ATTO Is — or Will Be — the World’s Smallest Arduino-Compatible Board
If you, like many, started your microcontroller journey with an Arduino Uno. Eventually though, you’ll likely move on to smaller boards…
You, like many, probably started your microcontroller journey with an Arduino Uno. Eventually though, chances are you moved on to smaller boards like the Nano, which measures in at just 1.77” x .71”, or the even tinier Pro Micro at 1.3” x .7”. Nionics, however, has announced a new board called the ATTO that they claim is the world’s smallest Arduino-compatible. It comes in a minuscule .45” x .40” form factor, which works out to just an .18-square-inch area. To get a sense of its size, consider that the Nano has a comparatively massive 1.26-square-inch footprint.
The ATTO features the same ATmega32U4 as the Pro Micro, allowing it to act as a custom human interface device (HID) if you so desire. It even has a built-in RGB LED for your blinking needs. A microUSB port provides power and programming for the board, or a VIN pin can accept between 3.3 and 13V.
To pull off this little package, IO pins are reduced compared to some of its full-sized cousins, and you’ll need to deal with a smaller pin pitch than you’re probably used to at .05” (or use an adapter). Also, it won’t be available until October. But if you can wait a few months, it looks like a great way to embed intelligence where a dev board couldn’t have fit previously!