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.
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.
Typical Price: ₹350–450 / $4–6.
ESP32 (Espressif Systems)
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.
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.
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.
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)


Key Features (Common to both Minima & WiFi):
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

Key Features:
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

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
Key Features:
Best For: IoT projects, wireless applications in a compact form factor, MicroPython development 12.
Arduino Leonardo
Best For: Projects requiring native USB capabilities (like HID emulation), general Arduino projects 12.
Arduino Micro
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):
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).
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