Adafruit PyBadge

Overview

The Adafruit PyBadge is the full-featured version of the credit card-sized PyBadge gaming and badge platform, built on the ATSAMD51J19 ARM Cortex M4F at 120 MHz. Unlike the LC variant, the PyBadge includes Feather-compatible socket headers, three STEMMA connector ports (2x ADC/PWM, 1x I2C), a LIS3DH 3-axis accelerometer, five NeoPixels, and a speaker amplifier — making it a complete all-in-one development platform.

The 1.8" 160×128 color TFT display with dimmable backlight and DMA-accelerated drawing handles game graphics, badge content, and data visualization. Eight silicone game buttons (directional pad, two menu buttons, two action buttons) provide full handheld controller input on the board itself. The five NeoPixels create programmable RGB lighting effects around the display area. A front-facing light sensor enables ambient brightness sensing for responsive display control.

The LIS3DH accelerometer adds shake detection, tilt sensing, and step counting to the gaming capability. The Class-D mono speaker amplifier outputs up to 2W into a 4-8Ω speaker for audio effects and chiptune music. A MicroSD card slot handles game assets and save data. The 2MB SPI flash stores CircuitPython code. Feather-compatible headers accept any FeatherWing, and STEMMA connectors enable plug-and-play sensor expansion.

MakeCode Arcade browser-based game development, CircuitPython for Python scripting, and Arduino IDE for C++ are all supported. The PyBadge is widely used as a conference badge, handheld game console, and teaching platform for game programming courses at high school and university level.