Joseph | Aug. 31, 2016

A model product.

TLDR version: If you have found this product via a search for "Teensy breakout" or "how to mount Teensy 3.x" then you have found the exact product you are looking for, look no further.

Not to overuse the classic "I never write reviews but..." line, but I really don't. Okay, I almost never write product reviews unless I feel compelled to convince others not to buy some sort of ersatz garbage, but today that is not the case.

I spend my days working as an engineer, and my evenings as a mad scientist (okay, just a different sort of engineer) working on a prototype robotics development platform, and I love the Teensy boards, they are truly what Arduino should be, and after using my first board I cannot see myself going back. That said, I am a perfectionist, and although I am working on a prototype, I also view it as a sort of physical manifestation of my resume, and as a result I care a lot about form/fit/function simultaneously, and as-is the Teensy boards do not share in my mentality as they do not have any sort of proper means to mount them. I could go on for pages about how that was a massive glaring design oversight, but I won't, the boards are what they are (which is just good enough to make it into my prototype in a few spots supporting the main controller) and that is where this breakout board comes in.

I have purchased two of these boards so far, and in two separate orders, if nothing else that should say something about the product.

These boards are an example of good engineering and great product development, I know, I know, those are strong words for such a simple product but really it's the simplicity that makes these boards great. They are made of [apparently] high quality materials, all the pins line up, and it does exactly what it was supposed to do, with no frills, added features, or anything else to get in the way of things.

The closest competing product that I could find (which is priced almost the same) is a breakout shield which gives the Teensy the same form factor as a standard Arduino Uno. Sure, the competing product performs an almost identical function, but it was clearly designed with added features in mind, and to make it so that less-motivated folks can stick to their pre-packaged Arduino add-ons instead of [gasp] breaking out the soldering iron one more time. Disclaimer: I actually own one of these boards, but I have yet to assemble it, I prefer the smaller package of this breakout.

This product was also my first Tindie purchase, and was the reason I found Tindie in the first place (Tindie is pretty sweet).

I would have given all 5 stars, but I didn't want my review to seem manufactured so I gave only 4 stars for shipping because (don't hate me) Amazon is faster. That said, Daniel shipped me my second order while out of town thousands of miles away, and that is dedication.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Wow Joseph, I don't know what to say! Thanks for the glowing review! I'm also a perfectionist, and I tend to use the prototyping phase to resolve form & fit issues too. I guess I want my prototypes to accurately represent the quality of my finished work. This can slow things down sometimes, but it can also make the process much more rewarding and fun. Doing this also tends to surface usability issues that wouldn't otherwise become apparent with a jumble-of-wires prototype unit. I think both approaches have their place, even within the scope of the same project! Finally, I'd just like to add that I think the Teensy is incredibly well engineered, it just happens to prioritize its (small) size over other concerns (hence the name Teensy). I see this breakout as providing a subtle re-balancing between size and convenience.

Maurice | Aug. 12, 2016

Good idea that works perfectly. Well executed.

Teensy has been my "go to" microcontroller for small/medium projects for several years starting at the 3.0 version. At times I wish I was able to use the extra pins for a couple more inputs or outputs but it was inconvenient to get to those underside pins. This breakout board solved that problem very well. And the result is still proto boardable with a spare row of pins on each side. The board was well engineered and nicely documented. It took me about an hour to assemble one. So far my testing has been successful. Good job. Thanks!

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

I went through the same sequence of events and found myself frustrated with soldering little wires onto the bottom pads. Glad I could make things easier for you Maurice! Thanks so much for leaving a review.

Alistair | Aug. 6, 2016

Excellent product that extends Teensy 3.2 functionality

Recent work with Linear Technologies' ADC and DAC hardware got me wondering about using the other SPI config on the Teensy 3.2 and for some reason, I found the 3.2 Breakout board online. It immediately struck me as a useful addition perhaps for future projects, so I decided to buy a few and check out the setup and potential usefulness of access to all pins.

Shipping was relatively quick (Australia) and the packaging and documentation excellent.
I was immediately struck by how thoughtful everything seemed to be packaged and presented.
The board is very good quality, well marked and the components even though small fitted with no problems.

Although it initially takes some time to construct, due to a lack of familiarity, it is a straightforward process that I still would not rush.
I could even see some scope for variation of header components but building it for breadboard use is a logical starting point.
The construction documentation was good and easy to follow. Some aspects of it I wondered about but that could be just me.

The Breakout board will though come into its own when used in special projects where getting the most out of the Teensy 3.2 is important, if not critical.

It is relatively pricey compared to the Teensy 3.2 itself but clearly, production volume would be a factor in this.
Overall, an important contribution to the Teensy world and I'm glad I found out about it.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Thanks for the thoughtful review Alistair! My goal is to keep things simple, clear, and concise. That said, the documentation, especially the assembly instructions, are always going to be a work-in-progress. As I assemble more and more boards, my own process tends to evolve, and these changes are reflected whenever I revise the docs. Look for some major revisions coming soon! Also, I tend to keep stock low to remain flexibility, and this does increase the cost a little bit, but not by very much. Most of the extra components, especially the optional ones, are basically sold at cost. Finally, I love to hear about alternate header setups. Some folks have requested pins facing up instead of down, and I'm always happy to accommodate these kinds of variations. I've also assembled "socketed" variations using female headers (as have others) and I'm considering offering the necessary components as another kit option. There will also be a "carrier" version of the board soon as well!

Corey | July 31, 2016

These are great!

I've used a few of these, in various versions, and they are great. The only 'simple' breakout I've found that gets all the pins plus a few other features without making me buyoff on an Arduino Uno layout or large footprint that includes breadboard areas and interfaces that I don't always want. Not to mention breadboard compatibility.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Breadboard compatibility is the first priority, but I want these boards to be versatile beyond that while still remaining as small as possible.

Brooks | June 29, 2016

Three cheers for Daniel Gilbert's Teensy 3.2 Breakout board!

It's not often that I feel compelled to announce my admiration for a product, but I must tell you that Daniel Gilbert's Teensy 3.2 breakout board is just outstanding.

It's a board that the Teensy 3.2 permanently mounts to, increasing the footprint of the Teensy to 2.4" x 0.9". Considering that the Teensy is, well, teensy, the small size increase is not a big deal.

What IS a big deal is that the pads on the bottom of the Teensy are now brought out to the edge of the breakout board. Now all the pins of the Teensy are readily accessible. I [U]wanted[/U] those pins! Now I can have them.

www.tall-dog.com. $12. Worth every cent!

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Woo hoo! Thanks for the kind words Brooks!

Ryan | May 26, 2016

Great product, great documentation

This breakout no only lets you use all the Teensy's pins, it also comes with great documentation. Works with both 3.2 and 3.1 Teensys. My only suggestion is that it would be nice if the selection DIP switch was on the top of the board.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Thanks for the feedback Ryan! I'll keep your suggestion in mind for future revisions.

Josh | Feb. 23, 2016

great for prototyping the Teensy!

This is a great board for easily prototyping/breadboarding your teensy -- some of the pins are not easy to get to, especially on a breadboard. this is well thought and easy to implement. Excellent communication & post sales communication.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Josh, thanks very much for leaving a review here! Much appreciated.

John | Dec. 23, 2015

great product, good communication

The Teensy breakout board makes it much easier to prototype with the Teensy. I have just experimented enough to verify everything works, but I plan to hook it up to a Mercury FPGA board (for high-speed quadrature decode and other sensor aggregation) and a motor controller, and being able to prototype things on a breadboard will make getting it working much easier.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Yup, this is exactly why I made these boards in the first place. Good luck with your projects John!

Ralph | Dec. 15, 2015

Excellent quality

I've purchased both the assembled board with a Teensy 3.2 already on it and I've purchased the kits. The documentation and the quality of these breakout boards is super!

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Thanks Ralph, you're super!

Samuel | Dec. 13, 2015

Must have for Teensy

Great breakout for the Teensy. Customer service provided by the seller is excellent. Stands by product and is quick to answer any questions. Would like to see this board combined with the audio shield. But for now, this does the trick. You really don't realize how many pins the Teensy has until you get one of these.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 1, 2016

Thanks for leaving me a review Samuel. I always try to answer messages promptly! However, I guess that isn't always the case when it comes to me leaving review responses...

Jared | Oct. 8, 2015

This thing is awesome.

This thing kicks ass, it makes the Teensy 3.2 much more usable. Next time i get one of these i'm going to get the assembled version for ease.

Response from Tall Dog | Oct. 9, 2015

Thanks, Jared!

Florian | Aug. 5, 2015

:-)

Very useful pcb for the teensy, which can be even configured before purchasing
shipping to Europe (Austria) was very smooth.

Response from Tall Dog | Sept. 18, 2015

Great to hear. Thanks!

John | June 19, 2015

Fantastic Arduino!

I think the Teensy 3.1 is a great Arduino for a great price. It's fast, has lots of memory, better analog capabilities, and good documentation.

My only complaint is the actual form factor of the pinouts themselves. I want all the pins broken out along the two long edges, not folded inside the PCB or accessible via a soldering pad on the bottom. I shouldn't need to purchase a separate "breakout" board just to get easy access to all the pins. Perhaps Teensy 3.2?

Response from Tall Dog | June 20, 2015

I understand your frustration! Why not send your thoughts over to PJRC too? Let them know how you feel. Since I'm not the designer of the Teensy boards themselves, these things are beyond my control. Anyway, this is why I made the breakout boards/kits in the first place.

Akop | June 16, 2015

Hard to imagine the Teensy without it

This is a great little breakout board - my only gripe is that the documentation asks that I only tack a few of the right-angle pins. The first time I tried that, half of the bottom pins failed to connect. Second time I soldered every single pin, and that worked great.

Other than that, the quality is excellent and the documentation is great - includes a handy card with all the pinouts.

Response from Tall Dog | June 17, 2015

Thanks for the great review! In regards to the instructions: Step 3 has you tack the header in place to check for proper alignment, but the following section (Step 4) does in fact instruct you to solder all of the pins onto the board. You're absolutely right though, this step is very important so every pin makes solid contact.

Chris | April 24, 2015

Just What I needed!

Just assembled my first of two breakouts. I have a project requiring the second i2c bus and this was perfect (I ruined one teensy trying to hack some pins onto the bottom already). The instructions along with super clear drawings made assembly a cinch. I added the DIP switch for flexibility in powering the device as well. Very well done!
PS I would pay a couple more bucks for a handy reference card for the pins like paul makes.

Response from Tall Dog | May 17, 2015

Chris, thanks for the awesome review and the photo! I've just added a pinout diagram too, take a look at the product photos above. All new orders will ship with these cards!

Matthew | April 15, 2015

Great transaction

Just received this today and the shipping was super-fast. Communication and documentation are great too. I'll be putting the kit together in the next few days. Thanks!

Response from Tall Dog | April 23, 2015

Thanks for the note!

Andrew | April 13, 2015

A+ Product

Very highly recommended. Shipping was fast, and the product is awesome. With this breakout board, my Teensy3.1 became an even more powerful animal. Thank you!

Response from Tall Dog | April 23, 2015

You're welcome!

Asgeir | Nov. 25, 2014

I love it

This makes the teensy so much easier to use.

When assembling I would recommend cutting the leads as late as possible so they can help with any alignment issues.
One change I would love to see is a jumper between Vusb and Vin so the trace can be cut before soldering but still easily connected again if needed.

Response from Tall Dog | March 30, 2015

Thanks! Take a look at the new C revision of the board. It includes an (optional) DIP switch between VUSB and VIN.

Nicholas | Nov. 10, 2014

Excellent Product, Quality Assembly (for Non-Kit Version)

Excellent Product, Quality Assembly (for Non-Kit Version)

Response from Tall Dog | March 30, 2015

Very much appreciated.

Robert | Nov. 9, 2014

Best Ever

This is the best ever B.O.B for What is the best EVER Arduino compatible board..

Response from Tall Dog | March 30, 2015

Thanks very much!

Paul | June 19, 2014

Excellent

A very good quality board that provides easy access to all of the teensy's pins.
It comes with all the needed header pins and mounting screws.

Response from Tall Dog | June 19, 2014

Thank you for taking the time to add a review!

Norman W | April 10, 2014

Great product to bring out bottom pins

Provides all the necessary pins to attach the Teensy 3.0 or 3.1 to breakout board. This includes the pins for the 14 pads on the bottom of the board. Just don't forget to add the 32.768 KHz Crystal - cut the pads for power and add the 150 uf capacitor, prior to attaching the Teensy to the breakout. This breakout board brings the second I2C port out to the breadboard pins (as well as the other functions).
I would recommend one change to the assembly instructions: take on of the 5-pin lengths of through-hole headers from step three and solder then into the end of the teensy prior to step one. And after tacking the 14 pin header (prior to soldering all the pins) insert into the breakout board to check alignment.

Response from Tall Dog | April 17, 2014

Thanks so much for the positive review. I've changed the instructions, taking your suggestions into account. They'll be updated once the boards are revised to support the RESET test point. The new instructions have drawings too! -Dan