Arduino SOLD YOU đŸ«” OUT!

Products & Technology XIAO
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Arduino Goes Full Anti-consumer


PSA WARNING!! :grimacing:

So even the fruit people are sounding the Alarm and they got served to cease and desist. Qualcomm plans on cracking down on users and there data as it pertains to Arduino.
They Sold US out , ARDUINO took the money
 :money_mouth_face: Unfortunately it was the USERS , “ALL of US” that made Arduino a Tech-household Name. And this is How they show the users their appreciation
 FU :fu:
I’m glad I switch my Xiao dev to VB_Studio and PLIO with Nrf_SDK. Arduino Support was sucking wind anyway.. No updates in a long time and the debugger is Garbage.

I hope they all get flat Tires
 Executives what a bunch of CLOWNS! :clown_face:

So why does this matter ?

If you had any plans of doing robotics, it’s the real next frontier IMO with the AI stuff and the crazy fast almost real time MCU’s
Now you will be forced into the QUALCOMM, Higher Price, PAY wall, PAY for support
They see it and want to cash in , AI is FULL so that is what’s next. Why do you think NVIDIA is ALL-IN on it. R O B O T I C S 
 Mark it :smiling_face_with_sunglasses: :index_pointing_up:

The companies announced the acquisition in October 2025, with the acquisition set to combine Qualcomm’s technology with Arduino’s large user community and open-source platform.

  • Acquisition details: Qualcomm acquired Arduino to expand its market reach into the robotics and maker communities.
  • Brand independence: Arduino will continue to operate as an independent brand with its own mission and tools.
  • Future products: The acquisition will lead to new products, such as the “Uno Q” board, which integrates a Qualcomm chip to bring more advanced AI and computational capabilities to Arduino projects.

Here is a Tube on it, more info is coming out but they already changed the TOS for Arduino , Go read the fine print. It won’t be right away but unless your a BLIND IDIOT :hole: :man_with_white_cane: they are setting the trap now. Won’t be long until there’s no more OPEN-source Arduino Dev Platform..

HTH
GL :slight_smile: PJ :v:

3 Likes
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wow
 yes also you cant find any open source programs of any sort online

anymore
 everything is purchase or subscription based


3

So I am on a good way to replace many Arduino functions (classes) with my own software. What I need is the simple but comfortable handling of the toolchains provided by Arduino. I hope, this will stay.

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Check it out
 :grin: it’s here.

They interviewed the shop business owner, shocking what he had to say.
One of course there used to be a dude doing that stuff
now , No lunch breaks, No medical ins, BEST of all No workmans Comp. insurance (what a scam) , shop is quiet just machine noises, NO loud Rap music or workers who don’t take the job serious and think it’s a social hour to show up late and ask for a raise. Now it runs 18+hrs. a day upping the production while simultaneously improving the quality. Talk about a WIN, WIN, WIN :money_mouth_face:

Yea AI and Robotics is coming in a big,big way don’t be surprised if the true solution to healthcare for elderly and others, our future nurses will be robots.

as you were
 :v:
GL :slight_smile: PJ :+1:

1 Like
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 i wish i had a cnc robot to do woodworking like a 3d printer
 i am thinking of building a canoe
 I am already designing it


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Hi there,

So, I’m doing a SIDE
side project and printed the planetary gearboxes for the Nema Stepper motors for use in a 6-DOF robotic arm, one like they showed in the very first re_camera Live stream. It’s called the STR400, I’m Remix/cloning a smaller version of it
Seeed Needs a Stepper driver Board for Xiao and it should have a CAN bus Option. :grin: They better not Sleep on the robotics, not the toy stuff either. Kits are great but there’s a limit.

I’ll be 3d Printing the Covers, using some Hollow shaft Steppers, Can Bus,
First up is Robotic Arm Camera Gimbal.

bandicam 2025-11-30 16-21-40-102
bandicam 2025-11-30 16-21-40-102640×480 194 KB

bandicam 2025-11-30 16-23-32-705
bandicam 2025-11-30 16-23-32-705640×480 181 KB

All Black with Colors for each joint.
Robot_arm_st400
Robot_arm_st400516×1128 43 KB

Stay tuned. :v:
GL :slight_smile: PJ :+1:

they had these at NAB


20220426_105741
20220426_1057411920×1920 790 KB

20220426_105806_03
20220426_105806_031920×1920 839 KB

20220426_105806_05
20220426_105806_051920×1920 1.03 MB

20220426_105759
20220426_1057591920×1920 823 KB

NOT autonomous though , they follow a metal strip under the carpet.

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 wow you can cad better than me? yes i agree
 mediatech had a linkit system
 but they went out of buisness and the servers were turned off
 so i cant find it on the internet
 maybe someone from seeed has a backup
. I sure wish they would hire me to be NA
 not available but Natural Intelegence
 Us and Citric could bang some stuff out
. Mechanical advantage

i sure wish
. what da?

8

Hi there,

A companion even to the Xiao Servo board would be a good start. It’s a big BLANK area they could make a spot in Steppers.
The Planetary gears are NOT mi|ne.. but you can use a tool to generate any ratio you need and you can Stack them to go real low.. It’s the best of both world imo between cycloid and others. You pick sun gear and number of planets it spits out the teeth count and size.
I have both Radial mount and Axial mounts printed nice on the New Printer, like butter. :grin:

IMG_20250916_221355896_HDR_AE
IMG_20250916_221355896_HDR_AE1920×2560 1.27 MB

GL :slight_smile: PJ :v:

1 Like
9

Hi there,

So, Get one of these
 Dip the toe in.
Price is right :grin:

2-5 years total automation possible. IMO..
it’s here and coming :+1:

HTH
GL :santa_claus: PJ :v:

imagine, that, he says the documentation was the least favorable part, :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth:
SAD he couldn’t get the Jetson Going
Kinda Over dramatic/produced but Ok..
OpenVLA is the secret handshake.

1 Like
10

Hi there,

So the Punch line is “If you read the new Arduino Terms of Service after the Qualcomm acquisition, the direction is pretty clear. They didn’t buy a microcontroller company — they bought a user base.”

Qualcomm’s leadership has real legal & fraud baggage

Qualcomm has a history of:

  • antitrust lawsuits
  • IP litigation
  • monopoly accusations
  • high-profile executive issues

This is not a “community-first” company.
Never has been.

So the idea that they suddenly want to nurture open-source DIY electronics?
Yeah. No. Not a thing.
They didn’t acquire Arduino because they love blinking LEDs and teaching kids.

They bought it because:

:pushpin: 33 million users = a direct funnel into their AI/ML hardware.

Teachers, students, makers, hobbyists
 all funneled into Qualcomm’s “AI-at-the-Edge” strategy without realizing it.

The classic “side door” move I mentioned is exactly on point.

Arduino becomes the shiny wrapper on top of Qualcomm silicon, not too different from:

  • Google buying Fitbit
  • Facebook buying Oculus
  • Microsoft buying GitHub

The product is nice, but the user base is the prize.

Adafruit is furious because they see the writing on the wall

Adafruit has always been:

  • fiercely independent
  • open source to the bone
  • suspicious of closed ecosystems
  • protective of the maker community

So when they see Qualcomm a company with a long history of:

  • proprietary hardware
  • locked-down drivers
  • opaque licensing
  • control-heavy business practices


suddenly “embracing” Arduino, yeah, alarms go off everywhere.
on ESPN it would be on the “C’mon MAN!” set.
And honestly? They’re right to worry.

“We love open source” → Corporate translation: “We won’t break anything immediately.”

Every giant tech acquisition loves to say:

“We remain committed to open source and community values.”

That’s corporate PR 101.
What it really means is:

  • “We won’t change the licenses right away.”
  • “We’ll slowly introduce hardware that’s harder to use without our ecosystem.”
  • “Eventually, our proprietary toolchain and AI chips become the default.”

Look what happened to:

  • MakerBot
  • Thingiverse
  • GitHub Copilot (built on scraped open code)
  • Red Hat/IBM
  • ARM licensing drama

It’s a pattern as old as Silicon Valley.
Look they ALREADY changed the TOS, it’s coming don’t be fooled.

For Me: Nordic remains the safest, cleanest path. :+1:

Nordic is stable, ethical, open (as far as MCU vendors go), and laser-focused on what matters:

  • BLE
  • Low power
  • RF performance
  • Quality SDKs
  • Transparent documentation
  • Best support culture in the industry

If you care about longevity, stability, and avoiding corporate drama, Nordic is the path.

Also:

  • Nordic isn’t trying to “own the maker community.”
  • Nordic doesn’t lock anyone into proprietary AI ecosystems.
  • Nordic respects developers rather than marketing to them.

They build engineering tools, not flashy AI press releases.

The Other pillar is Espressif IMO.
Espressif won because they:

  • stay open
  • keep their SDKs free
  • offer killer performance per dollar
  • support makers without consuming them

They’re the anti-Qualcomm in many ways. :person_fencing:

GL :santa_claus: PJ :+1:

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Community backlash will not change anything
 it has been assimilated

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Hi there,

So , these just arrived, Pretty cool , Hollow Shaft Stepper Motor (wires can run through) Things like a proper Wrist joint will make use of it. :+1:

WIN_20251203_14_03_11_Pro
WIN_20251203_14_03_11_Pro1280×720 140 KB

WIN_20251203_14_02_58_Pro
WIN_20251203_14_02_58_Pro1280×720 126 KB

WIN_20251203_14_02_19_Pro
WIN_20251203_14_02_19_Pro1280×720 150 KB

Hay seeed Studio , What about A XIAO Stepper motor Board.
Let’s get with the Robotics program. The Servo Xiao needs Brother! :star_struck:
I’m putting together a PDF for the requirements. I got an AI , render too! :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth:

AI_render _Xiao-Step
AI_render _Xiao-Step1024×1024 302 KB

HTH
GL :santa_claus: PJ :v:

2 Likes