Arduino vs Raspberry Pi: Top Differences You Need to Know

If you’re a beginner, you might be confused with the two popular single-board microcomputers, the Arduino and the Raspberry Pi. If you have an interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) and need to choose between the two for your future IoT projects, this article will help you decipher the differences between the two devices.

Arduino and Raspberry Pi are two of the most famous single-board computers in the market. They are extremely popular with makers and hobbyists. But which one is better suited for you? Check out this blog post to get the differences between Arduino vs Raspberry Pi.

What is Arduino?

Before we started the key difference between Arduino vs Raspberry Pi, you need to know the exact meaning both single-board computers.

Arduino was developed by Massimo Banzi et al., co-founder of the Arduino project.

Massimo Banzi et al., co-founder of the Arduino project, Interaction Designer, Educator, and Open Source Hardware advocate, created Arduino in Ivrea, Italy.

The Arduino project began in 2005. The purpose was to use it as a teaching tool for students at the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy. The other goal was to provide a low-cost and simple way for beginners and professionals to build such devices that interact with their surroundings through the use of sensors and actuators.

Arduino is well-known for its open-source hardware and software electronics prototyping tool.

Arduino boards are microcontrollers rather than full computers with their own operating system, such as the Raspberry Pi. They simply execute C/C++ byte code in their firmware. 

The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is free software that allows you to write code and upload it to an Audrino board.

Also Read: C Plus Plus vs C Sharp

Major Features of Arduino

Here are some important features of Arduino. 

• The Arduino IDE utilizes a simplified version of C++, making programming easier to learn.
• Arduino offers a standard form factor that diffuses the microcontroller’s functions into a more manageable package.
• Unlike most previous programmable circuit boards, Arduino does not require an additional piece of hardware (known as a programmer) to load new code onto the board. Simply connect to a USB cable.
• It is a simple USB interface. As this is a serial device, it can be interfaced with a USB.
• Arduino boards can read digital or analog input signals from various sensors and convert them into outputs such as activating a motor, turning on/off LEDs, connecting to the cloud, and many other actions.

What is Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi was created at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom by Eben Christopher Upton, Welsh CEO of Raspberry Pi (Trading) Ltd, and was released in 2012. Since then, several iterations and variations have been released.

The Raspberry Pi Foundation, a UK charity, developed a series of single-board computers under the name Raspberry Pi. The goal of its creation is to educate people about computing and make computing education more accessible around the world.

One significant distinction to note is that Arduino is a development board based on a microcontroller, whereas Raspberry Pi is computer-based on a microprocessor (typically an ARM Cortex-A Series).

Major Features of Raspberry Pi

Here are some significant features of Raspberry Pi. 

• Every computer, including the Raspberry Pi, has a Central Processing Unit. It’s the computer’s mind.
• The Raspberry Pi board includes an HDMI port, which stands for High Definition Multimedia Interface.
• Another component of the Raspberry Pi board is the GPU (Graphic Processing Unit).
• The Ethernet port is a connectivity hardware feature available on Raspberry Pi B models.
• Raspberry Pi, like most other regular computers, requires some sort of storage device.

Arduino vs Raspberry Pi: Comparison Table 

Key Differences between Arduino vs Raspberry Pi

Below are some key differences between Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

• The Arduino is a microcontroller board (SBC), whereas the Raspberry Pi is a microprocessor-based mini computer.
• Raspberry Pi requires an operating system to function. No operating system is required for Arduino. All you need is the compiled source code binary.
• The Arduino IDE is used to develop code. On other hand, the Raspberry Pi can use Python IDLE, Eclipse IDE, or any other IDE that Linux supports. You can also program directly in the terminal using any text editor, such as Vim.
• Arduino is ideal for interfacing Sensors and controlling LEDs and Motors.  Whereas, Raspberry Pi is ideal for developing Python-based software applications.
• Arduino boards are less expensive, while Raspberry Pi boards are slightly more expensive.

Arduino vs Raspberry Pi: Which is Better?

In a battle between Arduino vs Raspberry Pi, it is Raspberry Pi that has the upper hand.

It is a better choice because of its faster processing speed, internet connectivity, support for a wide range of different sensors, and ability to perform complex tasks.

However, this does not rule out the possibility of Arduino remaining in the running. It has its own set of benefits. It is less expensive, open-source, and suitable for beginners.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed our article about the top differences between Arduino vs Raspberry Pi. These two devices are extremely similar but there are some key differences that you need to know about. These differences will help you to find the best device for your project. 

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, it’s always a good idea to know what your options are and what the best tool is for the job. If you are a newbie, we recommend starting with Arduino before you move to the Raspberry Pi because the Arduino system is more beginner friendly. We hope this blog post has helped you learn more about the top differences between these two popular microcontroller boards.

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