15/03/2020 Arduino Boards, Compared - Tutorial Australia

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Arduino Boards, Compared

By Aidan, updated on 22 November 2018

We're going to compare each of the Arduino Boards available to Maker's and Electronics Enthusiats. We'll discuss the
features of each board, provide an informative pinout diagram with tonnes of detail, and toward the end of the article,
provide a tabulated version of the information for quick reference.

There are a bunch of Arduino boards, they come in different shapes and sizes, with different processing power, digital IO,
and other capabilities. Rather than telling you guys what to buy, we have put together a handy guide to show you the
capabilities of each board. The links below will take you to the relevant board with some really informative pinout diagrams
linked with each board, if you want a tabulated specifications for easier comparison, you'll find them at the bottom of this
article:

Uno r3
Leonardo
Micro
Nano
Mini
Mega
Due
M0 Pro
Esplora
Yun Mini

ARDUINO UNO
Uno literally means one in Italian and is the entry-level Arduino board.
Now at revision 3, the Uno has everything you need to get started with
maker electronics. An ATmega328 8-bit microcontroller at the heart of the
Uno provides:

16 MHz Clock
32 KB Flash Memory
2 KB SRAM
14 Digital I/O Pins with internal pull-up resistors (disabled by default
but can be enabled with input_pullup command)
6 Analog input Pins, a 10-bit resolution on each pin.
All the IO pins are connectable via the 0.1" pin headers.
20mA maximum current draw per pin, 200mA maximum for
ATMega328 package.
Powered via USB (5V @ 500mA) or using the Centre positive
5.5mm/2.1mm Barrel Jack connection. With the DC Barrel plug, you'll
want to use a 9-12V @ 2A DC supply such as this one

This board is a perfect choice for beginners. A removable microcontroller unit means if you damage the MCU while you
prototype, you can easily replace it. Most SHIELDs are made for use with the Uno too, this means you get direct plug-n-
play compatibility between the controller and the shield. The Uno also has optional revisions with Wi-Fi enabled, a surface-
mounted ATmega328 option and a POE enabled and non-POE enabled Ethernet capable Uno. This particular board is the
crowd favorite for experienced Arduino users and n00bz alike, and it's definitely the most popular of all the boards.

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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This Arduino Uno Pinout is licensed as CC Share-Alike, created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com

ARDUINO LEONARDO
A board with built-in USB compatibility, more Analog inputs and Static
RAM than the Uno? AND you can pick one up for less than the price of a
standard Uno? Sounds great to us! Moving away from the ATmega328,
the Leonardo features an ATmega32u4 MCU, which adds USB support to
the MCU.

16 MHz Clock
32 KB Flash Memory
2.5 KB SRAM
20 Digital I/O Pins
12 Analog Input Pins, 10-bit resolution on each pin.
20mA max current draw per pin,
7-12V DC Input voltage.

Like we mentioned above the 32u4 the Leonardo runs on, boasts its own
USB support, this eliminates the need for the secondary processor chip
the ATmega328 relies on for USB data transfer. If you find yourself
needing a couple more IO pins, USB keyboard or mouse recognition as
well as all the features of an Uno, then the Leonardo may be just what your project requires.

The Leonardo also uses a Micro-B USB cable for connection to your PC, which is a step away from the USB Type-B
connection we see on the Uno. If you're need them, or just want to take a look you can find the datasheet for the 32u4
here.

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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This Arduino Leonardo Pinout is licensed as CC Share-Alike, Created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com

ARDUINO MICRO
This tiny board is designed to fit on a solderless breadboard. As it runs
on the same 32u4 as the Leonardo, it has all the features of the
Leonardo (which had everything the Uno did...). The big difference is the
physical size of the board, going from 53mm x 68mm to 18mm x 48mm.

16 MHz Clock
32 KB Flash Memory
2.5 KB SRAM
20 Digital I/O Pins
12 Analog Input Pins, 10-bit resolution on each pin.
7-12V input voltage recommended
20mA max current per pin.

Directly compared to the Leonardo and Uno, the Arduino Micro is smaller
and has less power consumption, the board only uses 29mA. A major
difference in supplying power to the board is the Micro has done away
with the DC barrel jack, so you'll be using the Vin pins or the micro-B USB
connector for a Micro based project. All in all the Micro is a great small-
form-factor board for maker projects.

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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This Arduino Micro Pinout is Licensed under a CC Share-Alike, Created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com

ARDUINO NANO
The Nano is slightly smaller than the Micro and similarly, it has been
designed to fit on a solderless breadboard. The Nano, however, runs on the
ATmega328 MCU, the same chip used in the Uno. It uses a Mini-B USB Port,
with the same barrel jack-less design as the Micro.

16 MHz Clock
32 KB Flash Memory
2 KB SRAM
14 Digital I/O Pins
8 Analog Input Pins, 10-bit resolution on each pin.

Surprisingly, the Nano has more RAM than the Micro. This is due to the
smaller bootloader on the ATmega328. All in all, the Micro and the Nano
very similar boards with different brains. Again, the small form factor is the
reason you would grab a Nano.

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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This Arduino Nano Pinout is Licensed under a CC Share-Alike, Created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com

ARDUINO MINI
When space is at a true premium, you won't find a smaller Arduino board
than the Mini. At a minuscule 18mm x 30mm, the Mini still somehow
provides 22 Digital IO pins. It's smaller than the Nano and packs almost
identical specifications. Thoughtfully, Arduino designed the Mini to be just
as easily plugged into a breadboard as the Nano/Micro form factor.

16 MHz Clock
32 KB Flash Memory
2 KB SRAM
22 Digital I/O Pins
8 Analog Input Pins

This board is the ideal option for fitting a project into a tiny housing and
with power requirements of 7-9V DC, you can easily add mobility to your
project. The Mini does away with the ICSP header too, so you'll need to use
a USB to TTL serial adapter on this one. Arduino warns that if you use more
than 9V with the Mini you are likely to straight up kill the board, so bear
that in mind if you go with this board.

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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This Arduino Mini Pinout is Licensed under a CC Share-Alike, Created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com/

ARDUINO MEGA 2560 R3

The Mega Board runs on the ATmega2560 MCU, a step up from the 328p
& 32u4. The Mega provides everything these other boards do, but adds a
ton of extra pins to make bigger, more ambitious projects possible! CNC
machinery, 3D Printing & Home automation can all require quite a lot of
IO pins to get running. The Mega is the board for this very purpose.

16MHz Clock
256 KB Flash Memory
8 KB SRAM
54 Digital I/O Pins, 15 of these can be used with PWM.
16 Analog Input Pins
Can be run with anything from 5-12V DC power.

While the Mega 2560 is slightly heavier on the pocket than the smaller
boards, the ridiculous amount of IO pins and SHIELD compatibility it
comes with make it worth the money. A beefier brother to the Uno, this
board is the go-to choice for larger projects.

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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This Arduino Mega Pinout is Licensed under a CC Share-Alike, Created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com

ARDUINO DUE
This board is the biggest, meatiest board currently on offer to makers. Packing a 32-bit Atmel CPU with an impressive 84
MHz clock. This was the first Arduino board that used an ARM core CPU and it's go-to board for your more processing
intensive 3.3V projects.

84 MHz Clock
512 KB Flash Memory
96 KB SRAM Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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54 Digital I/O Pins
12 Analog Input pins
2 Analog Output Pins, DAC1 & DAC2 pins use a DAC to provide 12-bit
Analog outputs.

There is one drawback of this board; the incompatibility with most

shields due to the 3.3V Pin voltage. If you need to utilize 5V but still
require a heavy hitting controller, perhaps the Arduino Mega would be
the way to go. Where this board pulls ahead is the 130mA available on
the dIgital IO pins.

This Arduino Due Pinout is licensed under a CC No-Derivative-Works, Created by Rob Gray from http://www.robgray.com

ARDUINO M0 (PRO)
With the M0’s 32-bit MCU, makers rejoice at the opportunity to widen the scope of their products into IoT, wearables and
beyond! With the higher processing power, the M0 can be a fantastic workhorse when the MCU of an ATmega328 doesn't
cut the mustard.

48 MHz Clock
256 KB Flash Memory Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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32 KB SRAM
20 Digital I/O Pins
6 Analog Input Pins
1 Analog Output Pin

Along with the 32-bit MCU comes the availability of a DAC for true 10-bit
Analog output! The M0 only offers 3.3V pin voltages which make it
incompatible with some shields.

ARDUINO ESPLORA
The Esplora is an interesting board from Arduino, the first thing you notice
is its peculiar retro gaming pad shape. When you look a little closer it has
sensors and joysticks attached to the PCB too. It's programmable, though,
derived from the Leonardo it has most of the features you'd see on a
Leonardo (minus the Digital IO) but with a few extras.

16 MHz Clock
32 KB Flash Memory
2.5 KB SRAM
7-12V DC Input voltage.

Onboard sound, a joystick, a sliding potentiometer, a temperature sensor,

an accelerometer, microphone and light sensor are all features that are built into the Esplora. The aim of this board was to
let people get up and running without being caught up in the electronics of sensors and components. A great idea,
however, nowadays there are better options for this kind of board.

This Arduino Esplora Pinout is Licensed under a CC Share-Alike, Created by Alberto from http://www.pighixxx.com
Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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ARDUINO YUN MINI

The Yun Mini is a tiny, breadboard sized PCB developed with an
ATMega32u4 and an Atheros AR9331 processor combined. Operating at
400MHz and supporting a Linux operating system called Linino the Yun
Mini is quite an impressive board.

400 MHz Clock

32 KB Flash Memory
2.5 KB SRAM
7-12V DC Input voltage.
Inbuilt Wi-Fi
20 Digital IO Pins
12 Analog Input pins

It stacks all the digital IO and features of a Leonardo but adds in Wi-Fi capability and Linux OS features. The board also
uses a micro-USB connection and runs on a 5V input voltage.

This Arduino Yun Mini Pinout is licensed as Creative Commons Share-Alike, Created by Arduino from http://www.arduino.org

TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
Hopefully, our nifty comparison table below helps to see the differences outlined above!

Have a question? Ask the Author of this guide today!

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Category: Arduino

Tags: arduino beginner board comparison pinouts

3 replies

Aristide60708 Apr '18

Great overview and indeed, the table does it all. A picture tells a thousand words, one once said…

Thanks for the in-depth analysis of the different types of Arduino’s. Just what I was looking for to make a correct choice.

Best,
–Aristide

1 reply

Aidan Leader ▶ Aristide60708 Apr '18

Thanks Aristide! We’re glad to hear it helped you make a decision!

SYED113513 14h

Hi…im in the process of making a project that help to prevent any bag snatched by thief…please help me to choose most
compatible board…

Continue Discussion

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