Choosing a Microcontroller

Choosing a Microcontroller: Popular Boards & Variants

Arduino UNO R3 (ATmega328P)

• Overview: The Arduino UNO R3 is one of the most popular microcontroller boards globally, especially for beginners. It is known for its robustness, extensive documentation, and large community support 10.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: ATmega328P, 8-bit AVR 1014.

  • Clock Speed: 16 MHz 1015.

  • Memory: 32 KB Flash, 1 KB EEPROM, 2 KB SRAM 10.

  • I/O Pins: 14 digital I/O pins (6 with PWM), 6 analog input pins 10.

  • Host Interface: USB-B (via ATmega16U2/8U2) 10.

  • Operating Voltage: 5V 10.

• Best For: Learning, prototyping, education, simple robotics 14.

• Typical Price: ₹500–700 / $7–10.

Raspberry Pi Pico (RP2040)

• Overview: The Raspberry Pi Pico is a low-cost, high-performance microcontroller board featuring a custom dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ chip designed by Raspberry Pi 7.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: RP2040, Dual-core ARM Cortex-M0+ 7.

  • Clock Speed: Up to 133 MHz 7.

  • Memory: 264 KB on-chip SRAM, 2 MB on-board QSPI Flash 7.

  • I/O Pins: 26 multi-function GPIO pins, including 3 analog inputs 7.

  • Peripherals: 2x UART, 2x SPI, 2x I2C, 16 PWM Channels, 8x PIO State Machines 7.

  • Host Interface: USB 1.1 with device and host support (Micro-USB port) 7.

  • Operating Voltage: Input power 1.8V to 5.5V DC 7.

• Best For: Robotics, embedded systems, IoT, education, projects requiring C/C++ or MicroPython 714.

• Typical Price: ₹350–450 / $4–6.

ESP32 (Espressif Systems)

• Overview: The ESP32 is a family of low-cost, low-power system-on-a-chip microcontrollers with integrated Wi-Fi and dual-mode Bluetooth 514.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: Xtensa dual-core (or single-core) 32-bit LX6 microprocessor 5.

  • Clock Speed: 160 or 240 MHz 5.

  • Memory: 520 KiB SRAM, 448 KiB ROM (Flash memory varies, e.g., 4MB typical) 5.

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth v4.2 BR/EDR and BLE 5.

  • I/O Pins: 34 programmable GPIOs, 10 touch sensors 5.

  • Peripherals: 2x 12-bit SAR ADCs (up to 18 channels), 2x 8-bit DACs, 4x SPI, 2x I2S, 2x I2C, 3x UART, Ethernet MAC, CAN bus 2.0, PWM, Hall sensor, infrared remote controller 5.

  • Security: Secure boot, flash encryption, cryptographic hardware acceleration (AES, SHA-2, RSA, ECC, RNG) 5.

• Best For: IoT applications, wireless sensor networks, smart devices, robotics 14.

• Typical Price: ₹300–500 / $3–5.

STM32 Family

STM32F4 Discovery Board (e.g., STM32F407)

• Overview: A powerful ARM Cortex-M4 board suitable for advanced robotics, signal processing, and industrial applications.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: STM32F407 (ARM Cortex-M4).

  • Clock Speed: Up to 168 MHz.

  • Memory: 1 MB Flash, 192 KB SRAM.

  • I/O: Multiple GPIO, ADC, DAC, UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, USB OTG, Ethernet.

  • Onboard: Accelerometer, audio DAC, pushbuttons, LEDs.

• Best For: Industrial automation, real-time control, advanced robotics.

• Typical Price: ₹1,200–2,500 / $15–30.

STM32F103C8T6 ("Blue Pill")

• Overview: A cheap and popular development board based on the ARM Cortex-M3 microprocessor 6.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: ARM Cortex-M3 6.

  • Clock Speed: 72 MHz 6.

  • Memory: 64 KB Flash, 20 KB RAM 6.

  • I/O Pins: 37 GPIO pins, 10 analog input pins (12-bit resolution), 12 PWM pins 6.

  • Peripherals: 2x I2C, 2x SPI, 1x CAN 2.0 6.

  • Operating Voltage: 2.7V to 3.6V 6.

• Best For: Hobbyist projects, learning ARM Cortex-M3 development.

Arduino Nano

• Overview: A compact version of the Arduino UNO, ideal for breadboard projects and designs where space is limited. It uses the ATmega328P (or ATmega168 in older versions) 10.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: ATmega328P (for v3.0) or ATmega168 10.

  • Clock Speed: 16 MHz 10.

  • Memory (ATmega328P version): 32 KB Flash, 1 KB EEPROM, 2 KB SRAM 10.

  • I/O Pins: 14 digital I/O pins (6 PWM), 8 analog input pins 10.

  • Host Interface: USB-Mini (FTDI FT232R for older versions) 10.

  • Operating Voltage: 5V 10.

• Best For: Wearables, compact robotics, breadboard prototyping, embedded devices.

• Typical Price: ₹300–400 / $4–6.

ESP32-S3

• Overview: An advanced variant of the ESP32 with enhancements for AI acceleration and more GPIOs, suitable for edge AI and vision tasks. Features a dual-core Xtensa LX7 processor.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: Dual-core Xtensa LX7.

  • Clock Speed: Up to 240 MHz.

  • Memory: (Varies by module, ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N8 used in UNO R4 WiFi has 8MB Flash) 13. For the ESP32-S3 generally, ROM is 384kB, SRAM is 512kB 9.

  • I/O Pins: Up to 45 GPIOs.

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi 4 (802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 5.0 (BLE).

  • Special Features: AI vector instructions, USB-OTG, LCD/camera interface.

• Best For: Edge AI, machine vision, complex IoT devices.

• Typical Price: ₹400–600 / $4–6.

Arduino Portenta H7

• Overview: A high-end, industrial-grade board designed for advanced applications. It features a dual-core STM32H747 microcontroller 1.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: STM32H747, featuring a dual-core Cortex-M7 (up to 480 MHz) + Cortex-M4 (up to 240 MHz).

  • Memory: 2 MB Flash, 1 MB SRAM.

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy, Ethernet, CAN bus.

  • I/O: Advanced I/O capabilities.

• Best For: Machine vision, industrial IoT, high-performance computing tasks.

• Typical Price: ₹12,000–15,000 / $120–150.

Texas Instruments MSP430FR Series

• Overview: A series of ultra-low-power 16-bit MCUs, well-suited for battery-powered and portable applications.

• Key Features:

  • MCU Architecture: 16-bit RISC.

  • Clock Speed: Up to 16 MHz.

  • Memory: Up to 128 KB FRAM, 8 KB SRAM (FRAM is a non-volatile memory known for high endurance and low power).

  • Power: Ultra-low power consumption (e.g., 0.1 µA in sleep mode).

  • Peripherals: ADC, UART, SPI, I2C.

• Best For: Battery-operated devices, energy harvesting applications, portable electronics.

• Typical Price: ₹50–100 / $0.50–1 (for individual MCUs).

Texas Instruments MSPM0C1104

• Overview: Marketed as one of the world’s smallest MCUs, designed for ultra-compact, low-power applications.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: Arm Cortex-M0+.

  • Clock Speed: 32 MHz.

  • Memory: 16 KB Flash, 4 KB SRAM.

  • I/O Pins: 6 GPIO.

  • Peripherals: 12-bit ADC.

  • Package Size: 1.38 mm².

• Best For: Extremely space-constrained applications, miniature sensors, disposable electronics.

• Typical Price: ₹20–30 / $0.20–0.30 (for individual MCUs).

Arduino UNO R4 (Minima and WiFi)

• Overview: An update to the classic UNO, featuring a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4. It maintains the UNO form factor and 5V operation 21112.

• Key Features (Common to both Minima & WiFi):

  • MCU: Renesas RA4M1 (ARM Cortex-M4) 211.

  • Clock Speed (Main Core): 48 MHz 2911.

  • Memory (RA4M1): 256 KB Flash, 32 KB SRAM 2911. Minima also has 8 KB EEPROM 11.

  • I/O Pins: 14 digital I/O, 6 analog inputs (up to 14-bit resolution), 6 PWM 1115.

  • DAC: 1 analog output (DAC) 15.

  • Operating Voltage: 5V 211.

  • Host Interface: USB-C 15.

  • Peripherals: CAN Bus, RTC, Operational Amplifier 111215. HID support 1112.

• UNO R4 WiFi Specific Features:

  • Co-processor: ESP32-S3-MINI-1-N8 for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth® 2913. ESP32-S3 clock up to 240 MHz 9.

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi®, Bluetooth® 213.

  • Onboard: 12x8 LED matrix, Qwiic I2C connector 912.

• Best For: Upgrading UNO projects, IoT (WiFi version), projects needing more processing power/memory than R3 12.

• Typical Price: Varies; R4 Minima is generally less expensive than R4 WiFi.

Arduino Due

• Overview: The first Arduino board based on a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M3 microcontroller. It has a large number of I/O pins and operates at 3.3V 410.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: Atmel SAM3X8E (ARM Cortex-M3) 410.

  • Clock Speed: 84 MHz 410.

  • Memory: 512 KB Flash, 96 KB SRAM 410.

  • I/O Pins: 54 digital I/O pins (12 with PWM), 12 analog input pins 410.

  • DAC: 2 analog output pins (DAC) 410.

  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V (I/O pins are not 5V tolerant) 410.

  • Host Interface: USB (ATmega16U2 + native host) 10.

• Best For: Projects needing high processing power, many I/O pins, true analog output, and 32-bit computations 4.

• Typical Price: Check current suppliers.

Arduino Mega 2560

• Overview: An 8-bit AVR microcontroller board with a significantly larger number of I/O pins and more memory than the Arduino UNO 310.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: ATmega2560 310.

  • Clock Speed: 16 MHz 310.

  • Memory: 256 KB Flash, 4 KB EEPROM, 8 KB SRAM 310.

  • I/O Pins: 54 digital I/O pins (15 with PWM), 16 analog input pins 310.

  • Operating Voltage: 5V 310.

  • Host Interface: USB (ATmega16U2/8U2) 10.

• Best For: Complex projects requiring many I/O pins like 3D printers, robotics, and multi-sensor applications 3.

• Typical Price: Varies, generally more than UNO.

Arduino Nano ESP32

• Overview: The first Arduino board to feature an ESP32 microcontroller from Espressif, specifically the u-blox NORA-W106 module (ESP32-S3) 1012. It combines the Nano form factor with ESP32 capabilities.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: u-blox NORA-W106 (ESP32-S3) 10.

  • Clock Speed: Up to 240 MHz 10.

  • Memory: 16MB Flash, 512 KB SRAM (NORA-W106 has 384kB ROM too) 1012.

  • I/O Pins: 14 digital I/O (5 PWM), 8 analog input 10.

  • Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.

  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V 10.

  • Host Interface: USB-C 1012.

  • Special Features: Supports MicroPython, Arduino Cloud enabled, USB HID emulation 12.

• Best For: IoT projects, wireless applications in a compact form factor, MicroPython development 12.

Arduino Leonardo

• Overview: Uses the ATmega32U4 microcontroller, which has built-in USB communication, allowing it to appear as a mouse or keyboard to a connected computer 1012.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: ATmega32U4 1012.

  • Clock Speed: 16 MHz 10.

  • Memory: 32 KB Flash, 1 KB EEPROM, 2.5 KB SRAM 10.

  • I/O Pins: 20 digital I/O pins (7 PWM), 12 analog input pins 1012.

  • Operating Voltage: 5V 10.

  • Host Interface: USB (built into ATmega32U4) 1012.

• Best For: Projects requiring native USB capabilities (like HID emulation), general Arduino projects 12.

Arduino Micro

• Overview: A small board co-designed with Adafruit, also based on the ATmega32U4, similar to the Leonardo but in a smaller form factor, suitable for breadboards 1012.

• Key Features:

  • MCU: ATmega32U4 10.

  • Clock Speed: 16 MHz 10.

  • Memory: 32 KB Flash, 1 KB EEPROM, 2.5 KB SRAM 10.

  • I/O Pins: 20 digital I/O pins (7 PWM), 12 analog input pins 10.

  • Operating Voltage: 5V 10.

  • Host Interface: USB (built into ATmega32U4) 10.

• Best For: Compact projects, HID emulation, breadboard-friendly designs 12.

Arduino Zero / MKR Zero

• Overview: Based on the ATSAMD21G18A, a 32-bit ARM Cortex-M0+ microcontroller. The MKR Zero is part of the MKR family, designed for IoT applications and has a smaller form factor 10.

• Key Features (ATSAMD21G18A boards like Arduino Zero):

  • MCU: ATSAMD21G18A (ARM Cortex-M0+) 10.

  • Clock Speed: 48 MHz 10.

  • Memory: 256 KB Flash, 32 KB SRAM (EEPROM can be emulated) 10.

  • I/O Pins (Arduino Zero): 14 digital I/O (12 PWM), 6 analog input, 1 analog output (DAC) 10.

  • Operating Voltage: 3.3V 10.

  • Host Interface: Native USB & EDBG Debug (Arduino Zero) 10.

• Best For: More computationally intensive projects than 8-bit Arduinos, IoT applications (MKR series), projects needing a DAC 10.

Other notable microcontroller families and boards mentioned in the search results include Teensy and nRF52, often supported by libraries like SimpleFOC 1. These cater to various specific needs, from high-speed processing (Teensy) to low-power wireless communication (nRF52).