Quail is an STM32-powered development solution for building hardware prototypes with Click boards and C# managed code. It brings together Click boards and Microsoft's .NET Micro Framework for embedded devices (NETMF). Write code for your Quail projects in Microsoft Visual Studio (free in the community edition); drivers for individual Click boards are provided by the MikroBUS.NET team.

Hardware-wise, Quail has four mikroBUS sockets for Click board connectivity, along with 24 screw terminals for connecting additional electronics and two USB ports (one for programming; the other for external mass storage). The board runs on a 5V power supply.

The core idea behind Quail was to empower embedded developers with the same modern tools and technologies used by those who develop desktop applications. On the flip side, Quail also allows desktop .NET programmers to delve into the world of hardware development with ease.

Quail Board Features

• STM32F427 MCU operating at 168MHz, with 2MB Flash and 256KB RAM
• Additional 8MB Flash memory
• Four mikroBUS sockets for installing Click boards
• Screw terminals exposing 24 GPIO plus SPI and I2C
• USB port for connecting external mass storage device
• USB port for programming and power
• 5V power supply provided via USB

Software requirements

• Microsoft .NET Micro Framework — open-source platform that enables you to write managed C# code for embedded applications
• Visual Studio Community — free, full-featured cross-platform IDE from Microsoft
• MBN Core assembly — also check that page to download drivers for various Click boards and other supported peripherals (the download links will show after you're registered on the site)

Tutorials

• Writing an application tutorial covers how to start a project in Visual Studio, how to include the necessary drivers, and how to refer to the needed assemblies in your source code.
• Writing an driver tutorial covers how to write an MBN-compliant driver of your own in case you want to use a peripheral board not already supported.