Adafruit Feather nRF52 Bluefruit LE [nRF52832]

Jargon buster

Plain-language definitions for the technical terms used above.

ADC

An analogue-to-digital converter reads a changing voltage and turns it into a number the microcontroller can use. It matters when connecting analogue sensors such as light, sound, or variable-resistor sensors.

BLE

BLE stands for Bluetooth Low Energy, a Bluetooth mode designed for low power use and broad compatibility with modern phones and computers. It connects well to battery-powered and mobile devices, including Apple hardware, though it behaves differently from Bluetooth Classic and its serial-style profiles.

Bootloader

Small starter software on a microcontroller that lets new code be uploaded before the main program runs. Knowing how to enter bootloader mode matters when you need to program the board or recover it after a faulty sketch.

CircuitPython

A beginner-friendly version of Python designed to run directly on microcontroller boards. If a product supports CircuitPython, you can often program it by copying code files onto the board rather than setting up a more complex toolchain.

FeatherWing

A FeatherWing is an add-on board made to plug into the Feather microcontroller board layout. Knowing a product is a FeatherWing helps you check whether it will physically and electrically fit your Feather-style mainboard.

GPIO

General-purpose input/output pins are microcontroller pins you can set in software to read signals, switch devices on and off, or connect to peripherals. The number of GPIO pins matters because it limits how many buttons, LEDs, sensors, and other parts you can wire directly to the board.

GPS

The US satellite navigation system used by GNSS receivers to calculate position and time. Support for GPS is important because it is widely available and often used together with other constellations for more reliable positioning.

HID

Human Interface Device is a USB device class used for keyboards, mice, gamepads and similar controls. If a board supports HID over USB, it can act like an input device to a computer without needing a custom driver.

IDE

Short for Integrated Development Environment, a program used to write, run and manage code. It matters because some learners prefer a traditional coding workspace instead of a guided notebook-style lesson.

LiPo

A LiPo (lithium polymer) battery is a rechargeable lithium battery widely used in portable projects because it is light and compact. LiPo cells need correct charging circuitry and careful handling to stay safe, so equipment that supports LiPo generally includes charging or protection hardware suited to that battery type.

nRF52840

The nRF52840 is a Nordic Semiconductor system-on-chip built around a 32-bit Arm Cortex-M4 processor, with built-in Bluetooth Low Energy and native USB. It is widely used in maker and wearable boards, where it offers BLE and USB support along with broad library coverage in common maker toolchains.

OTA

OTA means over-the-air updating, where a device's firmware is updated wirelessly rather than through a programming cable. This lets firmware be updated or maintained after a device is installed without a physical connection.

PWM

Pulse Width Modulation is a way for a digital pin to simulate variable output power by switching on and off very quickly. It matters for controlling things like LED brightness, motor speed, or servo-style signals from a microcontroller pin.

SRAM

Fast temporary memory used by a processor while a program is running. More SRAM helps with projects that handle larger data buffers, networking, displays, or more complex code.

SWD

Serial Wire Debug (SWD) is a two-wire programming and debugging interface used with many ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers. It provides low-level access to program, recover or debug the microcontroller.

UART

UART is a simple asynchronous serial interface that sends data over separate transmit and receive wires, usually labelled TX and RX, with both ends set to the same baud rate. It is a common way for microcontrollers and other serial devices to exchange data.