When will Espruino WiFi be back in stock?

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  • Hello, I'm a new customer based in the USA interested in Espruino and it looks like it's out of stock everywhere. Any idea when it'll be back in stock? Thanks.

  • Hi! I've just shipped a few (only 10) to Adafruit in the USA, so if you keep an eye open there they should have some stock around the end of the week.

    I was hoping to have a bunch more but I've had some issues sourcing parts and also manufacturing the WiFi boards reliably. The Espruino WiFi itself hasn't been a particularly good seller, so given the manufacturing issues I've taken the decision to discontinue it.

    There will be a new Espruino board with WiFi (and Bluetooth) soon though - but not for a few months I'm afraid.

  • @Gordon, good to hear that the new Espruino board - typically based on an ST chip, I assume - with communication will include combined communication: Wifi and BLE.

  • The plan right now is to go with an nRF52840 chip (as you get the Bluetooth for 'free').

    Is there anything in the ST parts that you really miss? ST do have slightly more powerful IO (and it's 5v tolerant) but the nRF52 parts are really good at low power, and the programmable IO on them is really neat.

    ST have a really frustrating pricing strategy which means that I end up paying more for just the chip (if I can even buy it right now!) than I do for a certified module with the nRF52840 chip, antenna and crystal on!

  • It could be worth asking Nordic if a new wireless wifi+BLE SoC is going to be released soon, as they invested in WiFi recently (https://www.nordicsemi.com/News/2020/11/­Nordic-Semiconductor-expands-into-WiFi)

  • @Gordon, see your point about getting a chip vs. a module, where latter is almost a complete system. That both chip and module are ARM4 based does not really make them differently from an coding point of view. 'Weak' outputs can be complemented with drivers that are now widely available. Therefore, including multiple components - module(s) w/ complementing chips - will bring a good solution.

    Regarding complementing drivers, I'm thinking along the lines of a driver with two to four full H bridges that also can be powered from an extra rail with different voltage than what is needed to run the logic (from simple TI DRV8847, MPS MP6550,.. to more complex Allegro A4987, for example).

  • Wifi...

    I know - although when I heard that I did do some digging and it seemed like a WiFi chip would be some way off :(

    Regarding complementing drivers

    I've actually got a DRV8847 on the new Pixl.js. They're really neat if only because they do a really wide voltage range (enough to run off a single LiPo or a car battery). There's not much that'll do that.

  • I use a (TI) DRV8833 - family member of DRV8847 - on a breakout board in combination with the Espruino MDBT42Q breakout board. - 'New' (Pixl.js), in deed, because I came across the (TI) DRV chips on a different path.

    Combining something like the super tiny nRF52832 - but in ...40 capacity would be cool, as used in the recently pub'd Espruino-Ring example by @gmurphy - see Espruino Ring, ...and making it a (size-) successor of the Espruino Pico : Espruino Nano-C,.. -C for communicative / communicating / chatting /... ;-)

  • I did actually develop something I was planning on producing a year or so ago (but Bangle.js got in the way!) with 2x DRV8847 on it (so 8x powered outputs) in a pretty small footprint. I think with motor drivers, it's really got to be big enough to put screw terminals on though :)

    It's still tempting to produce - but I'm hoping the new Pixl will go a long way towards filling that niche (even if it's a bit bigger, the LCD will be nice)

  • @Gordon is it possible to order Wifi when the consumer demand increases? For example, when a larger order is received.

  • Hi,

    Yes, if there was a big order I could definitely arrange for another batch to be manufactured - although it could take a while as some of the parts have long lead times at the moment.

    I do have a few failed boards here that I could fix up and set out if absolutely needed, but they're not really nice enough that I'd be happy sticking them in the shop.

  • Thanks! This is good news because the Wifi and MDBT42Q work very well together and -hopefully- forever :)

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When will Espruino WiFi be back in stock?

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