MKR SharkyPro BLE, Zigbee, OpenThread development board follows Arduino MKR form factor

Just a few days ago, we mentioned STMicro launched STM32WB5MMG wireless module to simplify Bluetooth LE, Zigbee, OpenThread connectivity by allowing 2-layer baseboards for the module.

It turns out there’s also such a module from a third-party with namely Midatronics SharkyPro module based on STM32WB55, and the company also launched MKR SharkyPro I & II development boards following Arduino MKR form factor.

MKR SharkyPro specifications:

• Wireless Module – SharkyPro module
  • Wireless MCU – STMicro STM32WB55CG/CE dual-core Arm Cortex-M4 core at 64 MHz (application processor) and Arm Cortex-M0+ core at 32 MHz (network processor) with 512KB flash, 256KB SRAM
  • Connectivity – Bluetooth 5.0 LE, Bluetooth Mesh 1.0, OpenThread, Zigbee, and other IEEE 802.15.4 proprietary protocols
  • Antenna – Onboard chip antenna (SharkyPro I) or SMA antenna  connector (SharkyPro I)
  • Power
    • 3.3V supply voltage
    • Consumption  – 13 nA in shutdown mode, 600 nA in Standby mode + RTC + 32 KB RAM
  • Dimensions – 23 x 14.3 mm
• USB – 1x Micro USB port for power and programming
• Expansion – 2x 14-pin headers compatible with Arduino MKR boards with USART, ADC, SPI, I2C, QSPI
• Debugging – 8-pin SWD connector
• Misc – Reset and user buttons, user LED
• Power Supply – 5V via Micro USB port, 2.5 to 5.5V via Vin pin,  2.0 to 5V via Vbatt pin (battery)
• Dimensions – 63 x 25 mm  (SharkyPro I) or 72.5 x 25 mm (SharkyPro II)

The board pinout is compatible with Arduino MKR board and can be programmed with Arduino IDE thanks to the STM32Duino project. Alternatively, you could also use the SWD header to program the board via an STLink in-circuit debugger and programmer together with Atollic, IAR, SW4STM32, or Keil IDE.

The board and module appear to be available now, but pricing has not been disclosed publicly. You’ll find more details, including users and programmers guides, on the product pages for the dev board and module.

If you like boards with a standard form factor, but prefer Adafruit Feather over Arduino MKR, there’s always the STM32WB Feather board announced at the very end of 2020.

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