Feature: Embedded design
Arduino: the open-source hardware The Arduino initiative started out as a tool for students at the Interactive Design Institute, Ivrea, in Italy in 2005. The aim of the project was to provide low cost and easy to use hardware and software to beginner students and hobbyists, to create simple projects using sensors and actuators. The name “Arduino” comes from the drinks bar named ‘Arduin of Ivrea’ where the project’s founders used to meet. The name itself derives from the Margrave Arduin of Ivrea, who was King of Italy from year 1002 to 1014. Arduino is open-source hardware. Designs are released
under a Creative Commons license, making them freely available to the public. However, developers are asked to reserve the “Arduino” name exclusively for official products and to avoid using it for unauthorised or derivative works. A notable feature of the Arduino series is its pre-
From AVR to ARM:
Engineering smarter systems with Arduino UNO R4
By Dr Dogan Ibrahim, Electronics Engineering Consultant, and Sami Spiteri, student at the Harris Academy, Greenwich, UK
T
he Arduino UNO R4 Minima and UNO R4 WiFi represent a significant evolution in microcontroller design, transitioning from the legacy AVR-based UNO R3 to a powerful 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 architecture. With increased processing speed, greater memory capacity and
built-in connectivity options, the UNO R4 series equips developers to address modern embedded system challenges, from multi- tasking and real-time control to cloud-integrated applications, whilst preserving the simplicity and compatibility that define the Arduino ecosystem.
30 December 2025/January 2026
www.electronicsworld.co.uk
programmed bootloader, which allows users to upload code to the microcontroller via the Arduino IDE. I/O pins are conveniently exposed through female headers along the board’s edges, making hardware prototyping straightforward using jumper wires. The original Arduino boards were manufactured by Smart
Projects, an Italian company. Since then, many versions have been released, including Arduino Diecimila, Arduino UNO Rev2, Arduino Leonardo, Arduino RS232, Arduino Pro, Arduino Mega, Arduino Esplora, Arduino Yun, Arduino Fio, Arduino Ethernet, Arduino Due, Arduino Nano, and a lot more. Arduino’s popularity has grown significantly over the years.
In 2022, its revenue exceeded $237m, with a substantial portion attributed to online sales.
Arduino evolution Powered by the 8-bit ATmega328P, it established a reputation for versatility and ease of use – perfect for learning GPIO control, implementing basic UART communication and deploying simple automation routines. However, with increasing demands for real-time responsiveness, wireless integration and complex multi-tasking capabilities, the limitations of the R3 became increasingly apparent. The transition to the ARM Cortex-M4 architecture in the
UNO R4 series is central to addressing these limitations. Developers familiar with 8-bit AVR programming will now benefit from an expanded instruction set, hardware floating- point capabilities and compatibility with CMSIS (Cortex Microcontroller Software Interface Standard), enabling efficient task switching, faster mathematical operations and precise timing control. These new additions represent a significant leap forward in performance, connectivity and integration, setting a new standard for what a compact, accessible, microcontroller platform can achieve. At the heart of both the Arduino UNO R4 Minima and UNO
R4 Wi-Fi lies the Renesas RA4M1 microcontroller, a powerful 32-bit ARM Cortex-M4 CPU running at 48MHz. This marks
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