Polverine is a mikroBUS-compatible environmental sensing platform featuring a BMV080 PM2.5 sensor and a BME690 gas sensor, plus an Espressif ESP32-S3-MINI-1 module to add Wi-Fi 4 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity.
The onboard BMV080 sensor is described as the “world’s smallest PM2.5 sensor” at 4.2 x 3.5 x 3mm. The PM2.5 particulate matter sensor is complemented by the BME690 which measures temperature, humidity, and pressure, and detects volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for complete environmental monitoring.
The board offers sufficient processing power for quick data handling, with wireless connectivity for easy integration into IoT systems and smart devices. Projected applications for the sensor platform include indoor air quality monitoring, smart homes, HVAC systems, industrial monitoring (gas leak and pollution monitoring), wearables for personal air quality tracking, and anomaly detection in emergency scenarios.
We have seen other ESP32-based environmental sensor platforms such as the Sensy32 board, MoreSense MS-06, and AirGradient One, but the Polverine is certainly the smallest one.
Polverine specifications:
- Wireless module – Espressif ESP32-S3-MINI-1
- SoC – ESP32-S3
- CPU – Xtensa dual-core 32-bit LX7 @ up to 240MHz
- Connectivity – 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5 (LE)
- Memory – 0.5MB PSRAM
- Storage – 8MB flash
- SoC – ESP32-S3
- Environmental Sensors
- USB – USB-C connector for power and programming
- Expansion
- mikroBUS connector
- SPI, I2C, UART, GPIO/PWM, Analog IN
- Qwiic Connect system
- Debugging – JTAG
- Misc – RGB LED, User/Bootloader button, Reset button
- Power – USB (5V), mikroBUS 5V pin, mikroBUS 3.3V pin, 5V supplied to LDO that outputs 3.3V
- Dimensions – 28.6 x 25.4 mm
The Polverine environmental sensor platform is described as developer-friendly and can be programmed with a wide range of IDEs, including Arduino, PlatformIO, Eclipse, or Visual Studio. Source code and samples for Visual Studio Code + PlatformIO can be found on GitHub. A user guide and tutorials are available on the Blackiot website.
The Polverine project is currently being crowdfunded on Crowd Supply with a $10,000 funding target. The device costs $59, with a $8 shipping fee to the United States and a $18 shipping fee to the rest of the world. Rewards are scheduled to ship by June 11, 2025.
Tomisin is a writer specializing in hardware product reviews, comparisons, and explainers. He is very passionate about small form factor and single-board computers.
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