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The Fishino Piranha was a compact, Arduino-compatible development board built around a 120 MHz Microchip PIC32MX470F512-family MIPS microcontroller. It followed the Arduino MKR1000’s physical layout while adding onboard Wi-Fi, microSD storage, an RTC, native USB host/device support, LiPo charging, and low-power controls.
It was not an official Arduino product or a universally drop-in MKR1000 replacement. In 2026, the Piranha is best understood as an interesting documented legacy board for existing Fishino projects, experiments, and hardware historians—not as an automatically safe choice for a new commercial design.
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What the Fishino Piranha was
Fishino and Open Electronics introduced the Piranha as a smaller companion to the Fishino32. Its goal was to combine a compact MKR-style board with a faster 32-bit processor and several peripherals that would otherwise require separate modules.
The board was marketed as Arduino-compatible, meaning that it was intended to use Arduino-style development tools, libraries, and programming practices. That does not mean it was an official Arduino board, nor that every MKR1000 sketch, shield, electrical interface, or library would work unchanged.
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Fishino’s product page and the original Open Electronics announcement describe the Piranha as an MKR1000-compatible-layout alternative with integrated wireless and power features.
Specifications at a glance
| Feature | Fishino Piranha |
|---|---|
| Microcontroller | Microchip PIC32MX470F512 family; the schematic identifies PIC32MX470F512H-120I/PT |
| CPU | 32-bit MIPS |
| Clock | 120 MHz |
| Flash | 512 KB |
| RAM | 128 KB |
| Logic voltage | 3.3 V |
| Wireless | ESP8266-based Wi-Fi module with Fishino firmware integration |
| Storage | microSD interface |
| Timekeeping | RTC integrated into the PIC32 controller |
| USB | Native USB host and device modes |
| Battery | Single-cell LiPo connector and onboard charger |
| Analog output | No DAC equivalent to the MKR1000’s analog-output function |
| Audio | No audio codec; omitted relative to the larger Fishino32 |
The 120 MHz specification is the published clock rate, not a guarantee of a particular performance multiplier over an Arduino Uno. The larger memory budget and 32-bit architecture are more meaningful for networking, buffers, data logging, USB applications, and larger libraries than the clock number alone.
Hardware architecture
PIC32 main controller
The PIC32MX470F512-family microcontroller runs the user application. It provides the board’s 32-bit MIPS processing core, 512 KB of flash, 128 KB of RAM, native USB capability, and the integrated RTC described in Fishino documentation.
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Wi-Fi uses a second processor
The Wi-Fi hardware is not simply a radio built into the PIC32. The Piranha uses a separate ESP8266-derived module. In practical terms, it is a two-processor system:
- The PIC32 runs the application.
- The ESP8266 handles Wi-Fi operations.
- Fishino firmware and libraries provide the interface between them.
The board can control ESP8266 reset and power, redirect serial connections, and support firmware updating. This architecture also creates additional failure points: Wi-Fi firmware, library versions, serial routing, and power states all matter when troubleshooting.
Storage, RTC, and USB
The onboard microSD interface makes the Piranha suitable for data logging and small web applications without adding a storage shield. The RTC can continue operating while the processor is in standby and can help wake the system in a low-power application.
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Native USB supports both host and device modes. That is more flexible than the USB-serial arrangements common on older Arduino boards, but it also means a crashed sketch can leave the USB connection unresponsive until the board is reset or recovered.
How close is it to an Arduino MKR1000?
The Piranha follows the MKR1000’s general board outline, dimensions, and header arrangement. Fishino described its layout and pinout as compatible with the MKR1000, making it attractive for projects designed around the compact MKR format.
However, “MKR-like” should not be read as “identical.” Compatibility has several layers:
- Mechanical compatibility: the board uses a similar compact outline and header arrangement.
- Pinout compatibility: many signals are arranged to resemble the MKR1000.
- Electrical compatibility: voltage limits, tolerances, pull-ups, and peripheral behavior can differ.
- Software compatibility: Arduino-style code may port, but board definitions, pin names, libraries, Wi-Fi APIs, and peripheral implementations are not necessarily identical.
The Piranha also lacks the MKR1000’s DAC or analog-output capability. A project that uses the MKR1000’s analog output therefore cannot be assumed to port directly.
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Voltage and pin warnings
The board operates internally at 3.3 V, while Fishino describes available digital pins as 5 V tolerant. That claim must not be generalized to every signal.
- 5 V-tolerant input does not mean a pin outputs 5 V.
- Analog inputs should not automatically be treated as 5 V tolerant.
- The Open Electronics documentation specifically warns about the analog-pin limitation.
- The pinout and schematic should be checked before connecting external signals.
- The ICSP header includes programming/debugging signals and additional I/O with possible alternate functions.
Applying 5 V to an analog input because some digital pins tolerate it can damage the controller. The absence of a DAC is another important difference for MKR1000 ports.
Power options and low-power behavior
The documented power sources include micro-USB, a single-cell 3.7 V LiPo battery, and an external supply through the power jack. The board includes a charger and switching power circuitry, and software can turn off much of the power system while leaving the processor in standby.
There is an important documentation discrepancy. The launch documentation lists an external input range of approximately 3–20 V, while the current Fishino product page describes 3.5 V to above 20 V. Before using an external supply, check the schematic and documentation for the exact board revision rather than assuming the two ranges are interchangeable.
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Programming the Piranha
The Piranha was intended to work with the Arduino IDE through a Fishino 32-bit board package. FishIDE was offered as an alternative environment, while advanced users could use Microchip tools such as MPLAB and PICkit3.
Fishino’s documented historical Arduino setup is:
- Open Arduino IDE preferences.
- Add
http://www.fishino.it/arduinoide/package_fishino_index.jsonunder Additional Board Manager URLs. - Open Tools → Board → Boards Manager.
- Find and install the Fishino 32-bit/PIC32 package.
- Select the Fishino Piranha from the board menu.
These instructions come from legacy Fishino documentation. They do not establish that the package works unchanged with current Arduino IDE 2.x releases, current operating systems, or modern package-index security requirements. Treat the procedure as the historical setup path and validate it on the exact computer used for the project.
Fishino’s library documentation also warns that firmware and library versions should remain aligned. FishIDE reportedly managed Fishino libraries automatically, while Arduino IDE users were expected to install libraries manually. Some Windows and macOS versions also required separate USB drivers.
Reset and upload behavior
The original Open Electronics instructions describe a manual upload sequence rather than the automatic reset behavior many Arduino users expect:
- Press and hold the reset button for roughly two seconds.
- Wait for the programming LED to begin blinking.
- Release the button at the appropriate point.
Holding it too long could reportedly enter Wi-Fi-module firmware-update mode. The exact timing and LED behavior may depend on the board revision and installed software. A sketch that crashes the native USB controller can also make normal uploading difficult, so recovery procedures should be established before relying on the board in a deployed system.
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Good uses for the Piranha
The combination of processing power, Wi-Fi, storage, USB, RTC, and battery support makes the Piranha well suited to:
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- Battery-powered sensor nodes.
- Small web servers using microSD storage.
- Embedded projects that exceed the memory or processing limits of an 8-bit Arduino.
- Existing MKR1000-style projects that do not require a DAC.
- USB host and device experiments.
- Controllers that benefit from software-controlled power states and RTC wake-up.
It is a less attractive choice for safety-critical hardware, a new product requiring long-term supply, or a project that needs modern wireless security libraries without maintaining legacy software.
Common problems and what they mean
| Symptom | Likely causes |
|---|---|
| The board does not appear in Arduino IDE | Fishino package missing, incorrect package URL, missing driver, or incompatibility with a modern IDE release |
| Upload fails | Incorrect board selection, manual reset timing, missing USB driver, or a crashed sketch |
| Wi-Fi does not work | ESP8266 firmware/library mismatch, disabled module power, outdated network-security support, or serial-routing problems |
| microSD access fails | Incorrect chip-select setting or mismatched library version |
| An analog input is damaged | 5 V was applied under the mistaken assumption that all pins were 5 V tolerant |
| An MKR project behaves differently | Matching headers were mistaken for identical peripheral multiplexing or software support |
| Battery behaves unexpectedly | Unsuitable LiPo, uncertain protection circuitry, or incorrect assumptions about charger behavior |
| External power causes concern | The conflicting documented input ranges were not checked against the board revision |
Piranha versus alternatives
Arduino MKR1000
The MKR1000 is the more natural choice when official Arduino documentation, conventional MKR support, or the DAC matters. The Piranha offers a 120 MHz PIC32/MIPS processor, more RAM than the MKR1000, microSD, and different power integration, but those advantages do not make it a universal replacement.
Fishino32
The Fishino32 is the better fit when an Uno-like format or audio features are important. The Piranha is smaller, but the larger board includes capabilities omitted to save space, including the audio codec.
Fishino Shark
The Fishino Shark is aimed at projects needing a Mega-like layout and more I/O. It is not a compact MKR-style substitute.
Contemporary Arduino, ESP32, and RP2040 boards
Modern boards generally offer newer toolchains, larger communities, and easier availability. Their pinouts, voltage behavior, wireless stacks, USB modes, and battery circuitry differ, so none should be treated as a drop-in replacement without checking the complete design.
Should you buy a Fishino Piranha in 2026?
Only after verifying the complete project risk. Fishino still hosts a boards page, documentation, schematics, downloads, and a purchase page, but those pages do not establish dependable Piranha-specific stock or a current price.
The launch-era price was reported at about €36, or roughly $42, plus tax and shipping. That is historical pricing, not a 2026 quotation. Fishino names Open Electronics, TME, Amazon, and Futura Elettronica as purchasing channels, but their inclusion does not prove that the Piranha is currently stocked.
The board makes sense for an existing Fishino design, a one-off experiment, a collection, or a legacy project whose software and replacement inventory are already secured. It is risky for a new commercial product unless you can reproduce the toolchain, obtain the Wi-Fi firmware and libraries, verify the exact electrical revision, and hold enough replacement boards.
Bottom line
The Fishino Piranha was technically ambitious for its size: a 120 MHz PIC32/MIPS controller, ESP8266-based Wi-Fi, microSD, RTC, native USB, LiPo charging, and low-power controls in an MKR1000-style format. Its limitation was never simply processor speed. The important questions are whether its legacy software still works in your environment, whether its pin and voltage differences fit the design, and whether reliable stock exists.
For a documented legacy project, it can remain useful. For a new 2026 design, a currently supported board is usually the safer starting point unless the Piranha’s specific hardware integration is essential.
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