SparkFun Thing Plus - RA6M5

It's time to supercharge your next project with the SparkFun RA6M5 Thing Plus! Clocking in at 200MHz, the RA6M5 is a high-performance microcontroller from Renesas that is perfect for real-time applications. This translates to smooth responsiveness, lightning-fast data processing, and the ability to handle complex calculations – perfect for bringing your creations to life!

The familiar Feather-footprint and Qwiic connector make it easy to connect the RA6M5 Thing Plus to a wide range of sensors and accessories with a simple plug-and-play approach. Thanks to the 2MB of built-in Flash memory and a convenient microSD card slot, you'll also have ample space for your code and data.

The RA6M5 Thing Plus isn't just powerful; it's versatile, too, because it's built for both ease of use and advanced applications. With 512kB of SRAM, 21 general-purpose pins, and an additional 16MB of Flash memory, it offers the flexibility to tackle even more demanding projects. While the default Arduino core might not utilize every feature, experienced users can explore the microcontroller's full potential to create impressive applications.

Please be aware that while the SparkFun RA6M5 Thing Plus offers some pins that are 5V tolerant, it primarily operates at a 3.3V logic level. The board also features Bluetooth® Low Energy connectivity, thanks to the DA14531MOD module (also from Renesas). When actively transmitting, the DA14531MOD sips a mere 4mA and can operate from a small coin-cell battery. The firmware provided on the module features Renesas' SmartBond™ - CodeLess™ AT command Datapump. Therefore, users only need to send AT commands to configure a Bluetooth connection without reprogramming the module.

In conclusion, the RA6M5 Thing Plus is ideal for makers who crave power and ease of use. Its extensive features and user-friendly design make it the perfect platform to turn your ideas into reality!

The SparkFun Qwiic Connect System is an ecosystem of I²C sensors, actuators, shields, and cables that make prototyping faster and less prone to error. All Qwiic-enabled boards use a common 1mm pitch, 4-pin JST connector. This reduces the amount of required PCB space, and polarized connections mean you can’t hook it up wrong.

Features:

SparkFun Thing Plus - RA6M5 Features

• Renesas RA6M5
  • 21 Multifunctional GPIO Pins:
    • Up to six 12-bit ADC channels
    • Up to two 12-bit DAC outputs
    • Up to two UART ports
    • An available SPI Bus
    • An available I²C Bus
• Renesas DA14531MOD
  • Bluetooth® Low Energy (LE) Module
  • Supports CodeLess™ AT command Datapump
• Thing Plus (or Feather) Form-Factor:
  • Dimensions: 7.4 cm x 2.3 cm
  • Four Mounting Holes:
    • 4-40 screw compatible
  • 28 PTH Pins
  • USB-C Connector
  • 2-pin JST Connector for a LiPo Battery (not included)
  • 4-pin JST Qwiic Connector
• LiPo Charger:
  • MC73831 Single-Cell LiPo Charger
    • Charge rate: 213mA
  • MAX17048 Single-Cell LiPo Fuel Gauge
• LEDs:
  • PWR - Red 3.3V power indicator
  • CHG - Yellow battery charging indicator
  • STAT - Blue status LED (D14)
  • RGB - WS2812 RGB LED (D13)
• Buttons:
  • USR (D31)
  • RST
• 2x JTAG/SWD PTH Pins
• 16 MB/128 Mbit QSPI Flash (MX25L12833F)
• µSD Card Slot

RA6M5 General Features:

• Arm® Cortex®-M33 Core
  • Footprint: 100-pin LQFP
  • Clock frequency: 200MHz
  • Flash memory:
    • 2MB (code)
    • 8kB (data)
  • SRAM: 512kB
    • Error Correction Code (ECC) Support
  • Arm Memory Protection Unit (Arm MPU)
  • Secure Crypto Engine
  • Two Watchdog Timers (WDT)
• Operating voltage: 3.0V to 3.6V
• Current Consumption:
  • Maximum: 143mA
  • Normal: 32mA
  • Sleep: 11mA
  • Deep Sleep: 0.9-131µA
• Operating modes:
  • Single-chip
  • SCI/USB boot
• 75 I/O Pins
  • 5V Tolerant (x14)
  • 12-bit ADC (x6)
  • 12-bit DAC (x2)
  • 32-bit PWM Channels (x4)
  • 16-bit PWM Channels (x6)
  • UART (x10)
  • I²C Bus (x3)
  • SPI Bus (x2)
  • QSPI (x1)
  • OSPI (x1)
  • USB 2.0 (Full/High Speed)
  • CAN Interface
  • Ethernet MAC/DMA Controller
  • SD/MMC Host Interface
  • Serial Sound Interface Enhanced
  • Consumer Electronics Control
• Realtime Clock (RTC) with calendar
• CRC Calculator
• Temperature Sensor
• Capacitive Touch Sensing
• Operating temperature: -40 to 85 °C

DA14531 General Features:

• Bluetooth 5.1 system-on-chip (SoC)
  • Supports up to three connections
  • 32-bit Arm® Cortex® M0+
    • Clock frequency: 16 MHz
    • Memory:
      • Flash: 128 Kb
      • RAM: 48 Kb
      • ROM: 144 Kb
      • OTP: 32 Kb
• Operating range (1.8 V - 3.6 V)
  • Receive: 2mA
  • Transmit: 4mA
  • Sleep: 1.8 µA
• Radio
  • Transmit Power: -19 to +2.2 dBm
  • Receiver Sensitivity: -93 dBm

Documents:

• Schematic
• Eagle Files
• Board Dimensions
• Graphical Datasheet
• Hookup Guide
• Renesas-Arduino Core (unofficial)
• Arduino Libraries:
• FastLED Arduino library
• SparkFun MAX1704x Fuel Gauge Arduino library
• CodeLess Arduino Library (unofficial)
• Datasheets:
• RT9080 Datasheet
• LM66200 Datasheet
• MCP73831 Datasheet
• MAX17048 Datasheet
• WS2812 Datasheet
• MX25L12833F Datasheet
• Renesas Components:
• RA6M5 Product Page
• Documentation
• RA6M5 Group Datasheet
• RA6M5 Group User Manual: Hardware
• Software and Tools
• DA14531MOD Product Page
• Documentation
• DA14531MOD Datasheet
• Software and Tools
• DA14531MOD AT Commands
• RenesasRulz Forum
• Thing Plus Comparison Guide
• Qwiic Information Page
• GitHub Hardware Repo

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