which model of arduino should i buy? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / beginners

author: little_carlos
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2014, 09:16:17 pm
content: Hey guysIm going into microcontrollers,and i decided to start with arduino, but theres just too many models of it, wich one should i buy?im going to do servomotor controlling, sensors,and some robotics stuffwich one is the best for my aplications?

author: neildarlow
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: August 17, 2014, 09:32:38 pm
content: I have both an Uno and Mega2560. These two cover pretty much the whole gamut for 8-bit devices.Mine are Chinese clones sourced through marcmart.com which are good value for money and good build quality.

author: zapta
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2014, 09:34:51 pm
content: I you start from scratch, find a good Arduino book that teaches the basics and use whatever Arduino model it uses. You can also look for a combination of board + peripherals + book. The board model does not matter, it matters to have good educational material for it.(somebody at work mentioned a good Arduino book she used, I will check with her).Edit: this is the bookhttp://amzn.com/1118549368and it uses Arduino Uno. It has excellent reviews on Amazon.

author: idpromnut
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 17, 2014, 09:44:42 pm
content: If you have some soldering skills and want to dive into the details, i would recommend designing your own arduino-derivative board the includes the aspects you are interested in ( motor drivers, servos etc)

author: Thor-Arne
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 17, 2014, 09:53:38 pm
content: I think aArduino Uno(or clone) with amotor shieldwould be a good starting point.There is also robot chassis available in various forms, to quickly get you up and coding your robotics.

author: Rick Law
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 17, 2014, 11:48:54 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on August 17, 2014, 11:29:15 pmIf you are starting out, best bet is to go with the basic since you would have least complications. Also, most of the resources you will find (such as example hook up, hardware breakout boards, and software) are centered around the most popular board which is the UNO. Say if you use modelX instead of the Uno, you may have to change code (alter pin number and other things), and change the way you hook it up. Hard task if you are not already familiar with the Arduino setups.Once you get comfortable with UNO and learned enough Arduino things, perhaps (as suggested earlier by another forum member), you can roll your own.Uno is probably your best bet. Until you learn the ropes, having a lost cost board may serve you well - mistakes are cheaper - in buy replacement(s).Good luck!Rick

author: bobcat
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2014, 12:23:55 am
content: If you start with Uno, get the version with the microcontroller in a socket. That way if you damage the chip, it's easy to replace.

author: cowana
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2014, 09:05:18 am
content: While the Leonardo is my arduino of choice, I would recommend the Uno for a beginner. As the USB-serial link is done by the ATmega in the leonardo, it means resetting the chip, or loading on a new program causes the USB port to re-enumerate and disconnect existing connections. This means that a serial terminal will have to be closed and reopened when resetting the device - this is not an issue for arduinos using a seperate USB-serial bridge (such as the Uno).Andy

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 18, 2014, 09:20:38 am
content: Quote from: little_carlos on August 17, 2014, 09:16:17 pmGet an Arduino Uno R3 board.If you're looking for a good book, please consider mine:http://www.nostarch.com/arduinoNot only do you learn from scratch so you don't need any other introductory books - it also covers basic electronics, such as reading circuit schematics. Check out the table of contents from the link above.

author: Stonent
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 18, 2014, 11:56:02 am
content: The uno in my opinion is by far the best for prototyping maker style projects. The socketted chip makes it easy to covert to breadboard. As far as other stuff the uno is the newest of the socketted models in case you got confused by the duemilanova and decimilia that are similar but older versions that are basically the same.I really wish they had gone with a socketted 128 chip in 40 pin pdip version at one point. There's an unofficial one called the Bobuino that is like that.