Seeed Studio has recently launched the OpenUC2 10x AI portable microscope built around the XIAO ESP32-S3 Sense module. Designed for educational, environmental research, health monitoring, and prototyping applications this microscope features an OV2640 camera with a 10x magnification with precise motorized focusing, high-resolution imaging, and real-time TinyML processing for image handling. The microscope is modular and open-source making it easy to customize and expand its features using 3D-printed parts, motorized stages, and additional sensors. It supports Wi-Fi connectivity with a durable body, uses USB-C for power and swappable objectives make it usable in various applications. Previously we have written about similar portable microscopes like the ioLight microscope and the KoPa W5 Wi-Fi Microscope, and Jean-Luc also tested a cheap USB microscope to read part number of components. Feel free to check those out if you are looking for a cheap microscope. OpenUC2 10x specifications: Wireless MCU – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3 CPU […]
Waveshare ESP32-S3 ETH board provides Ethernet and camera connectors, supports Raspberry Pi Pico HATs
Waveshare has recently launched the ESP32-S3-ETH development board with an Ethernet RJ45 jack, a camera interface, and compatibility with Raspberry Pi Pico HAT expansion boards. This board includes a microSD card interface and supports OV2640 and OV5640 camera modules. Additionally, it offers an optional Power over Ethernet (PoE) module, making it ideal for applications such as smart home projects, AI-enhanced computer vision, and image acquisition. Previously, we have written about LILYGO T-ETH-Lite, an ESP32-S3 board with Ethernet and optional PoE support. We have also written about LuckFox Pico Pro and Pico Max, Rockchip RV1106-powered development boards with 10/100M Ethernet and camera support. The ESP32-S3-ETH board is like a combination of those two, where you get an ESP32-S3 microcontroller, Ethernet (with optional PoE), and a camera interface. ESP32-S3 ETH development board specifications: Wireless module ESP32-S3R8 MCU – ESP32-S3 dual-core LX7 microprocessor @ up to 240 MHz with Vector extension for machine learning Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage […]
ESP32-S3 board features 1.91-inch AMOLED display and QMI8658 6-axis motion sensor
Waveshare has launched an ESP32-S3 1.91-inch AMOLED development board with a 6-axis motion sensor designed for the rapid prototyping of IoT and portable projects with interactive displays. The board is built around the ESP32-S3R8 chip, featuring a 32-bit LX7 dual-core processor running at up to 240MHz, with integrated 2.4GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth BLE 5. It also includes 16MB Flash, 8MB PSRAM, 512KB SRAM, and 384KB ROM for efficient processing and memory management. At the core of its display capabilities is a 1.91-inch AMOLED screen with a 240×536 resolution, supporting 16.7 million colors. Powered by the RM67162 controller and connected via the QSPI interface, the display is ideal for running GUI applications like LVGL. The board is available in both touch and non-touch versions, with the touch-enabled models using the FT3168 touch IC. Other features include a QMI8658 6-axis IMU, a microSD card slot, and a Lithium battery header. The ESP32-S3 […]
Seeed Studio launches ESP32-C6-powered 60GHz mmWave human fall detection and breathing/heartbeat detection sensor kits
Last year, we reviewed the MR60FDA1 60GHz mmWave fall detection sensor kit, which utilizes the XIAO ESP32C3 module as its core. This module, featuring both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, opens up various IoT applications. Now, Seeed Studio has introduced advanced mmWave sensor modules specifically designed for enhanced fall detection and heartbeat monitoring. The MR60FDA2 is optimized for fall detection, while the MR60BHA2 is designed for heartbeat monitoring. Powered by an ESP32-C6 WiFi 6 and RIS-Bluetotoh LE microcontroller, these modules offer reliable detection for real-time fall monitoring and accurate heartbeat tracking. They also feature customizable RGB LEDs and ambient light sensors, providing additional flexibility. With expansion options via Grove GPIO ports, these versatile modules are well-suited for applications like smart home integration and healthcare monitoring. Previously, we covered the RoomSense IQ and the DesignCore RS-6843AOPU with mmWave technology. The RoomSense IQ is an ESP32-S3-based modular room monitor with mmWave radar presence […]
DALI2 expansion module for ESP32-C6-Pico and ESP32-S3-Pico boards facilitates Smart Lighting integration
Waveshare has recently launched the Pico-DALI2 expansion module for ESP32-Pico series boards designed to enable DALI communication for customized control of multiple lighting groups. It is compatible with development boards such as the ESP32-C6-Pico and ESP32-S3-Pico and includes a DALI communication screw terminal for connecting external DALI devices. DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) is a standardized protocol used for lighting control in building automation systems. The latest version of the DALI2 protocol is better than the old one in that it offers enhanced interoperability, additional features like multi-master configurations, and better energy management capabilities. DALI2 devices can communicate bidirectionally, meaning controllers can send commands and also receive status feedback from lighting devices, allowing for more complex automation and diagnostics. We can get more information about DALI from Wikipedia. We have previously seen the uses of DALI in Texas Instruments MSPM0 Arm Cortex-M0+ microcontrollers as an interface and in Acme CM3-Home […]
Spectra is a customizable, JavaScript ESP32-S3 and nRF52832 smartwatch (Crowdfunding)
Spectra is a JavaScript-based hackable smartwatch based on the ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth microcontroller that aims to offer the quality of high-end consumer smartwatches with the repairability of a maker-targeted device. The Spectra smartwatch combines the ESP32-S3 microcontroller with a Nordic Semi nRF52832 co-processor to optimize the battery life. The ESP32-S3 is maxed out with 8MB of RAM and 32MB of external flash memory, and the microSD card slot in the watch supports up to a 512GB memory card. It shares a similar concept with the Bangle.js and the Bangle.js 2 customizable smartwatches. According to the maker, Spectra is not bound to be fully open-source, since the project uses “external proprietary code [they] aren’t allowed to share.” They plan to publish Arduino libraries and hardware design files, but there is no live GitHub repository yet. Other hackable smartwatches include the TinyWatch S3, the ZSWatch, and the Sensor Watch Pro. Spectra […]
XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa devkit features Wio-SX1262 LoRa module
The “XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa” is an ESP32-S3 LoRa dev kit that combines an XIAO ESP32S3 board with the tiny Wio-SX1262 LoRa module connected through a board-to-board connector. This compact devkit supports LoRa (862-930MHz), Wi-Fi (2.4GHz), and Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE), with a 5km range for LoRa and a 100m+ range for Wi-Fi/BLE. The kit also has a USB Type-C interface, a built-in power management chip, and multiple I/O options such as IIC, UART, and GPIO. It supports external LoRa antennas and can be extended with XIAO expansion boards for more complex setups. These features make this device suitable for projects such as LoRaWAN gateways, IoT sensors, Meshtastic nodes or routers, and applications where space is limited. XIAO ESP32S3 for Meshtastic & LoRa specifications: SoC – Espressif Systems ESP32 with dual-core Xtensa LX7 microcontroller up to 240MHz Wireless Connectivity LoRaWAN via Semtech LX1262 Output Power – Up to +22 […]
Kumquat – An Allwinner V3s embedded system board with isolated CAN, Ethernet and ESP32 for WiFi and Bluetooth
The Kumquat is an Allwinner V3s board designed for industrial automation, home automation, IoT projects, robotics, and embedded system development. The Allwinner V3s features ARM Cortex-A7 cores with 64MB DDR2 RAM and 8MB SPI flash storage. Connectivity options include Ethernet, USB-C, isolated CAN-FD, and WiFi/Bluetooth via an ESP32 module. Additionally, it has eight auto-detecting 12/24V IOs, four relays for controlling external devices, and a real-time clock with battery backup. The Kumquat runs on Buildroot Linux with a mainline kernel and can be programmed with various programming languages making it a great alternative to traditional PLCs. Kumquat board specification SoC – Allwinner V3s CPU – ARM Cortex-A7 @ up to 1.2 GHz Memory – Integrated 64MB DDR2 DRAM clocked at 400MHz @ 1.5 V Video engine Storage 8MB SPI Flash for bootloader and user code I2C EEPROM for MAC addresses and user data SDIO Connector for eMMC or SD card Connectivity […]