Making a 360° Controller Smaller than a Penny!

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  • Опубліковано 5 січ 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 311

  • @shaneomacmcgee
    @shaneomacmcgee 3 місяці тому +255

    - WiFi + Bluetooth
    - Onboard antenna
    - Battery charging
    - USB-C
    - Handful of GPIO
    - Castellated pads
    - Affordable
    - Smol
    I've been looking for this exact thing for so long and thought I was crazy when I couldn't find a good solution. Thank you Carl!!

  • @PCBWay
    @PCBWay 3 місяці тому +336

    It is always a pleasure for us to be a part of your great idea!😊

    • @joeblow229
      @joeblow229 2 місяці тому +12

      I've only ordered a few PCBs from you guys over the years, but I really appreciate you sponsoring makers :)
      Whenever I need a PCB, you guys are my go-to company to order from!

    • @PCBWay
      @PCBWay 2 місяці тому +7

      @@joeblow229Pleasure to hear that

  • @chococookie9936
    @chococookie9936 2 місяці тому +21

    as student major in EE, i can confirm that srinking a controller board to the absolute smollest while still keeping many features is not only impressive but it's the most cutest thing i've seen
    i'm currently geeking out rn

  • @1974UTuber
    @1974UTuber 3 місяці тому +44

    Carl, your inventiveness and innovation never ceases to amaze me. Keep up the great work

  • @deaneatsgreens
    @deaneatsgreens 3 місяці тому +5

    You have no idea how many of these are going to sell. I've seen so many mini RC tutorials around that have 500 steps and parts/tools. This is a game changer

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  3 місяці тому +1

      Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂 I m glad you liked it!

  • @qdaniele97
    @qdaniele97 3 місяці тому +56

    This is almost exactly what I was looking for (a small ESP32 board with battery circuitry and an IMU in a tiny package). The only missing thing would be ZigBee instead of power-hungry WiFi.
    Please cosider selling a ESP32-C6 and/or ESP32-H2 equiped version. They should both work as drop-in replacements for the ESP32-C3 without requiring any change to the PCB whatsoever.
    It could even be an option on the website like the IMU is.

    • @testman9541
      @testman9541 3 місяці тому +2

      If WiFi is not an option for you, there is still BLE and ESPNow on board 🎉

    • @WhatsTheWordBozo
      @WhatsTheWordBozo 3 місяці тому +1

      Worst case scenario you can buy it and attach a C6 yourself. The cost for that is negligible

    • @qdaniele97
      @qdaniele97 3 місяці тому

      @@WhatsTheWordBozo Maybe I'm wrong, but I believe they have BGA-like pads to solder under the module itself, instead of just castellated contacts on the edges.
      If that's the case, it would be way beyond what my soldering skills and equipment are capable of 😅

    • @AlexKarasev
      @AlexKarasev 3 місяці тому +1

      @@qdaniele97 But then they wouldn't be drop-in replacements!
      BGAs and other SMCs can in theory / in a pinch be done in a household convection oven like the one used for turkeys on thanksgiving (not to be confised with a microwave, haha). Just be double super extra sure everything is lead-free etc esp the solder paste.

    • @iso_2013
      @iso_2013 3 місяці тому

      @@AlexKarasev it would still be a drop-in replacement, just means it's a lot easier for the manufacturer to do the 'dropping'

  • @SverreDraaisma
    @SverreDraaisma 2 місяці тому +3

    This is great, the fun side effect is that you have made a slime tracker board as well. Slime tracker is a vr full body tracker using the bno085 imus

  • @WhatsTheWordBozo
    @WhatsTheWordBozo 3 місяці тому +30

    You should really put in your video that you can save up to 45$ in shipping by not adding on the battery. I took it off and it dropped the price from 90$ to 40$ which turns the product from kind of stressing pricing to actually very reasonable for a research device. If I buy a lipo locally on amazon I can get like 20 of them for that markup.

  • @TheHonour3dOne
    @TheHonour3dOne 17 днів тому

    This is awesome, if I had known about this board when this video released could've saved me tons of space and wiring in one of my projects! This is miracle work ❤️

  • @erikslagter3231
    @erikslagter3231 3 місяці тому +9

    Carl, everything you do is gold

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  3 місяці тому +1

      thanks! glad you liked it! :)

  • @Samuel-eu1ts
    @Samuel-eu1ts 3 місяці тому +1

    This looks perfect for a DIY motion suit, I wanted to design a board like this for ages, 30eur per board is pretty good considering how feature packed it is, data could be streamed & synchronized over ESP-NOW. Awesome!

    • @RubenKelevra
      @RubenKelevra 2 місяці тому

      If you glue enough of them on a silicone mask it could be used for facial expression tracking, too ;)

  • @BloodAsp
    @BloodAsp 3 місяці тому +9

    2 weeks ago I bought a bag of 20 ESP32 C3 Super Mini for less than $15 total, shipping included. I hate to not support creators because you did put a ton of work into it and I can see it in the final product. But I apologize, for throwing a ton of sensors around the house with ESPHome, I'm sticking with these little guys. Much love though, your projects are always top notch 100% amazing, keep at it!!

  • @trhosking
    @trhosking 21 день тому

    If you have a cutout in the board where the antenna sits instead of just hanging it over the edge, you can have a little extra space either side of the antenna for components.

  • @lebasson
    @lebasson 2 місяці тому

    So well done! Having followed your channel for a while now, I can be confident that this board is well-designed. By the looks of it you've already prepared super nice examples for it too. That's an easy buy. Congrats, hope this does well for you.

  • @rajprasad5899
    @rajprasad5899 17 днів тому

    Fantastic creativity incorporating many features!

  • @Mike-Denver
    @Mike-Denver Місяць тому

    Congrats, well done! Brilliant enineeering - this is the true power of intelligence! Looking forward to seeing more designs and peices of tech from you! Just keep doing what your are doing!

  • @ellabun
    @ellabun 3 місяці тому

    I have been looking for exactly this (non-IMU and IMU version) for ages! I will undoubtedly be buying more of them in the future

  • @JonathanDeWitt1988
    @JonathanDeWitt1988 Місяць тому +1

    I would be very interested to see any robot kits you start selling with these.
    I just bought a 3-pack of the XIAO ESP32S3 boards from Seeed Studio for my latest project. I was aware of the need for the external antenna and am just hoping it isn't strictly necessary when my controls will be so close to the board if I even go with external controls. But this looks like a great alternative if that doesn't prove to be the case. Thank you for taking the time to create and share it.

  • @msmithdev1369
    @msmithdev1369 2 місяці тому

    I literally had this same exact board (bit larger same BNO08X sensor) ready for pcbway and i come across this video. Unbelievable, i bought 3 can't wait to get them.

  • @dfgaJK
    @dfgaJK 3 місяці тому +26

    I wish you could've squeezed some motor drivers or just mosfets on there for direct motor drive. (4 mosfets and you would've had yourself a mini drone!)

    • @NigelTolley
      @NigelTolley Місяць тому

      I wish a few manufacturers would do this - there's lots of stuff that needs more than 20mA out there!

  • @GiovanniIgorCesarotto
    @GiovanniIgorCesarotto 2 місяці тому

    How didn't i see this in these 2 weeks? I needed a small, compact, battery powered board with motion sensing capabilities, it's insane how much stuff is packaged in here!

  • @terrygould3230
    @terrygould3230 Місяць тому

    This seems like the ideal project for active embedded components, maybe worth getting in touch with someone like Wurth Elektonik who has a lot of experience in this, they may be up for a collaboration

  • @SkylineIn2016
    @SkylineIn2016 2 місяці тому

    Your ability to cramp so much function in such a small form factor is crazy

  • @aspzx
    @aspzx 3 місяці тому +4

    This looks amazing. I love that you make a version without the IMU available for half the price. Great work.

  • @bjiirn
    @bjiirn 3 місяці тому +5

    This could also be interesting for SlimeVR Body Tracking since it supports the ESP32-C3 and the BNO085.
    However i could not find the shematic so i don't know if the wireing would work with the default firmware.
    UPDATE: I just saw that the pins can now be configured in the SlimeVR Firmware tool. So it should work.

  • @sethswheelhouse
    @sethswheelhouse 3 місяці тому

    Hey Carl. Im the same Seth that hit you up a while ago about using drivecells in my small robotics project. Thanks for responding and talking with me. The new drive cell library is much better.

  • @francescodirienzo3211
    @francescodirienzo3211 2 місяці тому

    wonderful project!
    if you rotate the c port 90 degrees and make it exit like the battery connector? this would increase the thickness but give you more space on the board.
    Another thing I thought of was putting a small piece of flat cable so that the c port could be rotated

  • @bdot02
    @bdot02 3 місяці тому

    This is a super cool project, thanks for sharing and making it a product available to us!

  • @KeepoHdee
    @KeepoHdee 3 місяці тому

    The store looks great! Quality content as always, looking forward to the next video.

  • @aL3891_
    @aL3891_ 3 місяці тому

    This is really cool :) it would be awesome to see a version with express lrs as a control link since the range is so much greater as well 🙂

  • @SianaGearz
    @SianaGearz 3 місяці тому

    I like external antenna because then i can place electronics on alu or steel sheet if need be and don't need to worry about occlusion/detuning so much, more flexibility.
    USB cable only a little attenuation because the metallisation is barely a couple millimetres across, which is a lot less than 29mm.

  • @TaseenAli
    @TaseenAli 3 місяці тому

    This is amazing! I already got a few projects I could implement in 😮

  • @atom1496
    @atom1496 3 місяці тому +2

    A pin matched board with a bldc driver and magnetic encoder would be very very cool.

  • @DIYtechie
    @DIYtechie 2 місяці тому

    Awesome chip. Would love to have ESPHome templates for it.

  • @thewatersavior
    @thewatersavior 3 місяці тому

    This looks awesome - im in the TinyDuino space and stacking boards makes it big. this looks solid!

  • @fsdfghwaihjfkdasjfka
    @fsdfghwaihjfkdasjfka 3 місяці тому +17

    You could stack capacitors if you need more

  • @ryelor123
    @ryelor123 17 днів тому

    You should design it so that it can also link with other chips of the same type so you can have higher sensor accuracy by taking multiple readings and averaging them out or something.

  • @neofuturist
    @neofuturist 3 місяці тому +47

    OMG, cries in poor :), I was able to buy one, but it ended up being 60€ in total, whyyyyy am I so poor :)
    Edit: you still deserve 6 stars for this crazy project +1
    Edit2: I just bought one with giro, I have no self control eheheh

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  3 місяці тому +22

      unfortunately to ship the battery we can only use fedex box, which i agree is a bit expensive.. but is necessary to ship LiPos.. All other options can ship with international post and also include a wire to use your own battery :)

    • @neofuturist
      @neofuturist 3 місяці тому

      @@CarlBugeja no worry, totally worth it +1

  • @colororb4105
    @colororb4105 2 місяці тому

    This seems pretty interesting as a SlimeVR tracking puck!
    Unfortunately the ESP32 isn't efficient enough to work off a small battery, but if this used an nRF52840 instead it could use the experimental SmolSlime firmware and last weeks! (although the nRF doesn't have wifi, it has BT, Thread, NFC, and more)
    The BNO085 is the same IMU used in the official SlimeVR design, but now the cheaper LSM6dso or LSM6dsv (dsv is the newest) are becoming new favorites. They're much more power efficient and apparently about as accurate if not better. They don't have magnetometers, but usually the BNO085's isn't used by the Slime software anyways

  • @drancerd
    @drancerd 21 день тому

    Thanx for all your work!!!

  • @duemilanove1844
    @duemilanove1844 2 місяці тому +2

    @CarlBugeja, how you rendered 3D pcb 06:39? Can you please make a tutorial on that??

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  2 місяці тому +2

      done by @samerps check out his stuff! www.youtube.com/@samerps

    • @duemilanove1844
      @duemilanove1844 2 місяці тому

      @@CarlBugeja thanks

  • @TaniaKisha
    @TaniaKisha 3 місяці тому

    You are crazy in good way. That's why I love your videos! :)

  • @ExtravagantEthan
    @ExtravagantEthan 3 місяці тому

    This is gonna be a gamechanger for my sonic screwdriver build

  • @almosthuman4457
    @almosthuman4457 3 місяці тому

    I like it. I'll keep this in mind for future projects.

  • @KentBrono
    @KentBrono 3 місяці тому +154

    I think it's important to stick to stocks that are immune to economic policies. I'm looking at NVIDIA and other AI stocks that have the potential to power and transform future technologies. It seems AI is the trajectory most companies are taking, including even established FAANG companies

    • @BaffySchenck
      @BaffySchenck 3 місяці тому

      Well all i know is that you cannot go wrong taking profit at near high. No one ever went broke taking a ~20% profit. It's best if you consult with a fiduciary advisor in situations like this so you can make informed decisions.

    • @MagdaleneM-f3q
      @MagdaleneM-f3q 3 місяці тому

      That's a great analogy and I love the insight. Professionals could make a really big difference in investing, and I think everyone should have one. There are aspects of market trend that is difficult for the untrained eyes to see.

    • @PajinakStanovska
      @PajinakStanovska 3 місяці тому

      That's a great tip. I'm setting out 50k to invest in the market this year. Any particularly useful tips you could offer to me?

    • @MagdaleneM-f3q
      @MagdaleneM-f3q 3 місяці тому

      My CFA JULIANNE IWERSEN NIEMANN' a renowned figure in her line of work. I recommend researching her credentials further... She has many years of experience and is a valuable resource for anyone looking to navigate the financial market..

    • @JIN-u6t3t
      @JIN-u6t3t 3 місяці тому

      Thank you for sharing this. I took the time to Google the individual you mentioned, and after reviewing her resume, it is evident that she is a seasoned professional. I have reached out to her and am eagerly awaiting her response.

  • @sregexer
    @sregexer 12 днів тому

    This looks like it would be great on a little hobby drone

  • @alejandroperez5368
    @alejandroperez5368 3 місяці тому +2

    04:25 Not just common and safe, it's actually the recommended way to go.

  • @default19in
    @default19in 2 місяці тому

    Bro hats off mind blowing invention.

  • @OficinadoArthur
    @OficinadoArthur 3 місяці тому

    Really nice piece of engeneering!

  • @Extra_Mental
    @Extra_Mental 2 місяці тому

    That little remote car looks really cool

  • @weasel.3683
    @weasel.3683 3 місяці тому

    THIS is AMAZING!
    I hope I can get one in time!

  • @WoLpH
    @WoLpH 3 місяці тому +1

    The XIAO ESP32C6 is the same size as the C3 and has an internal antenna in addition to a connection for an external one. And it has zigbee, which could be convenient for power usage.

    • @WoLpH
      @WoLpH 3 місяці тому +1

      With that in mind, you could make your design smaller by using one of those ceramic 3D antenna's that Seeed uses for the XIAO C6.

  • @MadonnaDiFonti
    @MadonnaDiFonti 3 місяці тому

    I think this is exactly what many were looking for. I will take some.
    However another downside of the USB C port location is that it might be a bit inconvenient to make it accessible when printing a case with a 3d printer

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  3 місяці тому +1

      so far i've built multiple cases for different projects and i have to agree.. but it a small inconvenience considering what it packs in such a small area..some clever 3d design can also make it easier for the usb connector to be more accessible through the housing

  • @rboutrois9093
    @rboutrois9093 3 місяці тому

    So much features in this tiny volume, you did a really nice job Carl !
    Even took the time to do a pretty nice animation for the intro ! What did you used ? Blender ?

  • @ThomasHaberkorn
    @ThomasHaberkorn 2 місяці тому

    wow great design! Maybe you could also integrate a Power latch (e.g. with TPL5110) to enable years of battery life

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  2 місяці тому +1

      thanks! that's the only missing thing on it! its not bad but the onboard addressable led isn't sleep current friendly - its impossible to fit but if there's space i'm going to try and add for v2 if it ever gets there 🙃

  • @livdbest2942
    @livdbest2942 3 місяці тому

    Keep up the Good Work !!!!👍👍
    Bravoooo 👏👏👏

  • @shigai9727
    @shigai9727 Місяць тому

    Hey! Would love to see you become the next competitor with Seeed Studio. I’m stuck with Seeed for so long and they are my only option. Please build one like Xiao ESP32 Sense board with ESP32 C6. I will buy a ton of them!

  • @koraypekericli
    @koraypekericli 3 місяці тому

    Fantastic stuff, again! 🙂

  • @coolbits2235
    @coolbits2235 2 місяці тому +1

    A smaller 6 pin connector to extend USB and charging would have been a good idea. I mean sideways mounted 0.5 mil or smaller connector.

  • @Khether0001
    @Khether0001 3 місяці тому

    You are a real life wizard! 😊

  • @ArnaudMEURET
    @ArnaudMEURET 3 місяці тому +1

    Makers tend to forget that they use **development** boards in their final designs. You didn't "design another one" you just integrated the MCU in your custom design. As you're supposed to do.

  • @ninjacodertech
    @ninjacodertech 3 місяці тому +4

    this is soooo cool!

  • @technogeek48
    @technogeek48 3 місяці тому

    Addition of very compact camera can be interesting for Small AI powered robot.

  • @MatteoCelani-c9g
    @MatteoCelani-c9g 2 місяці тому +2

    I cant glue the board on the 3d printer because there is antenna. So there is some space between the 3d printed wall and the usb c. Can u move the antenna to the opposite side? Sorry for the entlish

  • @portaillstonk1526
    @portaillstonk1526 3 місяці тому

    that great it look like it could be use for Vr Full body tracking.

  • @juanmacias5922
    @juanmacias5922 3 місяці тому

    Pretty cool! I'd love trying to use it to build a micro mouse. :D

  • @GoatZilla
    @GoatZilla Місяць тому

    there gonna be a tiny motor controller board to go with it? stuff like this does better with accessories.
    also prefer to use lifeo4 cells.

  • @Fred_Klingon
    @Fred_Klingon 3 місяці тому

    Great work as always.
    What about cutting the PCB antenna and soldering it in vertical?
    I don't know if it invalidates the FCC compliancy (probably yes), but it will make the size smaller, solve the connected usb port issue and also be high a little more of the usb port itself. 🙂

  • @TheRainHarvester
    @TheRainHarvester 2 місяці тому

    0:05 how did you do those snazzy 3d graphics with the led cone of light?!

  • @dave20874
    @dave20874 3 місяці тому

    OMG, this is my dream prototyping module.

  • @eemhi
    @eemhi 3 місяці тому

    Thanks for sharing 🎉

  • @maker101io
    @maker101io 3 місяці тому

    This is really great! I'm jealous 😇🥂

  • @ofsanjay
    @ofsanjay 3 місяці тому +1

    That small factor micro controllers are the best thing.

  • @jimjjewett
    @jimjjewett 3 місяці тому

    That gap for the USB cord is thick enough that I wonder whether some components could go between the boards, at least in some future version.

  • @makermark210
    @makermark210 Місяць тому

    When will the Codecell+Sensors be available again? I can hardly wait for them 🙂

  • @geepytee
    @geepytee 3 місяці тому

    This is really cool!

  • @knoxytranger7147
    @knoxytranger7147 19 днів тому

    0:54 you look like Radal. Slimer and smarter 😳

  • @remotepinecone
    @remotepinecone 29 днів тому

    FYI the C6 has a built in antenna

  • @osmancelik4244
    @osmancelik4244 Місяць тому

    SO COOL, IT'S AMAZING!

  • @OZtwo
    @OZtwo 3 місяці тому

    Very cool! But I still say that you really need to design a Cozmo that has a brain. I so much want to have a small robot that can roam around the house indexing new items and even be able to take small items back to its' home base.

  • @peterevenhuis2663
    @peterevenhuis2663 3 місяці тому

    Malta power, hahaha, great project and amazing results.

  • @gambler301
    @gambler301 3 місяці тому +1

    Looks amazing, as all of your projects.
    I am just worried that the PCB antenna might behave poorly.
    ( esp32 has a very small range when connecting to other ESP with PCB antenna.)

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  3 місяці тому +2

      Thank you so much! 🙂 So far we didn't have any issues with the antenna's performance with all the tests I showed

  • @josgraha
    @josgraha 11 днів тому

    i love it!! grazie ❣

  • @marcosalas6413
    @marcosalas6413 Місяць тому

    This makes me want to try to make new stuff! Also, would it be able to work in clusters?

  • @Electheo
    @Electheo 3 місяці тому

    Wow I'm amazed. This is so impressive!!!
    How many board layers & what trace thickness did you use to get it this small?

  • @NoBody-bm9if
    @NoBody-bm9if Місяць тому

    Why would the shielding not affect the signal propagation? Its basically a grounded metal plane which should have a huge impact on signal propagation.
    Cool project though.

  • @Yunora
    @Yunora 3 місяці тому +1

    Finally something to compete with the M5 Atom.

  • @akosbalint3485
    @akosbalint3485 3 місяці тому

    Great board! BNO086 may be better for IMU.

    • @CarlBugeja
      @CarlBugeja  3 місяці тому +1

      Considered it but it's price was more expensive.. So the 085 was a good compromise

  • @danielbarbieri4097
    @danielbarbieri4097 2 місяці тому

    Looks Great! BTW what's the actuator on 5:51?

  • @LediesR
    @LediesR 3 місяці тому +1

    For battery applications, it would be interesting to know if the integrated sensors can bring the ESP out of sleep mode? Can the VCNL4040 light sensor or the BNO085 motion sensor do this? thx

  • @jimmy21584
    @jimmy21584 2 місяці тому

    How is the power consumption in deep sleep mode? Having microamp deep sleep on a small ESP32 board with battery would make it a must-have for me.

  • @TheRainHarvester
    @TheRainHarvester 2 місяці тому

    What battery is that? Every time i search i find big batterys for phones etc

  • @Universebot2
    @Universebot2 2 місяці тому

    As a huge horizon fan and maker, I’ve been thinking about making something same to fit into ally’s focus…

  • @michohalo6602
    @michohalo6602 2 місяці тому

    this is perfect for a micro sized drone. just replace the esp32 c3 to s3 and add camera for computer vision micro drone.

  • @sultan7679
    @sultan7679 2 місяці тому

    hi carl, nice video.. can you tell more about the charging chip with power path mangement, i want to desig a charging board for li ion cells with 4-5 amps of charge current, single cell...

  • @IcannaHelp
    @IcannaHelp 18 днів тому

    Can you please put together a basic kit that anyone beginner or advanced can put together and as they learn add on by ordering additional noards/sensors etc!?!?!

  • @makoado6010
    @makoado6010 23 дні тому

    0:49 because those r dev boards... for development not for a final "product".
    and: TENSTAR ESP32-S3 Supermini from 2-3eur.

  • @idkfkingknowlmao
    @idkfkingknowlmao 3 місяці тому +2

    As someone who designs and measures antennas, the problem is not that the cable is shielded or not.
    The problem is that those antennas are designed while assuming that underneath them is free space, if you introduce an object (obviously metallic objects are worse) in the antenna's near-field, you change it's S11 (reflection coefficient) and radiation pattern, and it's efficiency *MIGHT* drop, since more power is reflected back to the source.
    I say might because the response is actually unpredictable, even I designing antennas for a living don't exactly know what might happen when certain objects are placed. RF is black magic after all.
    However, as you tested, the antenna seems to be responding quite well to the USB-C cable so... fair game! Good job though!

    • @jimjjewett
      @jimjjewett 3 місяці тому

      Would it still be a problem when the cable isn't plugged in, just because of the socket? Because otherwise, it seems pretty reasonable to not use wireless _while_ it is plugged into USB.

    • @idkfkingknowlmao
      @idkfkingknowlmao 3 місяці тому +1

      @@jimjjewett It depends on where the socket is placed, rule of thumb you try to follow the "Antenna cutout" most datasheets include and not place anything beneath it which, as you can see at 5:28, he followed pretty well, so the socket such cause little to no problems. It also helped that he used a thicker substrate on the bottom, keeping the socket further away from the antenna.
      Usually the problems you see is just a loss of efficiency and the antenna still works at those frequencies, just a little worse (unless you really ignore the cutout and just place whatever you want underneath it).

  • @surajit3052
    @surajit3052 3 місяці тому

    Ig i have seen a similar kind of dev board from xaio itself they make even more advanced cam board for very small form factor

  • @fullsendmarinedarwin7244
    @fullsendmarinedarwin7244 3 місяці тому

    Insane how small electronics are getting these days. Very impressive