In the previous article, we briefly introduced how to choose development boards in different fields, but many people are still confused because we didn’t recommend specific models. In this article, we will look at what types of development boards are suitable for specific fields.

Here, I will recommend development boards based on the performance you need, starting with the lower-performing MCU chips.

MCU (Microcontroller)

This is actually the most commonly used type of development board, which is needed in various aspects. The main features of this type of development board are: relatively low performance, but also relatively low price. For example, many Arduino development boards, various STM32 development boards, various ESP32 development boards, and even 51 chip development boards—there are indeed thousands of models (I haven’t counted specifically, so please don’t criticize too harshly).

In fact, I don’t have much good advice for professionals because they should already know their specific needs. If you are not very clear, you need to pay attention to the following.

For those who want to learn hardware programming or learn about development boards

I recommend choosing a user-friendly and well-documented development board. Note that performance and cost-effectiveness are not what you should pursue, as this is likely your first development board (but I hope it won’t be your last). So, don’t skimp on this aspect. If you choose a board with insufficient documentation or a niche board, you will suffer greatly. Remember, creating materials and tutorials requires a lot of resources, so don’t be tempted by low prices. Choosing a well-known brand is necessary, as it saves you time in finding tutorials. Moreover, customer service will be better, making it easier to resolve issues when they arise. Easy problem resolution is what beginners need most; otherwise, you could easily get stuck in your learning and lose enthusiasm.

I recommend using brands like DFRobot and Seeed; if you have the budget, you can choose the official Arduino boards. But only consider purchasing boards that have a large user base.

Below, I recommend some development boards for you to judge:

Arduino UNO and its compatible boards

The Arduino UNO is extremely classic; I used this board when I started. The benefits of this development board are that it is simple and suitable for beginners, and it is also durable. I previously bought a compatible board from DFRobot, and I have been using it for testing ever since. It is still functioning well. No matter what I buy later, choosing this as my first development board is definitely not a loss.

Arduino UNO

https://m.tb.cn/h.fPmlOR4?tk=KsC82WquaMh

There are many compatible boards that use the Arduino UNO circuit, and you can hardly feel the difference; the only difference is the burned chip, which does not affect usage.

For example, the Ruilong Maker Workshop has launched an improved version of the Arduino UNO R3 compatible board, which replaces the ATmega328P chip with a smaller package. The USB uses a more common Micro USB, which is much smaller than the official USB type B interface, but its durability is certainly not as good as the larger interface.

The price is also very reasonable, only 34.

Ruilong Maker Workshop’s Arduino UNO Compatible Board

https://m.tb.cn/h.fPmlOR4?tk=KsC82WquaMh

Another company, Banana Pi, has also made a compatible UNO development board called Banana PI UNO, which is also good, priced at 42, similar to the previous one.

Banana PI UNO

https://m.tb.cn/h.fPmlOR4?tk=KsC82WquaMh

With the Arduino UNO, you have more choices; you can choose any one, and you can utilize almost all resources of Arduino. Therefore, starting with the Arduino UNO is both affordable and convenient, which is excellent.

Other Development Board Choices

However, it is important to note that the language used by the Arduino IDE is Arduino language, which you can understand as a modified version of C language. It is actually quite easy to understand, but if you do not want to learn Arduino language or want to learn a more widely used language, you can choose development boards compatible with MicroPython, or even those compatible with LUA and Javascript. There are even people studying the use of Rust, a relatively new programming language, on MCU development boards; you’ll need to research other development boards in that case.

These types of development boards are not on the same level as Arduino in terms of performance. The Arduino UNO runs at 20MHz, while the ESP32 can run at speeds of up to 240MHz. The difference is more than tenfold, and the memory size difference is even hundreds of times. Therefore, many people wonder whether Arduino still has a reason to exist with such powerful alternatives. However, I advise you not to act impulsively. The ESP32 and RP2040 are good, but their complexity also increases dramatically.

For example, the ESP32 is compatible with the Arduino IDE and can use MicroPython, and even LUA, and it can also use the official development environment ESP32-IDF.

Therefore, the choices are increased, but having more choices is not necessarily a good thing for beginners. Many things still have imperfect aspects; for example, the slow compilation issue of the ESP32 on the Arduino IDE is something I have mentioned many times.

If you use MicroPython, at first, you might feel a bit lost because every library in Arduino has examples; basically, you can explore most examples and learn a lot. However, MicroPython seems to not have many examples, and the libraries are quite incomplete. You may find that things you can do in Arduino IDE cannot be done in MicroPython. So, I do not recommend starting with ESP32 development boards. It is better to play around with the Arduino UNO until you are familiar with it before considering other development boards; this way, you won’t feel so lost.

I have also recommended some ESP32 development boards before; I won’t list them today and will dedicate an article for that next time.

Alright, due to space constraints, I will stop here today. In the next article, I will continue discussing the purchase of MCUs and provide purchasing suggestions for maker enthusiasts or electronic DIY enthusiasts. Many people may feel they haven’t gotten the answers they wanted; don’t worry, I will address them one by one. Please be patient and wait.