Arduino Buyers Guide
Introduction
This is a guide on all the different Arduinos available to help you choose the right board for your project.
Popular Arduino Boards
Arduino Uno
The Arduino Uno is the most common Arduino because it has a normal amount of I/O. Also, there is no need to solder.
Arduino Leonardo
The Leonardo has the same form-factor as the Uno but can be used as an HID device, like a gamepad or "button box" and such.
Arduino Mega 2560
The Mega 2560 is extremely common. It has over three times I/O than the Uno. If you need a lot of LEDs, or pins to use, the Mega is a good choice for this.
Arduino Due
The Due also has a lot of I/O, has more memory than the Mega 2560 which also makes it a great starter board.
Arduino Micro
The Micro is good to use on a breadboard. It's also compact and has the same chip as the Leonardo.
Arduino Nano
The Nano has the same chip as the Uno so can be used in a final product. Many times it's easiest to prototype on an Uno, then when all the debugging is done, use the Nano for the final product.
Arduino Zero
The Zero uses 3.3V instead of the normal 5V. Also it is a 32-bit board so it can process a lot faster.
Arduino Board Comparison
Below is a chart of the more common Arduino boards with their key specifications and use cases.
Name | Uno | Leonardo | Mega 2560 | Micro | Due | Nano | Zero |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MICROCONTROLLER | ATmega328P | ATmega32u4 | ATmega2560 | ATmega32U4 | AT91SAM3X8E | ATmega328 | ATSAMD21G18 |
OPERATING VOLTAGE | 5V | 5V | 5V | 5V | 3.3V | 5V | 3.3V |
INPUT VOLTAGE (RECOMMENDED) | 7-12V | 7-12V | 7-12V | 7-12V | 7-12V | 7-12V | 6-12V |
INPUT VOLTAGE (LIMIT) | 6-20V | 6-20V | 6-20V | N/A | 6-16V | 8V | 6-12V |
DIGITAL I/O PINS | 14 | 20 | 54 | 20 | 54 | 22 | 20 |
PWM DIGITAL I/O PINS | 6 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 10 |
ANALOG INPUT PINS | 6 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 (12-bit) |
DC CURRENT PER I/O PIN | 20 mA | 40 mA | 20 mA | 20 mA | 22 mA | 40 mA | 16 mA |
DC CURRENT FOR 3.3V PIN | 50 mA | 50 mA | 50 mA | 50 mA | 800 mA | 7 mA | |
FLASH MEMORY | 32 KB | 32 KB | 256 KB | 32 KB | 512 KB | 32 KB | 256 KB |
SRAM | 2 KB | 2.5 KB | 8 KB | 2.5 KB | 96 KB | 2 KB | 32 KB |
EEPROM | 1 KB | 1 KB | 4 KB | 1 KB | 512 KB | 1 KB | |
CLOCK SPEED | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 16 MHz | 84 MHz | 16 MHz | 48 MHz |
LED_BUILTIN | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
LENGTH | 68.6 mm | 68.6 mm | 101.52 mm | 48 mm | 101.52 mm | 18 mm | 68 mm |
WIDTH | 53.4 mm | 53.3 mm | 53.3 mm | 18 mm | 53.3 mm | 45 mm | 53 mm |
WEIGHT | 25 g | 20 g | 37 g | 13 g | 36 g | 7 g | 12 g |