Still using an Arduino Uno in 2026? Here’s what to use instead.
The Uno made programming easy, but the ESP32 now does everything it does, faster and cheaper, with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in. The Raspberry Pi Pico 2 can handle almost any ESP32 project, and its two PIOs make it great for precise signals like LED strips and ESCs.
Need raw speed for audio synths or super fast control loops? That’s what the Teensy 4.1 is for. Building electronics that will go into production? STM32 is harder to use, but the chip variety and prices are hard to beat.
The one most people have never heard of is the Particle Photon 2. Every device is connected to the cloud out of the box, so things like remote firmware updates work with zero setup.
On the single board computer side, the Raspberry Pi runs almost anything, but it struggles with fast, precise signals. The BeagleBone Black fixes exactly that with two built-in PRUs, which makes it a solid pick for robot arms and 3D printers. Orange Pi, Banana Pi, Radxa and Odroid give you more performance per dollar if you don’t mind tinkering. And for running heavy AI models locally, in a humanoid robot or an autonomous vehicle, the NVIDIA Jetson is the go-to.
The comment and I’ll send a link only works on Instagram, but you can find the full guide if you go to our website (link in bio) and navigate to free resources, hope you find it useful!
#electronics #robotics #mechatronics #arduino #raspberrypi