Which Arduino Board to Buy

Confused about Which Arduino Board to Buy for your next project, then this blog will help you

What is Arduino?

Arduino is an open-source prototype platform with simple hardware and software. It is made up of a circuit board with a microcontroller and other supporting components mounted on it, which can be programmed using Arduino IDE (Integrated Development Environment), which is used to write and upload computer code to the physical board

Key Features of Arduino are:

1. Arduino boards can read analog or digital input signals from different sensors and turn them into an output such as activating a motor, turning LED on/off, connecting to the cloud, and many other actions.
2. You can control your board functions by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board via Arduino IDE.
3. Unlike most previous programmable circuit boards, Arduino does not need an extra piece of hardware (called a programmer) to load a new code onto the board. A USB cable is all you'll need.
4. Additionally, the Arduino IDE uses a simplified version of C++, making it easier to learn to program.
5. Finally, Arduino provides a standard form factor that breaks the functions of the microcontroller into a more accessible package.

What can you do with Arduino?

Arduino is an incredibly versatile microcontroller board with limitless possibilities for developing electronic applications and prototypes.  Some of the most basic Arduino projects are listed below. This will give you an idea of what you can do with Arduino.

Projects using Arduino:

1. LED Blinkies: You can create different LED patterns using multiple LEDs.
2. Giving inputs from the keypad: Giving inputs from the keypad and performing some action in response. such as Turning ON and OFF an LED, relay, buzzer, etc.
3. Obstacle avoidance system: Using an Infrared sensor, an obstacle avoidance moving robot can be built.
4. Humidity and Temperature measuring system: DHT11 sensor is used to measure the ambient humidity and temperature, and can display on the LCD or OLED display.
5. Distance measuring with Ultrasonic sensor: Distance between the objects can be measured using an ultrasonic sensor and Arduino.
6. Building an Automatically controlled moving robot: As mentioned above, an automatically controlled moving robot can be built.
7. Connect to the web and communicate data using a WiFi module: The DHT11 sensor data can be published to online platforms like “Thingspeak” and can be monitored from any part of the world using the Internet.
8. Simple Pulse oximeter monitoring system: A pulse oximeter using a MAX30100 sensor can be built, which measures the heart rate and the Spo2 in our blood.
9. Simple home automation system: Using an HC-05 Bluetooth module and the relay, home automation systems can be built.
10. Soil moisture monitoring system: A soil moisture monitoring system can be built and can be automated to provide water to plants.

 

Different types of Arduino Boards:

1. Arduino UNO

2. Arduino NANO

3. Arduino Leonardo

4. Arduino Micro

5. Arduino NANO Every

6. Arduino NANO 33 BLE

7. Arduino NANO 33 BLE Sense

8. Arduino MKR Zero

9. Arduino UNO Wifi

10. Arduino Due

11. Arduino Mega 2560

12. Arduino MKR VIDOR 4000

13. Arduino Zero

14. Arduino NANO 33 IoT

15. Arduino MKR Fox 1200

16. Arduino MKR WAN 1300

17. Arduino GSM 1400

18. Arduino MKR Wifi 1010

19. Arduino NANO RP2040 Connect

How do you select the right Arduino Board for your needs:

The correct Arduino board for your project can be selected by going through the below parameters. By looking into the below-mentioned parameters and comparing them with the specification of the Arduino board. 

1. Microcontroller (MCU): The microcontroller is the heart (or, more appropriately, the brain) of the Arduino board. The Arduino development board is made up of various AVR microcontrollers, each with its own set of functions and features.

 

2. Input Voltage: This is the board's recommended input voltage range. Although the board's maximum voltage may be slightly higher, this is the safe operating range. A handy thing to keep in mind is that many of the Li-Po batteries that we carry are 3.7V, meaning that any board with an input voltage including 3.7V can be powered directly from one of our Li-Po battery packs.

 

3. System Voltage: This is the system voltage of the board, i.e. the voltage at which the microcontroller is running. This is an important factor for shield compatibility since the logic level is now 3.3V instead of 5V. You always want to be sure that whatever outside system with which you're trying to communicate can match the logic level of your controller.

 

4. Clock Speed: This is the operating frequency of the microcontroller and is related to the speed at which it can execute commands. Although there are rare exceptions, most ATmega microcontrollers running at 3V will be clocked at 8MHz, whereas most running at 5V will be clocked at 16MHz.

 

5. Digital I/O: The number of digital input/output (I/O) pins on the Arduino board is referred to as digital I/O. Each of these can function as an input or output. Some have PWM capabilities, while others double as serial communication pins. 

 

6. Analog Inputs: The number of analog input pins available on the Arduino board is indicated here. Analog pins are labeled "A" followed by their number, they allow you to read analog values using the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in the ATMega chip. Analog inputs can also be configured as more digital I/O if you need it!

 

7. PWM: This is the number of digital I/O pins that are capable of producing a Pulse-width modulation. (PWM) signal. PWM signal functions similarly to an analog output, allowing your Arduino to "fake" an analog voltage between zero and the system voltage.

 

8. UART: The number of separate serial communication lines that your Arduino board can support is known as the UART. On most Arduino boards, digital I/O pins 0&1 double as your serial send and receive pins and are shared with the serial programming port. Multiple UARTs on some Arduino boards allow for simultaneous use of multiple serial ports. Although all Arduino boards have at least one UART for programming, some aren't broken out to accessible pins.

 

9. Flash Space: The amount of program memory available on the chip for you to store your sketch is called flash space. The bootloader takes up a small portion of this memory, so not all of it is available (usually between 0.5 and 2KB).

 

10. Programming Interface: The programming interface is where you connect the Arduino board to your computer to program it. Some boards include a USB jack, so all you have to do is connect them to a USB cable. Others have a header that can be used to connect an FTDI Basic breakout or an FTDI Cable. Other boards, such as the Mini, separate the serial pins for programming, but they are not pin-compatible with the FTDI header. Any Arduino board with a USB jack has additional hardware that allows for serial to USB conversion. Some boards, however, don't need additional hardware because their microcontrollers have built-in USB support.

 

11. Wifi-enabled: Wifi-enabled: Some Arduino boards have WiFi modules built-in. Arduino boards can be used in Internet of Things applications. The Arduino IoT boards, such as Arduino WiFi, can be used if your application uses IoT technology and communicates data over the Internet.

Advantages of Arduino:

1. Coordination between software and hardware, simplicity, and compactness are the most important advantages of Arduino. When we talk about a development board, we expect it to have all of the features needed to set it up and program it. In most Arduino boards, you can connect a USB cable to the Arduino board and transfer a program written in the Arduino IDE at the push of a button.

2. The Arduino platform is also compatible with all operating systems, unlike most AVR programming software, which is only compatible with Windows and Linux.

3. The wide variety of Arduino boards and considering the needs of different users is another advantage of Arduino. Although Arduino has over 40 different boards, only a small number of them are well-known. For a complete list of boards, go to the Arduino website.

4. Growing resources and libraries is another advantage point for Arduino. Arduino has evolved from an electronic board thanks to open-source hardware and software. Thousands of developers using Arduino all over the world daily, design new modules and hardware for Arduino and provide their libraries with plenty of examples to users free of charge. This extensive training and content allow you to complete your project in the shortest amount of time possible by combining codes and libraries.

5. In addition to Arduino’s communication with various modules and sensors alongside various libraries for said modules, many libraries are connecting Arduino boards to other software such as MATLAB, Simulink, LabVIEW, and even Python. Don't worry if you don't know how to program in C or if you need to use a computer environment for your project; Arduino makes it simple. Today you can buy an Arduino UNO for a very low cost, and easily connect sensors and operators to your computer. No longer will you need expensive DAQ cards.

6. Besides all the positive capabilities of Arduino hardware and software, we should mention that the Arduino platform is somewhat educational and essentially one of the goals of this platform was to educate electronics to all. This platform's educational goals include an easy-to-use programming language, numerous tutorials, libraries, and the Arduino Forum community for sharing information and supporting Arduino users.

Disadvantages of Arduino:

1. Having mentioned the advantage of Arduino, it is only fair to mention some of its disadvantages. A variety of boards with different applications can be a strength for Arduino, but the lack of an inclusive board that incorporates most of these features can be a disadvantage. DUE has the best features of all Arduino boards; however, its size is inconvenient for many projects. Furthermore, this board lacks Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. In general, Arduino's products haven't paid much attention to IoT and industrial boards. In terms of price, Arduino boards designed for these fields cannot compete with competitors.

2. Another drawback of Arduino is that it can only use older, less powerful ARM processors. For Arduino's prejudice in using AT processors, less power consumption and faster processing speed have been sacrificed. The production of the 101 board could be a watershed moment for Arduino, ushering in a new generation of processors.

3. Another disadvantage of Arduino is that most boards do not have the same USB port and do not use all of the microcontroller's features.

List of best Arduino Boards:

All of the Arduino boards are excellent for their respective applications; however, the "How do you select the right board for your application?" section can help you choose the best Arduino boards.

Below are some of the commonly used boards for certain applications

For entry-level:

1. Arduino UNO

 

Microcontroller	ATmega328P
USB connector	USB-B
Built-in LED Pin	13
Digital I/O Pins	14
Analog input pins	6
PWM pins	6
UART	Yes
I2C	Yes
SPI	Yes
I/O Voltage	5V
Input voltage (nominal)	7-12V
DC Current per I/O Pin	20 mA
Power Supply Connector	Barrel Plug
Clock speed	16 MHz
USB-Serial Processor	ATmega16U2 16 MHz
Memory	2KB SRAM, 32KB FLASH, 1KB EEPROM
Weight	25 g
Dimensions	53.4 mm x 68.6 mm

2. Arduino NANO

Microcontroller	ATmega328
USB connector	Mini-B USB
Built-in LED Pin	13
Digital I/O Pins	14
Analog input pins	8
PWM pins	6
UART	RX/TX
I2C	A4 (SDA), A5 (SCL)
SPI	D11 (COPI), D12 (CIPO), D13 (SCK). Use any GPIO for Chip Select (CS).
I/O Voltage	5V
Input voltage (nominal)	7-12V
DC Current per I/O Pin	20 mA
Clock speed	16 MHz
Memory	2KB SRAM, 32KB flash 1KB EEPROM
Weight	5gr
Dimensions	18 mm x 45 mm

3. Arduino Micro

Microcontroller	ATmega32u4
USB connector	Micro USB
Built-in LED Pin	13
Digital I/O Pins	20
Analog input pins	12
PWM pins	7
UART	Yes
I2C	Yes
SPI	Yes
I/O Voltage	5V
Input voltage (nominal)	7-12V
DC Current per I/O Pin	10 mA
Clock speed	6 6MHz
Memory	2.5KB SRAM, 32KB FLASH, 1KB EEPROM
Weight	13 g
Dimensions	18 mm x 48 mm

4. Arduino Leonardo

Microcontroller	ATmega32u4
USB connector	Micro USB (USB-B)
Built-in LED Pin	13
Digital I/O Pins	20
Analog input pins	12
PWM pins	7
UART	Yes
I2C	Yes
SPI	Yes
I/O Voltage	5V
Input voltage (nominal)	7-12V
DC Current per I/O Pin	10 mA
Power Supply Connector	Barrel Plug
Clock speed	16 MHz
Memory	2.5KB SRAM, 32KB FLASH, 1KB EEPROM
Weight	20 g
Dimensions	53.3 mm x 68.6 mm

 

Enhanced featured boards:

1. Arduino NANO 33 BLE

Microcontroller	nRF52840
Operating Voltage	3.3V
Input Voltage (limit)	21V
DC Current Per I/O Pin	15 mA
Clock Speed	64MHz
CPU Flash Memory	1MB (nRF52840)
SRAM	256KB (nRF52840)
EEPROM	none
Digital Input / Output Pins	14
PWM Pins	all digital pins
UART	1
SPI	1
I2C	1
Analog Input Pins	8 (ADC 12 bit 200 samples)
Analog Output Pins	Only through PWM (no DAC)
External Interrupts	all digital pins
LED_BUILTIN	13
USB	Native in the nRF52840 Processor
Dimensions	45 mm x 18 mm
Weight	5 gr (with headers)

2. Arduino NANO 33 BLE sense

Microcontroller	nRF52840
Operating Voltage	3.3V
Input Voltage (limit)	21V
DC Current Per I/O Pin	15 mA
Clock Speed	64MHz
CPU Flash Memory	1MB (nRF52840)
SRAM	256KB (nRF52840)
EEPROM	none
Digital Input / Output Pins	14
PWM Pins	all digital pins
UART	1
SPI	1
I2C	1
Analog Input Pins	8 (ADC 12 bit 200 ksamples)
Analog Output Pins	Only through PWM (no DAC)
External Interrupts	all digital pins
LED_BUILTIN	13
USB	Native in the nRF52840 Processor
IMU	LSM9DS1
Microphone	MP34DT05
Gesture, Light, Proximity	APDS9960
Barometric Pressure	LPS22HB
Temperature, Humidity	HTS221
Dimension	45 mm x 18 mm
Weight	5 gr (with headers)

For IoT based projects:

1. Arduino NANO 33 IoT

Microcontroller	SAMD21 Cortex®-M0+ 32bit low power ARM MCU
Radio Module	u-blox NINA-W102
Secure Element	ATECC608A
Operating Voltage	3.3V
Input Voltage (limit)	21V
DC Current Per I/O Pin	7 mA
Clock Speed	48MHz
CPU Flash Memory	256KB
SRAM	32KB
EEPROM	none
Digital Input / Output Pins	14
PWM PINS	11 (2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16 / A2, 17 / A3, 19 / A5)
UART	1
SPI	1
I2C	1
Analog Input Pins	8 (ADC 8/10/12 bit)
Analog Output Pins	1 (DAC 10 bit)
External Interrupts	All digital pins (all analog pins can also be used as interrput pins, but will have duplicated interrupt numbers)
LED_Builtin	13
USB	Native in the SAMD21 Processor
IMU	LSM6DS3
Dimensions	45 mm x 18 mm
Weight	5 gr (with headers)

2. Arduino UNO WiFi

Microcontroller	ATmega4809
Operating Voltage	5V
Input Voltage (Recommended)	7 - 12V
Digital I/O Pins	14 — 5 Provide PWM Output
PWM Digital I/o Pins	5
Analog Input Pins	6
DC Current Per I/O Pin	20 mA
DC Current For 3.3V Pin	50 mA
Flash Memory	48 KB (ATmega4809)
SRAM	6,144 Bytes (ATmega4809)
EEPROM	256 Bytes (ATmega4809)
Clock Speed	16 MHz
Radio Module	u-blox NINA-W102
Secure Element	ATECC608A
Inertial Measurement Unit	LSM6DS3TR
LED_BUILTIN	25
Dimension	68.6 mm x 53.4 mm
Weight	25 g

3. Arduino NANO RP2040 Connect

 

 

Microcontroller	Raspberry Pi® RP2040
USB Connector	Micro USB
Built-in LED pin	13
Digital I/O Pins	20
Analog Input Pins	8
PWM Pins	20 (Except A6, A7)
External Interrupts	20 (Except A6, A7)
Wi-Fi	Nina W102 uBlox module
Bluetooth®	Nina W102 uBlox module
Secure Element	ATECC608A-MAHDA-T Crypto IC
IMU	LSM6DSOXTR (6-axis)
Microphone	MP34DT05
UART	Yes
I2C	Yes
SPI	Yes
Circuit operating voltage	3.3V
Input Voltage (VIN)	5-21V
DC Current Per I/O Pin	4 mA
Clock Speed	133 MHz
Memory	16MB Flash IC
Nina W102 Ublox Module Memory	448 KB ROM, 520KB SRAM, 16MB Flash
Weight	6 g
Dimensions	18 mm x 45 mm

Conclusion:

In this blog, we have gone through, what is Arduino? What can you do with Arduino? Types of Arduino boards. How do you select the right board for your needs? Advantages and Disadvantages of Arduino Boards and List of best Arduino boards. So by this information, we can select the best Arduino board that will be suitable for our applications.

 

 

If you appreciate our work don't forget to share this post and leave your opinion in the comment box.

 

Please do check out other blog posts about Arduino Interfacing ACS712 with Arduino , Arduino Interfacing with Ultrasonic Sensor , LED Interfacing with Arduino , Interfacing GSM Module with Arduino , Interfacing MAX30100 Pulse Oximeter with Arduino , IR Sensor Interfacing with Arduino , How to connect ZMPT101B to Arduino and  How to use Buzzer with Arduino.

 

Make sure you check out our wide range of products and collections (we offer some exciting deals!)