SparkFun MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor

The SparkFun MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor is a compact and versatile piece of hardware that features the Snō System on Module (SoM) adapted to the MicroMod M.2 processor form factor. It's equipped with an 8-bit AVR instruction set, making it fully compatible with the Arduino IDE, and its FPGA provides a reconfigurable hardware platform. The Snō SoM's compact footprint is perfect for space-constrained applications and prototyping.

SparkFun's MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor is enhanced by Alorium Technology's library of custom logic, known as Xcelerator Blocks (XBs). These blocks, accessible through the Arduino IDE, are designed to boost specific functionalities that might be slow or impossible for an 8-bit microcontroller. The library includes a variety of XBs such as Servo Control, Quadrature, Floating Point Math, NeoPixel, and Enhanced Analog-to-Digital Converter. Future XBs will be implemented based on customer feedback and requirements.

For those with advanced skills, the board includes a JTAG footprint. This allows a JTAG programmer to communicate directly with the FPGA. The microcontroller core is designed to be easily extendable, and Alorium Technology offers a support model for users interested in creating their own XBs and interfacing with the on-chip microcontroller.

The SparkFun MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor is part of the MicroMod ecosystem, a modular interface that connects a microcontroller "processor board" to various "carrier board" peripherals. This ecosystem uses the M.2 standard, which is designed to make swapping out processors a breeze. Simply pair a specialized carrier board with your choice of compatible processor for your project needs.

Key features of the SparkFun MicroMod Alorium Sno M2 Processor include an Intel® MAX® 10 FPGA (16K LEs), programmability with the Arduino IDE, an embedded 8-bit AVR instruction set compatible microcontroller, and configurable custom Xcelerator Blocks (XBs) on the FPGA. It operates at a voltage of 3.3V and has a clock speed of 16/32MHz. The processor also boasts 32 dedicated digital pins, 6 shared digital with analog pins, 6 analog pins, and a 12-bit sustained resolution. It has a program flash memory of 32KB and data memory SRAM of 2KB. The processor also features a JTAG footprint for direct FPGA programming and an M.2 keyed interface for integration with SparkFun MicroMod carrier boards.