Different Types of Arduino Boards: Their Uses and Features

Arduino development boards are very popular among electronics enthusiasts and professionals due to their affordability, ease of use, and versatility. These development boards can help you create a wide range of projects, from simple LED blinking to complex IoT applications and robots.

While the Arduino Uno, Nano and Mega are popular choices for many, there are numerous other boards available that provide some advanced features and are better suited for specific applications. 

In this tutorial we will explore different types of Arduino boards and compare their features and applications. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced engineer, this guide will help you discover the board that best fits your needs. So, let’s dive in!

What is Arduino?

Arduino is an open-source platform used to make DIY Electronics projects. Arduino consists of both hardware and software. Arduino hardware is a programmable electronics circuit board and software is an IDE (integrated development environment) through which you can write and upload the code to the microcontroller. 

Arduino boards can carry out simple to complex tasks, when we feed a program with a set of instructions. It eliminates the need for hardware to load code unlike traditional programmable circuit boards; instead you can use a simple USB cable to load code onto the Arduino board. Its enables you to quickly prototype and test your ideas.

The Arduino enables you to feed the program in the simplified version of the C++ language which is easier to learn and code.

Types of Arduino Boards

There are different types of Arduino boards available in the market, each with its own unique features and capabilities. We have categorized different Arduino boards into four main groups: Entry-level Arduino boards, Advanced features Arduino boards, IOT Arduino boards, and AI Arduino boards.

Entry-level Arduino Boards

These entry-level Arduino boards are known for their ease of use, affordability, and versatility, making them ideal for learning and basic prototyping. All these boards have 8-bit microcontrollers. The following table shows important features of these boards.

Arduino UNO R3

Arduino UNO is the most popular and extensively used development board. It is perfect if you are just getting started with electronics because it is easy to use and affordable.

This board is based on the ATmega328P microcontroller and has 14 digital input/output pins, 6 analog inputs and a 16 MHz clock speed. It also has basic communication ports like SPI, I2C, and UART, USB connection, reset button and a power jack. The controller on the board comes with 32 KB flash memory (with 0.5KB used for the bootloader), 2 KB SRAM and 1 KB EEPROM. It is compatible with a wide range of sensors and shields, which makes it easier for developing new electronics projects.

Arduino UNO R4 Minima

Arduino UNO R4 is the latest version of popular UNO R3 board with many improved features. It features powerful 32-bit RA4M1 microprocessor from Renesas with increased processing power. The board has increased memory 32 kB SRAM, 256 kB flash memory and 8 kB of EEPROM and a faster clock speed of 48 MHz. 

The board has 14 digital I/O, 6 analog inputs. It also includes a range of on-board peripherals, including a 12-bit DAC, CAN BUS, and OP AMP. It also comes with built-in HID (Human Interface Device) support that enable it to simulate a mouse or keyboard.

Arduino Nano

The Arduino Nano is also a popular board among developers due to its small size. It is based on the ATmega328 microcontroller and has similar features to the Uno but small in size compared to the UNO board.  

This board has 8 analog pins, 22 digital pins out of which 6 are PWM pins. It lacks only a DC power jack, and works with a Mini USB cable instead of a standard USB cable. It is best for projects that need less memory space and fewer GPIO pins to connect with.

Arduino Mega 2560 Rev3

The Arduino Mega is a more powerful and bigger board than the Uno and Nano. It is based on the ATmega2560 which is an 8-bit microcontroller and has 54 digital input/output pins(of which 15 can be used as PWM outputs), 16 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a USB connection, an ICSP header, a reset button and a power jack. The controller on the board has 256 KB of flash memory (of which 8 KB used by bootloader), 8 KB SRAM and 4 KB EEPROM.

It is perfect for applications where a lot of I/O or peripherals, more processing power and memory are required. It also supports the ICSP header which is used to program the board without disconnecting it from the main circuitry. 

Arduino Leonardo

The Arduino Leonardo is based on the ATmega32U4 microcontroller. It has 20 digital input/output pins, 7 of which can be used as PWM outputs and 12 as analog inputs. It also has a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, a micro USB connector, an ICSP header, and a reset button.

The unique feature of the Leonardo is its ability to emulate a USB keyboard or mouse. This allows it to be used in projects where a user input device is required, such as a game controller or a keyboard shortcut controller. Additionally, it has built-in USB communication, so it can act as a USB serial device or a USB MIDI device without the need for additional drivers. The Leonardo also supports a range of programming languages including C, C++, and Python.

Arduino Micro

Arduino Micro is similar to the Arduino Leonardo. It is based on ATmega32U4 microcontroller. It has 20 digital input/output pins (of which 7 can be used as PWM outputs and 12 as analog inputs) a micro USB connection, a 16 MHz crystal oscillator, an ICSP header, and a reset button. The only difference is the lack of a DC input jack. 

The board is designed to be small in size and can be easily integrated into various projects. It also has a built-in USB communication, which makes it easy to connect the board to a computer for programming and communication. The Arduino Micro is a popular choice for creating small, portable projects that require low power consumption and compact size.

Arduino Nano Every

The Arduino Nano Every is a more powerful and upgraded version of the popular Arduino Nano board, with improved performance and a wider range of features. It has a lot more powerful processor ATMega4809 and it has 50% more program memory and the RAM is 200% bigger that enables us to create larger programs. 

It is well suited for wearable inventions and low cost robotics. It can be used in a breadboard when mounting pin headers, or as a SMT directly soldered on a PCB due to its castellated pads.

Advanced Features Arduino boards

These types of boards offer advanced features and greater processing power for more complex projects. They are useful in projects where advanced functionalities and higher performace are required.

Arduino Due

The Arduino Due is a powerful board that is based on the Atmel SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3 CPU. It consists of 54 digital input/output pins (of which 12 can be used as PWM outputs), 12 analog inputs, 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), a 84 MHz clock, an USB  connection, 2 DAC (digital to analog), 2 TWI, a power jack, a JTAG header, an SPI header, a reset button and an erase button.

Keep in mind that the Arduino Due board runs at 3.3V and applying voltages higher than 3.3V to any I/O pin could damage the board.

Arduino Zero

The Arduino Zero is a powerful 32-bit extension of the Arduino UNO with the same form factor. It is a great choice for innovative projects in IoT, wearable technology, high-tech automation, and robotics. It is powered by the Atmel SAMD21 MCU and features a 32-bit ARM Cortex® M0+ core with clock speed 48 MHz . It runs on 3.3V and has 20 digital I/O pins, 10 PWM pins, 6 analog input pins and 1 analog output pin. 

One of its standout features is Atmel’s Embedded Debugger (EDBG) that provides a full debug interface without additional hardware. The board can be optimized to reduce power consumption using the Arduino Low Power library.

Arduino MKR Zero

The Arduino MKR Zero is a compact microcontroller board based on the SAMD21G18A 32-bit ARM Cortex M0+ processor. It is designed to be a highly efficient and low-power board that is ideal for a wide range of Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

The board has 22 digital input/output pins, including 12 PWM outputs and 7 analog input pins, a Micro-USB port, SPI, a UART interface, and an I2C interface, allowing it to communicate with other devices.

It is a great educational tool for learning about 32-bit application development. Another advantage of this board is that you can play with MUSIC files with no extra hardware as it has an SD connector with dedicated SPI interfaces (SPI1).

IoT Arduino Boards

IoT Arduino boards come with built-in Wi-Fi modules, allowing them to connect to the internet and local networks wirelessly. Some boards also include Bluetooth capabilities, enabling communication with nearby devices. Additionally, advanced IoT boards may support other protocols like LoRa or NB-IoT, which are useful for long-range and low-power communication.

These boards can be easily integrated with various sensors and actuators, making it simple to gather data from the environment and control external devices. They allow hobbyists to create a variety of smart devices, such as home automation systems, environmental monitoring stations, and remote-controlled gadgets. Let us explore some popular IoT boards.

Arduino UNO WIFI Rev2

The Arduino UNO WIFI Rev2 has the same functionality as the Arduino UNO board with additional feature WiFi / Bluetooth. It is based on the ATmega4809 processor. It has 14 digital input/output pins—5 can be used as PWM outputs—6 analog inputs, a USB connection, an ICSP header, a power jack, and a reset button.

It has a secure ECC608 crypto chip accelerator which allows you to connect it to a WiFi network. It is a great choice for basic IoT application scenarios.

Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi

Arduino GIGA R1 WiFi has some advanced features with the same form factor as Mega and Due boards. It has dual core 32-bits microcontrollers(a Cortex®-M7 at 480 MHz and a Cortex®-M4 at 240 MHz), 4 UARTs (hardware serial ports), 3 I2C ports, 2 SPI ports, 1 FDCAN, GPIOs, connectors and extra pins. It allows you to run two Arduino programs simultaneously. It has Wi-Fi® or Bluetooth® connectivity that allows you to securely connect to Arduino IoT Cloud and keep track of your project remotely. 

The board can be used in robotics, IoT, music, digital fabrication, and any kind of projects involving machines, interfaces, and real-time processing.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE

The Arduino Nano 33 BLE is an upgraded version of Arduino Nano but with the same form factor. It featurs a lot more powerful 32-bit processor, the nRF52840 with clock speed 64 MHz. It has 1MB of program memory which is 32 times bigger and the RAM is 128 times bigger than UNO board making it useful for larger programs.

It also includes other amazing features like Bluetooth pairing via NFC and ultra low power consumption modes. It comes with an embedded 9 axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) including an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a magnetometer with 3-axis resolution each.

This board is great option for more advanced robotics experiments, wearable devices, digital compasses, etc.

Arduino UNO R4 WiFi

The UNO R4 WiFi board provides enhanced processing power and several new peripherals. It has a 32-bit high performance Renesas RA4M1 (Arm® Cortex®-M4) microcontroller with a 48 MHz clock speed, 32 kB SRAM and 256 kB flash memory. This MCU also includes an RTC, DAC, CAN bus, and HID support via USB. It consists of 14 digital I/O pins (12 of which support PWM) and 6 analog inputs.

The board also features an ESP32 module for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has on-board 12×8 LED matrix to prototype visuals directly on the board, Qwiic connector, VRTC and OFF pin. 

Arduino Nano ESP32

Arduino Nano ESP32 is the first board to feature ESP32-S3 microcontroller within NORA-W106 module from u-blox. It has clock speed of 240 MHz, 384 kB ROM, 512 KB SRAM, and 16 MB of external flash memory, making it capable of handling complex tasks efficiently.

The Nano ESP32 features 14 digital I/O pins, 5 PWM pins, 8 analog inputs and 13 Built-in LED Pin. It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0, making it ideal for IoT development. It is compatible with Arduino IoT Cloud and provides HID support.

Arduino Nano 33 IoT

The Arduino Nano 33 IoT is a highly capable board designed for Internet of Things (IoT) applications. It is built upon the 32-bit low-power Arm Cortex-M0 SAMD21 MCU, with clock rate 48 MHz, and includes 32 KB of SRAM and 256 KB of flash memory. It features 14 digital I/O pins, 11 PWM pins, 8 analog inputs and 1 analog output pin. 

It supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity performed via the NINA-W102 module from u-blox. It includes a ECC608 crypto chip for enhanced security in IoT applications. Besides that, it has an onboard IMU, which provides 6-axis motion sensing making this board ideal for simple vibration alarm systems, relative positioning of robots, pedometers, etc.

Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect

The Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is a compact board with advanced features. It is powered by the Raspberry Pi RP2040 chip, featuring a dual-core Arm Cortex M0+ processor with 133 MHz clock rate, 264 KB of SRAM, and 16 MB of flash memory.

The board boasts 20 digital I/O pins, 20 PWM pins, 8 analog inputs, 13 Built-in LED pins and Micro USB connector. For wireless communication, the board is equipped with the u-Blox NINA W102 module, supporting Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n connectivity and Bluetooth 4.2.

Additional features of the board include a 6-axis IMU with AI capabilities for motion sensing, a microphone for audio input, and an RGB LED. The Arduino Nano RP2040 Connect is suitable for a wide array of uses, including smart home devices, wearable technology, and environmental monitoring systems. Its powerful processing capabilities, combined with extensive connectivity options and sensor integration, make it an excellent choice for developers looking to create innovative and connected solutions.

Arduino MKR WiFi 1010

The MKR WiFi 1010 is a great choice for basic IoT applications and pico-network applications. It has a low power Arm Cortex-M0 32-bit SAMD21 processor, like in the other MKR boards. The board includes the U-blox NINA-W102 module, which supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity It also has ECC508 crypto chip for secure communication

The board comes with 8 digital I/O pins, 13 PWM pins, and 7 analog pins, 1 analog output pin and a micro USB port. This board is well-suited for developing a variety of IoT solutions, such as home automation systems, environmental monitoring, and wearable technology. 

Arduino MKR WAN 1310

The MKR WAN 1310 is based on the SAMD21 low power processor and uses the Murata CMWX1ZZABZ LoRa module, and the crypto chip (the ECC508). The board comes with 8 digital I/O pins, 13 PWM pins, 7 analog pins and 1 analog output pin. It also includes a new battery charger, and 2MByte SPI Flash.

Arduino MKR NB 1500

The Arduino MKR NB 1500 is a highly specialized board that enables you to add Narrowband communication to your project. It features the SAMD21 Cortex M0+ 32-bit low-power ARM MCU, providing efficient processing with 32 KB of SRAM and 256 KB of flash memory. The board is equipped with the u-blox SARA-R410M-02B module which operates in the different bands of the IoT LTE cellular range.

The MKR NB 1500 includes 8 digital I/O pins, 13 PWM pins, 7 analog input pins and 1 analog output. This board provides connectivity on LTE’s Cat M1/NB1 bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28. This board is perfect for devices used in remote locations where Internet connection is not available, or power isn’t available like remote metering systems or field monitoring systems. 

Arduino MKR Vidor 4000

The Arduino MKR Vidor 4000 is the most advanced and feature-rich board. It has an Intel Cyclone 10CL016 FPGA (Field Programming Gate Array) having 16K logic elements, 504 KB of embedded RAM, and 56 18×18 bit HW multipliers. It contains 8 MB of SRAM to support the FPGA operations for high-speed audio and video processing.

The board runs on a SAMD21 Cortex M0+ 32-bit ARM MCU. It includes  a module from u-blox, the NINA-W10, for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. In Vidor all pins can be configured for functions such as UARTs, SPI, PWM, I2C, I2S, etc.

Additionally, it includes a Micro HDMI connector for audio and video output, MIPI camera connector for video input, and an ECC508 crypto chip for cyber-security. With Vidor, you could even create your own processors inside the FPGA that can work in parallel to the other microcontroller present on the board. The board offers high speed computation, and connectivity options, making it suitable for complex projects involving multimedia and IoT. 

AI-Enabled Arduino Boards

AI-enabled Arduino boards combine the versatility of Arduino with the power of AI, providing a platform to integrate AI capabilities into various projects. One of the most important features of these boards is their enhanced processing power. They often come equipped with more powerful microcontrollers, such as those from the ARM Cortex-M series and increased memory capacity.

Additionally, these boards often support a variety of connectivity options, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LoRa. They also come with software support for popular AI frameworks and libraries, making it easier to develop and deploy AI applications. This makes them ideal for developers and hobbyists who want to implement machine learning, data analysis, and intelligent automation in their projects.

Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense Rev2

The Arduino Nano 33 BLE Sense Rev2 is a powerful AI-enabled board designed for projects involving AI and embedded machine learning. It is built upon the nRF52840 microcontroller, runs on Arm® Cortex®-M4F at 64 MHz. It also supports Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.0, providing robust and efficient wireless communication capabilities.

The Nano 33 BLE Sense Rev2 supports programming via the Arduino IDE, and can also be programmed using MicroPython. It operates at 3.3V and features 14 digital I/O pins (12 of which support PWM), 8 analog inputs, and a USB connection.

One of the standout features of this board is the possibility of running Edge Computing applications (AI) on it using TinyML for advanced projects. Another feature is it includes an array of built-in sensors that can detect color, temperature, humidity, pressure, proximity, motion and audio. 

The board includes a 9-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU), which consists of a 3D accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer to detect orientation, motion, and vibrations. It also includes an omnidirectional digital microphone (MP34DT05) for sound detection and analysis. 

This board is an excellent choice for building wearable devices, room temperature monitoring devices and gesture and voice recognition devices with AI capabilities.

Nicla Sense ME

The Arduino Nicla Sense ME is a modular and versatile board featuring four industrial-grade Bosch sensors for motion and environmental monitoring. It includes the BHI260AP AI smart sensor with integrated accelerometer and gyroscope, BMP390 high performance pressure sensor, BMM150 magnetometer, and BME688 environmental sensor, capable of measuring temperature, humidity, pressure, air quality, and various gases. 

The board has a 64 MHz Arm Cortex M4 (nRF52832) processor and 512KB Flash, 64KB RAM, 2MB SPI Flash for storage and 2MB QSPI dedicated for BHI260AP. It supports Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. The board’s small form factor, low power consumption and robust hardware make it ideal for creating projects that require sensor fusion and edge computing applications. When it is powered by a battery, it becomes a complete standalone board.

Nicla Voice

The Arduino Nicla Voice is a compact and advanced board designed for always-on speech and motion recognition at the edge. It integrates a powerful Neural Decision Processor NDP120 from Syntiant enabling the board to run multiple AI algorithms and advanced machine learning to automate complex tasks with ultra-low power consumption. 

The board includes a built-in high-performance digital MEMS microphone (IM69D130 from Infineon), a 6-axis IMU (BMI270 from Bosch), and a 3-axis magnetometer (BMM150 from Bosch), making it ideal for predictive maintenance, gesture recognition, and contactless applications. 

The Nicla Voice features ANNA-B112 Bluetooth module to provide on-board Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity. It can be battery-powered for standalone use, making it perfect for industrial and IoT projects.

Nicla Vision

The Arduino Nicla Vision is a powerful board featuring a 2MP color camera, designed for edge computing applications such as asset tracking, object recognition, and predictive maintenance. It is equipped with an STM32H747AII6 dual ARM Cortex M7/M4 processor, offering high performance with clock speeds up to 480 MHz for the M7 core and 240 MHz for the M4 core. The board also includes a smart 6-axis IMU to obtain 3D gyroscopic and 3D accelerometer data, an omnidirectional digital MEMS microphone, and a distance sensor.

The Nicla Vision supports WiFi and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) connectivity, making it compatible with both professional and consumer devices. It can be battery-powered for standalone operation, which is ideal for remote and portable applications. Additionally, it offers MicroPython support, enhancing its programmability and ease of use.

The combination of advanced sensors, powerful processing capabilities, and flexible connectivity options makes the Nicla Vision an excellent choice for developers to prototype with on-device image processing and machine vision at the edge.

Portenta H7

The Arduino Portenta H7 is a high-performance board that can be used in high-end industrial applications, computer vision, robotics controller, dedicated stationary computer, and mission-critical devices. It features a dual-core STM32H747 MCU with ARM Cortex-M7 running at 480 MHz and Cortex M4 running at 240 MHz. This dual-core architecture allows for concurrent execution of tasks, such as executing high level code, alongside real-time tasks. The Portenta H7 supports both WiFi and Bluetooth 5.1 through the integrated Murata 1DX module.

The standout feature of the Portenta H7 is the Chrom-ART graphical hardware accelerator and dedicated JPEG encoder/decoder that enables you to connect an external monitor to build a dedicated embedded computer.

Portenta H7 Lite

The Portenta H7 Lite is a cost-effective board with H7 functionalities that is specifically used for complex environments where radio communication is not suitable or possible. Just like Portenta H7, it has a dual-core processor STM32H747 that can run high level code along with real time tasks. The board includes two 80-pin high-density connectors, expanding its scalability with a variety of peripherals and shields. 

Portenta H7 Lite Connected

The Portenta H7 Lite Connected is designed for applications that require advanced processing power, such as AI applications and low-latency control solutions. It is a powerful board, with integrated wireless connectivity, yet remains cost-optimized. 

Its dual processors can simultaneously run high-level code and real-time tasks. One major advantage of this board is it offers twofold functionality: it can function either like any other embedded microcontroller board, or as the main processor of an embedded computer. 

Portenta X8

The Arduino Portenta X8 combines the flexibility of Linux with the real-time capabilities of the Arduino environment, making it ideal for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications. It comes preloaded with a Linux OS (Yocto) distribution onboard.

The board features dual processors: the NXP i.MX 8M Mini MPU with four ARM Cortex-A53 cores and one Cortex-M4 core, and the STM32H747 MCU with a Cortex-M7 core and a Cortex-M4 core. This allows high-performance processing and real-time control.

The board includes NXP SE050C2 crypto chip for secure connections. It provides an easy and secure way to deploy applications running in a controlled environment using containers. This makes it an excellent choice for developers needing a powerful, flexible platform for sophisticated projects in industrial and commercial settings.

Portenta C33

The Arduino Portenta C33 is a compact yet powerful System-on-Module (SoM) designed for IoT applications, leveraging the Renesas R7FA6M5 microcontroller with an Arm Cortex-M33 core. This provides efficient performance and low power consumption, ideal for cost-effective, real-time applications. It features onboard Wi-Fi and Bluetooth through the ESP32-C3-MINI-1U module, enhancing connectivity for IoT projects. The board supports high-level programming languages like MicroPython, enabling rapid development and prototyping.It also has castellated pins for automatic assembly lines ensuring easy integration to other components.

The Portenta C33 has NXP® SE050C2 IoT Secure Element for robust data protection for processing of sensitive data and protection against software-based attacks. Its low-power design makes it ideal for battery-powered IoT devices, ensuring long operational life and efficient energy usage. With Portenta C33 you can quickly deploy AI-powered projects using ready-to-use software libraries. This SoM is well-suited for applications such as IoT gateways, remote control systems, fleet management, and process tracking.

What can You do with an Arduino?

Here are some of the things you can do with an Arduino:

1. Control LEDs: You can use Arduino to control LEDs, either by turning them on and off or by varying their brightness.

2. Create interactive projects: You can create interactive projects using Arduinos with different sensors. 

3. Build robots: You can use Arduino to build robots with motor controllers and sensors. These robots can be controlled through Bluetooth or Wi-Fi and can perform various tasks.

4. Display data: You can use Arduino to display data on an LCD screen or other output devices. 

5. Automate your home: You can use Arduino to automate your home by controlling lights, fans, and other appliances. You can also create a home security system using sensors and cameras.

6. Create musical instruments: You can create musical instruments using Arduino and sensors. These instruments can be programmed to produce different sounds based on user inputs.

Overall, Arduino is a versatile platform that can be used for a wide range of projects, limited only by your creativity and imagination. Here are some of the Arduino projects you can try:

• Interfacing RGB LED with Arduino Uno
• Interfacing IR Sensor Module with Arduino
• Ultrasonic Sensor HC-SR04 Interfacing with Arduino
• Interfacing HC-SR501 PIR Sensor  with Arduino

Conclusion

We hope that you have gained a better understanding of Arduino and various Arduino boards and their features. All the products have different features and uses so to select the best Arduino board, consider your development needs. For starters or those with simple projects, the UNO or Nano is a popular and easy-to-program option. For more advanced projects, choose from the above list according to your requirements. 

FAQ’S