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Icy Introduces the Penguino Microcontroller
USB-programmable microcontroller board simplifies experimentation and prototyping.
Icy has introduced the Penguino, a revolutionary USB-programmable microcontroller, optimised for fast, trouble-free prototyping and experimentation. The Penguino is designed for use in electronics projects, robotics and control systems and its dynamic interface opens it up to limitless possibilities. The Penguino allows code to be developed easily using the Penguino Software Library and uploaded seamlessly over USB with the cross-platform Flipper software.
"The Penguino combines the raw power of the microprocessor with the ease-of-use of a consumer product," said David Collien, "it's changing the way we think about developing with microcontrollers, and who has access to it."
The Penguino is designed to plug directly into a circuit prototyping breadboard or a custom circuit-design via the 36 easily accessible pins. A built-in voltage regulator allows the penguino to be powered at 5V or 3.3V from either USB or external power sources, making interfacing with modern devices easier than ever. The onboard microprocessor, an ATMega32A AVR operates several digital tri-state I/O pins and provides for 10-bit Analogue-Digital Conversion. Code for the Penguino is written in C and quickly uploaded to the device using Icy's cross-platform Flipper software.
Icy has optimised the entire development cycle of embedded software through the still evolving Penguino Software Library and cross-platform Flipper software. The Penguino Software Library allows powerful, complex tasks including Analogue-Digital Conversion and SPI Communication to be performed with ease. In both testing and production, Icy's Flipper software allows the Penguino to be programmed and debugged over USB with extraordinary speed and simplicity.
With the power of the Penguino, implementations of all sorts of ideas and projects becomes possible. Previously challenging tasks like interacting with sensors and controlling motors and displays become unprecedentedly simple. "Once you start using it, it has a place in almost every project you work on", said Dougall Johnson, a tester. Demonstrations of projects which use the Penguino can already be seen on the Icy website.
The Penguino Software Library facilitates communication between the development machine and the Penguino. The UART based technology allows the Penguino to communicate with the developer via the development computer as though it were using standard I/O in a console C program. The transparency of this process makes debugging a pleasure compared to the challenges faced by typical microcontroller programmers.
The Penguino is available online now for US$45 or AU$55 and the Flipper software can be downloaded for free from the Icy website (www.icy.com.au).