Raspberry Pi or Arduino?

Often beginners have a problem which equipment to choose for their projects: Raspberry Pi or Arduino. Actually, these are completely different devices. The main and most important difference between them is that Raspberry is a fully functional computer with an operating system, while Arduino is only a microcontroller, which is one of the elements of the computer.

Both Raspberry Pi and Arduino are designed as learning devices for users who are just starting to play with electronics and programming. This is the reason why they are so popular - they enable very simple learning.

The story of Raspberry Pi and Arduino

Raspberry Pi was created in the UK. Its creator, Eben Upton, and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge Computer Lab were disappointed with the decreasing skills of the students in class. Raspberry Pi was designed as a cheap, programmable computer for programmers and DIY enthusiasts. The first Raspberry Pi prototype was created by Upton in 2006, but was not released until April 2012. 2019 saw the release of the latest version of Raspberry Pi 4B. The latest raspberry is available in three versions, with 1 GB, 2 GB and 4 GB RAM capacity. From the previous version 3 B+, it differs, among others, by a newer, 3 times faster processor, two USB 3.0 ports, a C-type USB power connector and two microHDMI ports.

Arduino was born in Italy. Its name comes from the bar where its creator, Massimo Banzi - lecturer at the Interaction Design Institute Ivrea, and co-founders first came up with the idea of a simple prototype device for students.

As teaching tools, Raspberry and Arduino are ideal for beginners. However, very soon users started to use them for more advanced projects as well.

Comparison of the main differences

The table shows the basic differences between Raspberry Pi 4 and Arduino Uno.

The dimensions of both devices are similar, but what is inside them is different from each other.

Raspberry Pi is much faster than Arduino given the speed of the clock. Additionally, it has much more RAM!

Raspberry Pi is an independent computer with an operating system. It supports multitasking, has 4 USB ports and can be connected to the Internet. It can function as a personal computer (of course, it doesn't have as much power as a Mac or a regular PC, but it is slowly catching up with its performance).

At first glance it may look a bit like comparing David with Goliath. However, Arduino's simplicity makes it better in purely hardware-based projects. Arduino has "analog" capabilities, which are missing in Raspberry. Its flexibility allows it to work with almost any type of sensor or sensor. You can find thousands of tips on how to connect different modules to Arduino. Raspberry Pi does not have such flexibility. For example, to use analog sensors it needs additional devices like ADS1256 . On the other hand, Malina has many advantages of Linux. In fact both devices are great choices.

Arduino IDE is much easier to use than Linux. For example, to create a program that blinks LED from Raspberry Pi, you need to install the operating system and some necessary libraries. On Arduino to achieve the same effect you only need a few lines of code. Thanks to the fact that Arduino doesn't have an OS, all you need to do is plug it in and upload the necessary program.

Raspberry supports multitasking. It can run multiple programs simultaneously. For example, it can work as printer server and VPN server at the same time.

However, for beginners it is recommended to get to know Arduino first before they approach Pi. Arduino is simpler and has more material to learn. With Raspberry you should know at least the basics of Linux and one of the programming languages, such as Python . Arduino works with any computer and can be battery powered. It can also be safely switched off at any time. Disconnecting Raspberry without previous shutdown can damage the software.

Raspberry has an advantage in application solutions. Adruino facilitates the creation of hardware designs. The most important thing is to determine what we really want to do.

Cooperation between Raspberry and Arduino

The final answer to the question of what to choose: Arduino or Raspberry, it could be: "And why should I choose?" If we want to learn electronics, each of these devices will show us something different. Both devices complement each other.

You can use Arduino as a driver for different sensors and Raspberry as the brain of the whole project, e.g. Arduino can control motors, read sensor values, control LEDs while connected to the Internet, Raspberry controls the whole thing, saves data, shows it in the form of charts, etc. At the same time, it allows you to watch movies, listen to music or send emails.

You can find a guide on how to send messages between these devices. The PySerial library is recommended, which allows easy communication between your computer and Arduino.

In fact, the possibilities are endless. Both devices are supported by a huge community of enthusiasts, thanks to which many solutions and inspirations can be found on the Internet, such as the design of the brewing system or the robot platform.