Arduino Micro 

The Arduino Micro is one of the newer Arduino models but it does not get much of a mention. Like the Leonardo it has a single microcontroller chip, the ATmega32u4 which is an 8bit controller with 32K of Flash and 2.5K of RAM as well as onboard USB, PWM and A to D capabilities. The single chip approach means it can be used as a mouse, joystick or keyboard, or other USB device. Because of the USB port, you don’t need an external programmer or adapter to program the board.

Given the simple design and small size the official boards are surprisingly expensive. However, I managed to pickup a clone made by Deek-Robot for a bargain price to act as the brain for my clock project. This is just 35mm x 18mm and 13m tall including connector and pins.

The main feature of the board itself is the USB micro connector which allow it to be easily connected to your computer. It also contains a reset button, a 6-pin ISP reprogramming header and 20 digital I/O pins, 12 that can be used for analog inputs and seven that can be reconfigured to PWM outputs. See below for a detailed infographic of the Micro’s pinouts.

The open-source Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is the Micro’s programming hub. Like other Arduino products, the Micro has an associated community-driven library of code and other run functions to help newer users learn and expedite the projects of more adept Arduino enthusiasts. The IDE also touts features such as predictive syntax and syntax highlighting to make your programming easy and effective.

References:
[1] https://www.workshopshed.com/2014/01/arduino-micro-review/
[2] https://www.arrow.com/en/research-and-events/articles/an-overview-of-the-arduino-micro