SuperB marries two of hardware’s ubiquitous names - the “Bee” form factor and ESP32. The Bee form factor was derived from DIGI’s XBee industrial grade IoT boards. This form factor has long been used to add wireless connectivity to hardware across the board. But in the maturing market of connected items, two protocols stand as required: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. ESP32 brings both, and in an easy-to-use package - giving maximum flexibility to your existing hardware and for your next generation of modular, extensible products.

Features & Specifications

• Open source hardware
• XBee form-factor compatible (3.3 V levels, UART, SPI and GPIOs broken out to headers)
• Based on popular ESP32 SoC
• Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n)
• Bluetooth (Classic and BLE)
• Programmable with many tools, including Arduino IDE
• OTA (Over-the-Air) flashing capable
• Dual Core processor up to 240 MHz
• Integrated 4 MB flash - we may upgrade this to 16 MB
• Sleep current is less than 5 μA
• Fully certified with integrated antenna and software stacks
• One programmable LED

External Antenna Availability

We designed SuperB with options to accommodate two styles of antennas. There will be no cost difference between the two antenna options.

Built-in ‘trace’ antenna: This is the original SuperB design. It uses the ESP32-WROOM-32D module, and the antenna is built into the device.

U.FL for external antenna: This option uses the ESP32-WROOM-32U module, and allows you to connect your external antenna via U.FL connector. This option works well when you plan to enclose your SuperB in a metal box, tin foil hat or other material that interferes with antenna reception. Please note that backers need to provide their own antenna solution for this option.

Macchina M2

SuperB was originally designed for use with another Macchina product - the M2, which is the open source OBD2 connector and dev board for car hacking. SuperB was designed based on feedback from the car hacking community, but motivated by our desire to avoid tripping over so many wires ourselves. M2 is also available for purchase during this campaign, so you can get the complete kit. It’s great for vehicle tuning, diagnostics, total customization, security, telematics, or prototyping, and works with just about any car manufactured after 1996.

M2 in Action

M2 Features & Specifications

• Dimensions: 2.22” x 1.60” x 0.62” (56.4 mm x 40.6 mm x 15.7 mm)
• Xbee socket
• 12 V I/O - UART, SPI, I2C, Analog, etc.
• 6x total LEDs (one RGB)
• 2x momentary switches
• 2x CAN transceivers
• 2x LIN/K-LINE transceivers
• Single wire CAN
• J1850 VPW/PWM
• EEPROM
• MicroSD support
• Micro-USB connectivity
• Programmable via Arduino IDE, Simulink, C++, etc.

Manufacturing Plan

The steps in manufacturing the SuperB are well-determined. All parts are sourced, including the ESP32 modules, which will come directly from Espressif. PCBs will be assembled at an extremely local assembly house - seriously a 20 minute drive from our office in Minnesota. And after reflow, each panel will undergo an AOI (Automated Optical Inspection).

Shipping & Fulfillment

Domestic orders will be shipped by us, the Macchina team, from Minneapolis, Minnesota using USPS with tracking information. International orders will be shipped by the Crowd Supply team from their warehouse in Portland, Oregon. To learn more about ordering, paying and shipping, please review the Crowd Supply Guide.

Risks & Challenges

All hardware companies deal with many inherent risks, from sourcing to lead times. We mitigate these risks by buying parts in advance, working closely with distributors/manufacturers and other best practices. We are confident in our ability to deliver quality hardware, we have over ten years of experience doing just that. On top of that we already have a working version of M2 that has been through a few major and many minor revisions. That said we are committed to being transparent and keeping everyone updated on progress and setbacks should we face any.

Like many open source projects, we believe the long term viability hinges on helping to build a strong community. Luckily for us, the car hacking community preexisted us and only shows signs of growing bigger and more popular. We will do our part by providing detailed documentation, tutorials/videos, and spreading the word. Please do your part by building awesome projects and sharing them along with your ideas, resources, and knowledge!