AnthC
AnthC: Anthilla Controller Board
What is AnthC
The Anthilla Controller Board (AnthC) is an open source control board designed to simplify the integration and management of IoT (Internet of Things) projects. Thanks to its flexibility and modularity, it is a solid choice for applications in various sectors, from industrial control to home automation.
The board adopts a form factor compatible with the Raspberry Pi, which facilitates integration with mechanical and electrical components already available on the market. However, the pinout is not identical to that of a Raspberry Pi: before connecting external components, it is recommended to consult the documentation.
Technical specifications
Main specifications
AnthC provides a set of interfaces and inputs/outputs designed for the industrial and automation world:
- Microcontroller: ESP32, the processing and connectivity core of the board.
- Digital inputs: 4 digital inputs.
- Outputs: 6 open collector outputs.
- Analog inputs: 4 analog inputs with 16-bit ADC, switchable in 4-20 mA mode (multiplexed).
- Communication: RS485, I2C, SPI and USB-C port.
- Real-time clock on board for time continuity.
Power supply and autonomy
The power supply is designed with an extended range from 7V to 28V input; the board can also operate powered at just 5V. Support for a rechargeable LiPo battery is present, useful for providing operational continuity and managing power interruptions.
Gallery
Project history
From 2021 to today
The AnthC project was born in 2021: the requirements were defined jointly by Anthilla, an Italian IT services company (with Ivan Dorna), and electronic designer Esteban Corredor, who supported Anthilla in the design and realization of the first version of the board. Once the concept was demonstrated, the work continued toward a market-ready version.
The current maintainer and business partner of the AnthC project is Ignacio de Mendizabal. Founder of Spectral Electronics, he is independent in technical development but operates as a business partner of Anthilla on the AnthC project: he coordinates hardware evolution, certification and industrialization. An electronic designer specialized in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), he continued the work on versions M2-R2, M2-R3 and M2-R4, on which the current technical specifications are based. He works on electromagnetic compatibility and certification of products for the aerospace, IoT, industrial and medical sectors, and was selected among the 50 Hardware Innovators 2026 by AllSpice.io.
The stable version of batch M2-R4 has been received and is currently in the validation phase. Real photos of batch M2-R4 are visible in the gallery above.
Hardware Partner
CEO & Founder — Spectral Electronics
Electronic designer specialized in electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) and product certification for the aerospace, IoT, industrial and medical sectors. Maintainer and business partner of Anthilla on the AnthC project: coordinates hardware evolution, CE certification and industrialization. He continued the work on versions M2-R2, M2-R3 and M2-R4. Selected among the 50 Hardware Innovators 2026 by AllSpice.io.
Spectral Electronics — Avenida Novo Mesoiro 2, Bajo, 15190 La Coruña, Spain
Project status
Batch M2-R4 is the current stable version: received, in final validation phase. It is not yet CE certified or industrially produced, but is available as a developer board in small batches for prototypes and pilot projects.
Completed
M2-R4 Prototype
Stable batch received and in validation
In progress
Functional validation
Electrical and functional testing of batch M2-R4
Planned
CE / EMC Certification
Electromagnetic compatibility testing and CE marking
Planned
Industrial production
Transition from small batches to serial production
Milestones and timeline
2021 — Project start. Requirements definition with Anthilla (Ivan Dorna) and Esteban Corredor. First conceptual version and principle demonstration.
M2-R2 — Second hardware revision. Layout and component refinement after initial testing.
M2-R3 — Third revision. Power supply and interface optimization. Start of collaboration with Ignacio de Mendizabal (EMC Specialist).
M2-R4 (current) — Stable version. Batch received, in final validation. Definitive technical specifications based on this revision.
Next — CE/EMC certification, end-user documentation, base firmware, transition toward industrial production.
Next steps
The M2-R4 is eligible to pass certifications, but has not been certified yet. The planned next steps:
- Final validation of batch M2-R4 — electrical, functional and reliability testing.
- Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing — preparation for CE marking.
- CE certification for sale in the European market.
- End-user documentation — manuals, schematics, integration guides.
- Base firmware — open source firmware development for ESP32.
- Transition to industrial production — from small batches to serial production.
Note: EMC testing and CE certification are currently delegated to whoever implements the board in a specific project, as they depend on the final integrated system.
Open source
Licenses and philosophy
AnthC is an open source hardware project: the design, production and assembly files are public. The hardware is released under the CERN-OHL-W-2.0 license (CERN Open Hardware Licence, Weakly Reciprocal variant), while the documentation is released under Creative Commons CC0-1.0. The project is marked as Open Source Hardware (OSHW).
The openness reflects the team’s philosophy: transparency, repairability, educational value and the possibility for new contributors to carry the project forward over time. The source code and project files are published on the official Anthilla/AnthC GitHub repository. For project information: projects@anthilla.com.
In-depth articles and certification
The open source design, production, testing and certification journey of AnthC is told in a series of articles published on All About Circuits, plus the project page on Hackaday.io:
