The ADK 2012 is based on the Arduino open source electronics prototyping platform and is an open hardware design. The hardware design files and firmware source code are included with the ADK software download. The ADK contains two main physical hardware components:
- Main processing board containing the microprocessor, USB connections, power connector and input/output pins. This board can be removed and used separately from the rest of the hardware.
- Shield containing sensors, LEDs, input controls, audio amplifier and speaker output, contained in a custom, polygon box enclosure.
The main hardware features of the ADK are as follows:
- An ARM 32-bit Cortex M3 micro-processor
- Separate USB connections for an Android device and computer connection for programming and debugging
- Sensors for light, color, proximity, temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and acceleration
- Micro SD Card slot
- Bluetooth support
The ADK comes preloaded with an alarm clock firmware program that you can use immediately. A companion Android application, ADK 2012, is available on Google Play. The source code for both the Android application and the ADK firmware (an Arduino sketch) can be downloaded from this page.
The ADK 2012 also comes with additional parts to help you develop accessories with it, including:
- AC power adapter
- USB A to Micro USB B connector cable
- Micro USB B to Micro USB AB connector (small, rectangular plug)
- Micro SD Card, preinstalled in the ADK SD Card socket
Google I/O 2012 - ADK 2.0
Introducing the new APIs and capabilities in ADK 2.0, with demos.