In response to community feedback for more I/O options, Seeed Studio has recently launched the Seeed Studio XIAO Plus series with 23 castellated mounting pins (20 GPIOs, 3 power pins) and improved back solder points, improving compatibility with carrier boards for complex projects. The new series includes the XIAO ESP32S3 Plus, XIAO nRF52840 Plus, and XIAO nRF52840 SensePlus which are direct upgrades of the XIAO ESP32S3, Seeed XIAO nRF52840 BLE, and XIAO nRF52840 Sense boards. The new design allows for easier assembly and scalable production, with double the I/O options. XIAO ESP32S3 Plus The Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32S3 Plus is a compact development board with a total of 23 pins on the board out of which 11 are through-hole GPIO pins 9 additional SMD castellations GPIO pins and 3 through-hole are power pins. The board is built around an ESP32-S3 MCU so it has 2.4GHz WiFi and BLE 5.0 connectivity. Other […]
Tanmatsu handheld terminal features ESP32-P4 RISC-V MCU, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, 802.15.4, and LoRa connectivity
Tanmatsu is a handheld terminal device for hackers, makers, and tech enthusiasts based on the 400 MHz ESP32-P4 RISC-V microcontroller, including a QWERTY keyboard, and supporting various connectivity options with WiFi, Bluetooth LE, 802.15.4, and even LoRa in the 433 MHz or 868/915MHz bands. The handheld computer also features a 3.97-inch MIPI DSI display, a built-in speaker and a 3.5mm audio jack, and various expansion connectors such as a Qwiic connector for I2C/I3C modules, and PMOD and SAO expansion connectors. Tanmatsu specifications: Microcontrollers Espressif ESP32-P4 dual-core RISC-V microcontroller @ 400MHz with 32MB of built-in PSRAM WCH CH32V203C8T6 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor @ up to 144 MHz with 20KB SRAM, 64KB flash used for keyboard matrix and power management Storage 16MB flash for firmware MicroSD card slot supporting SD cards at 3.3v and 1.8v voltage levels (SDIO 3) Display – 3.97-inch MIPI DSI display with 800 x 480 resolution, 65,536 colors Audio […]
$12 Plant Bot is an ESP32-C3 soil sensor and pump driver for fully automated indoor plant care
The Plant Bot is an open-source, Internet-enabled plant monitor powered by the ESP32-C3 microcontroller and integrating a corrosion-resistant capacitive moisture soil sensor and a pump driver on a single printed circuit board, eliminating the need for additional cabling. The Plant Bot is designed to automate indoor plant care by combining moisture sensing, light sensing, and pump activation. It can be powered via USB or a single coin cell battery which lasts up to a week with daily updates. An onboard multi-color LED visually represents the current soil condition, ranging from red (dry) to blue (moist). The “Soil Level” line on the board indicates the maximum depth to which the sensor or device should be inserted into the soil. According to the maker, the Plant Bot will remain unaffected by corrosion if the soil level does not exceed this line. Other solutions we’ve covered with a soil sensor usually separate the […]
KTC A32Q8 Review – A 32-inch 4K Smart Monitor running Google TV
KTC A32Q8 is a 32-inch 4K UHD monitor running Google TV and supporting up to 3840×2160 resolution with a refresh rate of 60Hz. The monitor takes HDMI 2.1, Display1.4, or USB-C video input, comes with two 5W speakers, supports Dolby Audio and HDR, and offers WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity as well as USB 2.0 ports. A voice remote control is also included for Google TV control and configuration. In this review, we will look at the specifications, go through an unboxing, and test the various features of the KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor. KTC A32Q8 Smart Monitor specifications Screen Size – 31.5-inch Resolution – 3840×2160 (Ultra HD) Visible area – 697 x 392 mm Panel Type – VA (Vertical Alignment) Aspect Ratio – 16:9 (Widescreen) Refresh Rate – 60Hz Response Time (GtG) – Not specified Brightness 250 cd/m² Brightness (HDR) 250 cd/m² Contrast Ratio 3000:1 (static) Colors 1.07 billion (8-bit + […]
GGBEE RMW002 WiFi AC smart switch supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and Cozy Life app
The GGBEE RMW002 is a mini WiFi AC smart switch designed to make your appliances smarter. It supports a voltage range of 100-240V AC and a maximum current of 16A/20A. With built-in WiFi, the switch connects to the Cozy Life app for easy remote control of your appliances. It also supports voice commands through Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant allowing for hands-free operation. Additional features include group control, countdown timers, and dual-control wiring options. The device has very similar from-factor and features to that of a SONOFF ZBMINIR2 or SONOFF MINI Extreme (MINIR4M) but there are significant price differences if you are comparing the RMW002 to any SONOFF devices since the GGBEE switch is quite cheaper. GGBEE RMW002 specifications: SoC – Boufallo Lab BL602 32-bit RISC-V wireless SoC Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi 4 via BL602 Input Voltage range – 100-240V AC (50/60Hz) Max Current: 16A or 20A depending on […]
Inky Frame 7.3″ is a 7-color ePaper display powered by a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W
The Inky Frame 7.3″ is a Pico 2 W ePaper display featuring a 7.3-inch E Ink screen with 800 x 480 resolution and 7-color support. Other features include five LED-equipped buttons, two Qwiic/STEMMA QT connectors, a microSD card slot, and a battery connector with power-saving functionality. This Pico 2 W ePaper display is ideal for low-power applications such as home automation dashboards, sensor data visualization, and static image displays. E Ink technology ensures energy efficiency by consuming power only during screen refreshes while retaining images when unpowered. Flexible mounting options and included metal legs make it suitable for various setups. Previously, we covered the Waveshare 4-inch Spectra, a six-color ePaper display, along with other modules like the Inkycal v3, Inkplate 4, EnkPi, Inkplate 2, and more. Check them out if you’re interested in exploring these products. The Inky Frame 7.3″ specifications: Wireless module – Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W SoC […]
T-Keyboard-S3 Pro 4-Key USB mechanical keyboard adds rotary encoder, support for daisy-chaining up to six keyboards
Last year, we featured the T-Keyboard-S3, a USB mechanical keyboard with ESP32-S3, and four mechanical keys each fitted with a 0.85-inch color display. The upgraded T-Keyboard-S3-Pro adds a rotary encoder and four magnetic interfaces on each side controlked by an STM32G030 MCU to daisy-chain the host keyboard with up to 5 slave keyboards in a 3×2 grid. Previously, we featured the ANAVI Macro Pad 12, Macro Pad 10, and Macro Pad 2 programmable keyboards. Feel free to explore those as well. LILYGO T-Keyboard-S3 Pro specifications: Wireless module – ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 used in the host model only MCU – ESP32-S3R8 dual-core LX7 microprocessor @ up to 240 MHz with Vector extension for machine learning Memory – 8MB PSRAM Storage – 16MB SPI flash Connectivity – WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5 with LE/Mesh PCB antenna Secondary MCU – STMicro STM32G030F6P6 for I2C magnetic connectors CPU – Arm 32-bit Cortex-M0+ CPU, frequency up to […]
Pico W5 is a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W alternative with RP2350 MCU, dual-band WiFi 4, 8MB flash
The Pico W5 is a Raspberry Pi RP2350 development board providing an alternative to the official Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W with dual-band (2.4GHz/5GHz) WiFi 4 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity through a B&T BW16 wireless module. Besides dual-band WiFi, there are a few other small changes compared to the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, including a USB Type-C connector, a larger 8MB flash, and a Reset button. As far as I know, it’s the first RP2350 board with 5GHz WiFi, as other RP2350 boards with WiFi, such as the Challenger+ RP2350 WiFi6/BLE5 and Pimoroni Pico Plus 2 W, only support 2.4GHz WiFi. Pico W5 specifications: SoC – Raspberry Pi RP2350 CPU Dual-core Arm Cortex-M33 @ 150 MHz with Arm Trustzone, Secure boot and Dual-core RISC-V Hazard3 @ 150 MHz Only two cores can be used at any given time Memory – 520 KB on-chip SRAM Security 8KB of anti-fuse OTP […]