Tinkerforge
Tinkerforge is an open-source hardware platform of stackable microcontroller building blocks that can control different modules. The primary communication interface of the building blocks can be extended using Master Extensions. The hardware can be controlled by external programs written in C, C++, C#, Object Pascal, Java, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, Shell and VB.NET over a USB, Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, and running on Windows, Linux and macOS. This non-embedded programming approach eliminates the typical requirements and limitations of conventional embedded software development. Tinkerforge hardware and software are both open source, and all files are hosted on GitHub.
The computer magazine Chip awarded Tinkerforge 2012 the "Product of the Year" award.
Bricks
Bricks are cm circuit boards. They can evaluate measurements, control motors and communicate with other building blocks. Each Brick has a 32-bit ARM microcontroller, a USB connector and connectors for more Bricks and Bricklets.It is possible to stack several Bricks onto each other. The bottom Brick of such Stacks needs to be a Master Brick.