Comparison of arduino and other payments. Mini-review of Arduino-compatible boards of various architectures. No deep knowledge of electronics required

Arduino is one of the the most convenient systems microcontrollers that allow an engineer to implement any of his ideas, without unnecessary problems in the software part. Everything you need is already present in free libraries, which can be downloaded from our website.

And thanks to modularity, it becomes possible to design any system, depending on the need. Starting from a simple smart device for controlling lighting and temperature in a room, and ending with smart agricultural systems. Let's figure out what Arduino modules are and what types of them exist.

First, it’s worth understanding why such modularity is necessary at all. After all, it would seem that Arduino is just a microcontroller to which any third-party sensor can be adapted. But in reality, everything is not so simple, precisely because of the software part and other features of the system, therefore, to expand the functionality, there are special Arduino modules that allow you to adapt the MK to any needs of the person who uses it. This is the main function that explains the need for modularity; in addition to it, there are other reasons for this decision:

1. Standardized sensor set with the same characteristics allows you to write universal solutions for various situations. Thus, if you want to implement a project, you do not need to learn a programming language on your own and create a unique electrical circuit. In most cases, a ready-made system or some of its parts are freely available; the engineer just has to arrange them correctly, which significantly saves time when implementing ideas.
2. Easy to work with Arduino. The standardization already described above allows you to be sure that the sensor or special module you purchased will not need to be connected using additional cables or adapters. Although sometimes it becomes necessary to solder a platform for Arduino yourself, in most cases you can purchase a ready-made one for specific modules and needs. Moreover, there are universal boards that fully reveal the capabilities of the modular system.

Species

Conventionally, modules for Arduino can be divided into two giant camps, which already have their own branches:

1. Sensors. A variety of systems or controllers that allow you to read, send and process information. Although the latter are sometimes classified as the second class of modules, due to their close connection with input/output devices, it is better to classify them as sensors, especially since they often perform two functions at once. All these devices are aimed at expanding the hardware functionality of the system, for example, to enable Arduino to read the distance to an object or air humidity, which is simply necessary for many systems.
2. Modules, expanding the computing power of the project. These are various memory cards, additional buffers for operations and auxiliary multi-threaded processors. These also include variations of the microcontroller itself, the characteristics of which vary from version to version. They are aimed specifically at improving the capabilities of the software part of the system, for example, additional memory cards allow you to store more information in various codecs in order to play some audio tracks. They are especially necessary when designing complex systems with neural networks or in robotics, which also uses Arduino.

The sensors themselves are separately divided into:

1. Devices for entering or receiving information. These are various scanners that allow you to obtain data about the environment, be it the level of light or air humidity. With their help, it is possible to enter various variables, depending on which the system will determine its further actions. They are the basis for most systems, and without them it is impossible to implement any smart device. The simplest example would be the same distance sensor, although there are several types.
2. Information processing devices. Often they are already built into the previous type, which is why they are considered combined, but often such modules are installed separately. They have a small amount of memory or are sold without it at all, and are capable of performing only simple intermediate operations. Even the Arduino microcontroller can be considered a similar module. different versions, but they should not be confused with devices that expand the computing capabilities of the main controller, because they are the ones who perform the operations.
3. Information output devices. Most associate it with a simple LCD screen, although this is far from the only type of these devices. Necessary for displaying calculation results, for receiving feedback from the system and testing various functionality. They are auditory, visual and tactile, corresponding to each of the human senses. They can also be combined with the first two types, becoming a hybrid addition to the microcontroller.

There are also types of add-ons, without strict typing, since they are difficult to attribute to any specific group of devices. This happens either because of the narrow focus of their functionality, or because of the initial hybridity of the modules.

These include various devices for transmitting information over a network or other protocols, since, on the one hand, they expand the software functionality of the product, using protocols that cannot be implemented through standard hardware capabilities, and on the other hand, they complement the latter.

Specifications, features and functions

Technical characteristics and functionality directly depend on the module purchased by the user, so it is impossible to highlight specific properties of the products. Their only common feature is a special pinout for connecting to Arduino platforms, without which it would be impossible or extremely difficult to communicate between the microcontroller and the device. Otherwise, all characteristics are extremely variable and depend on device to device.

Examples of popular Arduino modules

Ultrasonic range finderHC-SR04

The most popular ultrasonic sensor that works on the following principle: sends ultrasonic wave, counts the time it will take for her to return. We know the speed of sound and the time it took for the wave to return, and then we calculate the distance to the object. This module is quite cheap, the measurement range is from 2 cm to 4 meters.

Infrared range finderSharp

Sharp rangefinders with a working range from 20 cm to 1.5 meters are also quite widely used. The price of such modules is higher than that of sound rangefinders.

Temperature and humidity module DHT11

This Arduino module measures temperature in the range from 0 to +50 °C and humidity from 20 to 90%. Often used to measure data in a room or greenhouse. It is also very popular when creating climate control systems or smart homes.

Barometer BMP085 or BMP180

Using the Barometer module, you can determine atmospheric pressure from 30 to 110 kPa. Used to create analogue weather stations based on Arduino.

Soil moisture sensor module FC-28

The module measures the moisture content of the soil or environment into which it is inserted. Consists of two parts. It is used for automated watering of plants.

Bluetooth HC06

Helps organize wireless communication Arduino with computer, phone or other devices.

How to connect

The modules are connected using the same pinout, but not directly to the MK. Often, special platforms with tracks are used for this, which are made by the engineers themselves or ordered separately.

In the first case, a chemical method for making circuit boards using strong alkalis is most often used. The tracks are drawn in advance, and a resistant material is glued onto them, using, for example, a copper board as a basis. Then, due to a chemical reaction, everything except the protected areas that serve as current conductors is oxidized.

Price

The cost of additional sensors and other devices is also extremely variable; it can start from 50 cents and end in tens of dollars. Everything directly depends on where you order them, the specific variety and many other factors, so it is impossible to give some kind of arithmetic average for their price.

How to choose Arduino′ This question arises for everyone who decided to create a project using Arduino for the first time. We decided on the necessary details: sensors, sensors, modules, etc., and were faced with a considerable assortment of Arduino boards, in addition, each board also has two or three analogues. Some people think that the more expensive and more powerful the better, they purchase serious solutions, such as Arduino Due, and then they realize that not all sketches work on it, and it is difficult for them to cope with the full power of this device on their own. Others take the opposite path and face resource constraints (memory, pins, ports, clock speed, power). How to find that golden mean? Let's try to figure it out...

Pay	Pros	Cons
Arduino Uno functionality like ProMini and Nano	The board is the most common in the Arduino family; the largest number of lessons have been created for it. Thanks to the presence of a DIP panel, you can change the microcontroller	With the same functionality as Arduino ProMini, Nano and Micro, the board is many times larger in size
Arduino Mega 2560	Shields created for Arduino UNO are suitable Maximum quantity conclusions Expanded capacity of all types of memory	Cannot be installed on Breadboard without using wires
Arduino Leonardo functionality like MICRO	Shields created for Arduino UNO are suitable The board is an improved version of Arduino UNO and works with most of its sketches	Cannot be installed on Breadboard without using wires Some sketches created under Arduino Uno do not work on Leonardo, because... different microcontrollers are used
Arduino Due	Number of pins like Arduino Mega Two analog outputs have been implemented Uses a powerful 32-bit microcontroller with clock frequency 84MHz	Cannot be installed on Breadboard without using wires Most large size boards throughout the Arduino family Not all sketches provide such a high clock frequency Not everything is shield provide for the transmission of signals with a limit voltage of 3.3V Supply voltage 3.3V
Arduino ProMini 3.3V functionality like Nano and UNO		The lowest clock frequency of a microcontroller, only 8 MHz Supply voltage 3.3V
Arduino ProMini 5V functionality like Nano and UNO	Can be used to design diagrams on Breadboard The smallest board in the Arduino family Supplied without soldered pin contacts, allowing surface mounting	Shields created for Arduino UNO are not suitable There is no USB controller, which requires an external programmer
Arduino NANO V3.0 functionality like ProMini and UNO	Can be used to design diagrams on Breadboard The board is slightly larger than the Arduino ProMini, but has a USB port and does not require the use of an external programmer	Shields created for Arduino UNO are not suitable Implementation USB port controller, led to an increase in the amount of flash memory allocated for the bootloader (compared to Arduino ProMini)
Arduino MICRO functionality like Leonardo	Can be used to design diagrams on Breadboard The board is slightly larger than the Arduino Nano, but has all the functionality of the Arduino Leonardo It is possible to simulate various USB devices when connected to a PC (the board will be detected as a mouse, keyboard, etc.)	Shields created for Arduino UNO are not suitable Transferring the USB controller function to the microcontroller led to an increase in the amount of flash memory allocated for the bootloader

The first question influencing the choice of Arduino- what project do you want to implement?

If you want to create a ready-made project, kindly provided by other developers, then the logical purchase would be the Arduino on which the project was originally created. It is worth noting here the fact that now, in the Russian Federation, Arduino boards are distributed under the Geduino brand . That is, as you correctly understood, Arduino Micro differs from Geduino Micro in name and logo (this is not an analogue), as written on the official website. And since the latter is cheaper, the choice is obvious.

If you haven't decided on a project, but want to purchase an Arduino for your own experiments, then an important factor is the quantity various examples on the network, under one or another Arduino. The undoubted leader here is Arduino UNO , this is explained by the fact that this board is the oldest in the Arduino line, but is not outdated, since it has undergone quite a few changes since its creation.

If you are planning to implement your own project, then the choice of Arduino should be approached by method of elimination. If your project has modules with pins for Arduino Uno, then exclude Arduino ProMini 3.3V, Arduino ProMini 5V, an analogue of Arduino Nano), but may have another USB type connector, slightly different in size, have a different USB controller, a different type of microcontroller case, board color, etc. Here you need to understand that these boards repeat the functionality of their original (to which they are similar in name), since they use the same ATmega microcontroller of the same series. The dimensions of the board, the microcontroller housing and the type of USB port can be determined from the photo. And the presence of “CH340G” in the name means that the USB controller is not a standard FTDI chip for Arduino, but its analogue CH340G, therefore, to connect such an Arduino to a computer, you need to install a driver for the CH340G chip. These boards are suitable for those who believe that a one-time driver installation is not an inconvenience, and the reduced price is an advantage over the original name.

Among all the variety of Arduino boards, it is difficult for a beginner to choose the right one. In addition to official boards such as Arduino UNO, Nano, MEGA, there are also Arduino-compatible boards such as Digispark, Electronic Troops, Seeeduino, Freeduino, Robocraft and others. What is their difference and which Arduino board to choose? Let's find out!

Shield compatibility and main differences

Perhaps this characteristic is on par with the following: memory size, clock frequency and type of microcontroller used. Arduino clone boards can be divided in similarity with base boards Arduino UNO, MEGA and others. The most common is UNO; in fact, most clones are associated with it. Compatibility with shields is ensured by the location of the terminal blocks and the layout of the printed circuit board.

The size of the original UNO board is 6.9x5.3 cm, the sizes of boards from third-party manufacturers may differ, but the location of the terminal blocks and the distance between the connectors should remain the same. In this case, the board will be compatible with standard shields of any origin.

If we are talking in the context of “Arduino”, most likely this is the version that is meant. There may be no differences between the original and the clone, i.e. a complete copy, and the only difference may be the color of the board’s coating and the method of firmware. The USB-serial converter, on the same UNO, is made on a microcontroller, while on the original NANO - on a 232nd chip, and on the Chinese one - on CH340, there are also UNO with such converters, more on that later.

On the other hand, the differences may include power supply circuits, additional driver chips built into the board, protective circuits, isolation circuits, port expanders on shift registers etc.

The concept of Arduino-compatible means that it uses the appropriate programming language, but it is not necessarily compatible with shields. An example of such a board is Lillypad.

The board is compatible with the Arduino language, but not compatible with shields. If you need to connect them, you need to connect them manually to the corresponding pins. By the way, this board is aimed at wearable devices, as an option for smart clothing. This board is produced by SparkFun.

Review of boards and tips for their use

A large number of modifications and third-party boards are not plagiarism or fake. This happened because Arduino has an open policy, which allows you to make modifications to the design and assemble kits with free configurations intended for specialized areas:

Robotics;

Automation;

For training, etc.

The names of the boards usually contain the prefix “Duino”, like craftduino or DCduino, and the board model may have the same name, like the same DCduino UNO, if it is supplemented, then there will be another prefix or a completely different word describing the additional functions. In addition to the above, you should pay attention to the supply voltage and logic levels; they can be 3.3 and 5 V.

To begin with, you definitely need to take a common board - Arduino UNO-like or Nano, the first costs about 5 dollars, the second is a little cheaper - 3-5 dollars.

If you come across a model called Duemilanove, it is a complete analogue of UNO. The only differences are in the method of communication with the computer; I mentioned above that on UNO it is organized on an additional microcontroller - Atmega8u2, Duemilanove communicates with the computer via FT232RL.

Let's move on to the review of the boards. In the photo below these are complete Arduino clones; below we will look at the upgraded boards.

An excellent clone of UNO, the main difference is the presence of additional contacts of the “GVS” (ground-voltage-signal) connector. This is not exactly a connector, but rather the order in which the wires are placed in the connector. This is how many sensors and other peripherals are connected.

But in a standard comb, the contacts are located differently, and you will definitely not have enough power contacts (Vcc and Gnd), you will have to twist the wires, or use a solderless breadboard for connection. The Iteaduino developers anticipated this and solved the problem by duplicating the male contacts in the correct sequence.

If you haven’t found such a board, you’ll have to buy a shield, but working with it is not so convenient, especially since it’s better for a beginner when there are fewer parts.

Such boards make it possible to reduce the size and weight of the final product by reducing the number of shields.

Another uno-like board with the ability to connect to the network via cable and install a micro SD card. Although there is an Ethernet shield, but again, it will increase the volume occupied by the board in the case and the weight of the product. Board, but it does not have a USB interface.

For firmware, you need to additionally purchase a USB-UART converter like this, for example, its comb fits the same one on the Arduino Ethernet board.

Leonardo and Esplora

The Arduino model is for those who need a lot of analog inputs for reading analog sensors, there are 12 of them here, versus 6 on the UNO board.

This was achieved through the use of Atmega32u4, and not Atmega328, as on most boards they are connected to pins, those on UNO were digital: 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12.

This layout allows you to use them as before, which makes them compatible with expansion cards or connect sources analog signal. There are not 6 PWM pins here, but 7.

The need for a USB-UART converter has disappeared; the Atmega32u4 has integrated hardware USB support. An additional PoE module may be required for operation. Such boards are great for creating controllers for a PC, it supports USB HID, and can act as a mouse or keyboard or gamepad, with the appropriate wiring and parts.

Leonardo is interesting because, with the same size and compatibility with UNO, it has more functions in terms of working with PWM and analog signals.

Esplora is based on it - essentially a joystick board compatible with Arudino code and the ability to program and create a unique device. In the photo below you see such a board with an additional display (it is not included in the kit), it resembles a portable console.

MEGA and DUE

If you are planning to make an automation system for an entire house or another large-scale project, you will not have enough conclusions. The Atmega2560 controller and the Arduino board with the same name will come to the rescue; there are 54 digital inputs and outputs and 16 analogue ones. This is more than 2 times more than those we reviewed above. Corresponding large shields are sold for it.

UNO shields are conditionally compatible. You just need to edit the location of the pins in the libraries, because their numbering is different.

If you need even more features, it's worth changing the architecture. Arduino DUE is not built on the AVR8 family of microcontrollers, but on the ARM CORTEX-M3. This is a 32-bit controller. 54 digital and 12 analog channels will help you implement a big project. 4 UART interfaces, SPI, Twin-Wire, JTAG. 512 kB flash, 96 SRAM, 32 bits - all this is needed for high speed execution of complex programs.

Let me remind you that atmega328 has only 32 kB of flash memory and 2 kB of SRAM

ATTENTION:

The power supply and logic level voltage are 3.3 V, if you want to kill the DUE, apply 5 V to it.

The smallest arduinos

For those who value mobility, there are a number of official boards and one very interesting Arduino-compatible one. They are suitable for those who want to design a hidden device or a wearable (portable) one. Let's take a closer look at them.

The current version is Arduino Nano v3.0. Of the small ones, it is the most convenient; a Mini-b USB cable is used for firmware, but Chinese copies They often use a micro-USB connector, which is very common for connecting a smartphone to a computer or charging it.

In terms of the number and purpose of pins, it is similar to UNO, but is not compatible with shields. By the way, there are specialized shields for nano (the Chinese do everything you can imagine). Most often, Chinese copies use CH340G to communicate with a computer via USB. Personally, the driver did not install automatically on Windows 8.1, the problem was solved after 2 minutes of searching on Google for the name of the chip, then everything went like clockwork.

A little more than nano. Micro and nano are great for placement on a breadboard, almost always making circuit assembly and installation more convenient. Otherwise, everything is similar to the previous one; the only differences are in the board layout.

Arduino mini - does not work via USB

The smallest board, similar in functionality to “unks” and “nanks”, is “mini”. It's funny that the smallest board, judging by the name, should be larger than “nano”. It turned out the other way around. Size savings were achieved by eliminating the USB communication node (rs232, ch340g and the like) and the connector itself. For this purpose, there are contact pads for connecting via a serial interface.

Firmware is installed using USB-serial (usb-uart) adapters. If you are going to work with microcontrollers, it is worth purchasing it, it can be useful in many places.

It can be supplied either with soldered contact pads or simply included in the kit for self-installation.

An interesting development by Digispark. Its form factor resembles a flash drive; you don’t need a cable to flash it; it plugs itself into the computer’s USB port.

At your disposal are only 6 pins (3 PWM and 4 analog, I2C), 8 KB of flash memory for programs, 512 bytes of ROM and RAM, 2 KB of memory, as usual, are occupied by the bootloader, so only 6 KB are available to you.

When flashing, 2 digital pins (P3, P4) are used for USB, but you can use them after flashing, when you disconnect them from the computer. Pay attention to the pinout - it is written in back side boards in the picture on the right. To work with it you need to configure the IDE.

A few more features:

1. pin P5 is “RESET”, if you apply a logical zero to it, the board will reboot, aka A0, i.e. the first analog input, the signal can be read in ranges greater than 1.2 V, since everything below is perceived as “zero” and a reboot occurs. A questionable pin in general, but if you think about how to use it, and whether the measured signal even reaches zero, then everything is not so bad.

2. Forget about monitoring the port, there is no Serial as such, so you won’t be able to debug the board from a computer. This can be avoided - if you spend more time on design, or use external measuring instruments- test lamps, multimeters, oscilloscopes.

Conclusion

I hope this article helped you decide on the choice of board. I tried to look at it as much as possible wide range Arduino in a small amount of text, it makes no sense to examine each board in detail, because they are almost the same, with the exception of different additions.

Arduino Pro Mini with supply voltage 5 V

Pro Min Controller i - module compatible with Arduino IDE manufactured by Sparkfun. It belongs to the class of basic Arduino modules used in the design of microelectronics based on the ATmega368 Pro Min microcontroller i- a tool for developing electronics that interact with the environment, as opposed to personal computers, not beyond the scope of virtuality. Used for designing systems with the ability to receive data from various sensors and control the operation of various devices.
Arduino Pro Mini is a basic open source microcontroller module. Devices assembled using Pro Mini can work independently or interact with programs located on a personal computer.

The software development environment is available for free download. Software Arduino runs on Windows, Macintosh and Linux. Shell Arduino programming Suitable for both beginner and experienced developers. Family Arduino programs constantly updated experienced users and available online.

Characteristics

Supply voltage 5-12 V
Clock frequency 16 MHz
Memory size
for programs, flash type 32 KB, where 2 KB is occupied by the bootloader
RAM 2 KB
long-term preservation data occurs in EEPROM 1 KB
Maximum current through pin 40 mA
Board dimensions 18 x 33 mm

Nutrition

A fragment of the module circuit containing the power circuit.

Power can be connected to the Arduino Pro Mini module in several ways. An unstabilized voltage in the range of 5-12 V is supplied to the RAW pin. Stabilized 5V per VCC pin. Via an FTDI cable to the second VCC pin located at the end of the board. Do not apply more than 5V to the VCC pin.

Location and name of contacts.

There are 14 digital bidirectional contacts. Power pull-up resistors are located inside the MK; they are initially disabled by software.
An external interrupt is provided on inputs 2 and 3. They are configured to different logic levels and pulse edges to detect the interrupt signal.
Available interfaces
USART: 0 - RX and 1 - TX
SPI: 10 - SS, 11 - MOSI, 12 - MISO, 13 - SCK.
I2C: A4 - SDA, A5 - SCL.
There are 8 ADC inputs with a resolution of 10 bits. The default measurement limit is 5 V. The limit is changed using the analogReference() procedure using the reference potential from the REF pin or the internal reference potentials of the microcontroller.
At the RST input, level 0 causes the MCU to reboot.

Indication

There are two LEDs on the Arduino Pro Mini board. One of them is the power-on indicator. The second is an LED turned on logic high on pin 13.

USB connection

To connect to a computer, a special cable containing a USB-USART interface converter is used. The microcontroller contains a USART interface, its RX and TX signals are output to the end of the board. A special cable connects to these inputs of the Arduino Pro Mini, as well as the VCC and GND pins. In this case, 5 V power is supplied to the module from the personal computer. The order in which the contacts are connected must be taken into account. The correct USART connection is made according to the following scheme:
RX - TX,
TX - RX.
Chinese comrades sometimes violate the classic naming of USART signals, observing the same name. It may turn out that your module needs to be connected RX - RX, TX - TX.
There are connectors that also have the very important DTR pin. The signal on this contact automatically generates a reset signal before updating the program in the MK. Without resetting at the right moment at the beginning of recording, the program cannot be recorded new program.

Programming previous version Arduino Pro Mini.

Recording a program in in-circuit programming mode

Connecting Arduino Pro Mini to the ISP6PIN connector of the programmer.

The module can be successfully used in other ways component Arduino designer, and as an ATmega368 microcontroller module for recording programs written in various software packages. For example, AVRstudio and others. In this case, you will have to say goodbye to the Arduino bootloader. The connection to the programmer serial interface pins is made as shown in the diagram. Programming in this case falls into the in-circuit category.
This circuit is used to update and restore the Arduino bootloader.

Application

Due to its small size and weight, Arduino Pro Mini is widely used to control all kinds of robots. Mini mass and dimensions are especially valuable in flying machines. In addition to robotics, the module will be an excellent tool for university students studying microcontrollers. When used together with other devices from the Arduino constructor, you can assemble systems in the “smart home” category.

The original Arduino was designed for one specific task, and it did that task to perfection. With the success of the first original Arduino board, the company decided to create more projects, some of them for very specific applications. Additionally, since the original Arduino design was open-licensed, several companies and individuals have developed their own Arduino-compatible expansion boards, or following open source principles have proposed their own modifications to Arduino. Arduino started a certification program to ensure compatibility with boards that use different processors, and Intel Galileo was the first to receive such certification. Anyone can make their own Arduino-compatible device, but the Arduino name and logo are reserved as a trademark. Thus, you will find many boards with names ending in "uino", implying compatibility.

Arduino has made the board design open source, but they still manufacture the boards themselves. These boards are known as official boards. Other companies also make Arduino compatible boards.

Arduino Uno

is a standard Arduino board and perhaps the most common. It is based on the Atmel ATmega328 chip, which has 32 KB of flash memory, 2 KB of SRAM and 1 KB of EEPROM memory on board. On the periphery it has 14 discrete (digital) input/output channels and 6 analog input/output channels; these are very versatile and useful devices that allow you to cover most amateur tasks in the field of microcontroller technology. The ATmega16u2 chip on board controls the serial communication. This controller board is one of the cheapest and most commonly used. When planning a new project, if you are unfamiliar with the Arduino platform, I recommend starting with Uno.

Arduino Leonardo

Platform a little different from Uno. Based on the ATmega32u4, this microcontroller has advanced USB capabilities and hence does not require a separate microchip for USB serial communication like the Uno. This means less cost; Fewer chips equals a cheaper solution. This also means that a developer can use the microcontroller as a native USB devices, increases flexibility when communicating with a computer. Leonardo can effectively emulate keyboard and mouse via USB HID.

Arduino Ethernet

ATmega 328 based Arduino Ethernet platform taken from Uno , can connect to the network Ethernet ,functionality needed in many projects. Physically, platform Arduino Ethernet has the same 14-digit inputs/outputs as Arduino Uno, with the exception that 4 are used to control the module Ethernet and built-in micro-reader SD cards, limiting the number of available pins.

It is interesting to note that Arduino Ethernet has an additional module POE (Power Over Ethernet ). This option allows Arduino Ethernet powered directly from the mains Ethernet , without the need for an external power source, provided that the power POE connected at the other end of the cable Ethernet Without POE Arduino must be powered with external source nutrition.

Another difference from other boards Arduino - this is the absence of a connector USB . Because quite a lot of space is taken up by the connector Ethernet , but the device supports communications through regular pins.

Arduino Mega 2560

It's just a little longer than the Arduino Uno, but it has significantly more I/O channels. She has a total of 54 digital lines I/O and 16 analog inputs. It also has a large amount of flash memory: 256 KB, which allows you to store larger programs than the Uno. It also has considerable SRAM and EEPROM: 8 KB and 4 KB, respectively. It also has 4 hardware UART ports, making it an ideal platform for communicating with multiple devices in parallel.

Arduino Mega boards are used where a large number of inputs and outputs are needed.

Arduino Mini

The Arduino Mini is a tiny device used in projects that require maximum space saving. It contains 14 digital inputs/outputs and 4 analogue input pins. (Four more are available, but not released.) The device is so miniaturized that it has neither a USB connector, nor a power regulator, nor even a comb for connecting peripherals. Programming is carried out using external USB or RS232 via TTL serial adapter.

Arduino Micro

fully corresponds to its name; This is one of the smallest boards from the Arduino line. Despite its small size, it still has a large number of input and output pins; it has 20 digital I/O channels, of which 7 can be used as PWM outputs. It also has 12 analog inputs. The micro is not designed for extension with connected shields, but it has such an arrangement of comb pins that it is convenient to place it directly on the breadboard.

Arduino Due

The Arduino Due controller differs from all Arduinos in that it is not based on an AVR, but on an Atmel SAM3X8E chip ARM architecture Cortex-M3. This advanced microcontroller operates at 84 MHz and is a full 32-bit device. It has a large number of discrete and analog inputs/outputs: 54 digital channel(12 of which can be used as PWM) and 12 analog inputs. The board has 4 UARTs, an SPI port, a Twin-Wire interface, and also includes a JTAG port.

The Arduino Due has higher power requirements and is powered at 3.3V. Be careful not to apply 5V to any of the conclusions: otherwise, you may burn the board. When choosing an expansion shield for the Due, make sure it supports 3.3V power.

The Arduino Due is an incredibly powerful Arduino. Due has 512 KB of flash memory on board and a total of 96 KB of SRAM. It can handle the largest programs at high speed. If you need powerful computing processes, then this Arduino is for you.

LilyPad Arduino

LilyPad Arduino is quite an interesting device. It falls out of the usual stereotypes about a regular Arduino, because it has a round rather than rectangular shape. Secondly, it does not support mechanical connections to shields. It is intended for small stand-alone devices. The round shape dictates that the connectors are evenly distributed around the circumference, and its small size (2 inches in diameter) makes it ideal for portable devices. This device is easy to hide, and several manufacturers have developed devices specifically for the LilyPad: screens, light sensors, even battery boxes that can be sewn into fabric. In order to make the LilyPad as small and as light as possible, some sacrifices were made. The LilyPad does not have a voltage regulator on board, so it will need to provide at least 2.7 volts and no more than 5.5 volts to power it; otherwise, it will be zilch.

Arduino Pro

The Arduino Pro controller is announced in two versions, based on ATmega168 and ATmega328. The 168 version operates at 3.3 V with a clock speed of 8 MHz, andversion 328 operates at 5 V and 16 MHz. Both versions have 14 digital inputs/outputs and 6 analogue inputs. The controller has a JST battery power connector, a switch to select between power modes, and space allocated for a power module if necessary. The board does not have a USB port, but instead uses an FTDI cable forprogramming.

Arduino Pro differs from most other Arduinos in that it is a separate independent development board, it can also be used to expand the functionality of other controllers as a shield. It is produced without ports and the usual combs. All digital and analog inputs and outputs are located along the edges of the board, maintaining the standard Arduino hole layout, ready for soldering combs or wires as needed. Instead of being used for prototyping new projects, Arduino Pro is aimed more at final assembly into finished products. Arduino Pro was not developed by Arduino itself, but was developed and launched by SparkFun Electronics.

Arduino Robot

Arduino Robot is, simply put, Arduino on wheels. It consists of two controller boards - one controls the engines on board, and the other processes sensor signals. The control controller gives instructions to the motor control board what to do.

The control board is controlled by ATmega32u4 chip, with 32KB flash, 2.5KB SRAM and 1 KB EEPROM memory. It also has an external I2C EEPROM device, providing more storage space. On board there is a compass, speaker, three LEDs, a five-button keyboard and an LCD screen. It also has three solder pins for external I2C devices. It also has separate I/O channels, with five digital I/O, six PWM and four analog inputs. Space is left for eight analog inputs (for distance sensors,ultrasonic sensors or others) and six discrete inputs/outputs for other devices (four of which can be used for analog input).

The motor board is completely independent, based on ATmega32u4, that is, on the same chip as the control board. The motor board contains two motors with wheels, powered separately, five IR sensors, I2C and SPI ports. It also contains a battery pack that holds four batteries type AA, and also contains a socket for recharging batteries on board. The board can also be powered from the USB connector, but in this configuration, for some safety reasons, the motors are disabled.

Arduino Esplora

Arduino Esplora is a rather strange device. Most Arduino boards are designed to be stationary on a table or panel, but Esplora is designed to be held by hand. Based on ATmega32u4, it is not geometrically compatible with shields and does not have on-board contacts for inputs and outputs. Instead, it looks and feels like a gamepad in your hands; it has a thumb cursor in the form of four discrete buttons, one analog joystick, and also a linear potentiometer. As feedback A buzzer and a three-color LED are provided. Esplora also has the following sensors: it has an on-board microphone, temperature sensor, LCD connector and a three-axis accelerometer. Esplora has 32 KB of flash memory; 4 KB are used by the bootloader. There is also 2.5 KB of SRAM and 1 KB of EEPROM memory. For compatibility of Esplora with other controllers, there are 4 TinkerKit connectors: with two inputs and two outputs.

The Arduino Yun platform is based on the ATmega32u4 chip, but it also has the Atheros AR9331 on the same board. The Atheros processor has full Linux distribution, based on OpenWRT, operating system common in wireless routers on Linux. The Arduino Yun board has built-in Ethernet and WiFi, as well as a micro-SD slot. Yun differs from other Arduinos and shields in that it has serious networking functionality; Arduino can send commands to OpenWRT and continue processing its sketch. Both processors operate independently; the existing communication library facilitates communication between the two processors.

Arduino Tre

Arduino Tre is just slated to go into production but promises to become a phenomenal monster in the field of amateur controllers. Up to this point, the fastest Arduino was the Due, an ARM-compatible microcontroller. Tre, created by Arduino and BeagleBoard, combines power full computer with the flexibility of I/O channels of Arduino platforms. The Tre will have a Cortex-A8 processor called Sitara AM335X clocked at 1GHz. This processor has access to 512 MB RAM and has an HDMI port capable of displaying Full HD (1920 x 1080). All this power is coupled to a developer interface powered by the Atmel ATmega32u4 using the fan-favorite Arduino programming environment.

Arduino Zero

Arduino Zero is a new Arduino based on the Atmel SAM D21 microcontroller chip. It has 256 KB of flash memory, 32 KB of RAM, and runs at 48 MHz. Arduino Zero is designed to meet the future needs of the development community by offering a design that is both powerful, reliable, and flexible enough to be used in robotics and handheld projects.