M5Stack Capsule v1.1 is a Stamp-S3A-based IoT controller with a microSD card slot, several sensors (6-axis IMU, microphone), an IR transmitter, a built-in 250 mAh battery, a few buttons, a buzzer, an RTC, and expansion capabilities through GPIO headers and a Grove connector.
It’s an upgrade to the earlier Capsule based on the Stamp-S3 module. The new version still features an ESP32-S3 WiFi and Bluetooth microcontroller, 8MB flash, a USB-C port, and a few GPIOs, but benefits from the Stamp-S3A improvements, including an optimized antenna design and lower power consumption. We never had a look at the Capsule before, so let’s do it now.
M5Stack Capsule v1.1 specifications:
- M5Stack Stamp-S3A module
- WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN8
- CPU
- Dual-core 32-bit Xtensa LX7 microcontroller with AI vector instructions up to 240MHz
- RISC-V ULP co-processor
- Memory – 512KB SRAM
- Storage – 8MB flash
- Wireless – 2.4GHz WiFi 4 (802.11b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 LE + Mesh
- CPU
- Connectivity
- 2.4 GHz WiFi 4, 20 MHz and 40 MHz bandwidth, IEEE 802.11 b/g/n protocol, up to 150 Mbps
- Bluetooth 5, Bluetooth Mesh, with support for 125 Kbps, 500 Kbps, 1 Mbps, 2 Mbps bitrate, long-range support
- 2.4GHz 3D antenna
- USB – 1x USB Type-C port for power and programming
- WiSoC – Espressif Systems ESP32-S3FN8
- Storage – microSD card slot
- Sensor
- 6-Axis BMI270 attitude/IMU sensor
- SPM1423 MEMS Microphone
- Expansion
- 2x 9-pin headers routing Stamp-S3A module’s signals
- 4-pin Grove connector
- Misc
- Reset and Wake buttons
- Power LED
- Infrared transmitter with the following range at various angles
- Straight line: 330 cm
- 90°: 48 cm
- 45°: 134 cm
- BM8563 RTC for timed wake-up
- Built-in buzzer for status feedback
- 4x magnets and 2x M3 threads for mounting
- Power Supply
- 5V charging via USB-C port on Stamp-S3A module
- 250 mAh battery
- Power consumption (while battery powered)
- Sleep – 4.2V @ 35uA
- Operating – 4.2V @ 144mA
- Dimensions – 40.0 x 24.0 x 16.2mm
- Weight – 18.7 grams
The company lists support for UIFlow2 visual programming IDE, the Arduino IDE, the ESP-IDF framework, and PlatformIO. However, the documentation focuses on Arduino and UIFlow2 instructions, besides providing additional technical details about the hardware such as schematics and pinout diagrams and tables.
M5Stack says the Capsule v1.1 targets attitude control and motion tracking, audio recording and voice wake-up, low-power timed data collection, infrared remote control, smart terminals, and generic embedded system development.
M5Stack sells the Capsule v1.1 IoT controller for $19.95 on the company’s store, and for reference, the original Capsule is listed for $21.95 on AliExpress, and the new v1.1 should soon appear there too. The video provides an overview of the original M5Stack Capture (aka M5Capsule), and showcases a few demos.
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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