Which Arduino board is right for you?

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Picking an Arduino is as easy as Uno, Due, Tre! 

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Thinking about starting a project? See which Arduino board is right for the job.

Arduino Uno

This popular board — based on the ATmega328 MCU — features 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator, USB connection, power jack, an ICSP header and a reset button.

The Uno does not use the FTDI USB-to-serial driver chip. Instead, it features the ATmega16U2 (ATmega8U2 up to version R2) programmed as a USB-to-serial converter.

In addition, Revision 3 of the Uno offers the following new features:

• 
1.0 pinout: added SDA and SCL pins that are near to the AREF pin and two other new pins placed near to the RESET pin, the IOREF that allow the shields to adapt to the voltage provided from the board. Note: The second is not a connected pin.
• 
Stronger RESET circuit.
• ATmega16U2 replace the 8U2.

Arduino Leonardo

The Arduino Leonardo is built around the versatile ATmega32U4. This board offers 20 digital input/output pins (of which 7 can be used as PWM outputs and 12 as analog inputs), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, microUSB connection, power jack, an ICSP header and a reset button.

The Leonardo contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started. Plus, the ATmega32U4 offers built-in USB communication, eliminating the need for a secondary processor. This allows it to appear as a mouse and keyboard, in addition to being recognized as a virtual (CDC) serial / COM port.

Arduino Due

The Arduino Due is an MCU board based on the Atmel | SMART SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU.

As the first Arduino built on a 32-bit ARM core microcontroller, Due boasts 54 digital input/output pins (of which 12 can be used as PWM outputs), 12 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), an 84 MHz clock, USB OTG capable connection, 2 DAC (digital to analog), 2 TWI, a power jack, an SPI header, a JTAG header, a reset button and an erase button.

Unlike other Arduino boards, the Due runs at 3.3V. The maximum voltage that the I/O pins can tolerate is 3.3V. Providing higher voltages, like 5V to an I/O pin, could damage the board.

Arduino Yún

The Arduino Yún features an ATmega32U4, along with an Atheros AR9331 that supports a Linux distribution based on OpenWRT known as Linino.

The Yún has built-in Ethernet and Wi-Fi support, a USB-A port, a microSD card slot, 20 digital input/output pins (of which 7 can be used as PWM outputs and 12 as analog inputs), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, microUSB connection, an ICSP header and 3 reset buttons. The Yún is also capable of communicating with the Linux distribution onboard, offering a powerful networked computer with the ease of Arduino.

In addition to Linux commands like cURL, Makers and engineers can write their own shell and python scripts for robust interactions. The Yún is similar to the Leonardo in that the ATmega32U4 offers USB communication, eliminating the need for a secondary processor. This enables the Yún to appear as a mouse and keyboard, in addition to being recognized as a virtual (CDC) serial?COM port.

Arduino Micro

Developed in conjunction with Adafruit, the Arduino Micro is powered by ATmega32U4.

The board is equipped 20 digital input/output pins (of which 7 can be used as PWM outputs and 12 as analog inputs), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, microUSB connection, a ICSP header and a reset button. The Micro includes everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a microUSB cable to get started. The Micro even has a form factor that lets the device be easily placed on a breadboard.

Arduino Robot

The Arduino Robot is the very first official Arduino on wheels. The robot is equipped with two processors — one for each of its two boards.

The motor board drives the motors, while the control board is tasked with reading sensors and determining how to operate. Each of the ATmega32u4 based units are fully-programmable using the Arduino IDE. More specifically, configuring the robot is similar to the process with the Arduino Leonardo, as both MCUs offer built-in USB communication, effectively eliminating the need for a secondary processor. This enables the Robot to appear to a connected computer as a virtual (CDC) serial?COM port.

Arduino Esplora

The Arduino Esplora is an ATmega32u4 powered microcontroller board derived from the Arduino Leonardo. It’s designed for Makers and DIY hobbyists who want to get up and running with Arduino without having to learn about the electronics first.

The Esplora features onboard sound and light outputs, along with several input sensors, including a joystick, slider, temperature sensor, accelerometer, microphone and a light sensor. It also has the potential to expand its capabilities with two Tinkerkit input and output connectors, along with a socket for a color TFT LCD screen.

Arduino Mega (2560)

The Arduino Mega features an ATmega2560 at its heart.

It is packed with 54 digital input/output pins (of which 15 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header and a reset button. Simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started. The Mega is compatible with most shields designed for the Arduino Duemilanove or Diecimila.

Arduino Mini

Originally based on the ATmega168, and now equipped with the ATmega328, the Arduino Mini is intended for use on breadboards and projects where space is at a premium.

The board is loaded with 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 8 analog inputs and a 16 MHz crystal oscillator. It can be programmed with the USB Serial adapter, the other USB, or the RS232 to TTL serial adapter.

Arduino LilyPad

The LilyPad Arduino is designed specifically for wearables and e-textiles. It can be sewn to fabric and similarly mounted power supplies, sensors and actuators with conductive thread.

The board is based on the ATmega168V (the low-power version of the ATmega168) or the ATmega328V. The LilyPad Arduino was designed and developed by Leah Buechley and SparkFun Electronics. Readers may also want to check out the LilyPad Simple, LilyPad USB and the LilyPad SimpleSnap.

Arduino Nano

The Arduino Nano is a tiny, complete and breadboard-friendly board based on the ATmega328 (Arduino Nano 3.x) or ATmega168 (Arduino Nano 2.x).

The Nano has more or less the same functionality of the Arduino Duemilanove, but in a different package. It lacks only a DC power jack and works with a Mini-B USB cable instead of a standard one. The board is designed and produced by Gravitech.

Arduino Pro Mini

Powered by an ATmega328, the Arduino Pro Mini is equipped with 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 8 analog inputs, an on-board resonator, a reset button and some holes for mounting pin headers.

A 6-pin header can be connected to an FTDI cable or Sparkfun breakout board to provide USB power and communication to the board. Note: See also Arduino Pro.

Arduino Fio

The Arduino Fio (V3) is a microcontroller board based on Atmel’s ATmega32U4. It has 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 8 analog inputs, an on-board resonator, a reset button and holes for mounting pin headers. It also offers connections for a lithium polymer battery and includes a charge circuit over USB. An XBee socket is available on the bottom of the board.

The Arduino Fio is intended for wireless applications. The user can upload sketches with an a FTDI cable or Sparkfun breakout board. Additionally, by using a modified USB-to-XBee adaptor such as XBee Explorer USB, the user can upload sketches wirelessly. The board comes without pre-mounted headers, facilitating the use of various types of connectors or direct soldering of wires. The Arduino Fio was designed by Shigeru Kobayashi and SparkFun Electronics.

Arduino Zero

Last year, the tandem of Atmel and Arduino debuted the Zero development board – a simple, elegant and powerful 32-bit extension of the platform. The Arduino Zero board packs an Atmel | SMART SAM D21 MCU, which features an ARM Cortex M0+ core. Additional key hardware specs include 256KB of Flash, 32KB SRAM in a TQFP package and compatibility with 3.3V shields that conform to the Arduino R3 layout.

The Arduino Zero boasts flexible peripherals along with Atmel’s Embedded Debugger (EDBG) – facilitating a full debug interface on the SAMD21 without the need for supplemental hardware. Beyond that, EDBG supports a virtual COM port that can be used for device programming and traditional Arduino bootloader functionality. This highly-anticipated board will be available for purchase from the Arduino Store in the U.S. on Monday June 15th.

Arduino AtHeart

The Arduino AtHeart program was specifically launched for Makers and companies with products based on the open-source board that would like to be clearly identified as supporters of the versatile platform. The program is available for any device that includes a processor that is currently supported by the Arduino IDE, including the following Atmel MCUs:

• ATMega328 clocked at 8 or 16 MHz
• ATMega1280 clocked at 16 MHz
• ATMega2560 clocked at 16 MHz
• ATMega32U4 clocked at 16MHz
• Atmel | SMART SAM3X

Participants in the program include startups like:

EarthMake – ArLCD

The touchscreen ArLCD combines the ezLCD SmartLCD GPU with the Arduino Uno.

Bare Conductive Touch Board

The ATmega32U4 based Touch Board can turn nearly any material or surface into a sensor by connecting it to one of its 12 electrodes, using conductive paint or anything conductive.

Blend Micro

The RedBearLab integrated dev platform “blends” the powers of Arduino with Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy into a single board. It is targeted for Makers looking to develop low-power IoT projects in a quick, easy and efficient manner. The MCU is driven by an ATmega32U4 and a Nordic nRF8001 BLE chip.

littleBits Arduino Module

The fan-favorite Arduino module, which happens to also be based on an ATmega32U4, lets users easily write programs in the Arduino IDE to read sensors and control lights and motors within the littleBits system.

Smart Citizen Kit

An Arduino-compatible motherboard with sensors that measure air composition (CO and NO2), temperature, light intensity, sound levels, and humidity. Once configured, the Smart Citizen Kit is capable of streaming data collected by the sensors over Wi-Fi.

A closer look at the Atmel-powered Arduino Due (SAM3X8E)

We are proudly celebrating Arduino Day, a global event that showcases a decade of success for the Atmel-powered boards! To mark the event, we’d like to take a closer look at the Arduino Due. Powered by Atmel’s versatile SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU, the board hit the streets back in October 2012.

The very first Arduino board based on a 32-bit ARM core microcontroller features 54 digital input/output pins (of which 12 can be used as PWM outputs), 12 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), an 84 MHz clock, USB OTG capable connection, 2 DAC (digital to analog), 2 TWI, power jack, SPI header, JTAG header, a reset button and an erase button.

Additional key specs include:

• 32-bit core allows operations on 4 bytes wide data within a single CPU clock.
• 96 KBytes of SRAM.
• 512 KBytes of Flash memory for code.
• A DMA controller capable of sharing memory intensive tasks with the CPU.

“The board contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a micro-USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started,” an Arduino rep explained on the product’s official page.

“The Due is compatible with all Arduino shields that work at 3.3V and are compliant with the 1.0 Arduino pinout. [However], the maximum voltage that the I/O pins can tolerate is 3.3V. Providing higher voltages, like 5V to an I/O pin could damage the board.”

The Arduino Due can be programmed with the Arduino software. However, the process of uploading sketches to the SAM3X is somewhat different than with other AVR-based Arduino boards, as the flash memory needs to be erased before being re-programmed. Uploads to the chip are managed by ROM on the SAM3X, which is run only when the chip’s flash memory is empty. Unlike other Arduino boards which use avrdude for uploading, the Due relies on bossac.

More specifically, either of the USB ports can be used for programming the board, though Arduino officially recommends using the programming port due to the way the erasing of the chip is handled.

The maximum length and width of the Arduino Due PCB measures 4 and 2.1 inches respectively, with the USB connectors and power jack extending beyond the former dimension. Three screw holes allow the board to be attached to a surface or case.

Last, but certainly not least, the Arduino Due is designed to be compatible with most shields designed for the Uno, Diecimila or Duemilanove. Digital pins 0 to 13 (and the adjacent AREF and GND pins), analog inputs 0 to 5, the power header, and “ICSP” (SPI) header are all in equivalent locations. In addition, the main UART (serial port) is located on the same pins (0 and 1). Nevertheless, it should be noted that I2C is not located on the same pins on the Due (20 and 21) as the Duemilanove / Diecimila (analog inputs 4 and 5).

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered Arduino Due? You can check out the official Arduino Due product page here and order the board here.

Universal Proto-Shield connects your Arduino boards

Created by Max & Duane Galactic Enterprises, the Universal Screw-Block Proto-Shield System for Arduino is designed to securely connect various Atmel-based Arduino boards to the outside world.

Supported boards currently include the Uno, Due, Leonardo and Mega.

“The great thing about Arduino boards is that they are so easy to interface to the outside world – to monitor the state of sensors and to control actuators and make things happen. As part of this, you often need to add a few components or circuits of your own, and the best way to do this is by means of a prototyping (proto) shield,” a company rep explained in a recent Kickstarter post.

“Unfortunately, most proto-shields don’t make it particularly easy to actually connect wires to and from the outside world. The Universal Screw-Block Proto-Shield System for Arduino (and chipKIT counterparts) addresses this issue by means of its easy-to-use screw-block terminals.”

Indeed, the platform features two boards as shown below. More specifically, the Master Board on the left works with Arduino Uno and Leonardo, with the Due and Mega requiring the Expansion Board on the right.

“If you are anything like us, you will have a number of Arduino-based projects on the go at the same time. Depending on your mood, you might start working on one, then swap over to another, and swap back again later. The real hassle comes when you have to unplug lots of external sensors and actuators and other devices,” the rep added.

“This is where the Universal Screw-Block Proto-Shield System for Arduino is worth its weight in gold. If you create each project on its own Proto-Shield, then you can use a single Arduino – all you have to do is quickly and easily swap your Proto-Shields in and out… [In addition], the Universal Screw-Block Proto-Shield System for Arduino allows I2C-based Uno shields to work with the other types of Arduino.”

Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s official Kickstarter page here.

Video: Playing Tekken with a piano (and Due)

Tekken is a popular fighting game franchise created, developed and published by Namco. Beginning with the original Tekken in 1994, the series has seen several sequels, spin-off titles and even three films.

According to Wikipedia, the Tekken storyline typically documents the events of the King of Iron Fist Tournament, hosted by the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation. The prize? Control of the company, allowing the winner to host the next tournament.

Recently, a modder by the name of “MC Cool” decided to put a new spin on the classic title by using an Arduino Due (SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU) paired with an Xbox 360 to create the TekkenPiano.

“The piano sends a MIDI-signal, which is transferred to an Arduino,” MC Cool explained in his Vimeo description. “[Based on] the signals, the Arduino triggers transistors, which then trigger inputs on a paewang PCB (the PCB of an arcadestick). The paewang is connected to an Xbox360, [although] you can also use it on PS3.”

Impressive!!!

Video: TinyG2 port runs on the Arduino Due

The TinyG2 is a cross-platform ARM port of the (Synthetos) TinyG motion control system that runs on the Atmel-powered Arduino Due. It is used in conjunction with the gShield – a hardware platform for Dank’s CNC motion control system – to build a high performance three-axis motion control system.

“We chose the Due as the platform for the TinyG ARM port because it’s powerful enough to really run the application well, but it’s still simple and accessible so people can extend the application and experiment with new functionality,” Alden Hart of Synthetos told Zoe Romano of the official Arduino blog.  “By and large TinyG2 works identically to TinyG, and most configuration and other questions [can be answered on] the TinyG wiki. (https://github.com/synthetos/TinyG/wiki).”

According to Hart, key G2 features include:

• Full 6 axis motion control – XYX linear axes and ABC rotary axes.
• Step outputs available for 6 motors (motors are mappable to axes).
• Jerk controlled motion for acceleration planning (S curve 3rd order motion planning).
• RESTful interface using JSON.
• Extremely stable and jitter-free 100 Khz step generation.
• Complete status and system state displays.

Interested in learning more ? Additional information about the G2 is available on the project’s official page here (https://github.com/synthetos/g2/wiki).

Open source Knitic is Arduino-based

Knitic can best be described as an open source project designed to improve control of electronic knitting machines via an Arduino-based platform. Essentially, it facilitates the easy creation and modification of complex patterns on the fly.

According to the Arduino blog, the Knitic kit comprises an Arduino Due along with a DIY printed circuit board connected to the electronic parts of the original machine. As expected, software is used to regulate needle operation.

“Arduino is A and B in our work. It means we use Arduino for many purposes, and to be honest, we [can’t] imagine our lives without it. We applied Arduino already in our first hack of knitting machines, when floppy emulation script didn’t work for us, since we had 940 and not the 930 machine, ” explained Varvara & Mar, the duo who developed Knitic.

“Hence, we connected all buttons of knitting machine keypad to Arduino and were able to program knitting machine automatically. [Clearly], Arduino [plays] a key role, because it [processes] the sensor output, energizes the [correct] solenoids according to the pattern and communicates with [our] Knitic program written in Processing.”

As previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the Arduino Due is a microcontroller board  based on Atmel’s SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU. The board boasts 54 digital input/output pins (of which 12 can be used as PWM outputs), 12 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 84 MHz clock, an USB OTG capable connection, 2 DAC (digital to analog), 2 TWI, a power jack, an SPI header, a JTAG header, a reset button and an erase button.

Additional information about the open source Knitic can be found here.

Bot-Logic Hexapod is Arduino-compatible and open source

A hexapod robot is a flexible, mechanical vehicle that navigates on six legs and is often used to try out various biological theories about locomotion, motor control and neuro-biology.

Unfortunately, many basic hexapods can’t sense they’ve reached the edge of a surface without additional, costly hardware. Servos may also burn out when weight is unevenly distributed between legs, while the energy required for servo operation can overload the typical hexapod power supply, causing the host controller to reset or fail.

Enter the Bot-Logic Hexapod, an easy-to-assemble hexapod kit and controller that enables servos to double as sensors, meaning legs and grippers can set and check applied force, allowing the ‘bot to sense surface edges and uneven servo loads.

Key Bot-Logic Hexapod specs include a switching power supply board, integrated SD card interface, on-board 2X16 LCD display, three-axis accelerometer and 12-pin expansion connectors (up to three expansion boards per ‘bot). The Bot Logic crew is also working on a number of modules, including Bluetooth, Gyro, GPS receiver and a basic prototype board.

Currently, the Bot-Logic components are available in various configurations, from basic shield-level scaling up to full kit level. Specifically, an Educational Bot-Logic Shield is priced at $169 and includes a Bot-Logic LEO Shield (control board only) for Arduino UNO and Leonardo. Next up is the Advanced Bot-Logic (DUE) Shield (control board only) with a $239 price tag for Arduino MEGA and DUE.

Meanwhile, basic kit-level backers will receive a package that allows the use of any builder-supplied MG996R-compatible servos and servo mounting hardware, along with the utilization of any battery pack within the specification of the servos selected. A further breakdown is as follows: $269 Basic Quadrapod Kit, which includes injection-molded plastic parts, Bot-Logic LEO shield and Arduino Leonardo. The Basic HexaPod Kit will cost you $359 and is packaged with injection-molded plastic parts, Bot-Logic DUE shield, Arduino Mega 2560.

The final tier is for full kit-level backers, which includes servos, servo mounting hardware and everything else needed except the 6Volt battery pack. Specifically, the Full Kit is priced at $419 and comes with injection-molded plastic parts, servos, Bot-Logic LEO shield, Arduino Leonardo. The Kit4 offers up injection-molded plastic parts, servos, Bot-Logic DUE shield, Arduino Mega 2560.

Additional information can be found on the official Bot-Logic Hexapod Kickstarter site.