Seeeduino XIAO 2021 Recap & Update!
We’ve been keeping a close watch on the interesting things that all of you have been doing in our previous Seeeduino XIAO Roundup post, so be sure to see it if you haven’t.
It has been a year since the Seeduino XIAO has been released, and we are very happy to see what the community has been up to with it! In today’s Seeeduino XIAO update, I’d like to share more exciting projects and resources from the community to showcase what can be done with this tiny but powerful microcontroller board!
Seeeduino XIAO Recap
For our friends who are unfamiliar, the Seeeduino XIAO is the smallest Arduino compatible board in the Seeeduino Family. It is a fully Arduino-compatible microcontroller that is embedded with the powerful SAMD21 microchip.
In addition, it features a rich host of interfaces, including digital/analog, PWM, DAC output, SWD bonding pads, I2C, UART and SPI. Most importantly, the Seeeduino XIAO is extremely tiny at 20mm by 17.5mm, and comes in at a super affordable price of just under $5!
Because of this, the Seeeduino XIAO has become popular for use in a variety of maker projects, as well as in classrooms worldwide.
What’s next for the Seeeduino XIAO?
In 2021, we hope to continue to bring better platforms like the Seeeduino XIAO for makers and students all around the world. Seeing the creative projects that everyone has made over the past year, we would like to further support the community with important tools and technologies that enable new innovations. That’s why we’re proud to announce that we will soon be releasing an improved version of the Seeeduino XIAO with BLE and WiFi!
We hope that you will stay tuned look forward to the products that we will release in the coming year!
Community Projects Collection in 2021! (Updated 6th August)
In the new year of 2021, we would like to update our collection and once again share some of these wonderful projects from our community!
Arduino_GFX
This is an Arduino graphics library that supports various displays with various data bus interfaces. The creator 陳亮 takes what he claims seriously when he said: “for Arduino”. This Arduino_GFX, made with the Seeeduino Xiao, utilizes Arduino native SPI class as the basic interface, HWSPI. Therefore, this Arduino_GFC is technically compatible with most platforms and displays! Find out more about this project on Instructables!
Seeeduino Xiao Reverse Polise Calculator
This is a Reverse Polish calculator made with the Seeeduino Xiao. It functions as a time calculator, a timer, and also an FM Radio! Enclosed in a beautifully colour coordinated case, it features a display and also 16 buttons for the interface. Find out more about this project over at @kawausokawauso Twitter post!
S.A.M.M.™ – Smart Sound Management
The revolutionary ASP Panel Technology for acoustic wall panels comes with a flaw – manual purging of the sound panels is still required. Acoustics First consequently developed S.A.M.M (Sound Attenuation Matrix Manager), which is capable of simplifying all of the panels’ maintenance tasks. It analyses the acoustic environment and lets users know when the sound panels need to be purge. It is like a form of preventive maintenance for acoustic sound panels!
S.A.M.M is developed with a Seeeduino Xiao. Learn more about S.A.M.M here!
Seeeduino XIAO for Driving a Stepping Motor
In this experimental project, Amanoya-san is using the Seeeduino XIAO to drive the stepper motor! You can find more information about this project including the code on their post on Ameblo.
Automatic Drone Landing Gear (Powered by Seeeduino XIAO!)
Special thanks to Taka Tomi on YouTube for sharing this project! In the video below, you can see the modifications that they have made to equip their X-Knight 360 Drone with some automated landing gear. The setup involves a distance sensor directed towards the ground, which will trigger the Seeeduino XIAO to extend the landing leg with a servo motor!
Countdown Timer (Powered by Seeeduino XIAO!)
Sometimes, presentation is everything. This simple and ultra cute timer was created by @yusukeyusuke on Twitter as a gift for White Day. This compact setup contains a Seeeduino XIAO, an RTC module, and a 0.96″ EL display. I don’t know about you, but I absolutely love it!
Custom Keyboard Buttons For Video Editing
Atoda-san uses the Davinci Resolve Speed Editor for video editing, but two important functions are missing – there’s no way to zoom in and out of his timeline easily! To make up for these missing functions, he programmed a Seeeduino XIAO with two button inputs to mimic the zooming behaviour of the “A” and “S” keys on his regular keyboard and attached them to his Speed Editor.
There aren’t english subtitles for this video, but Atoda-san does share a demonstration of how this works from around the 3 minute mark. Enjoy his soothing explanation and demonstration!
Build a Universal IR Remote with Seeeduino XIAO
Are you not satisfied with the performance of your current remotes or do you simply want to reduce the number of remotes that you have in your house? Build a universal IR remote with Seeeduino XIAO and you’ll never need another remote again!
Visit our article here for the full step-by-step tutorial!
Single Key Keyboard with Seeeduino XIAO
On Twitter, @ctake_shimez shares a similar project – his single key keyboard project. It consists of a SU120 board soldered onto the Seeeduino XIAO to make possibly the most compact keyboard in existence!
Using Seeeduino XIAO to Drive ILI9225 LCD
The Seeeduino XIAO is small, but it’s still capable of driving the same sized displays as other larger microcontrollers!
Віктор Січкарук on YouTube demonstrates a graphical sequence on his Seeeduino XIAO with the ILI9225 176 by 220 LCD!
Modifying Amazon Echo Dot with Seeeduino XIAO
This project by Andrew Peters addresses one of the most important concerns today – technology with privacy.
Andrew has used the Seeeduino XIAO to modify his Amazon Echo Dot to become hardware mutable. This means that the microphone will be disconnected, so it is physically impossible for the speaker to be manipulated by third party attacks.
In his video, he shares more about the concerns that users should be aware of, and provides a rundown of his project process. Smart speaker users – this one’s really worth a watch!
Mindfulness Reminder
This is another meaningful project from the Seeeduino XIAO community. In our world of technology and hyper inter-connectivity, it’s easy to forget to slow down and be at peace with ourselves.
Paul has created a mindfulness reminder with a singing bowl that rings at set intervals, powered by the Seeeduino XIAO! He shares that he intends to extend the build to a complete meditation timer, consisting of a display, buttons, and a real time clock (RTC).
Digital Audio Player with Seeeduino XIAO!
The Seeeduino XIAO Digital Audio Player (DAP) is a project by Blue-7 that allows you to build your very own music player, just like the old days! It uses a custom board with a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) module, a volume control knob, two buttons and audio out.
Recently, Kichitaro also shared his 3D print files for a case that allows you to build your Seeeduino XIAO DAP in a convenient and elegant form factor.
Seems like testing of the XIAO DAP is underway! Here’s a closer look at what lies under the hood of the device.
Fingerprint Box
Here’s an interesting project from our Seeed R&D team on Hackster.
It’s a project that makes use of the Seeeduino XIAO’s expansion board’s full capabilities – a box with a fingerprint lock! The box will take and store the user’s fingerprint or subsequent verification. It even opens automatically upon unlocking.
Check out the full tutorial with code here.
TinyML with Seeeduino XIAO
To wrap up our Seeeduino XIAO recap & update, we have the following example from Jeremy Ellis!
We recently shared an article about Ellis, who is a Canadian educator of over 40 years. He is using the Seeeduino XIAO to teach computer programming and robotics to his high school students. We talk more about his robotics course here.
In the example below, Ellis demonstrates machine learning inferences being performed on the Seeeduino XIAO to predict the behaviour of the sine function!
Heart Rate Sensor
Another interesting project from our Seeed R&D team on Hackster
It makes use of a Seeeduino XIAO expansion board together with a Seeed Grove – Finger-clip Heart Rate Sensor to track a person’s heart rate. The project uses I2C two-wire interface to keep the wiring down to a minimum.
Check out the full tutorial here.
@makerming1 on Twitter even compared the Heart Rate Sensor with a smartwatch built-in heart rate sensor. They both showed the same results.
Police Flash Light
In this video, Eefun Huang wired up a Seeeduino Xiao with a dozen of LEDs and a battery. With a few lines of code, he was able to make a very cool Police Flash Light effect with the LEDs. Find out how to make one for yourself here.
Capacitive-Touch Page Flipper
On Twitter @EP1070S_oitR used the Seeeduino Xiao as a page flipper for his kindle. He made use of the key input signal sent from the Seeeduino Xiao to the kindle to turn the pages instantly, still mimicking a touch input on the Seeeduino Xiao. He mentioned that he used a conductive tape to made this pretty cool feature to work!
Sample Player Drum Module
Source: note
Here’s an innovative project by HAGIWO/Hagiwo! HAGIWO made his own modular synthesizer that is programmed using a Seeeduino Xiao. He used the Seeeduino Xiao, together with an OLED panel and a touch sensor to make it.
He mentioned that the Seeeduino Xiao is easy to use with the availability of Arduino IDE. He made full use of the many Seeeduino Xiao functions such as EEPROM, I2C communication, built-in DAC and the internal pull-down resistor.
1100円で作るTR-808/909 サンプルプレイヤードラムモジュール-モジュラーシンセ自作｜HAGIWO/ハギヲ｜note
3 x 3 Ortholinear Mechanical Macropad
Source: Tindie
Odwdinc on tindie.com designed a 3×3 Macropad that uses MX style switches. The macropad is designed with the Seeeduino Xiao as its main board! It is open-source and it runs on Python. This macropad can be used for streaming, shortcuts pad or any other useful configurations!
Find out more here!
Mini MIDI Controller
Phasma on Twitter made a mini MIDI controller with a Seeeduino Xiao on a breadboard! He managed to fit a USB-C board with an interface on a tiny form factor. He commented that he like the affordable pricing paired up with its robust built.
3D Printed Numeric Keypad
YMT Lab on Youtube 3D printed an enclosure for a numpad with a Seeeduino Xiao chip! He wrote his own line of codes that can be found on his blog, together with the 3D Model.
Micro Drone with GPS
@j03964608 on Twitter made a prototype of a micro drone with the Seeeduino Xiao! The drone features wireless communication, with GPS and also a built-in barometric altitude sensor. Find out more here!
Seeeduino Xiao DDS DAC
Innovation is the key! @aeris1024 made a DAC using the Seeeduino Xiao! In the picture, he demonstrated the Seeeduino Xiao producing a 1kHz sine wave! He is planning to make a sound source with the DDS method.
PACMAN Animation
Pacman, a game that almost everyone knows about! A fellow maker used attached a mini OLED screen to a Seeeduino Xiao and make Pacman skit! It was made using Arduino IDE. Click the video to see the fun little animation!
Remote Control Car
Fenyi on Youtube made a remote control car with the Seeeduino Xiao and the Seeeduino Xiao expansion board! The car is capable of 360 turnings and travels at a decent speed! This project shows how much the Seeeduino Xiao is capable of with its small form factor.
Reading Analog Input from Analog Pin
Paolo Aliverti created a tutorial on youtube on how to perform the AnalogRead function on the Seeeduino Xiao board to read from the Analog Pins!
Paolo demonstrated it using a photo resistor connected to the board, programmed to control the brightness of an LED connected!
CO2 Measurement and Display
@omzn, a professor at Kyoto Institute of Technology, created an open-air CO2 measuring instrument that displays the CO2 concentration of the air in real-time. The Seeeduino Xiao and the other components are fitted into a cute 3D printed model with an OLED display.
The display also show graphs of the CO2 concentration transitions. Find out more here!
USB Gamepad
@HisashiKato connected a joystick as an analog input to the Seeeduino Xiao and made it into a USB gamepad! In a video he uploaded, he demonstrated showing the computer recognising the joystick inputs. He stated that he used the Arduino HID Project library! Find out more here!
MIDI Controller
@mugenkidou on Twitter made a MIDI controller code for the Raspberry Pi Pico and used it on the Seeeduino Xiao. The code works as you can see in the video demonstration above! He coded it using CircuitPython.
Barometer
@AceRocket21 on Twitter made a barometer using the Seeeduino Xiao. The barometer is able to give data about the environmental temperature, air pressure and humidity levels. A barometer is generally used to measure environmental changes by gathering data on the atmospheric pressure.
Countdown Timer
@yusukeyusuke made a countdown timer using a Seeeduino Xiao as a gift for white day! The countdown timer components include an RTC module and a 0.96 inch EL display. The timer displays the remaining time till the next examination, I would assume that the gift is for a student.
Business Card-sized Keyboard
@akita11 on Twitter made a business card-sized keyboard with a volume knob built-in. From his description of its functions, the keyboard is made for controlling video calls functions i.e. mute, unmute, and volume for work from home conference.
As seen, the keyboard also uses mechanical switches inferred from the brown mx-style key switches in the picture!
Azure RTOS GUIX on Seeeduino Xiao
Microsoft’s powerful, industrial-grade GUI solution Azure GUIX embedded GUI is intended primarily for deeply embedded, real-time, and IoT applications. Benjamin Cabé on Twitter successfully got the Azure RTOS GUIx running on the Seeeduino Xiao! It is seemingly impressive considering the small form factor of the Seeeduino Xiao! There was even leftover ram left while it was running.
Giant Mute Button
Kristina Panos from Hackaday has created a Giant mute button that can be used with various video conference software. Cited by her as”One Giant Button to Mute Them All” the button is indeed gigantic, jam-packed with various useful features!
Encased in a nicely custom-made 3d-printed case, it has several buttons alongside the giant button with various functions such as pause/play and track control. Find out more over at her guide!
More Seeeduino XIAO Resources
- Seeed Online Store: Seeeduino XIAO
- Seeeduino XIAO Seeed Wiki Page
- Seeeduino XIAO Hardware Development Kit (HDK)
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