Microcontroller Choice

Big idea

You need a microcontroller to control motors; a computer on its own is not enough. If you’re just starting out, a common question is what microcontroller to choose.

Any microcontroller that can run Arduino framework code can use the provided open-source Bottango firmware to connect to the Bottango desktop app.

If you’re starting out, an Arduino Uno R3 is a great beginner option, but it does have limitations.

ESP32-based development boards are the go-to advanced recommendation, though many kinds of boards have been used throughout the Bottango community.

This page is an abbreviated version of Supported Microcontrollers in the Hardware Drivers section. For more details, visit that page.

Go To for Beginners

If you’re just starting out with Bottango, the easiest microcontroller to get started with is an Arduino Uno R3 (or equivalent). This is the workhorse of the maker community, can be easily found, and is often an affordable option.

Bottango’s firmware will run without any code changes on an Uno R3. You can flash your microcontroller directly from the desktop app, and you can get started pretty quickly.

However, an Arduino Uno R3 has very limited RAM and storage, so it does have some limitations when used with Bottango.

• You can only control up to 8 servos with an Arduino Uno R3 and Bottango (and only 5 if you’re using a PCA9685 Servo Driver).
• Exporting animations to standalone playback on an Arduino Uno R3 without a computer is mostly not possible unless you have VERY small and short animations.
• Stepper motors are not recommended with an Arduino Uno R3 + Bottango.

If you run into the limitations of an Uno R3, but don’t want to dip your toes into more powerful boards, an Arduino Mega can control up to 16 servos, has more (but not a lot more) space to store exported animations, and uses mostly the same steps to get started with Bottango. A Mega, though, is much larger and usually a bit more expensive.

Go To Advanced Option

Most things an Arduino Uno R3 can do, an ESP32 can do a lot better. And what’s more, the cost of an ESP32-based microcontroller dev board is usually at or below the cost of an Arduino Uno R3. With an ESP32-based dev board, you can control a LOT more effectors, have plenty of room for storing animations, and unlock extra functionality like wireless connectivity, storing animations on SD cards (with the required additional hardware), etc.

An ESP32-based board is the usual go-to recommendation for anyone that wants to move beyond the basics of an Arduino Uno R3 with Bottango, due to the low cost, large feature set, powerful performance, and ubiquity.

The downside is that an ESP32 is more of an ecosystem than a specific product. You’ll need to find a compatible dev board, and understand what is unique about the one you chose. You’ll also need to do more setup work, as shown in this FAQ.

What Are All the Options?

It’s impossible to list every possible microcontroller development board you could use with Bottango. The open-source Bottango firmware is built around the Arduino framework, so if it can run C++ Arduino code, it’s very possible it works with Bottango.

Some other popular advanced options that have been used successfully in the community include:

• Teensy based dev boards
• Arduino Uno R4
• Advanced Arduino branded boards like the MKR series, or Zero
• ARM Cortex based microcontrollers
• ESP8266 and more recent ESP32 such as ESP32-S3