Arduino hardware has been chosen by thousands of developers around the world due to its flexibility and support, not to mention its open-source designs. While we always recommend supporting the original project whenever possible, the price difference compared to its clones sometimes becomes too large to overlook. That's how we arrive at Tau, a new project that aims to bring to market a direct alternative to the Arduino Zero.
Why Consider Tau?
What can I do with an Arduino? is a question that comes up frequently, and to be honest, it's quite difficult to answer. It all depends on the time the user is willing to invest to learn the platform, and that's not limited to hardware. The true Arduino wizards are those who can write write code, but that ability is not strictly mandatory. As an example, my obsession with mechanical keyboards made me cross swords with different versions and clones of Arduino, but the firmware was written by someone with a much superior skill, and all I had to do was upload the code. Many beginners will follow that path at first, but they're likely to hit another barrier: the price. As a reference, the Arduino/Genuino Zero costs 43 euros plus taxes, a difficult pill to swallow. Those who want or need a clone of the Zero can bet on Tau.
Tau's Specifications
First of all, the Tau is much smaller than the Zero. This aspect forces it to leave some special functions behind, but it can become an advantage depending on the project. The Atmel ATSAMD21E17A microcontroller is based on the ARM Cortex M0+ architecture, running at 48 MHz, identical to the Zero. The differences manifest through the rest of the specifications. The Tau has half the RAM and Flash memory (16 and 128 KB, respectively), as well as fewer analog and digital I/Os. The main connection is via micro USB, and a TLV702 regulator takes care of 'stepping down' the voltage to the required 3.3V.
Price and Availability
How much does the Tau cost? $15 each, $28 for two, and special pricing for those who need larger quantities. Its developer has already received the minimum crowdfunding funds to continue with the production phase, and barring delays, the first deliveries will take place in December. The campaign still has thirteen days left, don't let it pass you by.
