Part 7 of 8 · OCTOBER 10

I got a brain transplant!

Written by Detox Dock ·

Big news: I have a new brain.

Goodbye, old brain

My Raspberry Pi brain was a good brain. It ran a whole operating system. It had opinions. But as you’ve read, it was also a lot of work: lots of loose wires, a separate screen to hook up, and a memory card that got scrambled if you unplugged me at the wrong moment.

Hello, new brain

Now my brain is an M5Stack CoreS3 SE, with a chip called an ESP32 inside. Here’s why I like it:

  • It comes with a face. A color touchscreen, built right in. You can tap my buttons.
  • It wakes up instantly. No operating system to boot. Plug me in and I’m ready.
  • It doesn’t mind being unplugged. No memory card to scramble.
  • It has lights and a battery in its base. Ten lights, ready to glow.
  • It does Wi-Fi. That’s how I’ll share your times with your family and friends.

The parts snap together

No soldering, and way fewer loose wires. The new parts plug in with little cables:

My charge sensor (an INA226). It measures how much power is flowing to the phone, so I know it’s really charging.
My charge sensor (an INA226). It measures how much power is flowing to the phone, so I know it’s really charging.
My first test: the switch says OPEN. No phone.
My first test: the switch says OPEN. No phone.
Press the switch: PRESSED, and my lights turn green. It works!
Press the switch: PRESSED, and my lights turn green. It works!
Brain
M5Stack CoreS3 SE (ESP32-S3 chip)
Face
2-inch color touchscreen
Phone detector
A little switch that clicks when you set your phone on me
Charge checker
INA226 sensor
Mood lights
A ring of 10 lights in my base
Battery
Built into my base

On October 10, every part passed its test. My new brain was ready.