[karmanyaahm]

Yes absolutely! I love the RP2040 and have used dev boards for several projects.

My goal with this intro is to make something hand-solderable though, which is why I'm using QFP32, 0805, etc. In addition, this is Arduino Nano compatible to ease the transition. I'm using a CH340N for USB. An unfortunate consequence of this is that you need another MCU board to flash the bootloader first.

TBH ATmega328Ps are surprisingly expensive ($2.x) for their functionality.

Especially with the smartwatch, we are considering using an ESP32 WROOM/MINI module and will write about that too, eventually.

[genmud]

You should look at atiny10s too, they have a 6 pin and through hole version and you can use them without a crystal.

I have thought about making a design for one and doing a series where we make an assembler in python, where it's an exercise in writing a parser to output the binary assembly for use in a simple micro like the atiny. They have limited registers and instruction set, so would be a good way to help people understand what is happening.