SB Components’ SquaryPi and SquaryFi Shave Some Corners Off the Roundy Range — While Adding Features
The follow-up to the circular Roundy range, the #Squary range delivers RP2040 and ESP8266 smart displays for a range of projects.
If SB Components’ circular RoundyPi and RoundyFi weren’t to your tastes, the company has decided it’s hip to be square for its latest smart display launch: the SquaryPi and SquaryFi, Raspberry Pi #RP2040- and Espressif ESP8266-powered compact square display modules.
SB Components’ original RoundyPi and RoundyFi paired a circular color display with either a Raspberry Pi RP2040 and microSD Card slot or an Espressif ESP-12E ESP8266 chip with Wi-Fi connectivity. Its sharp-edged follow-up continues the same core design, but swaps out the round panel for a square version instead — a 1.54" display with 240×240 resolution, slightly bigger than but the same resolution as its round predecessors.
As before, the Squary family is split in two. The RoundyPi uses the Raspberry Pi RP2040 microcontroller with microSD storage but no network connectivity; the SquaryFi uses an Espressif ESP-12E module and lacks microSD support, but offers integrated Wi-Fi connectivity. Both include four user-programmable buttons, along with spare general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins brought out at the rear.
The switch to a square display panel isn’t the only change: listening to customer feedback, the company has moved from a micro-USB connector for power and data to a USB Type-C connector — and, at the same time, has added connectivity and charging support for an optional lithium battery for on-the-go projects.
The Squary family also brings optional carrier boards, dubbed the “Squary Consoles” — allowing for two, four, or six Squary displays to be powered from a single USB Type-C connection and communicated with using a common serial line.
The company says the carriers support any mixture of Squary type — whether all SquaryPi, all SquaryFi, or a mixture of the two. For those who need something a little different, SB Components is also offering customized consoles — offering up to 5×5 displays in a blue, green, black, or red PCB finish.
SB Components is now funding the Squary range on Kickstarter, priced at £23 for the SquaryPi and £25 for the SquaryFi (around $26 and $29 respectively); the consoles start at £45 (around $52) for the two-screen variant, including displays, or £15 (around $17) for a customized version with displays priced as individual units. All hardware is expected to ship in February next year, the company has confirmed.
