Arduino is launching new versions of the Uno board powered by a Renesas 32bit microcontroller. The Uno R4 comes in two versions: the basic Uno R4 Minima and the Espressif-equipped Uno R4 WiFi.

Arduino evolves with 32-bit Uno R4 versions

Described as a significant revision of its 8bit technology, the R4 will preserve the standard form factor, shield compatibility and 5V power supply of the well-established Uno R3

The R4 adds a 32bit microcontroller with up to 3x the clock speed and 16x flash storage with the integration of the RA4M1 processor from Renesas-based on an Arm Cortex-M4 core, the RA4M1 MCU features a clock speed of 48MHz. The Uno R4 is also fitted with 32kB of SRAM and 256kB of flash, and features a floating point unit (FPU).

Arduino writes:

 

“Requests from the Arduino community see the USB port upgraded to USB-C and the maximum power supply voltage increased to 24V with an improved thermal design. The board provides a CAN bus, which allows users to minimise wiring and execute different tasks in parallel by connecting multiple shields as well as two SPI and two I2C serial ports. Finally, the new board includes a 12bit analog DAC and operational amplifier.”

Versions
The higher-end R4 WiFi version comes with an Espressif ESP32-S3 module for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE connectivity, and a 12×8 red LED matrix is present for basic animations or for plotting sensor data.

Users will be able to connect to the Arduino Cloud – and other Cloud platforms – for IoT projects, highlights Arduino.

“With a wide variety of compatible modules that can be connected via the Qwiic I2C connector, combined with the large ecosystem of shields for UNO already in the market, UNO R4 WiFi provides an unprecedented plug-and-play experience that allows the creation of projects without soldering, breadboards or manual wiring. For more advanced uses, there are also additional pins to turn off the microcontroller while keeping the RTC powered by an external buffer battery.”

A 12-bit analog DAC is also provided on the board.

“Responding to community feedback, the USB port is now USB-C, and the maximum power supply voltage has been raised to 24V with an enhanced thermal design,” said Arduino previously, when the R4 board was first announced back in April on Arduino Day. “The board includes a CAN bus and an SPI port, enabling users to reduce wiring and perform parallel tasks by connecting multiple shields.”

Arduino Uno R4 Minima and WiFiFor makers looking for increased performance compared to the older UNO R3, but without a need for the above features, the Uno R4 Minima provides a cheaper option without Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LED matrix or Qwiic connector.

It keeps the WIFI’s 12bit DAC, CAN bus and op-amp, and its wide input range which extends up to 24V.

“With the HID over USB capability, makers can simulate a mouse or a keyboard to create quick and innovative interfaces with minimal effort,” says Arduino.

Note that Arduino says it has no plans to discontinue the popular UNO R3, “for which we foresee continued strong demand”. Also, it said significant efforts were being made on the software side of the Uno R4 to ensure maximum backward compatibility with existing code examples and tutorials.

Evolve
Massimo Banzi, co-founder and chairman at Arduino, said the UNO R4 represents a “new chapter” to the UNO story:

“With the ever-changing needs of our community and technological advancements, even the most popular UNO R3 must evolve, though we have no plans to discontinue the board. In close collaboration with our partners, Renesas and Espressif, we believe the UNO R4 is the most versatile maker board on the market. Using the WiFi option, users can connect to the Arduino Cloud or other platforms to easily create connected projects.”

For its part Renesas adds:

“We are excited to make our technology more accessible to a broader base of customers as we continue to collaborate with Arduino,” comments Chris Allexandre, SVP, CSMO and Head of Global Sales and Marketing at Renesas. “After the success of the Portenta C33, we are now launching the next-generation UNO R4 using our 5V 32bit Arm Cortex M4-based microcontrollers. We believe this iconic board will provide an enhanced user experience to a wide range of customers.”