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  • M5Stack, Product Reviews
    2 min | 12916

    #M5Stack: Introducing the new M5Stack CORE2

    M5Stack, Product Reviews | 2 min | 12916


    M5Stack has just launched the M5Stack CORE2, an ESP32 based IoT development kit, with a capacitive touch screen that brings users a smoother human-computer interaction experience. As usual, the development kit is compatible with Arduino, MicroPython, and UIFlow.

    The M5Stack CORE2 has an ESP32 D0WDQ6-V3 with two Xtensa® 32-bit LX6 microprocessors that can be individually controlled. The clock frequency is adjustable from 80MHz to 240MHz.

    M5Stack sent me an early sample to play with before launch but first, let's check the specifications.

    Specifications:

    • ESP32 D0WDQ6-V3 dual-core processor @ 80-240MHz, Wi-Fi, BLE 4.0, 16MB flash and 8MB PSRAM.
    • 2"LCD 320x240 Touch Screen (ILI9342C)
    • Audio
      • 1W/NS4168 I2S speaker
      • PDM microphone (SPM1423)
    • Sensors:
      • 6-axis - accelerometer and gyroscope (MPU6886)
    • Power Supply
      • 5V via USB-C port
      • Battery 3.7V 390mAh (DC/DC SY7088)
      • Power system management IC (AXP192)
    • Expansion/Connections:
      • Micro-SD card slot
      • M-Bus socket
      • Grove connection
    • MISC
      • Vibration motors
      • RTC (BM8563)
      • 3x touch buttons
      • 1x LED
    • Dimensions - 54 x 54 x 16mm (plastic material)
    • Weight - 10g
    Over the last year, M5Stack has improved the documentation of the products. You can find everything about the M5Stack CORE2 on this link. Additionally, you can find open-source code examples on GitHub.
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    Fig. 1: M5Stack CORE2 front view.
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    Fig. 2: M5Stack CORE2 back view including the small expansion board.

    This kit is an all-in-one concept that enables you to make rapid prototyping. Like all the M5Stack CORE products, you can easily expand its features by stacking different M5Stack "MODULES" "BASES" and "UNITS".

    The main upgrade with respect to the M5Stack Fire, that I used on a lot of MicroPython projects are:

    • a touch screen with better dimensions;
    • a 8MB PSRAM, which is great for MicroPython projects;
    • a RTC - I don't need to check an NTP server, every time that the kit reboots;
    • an AXP192, which can effectively control power consumption, enabling users to know the real-time power consumption, and therefore, better power management is possible.

    The M5Stack CORE2 development kit can be purchased for $39.90 on M5Stack store, or via distributors.

    In the following weeks, I will be publishing a MicroPython firmware that includes the drivers for all sensors and actuators. Stay tuned! Check the repo here: lemariva/micropython-core2.

    In the meantime, check out these two categories:


    Comments

    Efried 11.19.2020

    I am diappointed, after buying modules it turns out that they share PINs and will not work. So stacking GSM and GPS modules will not work without re soldering. Also documentation is verby bad and some hardware like DS18B20 not supported. Seems that installing alternativefirm ware with newer micropython is not made easy by the burning software.