Drawing off a 3.3V supply, this module is supplied with a standard 16 pin 0.5mm pitch FFC cable that allows it to be connected directly to CleO35 board (with 3.5″ TFT display) or to the CleO-IO shield so that it can be utilised by the larger CleO50 board (with 5″ TFT display). Core to the module’s operation is an Ai-Thinker ESP-12S WiFi subsystem. This is based on the compact, highly integrated 32-bit ESP8266 processor – with antenna switch, RF filters, power amplifier, low noise receive amplifier, digital peripheral interface and power management functions all included.
In addition, the company has introduced a new development module for its FT93x series of 32-bit performance-optimised microcontroller units (MCUs). The compact (66.8x85mm), streamlined and simple to use MM930Lite module complements Bridgetek’s existing suite of development hardware and software tools. It provides engineers with a platform upon which they can evaluate the performance parameters of the MCU, carry out initial prototyping, or even construct sophisticated systems from the ground up within a short period of time. Among the applications for which the MM930Lite is most suited are building security/door entry mechanisms, home automation infrastructure, industrial control implementations and embedded multimedia equipment.
As well as its MCU, the module features 8MBytes of embedded Flash memory resource and a Micro SD card port for accommodating external memory. A broad range of interfaces are incorporated too. These include a Micro-B USB port for connecting to a USB host or delivering power to the module (as an alternative to the 5VDC supply connector), a 2.54mm pitch dual entry female header in a 2×8 pin arrangement, a 2×5 pin 1.27mm pitch female Micro-MaTch connector for software updating purposes, plus a 16 pin 0.5mm pitch FFC/FPC interconnect for SPI master interfacing (to support attachment to TFT display modules).