Feather is Adafruit's family of small, lightweight microcontroller boards built around a common shape and pinout. That makes it easy to choose the processor and connectivity you need without having to rethink the rest of your project. The range covers general-purpose boards, wireless options and Feathers built for specific jobs, with a shared ecosystem of enclosures, headers and FeatherWings.
Choosing a Feather
- RP2040 and RP2350 Feathers are general-purpose microcontroller boards with support for CircuitPython, MicroPython and C/C++. The Feather RP2350 uses the newer RP2350 and includes 8MB PSRAM.
- ESP32 Feathers add Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, with ESP32-S2, S3 and C6 variants available for different wireless and processing requirements.
- nRF52840 Feathers are built around the nRF52840 and provide Bluetooth Low Energy. The nRF52840 Sense also has a selection of sensors built in.
- The M0 and M4 Express are older Feather designs built around the SAMD21 and SAMD51 respectively, and remain part of Adafruit's CircuitPython ecosystem.
- RadioFruit Feathers add LoRa or packet radio for long-range communication.
- The CAN Bus Feather provides a CAN interface for connecting to vehicles, machinery and other CAN-enabled equipment.
- The Prop-Maker Feather combines an audio amplifier with lighting outputs for costumes, props and other interactive builds.
- The DVI Feather provides DVI output for HDMI-compatible displays, while the ThinkInk Feather is designed to drive compatible e-paper displays.
Many current Feathers also include a Qw/ST connector for attaching compatible sensors and breakouts without soldering.
Building with Feather
Feather's common format is what makes the range useful. FeatherWings add extra hardware such as displays, motor drivers, sensors and relays, while stacking headers let you combine boards when your project needs more than one add-on.
Most Feathers come with a header kit for you to solder in yourself, so you can choose whether the board sits flat, plugs into a breadboard or stacks with other hardware. Many also have a built-in LiPo charger for battery-powered projects.
Adafruit provides a guide for each board, including wiring diagrams, setup instructions and example code, so you have the information you need to get a Feather up and running.