BEAPER Nano is designed to be a simple and flexible introductory circuit board for teaching or learning microcontroller programming. Its built-in I/O devices let students focus on developing their programming skills without having to construct and debug circuits on breadboards first. The wide variety of I/O devices, coupled with the powerful Arduino Nano ESP32 microcontroller board, let students use BEAPER to progress from simple starter programs to advanced IoT applications, along with being able to easily construct a variety of robotic circuit projects.

BEAPER Nano is primarily constructed using through-hole components, allowing beginners to learn about electronic components and practice their soldering skills as they assemble their own circuits. The circuit board is also designed to be assembled in stages, starting with a minimal component configuration that enables learners to begin working on introductory programming activities more quickly while allowing for later expansion and customization as leaners progress. The optional components allow instructors to tailor BEAPER Nano to their curriculum while helping to minimize costs by requiring all of the circuits on the boards to be populated.

The Arduino Nano ESP32 microcontroller board at the heart of BEAPER Nano enables programming in C/C++ using the familiar Arduino IDE or the Arduino Create web app for Chromebooks, as well as using the Arduino Cloud platform. This ESP32-based board can be programmed using the traditional Arduino APIs, or native ESP32 APIs. In addition, Arduino Nano ESP32 also enables programming using MicroPython through the new Arduino Lab software and a variety of other Python IDEs. This gives instructors three different programming options ranging from the simpler Python syntax to the industry-standard C/C++ syntax and rich function libraries.

The Arduino Nano ESP32 microcontroller also supports WiFi, Bluetooth, and the device-to-device ESP-NOW wireless protocols enabling a variety of exciting communication and control options as users advance in their programming skills.

BEAPER Nano Hardware Features

The BEAPER Nano Education Starter Configuration is powered using just a USB cabled and includes:

• Arduino Nano ESP32-compatible header sockets
• 4 user LEDs
• 4 user pushbuttons
• a piezo beeper

Optional 3.3V analog and digital I/O devices for the Education Starter Configuration include:

• an ambient light sensor
• an analog temperature sensor
• 2 rotary potentiometers
• 4 3-pin headers (signal, 3.3V, and GND), or
• a 4-pin header socket (that bridges the headers) for a 3.3V ultrasonic SONAR distance sensor module
• a 4-pin I2C/QWIIC JST-SH connector

Optional TFT LCD display for the Education Starter Configuration:

• 240 X 240 pixel 1.54" square SPI LCD header socket

The BEAPER Nano Robot configuration is powered using an external battery or power supply and adds:

• a screw terminal strip for battery and motor connections
• a 5V LDO regulator
• a 3.3V to 5V level shifter IC
• 4 3-pin servo output headers (servo pulse, 5V, GND)
• a quad half-bridge driver for 2 DC motors (fwd/rev), 4 DC motors (single direction only), or 1 stepper motor
• voltage divider resistors for battery/power supply voltage level sensing
• dual break-away left and right optical floor sensor/line sensor modules

BEAPER Nano Introductory Learning Activities