September 5, 2025 – M5Stack, a global leader in modular IoT and embedded development platforms, today announced the launch of Cardputer‑Adv, the upgraded model of its popular card‑sized computer series.
Designed for engineers, developers, and tech enthusiasts, Cardputer‑Adv delivers enhanced performance, richer interfaces, and extended battery life — all while keeping the portable elegance of the original Cardputer.
Whether you’re prototyping IoT gadgets, building portable dashboards, testing sensor networks, or creating unique interactive experiences, Cardputer‑Adv is the ultimate pocket‑sized development companion.
Highlights of Cardputer‑Adv
Comparison with Previous Models
A Growing Developer Ecosystem
Cardputer isn’t just hardware — it’s a platform. Alongside the built‑in mini‑programs, users can explore a growing library of community‑developed firmware via M5Burner, enabling instant prototyping for applications like retro gaming, remote control, UI dashboards, cybersecurity tools, and more.
Popular projects such as M5Launcher, Bruce, NEMO, Evil‑Cardputer, Marauder, and Ultimate Remote have each surpassed 10,000+ downloads, inspiring creativity across the Cardputer community.
Beyond M5Stack’s official channels, an active user‑driven community has formed around Cardputer, where enthusiasts share projects, tips, and firmware.
Join the discussions and see what’s possible:
Availability
Cardputer‑Adv is now available via the M5Stack Official Store and authorized global distributors. Order today and start building your next project.
For full details, technical documentation, and project ideas, visit www.m5stack.com.
In today's fast-evolving IoT and smart hardware landscape, a smooth and responsive user interface (UI) has become just as important as core functionality.
M5Stack, continuing to refine its visual programming platform UIFlow2, now officially integrates the powerful LVGL (Light and Versatile Graphics Library) — giving makers and developers the best of both worlds: the speed of visual programming and the freedom of a professional embedded GUI framework.
UIFlow2, built on MicroPython, is designed to lower the barrier for hardware programming. Earlier versions included basic controls and drawing functions — useful for simple projects but less suited for complex UI needs.
LVGL changes the game. It's an open-source, lightweight, cross-platform embedded GUI library with:
With UIFlow2's LVGL integration, developers can start by dragging and dropping blocks, then fine-tune behavior via Python code — moving seamlessly from beginner-friendly to pro-level control.
What's Available Now
UIFlow2 already supports LVGL in its first integration phase:
Whether you're a first-time maker or a seasoned embedded engineer, you can design and deploy interactive UIs faster than ever.
Getting Started in 4 Steps
1. Launch UIFlow2 Web IDE
Power on your M5 device and connect to the UIFLow2 online editor.
2. Enable LVGL Support
Select M5UI in settings to enable related blocks.
3. Add Widgets or Write Code
Block Mode: Drag and drop "Button", "Label" and other controls directly.
Code Mode Example:
import m5ui
import lvgl as lv
import M5
M5.begin()
m5ui.init()
page0 = m5ui.M5Page(bg_c=0xffffff)
button0 = m5ui.M5Button(
text="click me",
x=115,
y=153,
bg_c=0x2196f3,
text_c=0xffffff,
font=lv.font_montserrat_14,
parent=page0
)
label0 = m5ui.M5Label(
"Hello M5!!!",
x=123,
y=82,
text_c=0x000000,
bg_c=0xffffff,
bg_opa=0,
font=lv.font_montserrat_14,
parent=page0
)
page0.screen_load()
After downloading the program to the device, controls will immediately display on the screen and support real-time interaction.
What's Coming Next
We're pushing towards full LVGL integration and a more intuitive design experience:
Ultimately, UIFLow2+LVGL bridges the gap between quick, beginner-friendly prototyping and precise, professional-grade UI development — giving every creator the speed to start and the depth to go further.
If you’re just getting started with Home Assistant, one of the easiest and most fun projects to try is smart lighting. This guide walks through how to set up the M5Atom Lite—a compact ESP32-based module—as a smart RGB light controller, fully integrated with Home Assistant using ESPHome.
What You’ll Need
Before we begin, make sure you have Home Assistant installed. You can follow the official documentation for your preferred platform.
Once Home Assistant is up and running:
2. Adding the Device
1. Open the ESPHome sidebar and click NEW DEVICE in the lower right corner.
2. Click CONTINUE when the setup screen appears.
3. Name your device (e.g., Atom-Lite), then proceed.
4. On the device type screen:
o Uncheck Use recommended settings
o Select ESP32 → choose M5Stack-ATOM
5. Click NEXT and copy the encryption key that appears.
6. Choose Manual download to begin compiling the firmware.
Back on the ESPHome dashboard, you’ll now see your new Atom-Lite device listed.
1. Click EDIT to open the YAML configuration editor
2. Replace the content with the following configuration (update your Wi-Fi credentials!):
esphome:
name: atom-lite
friendly_name: Atom-Lite
esp32:
board: m5stack-atom
framework:
type: arduino
logger:
api:
encryption:
key: "*********"
ota:
- platform: esphome
password: "*****************"
wifi:
ssid: "*********"
password: "***********"
ap:
ssid: "Atom-Lite Fallback Hotspot"
password: "jFsIc2XGuKRe"
captive_portal:
binary_sensor:
- platform: gpio
pin:
number: GPIO39
mode: INPUT
inverted: true
name: "Atom Button"
id: atom_button
filters:
- delayed_on: 50ms
- delayed_off: 50ms
on_multi_click:
- timing:
- ON for at most 0.8s
- OFF for at most 0.5s
- ON for at most 0.8s
- OFF for at least 0.2s
then:
- logger.log: "Double Clicked"
- light.turn_on:
id: atom_light
red: 100%
blue: 50%
green: 20%
brightness: 50%
- timing:
- ON for at least 0.8s
then:
- logger.log: "Single Long Clicked"
- light.turn_on:
id: atom_light
green: 100%
blue: 50%
red: 30%
brightness: 100%
light:
- platform: neopixelbus
type: GRB
pin: GPIO27
num_leds: 1
variant: sk6812
name: "Atom RGB Light"
id: atom_light
restore_mode: RESTORE_DEFAULT_OFF
effects:
- random:
name: "Random"
transition_length: 1s
update_interval: 1s
3. Click SAVE, then INSTALL → Manual download to compile
Note: The first compilation may take several minutes, depending on your setup and network.
After compiling the firmware:
1. Click DOWNLOAD, and choose Factory format
2. Connect the M5Atom Lite to your computer using a USB-C data cable
3. Back in ESPHome, select INSTALL → Plug into this computer
4. Click Open ESPHome Web
5. Press CONNECT, then select the detected serial port
6. Click INSTALL and wait for the firmware installation to complete.
Once flashing is complete, the device will restart and attempt to connect to your Wi-Fi.
Once Atom Lite is online:
1. Open Settings → Integrations in Home Assistant
2. Under Discovered, click ADD and follow the prompts to integrate it
6. Create an Automation
You can now set up a basic automation using the button to control the light:
1. In the Home Assistant page, go to Settings → Device& Service
2. Locate ESPHome → hit Atom-Lite → click Automations
3. Select Create new automation → ADD TRIGGER → Entity → State → Atom Button
4. In the When section, change the status from Off to On
5. In the Then do section, select ADD ACTION → Light → Toggle → + Choose entity → Atom-Lite RGB Light → Save
This simple setup turns the button into a light switch for the RGB LED.
To control the RGB light from the Home Assistant interface:
1. Go to Overview → Edit
2. In the By card page, input Light on the search cards Select the Light card type
3. Choose the Atom RGB Light entity
4. Save the changes
The light can now be toggled and color-adjusted directly from the dashboard.
8. Demo & Behavior
Here’s how your new Atom-Lite smart RGB light behaves:
Conclusion
Home Assistant makes smart home control simple, with M5Stack Atom-Lite and ESPHome, setting up RGB lighting is just the start. With the same process, you can go further by adding mode device like a human presence sensor to detect movement, turn on lights automatically, or turn on the AC and set it to the optimal temperature when someone enters the room.
