Review: M5Stack Cardputer Adv Version (ESP32-S3)

Manufacturer: M5Stack

Price: $30

Link: https://shop.m5stack.com/products/m5stack-cardputer-adv-version-esp32-s3

I have adored the M5Stack Cardputer since its first incarnation (see “Board Hoard,” Make: Volume 91), through v1.1 (“Word Is Board,” Make: Volume 95), and was completely overjoyed when I was handed the latest Adv model at Maker Faire Shenzhen in November.

The Adv retains the credit-card-sized form factor of the original, though it trades the light-grey colorway for a brilliant white front and dark grey back. The latter is adorned with M5’s typical feature flow chart, though it loses the original’s top row of 10 Lego Technic receptors and moves the remaining four holes to the upper side. The reason for this is the addition of a 14-pin header along the top, as well as a 3.5mm audio output jack below the existing 1W amplified speaker.

Accommodation for a wrist strap on the bottom right is a welcome addition. The diminutive 56-key keyboard and 1.14″ LCD display are carried over from the original, as is the ESP32-S3-based Stamp-S3A microcontroller from the v1.1. An even bigger 1,750mAh battery helps power the existing microSD slot, Grove connector, and IR emitter, while a new IMU further increases the platform’s capabilities.

And yes, the whole thing can still be magnetted to stuff, plus it makes adorable random little bleeps with each keypress. The built-in firmware does a fantastic job of demonstrating its key functionality, and custom code comes via Arduino, ESP-IDF, PlatformIO, or M5’s own UiFlow2.

You can also turn it into the world’s cutest Meshtastic device using the new 14-pin header!

This article appeared in Make:Volume 96. Subscribe to Make: for the latest articles.