Today we will learn why Raspberry Pi is better than Arduino. These DIY (do-it-yourself) electronics are teachings tools that are mainly used by engineering students. If you’re a beginner you surely want to know the difference. Let’s learn.
Raspberry Pi is a mini-computer that can run Linux OS. On the other hand, Arduino is a tiny device specifically a microcontroller. Since a microcontroller is nothing but an organ of any electronic device, it is very different from a mini-computer.
Reasons Why Raspberry Pi Is Better Than Arduino
Before knowing why Raspberry Pi is better than Ardunio, you should know more about these two DIY tools.
What is Raspberry Pi?
Aforementioned, it is a mini-computer (single-board computer). You can install Linux or can work with the default distribution Raspbian.
Evolution
Raspberry Pi originated in the United Kingdom by the Raspberry Pi Foundation. It released its first model in February 2012 and the purpose was to make the computer science basics learning available to the students in school and developing countries.
By the time, purchasing a PC was not affordable for students but the miniature was affordable and also portable. Hence, it conquers the market for students to grasp first-hand skills.
Specs of Raspberry Pi
- It has a 64-bit microprocessor.
- It has 1 GB RAM.
- Input/output devices include an audio jack, Bluetooth 4.2, CSI camera port, DSI display port, HDMI port, a Gigabit Ethernet jack, I/O pins, an SD card port, 4 USB 2.0 ports(to link USB devices), etc.
- It runs on an operating system that can be Raspbian or Linux based. It also supports C, C++, and other programming languages).
What is Arduino?
Arduino is a microcontroller build for quick programming and circuit prototyping. This prototyping tool offers open-source hardware and software. It requires special software named Arduino IDE with which it can be programmed in C and C++.
Evolution
Arduino is an open-source hardware and software company. It manufactures single-board microcontroller and microcontroller kits for digital devices.
In 2005, at an institute in Ivera, Italy, the Arduino project began. The purpose was to deliver students a prototyping tool at an affordable price (low-cost). This design is suitable for both beginners and professionals.
Specs of Arduino
- It has an 8-bit microcontroller.
- It has 2 KB RAM.
- Input/Output devices include a USB Port, a power port, and a set of I/O pins.
So far, it is clear that both the tiny devices are aimed at assisting technocrats by providing DIY tools at an affordable price. In addition, the structure differs in terms of ports, microprocessor, and memory.
Now, let’s learn the difference in broad terms.
| Raspberry Pi | Arduino |
| It’s a microprocessor that behaves as a minicomputer. | It’s a microcontroller. |
| It’s a type of single-board computer that has all components of a computer such as a processor, graphics driver, memory, storage, and connectors on the board. | It has a CPU, RAM, and ROM on a single chip called Microcontroller. |
| It requires an operating system. | It doesn’t require any operating system. |
| Usually, it comes with Raspbian OS however you can install different OS preferably Linux. | It can function with firmware that gives instructions to perform tasks. |
| The processing speed is 1.2 GHz. | The processing speed is 16 MHz. |
| It is suitable for developing applications mainly based on python. | It comes with sensors and controllers used in simple micro-projects like robots. |
| It’s a self-contained board that means external hardware like touchscreen, GPS, and more can be attached. | With Arduino shields, extra features like motor drivers, Ethernet connection, wifi, touchscreen and more can be attached. |
| Although both devices are powered by USB, it needs more power than Arduino. Adapters are recommended. | It takes less power to function hence, a USB port connected to the computer is enough. |
| It’s not an open-source tool. | It’s an open-source hardware and software tool thereby, you can personalize the Arduino board. |
| It costs more than an Arduino board. | It’s cheaper than Raspberry Pi. |
Features
- The first difference is that Raspberry Pi is a single-board computer whereas Arduino is just a microcontroller.
- Raspberry Pi comes with an ARM Cortex-A Series microprocessors whereas Arduino uses an ATmega microcontroller.
- Raspberry Pi is a Linux-based computer (can run several programming languages such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc) whereas Arduino doesn’t need any operating system.
- In Raspberry Pi, hardware can be attached via 40-pin GPIO pins, whereas for Arduino, an Arduino shield is required.
- Since Raspberry Pi is a miniature of a computer it needs to shut down whereas Arduino can be easily plug-in and plugged out.
- Raspberry Pi can be programmed with several includes C, C++, Python, HTML, Scratch, whereas Arduino can only be programmed in C and C++.
- For Raspberry Pi, an adaptor power (5V 2A or 5V 3A) is required while for Arduino a USB connection to the computer is enough.
- With Raspberry Pi, it is painless to connect to the internet or wi-fi/Ethernet but in Arduino, a module/shield is required.
- Raspberry Pi offers wireless onboard connectivity which is absent in Arduino.
- The number of Raspberry Pi alternatives is more than Ardunio’s alternatives.
Which one should you buy?
You have learned all the basic and important details of the Raspberry Pi and Arduino this far. Hence, which one you should buy depends on you. If you’re a beginner you can start with Arduino but if you have used it already you can switch to Raspberry Pi for new learning and experiences.
However considering all the differences and features, it is quite clear that Raspberry Pi has high marks in every section. Yet to help you to understand why Raspberry Pi is better than Arduino, here listed the reasons.
- Raspberry Pi let you multitask while with Arduino repetitive task can be performed.
- You can derive a complex robot or play videos online with Raspberry Pi but with Arduino it’s complicated.
- In the case of Raspberry Pi, the community with which you can ask or discuss your queries is huge. Whereas on the other hand, Arduino is specific to hardware and software hence, only the Arduino community can assist you with your doubts and issues.
- Raspberry Pi lets you connect to the internet and offers wireless connectivity, but Arduino needs a shield connection to do these tasks.
Since Raspberry Pi has many pros over Arduino, it has some cons too.
- It costs more than Arduino.
- It consumes more power than Arduino.
- As a beginner, you may find the structure/connections a bit complex.
- You can run simple programs like blink on Arduino easily.
Conclusion
These DIY tools have their specialty. Each one is designed for a specific purpose yet if you have to make a choice; you need to consider the pros and cons smartly. We hope the article why Raspberry Pi is better than Arduino has helped you to gain clarity of these two DIY tools.