Which Is Better For The Internet Of Things: Raspberry Pi Or Arduino?

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Published on July 31st, 2023

Table of Contents

Introduction

Whether it is an Arduino or Raspberry Pi for the Internet of Things, picking the ideal development board for your company can raise its value. It would boost uptime, cut down on development hours, and use less electricity. Earlier in the start of the millennium, Italy produced the single-board microcontroller known as Arduino. It targets device connectivity and prototyping. Furthermore, open-source hardware and software versions are still accessible. Later, as a tool for teaching basic computer science, the Raspberry Pi was made available. Despite being small, it is a functional computer. From model to model, its components differ. But, it has a separate processor, memory, and graphics processor.

We need to have an overview of Raspberry Pi and Arduino before we can discuss what sets them apart.

What is Arduino?

An Arduino is an open-source electronic device that can read inputs like light on a sensor, and then, based on those inputs, make outputs like turning on an LED. At the Ivrea Interaction Design Institute, Audrino was created as an accessible tool for students with little experience with electronics and programming. It began to change as a result of its increased popularity to meet these obstacles. Many projects, from commonplace items to expensive scientific instruments, are made possible due to their easy-to-use user interface. You can join an IoT course to know more about Arduino in detail. The Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which is free and open-source software, can be used to program an Arduino board. One major advantage of Audrino is that it is open-source, which means that much of the design files and source code are already accessible. To create your own Arduino board, you can choose any of them or change them.

What is Raspberry Pi?

a portable computer that is full of features and can be linked to a keyboard, mouse, and monitor. It possesses a dedicated processor, memory, and graphics driver, all of which are features of a PC. Even its operating system, Raspberry Pi OS, is a customized variation of Linux. IoT training will be useful if you want to learn more about it. Although the Raspberry Pi lacks onboard storage, you may store any operating system on microSD cards. Raspberry Pi and Ubuntu Mate, for instance. In addition to having Bluetooth, ethernet, and WiFi connectivity, Raspberry Pi supports online file transfers. The Raspberry Pi's software and project design are closed-source. A Raspberry Pi board often gets referred to as a single board computer, or SBC, because it is essentially a whole computer housed inside a printed circuit board. Since its release, Raspberry Pi has gained popularity for use in robotics, weather monitoring, the Internet of Things, and many other electronic systems.

Hardware Comparison Of The Raspberry Pi And The Arduino

Knowing that Raspberry Pi is a fully functional computer makes it much simpler to decide which hardware is best between Arduino and Raspberry Pi. Raspberry Pi is sometimes referred to as a modern microcomputer (a microprocessor that functions as a computer). But Arduino is a microcontroller, which is a part of a computer. Well, the differences listed below might make it much clearer to you how these two pieces of hardware differ from one another.

The ATmega CPUs that run Arduino have a maximum clock speed of 480MHz, although the majority of Arduino boards used for Internet of Things projects only have clock speeds of 16MHz or 48MHz.
Speaking of the other hardware, the Raspberry Pi 4 is almost 40 times faster than any Arduino variation. It gives you a clear edge for managing and running some of the most labor-intensive tasks associated with your IoT projects.
Also, Arduino boards run on an 8-bit AVR rather than the Raspberry Pi, which offers more CPU options. It includes 32-bit and 64-bit quad-core processors, due to its capacity to perform basic and less complex tasks.

Compared to Arduino, which is intended for simpler tasks. Raspberry Pi microprocessors use more ram since they are created to give customers a desktop alternative. It is one of the main Arduino raspberry pi differences.
Arduino microcontrollers, which target students who desire to stick to a manageable price, are built to handle simple tasks and usages with less than 32KB RAM.
You may complete your IoT projects or computing activities with the most recent Raspberry Pi model. It is because they come with 8 GB RAM for challenging work.

Pin Count

Pin Count or GPIO is a common interface used to link microcontrollers to other electronic devices that are essential for your IoT projects. When working on an IoT project, equipment like sensors, diodes, displays, and System-on-Chip modules is employed.
You can connect as many devices as you like to your board with the aid of GPIO or Pin Count. In other words, larger pin counts enable the connection of a variety of project-related devices.
While the majority of Raspberry Pi models have 40 GPIO, Arduino only has 14, making it possible for you to offer your project extra power.

Speed

Since there are many different ARM-powered Raspberry Pi versions, the devices perform much faster than Arduino models.
The Raspberry Pi versions are faster and more dependable when handling complex activities included in your IoT applications, given the RAM and CPU features of these two pieces of hardware.

The above factors affect the performance of the Internet of Things with raspberry pi and Arduino.

Arduino Raspberry Pi Programming Comparison

The most intriguing and important factor in contrasting these two strong pieces of hardware is programming. If the operating system and programming language are the two most crucial components of your entire IoT project, selecting the optimal hardware is basic. Operating systems are not required for Arduino microcontrollers, which support the programming languages C and C++. Since Arduino IDE is a collection of C/C++ functions that have been compiled and flashed to a board, there are programming options available for beginners. When running Linux, Raspberry Pis is the greatest option for complex projects that demand an array of programming languages. An IoT certification course will boost your programming ability related to IoT.

Expansion

Both Arduino and Raspberry Pi boards can be expanded to add functions and features to the system with their original parts. This is when another major difference between these boards comes into play. Shields are boards that are added to the Arduino platform and stacked on top of the main board using standard pin headers. With shields, you may add other features like a GPS, SD card, Ethernet Internet connection, LCD, etc. If it is linked, more than one shield may be placed on top. In this situation, the hardware loses its mobility capabilities and becomes a little hefty. The Raspberry Pi contains many of the functions stated above on the original board, as you can see if you compare it to the Arduino.

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Which is Better: Raspberry Pi or Arduino?

In a conflict between Arduino and Raspberry Pi, Raspberry Pi is in the lead. It is a better option because of its faster processing, internet connectivity, compatibility with a wide range of different sensors, and capacity for challenging jobs. But, this does not imply that Arduino is no longer a contender. It has its benefits. It is more affordable, open-source, and suitable for novices. Both Arduino and Raspberry Pi have benefits and drawbacks. Your project type and budget will determine the option you choose. Arduino works well for routine chores like opening and closing doors and turning on and off lights, among others. Thus, Arduino should be your first pick if your project requires only producing output based on sensory inputs and does not contain any repeating elements. The Raspberry Pi is best suited to carry out complex activities like operating sophisticated robotics, monitoring the weather, publishing content online, etc. If your project needs better functionality and internet access, the Raspberry Pi is your go-to device. Join an IoT Training Institute to know which one is more suitable for you.

Raspberry Pi: Pros and Cons

Pros:-

It can carry out difficult duties like weather monitoring, controlling robots, etc. because it supports an operating system.
It features everything you need for a portable computer, including a CPU (central processing unit), an ethernet connector, and WiFi capability.
It has many General-Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) pins (the well-known Raspberry Pi variant has 40 GPIO pins). It thus can fit a high number of sensors.
Its processing power is superior. A 1.6 GHz processor is included with the Raspberry Pi 4B model.
All kinds of programs, including Microsoft Office and email, can be run on it.

Cons:-

The Raspberry Pi's hardware and software are closed-source. One cannot modify the Raspberry Pi single-board computer (SBC).
Because the Raspberry Pi lacks internal storage, a micro SD card must be used as internal storage.
It may overheat when performing demanding tasks.

Arduino: Pros and Cons

Pros:-

The Arduino platform is open-source in both hardware and software. You have the option to either customize your own Arduino board or choose from the already existing programming.
Compared to Raspberry Pi, it is less expensive.
Because it is simple to use and learn, it is suitable for beginners.
Through an IDE (Integrated Development Environment), programming Audrino is a cinch.
There is a sizable community for Arduino, and it has many uses.

Cons:-

Compared to the Raspberry Pi, it has much less processing power.
The boards used by Arduino don't support wireless or the internet.
Arduino's 8-bit CPU architecture makes it unable to handle complicated tasks.

Conclusion

Systems that carry out easy repeated activities that only need one action at a time can use Arduino. Often, Arduino will be a more affordable and expedient option than Pi. The Raspberry Pi, which outperforms Arduino in speed and power, can multitask and carry out deeper operations. It involves watching videos, running calculations, and gathering data from different parameters. It can be challenging to decide between an Arduino or a Raspberry Pi for your project's Internet of Things needs. You should get in touch with experts who offer IoT software development services. An Internet of Things course from The IoT Academy will clear your doubts and provide better knowledge.