Uno R4 Minima and R4 WiFi Boards

Building on the success of the Uno R3, Arduino has released two updated boards for their ever-popular Uno development platform, the Uno R4 Minima and the Uno R4 WiFi. Built on the standard Uno form factor, the R4 Minima and R4 WiFi use a RA4M1 microcontroller from Renesas. Thanks to this Renesas microcontroller, the R4 Uno can leverage its two new peripherals, CAN bus and a 12-bit DAC, which are ideal for automation and audio projects. These boards also feature 16 times more memory and three times the clock speed of the Uno R3. The R4 Minima and the R4 WiFi also feature a USB-C® connector on the programming port. With its 5 V operating voltage and standard Uno pinout, the Uno R4 is backward compatible with shields from previous versions. It also has new power circuitry, allowing it to be powered with up to 24 V, opening the opportunity to use this board in higher-powered projects with a single power supply. The R4 Minima and the R4 WiFi also feature an onboard op amp. In addition to these features, the Uno R4 WiFi also includes Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) connectivity thanks to its ESP32-S3-MINI coprocessor. It also features a fully addressable 12 x 8 LED matrix, a QWIIC I²C connector, a real-time clock (RTC), and runtime error diagnostics. The QWIIC I²C connector enables rapid prototyping by enabling plug-and-play connection over I²C to many existing boards already in the market. These two boards are great additions to the Arduino Uno ecosystem and will be excellent options for beginners and experienced electronics enthusiasts alike.