Micro-Computing
Computers come in many sizes, from the very large to very small. The computers on this page each have particular strengths that make them suitable for different projects.
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Arduino
From the manufacturer
Arduino is an open-source electronics platform based on easy-to-use hardware and software. Arduino boards are able to read inputs - light on a sensor, a finger on a button, or a Twitter message - and turn it into an output - activating a motor, turning on an LED, publishing something online. You can tell your board what to do by sending a set of instructions to the microcontroller on the board. To do so you use the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring), and the Arduino Software (IDE), based on Processing.
Main features
Arduino UNO is a microcontroller board based on the ATmega328P. It has 14 digital input/output pins (of which 6 can be used as PWM outputs), 6 analog inputs, a 16 MHz ceramic resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an ICSP header and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support the microcontroller; simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with a AC-to-DC adapter or battery to get started. You can tinker with your UNO without worrying too much about doing something wrong, worst case scenario you can replace the chip for a few dollars and start over again.
From the manufacturer
| Board | Name | Arduino UNO R3 |
|---|---|---|
| SKU | A000066 | |
| Microcontroller | ATmega328P | |
| USB connector | USB-B | |
| Pins | Built-in LED Pin | 13 |
| Digital I/O Pins | 14 | |
| Analog input pins | 6 | |
| PWM pins | 6 | |
| Communication | UART | Yes |
| I2C | Yes | |
| SPI | Yes | |
| Power | I/O Voltage | 5V |
| Input voltage (nominal) | 7-12V | |
| DC Current per I/O Pin | 20 mA | |
| Power Supply Connector | Barrel Plug | |
| Clock speed | Main Processor | ATmega328P 16 MHz |
| USB-Serial Processor | ATmega16U2 16 MHz | |
| Memory | ATmega328P | 2KB SRAM, 32KB FLASH, 1KB EEPROM |
| Dimensions | Weight | 25 g |
| Width | 53.4 mm | |
| Length | 68.6 mm | |
From the manufacturer
Makey Makey
From the manufacturer
The original Makey Makey Classic - Named one of Consumer Reports’ “Best Tech Toys of 2014," "Best of Toy Fair 2014" by Popular Science, and a finalist for Toy of the Year 2016.
Makes STEM Education fun! Start out easy with a banana piano. First setup takes seconds. Then make game controllers, musical instruments, and countless inventions. Advance to additional inputs and multi-key remapping up to 18 keys. Ages 8 to infinity.
- Turn everyday objects like bananas into touchpads!
- Connect the world around you to your computer! Setup takes just seconds.
- Just plug, clip, and play! No programming knowledge needed. No software to install. Works with Mac and Windows.
- 1000s of possibilities! Draw your own game controller, sneak a cat selfie, and dance like never before.
- Ages 8 to infinity.
Raspberry Pi
The Raspberry Pi is a small computer, about the size of a deck of cards which tech enthusiasts can learn about computers and programming using fun, practical projects.
From the manufacturer
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
The final revision of our third-generation single-board computer.
Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+
The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+ is the final revision in the Raspberry Pi 3 range.
- Broadcom BCM2837B0, Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) 64-bit SoC @ 1.4GHz
- 1GB LPDDR2 SDRAM
- 2.4GHz and 5GHz IEEE 802.11.b/g/n/ac wireless LAN, Bluetooth 4.2, BLE
- Gigabit Ethernet over USB 2.0 (maximum throughput 300 Mbps)
- Extended 40-pin GPIO header
- Full-size HDMI
- 4 USB 2.0 ports
- CSI camera port for connecting a Raspberry Pi camera
- DSI display port for connecting a Raspberry Pi touchscreen display
- 4-pole stereo output and composite video port
- Micro SD port for loading your operating system and storing data
- 5V/2.5A DC power input
- Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) support (requires separate PoE HAT)