The Flipper Zero is definitely not just a fad. As time goes by, we see more and more attachments and dongles for it. These extend its functionality in many different ways, typically by adding more wireless radios or sensors. The Raspberry Pi Zero W Backpack does more than that. Adding an entire Zero W to the Flipper enables direct communication and control of the Zero via UART. Already there are some projects taking advantage of this connection.
While there may be other boards that add a Zero to the Flipper, this one is much more ergonomic, wrapping around the top and back of the Flipper and then being covered with an included 3D printed case to protect the Zero. Another nice little touch is that the backpack carrier board has a PCF8523 real-time clock chip on it. Simply add a CR927 into the included battery socket, and you’ve got accurate timekeeping for both the Zero and the Flipper!
However, for some users, the Pi is much more than they need. It can be easier to directly program an add-on board to do exactly what you want instead of having to write Python scripts or a complete firmware for the Pi. So the creators offer another version, the ESP32 Backpack.
You get more or less the same radios (WiFi and Bluetooth) but with the added bonus of optionally writing the code for the ESP32 yourself. You have the choice of building something powerful and complex using C/C++ and the ESP32 SDK, or you can flash NodeMCU/Lua or even Micro/CircuitPython for quick prototyping. With an SD card slot data logging large amounts of data is possible. The ESP32 comes pre-flashed with Black Magic Debugger firmware, and there are more pre-made firmwares to choose from, but building something from scratch is fun and rewarding!
No matter which option you pick, make sure to check out the rest of seller Binary-6’s store for lots of other cool products for the Flipper, ESP32 and more!
