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Peripheral Compatibility

Internal Peripherals

Device Type Status Notes
Display ✅ Fully Supported Integrated LCD
Keyboard ✅ Fully Supported Matrix keyboard
Lyra Storage ✅ Fully Supported Lyra's SD card, optional NAND
PicoCalc SD Card Slot ✅ Fully Supported External SD card accessible on PicoCalc

Expansion Interfaces

Internal Expansion Options

While the Luckfox Lyra is enclosed within the PicoCalc, it provides multiple expansion interfaces accessible for hardware modifications and custom projects. For detailed pinout information, see the official Luckfox Lyra pinout documentation.

Interface Voltage Status Notes
GPIO 3.3V ✅ Available External GPIO pins are free (display/keyboard do not use them)
USB 3.3V ✅ Available Internal USB host/device
I2C 3.3V ✅ Available I2C bus for sensors/peripherals
I2S 3.3V ❓ Untested Audio interface available but untested
SPI 3.3V ✅ Available SPI interface (shared with display)
UART 3.3V ✅ Available Serial communication

3.3V Logic Level Requirement

CRITICAL: All interfaces operate at 3.3V logic levels only. Using 5V devices or signals will damage the hardware. The PicoCalc is designed for tinkering and experimentation, but proper voltage levels must be maintained.

Expansion Peripheral Compatibility

Peripheral Type Interface Status Notes
Sensors I2C/SPI ✅ Compatible Temperature, accelerometer, etc.
External Storage USB 3.3V ✅ Compatible Flash drives, custom storage
Network Modules USB/SPI 🚧 Possible WiFi/cellular modules (3.3V)
Audio Devices (I2S) I2S ❓ Untested External audio codecs via I2S interface
Audio Devices (PWM) GPIO (PWM) ⚠️ Limited See PWM audio note below
Replacement Displays MIPI DSI 🚧 Possible 22-pin connector, 3.95" square
Additional SPI Displays SPI ⚠️ Conflicts Would conflict with main display
Input Devices GPIO/I2C 🚧 Possible Additional buttons, encoders
Communication UART/USB ✅ Compatible Serial devices, modems

PWM Audio Details

The PicoCalc has built-in audio support using PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) on GPIO pins. However, there are significant limitations:

  • The Lyra's PWM is not available on the correct pins without hardware modification
  • Software PWM must be used instead on pins with only 1.2V tolerance
  • This results in low volume audio and high CPU usage

For proper audio, hardware modifications are needed to access the correct PWM pins or use the I2S interface. See the Hardware Modifications guide for details on enabling full-volume audio (documentation stub - refer to the ClockworkPi forum for community solutions).

Custom Hardware Projects

These expansion options enable custom hardware projects and modifications for advanced users comfortable with electronics work.