DENGTEC's Rimu Is a Magnetic, Modular Espressif ESP32-S3 Development Stack
A central "brain" module snaps onto one or more "hands" — each of which is designed to do one job and do it well.
Chinese electronics firm DENGTEC has designed a modular platform built around the Espressif ESP32-S3 microcontroller — and claims it can cut weeks of prototyping to mere minutes.
"Rimu was created to tackle real-world challenges where off-the-shelf tools often fall short," DENGTEC's Yonglin Gu explains of the device, which was born of a need in the company's work creating the electronics for display props. "Previously, we had to design hardware and write software from scratch for each project, aiming to provide samples to clients as quickly as possible. This process was extremely time-consuming. Recognizing that other teams and individuals might face similar issues, Rimu was developed to solve these problems."
The heart of the Rimu modular system is a box that hosts an Espressif ESP32-S3R16V module, giving it a pair of Tensilica Xtensa LX7 processor cores running at up to 240MHz, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connectivity. To this the company has added 32MB of NOR flash storage plus either 4GB or 8GB of NAND storage, in a housing that includes a buzzer, gyroscope sensor, RGB indicator LED, and a vibration motor — all hidden behind a 4.3" 5:3 aspect ratio color TFT capacitive touchscreen display with 800×480 resolution. There's an internal battery compartment, too, designed for compatibility with Nokia's classic and long-lived BL-5C batteries.
This "brain" module can then be connected to a number of "hands," the company explains. "Each module solves one specific problem," Gu says, "and you unlock its potential simply by installing the matching software." A "hand" module connects to the "brain" with a clack thanks to a magnetic mounting system, and multiple "hands" can be stacked as the requirements of particular projects require.
"The module's structure is fundamentally consistent across variants," Gu explains, "except for the PCB and enclosure. The enclosure is made from aluminum extrusion, with the height and side holes customized according to each module's specific requirements. This approach minimizes costs while effectively accommodating diverse module needs."
DENGTEC has begun crowdfunding for the Rimu on Kickstarter, with physical rewards starting at HK$698 (around $89) for "super early bird" backers of the 4GB model; "hand" modules, which include a generic "development module" breakout, a stepper motor module, an addressable LED module, a current monitor module, and a LoRa radio module, are available as add-ons at HK$228 (around $29) each. All hardware is expected to ship in November this year, the company says.