Product Description The Mega 2560 R3 is the heavy-duty workhorse of the Arduino-compatible ecosystem. Designed for projects that outgrow the capabilities of the standard Uno, this board is centered around the ATmega2560 microcontroller. With a massive 54 digital I/O pins and 16 analog inputs, it is the industry standard for 3D printers (like RAMPS setups), complex robotic platforms, and home automation hubs. It offers four hardware serial ports (UARTs), allowing you to communicate with multiple modules like GPS, Bluetooth, and WiFi simultaneously without software serial limitations. This board provides the memory and connectivity overhead required for professional-grade embedded development.
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Key Highlights
Massive Expansion Capabilities: Features 54 digital pins, making it perfect for projects requiring numerous sensors, actuators, or a large LED matrix.
Quad-Hardware UARTs: Four independent hardware serial ports allow for high-speed, reliable communication with multiple serial devices without taxing the CPU.
Expanded Memory: With 256 KB of Flash and 8 KB of SRAM, it can handle significantly larger and more complex codebases than the Uno or Nano.
3D Printer Ready: The standard footprint for the RAMPS 1.4/1.6 shields, making it a primary choice for DIY CNC and 3D printing enthusiasts.
Enhanced Power Protection: Includes a resettable polyfuse to protect your computer's USB ports from shorts and overcurrent.
Technical Specifications
DC Current per I/O Pin: 20 mA
SRAM: 8 KB
EEPROM: 4 KB
USB-to-Serial IC: ATmega16U2 (Fast and driver-less on most OS)
Interfaces: TWI (I2C), SPI, 4x UART
Dimensions: 101.52mm x 53.3mm
Weight: ~37 Grams
Installation Tip from Robogears Because the Mega 2560 is often used to drive many components, the onboard 5V regulator can get quite hot if you are powering it through the DC Jack (Vin) while drawing high current for sensors. We recommend using an external 5V power supply for your peripherals and sharing the ground with the Mega. In the Arduino IDE, ensure you select "Arduino Mega or Mega 2560" under the Tools > Board menu. Since this version uses the ATmega16U2 for USB communication, it typically does not require extra drivers on Windows 10/11 or macOS.
Note: The product images provided are for illustration purposes only. The actual product may vary slightly in terms of design, color, or component layout due to manufacturing updates, but technical specifications will remain as described.
