Beetle – The Smallest Board Compatible with Arduino

Beetle - The Smallest Board Compatible with Arduino

The Beetle development board is an extremely compact development board that adopts the core idea of minimalism without compromising functionality, and is compatible with the Arduino® Leonardo design.

It comes with an ATmega32U4 (ATmega32U4 Datasheet) microcontroller running at a 16 MHz clock speed and offers a wide range of interfaces compared to its size: 10 digital pins, 5 analog pins, and 4 PWM pins.
Thanks to its user-friendly structure, it allows direct programming and testing via Micro USB.
When you select the Arduino® Leonardo board on the Arduino® IDE, you can easily upload your new codes without needing an extra programmer, thanks to the pre-loaded bootloader.

As the smallest board compatible with Arduino® Leonardo, it possesses powerful functions similar to the original model.
With its low cost and ease of use, the Beetle is a great solution for do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, workshops, gift projects, E-Textiles (wearable technology), and education-focused single-use projects.
It is an excellent alternative for students and Makers who cannot allocate a large budget for hardware purchases.

From left to right: DFRduino Leonardo, Nano, Nova, and Beetle

Note: DFRobot has also released Beetle BLE, a new version of this board with Bluetooth 4.0 (BLE) capabilities. The related product is one of the smallest BLE-enabled compatible boards on the market.

Beetle Development Board Design Features:

• Extremely compact size of 20 mm x 22 mm
• Ability to download programs and test directly via Micro USB
• Large V-shaped gold-plated power ports that make it easier for the user to wrap wires around and can be sewn directly onto clothes with conductive thread
• Two hexagonal gold-plated extra power interfaces
• Stylishly designed light blue LED indicator

Beetle Development Board Technical Specifications:

• Microcontroller: ATmega32U4
• Clock Speed: 16 MHz
• Operating Voltage: 5V DC
• Digital I/O Pins: 10
• PWM Channels: 4
• Analog Input Channels: 5
• UART: 1
• I2C: 1
• Micro USB: 1
• Power Ports: 2
• Flash Memory: 32 KB (4 KB of which is used by the bootloader)
• SRAM: 2.5 KB
• EEPROM: 1 KB
• Dimensions: 20 mm x 22 mm x 3.8 mm

Package Contents:

• 1 x Beetle Development Board

Sample Projects That Can Be Done with the Beetle Development Board:

Project 1: How to Make Musical IQ LED Lights?
Project Introduction: A stylish lighting project that works sensitive to sound using an individually addressable LED strip.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Audio Analyzer Module
• 2 x Analog Sound Sensor
• 1 x RGB Individually Addressable LED Strip
• 1 x Beetle Development Board

Project 2: How to Make Programmable Fiber Optic Fairy Wings?
Project Introduction: Create your own glowing fairy wings with a few electronic components. A great guide especially for costume (cosplay) designers.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Digital RGB LED Weatherproof Strip (60 LEDs)
• 1 x Beetle Development Board

Project 3: Do It Yourself (DIY) Deer Clock
Project Introduction: A desk clock that shows the time in a cute way. The LED matrix display gives the product a very cool look.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Gravity: I2C SD2405 RTC (Real-Time Clock) Module
• 1 x Beetle Development Board
• 1 x FireBeetle Compatible 24x8 LED Matrix (White)
• 1 x Micro USB Cable

Project 4: Running T-Shirt with Heart Rate Alarm
Project Introduction: A wearable technology project integrated into a running t-shirt that vibrates to warn you when your heart rate gets too high.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Beetle Development Board
• 1 x Vibration Motor Module
• 1 x Heart Rate (Pulse) Sensor

Project 5: Making a Glowing Dice to Monitor Battery Capacity
Project Introduction: Track your battery level visually with a great dice design.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Gravity: I2C 3.7V Lithium Battery Fuel Gauge
• 1 x Beetle Development Board
• 1 x Single-Sided ProtoBoard (Flexible PCB)
• 21 x LED Bead Lamp
• Crystal Epoxy Resin and dyes

Project 6: Wristband with BMI160 Motion Sensor (Pedometer)
Project Introduction: A smart wristband (pedometer) application that counts steps taken using a 6-axis sensor.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Gravity: I2C BMI160 6-Axis Inertial Motion Sensor
• 1 x Beetle Development Board
• 1 x Gravity: I2C OLED-2864 Display
• 1 x 3.7V Mini Lithium Battery
• 2 x Button
• 1 x Toggle Switch
• 1 x Watch Strap

Project 7: Light of the World - 3D Printed Interactive Lamp
Project Introduction: A gyroscope and accelerometer-based 3D printed lamp whose light can be turned on by tapping the table or shaking.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Gravity: I2C BMI160 6-Axis Motion Sensor
• 1 x Beetle Development Board
• 1 x 3.7V Lithium Battery Charger and 3.7V Battery
• 10 x Piranha LED Bead
• Various paints and building materials (Acrylic, wire, screws, etc.)

Project 8: Smart Rabbit Hat (Based on EMG Sensor)
Project Introduction: Making a cute and interactive rabbit hat whose ears move by detecting muscle movements.
Materials You Need:

• 1 x Gravity: OYMotion Analog EMG Sensor
• 1 x Beetle Development Board
• 1 x Lithium Battery Charger and 3.7V Lithium Battery
• 2 x 9g 180° Micro Servo Motor
• 1 x Rabbit Hat
• Switch, elastic band, hot glue, and sewing materials

Documents & Useful Links:

• Beetle Development Board Library
• Beetle Circuit Schematic
• Adafruit Trinket vs. DFRobot Beetle Comparison Video
• Beetle: Minimize Your Arduino Projects (Instructables Guide)