5 reasons you should get an Arduino if you don’t already have one

Microcontroller is a term you hear fairly often in the DIY landscape. Often confused with Single-Board Computers, MCUs like the Arduino series are integrated circuits designed for specific circuitry projects rather than a multipurpose standalone system. However, they’re just as useful for fledgling tinkerers and seasoned maestros alike, with Arduino boards, in particular, serving as excellent additions for DIY enthusiasts. If you haven’t already armed your workstation with an Arduino board, here are five reasons why you should consider checking them out.

5

Perfect introduction to RTOS and embedded systems

With plenty of documentation and helpful guides designed for newcomers

Let’s get this straight: embedded systems and AVR microprocessors are vast fields encompassing a wide variety of devices, and you’ll have to go well beyond the Arduino ecosystem to pursue a career in them. Likewise, you’ll learn a lot more from studying the inner workings of a random 8/16-bit MCU than your average Arduino board.

But when you’re just starting out, digging into the technical documentation of obscure microcontrollers and spending hours trying to get things to work can get tiresome. In contrast, Arduino systems have a relatively lower learning curve than conventional analog embedded systems, with the highly intuitive Arduino IDE simplifying many programming tasks. Sure, there’s a lot of hand-holding in the Arduino ecosystem, but these boards serve as a great means to get hobbyists and curious tinkerers adjusted to the RTOS landscape.

And their projects range from pragmatic ideas to unhinged yet ingenious creations

If you’ve landed in the microcontroller ecosystem after spending years with SBCs, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer complexity of MCU circuits. Thankfully, Arduino systems are blessed with extensive documentation and a talented community that comes up with creative ideas on a daily basis.

As such, it’s easy to find step-by-step tutorials for your favorite Arduino projects. Factor in the low prices of Arduino boards, and it’s clear why they’ve remained the most popular microcontroller family in the consumer space.

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Plenty of boards and sensors to choose from

With great popularity, comes great support for accessories

Although the Arduino Uno can power a host of projects, it’s far from the only board in the Arduino series. There’s the Nano series, which is designed for folks who require a smaller MCU to bring their DIY ideas to life. Meanwhile, the MKR family consists of advanced boards that ship with additional features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support. You’ve also got the Mega models that live up their moniker with their massive IO pins and better processing capabilities.

Since the Arduino series has an open-source hardware license, you can even come across clone boards that offer nearly all the features of Arduino boards at inexpensive prices. As if that’s not enough, the Arduino family is compatible with numerous sensors, motors, breakout boards, and other accessories, making them pretty versatile in their use cases.

2

Ideal for circuit, automation, and robotics projects

Why buy automated locks or drones when you can build them with your Arduino companions?

Arduino boards may require more coding and hardware interfacing than SBCs, but they’re flexible enough to be used in a variety of projects. For instance, you can combine an Arduino with LEDs, resistors, sensors, breadboards, and other circuitry components to build a host of cool projects, ranging from simple LED-blinking setups and music visualizers to complex 3D printers and gamepads.

Plus, these microcontrollers can be programmed to perform the same set of tasks repeatedly when certain conditions are met, making them perfect for automation projects. Alternatively, for those curious about the field of robotics, you can even build drones, remote-controlled cars, and biped/quadruped/multiped robots with Arduino MCUs.

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Arduino devices mesh well with other microcontrollers

And you can combine multiple MCUs in the same project

While the Arduino microcontrollers work fairly well on their own, they can take your projects to the next level once you pair them with ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico boards. Since the Arduino IDE is compatible with other MCU families, you can extend all the basics you’ve gained about C++ programming and serial interfaces with Arduino boards to different microcontrollers.

Sure, you may have a hard time if your projects involve certain obscure Arduino libraries that haven’t been ported over to your specific MCU. However, the overall experience you’ve gained when working with Arduino systems can help out tremendously once you switch over to lesser-documented boards. Heck, you can even run Arduino devices in tandem with different microcontrollers – and even SBCs – to breathe some life into your ingenious ideas.

Which microcontroller series is your favorite?

Arduino boards are hands-down the best series for newcomers to get their toes wet in the microcontroller space, but they’re far from the only worthwhile MCU family. The Raspberry Pi Pico series has amassed a fair share of tinkerers over the years. Similarly, the ESP32 lineup has a lot more firepower and functionality than its rivals, though the learning materials for these powerful boards are rather limited – especially compared to the Arduino series.

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