Mini-review of Arduino-compatible boards of various architectures
In the thematic blog “Programming microcontrollers” there have already been several articles about the choice of the first microcontroller and the beginning of work with it. No less interesting were the comments to such articles. One of the thoughts that has been raised there several times is that not everyone who has an interest in MCs comes to them from transistors. Some (God forbid that more) come to them from (applied) programming. To recommend such people to take a soldering iron in their hands is not reasonable, they already have things that they can “get into”. So we come to the word "Arduino", which many have already heard. There is a stereotype among experienced with soldering irons - Arduino is the AVR shawl for the lazy. Is it so? This article is an attempt to visually show that the Arduino is not about AVR and not about laziness, Arduino is an architecturally independent electronic-mechanical platform of compatible components, with (relative) significance no less important than (at one time) IBM S / 360, IBM PC or USB.
Having reached the second part of the review, the reader will see that Arduino-compatible boards on modern, powerful 32-bit controllers cost not much more, and sometimes even less than on the original AVR architecture. And yet first AVR. Why? Because the masters say that sooner or later they will want to assemble their device. And I believe them. I believe that one day I will take an 8-legged ATtiny in a DIP package, stick it in a cardboard box and turn on the soldering iron. And I will know what to do next - after all, I have already done everything on the Arduino AVR.
')
This is the penultimate version of the official Arduino, and most of the compatible boards that are currently on the market are based on the Duemilanove circuit design. It includes an ATmega 328 microcontroller (last decade (read: until 2010) and an ATmega 168 was installed) and a FTDI FT232RL USB-Serial converter. $ 25
The current version of the official Arduino. While there are few alternative implementations on the market, but they are starting to appear, one is included in this review. The main difference from Duemilanove is the replacement of the popular, which means, not expensive, the FT232RL chip for ... ATmega8U2. Yes, yes, there are actually two AVR microcontrollers in Uno, and one with USB hardware. Why two, why not put one? The issue of compatibility, friendliness for beginners and for their own development. Apparently, microcontrollers with USB hardware are only available in SMD packages, so it will not be easy to use one in your development or replace a failed one on the board. Therefore, it is better to use the good old ATmega328 in the DIP panel, and leave the ATmega8U2 for the future. Judging by how confidently Uno is gaining ground - for the near future. $ 30
There are many Arduino Duemilanove clones that actually copy it one to one. But we expect progress and improvement from the competition, and not a simple “perederania” permitted by an open license. Iteaduino is a good example when developers "have done their homework." Many electronic components require 3.3v power supply, which requires additional pairing levels when working with the classic Arduino. Iteaduino also allows you to power the board 3.3v or 5v to choose from (switch on the board). The “salt” of using Arduino is of course in connecting external I / O devices, and for simple devices, the de facto GVS (Ground-Voltage-Signal) interface standard has been formed. For a pleasant (without a web of wires) connecting such devices to a classic Arduino, you will have to buy a shield, and Iteaduino has the corresponding connectors directly on the board. In addition, ergonomics are improved - in the original Arduino, when wearing a shield, you cannot reach the Reset button (therefore many shield duplicates it) and the LED is poorly visible, and in Iteaduino they are located on the edge of the board with the ability to access. $ 25
Thanks to the Arduino standard, you can create not only general-purpose boards, but also specialized boards, which will also all be easily expanded by existing components. One of the ideal applications for Arduino is the development of autonomous wireless node-agents of a distributed monitoring and control system. Seeeduino Stalker cards are specifically designed for this application. In version 2, the board has a lithium battery charging controller with the ability to connect a solar panel, a real-time clock (RTC) powered by a super-capacitor, a microSD slot, a * Bee socket (in the original XBee for the ZigBee protocol, but there is already a BTBee in same form factor) and I2C connectors. $ 39
Are you a beginner? Do you like to reflash power and grab hold of bare GPIO with electrified hands? Or do you connect sensors by wires of 20 meters, and sometimes lightning strikes around? Or use Arduino for production purposes, where the requirements for protection and reliability are higher? Ruggeduino will help you, one glance at him will be enough to feel respect and understand that this is a real industrial Arduino. $ 40
Board for robotics, contains on board a variety of interface connectors, motor driver, buttons. $ 36
Russian version of Arduino with improved ergonomics (access to LEDs and Reset) and features: there is a connector on the board for all the FT232 chip outputs, which allows using it for bitbang applications (programmer of various MK, JTAG, etc.), and the ability to additional leads for installing CraftDuino on a breadboard breadboard. $ 30
So, we grew out of AVR, but all our shields, sensors, servos are with us. And we will not make them disappear, because they are for Arduino, and not for AVR. We also will not continue to give in to stereotypes that there is only some kind of ARM, and some kind of Cortex. Everything is much more interesting!
Every student knows that AVR is good, and PIC is bad. However, it is not necessary to extend it to all families of MK. PIC32 is a completely normal processor with MIPS architecture. And MIPS is one of the leading RISC architectures. Compared to ARM, it has one merit - it’s not as popular as media, so licensing fees for MIPS are less, and processors are on average cheaper, and lead in hotel market segments, such as routers. For example, an Arduino-incompatible motherboard with Ethernet, WiFi and a USB host costs less than $ 50 even in this country, ARM has never dreamed of it. But now we are considering Arduino compatible, and ChipKIT will not make you bored at a frequency of 80 MHz. 20EUR
Cortex will wait again. On stage - the classic ARM, the core of the ARM7, represented by the chip from the favorite vendor AT91SAM7X512-AU. At its 48MHz, it even clicks the .NET Micro Framework! $ 35
Of course, it is easier to write in managed code, so the .NET MF parade continues. This board goes under the marketing chip "USBizi", which in fact turns out to be NXP LPC2387 with the corresponding firmware. At 72 MHz, he probably could play MP3. Only not in .NET code, of course. $ 40
Well, we got to the hero of our time - the company STMicroelectronics, which fiercely dumping its Cortex-M chips. The new 16-bit command system Thumb2 instead of the classic 32-bit - is this the ARM as we know it? However, it does not matter, the main thing is that GCC compile it optimally. And the assembler code experienced handles. 20EUR
Arduino compatibility can also be a limitation - after all, 32-bit multi-legged processors have much more than the classic 14 GPIO and 6 ADC from Arduino. Actually, in the photos above you can see that almost all 32-bit boards have additional connectors, but they will often be unavailable when using Arduino shields. Again, the Chinese company Iteadstudio is impressive not only with prices, but also with its functionality. IFLAT-32 has an area larger than the Arduino, and leaves XBee and LCD connectors easily accessible. $ 27
Tired of messing around in a hardware sandbox with micro micro memory controllers and micro gigahertz? I want to feel the real processor capable of working with a real operating system, I want warm and soft ha-te-em-elah and javascripts? Chumby Hacker Board will still take your shields, if not on the chest, then on the reverse side of the board. $ 89
References:
AVR is very much alive
Having reached the second part of the review, the reader will see that Arduino-compatible boards on modern, powerful 32-bit controllers cost not much more, and sometimes even less than on the original AVR architecture. And yet first AVR. Why? Because the masters say that sooner or later they will want to assemble their device. And I believe them. I believe that one day I will take an 8-legged ATtiny in a DIP package, stick it in a cardboard box and turn on the soldering iron. And I will know what to do next - after all, I have already done everything on the Arduino AVR.
')
Arduino Duemilanove
This is the penultimate version of the official Arduino, and most of the compatible boards that are currently on the market are based on the Duemilanove circuit design. It includes an ATmega 328 microcontroller (last decade (read: until 2010) and an ATmega 168 was installed) and a FTDI FT232RL USB-Serial converter. $ 25
Arduino uno
The current version of the official Arduino. While there are few alternative implementations on the market, but they are starting to appear, one is included in this review. The main difference from Duemilanove is the replacement of the popular, which means, not expensive, the FT232RL chip for ... ATmega8U2. Yes, yes, there are actually two AVR microcontrollers in Uno, and one with USB hardware. Why two, why not put one? The issue of compatibility, friendliness for beginners and for their own development. Apparently, microcontrollers with USB hardware are only available in SMD packages, so it will not be easy to use one in your development or replace a failed one on the board. Therefore, it is better to use the good old ATmega328 in the DIP panel, and leave the ATmega8U2 for the future. Judging by how confidently Uno is gaining ground - for the near future. $ 30
Iteaduino
There are many Arduino Duemilanove clones that actually copy it one to one. But we expect progress and improvement from the competition, and not a simple “perederania” permitted by an open license. Iteaduino is a good example when developers "have done their homework." Many electronic components require 3.3v power supply, which requires additional pairing levels when working with the classic Arduino. Iteaduino also allows you to power the board 3.3v or 5v to choose from (switch on the board). The “salt” of using Arduino is of course in connecting external I / O devices, and for simple devices, the de facto GVS (Ground-Voltage-Signal) interface standard has been formed. For a pleasant (without a web of wires) connecting such devices to a classic Arduino, you will have to buy a shield, and Iteaduino has the corresponding connectors directly on the board. In addition, ergonomics are improved - in the original Arduino, when wearing a shield, you cannot reach the Reset button (therefore many shield duplicates it) and the LED is poorly visible, and in Iteaduino they are located on the edge of the board with the ability to access. $ 25
Seeeduino Stalker v2
Thanks to the Arduino standard, you can create not only general-purpose boards, but also specialized boards, which will also all be easily expanded by existing components. One of the ideal applications for Arduino is the development of autonomous wireless node-agents of a distributed monitoring and control system. Seeeduino Stalker cards are specifically designed for this application. In version 2, the board has a lithium battery charging controller with the ability to connect a solar panel, a real-time clock (RTC) powered by a super-capacitor, a microSD slot, a * Bee socket (in the original XBee for the ZigBee protocol, but there is already a BTBee in same form factor) and I2C connectors. $ 39
Ruggeduino
Are you a beginner? Do you like to reflash power and grab hold of bare GPIO with electrified hands? Or do you connect sensors by wires of 20 meters, and sometimes lightning strikes around? Or use Arduino for production purposes, where the requirements for protection and reliability are higher? Ruggeduino will help you, one glance at him will be enough to feel respect and understand that this is a real industrial Arduino. $ 40
RoMeo All-in-one
Board for robotics, contains on board a variety of interface connectors, motor driver, buttons. $ 36
Craftduino
Russian version of Arduino with improved ergonomics (access to LEDs and Reset) and features: there is a connector on the board for all the FT232 chip outputs, which allows using it for bitbang applications (programmer of various MK, JTAG, etc.), and the ability to additional leads for installing CraftDuino on a breadboard breadboard. $ 30
Faster, higher, stronger
So, we grew out of AVR, but all our shields, sensors, servos are with us. And we will not make them disappear, because they are for Arduino, and not for AVR. We also will not continue to give in to stereotypes that there is only some kind of ARM, and some kind of Cortex. Everything is much more interesting!
ChipKIT Uno32
Every student knows that AVR is good, and PIC is bad. However, it is not necessary to extend it to all families of MK. PIC32 is a completely normal processor with MIPS architecture. And MIPS is one of the leading RISC architectures. Compared to ARM, it has one merit - it’s not as popular as media, so licensing fees for MIPS are less, and processors are on average cheaper, and lead in hotel market segments, such as routers. For example, an Arduino-incompatible motherboard with Ethernet, WiFi and a USB host costs less than $ 50 even in this country, ARM has never dreamed of it. But now we are considering Arduino compatible, and ChipKIT will not make you bored at a frequency of 80 MHz. 20EUR
Netduino
Cortex will wait again. On stage - the classic ARM, the core of the ARM7, represented by the chip from the favorite vendor AT91SAM7X512-AU. At its 48MHz, it even clicks the .NET Micro Framework! $ 35
FEZ Panda II
Of course, it is easier to write in managed code, so the .NET MF parade continues. This board goes under the marketing chip "USBizi", which in fact turns out to be NXP LPC2387 with the corresponding firmware. At 72 MHz, he probably could play MP3. Only not in .NET code, of course. $ 40
Olimexino-STM32
Well, we got to the hero of our time - the company STMicroelectronics, which fiercely dumping its Cortex-M chips. The new 16-bit command system Thumb2 instead of the classic 32-bit - is this the ARM as we know it? However, it does not matter, the main thing is that GCC compile it optimally. And the assembler code experienced handles. 20EUR
IFLAT-32 v2.0
Arduino compatibility can also be a limitation - after all, 32-bit multi-legged processors have much more than the classic 14 GPIO and 6 ADC from Arduino. Actually, in the photos above you can see that almost all 32-bit boards have additional connectors, but they will often be unavailable when using Arduino shields. Again, the Chinese company Iteadstudio is impressive not only with prices, but also with its functionality. IFLAT-32 has an area larger than the Arduino, and leaves XBee and LCD connectors easily accessible. $ 27
Chumby Hacker Board
Tired of messing around in a hardware sandbox with micro micro memory controllers and micro gigahertz? I want to feel the real processor capable of working with a real operating system, I want warm and soft ha-te-em-elah and javascripts? Chumby Hacker Board will still take your shields, if not on the chest, then on the reverse side of the board. $ 89
References:
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/123236/
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