Arduino vs. Raspberry pi

Max

February 13, 2022

1561 Views

When it comes to DIY or even professional electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT), you must think of Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Their open-source nature makes them ideal for lots of developers and innovators.

Although the two boards are not entirely similar, Raspberry Pi and Arduino still have many things in common. We’ll look at how the two compare while exploring at the similarities and differences.

If you were to choose, you would be able to decide which is better for you after going through this article. First, let’s look at an overview of the two boards.

Arduino Overview

Adruino is an open-source platform with which professionals and beginners can build simple electronic projects. It has two major components: hardware and software.

Arduino’s hardware consists of a circuit board that can be programmed physically while the software is used to write codes from the computer to the microcontroller.

The Arduino is free; it comprises easily accessible boards and runs on easily comprehensible software. As a result, it is designed for anyone who wishes to try their hands on electronics and programming. Arduino is intended to be flexible enough to interact with most electronics and the internet.

Today, using Arduino’s open and liberal platforms, several savvy users have developed groundbreaking devices using these resources.

As a platform, beginners (and even professionals) are more comfortable with Arduino for three significant reasons:

It is very easy to load new codes onto the microcontroller. All you need is a USB cable. For other similar programmable boards, the process is relatively more complicated.
Arduino’s software runs on C++ language, which is one of the most popular languages for DIY electronic engineers.
Arduino is easier and simpler to use

With several boards to its name, the most prominent Arduino boards, many of which are also easily adaptable, include Arduino UNO (R3), Lilypad Arduino, and Arduino Mega.

Arduino is majorly a Microcontroller development board with which you “Microcontroller” related tasks.

Raspberry Pi Overview

Imagine a miniature computer, as small as a mouse, yet can still do everything a regular computer can.

The raspberry pi is a computer and more; it can be helpful. It is often referred to as a Single Board Computer or SBC because it is practically a computer on a single board.

The Raspberry Pi is a very accessible and cheap computer that is specially designed to allow for physical exploration and control for beginners and professionals.

As part of its efforts to create easy, cheap access to computer education, the UK charity Raspberry Pi Foundation created a series of single-board computers in 2012 appropriately named Raspberry Pi.

The ideal application of the Raspberry Pi is its use in learning programming for beginners.

Running on the Pi operating system, the Raspberry Pi is tiny (credit-card sized) but can enable users to learn computing and program languages.

You can also connect computer peripherals like a Monitor via the HDMI port, use a Mouse and Keyboard via the USB, and connect to the internet via WiFi. The Raspberry Pi does not offer storage, although it allows for the storage of microSD cards.

With a Raspberry Pi, beginners can learn to code, while professionals can try their hands on different projects, leading to endless possibilities. Today, the Raspberry Pi is useful in developing several applications, including robotics.

Comparison

There are several areas where the Arduino and Raspberry Pi are similar. Also, there are several areas where they also differ. Let’s start with the similarities.

Similarities

There are very few areas of similarities between the two boards. But let’s consider the few prominent ones.

They are cheap
They are low power
They can both generate and detect signals
Power interruption affects both boards.
They have a CPU that executes the instructions, timers, memory, and I/O pins.

Differences

Some of the differences between Arduino and Raspberry Pi are:

Arduino has a microcontroller board, while Raspberry Pi is a minicomputer with a microprocessor. While the raspberry pi has all the features of a computer connected to its board, the Arduino’s board has limited hardware.
Being a computer, Raspberry Pi runs on an Operating System (Raspberry Pi OS). Arduino does not require any Operating System. The Arduino only needs instructions from the microcontroller to operate.
Arduino boards naturally have a simple hardware and software structure, while Raspberry Pi boards have a more complex hardware and software system.
Arduino CPU has an 8-bit architecture, while the more complex Raspberry Pi has a 64 bit CPU architecture.
On speed, while the Arduino hits a processing speed of 16 MHz, the Raspberry Pi clocks 1.4 GHz. That’s a stark difference.
Raspberry Pi supports the internet and can be connected via WiFi. Arduino boards do not support the internet in any way.
Arduino is an open-source project, so its software and hardware design are open source. However, the hardware and software are closed source for the raspberry pi.
For the RAM, Arduino requires only 2kB of RAM, while at least 1GB of RAM is required for Raspberry Pi to function adequately.
Arduino boards are programmable using C/C++ languages, but Raspberry pi can work on any OS you desire, although it also has its Linux-based operating system Raspberry Pi OS.
Arduino is modeled only to perform simple tasks or single tasks. Raspberry pi is structured to complete as many tasks as possible simultaneously.
Finally, the Arduino is less expensive and consumes less power. Although the Raspberry Pi is more costly than the Arduino, it is still a relatively cheap way of working on electronics for beginners.

Which One is Better for Me?

Really? Isn’t the choice a straightforward one?

It may not be as straightforward as it seems. Consider, for example, how they both behave when the power suddenly drops.

While the Arduino will always start executing codes immediately after they are powered, it means the operating system is not at risk of being corrupted when an abrupt power interruption occurs.

Once power is restored, it immediately begins again, without any problems.

However, the same cannot be said of Raspberry Pi. If it experiences sudden power outages, which are a real possibility, it stands a huge chance of developing a problem.

It must have the same care as a regular computer which must be properly shut down every time to avoid corruption.

Also, consider the fact that while Arduino is open-source, Raspberry Pi is not. These are factors to highlight before you make up your mind about the apparent advantages of Raspberry Pi.

But at the end of the day, it is always down to what the user needs them for. Let’s look at where the two are best suited.

Since Raspberry Pis are pretty complicated, they are suited for complex programs like robotics and weather monitoring.

Arduinos are meanwhile more suited for more straightforward tasks. So depending on what tasks you need them for, the choice is yours.

Raspberry pi can function as a minicomputer and run almost all applications.

However, Arduino is very significant for beginners and can be easily programmed. It also has a wide array of applications and is very easy to use.

So it’s safe to say Arduino would suit you better if you are a beginner or do not have complex electronic needs. Since it’s easy to maintain and almost immune to malware, it is just perfect.

However, despite being a bit more expensive, the Raspberry Pi is ideal if you have needs that only a computer can handle, especially if you are a professional.

It would be fair at this point to conclude that Raspberry Pi certainly has more advantages than the Arduino, although they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

Conclusion

Once the task is not complex, you should go for Arduino. But for complicated tasks and a very cost-effective way of operating, the Raspberry Pi would be a great choice.

None is necessarily better than the other. However, one certainly has more options.

Resources:

Max

Max Ellis has been a professional educationist with lots of years and experience attached. he is passionate about learning and is determined to make learning fun and interactive for everyone. As a seasoned teacher, he has received accolades and recognition for the fantastic work he’s doing to improve education. TheUniPod is one of the many projects to offer simple but rich posts on educational articles and an intensive buying guide to get only the best material and equipment to improve learning.