DFRobot
Beetle - The Smallest Arduino Microcontroller
The Beetle is one of the smallest Arduino Leonardo-compatible boards available, built around the ATmega32U4 microcontroller running at 16MHz. Despite its tin...
The Beetle is one of the smallest Arduino Leonardo-compatible boards available, built around the ATmega32U4 microcontroller running at 16MHz. Despite its tiny size, it delivers the full functionality of an Arduino Leonardo with 10 digital pins, 5 analogue pins, and 4 PWM outputs.
With a built-in Micro USB connector, you can program and power the Beetle directly — no external programmer needed. Simply select "Arduino Leonardo" in the Arduino IDE and upload your code. The ATmega32U4 comes pre-loaded with the Arduino Leonardo bootloader.
Key Features
- ATmega32U4 @ 16MHz – Full Arduino Leonardo compatibility
- Ultra-Compact Size – One of the smallest Arduino boards available
- Micro USB – Direct programming and power via USB
- 10 Digital Pins – Including 4 PWM outputs
- 5 Analogue Pins – Built-in ADC inputs
- Pre-Loaded Bootloader – Ready to program out of the box
- Native USB – Can act as a keyboard, mouse, or HID device
Ideal For
- Wearable electronics and e-textiles
- DIY and disposable project builds
- Workshops and educational use
- Space-constrained embedded projects
- Budget-friendly prototyping
Package Contents
- 1× Beetle Arduino Leonardo-compatible board
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.
- 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.
- e-textiles
- Electronic textiles are fabrics or clothing that include electrical parts such as conductive thread, sensors, LEDs, or small controllers. This matters because parts for e-textiles need to survive bending, sewing, and sometimes washing.
- 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.
- microcontroller
- A microcontroller is a small computer on a chip that runs your program and controls connected inputs and outputs. For this product, it is the part that reads buttons and sensors, drives the display and speaker, and communicates over Bluetooth.
- native USB
- Native USB means the microcontroller itself handles USB communication, rather than using a separate USB-to-serial chip. This matters for programming, debugging, and projects that need the board to act directly as a USB device.
- 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.
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Supplier page — dfrobot.com
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Related Tutorials
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