1. Overview

<p>The Romi 32U4 Control Board is designed to be assembled with a <a href="/category/202/romi-chassis-and-accessories">Romi chassis</a> to create a capable integrated robot platform that can easily be programmed and customized.</p> <p>Like our <a href="/category/149/a-star-programmable-controllers">A-Star 32U4 programmable controllers</a>, the Romi 32U4 Control Board is built around a USB-enabled Atmel ATmega32U4 AVR microcontroller, and it ships preloaded with an Arduino-compatible bootloader. The control board features two H-bridge motor drivers and is designed to connect to a <a href="/product/3542">Romi Encoder Pair Kit</a> (available separately) to allow closed-loop motor control. It also includes a powerful 5&nbsp;V switching step-down regulator that can supply up to 2&nbsp;A continuously, along with a versatile power switching and distribution circuit. A 3-axis accelerometer and gyro enable a Romi 32U4 robot to make inertial measurements, estimate its orientation, and detect external forces. Three on-board pushbuttons offer a convenient interface for user input, while indicator LEDs, a buzzer, and a connector for an optional LCD allow the robot to provide feedback.</p> <p>The Romi 32U4 Control Board can be used either as a standalone control solution or as a base for a more powerful Raspberry Pi controller. Its on-board connector and mounting holes allow a compatible Raspberry Pi (Model B+ or newer, including <a href="/product/2759">Pi&nbsp;3 Model B</a> and <a href="/product/2760">Model&nbsp;A+</a>) to plug directly into the control board. Integrated level shifters make it easy to set up I²C communication and interface other signals between the two controllers, and the control board automatically supplies 5&nbsp;V power to an attached Raspberry Pi. In this setup, the Raspberry Pi can handle the high-level robot control while relying on the Romi 32U4 Control Board for low-level tasks, like running motors, reading encoders, and interfacing with other analog or timing-sensitive devices.</p> <p>The I/O lines of both the ATmega32U4 and the Raspberry Pi are broken out to 0.1″-spaced through-holes along the front and rear of the control board, and the board&#8217;s power rails are similarly accessible, enabling sensors and other peripherals to easily be connected.</p> <p>A software add-on is available that makes it easy to program a Romi 32U4 robot from the Arduino environment, and we have Arduino libraries and example sketches to help get you started. A <a href="/product/2072">USB A to Micro-B cable</a> (not included) is required for programming.</p>