<![CDATA[Different board versions]]>Hi,
after taking off the top of my M5StickC to remove the loose magnets inside, I searched for others having the same issue, but only found other pictures of the inside of other M5Sticks. The interesting things on these pictures (definitely taken months before mine) are:

  • red main PCB
  • some sort of button battery under the TFT
  • the label "M5Stuck I" near the two LEDs in the corner
  • good quality soldering

You can see them here:
https://github.com/aenertia/m5stick-scope-ecg
https://fccid.io/2AN3WM5STICKC/Internal-Photos/Internal-Photos-4305610

Mine (ordered from Banggood.com on the last days of 2019, photos at https://ibb.co/album/fTxsJv) has:

  • black main PCB
  • no button battery
  • no label
  • low quality soldering
  • a blue wire from somewhere
  • clipped VIN pin from hat connector board

Can you post which version (red or black) do you have?

Can you spot more differences?

Since taking it apart seems to be destructive, can you post more pictures if you have a non-working black version?

Can we get a description about the changes and identification?

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/topic/1635/different-board-versionsRSS for NodeWed, 29 Apr 2026 16:18:37 GMTSun, 19 Jan 2020 16:28:51 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Thu, 06 Feb 2020 19:55:40 GMT]]>There is a new case: 2019.10 Upgrade the bottom and add copper nuts. PCB is unknown in this version.

Image from Lang-Ship and M5Stack on Twitter

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7313https://community.m5stack.com/post/7313Thu, 06 Feb 2020 19:55:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Mon, 03 Feb 2020 20:18:55 GMT]]>@mdevel1 said in Different board versions:

I will leave it alone for a day to verify (it can't power on now without attaching USB power, but continues with correct time measured from the power on after the upload)

I can confirm it now, if the battery voltage dops below a certain level, the RTC forgets the time, and it restarts counting from 2000-00-00 00:00:00 when external power is connected to the black PCB version (without the button battery).

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7301https://community.m5stack.com/post/7301Mon, 03 Feb 2020 20:18:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Sun, 02 Feb 2020 21:08:51 GMT]]>@maxrom said in Different board versions:

No blue wire. I have to say, it sounds like your black PCB could be a copy. Have you tested the RTC to see if it keeps time after the main battery has died? Without the button battery, I don't think it would work properly.

No blue wire in my second stick. It has a red wire in the same position. :)
I think if the main battery dies, my least concern would be the RTC time.
I uploaded the RTC example code (with the SetTime and SetData calls commented out) to my second stick now, which had its battery drained somehow (would not power on before plugging in to USB), and it started counting from 2000-00-00 00:00:00. This seems to be a strange new kind of Y2K bug, but it could confirm your theory. Since I did not upload any RTC code AFAIK to this stick, I will leave it alone for a day to verify (it can't power on now without attaching USB power, but continues with correct time measured from the power on after the upload)

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7290https://community.m5stack.com/post/7290Sun, 02 Feb 2020 21:08:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Sun, 02 Feb 2020 07:50:34 GMT]]>@lukasmaximus said in Different board versions:

I was informed that the red pcb is the older version. Black version fixed some issues. Would like to know what issues you have had with them. I cannot seem to use mine with any hat, It just forces the stick to switch off

Thats strange, I havent had that issue with any hat combination yet.

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7284https://community.m5stack.com/post/7284Sun, 02 Feb 2020 07:50:34 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Sun, 02 Feb 2020 05:51:20 GMT]]>I was informed that the red pcb is the older version. Black version fixed some issues. Would like to know what issues you have had with them. I cannot seem to use mine with any hat, It just forces the stick to switch off

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7283https://community.m5stack.com/post/7283Sun, 02 Feb 2020 05:51:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Fri, 31 Jan 2020 07:43:30 GMT]]>@maxrom said in Different board versions:

I've bought a few of these recently, from Amazon in the UK. I've had to modify them for a project, so I've opened every one. They all had a red PCB, with M5StickC (Not M5Stuck I as you mentioned) and have the button battery for the RTC. No blue wire. I have to say, it sounds like your black PCB could be a copy. Have you tested the RTC to see if it keeps time after the main battery has died? Without the button battery, I don't think it would work properly.

I believe that Black PCB's are the later versions (I have the black pcb version)
On further look I have two red versions, one says M5StuckC and one says M5StickC.
There are two main versions on the market and have slightly different labels.

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7259https://community.m5stack.com/post/7259Fri, 31 Jan 2020 07:43:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Different board versions on Thu, 30 Jan 2020 21:19:43 GMT]]>I've bought a few of these recently, from Amazon in the UK. I've had to modify them for a project, so I've opened every one. They all had a red PCB, with M5StickC (Not M5Stuck I as you mentioned) and have the button battery for the RTC. No blue wire. I have to say, it sounds like your black PCB could be a copy. Have you tested the RTC to see if it keeps time after the main battery has died? Without the button battery, I don't think it would work properly.

]]>https://community.m5stack.com/post/7252https://community.m5stack.com/post/7252Thu, 30 Jan 2020 21:19:43 GMT