Wouldnt it be cool to drive a tiny OLED display, read a color sensor, or even just flash some LEDs directly from your computer? Sure, you can program an Arduino or Trinket to talk to these devices and your computer, but why cant your computer just talk to these devices and sensors itself? Well, now your computer can talk to devices by using the Adafruit MCP2221A Breakout Board.
What can the MCP2221 chip do? This chip from Microchip is similar to a USB to serial converter chip, but also adds a GPIO and I2C interface. The analog/digital GPIO pins can act as 10-bit analog inputs (ADC) and there is even a 5-bit DAC output. The I2C interface is great for talking with OLEDs, sensors, PWM drivers, is the most popular interface for small devices. You can use the GPIO to do things like flash LEDs, read switches or buttons, and much more. The MCP2221A Breakout is like a small Swiss army knife for serial protocols on your computer.
This chip is powerful and useful if you want to use Python (for example) to quickly iterate and test a device that uses I2C or general digital and analog I/O. There is no firmware to deal with, so you dont have to deal with how to "send data to and from an Arduino that is then sent to and from an electronic sensor or display or part".
This breakout features an MCP2221A chip, USB-C port, built-in 3V regulator, and a 4-pin JST-SH connector for I2C connectivity with 3V power supply and logic. This connector is Stemma QT / Qwiic compatible for use with any sensor or chip that has a matching port - you can even wire Grove I2C devices with an adapter cable without soldering.
Product dimensions: 27.0 x 17.7 x 5.0 mm.
Item Weight: 2.2g