WeMos D1 Mini Pro 16MB

[mcauser]

WeMos have released a D1 Mini Pro.

• ESP-12F replaced with onboard components, no metal cover.
• 16MB flash (128Mbit)
• Built in ceramic antenna + external connector
• CP2104 USB-UART (changed from CH340G)
• Same dimensions as D1 Mini, compatible with existing shields
• Lighter and thinner than D1 mini
• USB + reset buttons moved to the top of PCB
• $1 more expensive than D1 mini

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/WEMOS-D ... .56.5Zx1NW
$5 USD

[pythoncoder]

Odd that the chip isn't shielded: their other products have a WeMos branded, shielded chip. Odder still it doesn't appear on the WeMos official site. I smell a rat.

[quantalume]

I ordered a couple, so we will see what this "rat" looks like. I like having the antenna connector as I put all my IoT devices in metal boxes.

[deshipu]

Odder still it doesn't appear on the WeMos official site. I smell a rat.

This is consistent with how their other products first appear at Aliexpress, and only after a couple of days on their website. I think the website is being updated by someone who is quite busy with other things too. It was like that with the motor shield too.

[pythoncoder]

Perhaps I'm being too suspicious, then - but I gather there are a lot of dodgy clones of WeMos devices. I think abandoning shielding represents a decline in build quality and I doubt an unshielded module can achieve FCC approval.

The antenna connection is a great improvement.

[deshipu]

I have noticed another curious thing looking at the photo of the new board. There are a lot of vias on the ground fill -- a standard practice to bring the ground planes on both side of the board together, to avoid noise and to improve thermal conducting. Except there is a no ground fill on the other side -- the vias just hang in the air there:



Not sure if this is a design mistake?

[pythoncoder]

...Not sure if this is a design mistake?

Surely: I can't imagine a good reason.

[Roberthh]

For me it looks like the board has more than 2 layers. If you look at the Pins tx, rx, d1, d2, d3, there is a faint shadow of a lower layer at both sides, but no copper on the respective top levels.

[mcauser]

I'll post some high res photos once mine arrives

[jovijuan]

Look at the fiducial, TX pin or ceramic antenna. There are for sure mor layers, probably 4.