gearmotors are also available with an additional 1 mm-diameter output shaft that protrudes from the rear of the motor. This 4.5 mm-long rear shaft rotates at the same speed as the input to the gearbox and offers a way to add an encoder, such as our magnetic encoder for micro metal gearmotors (see the picture on the right), to provide motor speed or position feedback.

With the exception of the 1000:1 gear ratio versions, all of the micro metal gearmotors have the same physical dimensions, so one version can be easily swapped for another if your design requirements change.

Please see the micro metal gearmotor datasheet (2MB pdf) for more information, including detailed performance graphs for each micro metal gearmotor version. You can also use our dynamically sortable micro metal gearmotor comparison table for search for the gearmotor that offers the best blend of speed, torque, and current-draw for your particular application. A more basic comparison table is available below.

Note: Stalling or overloading gearmotors can greatly decrease their lifetimes and even result in immediate damage. The recommended upper limit for instantaneous torque is 35 oz-in (2.5 kg-cm) for the 1000:1 gearboxes and 25 oz-in (2 kg*cm) for all the other gear ratios; we strongly advise keeping applied loads well under this limit. Stalls can also result in rapid (potentially on the order of seconds) thermal damage to the motor windings and brushes, especially for the versions that use high-power (HP and HPCB) motors; a general recommendation for brushed DC motor operation is 25% or less of the stall current.

In general, these kinds of motors can run at voltages above and below their nominal voltages; lower voltages might not be practical, and higher voltages could start negatively affecting the life of the motor.

Exact gear ratio: ``(35×37×35×38) / (12×11×13×10) ~~ bb(100.37:1)``

In terms of size, these gearmotors are very similar to Sanyo’s popular 12 mm NA4S DC gearmotors, and gearmotors with this form factor are occasionally referred to as N20 motors. The versions with carbon brushes (HPCB) have slightly different terminal and end-cap dimensions than the versions with precious metal brushes, but all of the other dimensions are identical.

Dimensions of versions with carbon brushes (HPCB)

Dimensions of the Pololu micro metal gearmotors with carbon brushes (HPCB). Units are mm over [inches].

Dimensions of versions with precious metal brushes (LP, MP, and HP)

Dimensions of the Pololu micro metal gearmotors with precious metal brushes: low-power (LP), medium-power (MP), and high-power (HP). Units are mm over [inches].

These diagrams are also available as a downloadable PDF (262k pdf).

Wheels and hubs: The micro metal gearmotor’s output shaft matches our assortment of Pololu wheels and the Solarbotics RW2i rubber wheel. You can also use our Pololu universal mounting hubs to mount custom wheels and mechanism to the micro metal gearmotor’s output shaft, and you can use our 12mm hex wheel adapter to use this motor with many common hobby RC wheels.

Pololu wheel 32×7mm on a micro metal gearmotor.

Black Pololu 70×8mm wheel on a Pololu micro metal gearmotor.

A pair of Pololu universal aluminum mounting hubs for 3 mm diameter shafts.

12mm Hex Wheel Adapter for 3mm Shaft on a Micro Metal Gearmotor.

Mounting brackets: Our mounting bracket (also available in white) and extended mounting bracket are specifically designed to securely mount the gearmotor while enclosing the exposed gears. We recommend the extended mounting bracket for wheels with recessed hubs, such as the Pololu wheel 42×19mm. Our micro metal gearmotors will also work with our 15.5D mm metal gearmotor bracket pair.

Black micro metal gearmotor mounting bracket pair with included screws and nuts.

White micro metal gearmotor mounting bracket pair with included screws and nuts.

Pololu micro metal gearmotor bracket extended with micro metal gearmotor.

Quadrature encoders: We offer several quadrature encoders that work with our micro metal gearmotors.

Magnetic Encoder Kit for Micro Metal Gearmotors assembled with ribbon cable wires.

Example of an installed micro metal gearmotor reflective optical encoder.

Note: The HPCB versions of our micro metal gearmotors are not compatible with our #2590 and #2591 optical encoders or our older #2598 magnetic encoders (the terminals are too wide to fit through the corresponding holes in the encoder boards). However, they are compatible with our newer #3081 magnetic encoders.

Motor controllers and drivers: We have a number of motor controllers, motor drivers, and robot controllers that make it easy to drive these micro metal gearmotors. For the 6 V micro metal gearmotors, consider the DRV8838 single-channel motor driver carrier, the DRV8833 dual motor driver carrier, and DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier (or DRV8835 shield for Arduino). For the 12 V micro metal gearmotors, consider the MAX14870 single-channel motor driver carrier, DRV8801 single-channel motor driver carrier, and A4990 dual motor driver carrier (or A4990 shield for Arduino).

DRV8838 Single Brushed DC Motor Driver Carrier.

Pololu A4990 Dual Motor Driver Shield for Arduino, bottom view.

DRV8835 dual motor driver carrier.

Current sensors: We have an assortment of Hall effect-based current sensors to choose from for those who need to monitor motor current:

ACS711EX current sensor carrier -15.5A to +15.5A.

ACS714 current sensor carrier -5A to +5A.

We also incorporate these motors into some of our products, including our Zumo robot and 3pi robot :

Assembled Zumo 32U4 robot.

Pololu 3pi robot.

We offer a wide selection of metal gearmotors that offer different combinations of speed and torque. Our metal gearmotor comparison table can help you find the motor that best meets your project’s requirements.

Some of the Pololu metal gearmotors.

People often buy this product together with:

Add even more power to your robot with this metal-geared servo. The tiny little servo can rotate approximately 180 degrees (~90 in each direction), and works just like the standard kinds you're used to but smaller. You can use any servo code, hardware or library to control these servos. Good for beginners who want to make stuff move without building a motor controller with feedback & gear box, especially since it will fit in small places. Despite its size, this micro-servo is as strong as many 'standard' size servos! Works great with the Motor Shield for Arduino, our 16-channel Servo Driver, or by just wiring up with the Servo library. Comes with a few horns and hardware.

This micro servo packs a big punch for its little size.  it's just a little bit bigger than our High Torque Metal Gear Micro Servo but runs with almost double the stall torque.

To control with an Arduino, we suggest connecting the orange control wire to pin 9 or 10 and using the Servo library included with the Arduino IDE (see here for an example sketch). Position "0" (1.5ms pulse) is middle, "90" (~2ms pulse) is all the way to the right, "-90" (~1ms pulse) is all the way to the left. Note that unlike most servos you may be familiar with, this one does not have mechanical stops!

The Parallax continuous rotation servo is a Futaba S148 servo that has been modified for continuous rotation. Since servos have their own integrated control circuitry, this unit gives you an easy way to get your robot moving.Key specs at 6 V: 50 RPM (no-load), 38 oz-in (2.7 kg-cm), 43 g

Parallax (Futaba S148) continuous rotation servo.

The Parallax (Futaba S148) continuous rotation servo converts standard RC servo position pulses into continuous rotation speed. It can be controlled directly by a microcontroller without any additional electronics, which makes it a great actuator for robotics projects. The servo includes an adjustable potentiometer that can be used to center the servo and comes with a star-shaped servo horn and an 11″ (270 mm) lead.

Specs

Power: 4.8 – 6 V

Top 6 V speed: 50 RPM (with no load)

Torque: 2.7 kg-cm/38 oz-in at 6 V

Weight: 43 g/1.5 oz with servo horn and screw

Size (L x W x H): 40.5 mm x 20.0 mm x 36.1 mm / 1.60" x 0.8" x 1.42"

Control interface: RC servo pulse width control, 1.50 ms neutral

Manual adjustment port

This servo is compatible with our servo controllers and our servo wheels and sprockets.

Continuous rotation servo size comparison. From left to right: SpringRC SM-S4303R, Power HD AR-3606HB, FEETECH FS5106R, Parallax Feedback 360°, Parallax (Futaba S148), and FEETECH FS90R.

People often buy this product together with:

The HD-1440A analog servo from Power HD is one of the smallest servos we carry and is a great, inexpensive, tiny actuator for a small robot mechanism. Servo horns and associated hardware are included.Key specs at 6 V: 0.10 sec/60°, 11 oz-in (0.8 kg-cm), 4.4 g.

An example of hardware included with the Power HD sub-micro servo HD-1440A and the sub-micro servo 3.7g (generic). Actual hardware might vary.

This is a great general-purpose actuator for tiny mechanisms. The lead is terminated with a standard “JR”-style connector, which is Futaba-compatible. Mounting screws and an assortment of servo horns is included with this servo (hardware might vary). You can find more information about this servo under the specifications tab and in its datasheet (379k pdf).

Note that, as with most hobby servos, stalling or back-driving this servo can strip its gears.

Note: The case of this servo has changed from translucent blue to solid black (pictures of the two versions are available under the pictures tab).

People often buy this product together with:

This 2xAA battery holder puts a nice finishing touch on your battery powered project. This holder features a removable, sliding cover, which is secured with a small phillips head screw. Another bonus is the ON/OFF switch which can be used to control power to your project.

The leads are about 150mm, and the last 5mm of them are tinned.

Features

67.9 x 32.8 x 18.25mm

Make a portable power brick with plenty of juice! Use Alkaline AA's for a 9V 3000-4000mAh power supply, or rechargeable NiMH for 2000mAh 7.5V supply. Either one is good for running electronics that have a 5V voltage regulator (thus requiring a 7V+ supply). Will last about 10 times longer than a 9VPerfect for portable Arduinos! Batteries not included

This is a special-purpose charger just for the rechargeable LIR2450 Lithium Ion coin cells. Slide the coin cell in the right way, and plug into any USB port to recharge - so easy! Takes about 3 hours to charge up, when its done, the green DONE LED will light up to let you know.Rechargeable coin cell is not included, but we have 'em in the shop hereCharging is performed in three stages: first a preconditioning charge, then a constant-current 45mA fast charge and finally a constant-voltage trickle charge to keep the battery topped-up.Only for use with rechargeable LIR2450 cells! Do not try to recharge non-rechargeable Lithium coin batteries! Do not charge unattended, do not charge damaged cells.

Lithium Ion Coin Cell Charger (16:34)

Oh so adorable, this is the tiniest little lipo charger, so handy you can keep it any project box! Its also easy to use. Simply plug in the gold plated contacts into any USB port and a 3.7V/4.2V lithium polymer or lithium ion rechargeable battery into the JST plug on the other end. There are two LEDs - one red and one green. While charging, the red LED is lit. When the battery is fully charged and ready for use, the green LED turns on. Seriously, it could not get more easy.Charging is performed in three stages: first a preconditioning charge, then a constant-current fast charge and finally a constant-voltage trickle charge to keep the battery topped-up. The charge current is 100mA by default, so it will work with any size battery and USB port. If you want you can easily change it over to 500mA mode by soldering closed the jumper on the back, for when you'll only be charging batteries with 500mAh size or larger.For use with Adafruit LiPoly/LiIon batteries only! Other batteries may have different voltage, chemistry, polarity or pinout.

Comes assembled and tested with a free bonus JST cable!

5V input via PCB-style USB connector

For charging single Lithium Ion/Lithium Polymer 3.7/4.2v batteries (not for older 3.6/4.1v cells)

100mA charge current, adjustable to 500mA by soldering a jumper closed

Free 2-pin JST cable included!

The MicroLipo charger can get hot during charging. Grab it by the sides and unplug then let cool before removing the battery - take care not to touch the components during charging!

Batteries not included.

Adafruit Micro Lipo - USB LiIon/LiPoly charger (18:22)

Is there anything an Arduino can’t do? Well, for one, most of them can’t be powered directly from a 3.7V LiPo battery; much less charge and monitor that battery. The SparkFun LiPower Shield takes care of this by combining the functionality of two of our favorite battery power boards: the Power Cell and the Fuel Gauge.

The LiPower Shield allows you to connect a 3.7V single cell Lithium polymer battery which it will boost up to 5V and connect to the Arduino board’s 5V pin. The on-board MAX17043G+U IC is connected to the I2C lines (A4 and A5) so that your project can monitor it’s own power supply. The configurable alert interrupt pin on the MAX17043G+U IC is broken out to D2 which will activate when the LiPo gets to 32% or lower.

The charging circuit is configured to charge the LiPo at 100mA but by adding a resistor to the supplied through-holes you can boost this to 500mA. There is a mini-USB port on the shield which allows you to charge the battery from a USB power source or you can supply a separate regulated 5V source on the “charge” header.

Oh so handy, this little lipo charger is so small and easy to use you can keep it on your desk or mount it easily into any project! Simply plug it via any MicroUSB cable into a USB port and a 3.7V/4.2V lithium polymer or lithium ion rechargeable battery into the JST plug on the other end. There are two LEDs - one red and one green. While charging, the red LED is lit. When the battery is fully charged and ready for use, the green LED turns on. Seriously, it could not get more easy.Charging is performed in three stages: first a preconditioning charge, then a constant-current fast charge and finally a constant-voltage trickle charge to keep the battery topped-up. The charge current is 100mA by default, so it will work with any size battery and USB port. If you want you can easily change it over to 500mA mode by soldering closed the jumper on the front, for when you'll only be charging batteries with 500mAh size or larger.For use with Adafruit LiPoly/LiIon batteries only! Other batteries may have different voltage, chemistry, polarity or pinout.

Comes assembled and tested with a free bonus JST cable!

5V input via Micro-B USB connector

For charging single Lithium Ion/Lithium Polymer 3.7/4.2v batteries (not for older 3.6/4.1v cells)

100mA charge current, adjustable to 500mA by soldering a jumper closed

Batteries not included.

If you've been diggin' our monochome OLEDs but need something bigger, this display will delight you. These displays are 2.3" diagonal, and very readable due to the high contrast of an OLED display. This display is made of 128x32 individual blue OLED pixels, each one is turned on or off by the controller chip. 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 graphic display for its crispness!

The driver chip, SSD1305 can communicate in three ways: 8-bit, I2C or SPI. Personally we think SPI is the way to go, only 4 or 5 wires are required and its very fast. The OLED itself requires a 3.3V power supply and 3.3V logic levels for communication. We include a breadboard-friendly level shifter that can convert 3V or 5V down to 3V, so it can be used with 5V-logic devices like Arduino.

The power requirements depend a little on how much of the display is lit but on average the display uses about 50mA from the 3.3V supply. Built into the OLED driver is a simple boost converter that turns 3.3V into a high voltage drive for the OLEDs. The boost converter which may make a squeaking/buzzing noise, which you can minimize by adding hot-glue or foam tape around the inductor but may not be completely removable.

Each order comes with one assembled OLED module with a nice bezel and 4 mounting holes. The display is 3V logic & power so we include a HC4050 level shifter. We also toss in a 220uF capacitor, as we noticed an Arduino may need a little more capacitance on the 3.3V power supply for this big display! This display does not come with header attached but we do toss in a stick of header you can solder on. Also, the display may come in 8-bit mode. You can change modes from 8-bit to SPI or I2C with a little soldering, check out the tutorial for how to do so.

Getting started is easy! We have a detailed tutorial and example code in the form of an Arduino library for text and graphics. You'll need a microcontroller with more than 512 bytes of RAM since the display must be buffered. The library can print text, bitmaps, pixels, rectangles, circles and lines. It uses 512 bytes of RAM since it needs to buffer the entire display but its very fast! The code is simple to adapt to any other microcontroller.

If you've been diggin' our monochome OLEDs but need something bigger, this display will delight you. These displays are 2.7" diagonal, and very readable due to the high contrast of an OLED display. This display is made of 128x64 individual white OLED pixels, each one is turned on or off by the controller chip. 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 graphic display for its crispness!

The driver chip, SSD1325 can communicate in two ways: 8-bit or SPI. Personally we think SPI is the way to go, only 4 or 5 wires are required. The OLED itself requires a 3.3V power supply and 3.3V logic levels for communication. We include a breadboard-friendly level shifter that can convert 3V or 5V down to 3V, so it can be used with 5V-logic devices like Arduino.

The power requirements depend a little on how much of the display is lit but on average the display uses about 50-150mA from the 3.3V supply. Built into the OLED driver is a simple boost converter that turns 3.3V into a high voltage drive for the OLEDs. The boost converter which may make a squeaking/buzzing noise, which you can minimize by adding hot-glue or foam tape around the inductor but may not be completely removable.

Each order comes with one assembled OLED module with a nice bezel and 4 mounting holes. The display is 3V logic & power so we include a 74HC4050 (or compatible) level shifter. We also toss in a 220uF capacitor, as we noticed an Arduino may need a little more capacitance on the 3.3V power supply for this big display! This display does not come with header attached but we do toss in a stick of header you can solder on. Also, the display may come in 8-bit mode. You can change modes from 8-bit to SPI with a little soldering, check out the tutorial for how to do so.

Getting started is easy! We have a detailed tutorial and example code in the form of an Arduino library for text and graphics. You'll need a microcontroller with more than 1K of RAM since the display must be buffered. The library can print text, bitmaps, pixels, rectangles, circles and lines. It uses 1K of RAM since it needs to buffer the entire display but its very fast! The code is simple to adapt to any other microcontroller.

Brand new and better than ever, we've replaced our Adafruit GPS shield kit with this assembled shield that comes with an Ultimate GPS module. This GPS shield works great with either UNO or Leonardo Arduinos and is designed to log data to an SD card. Or you can leave the SD card out and use the GPS for a geocaching project, or maybe a music player that changes tunes depending on where you are in the city. 

-165 dBm sensitivity, 10 Hz updates, 66 channels

Low power module - only 20mA current draw, half of most GPS's

Assembled & tested shield for Arduino Uno/Duemilanove/Diecimila/Leonardo (not for use with Mega/ADK/Due)

MicroSD card slot for datalogging onto a removable card

RTC battery included, for up to 7 years backup

Built-in datalogging to flash

PPS output on fix

Internal patch antenna + u.FL connector for external active antenna

Power, Pin #13 and Fix status LED

Big prototyping area

Each order comes with one assembled and tested shield, a stick of 0.1" male header and a 12mm coin cell. Some light soldering is required to attach the header to the shield in order to plug it into your Arduino. if you want to stack a shield on top, be sure to pick up a set of stacking headers to use instead. MicroSD card not included either, but we do stock them in the shop!If your project is going to be inside an enclosure, you'll love this shield as it has external antenna support. Simply connect an external active GPS antenna via a uFL/SMA cable to the shield and the module will automatically switch over to use the antenna. You can then place the antenna wherever you wish.We think this is the Ultimate GPS shield and we also think you'll agree! For more details, tutorials and example code check out our comprehensive tutorial

Adafruit Ultimate GPS Logger Shield - Includes GPS Module (0:55)

Let your robotic dreams come true with the new DC+Stepper Motor HAT from Adafruit. This Raspberry Pi add-on is perfect for any motion project as it can drive up to 4 DC or 2 Stepper motors with full PWM speed control.

Raspberry Pi and motors are not included. Works with any and all Raspberry Pi computers with 2x20 connection port.Since the Raspberry Pi does not have a lot of PWM pins, we use a fully-dedicated PWM driver chip onboard to both control motor direction and speed. This chip handles all the motor and speed controls over I2C. Only two pins (SDA & SCL) are required to drive the multiple motors, and since it's I2C you can also connect any other I2C devices or HATs to the same pins.

In fact, you can even stack multiple Motor HATs, up to 32 of them, for controlling up to 64 stepper motors or 128 DC motors (or a mix of the two) - just remember to purchase and solder in a stacking header instead of the one we include.

Motors are controlled by TB6612 MOSFET drivers with 1.2A per channel current capability (you can draw up to 3A peak for approx 20ms at a time), a big improvement over L293D drivers and there are built-in flyback diodes as well.

We even had a little space so we added a polarity protection FET on the power pins and a bit of prototyping area. And the HAT is assembled and tested here at Adafruit so all you have to do is solder on the included 2x20 plain header and the terminal blocks.

Lets check out these specs again:

4 H-Bridges: TB6612 chipset provides 1.2A per bridge with thermal shutdown protection, internal kickback protection diodes. Can run motors on 4.5VDC to 13.5VDC.

Up to 4 bi-directional DC motors with individual 8-bit speed selection (so, about 0.5% resolution)

Up to 2 stepper motors (unipolar or bipolar) with single coil, double coil, interleaved or micro-stepping.

Big terminal block connectors to easily hook up wires (18-26AWG) and power

Polarity protected 2-pin terminal block and jumper to connect external 5-12VDC power

Works best with Raspberry Pi model A+, B+, or Pi 2, but can be used with a model A or B if you purchase a 2x13 extra-tall header and solder that instead of the 2x20

Install the easy-to-use Python library, check out the examples and you're ready to go!

Comes with an assembled & tested HAT, terminal blocks, and 2x20 plain header. Some soldering is required to assemble the headers on. Stacking header not included, but we sell them in the shop so if you want to stack HATs, please pick one up at the same time.

Raspberry Pi, motors, and battery pack are not included but we have lots of motors in the shop and all our DC motors, and stepper motors work great. Check out our detailed tutorial for tons of info including schematics, wiring diagrams, python libraries and example walkthroughs.

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

This programmable module combines with a Raspberry Pi to serve as the control center of a small robot or electronics project. Its ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller comes preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader, and the board includes dual motor drivers that can deliver 1.8 A per channel to two brushed DC motors. An efficient voltage regulator (2.7 V to 11 V input) and level shifters enable it to power and communicate with a Raspberry Pi. This version (item #3117) is assembled with selected through-hole connectors and components installed for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on.

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge, bottom view with dimensions.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge is a programmable module well-suited for robotics applications, designed to work either as an auxiliary controller mounted to a Raspberry Pi or as a standalone control solution for a small robot. This A-Star (abbreviated A*) is based on the ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller from Microchip (formerly Atmel), which has built-in USB functionality, and it ships with a preloaded Arduino-compatible bootloader. Its complement of peripheral hardware includes dual motor drivers capable of delivering a continuous 1.8 A per channel, along with pushbuttons, LEDs, and an optional buzzer for building a user interface. An efficient switching voltage regulator allows the controller to work over a wide range of input voltages (2.7 V to 11 V).

The robot controller board conforms to the Raspberry Pi HAT specification, allowing it to be used as an add-on for a Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin GPIO header (Model B+ or newer, including Pi 3 Model B and Model A+) . On-board level shifters make it easy to set up I²C communication and interface other signals between the two controllers, and the A-Star 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 A-Star for low-level tasks like reading analog sensors and controlling timing-sensitive devices (e.g. servos).

We provide a library that helps establish communication between the A-Star and a Raspberry Pi, as well as a tutorial that demonstrates how to use the library and its included example code to build such a robot.

Our comprehensive user’s guide provides the basics you need to get started with the A-Star as well as detailed technical information for advanced users.

This product requires a USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) to connect to a computer.

Driving motors with an A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge on a Raspberry Pi Model B+ or Pi 2 Model B.

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV (2.7 V to 11 V) configurations:

Item #3116: Surface mount components only (no through-hole components or mounting hardware)

Item #3117: Assembled with selected through-hole components for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on (Raspberry Pi mounting hardware included)

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV (5.5 V to 36 V) configurations:

Item #3118: Surface mount components only (no through-hole components or mounting hardware)

Item #3119: Assembled with selected through-hole components for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on (Raspberry Pi mounting hardware included)

Dimensions: 65 mm × 56 mm (2.6″ × 2.2″)

Programmable ATmega32U4 MCU with 32 KB flash, 2.5 KB SRAM, 1 KB EEPROM, and native full-speed USB (clocked by precision 16 MHz crystal oscillator)

Preloaded with Arduino-compatible bootloader (no external programmer required)

All 26 general-purpose I/O lines from the ATmega32U4 are broken out (including PB0, PD5, and PE2); 7 of these can be used as hardware PWM outputs and 12 of these can be used as analog inputs (some I/O lines are used by on-board hardware)

Convenient 0.1″-spaced power, ground, and signal connection points

Dual bidirectional DRV8838 motor drivers (1.8 A per channel)

Buzzer option for simple sounds and music

3 user-controllable LEDs

3 user pushbuttons

Reset button

Level shifters for interfacing 5 V logic to 3.3 V Raspberry Pi

Power features:

5 V power can be sourced from USB or from a 2.7 V to 11 V external supply through on-board regulator (with several access points for connecting external power)

Switching 5 V regulator enables efficient operation

Power switch for external power inputs

Reverse-voltage protection on external power inputs

Power selection circuit allows for seamless switching between power sources while providing overcurrent protection, and feedback about which power source is selected

Provides 5 V power to Raspberry Pi

5 V power can be sourced from USB or from a 2.7 V to 11 V external supply through on-board regulator (with several access points for connecting external power)

Switching 5 V regulator enables efficient operation

Power switch for external power inputs

Reverse-voltage protection on external power inputs

Power selection circuit allows for seamless switching between power sources while providing overcurrent protection, and feedback about which power source is selected

Provides 5 V power to Raspberry Pi

6-pin ISP header for use with an external programmer

Comprehensive user’s guide

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge with included hardware.

This version of the A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV with Raspberry Pi Bridge (2.7 V to 11 V input voltage) is assembled with selected through-hole connectors and components for use as a Raspberry Pi expansion board, as shown in the picture above. A 2×20-pin 0.1″ female header is preinstalled to serve as a Raspberry Pi GPIO connector, and a 6-pin strip of terminal blocks and a DC power jack are mounted for motor and power connections. A buzzer is also installed, along with two 2×1-pin male headers and shorting blocks for the buzzer and battery level jumpers.

This version ships with a set of four M2.5 standoffs (11 mm length), screws, and nuts that can be used to secure the board to the Raspberry Pi at the proper height for the GPIO connector.

For a version with SMT components only, making it more suitable for standalone use and allowing customization of through-hole components, see item #3116. For example, if you want to continue to have access to the Raspberry Pi’s 40 GPIO pins while the A-Star is plugged in, you can get the SMT-only version and install a stackable 2×20-pin female header.

A major feature of the A* Robot Controller LV is its power system, which allows it to efficiently operate from a 2.7 V to 11 V external source and provide power to an attached Raspberry Pi. The input voltage is regulated to 5 V by a TPS63061 switching step-up/step-down (buck-boost) converter from Texas Instruments. (We also make a standalone regulator based on this integrated circuit.) The regulator’s flexibility in input voltage is especially well-suited for battery-powered applications in which the battery voltage begins above 5 V and drops below 5 V as the battery discharges. Without the typical restriction on the battery voltage staying above 5 V throughout its life, a wider range of battery types can be considered. For example:

A 4-cell battery holder, which might have a 6 V output with fresh alkalines or a 4.0 V output with partially discharged NiMH cells, can be used to power this A*.

A disposable 9 V battery powering the board can be discharged to under 3 V instead of cutting out at 6 V, as with typical linear or step-down regulators.

As shown in the left graph below, the LV’s 5 V switching regulator has an efficiency – defined as (Power out)/(Power in) – of 80% to 90% for most combinations of input voltage and load.

The A-Star’s components, including the microcontroller and LEDs, draw 30 mA to 40 mA in typical applications (without the buzzer). The rest of the regulator’s achievable output current, which depends on input voltage as well as ambient conditions, can be used to power other devices; this can include an attached Raspberry Pi (which typically draws a few hundred milliamps). The blue line in the right graph above shows output currents at which the voltage regulator’s over-temperature protection typically kicks in after a few seconds. These currents represent the limit of the regulator’s capability and cannot be sustained for long periods; under typical operating conditions, a safe limit for the maximum continuous regulator output current is 60% to 70% of the values shown in the graph.

Like our other A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers, the A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller ships with a preloaded Arduino-compatible bootloader (which uses 4 KB of flash memory, leaving 28 KB available for the user program). We provide a software add-on that enables the board to be easily programmed from the Arduino environment and an Arduino library to make it easy to use the additional on-board hardware.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller has the same microcontroller as the Arduino Leonardo and Arduino Micro, and it runs at the same frequency, so most code examples intended for those boards should also work on the A-Star.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller is a part of our larger A-Star 32U4 family, all of whose members are based on the same ATmega32U4 microcontroller, feature native USB interfaces, and are preloaded with Arduino-compatible bootloaders. The table below shows some key features and specifications of our A-Star microcontroller boards to help you choose the right one for your application.

People often buy this product together with:

Design your own Pi HAT, attach custom circuitry and otherwise dress your Raspberry Pi with this jaunty prototyping HAT kit with EEPROM

To kick off the Adafruit HAT party, we have this Perma-Proto inspired plug in daughter board. It has a grid of 0.1" prototyping soldering holes for attaching chips, resistors, LED, potentiometers and more. The holes are connected underneath with traces to mimic the solderless breadboards with which you're familiar. There's also long power strips for +3V, +5V and Ground connections to the Pi. Near the top we break out nearly every pin you could want to connect to the Pi (#26 didn't quite make the cut).

This is the fancier version of our Perma-Proto HAT.  It comes with a printed circuit board and a single 2x20 GPIO Header for Raspberry Pi to put your Perma-Proto on top of your Raspberry Pi (like a nice little hat...) This version comes with a blank 24C32 I2C EEPROM soldered on and connected to the EEDAT/EECLK lines so you cannot 'stack' it with other HATs. However, you can program in the EEPROM to make a self-identifying setup using the Pi Foundations' HAT specs - please note the specifications are still under development.

You can customize your Perma-Proto setup using a standard 2x20 stacking header or extra tall 2x20 stacking header. You can also swap out the 2x20 header with a slim 2x20 type if you want it to sit closer to the Pi, or an extra tall one if you want it to sit above the USB/Ethernet ports.

A bit of light soldering is required to attach the header to the PCB but it's easy work.This hat is only compatible with the Raspberry Pi Zero, A+, B+, 2, 3, etc (any Pi with 2x20 connector)!  It will not work with the Raspberry Pi Model A or B with 2x13 connectors

Design your own Pi HAT, attach custom circuitry and otherwise dress your Pi Zero, A+, B+, Pi 2 or Pi 3 (any Pi with a 2x20 connector) with this jaunty prototyping HAT kit.

To kick off the Adafruit HAT party, we have this Perma-Proto inspired plug in daughter board. It has a grid of 0.1" prototyping soldering holes for attaching chips, resistors, LED, potentiometers and more. The holes are connected underneath with traces to mimic the solderless breadboards with which you're familiar. There's also long power strips for +3V, +5V and Ground connections to the Pi. Near the top we break out nearly every pin you could want to connect to the Pi (#26 didn't quite make the cut).

This is just the basic version of our Perma-Proto HAT.  It comes with a printed circuit board and a single 2x20 GPIO Header for Raspberry Pi to put your Perma-Proto on top of your Raspberry Pi (like a nice little hat...) This version does not come with an EEPROM so you can 'stack' it with other HATs without worrying about an EEPROM address collision.

You can customize your Perma-Proto setup using a standard 2x20 stacking header or extra tall 2x20 stacking header. You can also swap out the 2x20 header with a slim 2x20 type if you want it to sit closer to the Pi, or an extra tall one if you want it to sit above the USB/Ethernet ports.

A bit of light soldering is required to attach the header to the PCB but it's easy work.This hat is only compatible with the Raspberry Pi Zero/A+/B+/2/3 (any Pi with 2x20 connector)! It will not work with the Raspberry Pi Model A or B with 2x13 connector.

Our initial version has the +3V and +5V markings in blue, and the GND markings in red, future orders will have these colors swapped to better match a solderless breadboard

A button is a button, and an LED is a LED, but this LED illuminated button is a lovely combination of both! It's a medium sized button, large enough to press easily but not too big that it gets in the way of your project panel. It has a built in LED that can be controlled separately from the switch action - either to indicate or just to look good.The body is a black plastic with the LED built inside. There are two contacts for the button and two contacts for the LED, one marked + and one -. The forward voltage of the LED is about 2.2V so connect a 220 to 1000 ohm resistor in series just as you would with any other LED to your 3V or higher power supply.This particular button has a yellow body and LED and is momentary, normally open. The two switch contacts are not connected normally. When you push the button they will temporarily connect until the button is released. The LED is separated from the button, so you can make it light up when pressed, light up when not pressed, always lit, etc.

16mm Illuminated Pushbuttons (7:54)

A switch is a switch, and an LED is an LED, but this LED illuminated button is a lovely combination of both! It's a medium sized button, large enough to press easily but not too big that it gets in the way of your project panel. It has a built in LED that can be controlled separately from the switch action - either to indicate or just to look good.The body is a black plastic with the LED built inside. There are two contacts for the button and two contacts for the LED, one marked + and one -. The forward voltage of the LED is about 2.2V so connect a 220 to 1000 ohm resistor in series just as you would with any other LED to your 3V or higher power supply.This particular button has a green body and LED and is latching on/off. The two switch contacts are either connected or disconnected. When you push the button they will switch from one to the other, like an on-off switch. The LED is separated from the button, so you can make it light up when on, light up when off, always lit, etc.

16mm Illuminated Pushbuttons (7:54)

Squeeze once to turn on, squeeze again to turn off! This clicky switch makes a great power switch or mode toggler. We like this switch because it's easy to embed in a seam for easily powering up/off wearable and fabric projects. Can handle up to 14V and 2 Amps! This is a really satisfying switch.

As of May 20th, the dimensions of this switch are:

Length of wires: 190mm / 7.5"

Dimensions of body: 16mm x 15mm x 6mm / 0.6" x 0.6" x 0.2"

Weight: 4.4g

Having a discrete, slick, and tidy power supply is always tricky when taking a project on the go...but get ready to roam the earth worry free with the tiny little Pimoroni LiPo Shim! It aims to give you the most compact power supply possible for all versions of Raspberry Pi.

You can either solder the 0.8mm thick PCB directly to the bottom of your GPIO header for a permanent solution or solder on the provided 2x6 0.1" female header which will allow you to remove your LiPo Shim at any time (but will block the GPIO pins).

It uses the TPS61232 Step-Up Boost Converter from Texas Instruments which offers up to 96% efficiency. The board includes power on and battery low indicator LEDs. During shutdown (due to undervoltage or external selection) the quiescent current is just 15uA sip.

Please note: This is not a charger, you will need a separate charger to keep your LiPo/LiIon batteries juiced up! We recommend using our Micro Lipo to top up your battery.

Features:

0.8mm thick PCB

Shaped to sit as low as possible on the Raspberry Pi 3, 2, Zero, A+, B+

2-pole JST connector ideal for most LiPo/LiIon batteries

Power and low battery LED indicators

Supplies up to 1.5A continuous current

Low battery warning at 3.4V (assets GPIO #4 high)

Automatic shutdown at 3.0V to protect your battery

VBAT+, GND, and EN pins available to break out

15uA quiescent current

We sure love the ATmega328 here at Adafruit, and we use them a lot for our own projects. The processor has plenty of GPIO, Analog inputs, hardware UART SPI and I2C, timers and PWM galore - just enough for most simple projects. When we need to go small, we use a Pro Trinket 3V or 5V, but when size isn't as much of a concern, and a USB-serial converter is required, we reach for an Adafruit METRO.

METRO is the culmination of years of playing with AVRs: we wanted to make a development board that is easy to use and is hacker friendly.

ATmega328 brains - This popular chip has 32KB of flash (1/2 K is reserved for the bootloader), 2KB of RAM, clocked at 16MHz

Power the METRO with 7-9V polarity protected DC or the micro USB connector to any 5V USB source. The 2.1mm DC jack has an on/off switch next to it so you can turn off your setup easily. The METRO will automagically switch between USB and DC.

METRO has 20 GPIO pins, 6 of which are Analog in as well, and 2 of which are reserved for the USB-serial converter. There's also 6 PWMs available on 3 timers (1 x 16-bit, 2 x 8-bit). There's a hardware SPI port, hardware I2C port and hardware UART to USB.

GPIO Logic level is 5V but by cutting and soldering closed a jumper, you can easily convert it to 3.3V logic

USB to Serial converter, there's a hardware USB to Serial converter that can be used by any computer to listen/send data to the METRO, and can also be used to launch and update code via the bootloader

Four indicator LEDs, on the front edge of the PCB, for easy debugging. One green power LED, two RX/TX LEDs for the UART, and a red LED connected to pin PB5

Easy reprogramming, comes pre-loaded with the Optiboot bootloader, which is supported by avrdude and only uses 512 bytes.

Beautiful styling by PaintYourDragon and Bruce Yan, in Adafruit Black with gold plated pads.

Works with all Adafruit designed shields!

This version of the METRO 328 comes as a fully assembled and tested development board but without any headers attached. We do include some through-hole headers that you can solder on if you like, or you can solder wires or header directly to the breakout pads. We also include 4 rubber bumpers to keep it from slipping off your desk.

Mac & Windows People! Don't forget to grab & install the FTDI VCP drivers from FTDI to make the COM/Serial port show up right! The default drivers may not support this FTDI chip!

Using our muscles to control things is the way that most of us are accustomed to doing it. We push buttons, pull levers, move joysticks… but what if we could take the buttons, levers and joysticks out of the equation? This is the MyoWare Muscle Sensor, an Arduino-powered, all-in-one electromyography (EMG) sensor from Advancer Technologies. The MyoWare board acts by measuring the filtered and rectified electrical activity of a muscle; outputting 0-Vs Volts depending the amount of activity in the selected muscle, where Vs signifies the voltage of the power source. It’s that easy: stick on a few electrodes (not included), read the voltage out and flex some muscles!

The MyoWare Muscle Sensor is the latest revision of the Muscle Sensor of old, now with a new wearable design that allows you to attach biomedical sensor pads directly to the board itself getting rid of those pesky cables. This new board also includes a slew of other new features including, single-supply voltage of +3.1V to +5V, RAW EMG output, polarity protected power pins, indicator LEDs, and (finally) an On/Off switch. Additionally, we have developed a few shields (Cable, Power, and Proto) that can attach to the Myoware Muscle Sensor to help increase its versatility and functionality!

Measuring muscle activity by detecting its electric potential, referred to as electromyography (EMG), has traditionally been used for medical research. However, with the advent of ever shrinking yet more powerful microcontrollers and integrated circuits, EMG circuits and sensors have found their way into all kinds of control systems.

Note: Biomedical sensor pads can be found in the Recommended Products section below to be purchased separately.

Get Started with the MyoWare Muscle Sensor Guide

Features

Wearable Design

Single Supply

+2.9V to +5.7V

Polarity reversal protection

+2.9V to +5.7V

Polarity reversal protection

Two Output Modes

EMG Envelope

Raw EMG

EMG Envelope

Raw EMG

Expandable via Shields

LED Indicators

Specially Designed For Microcontrollers

Adjustable Gain

0.82" x 2.06"

The Particle Power Shield is the best way to—you guessed it—provide power to your mobile Particle projects. Based around the MCP73871 battery management controller, this shield allows you to simultaneously power a Photon and charge a connected Li-Ion or Li-Po battery. You'll also be able to monitor battery levels using the Photon itself, which makes the Power Shield the best way to untether your wireless project.

Besides the on-board USB port, you can also use an external DC power supply or solar-cell to charge the battery.

This shield ships with a 3.7V, 2000mAh Li-Po battery and headers. Plug & Play - No soldering required!

Designed for use with the Photon, backwards compatible with the Core.

This is the PurpleTooth Jamboree a full-function board, designed to provide audio bridge support through the A2DP, HFP, and AVRCP Bluetooth Classic profiles. The module is also dual mode which means it can operate as Bluetooth 2.1 or Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE). It includes circuitry for converting single-ended audio inputs and microphones to balanced inputs for the module, and converting the module’s balanced audio output to an amplified single-ended signal suitable for line-input and headphones. The PurpleTooth also includes buttons for pairing and sending audio commands to remote devices, battery charge circuitry, and six-pin serial headers pinned out for connecting to either FTDI basic boards or boards like the Arduino Pro, Pro Mini, and LilyPad.

Each PurpleTooth Jamboree comes standard with a BC127 Bluetooth module, an extremely competent and easy-to-use dual-mode Bluetooth radio. In command mode, any data coming in on the serial port is treated as commands and will be parsed accordingly by the module’s command interpreter. In data mode, any data arriving over the serial port will be directly piped out over the Bluetooth link, assuming that the module is connected to another device using the Serial Port Protocol.

The PurpleTooth is equipped with one Mic in / LINE in 3.5mm jack (with additional 4-pin through-hole mic adapters), one Headphone / LINE out 3.5mm jack (with additional 4-pin through-hole L/R speaker adapters), seven button volume, track, play and pair control, serial to micro and FTDI support, and a USB micro port for power and updating the firmware (you will need a 5V FTDI for serial commands).

This programmable module combines with a Raspberry Pi to serve as the control center of a small robot or electronics project. Its ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller comes preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader, and the board includes dual motor drivers that can deliver 1.7 A per channel to two brushed DC motors. An efficient voltage regulator (5.5 V to 36 V input) and level shifters enable it to power and communicate with a Raspberry Pi. This version (item #3119) is assembled with selected through-hole connectors and components installed for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on.

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV with Raspberry Pi Bridge, bottom view with dimensions.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV with Raspberry Pi Bridge is a programmable module well-suited for robotics applications, designed to work either as an auxiliary controller mounted to a Raspberry Pi or as a standalone control solution for a small robot. This A-Star (abbreviated A*) is based on the ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller from Microchip (formerly Atmel), which has built-in USB functionality, and it ships with a preloaded Arduino-compatible bootloader. Its complement of peripheral hardware includes dual motor drivers capable of delivering a continuous 1.7 A per channel, along with pushbuttons, LEDs, and an optional buzzer for building a user interface. An efficient switching voltage regulator allows the controller to work over a wide range of input voltages (5.5 V to 36 V).

The robot controller board conforms to the Raspberry Pi HAT specification, allowing it to be used as an add-on for a Raspberry Pi with a 40-pin GPIO header (Model B+ or newer, including Pi 3 Model B and Model A+). On-board level shifters make it easy to set up I²C communication and interface other signals between the two controllers, and the A-Star 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 A-Star for low-level tasks like reading analog sensors and controlling timing-sensitive devices (e.g. servos).

We provide a library that helps establish communication between the A-Star and a Raspberry Pi, as well as a tutorial that demonstrates how to use the library and its included example code to build such a robot.

Our comprehensive user’s guide provides the basics you need to get started with the A-Star as well as detailed technical information for advanced users.

This product requires a USB A to Micro-B cable (not included) to connect to a computer.

Driving motors with an A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV with Raspberry Pi Bridge on a Raspberry Pi Model B+ or Pi 2 Model B.

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV (5.5 V to 36 V) configurations:

Item #3118: Surface mount components only (no through-hole components or mounting hardware)

Item #3119: Assembled with selected through-hole components for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on (Raspberry Pi mounting hardware included)

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller LV (2.7 V to 11 V) configurations:

Item #3116: Surface mount components only (no through-hole components or mounting hardware)

Item #3117: Assembled with selected through-hole components for use as a Raspberry Pi add-on (Raspberry Pi mounting hardware included)

Dimensions: 65 mm × 56 mm (2.6″ × 2.2″)

Programmable ATmega32U4 MCU with 32 KB flash, 2.5 KB SRAM, 1 KB EEPROM, and native full-speed USB (clocked by precision 16 MHz crystal oscillator)

Preloaded with Arduino-compatible bootloader (no external programmer required)

All 26 general-purpose I/O lines from the ATmega32U4 are broken out (including PB0, PD5, and PE2); 7 of these can be used as hardware PWM outputs and 12 of these can be used as analog inputs (some I/O lines are used by on-board hardware)

Convenient 0.1″-spaced power, ground, and signal connection points

Dual bidirectional MAX14870 motor drivers (1.7 A continuous per channel, 2.5 A peak per channel)

Buzzer option for simple sounds and music

3 user-controllable LEDs

3 user pushbuttons

Reset button

Level shifters for interfacing 5 V logic to 3.3 V Raspberry Pi

Power features:

5 V power can be sourced from USB or from 5.5 V to 36 V external supply through on-board regulator (with several access points for connecting external power)

Switching 5 V regulator enables efficient operation

Power switch for external power inputs

Reverse-voltage protection on external power inputs

Power selection circuit allows for seamless switching between power sources while providing overcurrent protection, and feedback about which power source is selected

Provides 5 V power to Raspberry Pi

5 V power can be sourced from USB or from 5.5 V to 36 V external supply through on-board regulator (with several access points for connecting external power)

Switching 5 V regulator enables efficient operation

Power switch for external power inputs

Reverse-voltage protection on external power inputs

Power selection circuit allows for seamless switching between power sources while providing overcurrent protection, and feedback about which power source is selected

Provides 5 V power to Raspberry Pi

6-pin ISP header for use with an external programmer

Comprehensive user’s guide

A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV with Raspberry Pi Bridge with included hardware.

This version of the A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller SV with Raspberry Pi Bridge (5.5 V to 36 V input voltage) is assembled with selected through-hole connectors and components for use as a Raspberry Pi expansion board, as shown in the picture above. A 2×20-pin 0.1″ female header is preinstalled to serve as a Raspberry Pi GPIO connector, and a 6-pin strip of terminal blocks and a DC power jack are mounted for motor and power connections. A buzzer is also installed, along with two 2×1-pin male headers and shorting blocks for the buzzer and battery level jumpers.

This version ships with a set of four M2.5 standoffs (11 mm length), screws, and nuts that can be used to secure the board to the Raspberry Pi at the proper height for the GPIO connector.

For a version with SMT components only, making it more suitable for standalone use and allowing customization of through-hole components, see item #3118. For example, if you want to continue to have access to the Raspberry Pi’s 40 GPIO pins while the A-Star is plugged in, you can get the SMT-only version and install a stackable 2×20-pin female header.

A major feature of the A* Robot Controller SV is its power system, which allows it to efficiently operate from a 5.5 V to 36 V external source and provide power to an attached Raspberry Pi. The input voltage is regulated to 5 V by an MP4423H switching step-down (buck) converter from Monolithic Power Systems. (We also make a standalone regulator based on this integrated circuit.)

As shown in the left graph below, the SV’s 5 V switching regulator has an efficiency – defined as (Power out)/(Power in) – of 80% to 95% for most combinations of input voltage and load.

The A-Star’s components, including the microcontroller and LEDs, draw 30 mA to 40 mA in typical applications (without the buzzer). The rest of the regulator’s achievable output current, which depends on input voltage as well as ambient conditions, can be used to power other devices; this can include an attached Raspberry Pi (which typically draws a few hundred milliamps). The green line in the right graph above shows the output currents where the regulator’s output voltage drops below 4.75 V. These currents are close to the limits of the regulator’s capability and generally cannot be sustained for long periods; under typical operating conditions, a safe limit for the maximum continuous regulator output current is 60% to 70% of the values shown in the graph.

The dropout voltage of a step-down regulator is defined as the minimum amount by which the input voltage must exceed the regulator’s target output voltage in order to assure the target output can be achieved. As can be seen in the graph below, the dropout voltage of the Robot Controller SV’s regulator increases approximately linearly with the output current. For light loads where the dropout voltage is small, the board can operate almost down to 5 V. However, for larger loads, the dropout voltage should be taken into consideration when selecting a power supply; operating above 6 V will ensure the full output current is available.

Note: Batteries can have much higher voltages than their nominal voltages when fully charged, so be careful with nominal voltages above 24 V. A 36 V battery is not appropriate for this product.

Like our other A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers, the A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller ships with a preloaded Arduino-compatible bootloader (which uses 4 KB of flash memory, leaving 28 KB available for the user program). We provide a software add-on that enables the board to be easily programmed from the Arduino environment and an Arduino library to make it easy to use the additional on-board hardware.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller has the same microcontroller as the Arduino Leonardo and Arduino Micro, and it runs at the same frequency, so most code examples intended for those boards should also work on the A-Star.

The A-Star 32U4 Robot Controller is a part of our larger A-Star 32U4 family, all of whose members are based on the same ATmega32U4 microcontroller, feature native USB interfaces, and are preloaded with Arduino-compatible bootloaders. The table below shows some key features and specifications of our A-Star microcontroller boards to help you choose the right one for your application.

People often buy this product together with:

Your 5V system can wield great power with this big, beefy relay board. How does 10A on the NC contacts and 20A on the NO contacts at 220VAC sound? The SparkFun Beefcake Relay Control Kit contains all the parts you need to get your high-power load under control. Only minimal assembly is required!

The heart of the board is a sealed, SPDT 20A/10A Relay. The relay is controlled by 5V logic through a transistor, and an LED tells you when the relay is closed. This is a kit, so it comes as through-hole parts with assembly required, which makes for some nice soldering practice. Screw terminal connectors on either side of the board make it easy to incorporate into your project.

There are some pretty beefy traces connecting the relay to the load pins, but the 3-pin terminals are only rated for 15A max! If you plan on connecting a larger load, you’ll need to solder directly to the board. As always with high current and voltage, play it safe and use your judgment when deciding how much of a load you want to put on a board – in open airflow the PCB can handle the full 20A for a few minutes at a time, but in an enclosed area heat can build up.

Note: Please keep in mind that this board is really meant for someone with experience and good knowledge of electricity. If you’re uncomfortable soldering or dealing with high voltage, please check out the PowerSwitch Tail II. The PowerSwitch Tail II is fully enclosed, making it a lot safer.

Get Started With the Beefcake Hookup & Assembly Guide

Features

Voltage Rating: 220VAC/28VDC

VCC requirements: 4-6V, 150mA capable

SPDT pins exposed (Form C)

14 AWG screw terminals for relay connections.

10 AWG solder lugs for relay connections.

Flyback diode included

Zener recovery diode included (decreases turn-off time)

Heavy 2 oz. copper on PCB

Design a clock, timer or counter into your next project using our pretty 4-digit seven-segment display. These bright crisp displays are good for adding numeric output. Besides the four 7-segments, there are decimal points on each digit and an extra wire for colon-dots in the center (good for time-based projects).These are 18mcd bright. You can drive these with less current to get the same brightness to save power, or crank them up to 20mA and have them at their brightest.These displays are multiplexed, common-cathode. What that means it that you can use a 74HC595 or just 8 microcontroller pins if you can spare them to control the 8 anodes (7-seg + decimal) at about ~15mA each, and then connect NPN transistors or a TPIC6B595 to the cathodes to sink the 8*15mA = ~160mA maximum per digit.

We strongly recommend getting our backpack version, which comes with an LED driver on the back. This version is just the raw display, and requires a lot more work to get running!These come in a bright red color, we also have many other sizes and colors!

Design a clock, timer or counter into your next project using our pretty 4-digit seven-segment display. These bright crisp displays are good for adding numeric output. Besides the four 7-segments, there are decimal points on each digit and an extra wire for colon-dots in the center (good for time-based projects).These are 15mcd bright. You can drive these with less current to get the same brightness to save power, or crank them up to 20mA and have them at their brightest.These displays are multiplexed, common-cathode. What that means it that you can use a 74HC595 or just 8 microcontroller pins if you can spare them to control the 8 anodes (7-seg + decimal) at about ~15mA each, and then connect NPN transistors or a TPIC6B595 to the cathodes to sink the 8*15mA = ~120mA maximum per digit.

We strongly recommend getting our backpack version, which comes with an LED driver on the back. This version is just the raw display, and requires a lot more work to get running!

These come in a bright blue color, we also have many other sizes and colors!

Design a clock, timer or counter into your next project using our pretty 4-digit seven-segment display. These bright crisp displays are good for adding numeric output. Besides the four 7-segments, there are decimal points on each digit and an extra wire for colon-dots in the center (good for time-based projects).These are 30mcd bright. You can drive these with less current to get the same brightness to save power, or crank them up to 20mA and have them at their brightest.These displays are multiplexed, common-cathode. What that means it that you can use a 74HC595 or just 8 microcontroller pins if you can spare them to control the 8 anodes (7-seg + decimal) at about ~15mA each, and then connect NPN transistors or a TPIC6B595 to the cathodes to sink the 8*15mA = ~120mA maximum per digit.

We strongly recommend getting our backpack version, which comes with an LED driver on the back. This version is just the raw display, and requires a lot more work to get running!

These come in a bright white color, we also have many other sizes and colors!

Round and round and round they go! 16 ultra bright smart LED NeoPixels are arranged in a circle with 1.75" (44.5mm) outer diameter. The rings are 'chainable' - connect the output pin of one to the input pin of another. 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.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 ring with 16 individually addressable RGB LEDs assembled and tested.

For those of us who are maybe a little tired of rainbows, we now have 'smart LEDs' in monochrome! Make your own smart Cool White LED arrangement with the same integrated LED dr that is used in our new fancy DotStar strips.  Unlit, the color resembles a yellow Starburst. Lit up these are insanely bright (like ow my eye hurts) and can be controlled with 24 bit high-frequency PWM. The phosphor helps diffuse the 3 white dies inside together for a very bright but consistant light, compared to what you get by trying to mix RGB to make white (which never quite looks right)

This tiny 5050 (5mm x 5mm) SMD LED is fairly easy to solder and is the most compact way possible to integrate multiple bright LEDs to a design. If you want to prototype with these, we recommend our 5050-size LED breakout PCBs, solder them on for a breadboard-friendly package

They're also a great upgrade for people who have loved and used NeoPixels for a few years but want to use the same kind of technology for monochromatic lighting. DotStar LEDs use generic 2-wire SPI, so you can push data much faster than with the NeoPixel 800 KHz protocol and there's no specific timing required. They also have much higher PWM refresh rates, so you can do Persistence-of-Vision (POV) and have less flickering, particularly at low brightness levels.

Like NeoPixels, DotStar LEDs are 5050-sized LEDs with an embedded microcontroller inside the LED. You can set the brightness of each of 3 individual cool white dies epoxied into the case. Each LED acts like a shift register, reading incoming data on the input pins, and then shifting the previous data out on the output pin. By sending a long string of data, you can control an infinite number of LEDs, just tack on more or disconnect unwanted LEDs at the end. The PWM is built into each LED-chip so once you set the brightness you can stop talking to the strip and it will continue to PWM all the LEDs for you.

Another nice thing about DotStars is their high PWM rate. You only have to set the brightness data for each pixel LED once, and then the LED+built-in-chip will handle the PWMing. On NeoPixels, this PWM rate happens 400 Hz, which works well but is noticably at lower brightnesses and if the strip is moving in any way.  DotStars have a 20 KHz PWM rate, so even when moving the LED around, you won't see the pixelation, the blending is very smooth.

Comes in a package with 10 individual LEDs.

We have a tutorial showing wiring, power usage calculations, example code for usage, etc. for DotStars Please check it out! Please note that the tutorial and code talk about RGB, but of course, this LED is just WWW, three individual white LEDs instead.

For those of us who are maybe a little tired of rainbows, we now have 'smart LEDs' in monochrome! Make your own smart Cool White LED arrangement with the same integrated LED driver that is used in our NeoPixel LED strips.  Unlit, the color resembles a yellow Starburst. Lit up these are insanely bright (like ow my eye hurts) and can be controlled with 24 bit high-frequency PWM. The phosphor helps diffuse the 3 white dies inside together for a very bright but consistant light, compared to what you get by trying to mix RGB to make white (which never quite looks right)

This tiny 5050 (5mm x 5mm) SMD LED is fairly easy to solder and is the most compact way possible to integrate multiple bright LEDs to a design. If you want to prototype with these, we recommend our 5050-size LED breakout PCBs, solder them on for a breadboard-friendly package

NeoPixel LEDs use 800 KHz protocol so specific timing is required. On NeoPixels, the PWM rate is 400 Hz, which works well but is noticable if the LED is moving. In comparison, DotStars have a 20 KHz PWM rate, so even when moving the LED around, you won't see the pixelation, the blending is very smooth. (we recommend DotStars if you can use them!)

NeoPixels are 5050-sized LEDs with an embedded microcontroller inside the LED. You can set the brightness of each of 3 individual cool white dies epoxied into the case. Each LED acts like a shift register, reading incoming data on the input pins, and then shifting the previous data out on the output pin. By sending a long string of data, you can control an infinite number of LEDs, just tack on more or disconnect unwanted LEDs at the end. The PWM is built into each LED-chip so once you set the brightness you can stop talking to the strip and it will continue to PWM all the LEDs for you.

Comes in a package with 10 individual LEDs.

We have a tutorial showing wiring, power usage calculations, example code for usage, etc. for NeoPixel Please check it out! Please note that the tutorial and code talk about RGB, but of course, this LED is just WWW, three individual white LEDs instead.

For those of us who are maybe a little tired of rainbows, we now have 'smart LEDs' in monochrome! Make your own smart Warm White LED arrangement with the same integrated LED driver that is used in our new fancy DotStar strips.  Unlit, the color resembles an egg yolk. Lit up these are insanely bright (like ow my eye hurts) and can be controlled with 24 bit high-frequency PWM. The phosphor helps diffuse the 3 white dies inside together for a very bright but consistant light, compared to what you get by trying to mix RGB to make white (which never quite looks right)

This tiny 5050 (5mm x 5mm) SMD LED is fairly easy to solder and is the most compact way possible to integrate multiple bright LEDs to a design. If you want to prototype with these, we recommend our 5050-size LED breakout PCBs, solder them on for a breadboard-friendly package

They're also a great upgrade for people who have loved and used NeoPixels for a few years but want to use the same kind of technology for monochromatic lighting. DotStar LEDs use generic 2-wire SPI, so you can push data much faster than with the NeoPixel 800 KHz protocol and there's no specific timing required. They also have much higher PWM refresh rates, so you can do Persistence-of-Vision (POV) and have less flickering, particularly at low brightness levels.

Like NeoPixels, DotStar LEDs are 5050-sized LEDs with an embedded microcontroller inside the LED. You can set the brightness of each of 3 individual cool white dies epoxied into the case. Each LED acts like a shift register, reading incoming data on the input pins, and then shifting the previous data out on the output pin. By sending a long string of data, you can control an infinite number of LEDs, just tack on more or disconnect unwanted LEDs at the end. The PWM is built into each LED-chip so once you set the brightness you can stop talking to the strip and it will continue to PWM all the LEDs for you.

Another nice thing about DotStars is their high PWM rate. You only have to set the brightness data for each pixel LED once, and then the LED+built-in-chip will handle the PWMing. On NeoPixels, this PWM rate happens 400 Hz, which works well but is noticably at lower brightnesses and if the strip is moving in any way.  DotStars have a 20 KHz PWM rate, so even when moving the LED around, you won't see the pixelation, the blending is very smooth.

Comes in a package with 10 individual LEDs.

We have a tutorial showing wiring, power usage calculations, example code for usage, etc. for DotStars Please check it out! Please note that the tutorial and code talk about RGB, but of course, this LED is just WWW, three individual white LEDs instead.

So much power and light from such a small package. This 5 pack of “Cool” white 3 Watt aluminum backed PCBs is sure to shed a lot of light on any project you add it to. These LEDs act as any other LED except these little guys require much more power while delivering a light as intense of a thousand suns going super nova (this is an exaggeration but you know what we mean)!

Each LED in the pack sits upon an aluminum backed PCB to help with heat dissipation and emits a cool white light. Additionally, each LED requires a forward voltage of 3.2-3.8V at 750mA.

Note: We like to joke around about super novas and all, but seriously, don’t look directly into the LED.

Features

Forward Voltage: 3.2-3.8V

Forward Current: 750mA

Viewing angle: 125±5 Degrees

Luminous Intensity: 160-240LM

Temperature Color: 6000-7000K

So much power and light from such a small package. This 5 pack of red 3 Watt aluminum backed PCBs is sure to shed a lot of light on any project you add it to. These LEDs act as any other LED except these little guys require much more power while delivering a light as intense of a thousand suns going super nova (this is an exaggeration but you know what we mean)!

Each LED in the pack sits upon an aluminum backed PCB to help with heat dissipation and emits a vibrant red light. Additionally, each LED requires a forward voltage of 2.0-2.8V at 750mA.

Note: We like to joke around about super novas and all, but seriously, don’t look directly into the LED.

Features

Forward Voltage: 2.0-2.8V

Forward Current: 750mA

Viewing angle: 125±5 Degrees

Luminous Intensity: 75-105LM

Wavelength: 620-630nm

A button is a button, and an LED is a LED, but this LED illuminated button is a lovely combination of both! It's a medium sized button, large enough to press easily but not too big that it gets in the way of your project panel. It has a built in LED that can be controlled separately from the switch action - either to indicate or just to look good.The body is a black plastic with the LED built inside. There are two contacts for the button and two contacts for the LED, one marked + and one -. The forward voltage of the LED is about 2.2V so connect a 220 to 1000 ohm resistor in series just as you would with any other LED to your 3V or higher power supply.This particular button has a red body and LED and is momentary, normally open. The two switch contacts are not connected normally. When you push the button they will temporarily connect until the button is released. The LED is separated from the button, so you can make it light up when pressed, light up when not pressed, always lit, etc.

16mm Illuminated Pushbuttons (7:54)

The AM2302 is a wired version of the DHT22, in a large plastic body. It is a basic, low-cost digital temperature and humidity sensor. It uses a capacitive humidity sensor and a thermistor to measure the surrounding air, and spits out a digital signal on the data pin (no analog input pins needed). Its fairly simple to use, but requires careful timing to grab data. The only real downside of this sensor is you can only get new data from it once every 2 seconds, so when using our library, sensor readings can be up to 2 seconds old.Simply connect the red 3-5V power, the yellow wire to your data input pin and the black wire to ground. Although it uses a single-wire to send data it is not Dallas One Wire compatible! If you want multiple sensors, each one must have its own data pin.

We have a Adafruit Learning System guide with schematics, Arduino & CircuitPython code, datasheets and more!Compared to the DHT11, this sensor is more precise, more accurate and works in a bigger range of temperature/humidity, but its larger and more expensiveThere is a 5.1K resistor inside the sensor connecting VCC and DATA so you do not need any additional pullup resistors

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:

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.

If you didn't think that the Raspberry Pi Zero could possibly get any better, then boy do we have a pleasant surprise for you! The new Raspberry Pi Zero W offers all the benefits of the Pi Zero v1.3, but with one big difference – built-in WiFi!

More specifically, this giant upgrade is the addition of a BCM43143 WiFi chip BUILT-IN to your Raspberry Pi Zero – just like the Pi 3! No more pesky WiFi adapters - this Pi is WiFi ready. There’s also Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) on board making the Pi an excellent IoT solution (BLE support is still in the works, software-wise).

We also have a basic pack, budget pack and starter pack with all the essentials to get your Zero W up and running.

Note: Due to popular demand, there might be some delay in shipping products containing Pi Zero W!

At first glance, the Pi Zero W looks just like the Raspberry Pi Zero v1.3 we know and love. But when we started to think of the added convenience of not having to worry about hooking up a WiFi dongle or Ethernet cable - and what a well-chosen set of accessories could add - we realized the appeal. And then we saw the price...could it be true? Yes!

This is the slimmest, most pared down Raspberry Pi to date. It's kind of like the little cousin to the Pi 3 - with just a micro SD card slot, a mini HDMI port, two micro USB ports (one for power, one for USB), and 512MB of RAM. It has a single-core 1 GHz processor chip, similar to the Pi A+ and B+.

The best part about all this is that the Pi Zero W keeps the same shape, connectors, and mounting holes as the Pi Zero v1.3. 99% of cases and accessories will still be fully compatible with both the Pi Zero W and v1.3 - though if you have a case with a metal top there might be some WiFi chip difficulties.

Please note - even though there's built-in WiFi, the Pi Zero W is quite minimal and requires a few accessories to turn it into a computer! At a minimum we recommend:

A good quality 5V power supply - Either a 5V 2A with cable or combine a  5V 1A power supply and a Micro B USB cable - this will allow you to power the Zero from a wall adaper. It is not suggested to power the Zero from a computer USB port as the voltage often sags and can cause SD card corruption!

4GB+ SD Card with Operating System - You can grab a ready-to-go Raspbian card that has the correct firmware for the Zero here. Or you can pick up an 8G card with NOOBS 2.0. Or use a blank 4G SD card and burn in Raspbian Wheezy and update the firmware. Make sure you have the latest version!

Mini HDMI to HDMI Adapter - Will let you convert the little port on the Zero to a standard sized HDMI jack. You can get 1080P HDMI video + audio out of this little computer!

USB OTG Cable - Lets you plug in a normal USB device such as WiFi dongle, USB hub, keyboard, mouse, etc into the Zero.

USB Console cable - if you're not going to stick an HDMI monitor on there, then this is essential, you connect the wires to the GPIO pins and log in over a serial console. Its the easiest & fastest way to get on your Pi

2x20 Male header strip - Solder this in to plug in Pi HATs, GPIO cables, etc as you would into a normal Pi. (We also have a 2x20 Female and 2x20 Female right-angle style for more exotic connecting)

To keep the price and size as small as possible, there is a spot on the Zero for a 2x20 pin header. This header is not included or soldered on. Creative individuals can easily solder in a set of 2x20 male header strip so you can plug in any sort of Pi HAT or other plug-in topper.  Or, go with a 2x20 female header and plug the Pi Zero directly into an Adafruit Cobbler or T-Cobbler.  

We also strongly recommend some other parts and pieces to make your Pi Zero computing experience easier:

Adafruit Pi Zero Enclosure - Adafruit's classic, sturdy plastic enclosure. Keeps your Pi Zero safe and sleek.

Pi Zero Protector - Keep your Pi Zero safe while handling with this simple sandwich-style acrylic case.

USB Powered Hub - So you can plug in any kind of USB devices without overloading the Zero's power supply. (You can also, ironically, power the Zero from the hub itself by plugging in a micro USB cable into the hub)

Mini Wireless Keyboard w/Trackpad - Requires only one USB port, which makes it a great match for the Pi Zero

Wireless Keyboard + Mouse set - Also requires only one USB port, but for everyday use.

Pi Cobbler or T-Cobbler - When paired with the male or female 2x20 pin header, you can use your Zero with a breadboard to connect sensors, LEDs, motors and more!

Ethernet Hub and USB Hub w/ Micro USB OTG Connector - One can never have enough socks, or USB ports. Add some more USB and Ethernet capability to your Raspberry Pi Zero if you're an Ethernet enthusiast!

Please note: Some boards are made in the UK, some in China. WE DO NOT KNOW IN ADVANCE WHICH ONES YOU MAY RECEIVE!

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.

The Terminal Block Breakout FeatherWing kit is like the Golden Eagle of prototyping FeatherWings (eg. majestic, powerful, good-looking). To start, you get a nice prototyping area underneath your Feather, with extra pads for ground, 3.3V and SDA/SCL. Not one to stop there, we expanded the PCB out to 2" x 2.5" with 3.5mm pitch terminal blocks down each side. There's also four mounting holes so you can attach the breakout to your enclosure or project.

This product works with all our Feathers! The terminal blocks allow you to connect to any of the external Feather pins, great for wiring temporary or permanent installations. We also give you a few extra terminal block pins for ground and 3.3V connections since those are so useful.

Finally, there's a slide switch, which connects the EN pin to ground when in the 'off' position, cutting off the 3.3V regulator. Note that the FONA Feather uses both VBat and 3.3V as power supplies so you wont be able to fully turn off the FONA Feather with this switch.

Note: As of Thursday, December 15th 2016, this product now comes fully assembled! Plug in your Feather and you're ready to go immediately.

Also, the terminal blocks included with your product may be blue or black.

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!

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 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!

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"

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 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:

Convert just about any battery pack to 5V with VERTER - our fresh new Buck-Boost power converter. VERTER can take battery voltages from 3-12VDC and output a nice 5V DC, which makes it a perfect universal power supply for your portable project! Where Verter really shines is when you have a battery or power range that can fluctuate a lot, or you don't know what you'll end up using.

It operates smoothly over the 3-12V range, moving from a boost converter (3-5V in) to a buck converter (5-12V in) on the fly. Please note! This chip can do both, but it really works better as a buck converter than a boost. If you need a full 500mA out, it will struggle as it gets down to 3V and the output will sag to about 4.8V (which is still within standard USB power specs). If you only need something to boost a voltage up to 5V and you want it to be really good at it, check out our PowerBoost series, which excel at that.

Like our popular 5V 1A USB wall adapter, we tweaked the output to be 5.2V instead of a straight-up 5.0V so that there's a little bit of 'headroom' long cables, high draw, the addition of a diode on the output if you wish, etc. The 5.2V is safe for all 5V-powered electronics like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or Beagle Bone while preventing icky brown-outs during high current draw because of USB cable resistance.The VERTER has at the heart a TPS63060 boost converter from TI. This buck-boost converter chip can handle a wide range of voltages (3-12V) and has some really nice extras such as power good output, 2A internal switch, synchronous conversion, excellent efficiency, and 2.2MHz high-frequency operation. Check out these specs!

Synchronous operation means you can disconnect the output completely by connecting the ENable pin to ground. This will completely turn off the output

2A internal switch means you can get out 500mA from as low as 3V, and at least 1000mA from inputs as high 12V

On-board 500mA charge-rate 'Apple/iOS' data resistors. Solder in the included USB connector and you can plug in any iPhone or iPod for 500mA charge rate. Not suggested for iPad (which really needs 1A charge rate).

Full breakout for battery in, control pins and power out

90%+ operating efficiency in most cases (see datasheet for efficiency graphs), and low quiescent current: 5mA when enabled and power LED is on, 20uA when disabled (power and low batt LED are off)

Great for powering your robot, Arduino project, single-board-computer such as Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone from a wide variety of inputs. We especially like it for use with 4 x AA batteries, which can range from 7V for fresh alkalines down to 4V for nearly-dead rechargeables. If you're only going to be using voltages higher than 6V, we recommend our UBEC step-down. If you're only going to be using voltages under 5V, check out the PowerBoost 500 which has much better boosting capability

Each order comes with one fully assembled and tested PCB, 2 pin terminal block, and a loose USB A jack. If you are powering your project from USB, solder the USB A jack in (a 3-minute soldering task). If you would like to use a terminal block, pick up a 3.5mm 2pin block here and solder to the output spot where the USB jack would go. The terminal block goes on the input side, so  you can easily connect and disconnect a battery pack. Or don't solder anything in for a more compact power pack. 

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

PowerBoost 500C is the perfect power supply for your portable project! With a built-in battery charger circuit, you'll be able to keep your project running even while recharging the battery! This little DC/DC boost converter module can be powered by any 3.7V LiIon/LiPoly battery, and convert the battery output to 5.2V DC for running your 5V projects.

If you need a 1A battery charger, smart load-sharing, and 1A iOS resistors, check out the Powerboost 1000C

Like our popular 5V 1A USB wall adapter, we tweaked the output to be 5.2V instead of a straight-up 5.0V so that there's a little bit of 'headroom' for long cables, high draw, the addition of a diode on the output if you wish, etc. The 5.2V is safe for all 5V-powered electronics like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or Beagle Bone while preventing icky brown-outs during high current draw because of USB cable resistance.

The PowerBoost 500C has at the heart a TPS61090 boost converter from TI. This boost converter chip has some really nice extras such as low battery detection, 2A internal switch, synchronous conversion, excellent efficiency, and 700KHz high-frequency operation. Check out these specs!

Synchronous operation means you can disconnect the output completely by connecting the ENable pin to ground. This will completely turn off the output

2A internal switch (~2.5A peak limiting) means you can get 500mA+ from a 3.7V LiPoly/LiIon battery. We had no problem drawing 1000mA, just make sure your battery can handle it!

Low battery indicator LED lights up red when the voltage dips below 3.2V, optimized for LiPo/LiIon battery usage

Onboard 500mA charge-rate 'iOS' data resistors. Solder in the USB connector and you can plug in any iPhone or iPod for 500mA charge rate. Not suggested for large iPads.

Full breakout for battery in, control pins and power out

90%+ operating efficiency in most cases (see datasheet for efficiency graphs), and low quiescent current: 5mA when enabled and power LED is on, 20uA when disabled (power and low batt LED are off)

To make this even more useful, we stuck a MicroLipo charger on the other side. The charger circuitry is powered from a microUSB jack, and will recharge any 3.7V/4.2V LiIon or LiPoly battery at 500mA max rate. There's two LEDs for monitoring the charge rate, a yellow one tells you its working, a green one lights up when its done. You can charge and boost at the same time no problem, without any interruption on the output so its fine for use as a "UPS" (un-interruptable power supply) for a low-current draw device. Just be aware that the charge rate is 500mA max, so if you're drawing more than ~300mA continuously from the 5V output side, the battery will slowly drain since the charge rate is less than the dis-charge rate.

Great for powering your robot, Arduino project, single-board-computer such as Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone! Each order comes with one fully assembled and tested PCB and a loose USB A jack. If you are powering your project from USB, solder the USB A jack in (a 3-minute soldering task). If you would like to use a terminal block, pick up a 3.5mm 2pin block here and solder to the output spot where the USB jack would go. Or don't solder anything in for a more compact power pack.

Each order comes with a fully assembled and tested PowerBoost 500C + USB jack. Does not come with a Lipoly or LiIon battery, but we have tons in the shop, just pick one with more than 500mAh of capacity. Also doesn't come with the nice iPhone or charger cable. You can also grab a switch that can be soldered in to create an output on/off switch. Be sure to read our lovely tutorial for details, schematics, and more!

If you're trying to figure out how much current your project is using, check out the CHARGER DOCTOR!

PowerBoost is the perfect power supply for your power-hungry portable project! This little DC/DC boost converter module can run from 1.8V batteries or higher, and convert that voltage to 5.2V DC for running your 5V projects. With a beefy 4A DC/DC converter, it can give you 1A+ from as low as 2V. Like our popular 5V 1A USB wall adapter, we tweaked the output to be 5.2V instead of a straight-up 5.0V so that there's a little bit of 'headroom' long cables, high draw, the addition of a diode on the output if you wish, etc. The 5.2V is safe for all 5V-powered electronics like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or Beagle Bone while preventing icky brown-outs during high current draw because of USB cable resistance.

The PowerBoost 1000 has at the heart a TPS61030 boost converter from TI. This boost converter chip has some really nice extras such as low battery detection, 4A internal switch, synchronous conversion, excellent efficiency, and 700KHz high-frequency operation. Check out these specs!

Synchronous operation means you can disconnect the output completely by connecting the ENable pin to ground. This will completely turn off the output

4A internal switch means you can get 1000mA+ from as low as 1.8V, 1500mA+ from 2 NiMH or Alkaline batteries, and at least 2000mA from a 3.7V LiPoly/LiIon battery or 3 NiMH/Alkalines. Just make sure your batteries can actually supply the required 2-4A, OK?

Low battery indicator LED lights up red when the voltage dips below 3.2V, optimized for the most common usage of LiPo/LiIon battery usage

On-board 1000mA charge-rate 'Apple/iOS' data resistors. Solder in the included USB connector and you can plug in any iPhone or iPod for a speedy 1000mA charge rate. Works with iPads, both mini and 'classic' type.

Full breakout for battery in, control pins and power out

90%+ operating efficiency in most cases (see datasheet for efficiency graphs), and low quiescent current: 5mA when enabled and power LED is on, 20uA when disabled (power and low batt LED are off)

Great for powering your robot, Arduino project, single-board-computer such as Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone! Each order comes with one fully assembled and tested PCB, a loose 2-PH JST jack, a 2-pin Terminal block and a loose USB A jack.

If you are powering your project from USB, solder the USB A jack in (a 3-minute soldering task). Then choose either JST for input (JST is often used for our LiIon batteries, but the connector is only rated for 2A) or a terminal block. 

The 1000 version comes with a 2-pin terminal block so you can solder it to the output spot where the USB jack would go. Or don't solder any connectors in for a more compact power pack and go with 22AWG wires soldered directly in.

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

PowerBoost 1000C is the perfect power supply for your portable project! With a built-in load-sharing battery charger circuit, you'll be able to keep your power-hungry project running even while recharging the battery! This little DC/DC boost converter module can be powered by any 3.7V LiIon/LiPoly battery, and convert the battery output to 5.2V DC for running your 5V projects.

If you dont need the 1A battery charger, smart load-sharing, or 1A iOS resistors, check out the Powerboost 500CLike our popular 5V 1A USB wall adapter, we tweaked the output to be 5.2V instead of a straight-up 5.0V so that there's a little bit of 'headroom' for long cables, high draw, the addition of a diode on the output if you wish, etc. The 5.2V is safe for all 5V-powered electronics like Arduino, Raspberry Pi, or Beagle Bone while preventing icky brown-outs during high current draw because of USB cable resistance.

The PowerBoost 1000C has at the heart a TPS61090 boost converter from TI. This boost converter chip has some really nice extras such as low battery detection, 2A internal switch, synchronous conversion, excellent efficiency, and 700KHz high-frequency operation. Check out these specs!

Synchronous operation means you can disconnect the output completely by connecting the ENable pin to ground. This will completely turn off the output

2A internal switch (~2.5A peak limiting) means you can get 1000mA+ from a 3.7V LiPoly/LiIon battery. Just make sure your battery can handle it!

Low battery indicator LED lights up red when the voltage dips below 3.2V, optimized for LiPo/LiIon battery usage

Onboard 1000mA charge-rate 'iOS' data resistors. Solder in the USB connector and you can plug in any iPad, iPhone or iPod for 1000mA charge rate.

Full breakout for battery in, control pins and power out

90%+ operating efficiency in most cases (see datasheet for efficiency graphs), and low quiescent current: 5mA when enabled and power LED is on, 20uA when disabled (power and low batt LED are off)

To make this even more useful, we stuck a smart load-sharing Lipoly charger on the other side. The charger circuitry is powered from a microUSB jack, and will recharge any 3.7V/4.2V LiIon or LiPoly battery at 1000mA max rate. There's two LEDs for monitoring the charge rate, a yellow one tells you its working, a green one lights up when its done.

Since the built-in battery charger has load-sharing, it will automatically switch over to the USB power when available, instead of continuously charging/draining the battery. This is more efficient, and lets you charge-and-boost at the same time without any interruption on the output so its fine for use as a "UPS" (un-interruptable power supply).

Just be aware that the charge rate is 1000mA max, and there's some inefficiency during the boosting stage, so make super sure that the USB adapter you're using to charge with is high quality, can supply 2A and has thick power wires. This one from Adafruit is ideal and has been tested, lower quality ones will not act well due to the voltage drop on the wires or droop on the power supply. This is especially true if you're actually drawing 1000mA out of the PowerBoost 1000C, the MCP73871 maxes out at 1.8A.You do have to always have a LiPo plugged into manage the load spikes, it's not optional!

This charger-booster is great for powering your robot, Arduino project, single-board-computer such as Raspberry Pi or BeagleBone! Each order comes with one fully assembled and tested PCB and a loose USB A jack. If you are powering your project from USB, solder the USB A jack in (a 3-minute soldering task). If you would like to use a terminal block, pick up a 3.5mm 2pin block here and solder to the output spot where the USB jack would go. Or dont solder anything in for a more compact power pack.

If you're trying to figure out how much current your project is using, check out the CHARGER DOCTOR!

You may get an off-white or black JST connector.

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.

This is the SparkFun MOSFET Power Control Kit, a breakout PTH soldering kit for for the RFP30N06LE N-Channel MOSFET. This kit is extremely simple to assemble with only 10 pins to solder. If you are looking for a little more control over projects that require a little more power than normal but need a better way than your breadboard, this kit is perfect for you

Included in each kit is a SparkFun MOSFET Power Control PCB, two screw terminals (one 2-pin and one 3-pin), a 10k resistor, and a single RFP30N06LE MOSFET. What we really like about this particular MOSFET is that it’s very common and offers very low on-resistance with a control (gate) voltage that is compatible with any 3-5V microcontroller or mechanical switch. This allows you to control high-power devices with very low-power control mechanisms.

Note: While the MOSFET is rated to 60V 30A, the circuit board traces are only rated to 3.5A.

Includes

1x SparkFun MOSFET Power Control PCB

1x RFP30N06LE MOSFET

1x 2-pin screw terminal

1x 3-pin screw terminal

1x 10k resistor

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.

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)

We still love the Pro Trinket but the bit-bang USB technique it uses doesn't work as well as it did in 2014. So while we still carry the Pro Trinket, we really recommend using the Metro Mini (ATmega328 @ 5V 16 MHz), ItsyBitsy 32u4 5V 16MHz, ItsyBitsy 32u4 @ 3.3V 8MHz or ItsyBitsy M0 @ 3V 48MHz. All have built-in USB and are comparable in price! The ItsyBitsy's especially are about the same size and have native USB and tons of pins, so they're a very close compatible.

Trinket's got a big sister in town - the Pro Trinket 5V! Pro Trinket combines everything you love about Trinket with the familiarity of the common core Arduino chip, the ATmega328. It's like an Arduino Pro Mini with more pins and USB tossed in, so delicious.

Trinket's a year old now, and while its been great to see tons of tiny projects, sometimes you just need more pins, more FLASH, and more RAM. That's why we designed Pro Trinket, with 18 GPIO, 2 extra analog inputs, 28K of flash, and 2K of RAM.

Like the Trinket, it has onboard USB bootloading support - we opted for a MicroUSB jack this time. We also added Optiboot support, so you can either program your Pro Trinket over USB or with a FTDI cable just like the Pro Mini and friends.

The Pro Trinket PCB measures only 1.5" x 0.7" x 0.2" (without headers) but packs much of the same capability as an Arduino UNO. So it's great once you've finished up a prototype on an official Arduino UNO and want to make the project smaller.

The Pro Trinket 5V uses the Atmega328P chip, which is the same core chip in the Arduino UNO/Duemilanove/Mini/etc. at the same speed and voltage. So you'll be happy to hear that not only is Pro Trinket programmable using the Arduino IDE as you already set up, but 99% of Arduino projects will work out of the box!

For tons more details, check out the Introducing Pro Trinket tutorial

Here's some things you may have to consider when adapting Arduino sketches:

Pins #2 and #7 are not available (they are exclusively for USB)

The onboard 5V regulator can provide 150mA output, not 800mA out

You cannot plug shields directly into the Pro Trinket

There is no Serial-to-USB chip onboard. This is to keep the Pro Trinket small and inexpensive, you can use any FTDI cable to connect to the FTDI port for a Serial connection. The USB connection is for uploading new code only.

The bootloader on the Pro Trinket use 4KB of FLASH so the maximum sketch size is 28,672 bytes. The bootloader does not affect RAM usage.

Here's some handy specifications:

ATmega328P onboad chip in QFN package

16MHz clock rate, 28K FLASH available

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

Also has headers for an FTDI port for reprogramming

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.

On-board 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 #13 LED

Reset button for entering the bootloader or restarting the program.

Works with 99% of existing Arduino sketches (anything that doesn't use more than 28K, and doesn't require pins #2 and #7)

Mounting holes! Yeah!

Once headers are installed they can be fitted into 0.6" wide sockets

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

"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat.  You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles.  Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there.  The only difference is that there is no cat."

Sending data over long distances is like magic, and now you can be a magician with this range of powerful and easy-to-use radio modules. Sure, sometimes you want to talk to a computer (a good time to use WiFi) or perhaps communicate with a Phone (choose Bluetooth Low Energy!) but what if you want to send data very far? Most WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and other wireless chipsets use 2.4GHz, which is great for high speed transfers. If you aren't so concerned about streaming a video, you can use a lower license-free frequency such as 433 or 900 MHz. You can't send data as fast but you can send data a lot farther.'

Also, these packet radios are simpler than WiFi or BLE, you dont have to associate, pair, scan, or worry about connections. All you do is send data whenever you like, and any other modules tuned to that same frequency (and, with the same encryption key) will receive. The receiver can then send a reply back. The modules do packetization, error correction and can also auto-retransmit so its not like you have worry about everything but less power is wasted on maintaining a link or pairing.

These modules are great for use with Arduinos or other microcontrollers, say if you want a sensor node nework or transmit data over a campus or town. The trade off is you need two or more radios, with matching frequencies. WiFi and BT, on the other hand, are commonly included in computers and phones.

These radio modules come in four variants (two modulation types and two frequencies) The RFM69's are easiest to work with, and are well known and understood. The LoRa radios are exciting and more powerful but also more expensive.

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 carry a 433 MHz version here. These are +20dBm LoRa packet radios that have a special radio modulation that is not compatible with the RFM69s but can go much much farther. They can easily go 2 Km line of sight using simple wire antennas, or up to 20Km with directional antennas and settings tweakings

Packet radio with ready-to-go Arduino libraries

Uses the license-free ISM band: "European ISM" @ 868MHz or "American ISM" @ 915MHz

Use a simple wire antenna or spot for uFL or SMA radio connector

SX1276 LoRa® based module with SPI interface

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

~100mA peak during +20dBm transmit, ~30mA during active radio listening.

Range of approx. 2Km, depending on obstructions, frequency, antenna and power output

All radios are sold individually and can only talk to radios of the same part number. E.g. RFM69 900 MHz can only talk to RFM69 900 MHz, LoRa 433 MHz can only talk to LoRa 433, etc.

Each radio comes with some header, a 3.3V voltage regulator and levelshifter that can handle 3-5V DC power and logic so you can use it with 3V or 5V devices. Some soldering is required to attach the header. 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. Optionally you can pick up a uFL or SMA edge-mount connector and attach an external duck.

Check out our fine tutorial for wiring diagrams, example code, and more!

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

"You see, wire telegraph is a kind of a very, very long cat.  You pull his tail in New York and his head is meowing in Los Angeles.  Do you understand this? And radio operates exactly the same way: you send signals here, they receive them there.  The only difference is that there is no cat."

Sending data over long distances is like magic, and now you can be a magician with this range of powerful and easy-to-use radio modules. Sure, sometimes you want to talk to a computer (a good time to use WiFi) or perhaps communicate with a Phone (choose Bluetooth Low Energy!) but what if you want to send data very far? Most WiFi, Bluetooth, Zigbee and other wireless chipsets use 2.4GHz, which is great for high speed transfers. If you aren't so concerned about streaming a video, you can use a lower license-free frequency such as 433 or 900 MHz. You can't send data as fast but you can send data a lot farther.'

Also, these packet radios are simpler than WiFi or BLE, you dont have to associate, pair, scan, or worry about connections. All you do is send data whenever you like, and any other modules tuned to that same frequency (and, with the same encryption key) will receive. The receiver can then send a reply back. The modules do packetization, error correction and can also auto-retransmit so its not like you have worry about everything but less power is wasted on maintaining a link or pairing.

These modules are great for use with Arduinos or other microcontrollers, say if you want a sensor node nework or transmit data over a campus or town. The trade off is you need two or more radios, with matching frequencies. WiFi and BT, on the other hand, are commonly included in computers and phones.

These radio modules come in four variants (two modulation types and two frequencies) The RFM69's are easiest to work with, and are well known and understood. The LoRa radios are exciting and more powerful but also more expensive.

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 carry an RFM69HCW 433 MHz version here.These are +20dBm FSK packet radios that have a lot of nice extras in them such as encryption and auto-retransmit. They can go at least 500 meters line of sight using simple wire antennas, probably up to 5Km with directional antennas and settings tweakings

SX1231 based module with SPI interface

+13 to +20 dBm up to 100 mW Power Output Capability (power output selectable in software)

50mA (+13 dBm) to 150mA (+20dBm) current draw for transmissions, ~30mA during active radio listening.

Range of approx. 500 meters, depending on obstructions, frequency, antenna and power output

Create multipoint networks with individual node addresses

Encrypted packet engine with AES-128

Packet radio with ready-to-go Arduino libraries

Uses the license-free ISM band: "European ISM" @ 868MHz or "American ISM" @ 915MHz

Use a simple wire antenna or spot for uFL or SMA radio connector

All radios are sold individually and can only talk to radios of the same part number. E.g. RFM69 900 MHz can only talk to RFM69 900 MHz, LoRa 433 MHz can only talk to LoRa 433, etc.

Each radio comes with some header, a 3.3V voltage regulator and levelshifter that can handle 3-5V DC power and logic so you can use it with 3V or 5V devices. Some soldering is required to attach the header. 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. Optionally you can pick up a uFL or SMA edge-mount connector and attach an external duck.

Check out our fine tutorial for wiring diagrams, example code, and more!

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 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 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!

Add short-hop wireless to your Feather with these RadioFruit Featherwings. These add-ons for any Feather board will let you integrate packetized radio (with the RFM69 radio) or LoRa radio (with the RFM9x's). These radios are good options for kilometer-range radio, and paired with one of our WiFi, cellular or Bluetooth Feathers, will let you bridge from 433/900 MHz to the Internet or your mobile device.

These radio modules come in four variants (two modulation types and two frequencies) The RFM69's are easiest to work with, and are well known and understood. The LoRa radios are exciting, longer-range and more powerful but also more expensive.

RFM69 @ 433 MHz - basic packetized FSK/GFSK/MSK/GMSK/OOK radio at 433 MHz for use in Europe ITU 1 license-free ISM, or for amateur use with restrictions (check your local  amateur regulations!)

RFM69 @ 900 MHz - basic packetized FSK/GFSK/MSK/GMSK/OOK radio at 868 or 915 MHz for use in Americas ITU 2 license-free ISM, or for amateur use with restrictions (check your amateur regulations!)

RFM98 @ 433 MHz - LoRa capable radio at 433 MHz for use in Europe ITU 1 license-free ISM, or for amateur use with restrictions (check your local amateur regulations!)

RFM95 @ 900 MHz - LoRa capable radio at 868 or 915 MHz for use in Americas ITU 2 license-free ISM, or for amateur use with restrictions (check your local amateur regulations!) 

This is the LoRa 9x @ 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. These are +20dBm LoRa packet radios that have a special radio modulation that is not compatible with the RFM69s but can go much much  farther. They can easily go 2 Km line of sight using simple wire antennas, or up to 20Km with directional antennas and settings tweakings

SX127x LoRa® based module with SPI interface

Packet radio with ready-to-go Arduino libraries

Uses the license-free ISM bands

+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.

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).

Currently tested to work with the Feather ESP8266, Teensy 3 Feather, Feather 32u4 and Feather M0 series, some wiring is required to configure the FeatherWing for the chipset you plan to use.

All radios are sold individually and can only talk to radios of the same part number. E.g. RFM69 900 MHz can only talk to RFM69 900 MHz, LoRa 433 MHz can only talk to LoRa 433, etc.

Each radio 'Wing comes with some header. Some soldering is required to attach the header. 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. Optionally you can pick up a uFL or SMA edge-mount connector and attach an external duck.

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.

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 Nokia 5110 is a basic graphic LCD screen for lots of applications. It was originally intended to be used as a cell phone screen. This one is mounted on an easy to solder PCB.

It uses the PCD8544 controller, which is the same used in the Nokia 3310 LCD. The PCD8544 is a low power CMOS LCD controller/driver, designed to drive a graphic display of 48 rows and 84 columns. All necessary functions for the display are provided in a single chip, including on-chip generation of LCD supply and bias voltages, resulting in a minimum of external components and low power consumption. The PCD8544 interfaces to microcontrollers through a serial bus interface.

Note: There may be small blemishes on these screens as they are surplus.

Note: Your screen may or may not have a diode on the PCB. It does not affect performance and will vary depending on our shipment.

Features

45x45mm

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 EasyDriver is a simple to use stepper motor driver, compatible with anything that can output a digital 0 to 5V pulse (or 0 to 3.3V pulse if you solder SJ2 closed on the EasyDriver). The EasyDriver requires a 6V to 30V supply to power the motor and can power any voltage of stepper motor. The EasyDriver has an on board voltage regulator for the digital interface that can be set to 5V or 3.3V. Connect a 4-wire stepper motor and a microcontroller and you’ve got precision motor control! EasyDriver drives bi-polar motors, and motors wired as bi-polar. I.e. 4,6, or 8 wire stepper motors.

This EasyDriver V4.5 has been co-designed with Brian Schmalz. It provides much more flexibility and control over your stepper motor, when compared to older versions. The microstep select (MS1 and MS2) pins of the A3967 are broken out allowing adjustments to the microstepping resolution. The sleep and enable pins are also broken out for further control.

Note: Do not connect or disconnect a motor while the driver is energized. This will cause permanent damage to the A3967 IC.

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

Features

A3967 Microstepping Driver

MS1 and MS2 pins broken out to change microstepping resolution to full, half, quarter and eighth steps (defaults to eighth)

Compatible with 4, 6, and 8 wire stepper motors of any voltage

Adjustable current control from 150mA/phase to 700mA/phase

Power supply range from 6V to 30V. The higher the voltage, the higher the torque at high speeds

*BZZZZZZZZZZ* Feel that? That's your little buzzing motor, and for any haptic feedback project you'll want to pick up a few of them. These vibe motors are tiny discs, completely sealed up so they're easy to use and embed.Two wires are used to control/power the vibe. Simply provide power from a battery or microcontroller pin (red is positive, blue is negative) and it will buzz away. Works from 2V up to 5V, higher voltages result in more current draw but also a stronger vibration.If you want to reduce the current draw/strength (for example, to control it directly from an Arduino pin) try putting a resistor (100 to 1000 ohms) in series. For full power control, a small PN2222 transistor can control a motor easily, some experimentation may be required!

Vibrating Mini Motor Disc (6:47)

This compact sonar range finder by Maxbotix detects objects from 0 to 6.45 m (21.2 ft) with a resolution of 2.5 cm (1") for distances beyond 15 cm (6"). Unlike other sonar range finders, the LV-MaxSonar has virtually no dead zone: it can detect even small objects up to and touching the front sensor face!The EZ0, EZ1, EZ2, EZ3, and EZ4 versions have progressively narrower beam angles.

MaxBotix ultrasonic sensor line comparison chart.

The Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ family of sonar range finders offers very short- to long-range detection and ranging in an incredibly small package with ultra-low power consumption. The LV-MaxSonar-EZ detects objects from 0 to 6.45 meters (21.2 feet) and provides sonar range information beyond 15 cm (6") with a resolution of 2.5 cm resolution (1 in). Objects between 0 and 15 cm range as 15 cm. The sensor provides three output interfaces, all of which are active simultaneously: digital pulse width output, analog voltage output, and asynchronous serial digital output. The LV-MaxSonar is available in five factory-calibrated beam patterns (EZ0-4).

For a higher-resolution, longer-range version, please consider the XL-MaxSonar-EZ and XL-MaxSonar-AE families of distance sensors.

Small and light: 0.870" x 0.785" x 0.645" (2.2 x 2.0 x 1.6 cm), 0.15 oz (4.3 g)

Long range detection: 0 – 6.45 m (21.2 ft)

No dead zone (detections from 0 to 6" are output as 6")

Resolution of 1" (2.5 cm)

Low typical current consumption: 2 mA

Runs on 2.5 – 5.5 V

42 kHz ultrasonic sensor

20 Hz reading rate

Free-run or triggered operation

Three interfaces (all are active simultaneously):

Serial output: asynchronous, logic-level, inverted, 9600 bps 8N1

Analog output: (Vcc/512) / inch (10 mV/inch when input voltage Vcc = 5 V)

Pulse width output: 147 μs/inch

Serial output: asynchronous, logic-level, inverted, 9600 bps 8N1

Analog output: (Vcc/512) / inch (10 mV/inch when input voltage Vcc = 5 V)

Pulse width output: 147 μs/inch

Since there are 15 members of the XL- and LV-MaxSonar acoustic distance sensor family, we recommend using the Maxbotix sonar range finder selection guide when choosing a acoustic range sensor for your application. There are 5 different beam configurations for the LV-MaxSonar family (EZ0 – EZ4), each pictured below.

LV-MaxSonar-EZ beam patterns (range shown on 1-foot grid to various diameter dowels)

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ0 MB1000 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ1 MB1010 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ2 MB1020 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ3 MB1030 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ4 MB1040 beam characteristics:

People often buy this product together with:

This compact sonar range finder by Maxbotix detects objects from 0 to 6.45 m (21.2 ft) with a resolution of 2.5 cm (1") for distances beyond 15 cm (6"). Unlike other sonar range finders, the LV-MaxSonar has virtually no dead zone: it can detect even small objects up to and touching the front sensor face!The EZ0, EZ1, EZ2, EZ3, and EZ4 versions have progressively narrower beam angles.

MaxBotix ultrasonic sensor line comparison chart.

The Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ family of sonar range finders offers very short- to long-range detection and ranging in an incredibly small package with ultra-low power consumption. The LV-MaxSonar-EZ detects objects from 0 to 6.45 meters (21.2 feet) and provides sonar range information beyond 15 cm (6") with a resolution of 2.5 cm resolution (1 in). Objects between 0 and 15 cm range as 15 cm. The sensor provides three output interfaces, all of which are active simultaneously: digital pulse width output, analog voltage output, and asynchronous serial digital output. The LV-MaxSonar is available in five factory-calibrated beam patterns (EZ0-4).

For a higher-resolution, longer-range version, please consider the XL-MaxSonar-EZ and XL-MaxSonar-AE families of distance sensors.

Small and light: 0.870" x 0.785" x 0.645" (2.2 x 2.0 x 1.6 cm), 0.15 oz (4.3 g)

Long range detection: 0 – 6.45 m (21.2 ft)

No dead zone (detections from 0 to 6" are output as 6")

Resolution of 1" (2.5 cm)

Low typical current consumption: 2 mA

Runs on 2.5 – 5.5 V

42 kHz ultrasonic sensor

20 Hz reading rate

Free-run or triggered operation

Three interfaces (all are active simultaneously):

Serial output: asynchronous, logic-level, inverted, 9600 bps 8N1

Analog output: (Vcc/512) / inch (10 mV/inch when input voltage Vcc = 5 V)

Pulse width output: 147 μs/inch

Serial output: asynchronous, logic-level, inverted, 9600 bps 8N1

Analog output: (Vcc/512) / inch (10 mV/inch when input voltage Vcc = 5 V)

Pulse width output: 147 μs/inch

Since there are 15 members of the XL- and LV-MaxSonar acoustic distance sensor family, we recommend using the Maxbotix sonar range finder selection guide when choosing a acoustic range sensor for your application. There are 5 different beam configurations for the LV-MaxSonar family (EZ0 – EZ4), each pictured below.

LV-MaxSonar-EZ beam patterns (range shown on 1-foot grid to various diameter dowels)

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ0 MB1000 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ1 MB1010 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ2 MB1020 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ3 MB1030 beam characteristics:

Maxbotix LV-MaxSonar-EZ4 MB1040 beam characteristics:

People often buy this product together with:

The LSM6DS3 is a accelerometer and gyroscope sensor with a giant 8kb FIFO buffer and embedded processing interrupt functions, specifically targeted at the cellphone market. Due to the capabilities and low cost of the LSM6DS3 we’ve created this small breakout board just for you! Each LSM6DS3 Breakout has been designed to be super-flexible and can be configured specifically for many applications. With the LSM6DS3 Breakout you will be able to detect shocks, tilt, motion, taps, count steps, and even read the temperature!

The LSM6DS3 is capable of reading accelerometer data up to 6.7kS/s and gyroscope data up to 1.7kS/s for more accurate movement sensing. As stated before this breakout also has the ability to buffer up to 8kB of data between reads, host other sensors, and drive interrupt pins all thanks to the LSM6DS3’s built-in FIFO.

Each pin has been broken out on the LSM6DS3, with one side of the board featuring power and I2C functionality while the other side sporting pins that control SPI functionality and interrupt outputs. Please keep in mind that the LSM6DS3 is a 3.3V device so supplying voltages greater than ~3.6V can permanently damage the IC. A logic level shifter is required for any development platform operating at 5V.

Features

Power consumption: 0.9 mA in combo normal mode and 1.25 mA in combo high-performance mode up to 1.6 kHz.

“Always on” experience with low power consumption for both accelerometer and gyroscope

Smart FIFO up to 8 kbyte based on features set

±2/±4/±8/±16 g full scale

±125/±245/±500/±1000/±2000 dps full scale

Analog supply voltage: 1.71 V to 3.6 V

SPI/I2C serial interface with main processor data synchronization feature

Embedded temperature sensor

The LSM303C is a 6 Degrees of Freedom (6DOF) inertial measurement unit (IMU) in a single package, specifically developed as an eCompass device. Due to the IC housing a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis magnetometer combined with its low cost, the LSM303C was perfect for us to create this small breakout board just for you! Each LSM303C Breakout has been designed to be super-flexible and can be configured specifically for many applications. The LSM303C Breakout can be configured to generate an interrupt signal for free-fall, motion detection and magnetic field detection!

The range of each sensor on the LSM303C is configurable: the accelerometer’s scale can be set to ±2g, ±4g, ±6g, or ±8g, while the magnetometer has full-scale range of ±16 gauss, and supports I2C and SPI communication.

Each pin has been broken out on the LSM303C, with 10 plated through-hole connections featuring power and I2C and SPI functionality, interrupt outputs, and accelerometer and magnetometer data out. Please keep in mind that the LSM303C is a 2.5V device so supplying voltages greater than ~4.8V can permanently damage the IC. As long as your Arduino has a 3.3V supply output, you shouldn’t need any extra level shifting.

Features

3 magnetic field channels and 3 acceleration channels

±16 gauss magnetic full scale

±2/±4/±8 g selectable acceleration full scale

16-bit data output

SPI / I2C serial interfaces

Analog supply voltage 1.9 V to 3.6 V

Power-down mode / low-power mode

Programmable interrupt generators for freefall, motion detection and magnetic field detection

Embedded temperature sensor

Embedded FIFO

This breakout board makes it easy to use the tiny MMA8452Q accelerometer in your project. The MMA8452Q is a smart low-power, three-axis, capacitive MEMS accelerometer with 12 bits of resolution. This accelerometer is packed with embedded functions with flexible user programmable options, configurable to two interrupt pins. Embedded interrupt functions allow for overall power savings relieving the host processor from continuously polling data.

The MMA8452Q has user selectable full scales of ±2g/±4g/±8g with high pass filtered data as well as non filtered data available real-time. The device can be configured to generate inertial wake-up interrupt signals from any combination of the configurable embedded functions allowing the MMA8452Q to monitor events and remain in a low power mode during periods of inactivity.

This board breaks out the ground, power, I2C and two external interrupt pins.

Note: If you are looking for the SparkFun Triple Axis Accelerometer Breakout with headers, it can be found here or in the Recommended Products below.

Get Started with the MMA8452Q Breakout Hookup Guide

Features

1.95 V to 3.6 V supply voltage

1.6 V to 3.6 V interface voltage

±2g/±4g/±8g dynamically selectable full-scale

Output Data Rates (ODR) from 1.56 Hz to 800 Hz

12-bit and 8-bit digital output

I2C digital output interface (operates to 2.25 MHz with 4.7 kΩ pullup)

Two programmable interrupt pins for six interrupt sources

Three embedded channels of motion detection

Orientation (Portrait/Landscape) detection with set hysteresis

High Pass Filter Data available real-time

Current Consumption: 6 μA – 165 μA

So it turns out that your XBee based device would work even better as a Bluetooth device… that probably means back to the drawing board, right? Well not anymore! Now you can swap in Bluetooth functionality without a major hardware redesign!

The RN42XV is a small form factor, low power Bluetooth radio module offering plug-in compatibility for the widely used 2 x 10 (2mm) socket typically used for 802.15.4 radio modules. Based on the popular 2 x 10 (2mm) socket footprint often found in embedded applications, the Roving Networks’ RN42XV module provides Bluetooth connectivity in legacy and existing designs that may have been based upon the 802.15.4 standard.

The RN42XV Class 2 Bluetooth module is based on the RN42. This module supports multiple interface protocols, is simple to design in, and is fully certified, making it a complete embedded Bluetooth solution. With its high-performance, on-chip antenna and support for Bluetooth EDR, the RN42 delivers up to a 3 Mbps data rate for distances up to 20 meters.

Features

Fully certified Bluetooth® version 2.1 module, supports version 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)

Backwards-compatible with Bluetooth version 2.0, 1.2, and 1.1

Pin compatible with widely used 2 x 10 2-mm socket typically used for 802.15.4 applications

Low power: 26 uA sleep, 3 mA connected, 30 mA transmit

UART (SPP or HCI) and USB (HCI only) data connection interfaces

Sustained SPP data rates: 240 Kbps (slave), 300 Kbps (master)

Embedded Bluetooth stack profiles included (requires no host stack): GAP, SDP, RFCOMM, and L2CAP protocols, with SPP, HID and DUN profile support

Bluetooth SIG certified

Certifications: FCC, IC, CE

PCB trace antenna

Give your next sensor project a nose for gasses with the Adafruit MiCS-5524 Gas Sensor Breakout. This breakout makes it easy to use this nice sensor from SGX Sensortech. The MiCS-5524 is a robust MEMS sensor for indoor carbon monoxide and natural gas leakage detection, it's suitable also for indoor air quality monitoring; breath checker and early fire detection.

Please note: This sensor is sensitive to CO ( ~ 1 to 1000 ppm), Ammonia (~ 1 to 500 ppm), Ethanol (~ 10 to 500 ppm), H2 (~ 1 - 1000 ppm), and Methane / Propane / Iso-Butane (~ 1,000++ ppm). However, it can't tell you which gas it has detected. 

This breakout board is not for any safety, medical or finished product usage. We're selling it for hobby education & experimentation and don't guarantee it for any other purpose! All gas sensors require calibration for precision output.

Using it is easy: Power it with 5 VDC and read the analog voltage off of the output pin. When gasses are detected, the analog voltage will increase in proportion of detected gas. When powered, the heater draws about 25-35mA. You can use the EN pin to power it off (pull it high to 5V to turn off) to conserve energy. Just make sure to wait a second after turning the heater on to make sure its all heated before taking readings.

Each order comes with one assembled and tested MiCS-5524 breakout and a bit of header. You'll need to do some light soldering to attach the header on - or you can use just plain wires.

Check out the tutorial for files, example code, diagrams and more!

The TSL2561 luminosity sensor is an advanced digital light sensor, ideal for use in a wide range of light situations. Compared to low cost CdS cells, this sensor is more precise, allowing for exact lux calculations and can be configured for different gain/timing ranges to detect light ranges from up to 0.1 - 40,000+ Lux on the fly. The best part of this sensor is that it contains both infrared and full spectrum diodes! That means you can separately measure infrared, full-spectrum or human-visible light. Most sensors can only detect one or the other, which does not accurately represent what human eyes see (since we cannot perceive the IR light that is detected by most photo diodes)New! As of June 3, 2014 we are shipping a version with a 3.3V regulator and level shifting circuitry so it can be used with any 3-5V power/logic microcontroller.The sensor has a digital (i2c) interface. You can select one of three addresses so you can have up to three sensors on one board - each with a different i2c address. The built in ADC means you can use this with any microcontroller, even if it doesn't have analog inputs. The current draw is extremely low, so its great for low power data-logging systems. about 0.5mA when actively sensing, and less than 15 uA when in powerdown mode.Of course, we wouldn't leave you with a datasheet and a "good luck!" - we wrote a detailed tutorial showing how to wire up the sensor, use it with CircuitPython or Arduino and example code that gets readings and calculates lux

This is a simple-to-use Carbon Monoxide (CO) sensor, suitable for sensing CO concentrations in the air. The MQ-7 can detect CO-gas concentrations anywhere from 20 to 2000ppm.

This sensor has a high sensitivity and fast response time. The sensor’s output is an analog resistance. The drive circuit is very simple; all you need to do is power the heater coil with 5V, add a load resistance, and connect the output to an ADC.

This sensor comes in a package similar to our MQ-3 alcohol sensor, and can be used with the breakout board below.

Here's another super handy add-on for your Raspberry Pi computer, perfect for 'head-less' setups! The PiUART adds a MicroUSB to serial connection so you can use any serial port software to connect to the Pi's console. It plugs in and is fast and easy to add whenever you need to connect to your Pi. Two LEDs connect to RX and TX on the serial converter chip so you get blinking whenever data is sent or received.

We had some space left over, so the PiUART also comes with an on-off switch with a 4 Amp transistor. You can power your Pi through the microUSB port and then use the switch whenever you want to cut power, without having to unplug the cable. Low-power usage Pi's like the Pi Zero and A+ can thus be powered and controlled from a single cable connected to your computer. Heavy-hitter Pi's like the Pi 2 and Pi 3 may draw too much power from a computer USB port, so check if your motherboard has a high-current USB port before trying.

Comes fully assembled and ready to go, plug into your Pi, and on Mac OS X install the driver - within 2 minutes and you'll be ready to go.

Works with any Raspberry Pi computer (Pi 1, 2, 3, Zero, etc)

This breakout board is the simplest way to create a project with a single "momentary" capacitive touch sensor. No microcontroller is required here - just power with 1.8 to 5.5VDC and touch the pad to activate the sensor.When a capacitive load is detected (e.g. a person touches the sensor-pad area) the red LED lights up and the output pin goes high. You can also solder a wire to the middle pad and create your own capacitive pad if the built-in one isn't suited to your project.If you want to save power, the LED can be disconnected from the output pin (cut the trace between the jumper marked as such). We designed this breakout to have the more-responsive "fast mode" which draws about 0.5mA. If you need ultra-low (~50uA) power usage, the mode jumper can be cut on one side & soldered closed on the other to fix it into that mode. Check the datasheet for specific power usage measurements.Comes with a fully assembled board, and a small stick of 0.1" header so you can solder and plug it into a breadboard. For additional contacts, we suggest using copper foil, then solder a wire that connects from the foil pad to the breakout.The datasheet has many details on sensitivity, power usage, etc.

Standalone Momentary Capacitive Touch Sensor Breakout (11:10)

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.

The datasheet for the DS3231 explains that this part is an "Extremely Accurate I²C-Integrated RTC/TCXO/Crystal". And, hey, it does exactly what it says on the tin! This Real Time Clock (RTC) is the most precise you can get in a small, low power package.

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.

This is the finest RTC you can get, and now we have it in a compact, breadboard-friendly breakout. With a coin cell plugged into the back, 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.

Comes as a fully assembled and tested breakout plus a small piece of header. You can solder header in to plug it into a breadboard, or solder wires directly.

A 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.

Check out our detailed tutorial for pinouts, assembly, wiring & code for both Arduino and CircuitPython, and more!

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!

For microcontrollers without an analog-to-digital converter or when you want a higher-precision ADC, the ADS1115 provides 16-bit precision at 860 samples/second over I2C. The chip can be configured as 4 single-ended input channels, or two differential channels. As a nice bonus, it even includes a programmable gain amplifier, up to x16, to help boost up smaller single/differential signals to the full range. We like this ADC because it can run from 2V to 5V power/logic, can measure a large range of signals and its super easy to use. It is a great general purpose 16 bit converter.The chip's fairly small so it comes on a breakout board with ferrites to keep the AVDD and AGND quiet. Interfacing is done via I2C. The address can be changed to one of four options (see the datasheet table 5) so you can have up to 4 ADS1115's connected on a single 2-wire I2C bus for 16 single ended inputs.

To get you started, we have example code for both the Raspberry Pi (in our Adafruit Pi Python library), Arduino (in our ADS1X15 Arduino library repository) and CircuitPython. Simply connect GND to ground, VDD to your logic power supply, and SCL/SDA to your microcontroller's I2C port and run the example code to start reading data.

Our detailed guide will get you started with wiring diagrams, example code for Arduino & CircuitPython, datasheets, and more!

Your microcontroller probably has an ADC (analog -> digital converter) but does it have a DAC (digital -> analog converter)??? Now it can! This breakout board features the easy-to-use MCP4725 12-bit DAC. Control it via I2C and send it the value you want it to output, and the VOUT pin will have it. Great for audio / analog projects, such as when you can't use PWM but need a sine wave or adjustable bias point.We break out the ADDR/A0 pin so you can connect two of these DACs on one I2C bus, just tie that pin of one high to keep it from conflicting. Also included is a 6-pin header, for use in a breadboard. Works with both 3.3V or 5V logic.Some nice extras with this chip: for chips that have 3.4Mbps Fast Mode I2C (Arduino's don't) you can update the Vout at ~200 KHz. There's an EEPROM so if you write the output voltage, you can 'store it' so if the device is power cycled it will restore that voltage. The output voltage is rail-to-rail and proportional to the power pin so if you run it from 3.3V, the output range is 0-3.3V. If you run it from 5V the output range is 0-5V.We have an easy-to-use Arduino library and tutorial with a triangle-wave and sine-wave output example that can be used with any 'duino or ported to any microcontroller with I2C host. Wiring it up is easy - connect VDD to your microcontroller power pin (3-5V), GND to ground, SDA to I2C Data (on the Arduino Uno, this is A4 on the Mega it is 20 and on the Leonardo digital 2), SCL to I2C Clock(on the Arduino Uno, this is A5 on the Mega it is 21 and on the Leonardo digital 3) and listen on VOUT.

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!

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"

These LED strips are ultra bright, fun and glowy. There are 60 cool white LEDs per meter, and you can control the entire strip at once with any microcontroller and a power transistor. The way they are wired, you will need a 9-12VDC power supply and connect directly. If you want to dim the strip, use any NPN or N-channel MOSFET (although the big powerful kind is good for a large strip) and PWM the input.We splurged and got the weatherproof kind with white background color. There's a 3M adhesive strip on the back which should stick to most smooth surfaces. Great for architectural lighting (under-counter or under-cabinet), decorating your bicycle or car, making lamps, etc. You'll need a lot of power to light these up, we suggest our 12V 5A supply. To connect it to a power supply, pick up a 2.1mm female jack and wire it to the strip with some heat shrink. For portable use, we suggest a 8xAA battery holderPlease Note: these strips are weatherproof so they'll be more rugged than uncoated strips, but they not designed for long term submersion in water, especially chlorinated water, or exposed to UV (eg sunlight) for extended periods of time. They are for indoor use or light outdoor use without direct sun/water. That means you cannot put them into a pool, lake, aquarium, etc. The silk-screening and LED brightness of the strips may vary slightly from reel to reel. Once the adhesive backing has been removed, the strips are not returnable!You can cut this stuff pretty easily with wire cutters, there are cut-lines every 5cm (3 LEDs each), and trim off the weatherproof cover with a hobby knife. Solder to the 0.1" copper pads and you're good to go.They come in 5 meter reels and are sold by the meter! If you buy 5m at a time, you'll get full reels. If you buy less than 5m, you'll get a single strip, but it will be a cut piece from a reel which may or may not have a connector on it. If the piece comes from the end of the reel, the connector may be on the output end of the strip!We don't have a tutorial specifically for the white LED strips but they're basically identical to the RGB LED strips we carry, except that instead of 3 different colored LEDs there is only cool white so we suggest our tutorial on thoseWhen purchasing a full reel, there will be two wires on either side you can connect directly to 12V. Be sure to try both 'directions' as the wire colors do not necessarily indicate which wire is the ground wire. It will not damage the strip if you connect it backwards so if it isn't lighting, try the other way! When purchasing a smaller piece, if you have 4 pads labeled RGB connect the RGB pads together and tie those to ground and connect the 12V+ pad to 12VDC

Move over NeoPixels, there's a new LED strip in town! These fancy new DotStar LED strips are a great upgrade for people who have loved and used NeoPixel strips for a few years but want something even better. DotStar LEDs use generic 2-wire SPI, so you can push data much faster than with the NeoPixel 800 KHz protocol and there's no specific timing required. They also have much higher PWM refresh rates, so  you can do Persistence-of-Vision (POV) and have less flickering, particularly at low brightness levels.

Make your own smart Cool White LED arrangement with the same integrated LED driver that is used in our DotStar or NeoPixel LED strips.  Unlit, the color resembles a yellow Starburst. Lit up these are insanely bright (like ow my eye hurts) and can be controlled with 24 bit high-frequency PWM. The phosphor helps diffuse the 3 white dies inside together for a very bright but consistant light, compared to what you get by trying to mix RGB to make white (which never quite looks right)

However, unlike NeoPixels, these LEDs have 2 wires (input and output) for sending data - one clock pin and one data pin. That means you need two pins, not one, to control DotStars. Because the clock and data is separated, you can use any processor speed or type to control these strips, and you don't have to worry about being careful with the timing. Hardware SPI support is handy but not required. This makes them excellent for use with any microcontroller or microprocessor, including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Propeller, SparkCore, and any 'raw' microcontrollers/microprocessors. It's very easy to port the library, and you can send data to the pixels at up to 32MHz clock rate!

NeoPixel LEDs use 800 KHz protocol so specific timing is required. On NeoPixels, the PWM rate is 400 Hz, which works well but is noticeable if the LED is moving. In comparison, DotStars have a 20 KHz PWM rate, so even when moving the LED around, you won't see the pixelation, the blending is very smooth. (we recommend DotStars if you can use them!)

This is the 60 LED-per-meter version of our DotStar strips, on white flex PCB. We also have this in Warm White and RGB full color.

The strip is made of flexible PCB material, and comes with a weatherproof sheathing. You can cut this stuff pretty easily with wire cutters, there are cut-lines every 1 LED. Solder to the 0.1" copper pads and you're good to go. Of course, you can also connect strips together to make them longer, just watch how much current you need! We have a 5V 4A power supply that can drive a half meter or meter, a 5V/10A supply that can drive a couple meters (depending on use) You must use a 5V DC power supply to power these strips, do not use higher than 6V or you can destroy the entire strip

These strips come in 4 meter reels with a 4-pin JST SM connector on each end. These strips are sold by the meter! If you buy 4 meters at a time, you'll get full reels with two connectors. If you buy less than 4m, you'll get a single strip, but it will be a cut piece from a reel which may or may not have a connector on it. If the piece comes from the end of the reel, the connector may be on the output end of the strip!

To wire up these strips we suggest picking up some JST SM plug and receptacle cables for the signal wires  For the power wires, you will also probably want a 2.1mm DC jack to wire in so you can connect one of our 5V wall adapters to power it.

We have a tutorial showing wiring, power usage calculations, example code for usage, etc. Please check it out!

Move over NeoPixels, there's a new LED strip in town! These fancy new DotStar LED strips are a great upgrade for people who have loved and used NeoPixel strips for a few years but want something even better. DotStar LEDs use generic 2-wire SPI, so you can push data much faster than with the NeoPixel 800 KHz protocol and there's no specific timing required. They also have much higher PWM refresh rates, so  you can do Persistence-of-Vision (POV) and have less flickering, particularly at low brightness levels.

Make your own smart Cool White LED arrangement with the same integrated LED driver that is used in our DotStar or NeoPixel LED strips.  Unlit, the color resembles a yellow Starburst. Lit up these are insanely bright (like ow my eye hurts) and can be controlled with 24 bit high-frequency PWM. The phosphor helps diffuse the 3 white dies inside together for a very bright but consistant light, compared to what you get by trying to mix RGB to make white (which never quite looks right)

However, unlike NeoPixels, these LEDs have 2 wires (input and output) for sending data - one clock pin and one data pin. That means you need two pins, not one, to control DotStars. Because the clock and data is separated, you can use any processor speed or type to control these strips, and you don't have to worry about being careful with the timing. Hardware SPI support is handy but not required. This makes them excellent for use with any microcontroller or microprocessor, including Arduino, Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Propeller, SparkCore, and any 'raw' microcontrollers/microprocessors. It's very easy to port the library, and you can send data to the pixels at up to 32MHz clock rate!

NeoPixel LEDs use 800 KHz protocol so specific timing is required. On NeoPixels, the PWM rate is 400 Hz, which works well but is noticeable if the LED is moving. In comparison, DotStars have a 20 KHz PWM rate, so even when moving the LED around, you won't see the pixelation, the blending is very smooth. (we recommend DotStars if you can use them!)

This is the 30 LED-per-meter version of our DotStar strips, on white flex PCB. We also have this in Warm White and RGB full color.

The strip is made of flexible PCB material, and comes with a weatherproof sheathing. You can cut this stuff pretty easily with wire cutters, there are cut-lines every 1 LED. Solder to the 0.1" copper pads and you're good to go. Of course, you can also connect strips together to make them longer, just watch how much current you need! We have a 5V 4A power supply that can drive a half meter or meter, a 5V/10A supply that can drive a couple meters (depending on use) You must use a 5V DC power supply to power these strips, do not use higher than 6V or you can destroy the entire strip

These strips come in 5 meter reels with a 4-pin JST SM connector on each end. These strips are sold by the meter! If you buy 5 meters at a time, you'll get full reels with two connectors. If you buy less than 5m, you'll get a single strip, but it will be a cut piece from a reel which may or may not have a connector on it. If the piece comes from the end of the reel, the connector may be on the output end of the strip!

To wire up these strips we suggest picking up some JST SM plug and receptacle cables for the signal wires  For the power wires, you will also probably want a 2.1mm DC jack to wire in so you can connect one of our 5V wall adapters to power it.

We have a tutorial showing wiring, power usage calculations, example code for usage, etc. Please check it out!

This is a simple to use motion sensor. Power it up and wait 1-2 seconds for the sensor to get a snapshot of the still room. If anything moves after that period, the ‘alarm’ pin will go low.

This unit works great from 5 to 12V (datasheet shows 12V). You can also install a jumper wire past the 5V regulator on board to make this unit work at 3.3V. Sensor uses 1.6mA@3.3V.

The alarm pin is an open collector meaning you will need a pull up resistor on the alarm pin. The open drain setup allows multiple motion sensors to be connected on a single input pin. If any of the motion sensors go off, the input pin will be pulled low.

We’ve finally updated the connector! Gone is the old “odd” connector, now you will find a common 3-pin JST! This makes the PIR Sensor much more accessible for whatever your project may need. Red = Power, White = Ground, and Black = Alarm.

This is the LIDAR Lite, a compact high performance optical distance measurement sensor from PulsedLight. The LIDAR Lite is ideal when used in drone, robot, or unmanned vehicle situations where you need a reliable and powerful proximity sensor but don’t possess a lot of space. All you need to communicate with this sensor is a standard I2C or PWM interface and the LIDAR Lite, with its range of up to 40 meters, will be yours to command!

Each LIDAR Lite features an edge emitting, 905nm (75um, 1 watt, 4 mrad, 14mm optic), single stripe laser transmitter and a surface mount PIN, 3° FOV with 14mm optics receiver. The LIDAR Lite operates between 4.7 - 5.5VDC with a max of 6V DC and has a current consumption rate of <100mA at continuous operation. On top of everything else, the LIDAR Lite has an acquisition time of only 0.02 seconds or less and can be interfaced via I2C or PWM.

Note: The LIDAR Lite is designated as Class 1 during all procedures of operation, however operating the sensor without its optics or housing or making modifications to the housing can result in direct exposure to laser radiation and the risk of permanent eye damage. Direct eye contact should be avoided and under no circumstances should you ever stare straight into the emitter.

This is the LIDAR-Lite v2, a compact high performance optical distance measurement sensor from PulsedLight. The LIDAR-Lite “Blue Label” is ideal when used in drone, robot, or unmanned vehicle situations where you need a reliable and powerful proximity sensor but don’t possess a lot of space. All you need to communicate with this sensor is a standard I2C or PWM interface. With everything connected the LIDAR-Lite v2, with its range of up to 40 meters, will be yours to command!

Each LIDAR-Lite v2 features an edge emitting, 905nm (75um, 1 watt, 4 mrad, 14mm optic), single stripe laser transmitter and a surface mount PIN, 3° FOV with 14mm optics receiver. The second version of the LIDAR-Lite still operates at 5V DC with a current consumption rate of <100mA at continuous operation. On top of everything else, the LIDAR-Lite has an acquisition time of only 0.02 seconds or less and can be interfaced via I2C or PWM.

The LIDAR-Lite v2 has received a number of upgrades from the previous version. With the implementation of a new signal processing architecture, LIDAR-Lite v2 can operate at measurement speeds of up to 500 readings per second offering greater resolution for scanning applications. Additionally, the LIDAR-Lite v2 has had its I2C communications improved to operate at 100 kbits/s or 400 kbits/s with you, the user, able to assign your own addressing! Just in case you are wondering: yes, the LIDAR-Lite v2 is compatible with its previous version in all primary functions and their compatibility will extend into the next version and beyond.

Note: With Garmin® recently acquiring PulsedLight® the LIDAR-Lite v2 has been marked EOL. We are currently waiting on word about the next exciting product these two companies create. We will come back with additional information once we obtain it.

Note: The LIDAR Lite is designated as Class 1 during all procedures of operation, however operating the sensor without its optics or housing or making modifications to the housing can result in direct exposure to laser radiation and the risk of permanent eye damage. Direct eye contact should be avoided and under no circumstances should you ever stare straight into the emitter.

Solenoids are basically electromagnets: they are made of a big coil of copper wire with an armature (a slug of metal) in the middle. When the coil is energized, the slug is pulled into the center of the coil. This makes the solenoid able to pull (from one end) or push (from the other)This solenoid in particular is fairly small, with a 30mm long body and a 'captive' armature with a return spring. This means that when activated with up to 12VDC, the solenoid moves and then the voltage is removed it springs back to the original position, which is quite handy. Many lower cost solenoids are only push type or only pull type and may not have a captive armature (it'll fall out!) or don't have a return spring. This one even has nice mounting tabs, its a great all-purpose solenoid.To drive a solenoid you will need a power transistor and a diode, check this diagram for how to wire it to an Arduino or other microcontroller. You will need a fairly good power supply to drive a solenoid, as a lot of current will rush into the solenoid to charge up the electro-magnet, about 250mA, so don't try to power it with a 9V battery!

Solenoids are basically electromagnets: they are made of a coil of copper wire with an armature (a slug of metal) in the middle. When the coil is energized, the slug is pulled into the center of the coil. This makes the solenoid able to pull (from one end) or push (from the other).

This solenoid in particular is very small, with a 20mm long body and a 'captive' armature with a return spring. This means that when activated with ~5VDC, the solenoid moves and then the voltage is removed it springs back to the original position, which is quite handy. Many lower cost solenoids are only push type or only pull type and may not have a captive armature (it'll fall out!) or don't have a return spring. This one even has nice mounting tabs, its a great all-purpose solenoid.

We also have a slightly bigger small push-pull solenoid and a huge large push-pull solenoid in the store!

To drive a solenoid you will need a power transistor and a protection diode, check this diagram for how to wire it to an Arduino or other microcontroller. You will need a fairly good power supply to drive a solenoid, as a lot of current will rush into the solenoid to charge up the electro-magnet, about 1 Amp, so be careful of trying to power/activate from a computer's USB.

Keep it cool with a Peltier module. These unique electronic components can generate a temperature differential when powered. That is to say, apply 5V to the red (positive) and black (negative) wires and one side will get cold while the other side gets hot. For best results, you'll need to wick away that heat (otherwise the cold side will slowly get warmer). A fan and/or heatsink is ideal.This module is a 5V module, and is rated for 5W max (5V/1A) but when we plugged them in they seemed to draw more like 1.5A so we suggest our 5V/2A power adapter for use.

Peltier Thermo-Electric Cooler Module - 5V 1A (5:20)

Keep it cool with a Peltier module. These unique electronic components can generate a temperature differential when powered. That is to say, apply 12V to the red (positive) and black (negative) wires and one side will get cold while the other side gets hot. For best results, you'll need to wick away that heat (otherwise the cold side will slowly get warmer). A fan and/or heatsink is ideal.

This module is a 12V module, and is rated for ~72W max (up to 14V/6A) but when used with a regulated 12V output they don't draw more than 5A so we suggest our 12V/5A power adapter for use.

Peltier Thermo-Electric Cooler Module - 12V 5A (5:20)

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

These displays are small, only about 1.3" diagonal, but very readable due to the high contrast of an OLED display. This display is made of 128x64 individual white OLED pixels, each one is turned on or off by the controller chip. 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!The driver chip, SSD1306 can communicate in two ways: I2C or SPI. The OLED itself require a 3.3V power supply and 3.3V logic levels for communication, but we include a 3.3V regulator and all pins are fully level shifted so you can use with 5V devices!The power requirements depend a little on how much of the display is lit but on average the display uses about 40mA from the 3.3V supply. Built into the OLED driver is a simple switch-cap charge pump that turns 3.3v-5v into a high voltage drive for the OLEDs.We have a detailed tutorial and example code in the form of an Arduino library for text and graphics. You'll need a microcontroller with more than 1K of RAM since the display must be buffered. The library can print text, bitmaps, pixels, rectangles, circles and lines. It uses 1K of RAM since it needs to buffer the entire display but its very fast! The code is simple to adapt to any other microcontroller.

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).