Summary of Zero Tiny BLE – low cost and low powered embeddable board
The Zero Tiny BLE is a compact, low-cost embeddable board featuring an AVR ATTiny85 microcontroller and HM-10 Bluetooth Low Energy radio, powered by a single-cell LiPo or USB Mini-B with onboard charging. It supports UART over BLE, breadboard-friendly prototyping, and development via Arduino or AVR-GCC. The board measures 20 × 47 mm and is available populated or as unpopulated PCBs from zeroengineering.io and OSH Park. It was created for lightweight sensor projects with iOS logging and display in mind.
Parts used in the Zero Tiny BLE:
- AVR ATTiny85 microcontroller
- HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy module
- Single cell 3.7V Lithium Polymer battery (LiPo)
- USB Mini-B port (for power and charging)
- LiPo battery charging circuitry (onboard)
- PCB (20mm x 47mm board)
- Standard UART connections
Overview
The Zero Tiny BLE is a small low cost and low powered embeddable board with an AVR ATTiny85 microcontroller and a Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE) radio.
- AVR ATTiny85 microcontroller running at 8MHz internal clock and 3.3V. ATTiny85 Datasheet.
- HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy module. HM-10 Datasheet.
- Powered by single cell 3.7V Lithium Polymer battery (LiPo) or USB B mini port.
- LiPo battery recharge capabilities via the USB B mini port.
- Standard UART communication over Bluetooth 4.0.
- Easy prototyping via breadboard.
- Use either Arduino or AVR-GCC development environments.
- Small form factor of 20mm x 47mm (0.79” x 1.85”)
- You can purchase a complete board at zeroengineering.io
- You can order unpopulated boards from OSH Park
Why?
This is a project that fell out of developing sensors (Exhaust Gas Temp, RPM, Lap Timer, etc) for my vintage road racing motorcycle. I also wanted to use my iOS device as the display and data logger. So I needed a small, cheap and general purpose board that had uC and BLE capabilities and could be powered by a small LiPo battery (and be charged by a USB connection). The HM-10 BLE was super cheap and incredibly easy to integrate. The ATTiny85 is also super cheap, requires practically zero external components when running on it’s internal oscillator and can be programmed in the Arduino IDE.
For more detail: Zero Tiny BLE – low cost and low powered embeddable board
- What microcontroller does the Zero Tiny BLE use?
The board uses an AVR ATTiny85 microcontroller running at 8MHz and 3.3V. - What Bluetooth module is used on the Zero Tiny BLE?
The board uses an HM-10 Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy module. - How is the Zero Tiny BLE powered?
It is powered by a single cell 3.7V LiPo battery or via the USB Mini-B port. - Can the LiPo battery be recharged on the board?
Yes, the board includes LiPo battery recharge capabilities via the USB Mini-B port. - What communication protocol does the Zero Tiny BLE use over Bluetooth?
It uses standard UART communication over Bluetooth 4.0. - Is the Zero Tiny BLE easy to prototype with?
Yes, it supports easy prototyping via breadboard. - Which development environments can be used with the Zero Tiny BLE?
You can use either the Arduino IDE or AVR-GCC development environments. - What are the dimensions of the Zero Tiny BLE board?
The board measures 20mm by 47mm (0.79” by 1.85”). - Where can I purchase the Zero Tiny BLE?
You can purchase a complete board at zeroengineering.io or order unpopulated boards from OSH Park.
