1. Single Board Computers and Dev Boards
MRSD Fall 2013

2. Why Use a SBC? Easy access to pins on microcontroller
Built in power regulation
Built in USB for programming/debugging
Easy to read pin labels
Hardware attachment points
Built in connectors (USB, ethernet, A/V, SD, etc)

3. Key Metrics Programming interface: USB, UART, ISP, OS
Logic voltage: 5V or 3.3V
Serial interfaces: USB, UART, I2C, SPI, CAN
Analog interfaces: ADC, DAC, PWM
Architecture: 8bit, 16bit, 32bit
PC Features: USB Host, Ethernet, HDMI, Audio
CPU Speed, Memory, Flash, EEPROM

4. “Families” Bare Metal: write code that runs directly on hardware
OS: Write code that executes like a program on a PC (hardware abstracted away by OS)
8/16Bit Bare Metal
Low power, cost
32Bit ARM Bare Metal
Faster
32Bit ARM Linux OS
Acts like a real computer
More work to access hardware

5. 8/16Bit Slow clock: 8MHz, 16MHz Very little memory
Low complexity, easy to get started
Few “bonus features”
Some support HID
Some include Ethernet, WiFi
Note: Can still use SD cards! They talk with SPI

6. Arduino 168/328 Family Uno/Nano/Pro (Mini)/Ethernet
168: 1K RAM, 16KB Flash
328: 2K RAM, 32KB Flash
Good for: Basic prototyping, small systems, lots of variants, lots of shields, real time
Bad for: heavy processing, advanced connectivity
Pro comes in 3.3/8MHz and 5/16MHz
$25: Uno, $35: Nano, $15: Pro, $10: Pro Mini

7. Arduino 32U4 Family Leonardo/Micro/Yun
Same as previous, but with USB HID capability
Act like a keyboard/mouse/joystick for another computer
Good for: Being USB HID
Bad for: heavy processing
$25 Leonardo/Micro, $72 Yun

8. Arduino Mega (2650/ADK) 2560 for general use
ADK for use with Android devices.
Good for: Larger systems w/ lots of IO. Can use Arduino Shields with IO pins to spare.
Bad for: Large size
$55

9. 32Bit ARM Higher speeds than 8Bit boards More memory
No need to run OS, program Bare Metal
More interrupt pins (usually all of them)
Multiple serial busses
Real Time
All 3.3V
Some extras:
USB HID, Ethernet, DACs, FPU
Phone production -> low cost ARM fabs

10. Arduino Due Can use some Arduino Shields (but not all)
Good for: Like the Mega, but 3.3V, >5x clock speed, more memory, some extras (HID, DACs)
Bad for: Is the Servo library still broken? Is CAN implemented yet?
$50

11. Mbed LPC1768 Online IDE (C++)
Good for: ARM power, small package, Ethernet, CAN
Bad for: Expensive, relatively few IO pins
Class has one for use.
$50-$80 (depends where you look)

12. TI Launchpad Stellaris LM4F120
Low cost (designed to sell the chip, not the board)
Good for: IO on a budget
Bad for: Need to get an IDE & compiler up and running
Energia: fork of Arduino for Launchpads $8

13. STM 32 Discovery Lots of pins Built in Accelerometer
Class has one for use
Good for: Lots of IO
Bad for: Getting the dev environment started
$30

14. Teensy 3.0 Super tiny, inexpensive Supports HID
Programmable with Arduino language
Good for: Low cost in tiny package
Bad for: advanced computer connectivity, bootloader sometimes fickle
$19

15. Linux OS Boards Runs a full Linux OS (Desktop or Android)
Real time is more difficult
Accessing hardware is a little more complicated
More programming language options
More “PC” ports: Ethernet, USB host, video, audio
Highest CPU speeds, memory (but some used by OS)
May include FPU, GPU
Usually have ARM CPU

16. Raspberry Pi Acts like a real computer, but smaller
Good for: a small computer for high level functions, video processing, output. Use when you need a small computer, not a dev board.
Bad for: Low level IO. Few GPIO, no ADC.
A:$25 or B:$35
Use model B. The $10 is so worth it (adds Ethernet, 2xUSB, 2x RAM).

17. BeagleBone (Black) Black adds lots of features, at half the cost
A few features went away, but overall worth it
Good for: Power of computer with tons of GPIO
Bad for: capes are expensive. Some say difficult to work with.
$90, $45 (Black)

18. BeagleBoard xM Small computer Limited GPIO
Good for: Needing a real computer, but small size
Bad for: Interacting with low level hardware, small budgets
$150

19. Pandaboard Small computer Limited GPIO
Good for: Needing a real computer, but small size
Bad for: Interacting with low level hardware, small budgets
$180

20. Udoo
4 Raspis + Due = Udoo
Not officially available yet, but made at CMU
Prof Sinopoli, who made it. No promises though.
Single, Duo, Quad core
Good for: Superpowerful computer + IO of Due
Bad for: low budgets

21. Board
BM/OS
5V/
3.3V
USB Host/
Dev
MHz
RAM
Flash
GPIO
UART
/SPI
/I2C
ADC/
DAC/
PWM
USD $
328
C++ 5
Serial 16 2k
32k 14
1/1/1
6/0/5 25
32U4
S/HID
Mega 8k
256k 54
4/1/1
16/0/15 55
Due
3.3 84
96k
512k
12/2/12 50
RasPi OS PC
700
512M SD 8
0/2/0 35 BB
PC/Ser
720
256M 65
2/1/2
7/0/6 90
BBB 1G
SD+2G 45
BBxM 0?
?/1/1
2/2/0
150
Mbed
H/D 96 26
3/2/2
6/1/6 80
Stella 36
7/4/4
12/0/23
STM
192k 1M
?/?/?
?/2/? 30
Pand
1.2Gx2 2G
180
Udoo
1Gx2 76
99+ T3 48
16k
128k 33
3/1/1
12/0/10 19