The Arduino Nano 33 IoT is a member of the Arduino Nano family, specifically designed to bring Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities to the compact Nano form factor. Here’s an overview of its key features:
- Microcontroller: It uses the SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU, which offers significant processing power for IoT applications.
- Memory:
- Flash Memory: 256 KB
- SRAM: 32 KB
- Operating Voltage: 3.3V
- Input Voltage (recommended): 5-12V
- Digital I/O Pins: 14 (of which 7 provide PWM output)
- Analog Input Pins: 8 (12-bit ADC)
- DC Current per I/O Pin: 7 mA
- Clock Speed: 48 MHz
Features
- Wi-Fi: The board includes an ESP32 co-processor for handling Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing for:
- IoT Applications: Connects to Wi-Fi networks, enabling projects to interact with the internet, cloud services, or other connected devices.
- Bluetooth®: It also features Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) for short-range wireless communication, making it suitable for local device-to-device interaction.
- Cryptographic Hardware: Includes a hardware cryptographic chip for secure communication, ensuring data integrity and privacy.
- OTA (Over-the-Air) Programming: Supports uploading sketches over Wi-Fi, which is highly convenient for updating firmware without physical access.
- Size: Retains the small form factor of the Arduino Nano, making it ideal for compact projects.
- Power: Can be powered via the micro USB port or with an external power supply, with an onboard voltage regulator to provide the 3.3V operating voltage.
- Programming: Fully compatible with the Arduino IDE, with additional libraries for Wi-Fi and BLE functionality.
Unique Capabilities:
- IoT Integration: Designed with IoT in mind, offering both Wi-Fi and BLE connectivity out of the box.
- Security: The hardware cryptographic chip adds a layer of security for IoT applications.
- Compact Design: Combines IoT capabilities in a tiny package, perfect for embedded or portable projects.
Use Cases:
- IoT Prototyping: Ideal for developing connected devices or systems where space is limited.
- Remote Control: Can be used for remote monitoring or control of devices over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
- Cloud Data Logging: Suitable for projects that require sending sensor data to the cloud for analysis or storage.
- Security Sensitive Applications: Where secure communication is paramount.
The Arduino Nano 33 IoT blends the simplicity of the Arduino Nano with the power of IoT connectivity, making it an excellent choice for developers looking to explore IoT without needing additional hardware for wireless communication.
WiFi and Arduino IoT Cloud
At Arduino we have made connecting to a WiFi network as easy as getting an LED to blink. You can get your board to connect to any kind of existing WiFi network, or use it to create your own Arduino Access Point. The specific set of examples we provide for the Nano 33 IoT can be consulted at the WiFiNINA library reference page.
It is also possible to connect your board to different Cloud services, Arduino’s own among others. Here some examples on how to get the Arduino boards to connect to:
- Arduino’s own IoT Cloud: Arduino’s IoT Cloud is a simple and fast way to ensure secure communication for all of your connected Things. Check it out here
- Blynk: a simple project from our community connecting to Blynk to operate your board from a phone with little code
- IFTTT: see an in-depth case of building a smart plug connected to IFTTT
- AWS IoT Core: we made this example on how to connect to Amazon Web Services
- Azure: visit this github repository explaining how to connect a temperature sensor to Azure’s Cloud
- Firebase: you want to connect to Google’s Firebase, this Arduino library will show you how
Note: while most of the above-shown examples are running on the MKR WiFi 1010, both boards have the same processor and wireless chipset, which means it will be possible to replicate them with the Nano 33 IoT.
Bluetooth® and Bluetooth® Low Energy
The communications chipset on the Nano 33 IoT can be both a Bluetooth® and Bluetooth® Low Energy client and host device. Something pretty unique in the world of microcontroller platforms. If you want to see how easy it is to create a Bluetooth® central or a peripheral device, explore the examples at our ArduinoBLE library.
We Make it Open for you to Hack Along
The Nano 33 IoT is a dual processor device that invites for experimentation. Hacking the WiFiNINA module allows you to, for example, make use of both WiFi and Bluetooth® and Bluetooth® Low Energy at once on the board. Yet another possibility is having a super-lightweight version of linux running on the module, while the main microcontroller controls low level devices like motors, or screens. These experimental techniques, require advanced hacking on your side. They are possible via modifying the module’s firmware that you can find at our github repositories.