Arduino programmable wireless multitool offers color display, touch controls (Crowdfunding)

QUARK may look like the perfect weapon to hijack a plane, but instead, it’s an open-source, Arduino-based wireless multitool for hardware engineers equipped with a full-color screen and touch-based controls.

Based on ESP32 WiFI & Bluetooth wireless SoC, Mulin Group’s QUARK is an ultra-portable multimeter, signal generator and oscilloscope, a bit like IkaScope WiFi Pen-Oscilloscope, except having a laptop or phone to visualize measurements is only optional. The company also compares it to DT71 smart tweezers which do not have an oscilloscope function due to the tiny display.

QUARK features & specifications:

• WiSoC – ESP32 dual-core processor with WiFI & Bluetooth connectivity
• Display – 240 x 134 IPS display
• Measurements
  • Voltage – 0 to 26 V
  • Current – 0 to 3.2 A
  • Resistance from 0 to 2 MΩ
  • Capacitance from 2 pf to 1000 uF
  • Inductance up to 1 H
  • Sampling rate for oscilloscope function – 400 ksps
  • Features – Auto-range, SMD & color code display
• UART logger with auto baud rate detection, and plotter
• Signal generator
• USB – USB Type-C port for power and data
• Misc – Function button, 3x swipe buttons for touch control
• Power Supply
  • 5V charging via USB Type-C  port
  • Built-in 700 mA battery provides for to 5 hours of operation

QUARK will be open-source hardware, and the firmware is written in the Arduino IDE to allow users to easily update it if needed. It appears only the Bluetooth connection method is used, i.e. not WiFi, when the tool is connected to a smartphone. It’s also possible to connect QUARK over USB to retrieve the data.

Two similar phone apps have been developed for QUARK. The first has been developed with AppInventor, and is only available in Android, while the second, written with Flutter, works in both Android and iOS. The former was developed to help novice developers acquaint themselves with app development.

Mulin Group did not mention any PC-based program for QUARK, but since it’s open-source, it may eventually become supported by Pulseview & Sigrok open-source programs which we’ve tested in the past with USB123 USBee AX Pro USB logic analyzer and UNI-T UT61E digital multimeter.

QUARK Arduino-based wireless multitool has just launched on Crowd Supply with a $20,000 funding target. There’s a single reward for $150 for the device fully assembly with the enclosure, a USB-C probe, and a carrying case. Shipping adds $8 to the US, and $18 to the rest of the world, and deliveries are scheduled to start at the end of February 2022.

Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft)

Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.

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