- ARM Cortex-M4
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The ARM Cortex-M4 is a 32-bit processor core widely used inside microcontrollers, often with hardware support for signal-processing and control tasks. It provides enough processing power to run embedded programs that handle sensors, wireless communication, audio and similar workloads.
- BLE
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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.
- ESP32
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ESP32 is a family of low-cost microcontroller chips and modules from Espressif with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth. They support programmable firmware and over-the-air updates, and are commonly programmed with toolchains such as the Arduino core and ESP-IDF.
- FPU
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A floating-point unit is hardware inside a processor that speeds up calculations with decimal numbers. This helps when projects use maths-heavy tasks such as motion sensing, filtering sensor readings, or audio processing.
- GLONASS
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Russia’s satellite navigation system. A receiver that can also use GLONASS has more satellites to choose from, which can improve positioning reliability when the sky view is partly blocked.
- GPS
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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.
- IoT
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Short for Internet of Things, meaning physical devices that connect to networks or the internet to send data or be controlled remotely. It matters if you want projects such as connected sensors, remote controls or classroom data-logging activities.
- LED
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A light-emitting diode (LED) is a small electronic component that emits light when current flows through it in the correct direction. Because it only conducts one way, its polarity matters, and a through-hole LED must be soldered the correct way around to light up.
- LoRa
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LoRa is a long-range, low-power wireless radio technology often used for telemetry, remote sensors and other links that send small amounts of data over long distances. It is distinct from Bluetooth and WiFi, so sharing a connector or pinout with LoRa hardware does not mean a device actually uses LoRa.
- nRF52840
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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.
- QZSS
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Japan’s regional satellite navigation system designed to improve coverage around Japan and the Asia-Pacific region. QZSS support can improve satellite availability in supported regions when used alongside GPS.
- RAM
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RAM (random-access memory) is fast, temporary memory a device uses for working data while it is running; in its common volatile form, its contents are lost when power is removed. Some devices offer a mode that applies settings to RAM only, which is handy for testing changes temporarily because they are not stored permanently and disappear at power-off.
- RTC
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A Real-Time Clock keeps track of time even when the main processor is asleep or powered down, usually with a small backup battery. It matters for data logging and tracking projects that need accurate timestamps.
- SMA
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SMA is a small threaded coaxial (RF) connector widely used to attach antennas and other radio-frequency cables. A device with SMA antenna ports needs antennas or pigtails with matching SMA connectors, or a suitable adapter, to connect to them.
- TX
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TX means transmit, usually showing data being sent from the board. A TX indicator LED can help you see when the board is communicating or uploading code.
- USB-C
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USB-C is a small, reversible USB connector that can carry power, data and, on some devices, video over a single cable. The same connector can range from charging only to high-speed data, so the functions a given port actually supports vary.
