Raspberry Pi Pico vs. Arduino Nano: Which Is Best for Your Project?
In the exciting world of microcontrollers, finding the right balance between size and processing power for your embedded electronics project is a top priority. When looking for this match, Arduino Nano and Raspberry Pi Pico are two popular choices that often come to mind.
Unfortunately, the specific needs of your project may not be apparent to you until you’re knee-deep in the implementation process. Let’s go over some of the key differences and features to look for between these two rival boards to help you choose the right microcontroller for your project.
Hardware Comparison
Firstly, it’s worth noting that there are different options to choose from in both Arduino Nano and Pico ranges, not just their base models. Some are upgrades to the base model while others have dedicated features to suit certain applications. But this should stick: there is no “best” board for your project per se, only trade-offs.
Arduino Nano
The Arduino Nano, powered by the ATmega328, is a compact and breadboard-friendly board that offers similar functionality to the Arduino Duemilanove, but in a different form factor. It does not have a DC power jack and uses a Mini-B USB cable instead of a standard one.
Specification
Microcontroller
Clock speed
Flash memory
Analog in pins
I/O pins voltage
I/O pin current
3.3V pin current
Power supply voltage
Dimensions
Raspberry Pi Pico
Although the Raspberry Pi Pico was only launched in 2021, it’s already a popular choice in the world of MCUs. At the heart of the Pico is an RP2040 microcontroller chip based on a dual-core Arm Cortex-M0+ processor.
RP2040 SoC with Arm Cortex-M0+ dual-core
On-chip RAM
On-chip flash Memory
Off-chip flash memory
Up to 16MB via dedicated QSPI bus
Analog in channels
PWM channels
Temperature sensor
51.3 x 21mm
In terms of hardware capabilities, the Raspberry Pi Pico clearly has an edge over the standard Arduino Nano, with a faster processor, more flash memory, more GPIO pins, and extensive control over PWM signals. Also, the dual-core processor present on the Pico is good for multithreaded programs.
However, the Raspberry Pi Pico lacks EEPROM, often essential for microcontroller-based projects. In addition, you won’t be able to run your project off a 9V battery without a voltage regulator.
IoT Applications
While the basic models lack wireless connectivity, the Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino Nano ranges offer a selection of special boards with wireless connectivity for IoT applications. Some popular IoT boards in the Nano series include theArduino Nano 33 IoTand theArduino Nano RP2040 Connect(which uses the same SoC as the Raspberry Pi Pico).
In the case of the Raspberry Pi Pico IoT boards, you have the option of the Pico W and Pico WH. Both have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, but the Pico WH comes with pin headers already attached, so you don’t need to solder them onto the board.
Communication Channels
Both the Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino Nano offer multiple communication channels for interfacing with other devices. The Raspberry Pi Pico has 2 UART (Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter), two I2C (Inter-Integrated Circuit), and two SPI (Serial Peripheral Interface) interfaces, which provide options for communication with other devices.
If you don’t already know what these are, check outhow UART, SPI, and I2C serial communications work, and why we still use them.
The standard Arduino Nano model has only one of each of the communication channels: UART, I2C, and SPI. However, unless it’s a large project, you won’t need all the communication channels available on the Pi Pico simultaneously—probably not even at all when using its PIO capability (see below). And neither does having more interfaces hint that it’s automatically better as we know that other factors play a role too.
Processing Power
The microcontroller chips used in the Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino Nano boards have their own strengths and weaknesses. And here is where you’ll need to make the ultimate trade-off.
In most Arduino projects, the CPU is likely to spend 99.9% of its time sleeping. This hints that CPU speed is not as important as you’d imagine, except for special scenarios like real-time data processing. The RP2040 chip used in the Raspberry Pi Pico is a 32-bit dual-core processor that offers higher processing power and performance compared to the ATmega328P chip used in the Arduino Nano base model, which is an 8-bit processor.
The RP2040 chip also comes with a unique feature: PIO (Programmable Input/Output) state machines, which allow for high-speed parallel data transfers and custom peripheral interfaces. This makes it suitable for applications that require real-time data processing, such as robotics and automation.
As with the CPU, most microcontroller applications only use a small amount of RAM. However, if you are doing tasks that require more RAM, like IoT projects, you should opt for the board with more on-board RAM—the Raspberry Pi Pico.
Programming Ecosystems
The programming ecosystems of the Raspberry Pi Pico and Arduino are also important factors to consider when choosing between the two boards. The Raspberry Pi Pico uses MicroPython and C/C++ as its primary programming languages.
Arduino uses the Arduino IDE as its primary programming environment, which is based on C/C++. The Arduino IDE is known for its simplicity and ease of use, with a user-friendly interface and a large collection of libraries and examples. It also has a large and active community of users, providing ample support and resources for beginners and experienced developers.
C/C++ is a powerful and versatile language that provides low-level access to the hardware, allowing for more complex and performance-critical applications.
MicroPython is a Python-based programming language that offers a simple and intuitive way to program the board, making it ideal if you are already familiar with Python or prefer a higher-level language. If you still prefer the Arduino environment but want to work with MicroPython, we’ve coveredwhat the Arduino MicroPython IDE isin detail.
Ignoring all the clone boards from third-party manufacturers, the Raspberry Pi Pico is way cheaper than all the authentic Arduino Nano models—including the one running the same RP2040 processor from Raspberry Pi. For instance, the standard Pico is just $4, compared to $25 for the base model Arduino Nano.
For added functionality, you should be willing to dig deeper into your pocket—whichever platform you opt for.
Compatibility With Other Hardware and Existing Libraries
Both Pico and Arduino have a wide range of compatible hardware modules and shields that can extend their functionality and allow for easy integration with sensors, actuators, displays, and other devices.
Arduino has been around for a long time and has a massive collection of shields that are widely used and well-documented. The Arduino community has developed countless code libraries for different functionalities, making it easy to find pre-written code for a wide range of applications. What’s more, even third-party boards are compatible with Arduino, which makes it easy to scale your project.
Is the Raspberry Pi Pico Better?
The concept of a “better” board is subjective and depends on individual project requirements and trade-offs. While the Raspberry Pi Pico excels in processing power and advanced features such as PIO, Arduino’s larger community and software library make it an excellent choice for many projects.
The wireless version of Raspberry Pi’s powerful Pico microcontroller board offers a wealth of possibilities for IoT projects.
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