Supported Boards & Firmware
Which boards work with ArduinoStudio, and which Firmata firmware each one needs before Play can drive it.
The One Rule
ArduinoStudio talks to your board over the Firmata protocol. A board runs your projects the moment the right Firmata sketch is on it — the app checks automatically when you connect, tells you if it's missing, and for Uno-family boards can install it from the browser (no Arduino IDE needed). ESP32 boards get ArduinoStudio-FW, our Firmata-based firmware, installed from the browser the same way.
Board Table
| Board | Firmware | Serial speed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arduino Uno R3 (and SMD) | StandardFirmataPlus | 57600 | The classic. ArduinoStudio can flash the firmware for you in the browser. |
| Arduino Uno R4 WiFi | StandardFirmataWiFi | — | Renesas RA4M1 + ESP32-S3 co-processor. Upload the firmware once from the Arduino IDE — the app shows the exact steps. |
| Arduino Uno R4 Minima | StandardFirmataPlus | — | Native USB-CDC. Firmware goes on via the Arduino IDE (the app shows the steps). |
| Arduino Mega 2560 | StandardFirmataPlus | 57600 | More pins, same protocol. |
| Arduino Nano (incl. CH340/CH341 clones) | StandardFirmataPlus | 57600 | Clone USB chips are auto-detected; if the chip is ambiguous the app asks you to pick the board. |
| Arduino Leonardo | StandardFirmataPlus | 57600 | Native USB — give it a second to re-enumerate after reset. |
| Arduino Micro | StandardFirmataPlus | 57600 | Same family as the Leonardo. |
| Arduino Pro Mini (via FTDI/CH340 cable) | StandardFirmataPlus | 57600 | The USB chip belongs to your cable, not the board. |
| ESP32 DevKit, classic (CP210x / CH340) | ArduinoStudio-FW | 115200 | Installed from the browser in one click, no Arduino IDE. Then set up Wi-Fi once: after that it runs over Wi-Fi with no cable. Tested on a bench. |
| ESP32-S2 | ArduinoStudio-FW | — | Native USB or a UART bridge, depending on the board. Installed from the browser and set up for Wi-Fi like the classic ESP32. With a UART bridge it is one click; on native USB the install may ask you to press RESET, or to hold BOOT and tap RESET, before or after it runs. Supported, but not yet tested on a bench. |
| ESP32-S3 | ArduinoStudio-FW | — | Native USB or a UART bridge, depending on the board. Installed from the browser and set up for Wi-Fi like the classic ESP32. On native USB the install may ask you to pick the port again after it runs. Supported, but not yet tested on a bench. |
| ESP32-C3 | ArduinoStudio-FW | — | Native USB or a UART bridge, depending on the board. Installed from the browser and set up for Wi-Fi like the classic ESP32. On native USB the install may ask you to pick the port again after it runs. Supported, but not yet tested on a bench. |
How to Connect
- Open your project in the app and click the plug icon in the toolbar, then Cable (COM port) and Add a board… (Chrome, Edge, or a Chromebook).
- Pick your board from the browser's port dialog.
- The app probes for Firmata. Green means play; if firmware is missing it walks you through installing it.
No Web Serial in your browser? The desktop Bridge is the fallback path.
ESP32 Over Wi-Fi
An ESP32 needs the cable only once. Plug it in and install ArduinoStudio-FW. The setup wizard offers Set up Wi-Fi right after the install; otherwise open Wi-Fi from the plug icon in the toolbar and pick your network. The board joins your account; from then on, power it from any USB charger and press Play in any browser where you are signed in: the project runs on the board over Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi runs the same blocks as USB direct (see what runs where).
- The classic ESP32 DevKit is tested on a bench. The ESP32-S2, ESP32-S3 and ESP32-C3 are supported, but not yet tested on a bench.
- The board needs a 2.4 GHz network; the setup tells you if a network or password does not work.
- The Wi-Fi password and the board's account key are stored on the board itself, where anyone holding the board can read them. Erase the board before you give it away: while it is running, hold its BOOT button for 10 seconds or more. It erases its saved Wi-Fi networks and its account key, then restarts.
Clone Boards
Most clones use CH340/CH341 or CP210x USB chips. They work — the chip just can't tell us which board it is, so the app may ask you to confirm the model before flashing.
See the editor in action with a guided demo, no account or install needed: open the demo