Updated March 3, 2023
Differences Between Raspberry PI vs Arduino
A Raspberry Pi is a mini-general-purpose computer that usually comes up with a Linux-based operating system, and it has the ability to multitask. It can be used for doing intensive calculative and mathematical operations such as for Bitcoin or encryption technologies. On the other hand, Arduino is an open-source computer software and hardware company, user communities, and projects that manufactures and designs single-board microcontroller kits of interactive objects and building digital devices. An Arduino is primarily a microcontroller motherboard which is a simple computer handling only one program at a time, repeatedly.
Raspberry Pi
- Raspberry Pi was developed by the Raspberry foundation in the UK, which is a series of small single-board-based computers. The original model became popular as it also got started to be used in Robotics and gained exponential popularity. Most Pis are created in Sony Factory in Wales, but some are made in Japan and China too.
- It is believed to be more complicated than Arduino. It is used when your requirements are that of a full-fledged computer as it can drive a more complicated robot capable of performing tasks simultaneously. Its primary use was to develop an understanding among students related to computer science and its technologies, especially to those belonging to developing countries.
Arduino
Arduino is quite very simple and easy to use. The repetitive tasks such as opening or closing of a garage door, noting the external temperature, and reporting the data to some tool or a website driven by a simple robot can be made possible with Arduino. These kits are used to control and sense the objects of the real physical and digital world. Arduino boards are available in the form of DIY(Do-It-Yourself) kits or commercially in preassembled form.
Example
Some most common examples which can help in better explaining the difference between Raspberry Pi and Arduino is let’s suppose; I am interested in monitoring the way my plants behave and then send me periodic requests whenever they are thirsty after they ensure, according to the National Weather Service, there is no rain planned, then the irrigation system should automatically be turned on otherwise the plants should wait for the downpour. Raspberry Pi can best handle this case. My requirement, for example, is not very complicated. I just want my plants to notify me whenever they need water. In this case, Arduino is your choice to go.
Let us understand the difference between Raspberry Pi and Arduino in detail.
Head to Head Comparison Between Raspberry PI and Arduino (Infographics)
Below are the Top 10 comparisons between Raspberry PI and Arduino:
Key Differences Between Raspberry PI and Arduino
Below are the lists of points, describe the key differences between Raspberry PI and Arduino:
- Raspberry’s advantage includes easy connection with the internet, complete support from the Linux community is available, and the choice of programming language can be huge, whereas, in the case of Arduino, the advantages are that it is easy to get started with, can be used for building real-time applications based on both hardware and software, deep programming knowledge is not required and is easy to extend and have huge libraries and shield sets by the users.
- The disadvantages of Raspberry include no support for real-time hardware, the interfacing can be delayed if the CPU is busy, inductive loads cannot be driven, analog to Digital converter is not available, and hardware design is not open source whereas the disadvantages for Arduino include that the languages to be used are just Arduino or C or C++ which are difficult to code in, it is not enough powerful tool when brought to a comparison with Raspberry Pi and connecting with the internet is quite difficult.
- If your project is hardware-oriented, Arduino is the way to go as it has low power, it costs less, the analog and digital pins enhance the connectivity process, but if yours is more of a software project, the Raspberry Pi should be the ideal choice as audio, internet-based and video capabilities are way better supported in this.
Raspberry PI and Arduino Comparison Table
Following is the comparison table between the Raspberry PI and Arduino.
| Basis of comparison between | Raspberry PI | Arduino |
| Definition | A mini-computer with its own Raspberry OS capable of handling multiple programs at a time. | It is a microcontroller which is just a normal part of the computer. It can be used to run a single program code again and again. |
| Battery Support | It is quite difficult to power Raspberry Pi using a battery pack | Arduino can be powered with a battery pack easily |
| Complexity | Requires complex tasks such as installation of libraries and software for sensor interface and managing other components | Simple interface sensors and other components. It is not that complex. |
| Cost | It is quite expensive | Available at a lower cost |
| Connectivity Support | It can be easily connected with the internet by making use of an Ethernet port and Wi-Fi dongles. | It requires the integration of external hardware to establish a connection with the internet. This hardware is handled properly using the code. |
| Onboard Storage | It doesn’t have an onboard storage facility in place; it rather depends upon the SD card-based storage. | It provides the onboard storage |
| Number of USB ports | It has 4 USB ports for establishing a connection with different devices | It has just 1 USB port to connect with the computer |
| Processor Family | The processor used in Raspberry Pi is from the ARM family | The processor used for Arduino is from the AVR family |
| Device Property | It needs to get a proper shutdown; else, there is a persistent risk of software problems and files corruption. | It is just a plug and play device. It is simple in the fact that it will continue to run as long as the power is connected and gets disconnected as soon as the power is off. |
| Languages Supported | The recommended language for this board is Python, but C, C++, and ruby are also preinstalled. | It makes use of its own language Arduino and C or C++. |
Conclusion
This is still not the thumb rule when it comes to choosing the right thing. Know your requirements, your business well before you invest and plan your future among any of the above-mentioned technology. I hope you have liked this Raspberry PI vs Arduino post. Stay tuned to our blog for more posts like these.
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