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Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi

Category: Arduino
Manufacturer: Arduino
SKU: ABX00063
Status: Active
Release Year: 2022
Form Factor: Arduino Mega
Read Time: ~10 min read

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Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi top view
Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi bottom view
Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi pinout
Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi top view
Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi bottom view
Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi pinout

Overview

The Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi is the most capable board in the Arduino Mega form factor family. Released in 2022, it is built around the STM32H747XI — a dual-core processor combining an ARM Cortex-M7 running at 480 MHz and an ARM Cortex-M4 running at 240 MHz. Both cores can be programmed simultaneously using the Arduino IDE, with the M7 handling the primary application and the M4 available via remote procedure calls (RPC).

Beyond raw processing power, the GIGA R1 WiFi adds connectivity and multimedia capabilities absent from previous Mega-class boards: integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 5.0, a 3.5 mm audio jack for I2S audio input/output, a 22-pin MIPI camera connector, and a 22-pin MIPI display connector. USB-C replaces the older USB-B and micro-USB connectors found on prior boards.

The board also includes 8 MB external SDRAM and 16 MB external QSPI flash in addition to the 1 MB internal SRAM and 2 MB internal flash of the STM32H747XI, making it suitable for memory-intensive applications including machine learning inference, audio processing, and graphical user interfaces.

Quick Overview

Property Value
Microcontroller STM32H747XI (dual-core ARM)
Primary Core Cortex-M7 at 480 MHz
Secondary Core Cortex-M4 at 240 MHz
Operating Voltage 3.3V I/O
Input Voltage 6–24V
Internal SRAM 1 MB
External SDRAM 8 MB
Internal Flash 2 MB
External QSPI Flash 16 MB
Wireless Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 5.0
Digital I/O Pins 76
Analog Input Pins 12 (16-bit ADC)
DAC 2 × 12-bit
USB USB-C (native OTG + programming)
Audio 3.5 mm stereo jack (I2S)
Camera Connector 22-pin MIPI CSI
Display Connector 22-pin MIPI DSI
Dimensions 101.6 × 53.4 mm

Key Features

  • Dual-core STM32H747XI: Cortex-M7 at 480 MHz for main application, Cortex-M4 at 240 MHz for parallel tasks
  • Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 5.0 via Murata LBAD0ZZ1WA module (u-blox chipset)
  • 8 MB external SDRAM and 16 MB external QSPI flash for large data and asset storage
  • 3.5 mm audio jack with I2S support for audio input and output
  • 22-pin MIPI CSI camera connector for compatible camera modules
  • 22-pin MIPI DSI display connector for compatible display modules
  • USB-C port with native USB OTG support (host or device)
  • 76 digital I/O pins in the Mega form factor — compatible with many Mega shields (verify 3.3V levels)
  • Two 12-bit DAC channels for true analog voltage output
  • 12 analog inputs with 16-bit ADC resolution
  • Full HID support via native USB

Technical Specifications

Specification Value
Microcontroller STM32H747XI
Primary Core ARM Cortex-M7 at 480 MHz
Secondary Core ARM Cortex-M4 at 240 MHz
Operating Voltage 3.3V
Input Voltage 6–24V
Internal SRAM 1 MB
External SDRAM 8 MB (32-bit bus)
Internal Flash 2 MB
External QSPI Flash 16 MB
Digital I/O Pins 76
PWM Pins Available on multiple pins (see pinout)
Analog Input Pins 12 (16-bit ADC)
DAC 2 × 12-bit
Hardware UARTs 4
I2C 2
SPI 2
USB USB-C (native USB OTG)
Wireless Module Murata LBAD0ZZ1WA
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE and classic)
Audio 3.5 mm jack (I2S in/out)
Camera Connector 22-pin MIPI CSI
Display Connector 22-pin MIPI DSI
Dimensions 101.6 × 53.4 mm

Pinout

Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi top view

Digital I/O

The GIGA R1 WiFi provides 76 digital I/O pins across the extended Mega-compatible headers. Many pins support PWM, with specific capabilities depending on the STM32H7 timer assignments.

Pin Group Function
D0 / D1 Hardware Serial RX/TX (Serial1)
D2–D13 General digital I/O, PWM-capable on several pins
D14–D21 General digital I/O; D20 SDA / D21 SCL (I2C1)
D50–D53 SPI bus (MISO/MOSI/SCK/SS)
D54–D76 Extended I/O (Mega extra rows)

Analog Pins

Pin Notes
A0–A11 12-channel 16-bit ADC
A0 Also DAC0 output (12-bit)
A1 Also DAC1 output (12-bit)

Power Pins

Pin Description
VIN 6–24V input
5V 5V regulated output (for peripherals)
3.3V 3.3V regulated output
GND Ground
IOREF 3.3V reference

Power

The GIGA R1 WiFi can be powered by:

  1. USB-C: 5V from host computer — sufficient for development and moderate peripheral loads.
  2. DC Barrel Jack: 6–24V DC. The wider voltage range compared to older Arduino boards allows use with 12V and 24V power supplies common in industrial and automotive settings.
  3. VIN Pin: Same range as the barrel jack.

The board's on-board regulators supply 3.3V for the MCU and 5V for compatible peripherals. Due to the high-performance processor and wireless module, power consumption is higher than classic AVR-based boards — account for this when designing battery-powered applications.

Microcontroller

The STM32H747XI from STMicroelectronics is the most powerful MCU ever used in an Arduino board at the time of the GIGA R1 WiFi's release.

Attribute M7 Core M4 Core
Architecture ARM Cortex-M7 ARM Cortex-M4
Clock Speed 480 MHz 240 MHz
FPU Double-precision Single-precision
Primary Use Main application Parallel/real-time tasks

Both cores share access to the same peripherals and memory, with hardware semaphores used for synchronization. The Arduino framework runs the M7 as the primary core. The M4 is programmed separately (as a second sketch) and communicates with the M7 via shared memory and the RPC library.

// M7 Core: send data to M4 via RPC #include <RPC.h> void setup() { RPC.begin(); Serial.begin(9600); } void loop() { // Call a function on the M4 core int result = RPC.call("getTemperature").as<int>(); Serial.println(result); delay(1000); }

Wireless Connectivity

The GIGA R1 WiFi uses the Murata LBAD0ZZ1WA module (powered by u-blox chipset) to provide dual wireless connectivity.

Technology Standard Notes
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) Station and Access Point modes supported
Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE + Classic) BLE for low-energy applications

Wi-Fi Example

#include <WiFi.h> const char* ssid = "YourNetwork"; const char* password = "YourPassword"; void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); WiFi.begin(ssid, password); while (WiFi.status() != WL_CONNECTED) { delay(500); Serial.print("."); } Serial.println("\nConnected! IP: " + WiFi.localIP().toString()); } void loop() {}

Digital-to-Analog Converter

The GIGA R1 WiFi includes two 12-bit DAC channels providing true analog voltage output on A0 and A1.

Channel Pin Resolution Output Range
DAC0 A0 12-bit 0–3.3V
DAC1 A1 12-bit 0–3.3V

The analogWriteResolution(12) function enables full 12-bit DAC output. DAC output is ideal for audio waveform generation, smooth analog control signals, and test signal generation.

HID Support

The GIGA R1 WiFi supports USB HID via its native USB-C port. The board can emulate USB keyboards, mice, MIDI devices, and other HID peripherals.

#include <Keyboard.h> void setup() { Keyboard.begin(); delay(2000); Keyboard.println("GIGA R1 WiFi HID demo"); Keyboard.end(); } void loop() {}

Getting Started

What You Need

  • Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi
  • USB-C cable
  • Computer with Arduino IDE 2.x installed

Steps

  1. Connect the GIGA R1 WiFi to your computer via USB-C.
  2. Open the Arduino IDE.
  3. Install the board package: Tools > Board > Boards Manager, search for "Arduino Mbed OS GIGA Boards" and install.
  4. Select Tools > Board > Arduino Mbed OS GIGA Boards > Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi.
  5. Select the correct COM port under Tools > Port.
  6. Upload the Blink sketch to verify the setup.

Blink Example

// Blink the built-in LED on the GIGA R1 WiFi void setup() { pinMode(LED_BUILTIN, OUTPUT); } void loop() { digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, HIGH); delay(1000); digitalWrite(LED_BUILTIN, LOW); delay(1000); }

Programming

The GIGA R1 WiFi uses the Arduino Mbed OS GIGA Boards package. Key details:

  • Board package: Arduino Mbed OS GIGA Boards (Boards Manager)
  • Upload protocol: DFU (Device Firmware Update) over USB-C
  • Auto-reset: Double-press the RESET button to enter bootloader mode if needed
  • M4 core programming: A separate sketch compiled for the M4 is flashed alongside the M7 sketch via the RPC framework
  • Over-the-Air (OTA) updates: Supported via the ArduinoOTA library over Wi-Fi

Shield Compatibility

The GIGA R1 WiFi uses the Mega physical form factor and is partially compatible with Mega shields. However, the board operates at 3.3V I/O logic.

Shield Type Compatibility
Arduino Mega 5V shields NOT directly compatible — I/O is 3.3V; verify 5V tolerance before connecting
3.3V Mega shields Compatible
GIGA-specific shields/accessories Fully compatible
Shields using only I2C/SPI May work if levels are compatible; check datasheet

Some GIGA R1 WiFi I/O pins are marked as 5V tolerant in the STM32H747 datasheet — consult the official pinout documentation to identify which pins accept 5V input before connecting 5V signals.

Package Contents

Item Quantity
Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi board 1

A USB-C cable is not included. Any USB-C cable supporting data transfer is compatible.

Applications

  • Dual-core parallel processing projects
  • Machine learning inference at the edge (TensorFlow Lite Micro)
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth IoT applications
  • Audio processing and synthesis using the I2S audio jack
  • Camera-based vision projects with compatible MIPI CSI modules
  • Display-connected user interface applications
  • USB HID device prototyping
  • Industrial control with multiple communication buses
  • Advanced robotics requiring real-time processing on the M4 and high-level logic on the M7

Where to Buy

Equivalent Boards

Board Key Difference
Arduino Due Older single-core Cortex-M3 at 84 MHz, no wireless, same Mega form factor
Arduino Mega 2560 8-bit AVR at 16 MHz, 5V logic, far fewer features, very shield-compatible
Arduino Portenta H7 Same STM32H747 MCU, smaller industrial form factor, more I/O options via carrier boards

Documentation

Notes

  • The GIGA R1 WiFi requires the Arduino Mbed OS GIGA Boards package — it is not available under the classic AVR or SAM board packages.
  • When using HID features via the native USB-C port, upload sketches while the board is in DFU mode (double-press RESET) to avoid connection interruption.
  • The M4 core sketch must be compiled and uploaded separately from the M7 core sketch. The Arduino IDE handles this through the "Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi (M4)" board target.
  • Some I/O pins on the STM32H747 are 5V tolerant as inputs — consult the official pinout reference to identify these pins before mixing logic levels.
  • The Murata wireless module requires the "WiFi" library bundled with the Mbed OS GIGA Boards package; ensure the package is up to date for the latest connectivity fixes.

Community

Revision History

Version Date Notes
v1.0 2026-06 Initial entry