TinyCircuits™ logo

2026

I first came across TinyCircuits from an article about their Tiny TV in the technical publication Ars Technica. TinyCircuits are based in Ohio in the USA. In 2012 they had a highly successful launch on Kickstarter with their Arduino based platform, TinyDuino. They followed this with a variety of open-source gizmos, many in kit form. Their popularity is partly due to their open-source nature, allowing software and hardware to be modified by users.

I ordered both their ready-built Tiny TV and their kit-based Arcade game.

Tiny TV

First up is the Tiny TV, a doll's house sized gadget. It's ready made, with media already installed.

A USB connector allows you to charge the TV and/or add videos. Tiny Circuits provide a utility to convert videos to a specific AVI format, and this works quickly and effectively.

So I select 10 home video clips to upload. The knobs on the front panel are for sound volume and video selection - it is set up to mimic different TV channels. However, due to its lightweight structure two hands are required. The miniature infra red remote is better for control, assuming it is operated at short range.

So the TV works fine, albeit the volume level is quite low. However for the size of the device it's quite impressive.

Looking at the reviews, most customers seem impressed, including a certain Hannah who states that she originally bought it for her lizard but enjoyed it so much she kept it for herself. There's no greater praise!

The next step is to try out a longer movie, but in the meantime there is an arcade gadget to build . .

Tiny Arcade

The marketing blurb says less than 10 minutes is required for assembly. This may be true for a second build and nimble fingers, but preparing the acrylic sections takes a chunk out of that. However they are certainly correct that no screwdrivers or soldering is required.

Electronics

The first step is to assemble and test the electronics - the flex ribbon cable connects the processor board to the miniature screen and the battery and speakers are then added.

Switching on the power lights up the screen with the TinyCircuits logo. When the included Tiny Shooter game is selected the joystick controls are buttons are tested and all appears fine, including the sound effects.

Body

Now to assemble the body. This comprises a number of acrylic parts, each covered in a protective film and attached to the moulding sprue. Removal of the film is quite tricky and the sprue runners need to be rubbed down. However the pieces themselves appear well made.

The components are all push-fit and the build is reasonably straightforward, although it would have been much clearer had I used the TinyCircuits desktop website version rather than viewing it on my phone.

Operation

The small Lithium Polymer battery is charged via a Micro USB connector. Running the Shooter arcade game is obviously compromised by the scale of the device, having to hold the unit steady while the controls are used. However the game operates as expected.

Being open source the kit can be programmed as an Arduino type device, but that's for another day …