Arduino Uno for basic projects The Arduino board used for beginner projects is the Arduino Uno board, as it is compatible with a wide range of peripherals. This board is the most commonly used board because it is user-friendly and easy to configure. In addition, this board has a possibility to replace its microcontroller, which makes it the first choice even for beginners. There are also a large number of beginner level projects where this board can be used. Some of them are:
– Temperature controlled fan – Visitor switch – Obstacle detection – Home security system
The specification of the Arduino Uno board are given in the following table:
Arduino Nano for plug-in board projects
The name suggests that this board is smaller compared to the other Arduino boards and performs a limited number of functions. However, despite its smaller size, it can be used in a number of projects, some of which are listed below:
– Watering system for plants – Using LEDs for indicators – Monitoring water levels – Connecting DC motors – Providing input via keypads
Due to its small size, this board is suitable for projects that use a built-in plug-in board head pins so that it can be attached to the plug-in board, and for beginners it is the best option. This board does not have a power jack for power supply, so it relies only on its used connector for power supply or external power supply given through the plug-in board.
The technical data of the Arduino nano are listed in the following table:
Arduino Mega 2560 for advanced projects
The Arduino Mega is suitable for complex and advanced projects as it is equipped with a large number of input-output pins. In contrast to Arduino Uno and Nano, Arduino Mega has more RAM, more memory and a faster microcontroller. There are a variety of projects in which the Arduino Mega 2560 can be used. Some of them are:
– Predicting food quality – Creating a bioprinter – Robot arm based on gesture control – Seismic activity monitor
The specification of the Arduino Mega is given in the table below:
Arduino Due for large and complex projects
The Arduino Due is a viable option when it comes to large projects with large codes, as it is equipped with a 32-bit ARM core microcontroller and 512 kilobytes of memory. In addition, it has a dedicated connector for 9-volt battery power when the board is to be operated in independent mode. In addition, the controller used in this board is faster compared to all other Arduino boards. There are a variety of projects that use the Arduino Due board. Some of them are:
– Connect TFT displays – Build a quadcopter with Arduino Due – Arbitrary waveform generator – Make a small computer with Arduino Due
The technical speciation of Arduino Due is given in the table shown below:
Arduino MKRZero for audio and sound projects
The Arduino MKRZero is used in the projects that are completely related to audio, or is a viable option for the music makers. This board comes with header pins that make it easy to connect to devices via a breadboard. There are a number of audio projects that require the use of the Arduino MKRZero board. Some of them are:
– Generating melodies – Activating the LCD with sound sensor – Mini piano – Band audio spectrum
For the technical specification, below is the specification table of Arduino MKR Zero:
Conclusion
The Arduino platform offers a large number of boards, each with different functions and specifications. Therefore, choosing one of them is quite a difficult task, but we can divide the boards based on the type of projects we want to do. For basic projects, the Arduino Uno is mostly used and for advanced projects, the Arduino Mega and Due boards are used. In addition, for projects that include sounds or music as input or output, the Arduino MKRZero is recommended.