µControler
Your on-board computer.
Last updated
Your on-board computer.
Last updated
Microcontrollers are the brains of embedded electronics. They are small programmable computers that are widely used in everyday objects such as smartphones and connected cars.
The choice of microcontroller depends on technical criteria such as processing speed, memory capacity and power consumption. This diversity makes it difficult to choose the right component for a specific project and requires a thorough understanding of the technical requirements of the application.
I chose the RAK3172 from RAKwireless because of its interesting technical features. First of all, it's the combination of size and flexibility that appealed to me: the RAK3172 is equipped with an ultra-low power STM32WLE5CC that provides LoRa communication, all on a 15x15mm board. Best of all, the uFL connector for the LoRa antenna is included in this tiny space.
Flash memory and RAM capacity was another key advantage. It's important to choose a microcontroller that allows us to store large amounts of code. This allows the user to benefit from the resources needed to keep the project running smoothly.
In addition, it's the access to detailed documentation that has increased my confidence in this chip. A complete datasheet is essential to fully understand the microcontroller's capabilities, and this reassures me and makes it much easier to use.
Finally, the ability to program the microcontroller using both the Arduino IDE and the STM32CubeIDE is a huge advantage. It is always possible to switch from the Arduino layer to lower level programming as required.
The RAK3172 really ticked all the boxes for me, making it the natural choice for my project. Its perfect balance of versatility, performance and ease of use made it the ideal partner for designing a mini GPS tracker.
The RAK3172 has 31 accessible pins for programming. These include the classic digital pins (16 pins), 5 analogue pins and 4 serial interface pins.The remaining 6 pins are not used for programming but for advanced debugging.
This is described in greater detail in the chip documentation (Section Quick Start Guide - RAK3172 I/O Pins and Peripherals).
Package
32Pin Stamp - 15x15.5x3.5mm
MCU
STM32WLE5CCU6
LoRaWAN Supported Band Activation Communication
Version 1.0.3 EU433, CN470, IN865, EU868, AU915, US915, KR920, RU864, and AS923-1/2/3/4 OTAA / ABP To Gateways or between two end-nodes
Frimware
Arduino via RUI3 Low level code with STM32Cube IDE
Flash Memory
256kb
RAM
64kb
Supply Voltage
From 2.0V To 3.6V
Power Consumption
Sleep Mode: 1.69µA
Operating Temperature
From -20°C to 85°C
