SPIDER Automation Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE | ATmega32U4 Bluetooth Development Board | For Wireless Embedded & IoT Applications
Description
The Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE is a compact Arduino-compatible development board that combines an ATmega32U4 microcontroller with integrated Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, native USB support and LiPo battery charging. It is part of the Feather family of portable microcontroller platforms and is designed for embedded systems where compact size, wireless connectivity and battery-powered operation are important.
The ATmega32U4 operates at 8MHz with 3.3V logic and power. The board provides 20 GPIO pins along with hardware Serial, I2C and SPI interfaces, 8 PWM outputs and 10 analog inputs. Native USB support provides a USB bootloader and serial debugging capability directly through the microcontroller, simplifying programming and development.
Integrated Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity provides a wireless communication interface for systems that need to communicate with compatible smartphones, tablets and computers. This makes the board suitable for wireless control interfaces, sensor nodes, portable instruments, connected controllers and other compact embedded systems.
For battery-powered applications, the board includes a 100mA LiPo charger with a charging-status LED. A 3.3V regulator provides up to 500mA peak current output. The board also includes a reset button, power/enable control, four mounting holes and an onboard red LED connected to pin 13.
Key Features
- ATmega32U4 Microcontroller: Provides the main Arduino-compatible processing platform.
- 8MHz Clock: The microcontroller operates at the specified 8MHz clock frequency.
- 3.3V Logic and Power: Designed around a 3.3V operating environment.
- Bluetooth Low Energy: Provides integrated BLE wireless connectivity for compatible applications.
- Native USB: Supports USB programming through the built-in bootloader and serial debugging.
- 20 GPIO Pins: Provides flexible digital connectivity for embedded peripherals.
- 8 PWM Pins: Provides multiple hardware PWM-capable outputs.
- 10 Analog Inputs: Provides analog input channels for sensors and measurement circuits.
- Hardware Serial: Provides hardware UART-based serial communication.
- Hardware I2C: Supports I2C-connected sensors, displays and peripheral devices.
- Hardware SPI: Supports high-speed SPI peripheral communication.
- 3.3V Regulator: Provides up to 500mA peak current output.
- 100mA LiPo Charger: Supports charging of compatible single-cell LiPo batteries.
- Charging Indicator: Dedicated LED provides visual charging-status feedback.
- Pin 13 Red LED: Provides an onboard general-purpose indicator LED.
- Power/Enable Control: Provides onboard power-management control.
- Reset Button: Provides convenient manual reset control.
- Four Mounting Holes: Supports mechanical installation into embedded assemblies.
- Compact Feather Form Factor: Approximately 51 × 23 × 8mm without headers installed.
- Low Weight: Approximately 5.7g for the board without headers.
Benefits
- Wireless Connectivity: Built-in BLE reduces the need for a separate wireless communication module.
- Compact Embedded Platform: Combines microcontroller, wireless connectivity, USB and battery charging in one board.
- Battery-Powered Operation: Integrated LiPo charging simplifies rechargeable portable system design.
- Flexible I/O: GPIO, PWM, analog, Serial, I2C and SPI interfaces support a wide range of peripherals.
- Simple USB Development: Native USB support simplifies firmware programming and serial debugging.
- Expandable Feather Ecosystem: Compatible FeatherWing expansion boards can add additional functionality.
Applications
- IoT Devices: Developing compact wireless-connected embedded equipment.
- Wireless Controllers: Building BLE-enabled control interfaces and remote-control systems.
- Portable Electronics: Creating compact battery-powered electronic devices.
- Sensor Nodes: Collecting sensor data and communicating measurements wirelessly.
- Embedded Instrumentation: Combining analog measurement and digital communication in compact equipment.
- Automation Interfaces: Providing wireless control and monitoring functionality for embedded systems.
- Mobile-Connected Devices: Developing electronics that exchange data with compatible smartphones and tablets.
- FeatherWing Systems: Expanding the controller with compatible FeatherWing peripheral boards.
Package Includes
- 1 × Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE with Stacking Headers – Assembled
Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product Type | Development Board |
| Board Type | Feather Type |
| Manufacturer | Adafruit Industries |
| Microcontroller | ATmega32U4 |
| Clock Frequency | 8MHz |
| Logic / Operating Voltage | 3.3V |
| Voltage Regulator | 3.3V Regulator |
| Peak Regulator Output | 500mA |
| GPIO Pins | 20 |
| PWM Pins | 8 |
| Analog Inputs | 10 |
| Wireless Connectivity | Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) |
| USB | Native USB Support |
| Serial Interface | Hardware Serial |
| I2C Interface | Hardware I2C |
| SPI Interface | Hardware SPI |
| LiPo Charger | 100mA Integrated Charger |
| Charging Indicator | Charging Status LED |
| User LED | Red LED on Pin 13 |
| Mounting Holes | 4 |
| Board Dimensions (L × W × H) | 51 × 23 × 8mm, without headers soldered |
| Product Weight | 5.7g, without headers |
| Header Configuration | Stacking Headers, Assembled |
| Shipping Weight | 0.01kg |
| Shipping Dimensions | 9 × 7 × 4cm |