The first accessible ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller board.

ARM Microcontroller Board
ARM-based Firmware Development
Compiler Toolchain
USB Communication Stack
Board Bring-Up and Production Testing
Maple

Overview

"Maple wasn't a client project, it was an act of engineering rebellion. It proved that embedded platforms could be fast, flexible, and community-driven at a time when that was not the norm." –LeafLabs
"Maple wasn't a client project, it was an act of engineering rebellion. It proved that embedded platforms could be fast, flexible, and community-driven at a time when that was not the norm." –LeafLabs
Much loved by users around the world, the STM32-based single board computer surpassed the capabilities of similar products when it was released in 2009. Maple was followed by the Maple Mini in 2011, a "breadboard-able" PCB for applications where space was limited. It wasn't just a board. Maple helped catalyze a movement toward more powerful, open embedded development platforms. It put LeafLabs on the map as a team of engineers unafraid to question what embedded systems could look like.
microscope image of probes
microscope image of probes
Maple

The Challenge

At the time, most accessible microcontroller platforms, like Arduino, relied on 8-bit AVR chips with limited performance and memory. While these worked well for simple tasks, they constrained more ambitious projects in robotics, signal processing, and advanced control.
At the time, most accessible microcontroller platforms, like Arduino, relied on 8-bit AVR chips with limited performance and memory. While these worked well for simple tasks, they constrained more ambitious projects in robotics, signal processing, and advanced control.
Mockup
Mockup
Mockup
Mockup
Mockup
Mockup
VR Glasses
VR Glasses
VR Glasses
We saw an opportunity: bring modern 32-bit processing into the hands of makers, students, and researchers, while preserving the simplicity of the Arduino workflow. But that meant building everything from the ground up: new hardware, a custom bootloader, a software toolchain, and a development environment that worked out of the box.
We saw an opportunity: bring modern 32-bit processing into the hands of makers, students, and researchers, while preserving the simplicity of the Arduino workflow. But that meant building everything from the ground up: new hardware, a custom bootloader, a software toolchain, and a development environment that worked out of the box.
Maple

The Solution

LeafLabs designed Maple as a powerful yet accessible development board featuring the STM32F103 ARM Cortex-M3 processor. We created a custom board layout, a USB bootloader, and an open-source toolchain that allowed the board to be programmed through the Arduino IDE, bridging the gap between beginner-friendly tooling and modern embedded architecture.
LeafLabs designed Maple as a powerful yet accessible development board featuring the STM32F103 ARM Cortex-M3 processor. We created a custom board layout, a USB bootloader, and an open-source toolchain that allowed the board to be programmed through the Arduino IDE, bridging the gap between beginner-friendly tooling and modern embedded architecture.

ARM-based Firmware Compiler Toolchain USB Serial Stack Board Bring-Up & Testing Custom Bootloader Design Arduino IDE Integration Open Source Community Commercial Production Early-Stage Product Strategy

Maple

Performance Results

Maple shipped to tens of thousands of users worldwide and was adopted in academic labs, early-stage hardware startups, and open-source projects. It helped usher in an era of 32-bit computing in DIY and research settings, and directly inspired the creation of STM32duino and other platforms.
Maple shipped to tens of thousands of users worldwide and was adopted in academic labs, early-stage hardware startups, and open-source projects. It helped usher in an era of 32-bit computing in DIY and research settings, and directly inspired the creation of STM32duino and other platforms.
Global Adoption
Global Adoption

10k+ units sold

9.2K+
9.2K+
9.2K+
Expanded Memory
Expanded Memory

128 KB Flash memory allowing more complex firmware

32KB
32KB
32KB
Clock Speed Boost
Clock Speed Boost

72MHz ARM vs 16MHz AVR processing

2X
2X
2X

Maple's legacy lives on in modern toolchains, workflows, and even in LeafLabs' own engineering ethos: bring ambitious ideas to life by combining technical rigor with usability and openness.

Maple

Publications & Info

The LeafLabs Maple line and the libmaple library are no longer supported by LeafLabs as of March 2015, and are considered end-of-life.

The design files for Maple and Maple Mini remain available on GitHub, under a CC-BY-SA 2.0 license, for anyone who wants to recreate or reimagine these boards.

libmaple will also stay on GitHub, and we will continue to take community patches.

"Maple" on stm32duino.com

Collin Cunningham. Arduino vs Maple - early impressions Make Magazine.


Previous Project
Autoportrait
Autoportrait
Next Project
Sigma Services
Sigma Services
Previous Project
Next Project

We build hardware that works.
Your system is next.

book a call
book a call
book a call
The teams who trust us with their hardest problems.
The teams who trust us with their hardest problems.
The teams who trust us with their hardest problems.
Team working in an office watching at a presentation
Clicky