01
Overview of Arduino
Arduino is a set of tools that can be used to sense and control the physical world. It consists of an open-source hardware platform based on a microcontroller and a development software suite for programming Arduino boards. Its hardware includes a development board centered around the Atmel AVR microcontroller and various I/O boards, while the software includes a standard programming language development environment and a burning program that runs on the development board.
Arduino is primarily designed for hobbyists, taking the form of a small computer that can serve as an embedded computing platform. It is an interactive system that can interact with its environment through hardware and software. For example, it can read a variety of switch and sensor signals, detect the presence and intensity of light, register a finger pressing a button, or even detect new messages on WeChat; and convert these sensed “signals” into actions, such as moving a motor, turning an LED on or off, or posting a message on the internet. Arduino can also develop peripheral devices connected to a PC, allowing communication with software running on the PC.
Arduino can sense the environment through sensors like light, temperature/humidity, and pressure, and can influence the environment by controlling lights, motors, and other devices. By using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing) to write the corresponding programs, and then burning them into the Arduino main control board, the above objectives can be achieved. Projects based on Arduino can consist solely of Arduino or include Arduino along with other software running on a PC, such as Visual Basic or Python, allowing for mutual communication and control. Due to its open-source nature, Arduino has become the world’s most popular electronic prototyping development platform and has set the trend in hardware development.
Essentially, Arduino is a microcontroller board, but it simplifies the complex operations of traditional hardware development, eliminating the need to understand the internal structure and register settings of the hardware (which is necessary for microcontroller development). It also does not require extensive electronic knowledge or programming skills; developers only need to learn the functions of various pins and functions through simple study to develop various outstanding projects. The simple development approach of Arduino allows developers to focus more on creativity and implementation, completing their project development faster, significantly reducing learning costs and shortening development cycles. Nowadays, universities offering automation, software, or art programs, and even high schools, have begun to offer Arduino-related courses, and many developers are using Arduino to enter the Internet of Things (IoT) field, creating many impressive works.
02
Development History
The development history of Arduino can be traced back to 2003, driven by several teachers and students from the Interaction Design Institute (IDII) in Ivrea, Italy. Initially, Arduino was based on the Wiring platform, developed by Hernando Barragán under the guidance of Massimo Banzi and Casey Reas, aimed at providing a simple, low-cost digital project development tool for non-engineers. The Wiring platform was based on the ATmega 168 microcontroller and combined with the Processing development environment, laying the foundation for subsequent Arduino projects.
In 2005, Massimo Banzi and David Cuartielles decided to design their own circuit board and invited Banzi’s student David Mellis to participate in the development of the programming language. Within just a few days, the circuit board was completed, and to commemorate a bar frequented by Banzi called “Bar Di Re Arduino,” they named the circuit board Arduino. The birth of Arduino marked a revolution in electronic prototyping design, enabling both beginners and professionals to easily turn their ideas into reality.
The hardware design of Arduino is based on Atmel’s AVR series microcontrollers, initially using the ATmega8 microcontroller, which later evolved to ATmega328, ATmega32U4, and others to meet different application needs. The software environment of Arduino is based on the Processing IDE, providing a simple and user-friendly development environment that supports C/C++ programming languages and has strong extensibility. The open-source nature of Arduino has made it one of the most successful open-source hardware projects globally, with its core philosophy being the spirit of open-source and code sharing.
Throughout its development, the team has continuously introduced new development board models to meet the needs of different projects. For example, Arduino Uno, Duemilanove, Ethernet, Mega, Leonardo, Nano, Due, Yun, Zero, etc., each of these development boards has its own characteristics in hardware configuration and functionality, suitable for different application scenarios. With technological advancements, Arduino has also launched development boards based on ARM processors, such as Arduino Due and Arduino Yun, as well as MKR series development boards aimed at IoT applications.
The open-source licensing model of Arduino, including the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, allows anyone to copy, redesign, and sell copies of the circuit board, provided they acknowledge the contributions of the original Arduino team. The only thing retained is the name Arduino, which is registered as a trademark and cannot be used without official authorization. This open-source philosophy has led to a very active Arduino community, where users can freely use, modify, and share their works, driving innovation and development in the electronics field.
The success of Arduino is reflected not only in the popularity of its hardware and software but also in its widespread application in education and DIY projects. Universities have introduced Arduino-related courses in automation, software, art, and other majors, cultivating a new generation of innovators. Additionally, the low barrier to entry and ease of use of Arduino make it an ideal choice for projects involving smart home systems, robotics, and wearable devices.
The development history of Arduino has evolved from an initial open-source electronic prototyping platform to a globally recognized open-source hardware platform, with its influence spanning education, industry, entertainment, and more. The future of Arduino is full of potential, and with breakthroughs in sales and continuous technological innovation, it is believed that its innovations in software and hardware will yield even more fruitful results.
03
Platform Advantages
Currently, there are many other microcontrollers and microcontroller platforms on the market, such as the 51 microcontroller and STM32 microcontroller. However, they have a relatively high threshold for ordinary developers, requiring a certain level of programming and hardware knowledge, with complex internal registers, and the mainstream development environment Keil is relatively cumbersome to configure, especially for STM32 development, where even using the official library does not avoid environment configuration, and the development environment is often paid.
Arduino not only simplifies the process of working with microcontrollers but also provides some advantages that other systems do not offer for teachers, students, and hobbyists:
(1) High cost-performance ratio
Compared to other microcontroller platforms, various Arduino ecosystem development boards have a relatively high cost-performance ratio, and users can also create their own development boards.
(2) Cross-platform
The Arduino IDE can run on the three major operating systems: Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, while most other controllers can only be developed on Windows.
(3) Simple and clear development
The Arduino IDE is developed based on the Processing IDE, which is very easy for beginners to master, while also providing enough flexibility for advanced users. The Arduino language is developed based on the Wiring language, which is a secondary encapsulation of the AVR-GCC library, requiring minimal microcontroller and programming knowledge; with simple learning, users can quickly start development.
(4) Openness
The hardware schematics, circuit diagrams, IDE software, and core library files of Arduino are all open-source, allowing for modifications to the original designs and corresponding codes within the scope of the open-source license.
(5) Community and third-party support
Arduino has a large number of developers and users, making it easy to find numerous open-source example codes and hardware designs they provide. For example, third-party hardware, peripherals, and libraries for Arduino can be found on websites like Github.com, Arduino.cc, Openjumper.com, and the Arduino Chinese community, facilitating faster and simpler expansion of Arduino projects.
(6) Hardware development trend
Arduino is not only the world’s most popular open-source hardware but also an excellent hardware development platform, representing the trend in hardware development. The simple development approach of Arduino allows developers to focus on creativity and implementation, enabling faster project completion, significantly reducing learning costs, and shortening development cycles.
Given the various advantages of Arduino, an increasing number of professional hardware developers have begun to use Arduino to develop projects and products, and more software developers are entering the hardware and IoT development fields using Arduino.
04
Types and Characteristics of Development Boards
There are many types of Arduino development boards, and users can choose the appropriate board based on project requirements. Entry-level development boards are suitable for beginners, while enhanced and IoT development boards are suitable for projects requiring advanced features, and wearable devices and specialized development boards are suitable for specific application scenarios.
4.1 Entry-Level Boards
These development boards are suitable for beginners and small projects, featuring lower clock speeds and limited I/O ports, but are simple to operate and easy to get started.
(1) Arduino Uno
Based on the ATmega328P microcontroller, it has 14 digital input/output pins (6 of which can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog input pins, a 16MHz crystal oscillator, USB connection, power jack, and ICSP interface.
It is suitable for beginners due to its simplicity, stability, and widespread use, making it one of the most popular development boards.
(2) Arduino Nano
Based on the ATmega328 or ATmega168 microcontroller, it is compact and suitable for projects with limited space.
It has 14 digital input/output pins, 8 analog input pins, a 16MHz crystal oscillator, Mini-B USB connection, and ICSP interface.
It is inexpensive and suitable for embedded projects and applications requiring small development boards.
(3) Arduino Leonardo
Based on the ATmega32U4 chip, it has 20 digital input/output pins and built-in USB communication capabilities, making it suitable for simulating keyboard and mouse development.
The compilation principles differ from other boards, but it has more I/O ports and PWM ports.
(4) Arduino Micro
Based on the ATmega32U4 chip, it is the smallest and cheapest, capable of simulating keyboard and mouse, but its I/O ports differ from the 328.
It is suitable for projects requiring minimal size.
(5) Arduino Nano Every
This is an upgraded version of the Arduino Nano, using a more powerful ATMega4809 microcontroller, providing 50% more program data and 200% more RAM space.
It has 14 digital pins, 8 analog pins, 5 PWM functions, 48kB program memory, 6kB RAM, and 256B EEPROM.
4.2 Enhanced Boards
These development boards are suitable for projects requiring advanced features and faster performance, equipped with more powerful processors and additional interfaces.
(1) Arduino Mega 2560
Based on the ATmega2560 microcontroller, it has 54 digital input/output pins, 16 analog input pins, 4 UARTs, a 16MHz crystal oscillator, USB connection, power jack, and ICSP interface.
It is suitable for projects requiring numerous peripherals, with larger program storage space, making it suitable for complex projects.
(2) Arduino Due
Based on the Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU, it has powerful performance, suitable for high-performance requirements.
It has 54 digital input/output pins, 12 analog input pins, an 84MHz crystal oscillator, USB OTG connection, 2 DACs, 2 TWI, 1 SPI, 1 JTAG, 4 UARTs, 1 CAN, and 1 USB host/device interface.
It is suitable for projects requiring high-speed processing and high-precision analog input/output.
(3) Arduino UNO WiFi
Integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication capabilities, using the ATMega 4809 chip and u-blox NINA-W102 module.
It is suitable for IoT projects, can serve as an access point, connecting Wi-Fi devices and functioning as a local area network.
(4) Arduino Nano 33 BLE
Integrates Bluetooth Low Energy functionality, suitable for developing wearable devices.
It is suitable for projects requiring Bluetooth functionality.
(5) Arduino UNO WIFI Rev2
Integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communication capabilities, suitable for projects requiring wireless communication.
(6) Arduino Nano 33 BLE Rev2
Utilizes the nRF52840 microcontroller, enhancing MicroPython compatibility, suitable for wearable devices and real-time motion tracking devices.
4.3 IoT Boards
These development boards are designed specifically for IoT applications, integrating communication modules such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, GSM, as well as sensors and encryption chips.
(1) Arduino MKR Series
Includes MKR Zero, MKR 1000, MKR 1010, etc., based on SAMD21 or SAM D21 microcontrollers, supporting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities.
It is suitable for IoT applications such as smart homes, remote monitoring, etc.
(2) Arduino Nano ESP32
Based on the ESP32 microcontroller, it integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities, suitable for IoT projects.
It is suitable for IoT applications requiring high performance and low power consumption.
(3) Arduino MKR FOX 1200
Integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities, suitable for IoT applications.
It is suitable for projects requiring wireless communication.
(4) Arduino MKR WAN 1300/1310
Integrates Wi-Fi and LoRa functionalities, suitable for remote communication and IoT applications.
It is suitable for projects requiring wide area network connectivity.
(5) Arduino MKR GSM 1400
Integrates GSM functionality, suitable for IoT applications requiring SMS and voice communication.
It is suitable for projects requiring mobile communication.
(6) Arduino MKR WIFI 1010
Integrates Wi-Fi functionality, suitable for IoT applications.
It is suitable for projects requiring wireless connectivity.
(7) Arduino MKR NB 1500
Integrates NB-IoT functionality, suitable for low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) applications.
It is suitable for IoT applications requiring remote communication.
(8) Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect
Based on the RP2040 microcontroller, it integrates Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionalities, suitable for IoT applications.
It is suitable for IoT applications requiring high performance and low power consumption.
4.4 Wearable Boards
These development boards are designed specifically for wearable devices, featuring compact sizes and integrated sensors.
(1) LilyPad Arduino
Features a round design, suitable for developing wearable devices.
It is suitable for projects requiring comfortable wear and flexible layout.
(2) Arduino Esplora
Built-in various sensors such as sound, light, temperature, and accelerometer, suitable for beginners.
It is suitable for projects requiring sensor input.
(3) Arduino 101/Intel Curie
Integrates Bluetooth BLE and a 6-axis accelerometer/gyroscope, suitable for wearable device development.
It is suitable for projects requiring motion detection and wireless communication.
4.5 Specialized Boards
These development boards are designed for specific application scenarios, such as industrial control, education, and experimentation.
(1) Arduino Yun
Based on the ATmega32U4 and Atheros AR9331, it has built-in Linux and can be used as a server.
It is suitable for projects requiring cloud connectivity.
(2) Arduino Pro Series
Includes Portenta, Nicla, etc., designed closer to practical applications, suitable for industrial control and automation.
It is suitable for projects requiring high performance and high reliability.
(3) Arduino Zero
Based on the SAMD21 microcontroller, featuring a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ core, it is simple, elegant, and powerful.
It is suitable for projects requiring fast response and low power consumption.
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