Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. The microcontroller on the Arduino board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring and C) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). This combination of tools have made it a very easy to use platform for all kinds of experimenters to create many kinds of project hacks and even commercial products. Why the Arduino Won and Why It’s Here to Stay article gives you idea why the platform is so popular. Arduino and it’s tool-set started with 8-bit Atmel microcontrollers, but nowdays the tools can also be used to program also ARM based microcontrollers.
Every now and then different sources show another “Arduino-like platform”. Here are pointers to some most interesting looking new Arduino platforms (look interesting but I have not had change to personally test any of them):
EDN magazine article Coin-sized Arduino-compatible computer with Bluetooth LE wirelessly connects to smartphones, tablets tells that about the world’s first ‘Arduino’ compatible open-source micro-computer that can communicate wirelessly with any Bluetooth® v4.0 compatible smartphone or tablet. This ‘RFduino’ is based on nRF51822′s powerful on-board 32-bit ARM Cortex M0-based processor. Open Source RF claims that the overriding focus of the RFduino is on building new wireless applications. The RFduino can be powered by anything from household outlets down to a regular CR2032 coin cell (watch) battery. The RFduino 7 GPIO lines all support, Digital IO, Analog ADC, SPI, I2C, UART and PWM. The RFduino is similar to the Arduino UNO or DUE, except the RFduino is a fraction of the cost and size, in addition has wireless smartphone connectivity built-in! There are several open-source RFduino and iPhone apps which are free to use, extend, and share.
The JeeNode is a small wireless board with an 8-bit Atmel RISC microprocessor. JeeNodes are compatible with the Arduino platform and can be programmed under Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux using sketches created with the Arduino IDE. Kits include the ISM-band 868 MHz radio module as used in Europe for short range wireless communications.
The PICnDuino Review page tells about PICnDuino board. The PICnDuino is an Open Source dual microcontroller development platform built into a tiny direct to USB device. It is compatible with both Arduino (Atmega 328P) and Amicus18 (PIC18F25K20). The PICnDuino provides a fantastic opportunity to learn two programming languages in one device (Arduino which is C and Amicus18 which is Basic). You just plug it in to USB and start coding. The board has LEDss onboard and had bread-board friendly format.
CuteUino: Only use the parts of the Arduino that you need for each project article tells of a new small version of the Arduino that has a fitting within the outline of an SD card. In this design the Arduino platform is broken it up into several modules (that you can stack on top of each other) so you can choose only the components that you need for the project. For more details check Prototyping The CuteUino web page.
212 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paperduino: How to Print a Paper Arduino
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xv2w2AFxl8
Make a Paper Arduino with Circuit Scribe and a Pen Plotter!
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Low Cost Arduino FPGA Shield
http://hackaday.com/2014/03/05/a-low-cost-arduino-fpga-shield/
a low cost Arduino based FPGA shield. We’ve seen this pairing before, but never with a bill of materials in the $25 to $30 range. [technolomaniac's] FPGA of choice is a Xilinx Spartan 6.
Nice thing about this one is it’s small enough to be used by Xilinx’s free version of their synthesis software.
Tri says:
Thankfulness to my father who told me on the topic of
this website, this website is truly amazing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Turning A Router Into An Arduino Yún
http://hackaday.com/2014/03/07/turning-a-router-into-an-arduino-yun/
The Arduino Yún was the first of a new breed of Arduinos that added a big honkin’ Linux System on Chip to the familiar ATMega microcontroller and unique pin headers. It’s a surprisingly powerful system, but also very simple: basically, it’s just an Atheros AR9331 running Linux, an ATMega32u4 doing its Arduino thing, both connected by a serial connection. The Atheros AR9931 is also found in a router popular amongst hardware hackers. It really was only a matter of time before someone ported the Yun software to a router, then.
exercises for backache says:
Nice post. I learn something new and challenging on sites I stumbleupon everyday.
It will always be helpful to read through content from other writers and
use a little something from other sites.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Version of Energia Supports Wolverine and Connected
http://hackaday.com/2014/03/11/a-new-version-of-energia/
an upcoming release of Energia brings Arduino style coding to the two newest member of the LaunchPad family: the TivaC Connected LaunchPad EK-TM4C1294XL and Wolverine FRAM LaunchPad MSP-EXP430FR5969LP.
“Energia is an open-source electronics prototyping platform … with the goal to bring the Wiring and Arduino framework to the Texas Instruments MSP430 based LaunchPad.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Energia
http://energia.nu/
Energia is an open-source electronics prototyping platform started by Robert Wessels in January of 2012 with the goal to bring the Wiring and Arduino framework to the Texas Instruments MSP430 based LaunchPad. Energia uses the mspgcc compiler by Peter Bigot and is based on the Wiring and Arduino framework. Energia includes an integrated development environment (IDE) that is based on Processing.
The latest release of Energia supports the MSP-EXP430G2, MSP-EXP430FR5739 and Stellaris EK-LM4F120XL LaunchPads with support for the C2000 base LAUNCHXL-F28027 LaunchPad coming soon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Developed on Hackaday: Security and Arduino Compatibility
http://hackaday.com/2014/03/16/developed-on-hackaday-security-and-arduino-compatibility/
Some of our readers noticed that the Hackaday community open-source offline password keeper (aka Mooltipass) has two incompatible characteristics: being secure and Arduino compatible.
Consequently, we needed a secure tamper-proof Mooltipass version and an Arduino-compatible one, while allowing the former to become the latter.
Mooltipass
Offline password keeper project created by and for the Hackaday community
http://projects.hackaday.com/project/86-Mooltipass
The mooltipass is an offline password keeper.
The concept behind this product is to minimize the number of ways your passwords can be compromised, while generating and storing long and complex random passwords for the different websites you use daily.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microview Shrinks Arduino Into A Teeny, Weenie OLED Module
http://techcrunch.com/2014/03/21/microview-shrinks-arduino-into-a-teeny-weenie-oled-module/?source=gravity&cps=gravity
Do you desire a teeny, tiny, little Arduino board with OLED display? You bet you do! Microview is a new “chip-sized” Arduino on Kickstarter that costs $45. What can it do? All kinds of stuff!
The Microview can be programmed and powered from multiple sources although the guys who made it, Geek Ammo, are offering a little serial-to-USB programmer for $10 extra.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LED Bar Graph: Testing the Ardweeny
http://www.tinkerhobby.com/led-bar-graph-testing-the-ardweeny/
Ardweeny is a small, breadboard friendly Arduino clone. In fact, it is the smallest Arduino clone that I know of, and the tiny board is backpacked on top of the ATMega chip.
PCB, ATMega, headers and 7 parts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Solarbotics Ardweeny Microcontroller Kit
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2115768_-1?avad=21273_d6546f9f&source=Avantlink
Looking to build the smallest, handiest, bread-board friendly Arduino-compatible microcontroller? The Ardweeny fits on the back of the included ATmega328, taking up no more valuable breadboard space than the microcontroller itself!
Fully Arduino-compatible!
Stacks onto the back of an ATmega328 chip (included)
Takes same 28-pin footprint as the microcontroller itself!
Features Pin-13 LED and reset button
Simple construction – only 7 parts plus pins & PCB!
Ideal for breadboard applications
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flexible Arduino Sure to Be A Hit
http://hackaday.com/2014/04/19/flexible-arduino-sure-to-be-a-hit/
Scrolling LED on soda can
Wearable, lightweight hacks have long been dominated by the Lilypad. This will probably change with the introduction of the Printoo. Using printable circuit technology
Powered by the all too familiar ATmega328, the Printoo core module is fully compatible with the Ardunio IDE.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Printoo homepage
http://www.ynvisible.com/printoo/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kickstarter
Printoo: Paper-Thin, Flexible Arduino™-Compatible modules!
by Ynvisible
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1030661323/printoo-paper-thin-flexible-arduinotm-compatible-m
Tomi Engdahl says:
A LIN Bus Signal Injector
http://hackaday.com/2014/04/19/a-lin-bus-signal-injector/
The project is based around an ATMega328 and is therefore Arduino IDE compatible
In the car, it is physically setup as a proxy between the LIN master and the slave
Tomi Engdahl says:
Video: Getting Your Feet Wet with Programmable System On Chip
http://hackaday.com/2014/04/23/getting-your-feet-wet-with-programmable-system-on-chip/
So what is a PSOC 4? A quick summary is that it’s based on an ARM Cortex reduced instruction set processor (RISC) and is somewhat capable of supporting shields based on the Arduino footprint,
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digispark Pro, The Bigger Smaller Dev Board
http://hackaday.com/2014/04/23/digispark-pro-the-bigger-smaller-dev-board/
There has recently been a huge influx of extremely small dev board based on the ATtiny85. This small 8-pin microcontroller is able to run most Arduino sketches, and the small size and low price of these dev boards means they have been extremely popular. The Digispark was among the first of these small boards, and now the creator is releasing a newer, bigger version dubbed the Digispark Pro.
The new board isn’t based on the ‘tiny85, but rather the ATtiny167.
There’s real USB programming, device emulation, and serial over USB this time, and the ability to use the Arduino serial monitor
Tomi Engdahl says:
The chipKIT Uno32 is similar to Arduino, but boasts a much more powerful PIC32MX320F128 microcontroller.
Source: http://hackaday.com/2014/04/24/measuring-light-with-chipkit/
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIP case size Arduino = atmega328 laser-engraved and other components soldered on top of it:
DMT-Duino
http://hackerspace-ffm.de/wiki/index.php?title=DMT-Duino
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trinket
https://learn.adafruit.com/introducing-trinket
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.
There are two versions of the Trinket. One is 3V and one is 5V. Both work the same, but have different operating logic voltages.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Robot
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/Robot
The Arduino Robot is the first official Arduino on wheels. The robot has two processors, one on each of its two boards. The Motor Board controls the motors, and the Control Board reads sensors and decides how to operate. Each of the boards is a full Arduino board programmable using the Arduino IDE.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Opensource RhinoBOT is Well Suited For Hacking and Sumo-Robotics!
http://hackaday.com/2014/04/28/opensource-rhinobot-is-well-suited-for-hacking-and-sumo-robotics/
He’s released all the design files for his latest printbot, the RhinoBOT on thingiverse.com. Using an Arduino UNO, an IR sensor, two rotational servos, an LED, batteries and a few pieces of hardware, you can build your very own RhinoBOT! That is — if you have a 3D printer.
The fun doesn’t stop there though, as [Miguel's] also created a phone app to let you control your RhinoBOT wirelessly
Tomi Engdahl says:
Two-Wheel Balancing Robot Revived from the Dead
http://hackaday.com/2014/02/07/two-wheel-balancing-robot-revived-from-the-dead/
B-Robot, a 3D printed, two-wheeled, stepper driven, balancing robot.
Jouni’s] robot features two NEMA-17 steppers, a 12v 2200mAh battery pack, an Arduino Pro Mini, a MPU6050 gyro and a FrSky receiver.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Go On a Power Trip with Powerduino
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/03/go-on-a-power-trip-with-powerduino/
Powerduino, an arduino-compatible programmable power strip.
With Powerduino, [dekuNukem] can control the electrical consumption of all kinds of things without ever worrying about the irreversible deadliness of mains voltage. It actually uses a Teensy 3.1 which can be programmed with the Arduino IDE through the micro USB connector. He’s really tricked it out to the point of putting Kill A Watt meters to shame.
Powerduino
http://hackaday.io/project/1029-Powerduino
A fully programmable power strip with energy monitoring and wireless connectivity
Powerduino is a power strip that has been enhanced with a Teensy 3.1 microcontroller, RTC, current sensors, relays, WiFi module, external digital/analog IO pins, LCD, SD card, USB connector, and buttons. With an arsenal of new sensors and components, along with its open source design and Arduino compatible microcontroller, users are able to wirelessly control and monitor each socket over WiFi, observe real-time current, power and energy consumption of individual sockets, perform energy usage logging on SD card, and upload custom programs to the power strip through Arduino IDE to perform any action they want on each socket.
Simply attach a light sensor to the Powerduino and instantly turn a regular lamp into an automatic lamp that lights up when it gets dark, a thermocouple to transform a $20 mini oven into a reflow oven, have a heater turn itself off when it has used $2 of electricity, program a light dimmer right inside the power strip… All this can be done without ever taking appliances apart and being exposed to dangerous 120VAC voltage, and with the familiar Arduino experience,
dekuNukem/Powerduino
https://github.com/dekuNukem/Powerduino
A user-programmable power strip with energy monitoring and wireless connectivity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tell Time and Blink an LED on Your Wrist with WatchDuino
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/06/tell-time-and-blink-an-led-on-your-wrist-with-watchduino/
The component list is short and inexpensive. The meat and potatoes consist of an ATMega328, crystal, Nokia LCD screen and LiPo battery. The USB-rechargeable battery lasts about a week before needing to be such.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WatchDuino
http://www.coconauts.net/projects/watchduino/
WatchDuino is an open hardware project that combines inexpensive electronic components and a complex Arduino (C++) code to build a useful and reprogrammable smart watch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Smallest ATtiny85 Based USB Board
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/07/the-smallest-attiny85-based-usb-board/
“Possibly the smallest ATtiny85 based ‘duino derivative”. Indeed! When Olimex announced the Olimexino 85s as the smallest Arduino ever, [Tim] took that as a challenge. His very small Arduino based USB devboard is quite a bit smaller than the Olimexino!
One of the coolest aspects of this design is that it has the same pinout and size as a DIP ATtiny85.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OLIMEXINO-85S is smallest Arduino compatible board in the world with only 16.9 x 12.7 mm it’s with microSD card like size.
http://olimex.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/new-product-in-stock-worlds-smallest-arduino-ever-16-9-x-12-7-mm/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Nanite 85
http://cpldcpu.wordpress.com/2014/04/25/the-nanite-85/
Possibly the smallestest ATtiny85 based ‘duino derivative.
Recently, Olimex anncounced the Olimexino 85s, claimed to be the “World’s smallest Arduino ever“. Now, that looks like a challenge.
I designed this board for fun after the Digispark and, subsequentally, the Adafruit Trinket were announced. The motivation was to have my own ATtiny85 based development board based on a USB bootloader and optimized for the ubiquitous 170 point mini-breadboards. In contrast to the Digispark it even sports a reset button. However, it lacks an integrated voltage converter as it is supposed to be powered by USB.
Apart from the size considerations, the Nanite also uses a neat circuit trick to share a single pin with the LED and the reset button.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DIY Arduino Cases You Never Knew Existed
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/09/diy-arduino-cases-you-never-knew-existed/
There are sure a lot of varieties of Arduinos out there but there may even be more of a variety when it comes to Arduino Cases. Let’s take the most popular Arduino form factor, the Uno.
handful of unique cases for the Uno-sized boards.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing The Arduino Zero
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/15/introducing-the-arduino-zero/
The Arduino Uno is the old standby of the Arduino world, with the Arduino Due picking up where the Mega left off. The Arduino Tre is a pretty cool piece of kit combining a Linux system with the Arduino pinout. Care to take a guess at what the next Arduino board will be called? The Arduino Zero, obviously.
The Arduino Zero uses an Atmel ARM Cortex-M0+ for 256kB of Flash and 32k of RAM. The board supports Atmel’s Embedded Debugger, finally giving the smaller Arduino boards debugging support.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Meet Arduino ZERO – the new board jointly developed by Arduino and Atmel
http://blog.arduino.cc/2014/05/15/meet-arduino-zero/
Arduino and Atmel unveil the Arduino Zero, a simple and powerful 32-bit extension of the platform established by Arduino UNO.
The board is powered by Atmel’s SAMD21 MCU, which features a 32-bit ARM Cortex® M0+ core and one of its most important feature is Atmel’s Embedded Debugger (EDBG), which provides a full debug interface without the need for additional hardware, significantly increasing the ease-of-use for software debugging. EDBG also supports a virtual COM port that can be used for device programming and traditional Arduino boot loader functionality.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MicroModem
http://unsigned.io/?p=77
MicroModem is an educational and open-source implementation of a 1200-baud AFSK modem on the popular ATmega328p microprocessor. This makes it compatible with all Arduino boards and spinoffs using the 328p (for example the Uno, and the Microduino).
Apart from a 328pBased board, you will also need to assemble 17 common electronic components to build the modem. When done, it can be used for things like ham radio APRS, TCP/IP over SLIP, experimentation with mesh-networks, long-range wireless communication with sensors (Or friends! Or strangers!).
All the code, schematics, PCB layout and STL/OpenSCAD files for 3D-printing a case is available
Tomi Engdahl says:
Microduino
http://microduino.cc/
Microduino is small. Its size is about a quarter (25.40mm X 27.94mm / 1.0inch X 1.1inch), much smaller than the original Arduino board.
With unique UPin-27 pinout, every Microduino modules can be easily stacked together, plug-and-play.
Compatible with Arduino System, the most popular ecosystem where designers can get everything to build their own applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
panStamp AVR
http://www.panstamp.com/products/wirelessarduino
panStamps AVR are small wireless modules programmable from the Arduino IDE. Each module contains an Atmega328p MCU and a Texas Instruments CC1101 RF interface, providing the necessary connectivity and processing power to create autonomous low-power wireless motes. Everything contained into a compact DIP-24 module.
panStamps can be used and programmed as any other Arduino platform except that panStamps provide low-power wireless connectivity as well. You can connect your preferred sensors to these wireless arduinos
Stack and wireless protocol
In order to guarantee connectivity and interoperability between panStamps, the open source stack implements SWAP, an open source protocol specially designed for TI CC11XX radios. The resulting stack typically takes around 7 KB of Flash and less than 1 KB of RAM.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino BT (Bluetooth)
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardBT?from=Main.ArduinoBoardBluetooth
The Arduino BT is a microcontroller board originally was based on the ATmega168, but now is supplied with the 328 and the Bluegiga WT11 bluetooth module
It supports wireless serial communication over bluetooth
The Bluegiga WT11 module on the Arduino BT provides Bluetooth communication with computers, phones, and other Bluetooth devices. The WT11 communicates with the ATmega328 via serial (shared with the RX and TX pins on the board). It comes configured for 115200 baud communication. The module should be configurable and detectable by your operating system’s bluetooth drivers, which should then provide a virtual com port for use by other applications.
The board can also be reprogrammed using this same wireless connection.
The WT11 is specially configured for use in the Arduino BT.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Arduino Zero Hardware is Not Just for Beginners
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/21/arduino-zero-hardware-is-not-just-for-beginners/
I probably shouldn’t be surprised that there is already OpenOCD support (and by extension GDB support) for the Arduino Zero. In fact, that’s how the Arduino IDE flashes the board. This should have been obvious since the board is really just a breakout for the SAM D21 chip which is already supported.
If you’ve never used an On Chip Debugger before it’ll change your life so do give it a try. When you do move past the initial prototyping phase of your project you can still use the Zero as a debugging tool.
Unfortunately we still don’t have info on the availability timeframe or pricing information.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LittleBits Grows Up With New Arduino Module
http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/15/littlebits-grows-up-with-new-arduino-module/?ncid=rss&source=gravity&cps=gravity
The world of littleBits (the “not-a-toy” toy that I reaaaally wish existed when I was younger) just got a little bit bigger: it can now play friendly with Arduino.
Snap them together, and you can do all sorts of cool stuff — no programming required.
That “no programming required” point has always been one of littleBits’ biggest strengths; it meant that anyone could start putting stuff together, pretty much by accident.
Alas, up until now, “no programming required” also meant “no programming allowed”.
the next step (learning to use a standalone Arduino board, which meant also learning proper circuitry, soldering, etc.) was suddenly a pretty big one.
This morning, littleBits is introducing an Arduino module into the mix. It’ll snap right into place
You jack into it via the onboard microUSB port, upload your programming via the standard Arduino IDE, and all of your littleBits modules fall in line.
If you’ve already got a littleBits kit, littleBit’s Arduino-At-Heart module will set you back $36
Tomi Engdahl says:
How-To: Shrinkify Your Arduino Projects
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30rPt802n1k
If you have a simple Arduino project that uses only a few pins, you might be able to shrink it down to a single 8-pin ATtiny chip.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How-To: Shrinkify Your Arduino Projects
http://makezine.com/video/how-to-shrinkify-your-arduino-projects/
If you have a simple Arduino project that uses only a few pins, you might be able to shrink it down to a single 8-pin ATtiny chip. In this video, Matt Richardson shows you how, based on a tutorial from MIT Media Lab’s High-Low Tech Group. The best part is you can use the same Arduino code and development environment that you’re already used to.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AlaMode
http://wyolum.com/projects/alamode/
AlaMode is a stackable, Arduino compatible board for the Raspberry Pi that plugs in to it’s GPIO header.
You can write a program on the Pi in any language you want to control or monitor your Arduino application, making Internet integration and control super easy. In addition you can even program the AlaMode directly from the Pi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Touch Board and electric ink create a jammin’ music machine
http://www.gizmag.com/arduino-electric-ink-bare-conductive-touch-board-maker-faire/32182/
In a world increasingly dominated by touchscreens, a London design studio is taking an approach to touch that’s both low(er)-tech and innovative at the same time. Bare Conductive raised over US$200,000 on Kickstarter last year for an Arduino-based project called Touch Board that turns any conductive material into a potential capacitive touch input, including the firm’s own conductive electric paint.
The Touch Board is based around an Arduino Leonardo board that also sports an MP3 player / MIDI device, a MicroSD card socket, 3.5 mm audio jack and what Johnson described as the “secret sauce” – a custom chip that allows the Touch Board to act as a capacitive sensor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
UDOO
http://www.udoo.org/
Android device, Powerful computer, Arduino-compatible, ADK 2012
UDOO is a multi development platform solution for Android, Linux, Arduino™ and Google ADK 2012. The board is designed to provide a flexible environment that allows to explore the new frontiers of the Internet of Things. UDOO allows you to switch between Linux and Android in a few seconds, simply by replacing the Micro SD card and rebooting the system.
UDOO is a stand alone computer itself and since is based on the Freescale i.MX 6 CPU, it runs an optimized version of Linux Ubuntu for ARM architecture, called Linaro (11.10 at the moment). Linaro environment has everything you need for programming, for example you can use the Arduino IDE to build & upload your sketches to the Arduino-compatible embedded board, without additional/external cable connections.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Papilio DUO: Arduino-Compatible MCU + FPGA + Drag-&-Drop Circuit Creation
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1322537&
Jack is famous for creating the Papilio — an open-source FPGA development board intended for education, hobbyists, engineers.
One key aspect to the Papilio is the fact that it supports add-on application modules called “Wings” (equivalent to Arduino “Shields”). Another really clever idea was to provide users with the ability to load the FPGA with one of two Arduino-compatible soft processors — an AVR8 (an 8-bit clone of the AtMega103 chip with standard AVR peripherals) or an ZPUino (a 32-bit Arduino on steroids). The really cool thing is that users can work with the familiar and easy-to-use Arduino IDE to run their existing Arduino sketches (programs) on the soft processor core on the FPGA. Alternatively, they can implement designs in the FPGA in the regular way.
Well, now Jack is taking things to the next level. He’s just launched a Kickstarter project for something he calls the Papilio DUO. This little scamp features the combination of a Xilinx Spartan-6 FPGA along with an Arduino-Compatible MCU (the same chip as found on an Arduino Leonardo).
The really cool thing is that when it comes to using the FPGA, users don’t need to understand hardware description languages (HDLs) like Verilog and VHDL. Instead, there’s an easy-to-use graphical schematic interface that allows you to drag-and-drop functional units and wire them together.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Papilio DUO – Drag and Drop FPGA Circuit Lab for Makers
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/13588168/papilio-duo-drag-and-drop-fpga-circuit-lab-for-mak
Simply draw circuits connected to an Arduino-Compatible chip. Supercharge your sketches and unleash your inner DaVinci!
Why can’t we just draw up the circuits that we want to use? With the right software and circuit libraries we can! Let’s put a full circuit lab on a chip, pair it with an easy to use Arduino-Compatible chip, and sprinkle in a generous helping of debugging tools.
The Papilio DUO has an FPGA on the top and the same chip that is used in the Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32U4) on the bottom. It’s like having an Arduino with a full circuit laboratory connected to it!
Tomi Engdahl says:
Papilio Duo: FPGA, Logic Analyzer, Debugger, and Arduino Compatible
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/29/papilio-duo-fpga-logic-analyzer-debugger-and-arduino-compatible/
On board the Duo is an ATMega32u4, the same chip used in the Arduino Leonardo, allowing for easy integration with your standard Arduino projects. The top of the board is where the real money is. There’s a Spartan 6 FPGA with 9k logic cells, enough to run emulate some of the classic computers of yore, including the famous SID chip, Yamaha YM2149, and the Atari POKEY (!).
There are a few interesting software features of the Duo, including a full debugger for the ATMega chip, thanks to an emulated Atmel JTAG ICE MKII. Yes, an Arduino-compatible board finally has a real debugger. The FPGA can also implement a 32 channel logic analyzer, making this not only an extremely powerful dev board, but also a useful tool to keep around the workbench.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analog Shield
http://hackaday.com/2014/05/30/analog-shield-and-pcb-quadcopter/
The analog shield has a supply good for +/- 7.5 volts, 4-channel ADC, 4-channel DAC, and gets 100k samples at 16-bits. He showed us a spectrum analyzer using Fast Fourier Transform on the incoming signal from a microphone. He also built a function generator around the shield. And finally a synthesizer which plays MIDI files.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Analog Shield
Maker Faire Exclusive
http://digilentinc.com/Products/Detail.cfm?NavPath=2,648,1261&Prod=TI-ANALOG-SHIELD
Designed to bring the world of Analog Electronics to the Arduino™ Uno.*
The Analog Shield was created in collaboration with Stanford University and the TI University Program and is manufactured by Digilent Inc. It was designed to be part of the open source community and reference materials, demo code for the Arduino Uno, files and schematics are included in the collection of Instructables tutorials you can download
teach his students fundamental concepts such as:
Quantization and sampling
Direct digital synthesis
Analog noise vs Digital noise
…and more.
The following plug-and-play demo examples are currently available:
FFT Spectrum Visualizer
Direct Digital Synthesis Function generator
Lissajou Pattern Generator
Polyphonic MIDI Player
The Analog Shield is designed with TI analog technology that provides up to 4 channels of 16-bit analog signal input and output. Also on board are integrated fixed +/-5V and variable +/- 7.5V power supplies.
Included is a small 170 point solderless breadboard
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build internet-connected hardware.
Spark gives you the tools to connect everyday electronics to the internet over Wi-Fi.
https://www.spark.io/
A tiny Wi-Fi development board that makes it easy to create internet-connected hardware. The Core is all you need to get started; power it over USB and in minutes you’ll be controlling LEDs, switches and motors and collecting data from sensors over the internet!
Wireless programming
Arduino compatible
Familiar with Arduino? The Core uses Wiring, the same programming language that Arduino uses.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Meet the WIDGEDUINO
http://hackaday.com/2014/06/21/meet-the-widgeduino/
It’s based on the .NET framework and was designed with Visual Studio Windows Presentation Foundation. The user simply writes a sketch using the WIDGEDUINO library, and connects to a PC via serial or Ethernet to gain access to the assortment of awesome widgets.