SparkFun Updates a Classic with the Compact New ESP32 Qwiic Pro Mini IoT Development Board
Designed along the Arduino Pro Mini footprint, this 32-bit dual-core powerhouse packs an Espressif ESP32 and a 90-degree Qwiic connector.
SparkFun has announced a new development board which puts a modern twist on a classic footprint: the ESP32 Qwiic Pro Mini, powered by an Espressif ESP32-PICO-MINI-N8R2 module.
"This super small IoT [Internet of Things] development board is a fantastic option for those who need an embedded system where space and weight are restricted," SparkFun's Chris McCarty claims of the new board. "Best of all, utilizing our handy Qwiic system, no soldering is required to connect this Pro Mini to the rest of your system."
The board is designed to mimic the dimensions of the Arduino Pro Mini and compatibles, though rather than using an eight-bit AVR microcontroller it packs an Espressif ESP32 module — giving it a 32-bit dual-core Tensilica Xtensa LX6 processor, 520kB of static RAM (SRAM), 2MB of pseudo-static RAM (PSRAM), 8MB of SPI flash, and an additional 16kB of SRAM in the on-board real-time clock (RTC).
Aimed at the IoT, the new board includes single-band IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi with data rates up to 150Mb/s, Bluetooth 4.2 with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and peripherals including both analog to digital converter (ADC) and digital to analog converter (DAC), capacitive touch detection, pulse-width modulation, TWAI support, an Ethernet MAC, and UART, SPI, SDIO, I2C, and I2S buses.
In a final twist on the desk, the board also includes Qwiic port for solderless connection to compatible sensor boards and other add-on hardware — positioned at a 90-degree angle to the board itself, so as not to spoil the compact footprint with cabling.
The ESP32 Qwiic Pro Mini is now available on the SparkFun store at $9.95 before volume pricing; more information is available in the board's hookup guide.