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seeed-xiao-ra4m1

3 min read

Important Note

This entire repo was AI created - including all of the data within. The intent was to A) help me with my personal electronics inventory; and B) see how I could use AI to make that process a bit easier. DO NOT TRUST!

Seeed Studio XIAO RA4M1

Details

Description

Thumb-sized ARM Cortex-M4 development board featuring the Renesas RA4M1 microcontroller — the same 32-bit MCU used in the Arduino Uno R4. Packed into the classic XIAO form factor, it offers a 14-bit ADC, 12-bit DAC, CAN BUS, hardware AES encryption, onboard LiPo charging, and 19 GPIO pins (including 8 rear pads). An excellent choice for battery-powered IoT nodes, automotive peripherals, and projects requiring the XIAO ecosystem of shields and accessories.

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Seeed Studio XIAO RA4M1

Specifications

  • Part Number: 102010551
  • Microcontroller: Renesas RA4M1 (R7FA4M1AB3CNE)
  • Architecture: 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU
  • Clock Speed: 48MHz
  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V
  • Input Voltage: 5V (via USB-C) or 3.3V
  • Flash Memory: 256KB
  • SRAM: 32KB
  • EEPROM: 8KB
  • Dimensions: 21.0mm x 17.8mm
  • Working Temperature: -20°C to 70°C

Features

  • ARM Cortex-M4 with FPU: Powerful 32-bit processor with hardware floating-point
  • Arduino Uno R4 Compatible: Shares the same RA4M1 MCU as the Arduino Uno R4
  • USB-C Connector: Modern connector for programming and power
  • CAN BUS: Hardware CAN bus interface for automotive and industrial applications
  • Hardware Encryption: AES-128/256 hardware acceleration
  • 14-bit ADC: High-resolution analog input
  • 12-bit DAC: True analog output
  • Onboard LiPo Charging: Built-in lithium battery charge management
  • Ultra Low Power: 45μA deep sleep current
  • RGB LED: Onboard RGB LED plus user and power LEDs

Pin Configuration

  • Total GPIO: 19 pins (11 standard + 8 rear pads)
  • Digital I/O: 19 pins
  • Analog Inputs: 6 pins (14-bit resolution)
  • Analog Output (DAC): D0 / P014 (12-bit resolution) — not shown on official pinout diagram
  • PWM: All digital pins support PWM
  • I2C: 2 channels
  • SPI: 2 channels
  • UART: 2 channels
  • CAN BUS: 1 channel

Power Specifications

  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V
  • Input Voltage: 5V (USB-C) or 3.3V (VCC)
  • Current Consumption:
    • Typical: ~42.6μA
    • Deep Sleep: ~45μA minimum
  • Battery: Onboard LiPo charge management circuit
  • Power Management: Multiple sleep modes available

Connectivity

USB

  • Type: USB-C connector
  • Speed: Full-speed USB 2.0
  • Functions: Programming, power, serial communication

CAN BUS

  • Standard: CAN 2.0A/B compatible
  • Use Cases: Automotive, industrial, multi-node networks

Applications

  • Battery-powered IoT sensor nodes
  • Wearable devices
  • Automotive peripherals (CAN BUS)
  • Arduino Uno R4 compatible projects
  • High-precision analog data acquisition
  • Audio/signal processing (FPU + DAC)
  • Interactive art projects
  • Embedded systems prototyping

Programming

  • Arduino IDE: Full support (same MCU as Arduino Uno R4)
  • MicroPython: Compatible with MicroPython
  • PlatformIO: Cross-platform development support

XIAO Ecosystem

  • Form Factor: Compatible with all XIAO accessories and shields
  • Expansion Boards: Grove Base, Expansion Board
  • Shields: Various XIAO-compatible shields
  • Community: Large XIAO developer community

Notes

  • Same RA4M1 MCU as the Arduino Uno R4 — existing Uno R4 libraries are often compatible
  • 8 additional GPIO pads on the rear for more complex layouts
  • Hardware AES encryption makes it suitable for secure IoT applications
  • CAN BUS support is rare at this price point and form factor
  • Onboard LiPo charging simplifies battery-powered designs

Tags

microcontroller, arm, cortex-m4, ra4m1, renesas, usb, xiao, seeed, arduino, can-bus, fpu

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