Adafruit Metro M7 with AirLift - Featuring NXP iMX RT1011

[dThirteen]

https://www.adafruit.com/product/4950

I'm excited for this and will be ordering one when they are released. :)

That said, after seeing the Teensy 4.1 and owning a Metro M4 Express and NXP K22F, I can't help but think there was a missed opportunity to push things even further with this product.

One of the limitations of the UNO R3 is the small number of pins broken out. It would be straightforward to make this double row and still be pin compatible with existing shields. It would also be easy to produce a blank prototyping shield that can accept the double row. You could also make some new cool new shields, increasing add-on sales. Here's a picture of the K22F pinouts showing what double row and backward compatibility could look like.

The K22F also has an accelerometer, magnetometer, user accessible switch, and visible light sensor onboard. The Teensy 4.1 has an RTC. NXP has other M7 parts that are faster with more features.

These new microcontroller parts create an opportunity to really push the UNO ecosystem into the future. I bet others would follow your lead.

The Metro M7 is going to be with us for a long time, so I guess I'm a dreamer as I want more from the UNO development platform than just an incremental upgrade in speed (MHz and processing features) and a QT connector. :)

[blnkjns]

Isn't the MEGA/DUE/Grand Central layout already there for massive breakout? I would prefer a grand-central like board with UTP instead of ESP-BANNED.

[User_UMjT7KxnxP8YN8]

I second that idea. Especially if the processor has an Ethernet peripheral.

Incidentally, I found no documentation for an i.MX RT1011 processor on NXP's website. Is this a new device?