Click Shield from MIKROE simplifies integration of Arduino Portenta with over 1600 Click boards

MIKROE, the embedded solutions company that dramatically cuts development time by providing innovative hardware and software products based on proven standards, has announced the Click Shield for Arduino Portenta. This shield offers a simple means of combining Arduino Portenta’s functionality with MIKROE’s extensive family of over 1600 Click board peripheral add-on boards. The shield comes equipped with two mikroBUS sockets, enabling developers to integrate a wide range of functions—from sensors and communication modules to advanced audio processing and motor control—with the powerful Arduino Portenta.

Nebojsa Matic, CEO of MIKROE, comments: “This Click Shield provides a cost-effective and versatile platform for users to experiment with new ideas and build prototypes leveraging the dual-core capability of the STM32H747 processor in Portenta. These boards support a variety of development environments and are particularly suited for high-performance industrial applications, blending low power consumption with advanced features like machine learning and IoT connectivity.”

The Arduino Portenta supports the simultaneous execution of Arduino code and MicroPython, offering robust connectivity options like WiFi, BLE, and optional LoRa or cellular modules. Its modular design enhances adaptability for additional hardware, suiting it for industrial use in demanding environments such as machinery, PLCs, and robotics. Additionally, Portenta can handle AI and machine learning applications, allowing for the implementation of intelligent IoT solutions directly on the device.

The Click Shield includes several essential features to enhance the board’s functionality and ease of use. The Boot mode switch (BT SEL switch) allows users to configure the boot mode of the board, and a JTAG connector facilitates easy debugging and low-level debugging tasks or special firmware updates using an external programmer. The shield’s I2S pins are ideal for high-quality audio processing and streaming tasks on the Arduino Portenta, providing a valuable addition for developers exploring advanced multimedia projects.

The Click Shield for Portenta has three vital connectors that significantly expand the board’s capabilities. The Ethernet connector enables the Portenta to connect to the internet via an Ethernet cable, allowing for robust network interactions such as sending HTTP methods or communicating with other devices and APIs. Additionally, the shield includes a camera connector that allows the rapid development of machine vision applications, transforming the Portenta into an industrial camera capable of performing real-time machine-learning algorithms on live video feeds. Thanks to the MicroSD card holder on the Click Shield, captured frames can be encoded to bitmap standards and saved to an SD card, and configuration files can also be read from the SD card, enhancing the board’s utility in complex projects.